AN: And here, she finally realizes what's up… ACD has first dibs, as always.

I searched high and low for Holmes for the entire afternoon, but he was nowhere to be found. James and his partners too, had left Nick's. I had lost track of both of them, and the sky was getting dark. I looked up and saw massive thunderclouds.

The only thing I could do was to head back to the bed-and-breakfast, and perhaps run into Holmes and tell him there. Guilt was eating away at me. Holmes had implored me to keep the key safe, and I had failed him.

This time, the manager didn't give me any trouble when I asked to be let up into the room. "Holmes?" I knocked on the door.

No answer.

The manager was still behind me. "Uh, ma'm, Mr. Holmes was here briefly and he left again. In a real hurry too. I never seen someone so eager to go out in this weather." He opened the door for me.

"Thank you." He nodded politely, and left.

I glanced around the room. Everything was where I had seen it last. The bed was still made, Holmes' bag still in the corner, and the shades still drawn.

Then I noticed it- a single room key on the nightstand next to the phone. Next to it, a message pad, with "Vista Point, 8 PM" scrawled on it. The handwriting was familiar.

I wondered why Holmes had left his key inside the room when he had obviously gone out. Then it hit me- it wasn't Holmes' key, it was probably my key! I must have left it here yesterday after getting in that fight. But that couldn't be right either- I distinctly remembered putting it into my purse when I left.

I picked up the key, unsure to why Holmes would ask me to safeguard something if he had it all along in the first place. Then I caught a faint whiff of cologne. It couldn't be. I held the key card closer to my nose. I realized where I recognized that smell- it was James' cologne. What was James' cologne on the key for?

I looked at the message pad closer. The message was in James' handwriting. Why-? Oh my God.

Holmes' was right all along. The thunder jolted me out of my thoughts. I glanced at the clock. It was already 7:55. I had 5 minutes to get to Vista Point.

I ran out of the room, and shouting for the manager to call me a cab. I hoped that I wasn't too late.

The rain was falling harder and faster than ever. I was forcing myself to keep calm, struggling to see through the tears that wouldn't stop, face glued to the window for any sign of them. Directing the cab driver through the narrow roads in Vista Point State Park along the trails, we finally came upon a black executive sedan parked on the side of the road.

"Here, here, drop me off here." I gestured frantically at the cab driver.

"Look lady, it's pouring out. You don't wanna be wandering in no forest with this lightening."

I waved off his concern, tossing a hundred dollar bill at him. "Here. Keep the change." I scrambled out of his car, glancing at my watch. It was already 8:15.

I ran up the paved road, barely hearing the squeal of the cab as it pealed away. The feeling of the icy rain pounding down on my body, soaking me thorougholy, did not register as I ran up the road. The paved road ended about a quarter mile away from the waterfall cliff, and I trudged on. The trail was very muddy, and it was slow going.

"Holmes!" I called, stumbling over the fast flowing mud streams. No answer. The wind continued to roar around me; the thunderstorm was still raging.

A flash of lightening allowed me to dimly make out two figures in combat close to the edge of the cliff. It was them. I dashed up to the edge of the cliff as fast I as could, against the roaring wind.

"Holmes!" I tried again. I was about twenty yards away from both of them, who were teetering close to the edge of the hundred foot cliff. At the bottom of the precipice lay the jagged rocks that framed the beautiful waterfall during the day. One false slip tonight would be death.

"Holmes!" I was close enough to see them clearly.

This time he heard me, turning around. "Watson! Get out of here!" His momentary lapse in concentration cost him, as James took advantage of it and shoved him over the edge.

A strangled cry escaped my throat as I tried to rush to the edge of the cliff. No, it couldn't be! Before I could reach the edge and a swaggering James, part of the cliff gave way, taking Moriarty with it as well. The rain had not lessened any, rapidly loosening the topsoil holding the edge of the cliff to the rest of the mountain.

I approached the edge of the cliff slowly, at a crawl and on all fours. Despite my confident progression towards the edge, inside, I was hysterical. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Holmes and James in one night? No, I refused to accept it.

I inched myself over to the edge, peering over the steep rock face. "James? Holmes?"

"Watson!"

It was Holmes. I made my way over to the voice, finding a pair of hands gripping the edge. I silently offered an arm, which Holmes' took. But before I could pull him up, another hand gripped my free arm.

It was James. "Laura, please, pull me up, I can't hold on any longer," he whimpered as he tightened his grip.

I began to panic. I had no free arm, and each man required more strength than I had in one arm to pull up. "Holmes, can you pull yourself up with one hand on the cliff?" I could see one of his hands grasping futilely at the edge of the cliff. The topsoil was too muddy and kept peeling away.

"No, Watson. It won't work."

There had to be another way. I ransacked my brain- but came up with nothing. And I was starting to tire.

"Watson! You can't pull both of us up. You'll have to drop one of us! It's your choice." Holmes' cool, collected voice seemed extremely out of place for a man in a life-or-death situation.

I could feel James' fear. "No, Laura, I love you! Help me up and we can be together- I'll never leave you! It'll be like old times. I promise." I could make out something of the old James in his voice- the warmth and tenderness he used lavish upon me. James had never hurt me. I felt his grip begin to slip, and I held onto him tighter. I couldn't lost him again.

I then glanced over expectantly at the man who had hurt me deeply just last night. I was wrong to trust you. All you've ever done is screw over those who matter most to you. Holmes' voice echoed in my head. But here, I had a chance to make it up to James.

I felt Holmes' usually ironclad grip begin to loosen. "Watson, remember what I said about your indecision this afternoon? That it's gonna cost you?" The man was still cracking jokes. I couldn't believe it. His voice turned serious. "Watson- you know… I won't interfere. This is your decision."

"I love you Laura," James pleaded.

I closed my eyes, shutting out the relentless beats of rain on my back and now extremely sore arms. I didn't think it would have to come down to such a choice- but I knew who I would have to drop.

So I let him go.

AN: A very literal cliffhanger! I'm so mean, I know. Please, let me know what you all think.