from last time…

Gary's gun was still pointed at Holmes, but before anyone could react, he swung it over in my direction. "Ladies first."


Chapter 10

Holmes quickly pulled a vial from his pocket. "You do that, I drop this, we ALL die," he announced, trying to divert Gary's attention.

Gary kept the gun trained on me, but he turned to face Holmes, his eyes growing wide as he realized what Holmes was holding. "You wouldn't dare," he snarled.

I myself was frozen to the spot, until I realized Holmes had pulled out the red vial, filled with the innocuous spores, dangling it dangerously in the air.

"Try me," Holmes said evenly.

The following moment was possibly the longest I had ever experienced in my life. Gary and Holmes were staring each other down, in some private game of chicken, each daring the other to inflict the most harm.

It was Gary who broke the silence. "My pleasure."

A gun went off, and I felt myself being shoved to the floor, hearing the sound of broken glass as I hit the ground, right before everything went black.


When I came to, I was lying on the couch in the room. Holmes and two burly paramedics were leaning over Brian, who was lying on a stretcher on the floor, and the third paramedic, who was leaning over to me, noting that I was awake, starting asking me questions. "Dr. Watson, can you tell me how you're feeling?"

I shook my head, trying to wave the paramedic off. "I'm fine, I'm fine." I slowly tried to sit up, but the paramedic wasn't having any of it.

"Dr. Watson, please. How many fingers am I holding up?"

I glared at him. "Look, I'm fine. I don't need you to tell me that, ok? What I do need is for you to tell me how Agent Morstan…" my voice trailed off as Holmes turned around. I shoved the paramedic away and hurried across the room, barely noticing the broken glass and blue vial top on the floor.

"Watson," he addressed me. "I suppose you want to know what happened."

I nodded, watching silently as the paramedics raised the stretcher Brian was laying on, noticing that he looked to be bleeding from his side. "We're taking him to Charity. You guys can follow us there," one of them said to Holmes.

"All right. Come on Watson, let's go, I'll explain on the way." He took my arm and guided me out, right on the heels of the paramedics.


"Charity Hospital is one of the best trauma centers in the country, Watson, don't worry. He'll be ok." Holmes' voice was thin, almost nervous, and it didn't reassure me one bit. He was driving what appeared to be Maggie's car, weaving dangerously through the streets of New Orleans, practically tailgating the ambulance that carried Brian.

"So what happened?" I asked, slowly. "And why did we leave the scene of a possible biohazard site?"

Holmes' entire body tensed up. His jaw was clenched, and he was gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white.

"Jake?" I ventured, placing my hand softly on his arm. I found myself surprisingly calm even though I had a million thoughts running through my head.

Still no answer.

I tried another tactic, trying to get him to refocus. "What happened to Sebastian?"

"He's in custody. Maggie took him in."

"And Gary?"

Holmes' voice sounded hollow, devoid of any emotion as he recounted the events for me. "Gary tried to shoot you, but Brian shoved you out of the way, taking the bullet that was meant for you. I wrestled Gary to the ground, and Sebastian tackled me as well, breaking the vial in the process. Maggie had come back upstairs and managed to get Gary under custody. Sebastian, during the fight, completely lost it when he saw the vial break, and jumped out the window to avoid breathing what he presumed were anthrax spores."

"Is he-"

Holmes answered my unasked question. "No. Just a broken leg."

I leaned back, trying desperately to process what had happened in the last few hours. It was supposed to be me in the ambulance, it was supposed to be me near death, not Brian. Holmes, too, seemed to be feeling the same guilt I was.

"So what's going to happen now?" I asked, crossing my fingers hoping that Holmes would know, that the world's best detective would have an answer for me.

The silence following my simple question spoke volumes. Holmes didn't know.

There was a first time for everything.


Holmes and I must have sat in the waiting room for hours (at least, it felt that long), hoping for any news about Brian. Holmes had somehow managed to contort his body in a way that he was stretched out along four chairs (looking very uncomfortable), lost in his own little world. I, however, could never sit still in hospital waiting rooms, and ended up alternatively pacing and sitting, before flipping rapidly through every magazine on the table, refusing to think about the events leading up to this.

When the surgeon came into the waiting room, Holmes jumped up, rushing over. "How is he?"

"Agent Morstan is a very lucky man. The bullet went clean through his right external oblique muscles, and missed his entire peritoneal cavity. It's a completely superficial wound. He'll feel weak for a while in his side, but he should regain full function, in a few months, provided that the wound doesn't get infected."

I heaved a huge sigh of relief. "Can we see him?"

"I don't see why not. I'll take you to him, but before I do, do you have any questions?"

Holmes and I both shook our heads, and we followed him out of the waiting room. He led us to a patient room a few doors down, and motioned for us to go inside. I was just about to head in before Holmes grabbed my arm. "Wait."

"What?"

Holmes shifted uneasily on his feet. "You go."

I raised my eyebrows. "You're not coming?"

He was avoiding my eyes. "No, I will. I just want to call Maggie and tell her that he'll be all right."

Something was up, but I decided not to push it. Holmes would tell me when he was ready. Besides, Maggie had called when we first arrived at the hospital, imploring us to let her know the moment Brian was out of surgery. She was stuck "putting out the fire," as she called it, down at the federal building, and would not be able to make it down for awhile.

I shrugged it off, and entered the room myself, leaving Holmes in the hallway behind me.

"Hi there," I greeted Brian, as I walked up to him, pulling up a chair next to his bed, and sitting down.

The handsome FBI agent opened his eyes, before a smile graced his face. "Hi."

"How do you feel?" I asked lamely, trying to figure out how to thank the man who had just saved my life.

"Like I've just been shot," he answered a little too solemnly.

I groaned. "How long have you been waiting to use that line?"

He chuckled softly. "Forever, really. I've never been shot before. So where's Jake?"

I smiled nervously. "He's on the phone with Maggie, telling her how you are. We just spoke with the doctor. He'll be coming in any moment now."

"Hospitals have never been his forte, Laura, don't kid yourself. It's too emotional," Brian shook his head. "He's so much like Jason sometimes it's scary."

"How long have you guys known each other?"

"Jason and I were partners for ten years, before he was murdered. I've known Jake for about as long, seeing how he and Jason were practically inseparable. Gary and I-" Brian stopped mid-sentence, as if unsure how to proceed.

I reached over, giving Brian's hand a reassuring squeeze. "It's ok. You don't have to-"

Brian shook his head. "Things like this really make you wonder if you know someone as well as you think, even if you've been friends for years, you know?"

I nodded.

"Gary and I used to joke that the Holmes' brothers were on their own separate planet. They're on such a different intellectual plane than everyone else, and when we used to listen to them talk to each other, it was complete gibberish, you know? Can't follow them at all, they're so fast."

"I can totally see that."

"So…" Brian looked at me questioningly.

"Gary and Sebastian are both in custody. Maggie said that she would come by to update us as soon as she finishes up."

Brian smiled at me. "That's good to know."

"Thank you," I said abruptly.

"For what?" he asked, puzzled, before understanding dawned on him. He shook his head. "You don't owe me any thanks for that. I was happy to do it."

I shook my head. "You saved my life. The least I can do is say thank you."

Brian grinned, his face lighting up. "Actually, that's not true."

"What do you mean?"

"The least you can do is to go out to dinner with me. When we get back to Los Angeles."

I blushed furiously. "Is this how you normally ask girls out?" I joked, trying to stall for time.

He laughed awkwardly. "Just you, actually."

I didn't know what to say, the words getting caught in my mouth. "I'm very flattered by the offer, Brian, but I …"

"Is there something going on between you and Jake?" he asked apprehensively.

I froze, my eyes darting around the room, hoping to avoid answering the very question I had in my own heart, before I saw the familiar figure in the doorway. It appeared that Jake Holmes had been standing in there long enough to hear Brian's question and was now waiting to hear what I had to say.

I turned to Brian, emboldened, wanting to tell him that yes, I really cared for Jake, and that I wouldn't go to dinner with him. But just as I opened my mouth, Holmes strolled briskly into the room.

"Are you joking, Brian? I am the very definition of bachelor," Holmes announced, not looking at me.

Brian's eyes lit up. "Recluse is more like it. Bachelor implies that you actually will still date women."

Holmes laughed, before gesturing to me. "So before I so rudely interrupted, Watson was about to say yes to dinner."

Brian turned to me. "Really?"

I nodded silently, as it became readily apparent that everything with Holmes was just a fluke; I was pining away after a guy who didn't see me as anything other than a colleague. This whole week was just an illusion.

"Great," Brian beamed.


Holmes and I left Brian's room a while later, returning to the hotel, after Holmes had explained the current situation as relayed to him by Maggie. Gary would be facing attempted murder charges (for shooting Brian), as well as conspiracy to commit murder (for Jason), and Sebastian was finally being charged with conspiracy to commit murder, as a result of the feds finding a vial of virulent anthrax in his pockets (how it got there was anyone's guess, but I figured that Holmes had managed to slip it in somehow, in the scuffle that followed Brian getting shot). Either way, Sebastian and Gary were both going away for a long time.

"So where do you want to eat tonight?" Holmes remarked casually, as if nothing had happened. We were in the hotel room, and I had just gotten out of the shower, trying to clear my head.

I shrugged. I hadn't said a word since we left the hospital; more accurately, I hadn't said a word since Holmes walked into Brian's room and answered the question for me.

"Want to just see what's still open out there?" Holmes had opened the sliding balcony door and was just looking over the busy street below. It was only eleven, but the Quarter had never seemed so lively.

I shrugged again. "Doesn't matter."

"Are you angry at me?" he asked, suddenly catching on.

No shit, Sherlock. "Somewhat." An understatement.

"Is this because you didn't want to go to dinner with him? Then why didn't you just tell him?" Holmes asked, genuinely puzzled.

"I was going to, Holmes. You interrupted me," I countered, not wanting to remind him of how exactly he interrupted me.

He shrugged. "Come on Watson, there's no way you could have said no. After all, he did save your life, and you would have had fun at dinner."

I sighed. "That's not the point."

"Then what is?" Holmes was looking at me with a funny smile on his face.

This was it, this was my chance to tell him how I felt about him, how I would do anything for him, how I wanted nothing more than to feel his lips on mine. But I couldn't. I was too scared. "I just don't like people interrupting me," I mumbled instead.

He nodded slowly. "All right. I'm sorry about that."

I shrugged, mentally kicking myself for not telling him the real reason. I was too scared.

"So how about dinner? I'm positively famished."

I nodded. "Sure."

"Maybe with some music? I know you've been wanting to go since we arrived but we haven't had a chance."

I smiled, slightly placated, meeting his eyes for the first time since we had left the hospital room. "Ok."


Holmes and I ended up grabbing some barbeque at Donna's Bar and Grill, while watching a local New Orleans brass band play some old swing favorites.

"This is really good music," I remarked, before taking another huge gulp of my beer, my second mug of the night. I was determined to get so trashed I would forget everything, including the new barbeque sauce stain on the red dress I was wearing.

He nodded. "I really enjoy swing music." He then got up from the table, and extended his hand to me. "How about a dance?" he asked, his voice light as he gestured to the makeshift dance floor in front of the stage where a few other couples were already dancing.

No, you can't keep doing this to yourself. My initial reaction was to decline, but I didn't. It might have been the alcohol, it might have been my own frustration, it might have been my attempt to forget everything, but it didn't matter, for I found myself being led out to the dance floor where we proceeded to dance to song after song of big band favorites. I thanked heaven for having taken a swing class last year, as I didn't fall and make a fool out of myself, but rather, managed to keep my feet under me, and stepped on Holmes only once. Holmes was a surprisingly good dance partner, and seemed to really enjoy himself. I too, was having a blast, having never thought it possible to be dancing with Jake Holmes.

The band took a break after awhile, and Holmes and I headed back to the table.

"You're not too bad," I commented, after we gulped down our respective beers.

He shrugged. "Jason made me learn. Told me it was a good way to meet women."

I made no effort to suppress my laugh. "Wait, I thought you were a self-identified recluse."

He laughed heartedly. "Bachelor, Laura, not recluse. I would still date women, except that women are never to be entirely trusted- not the best of them."

I raised my eyebrows, slightly hurt at his remark. "Even me?"

Holmes was looking at me with that funny smile on his face again, the same one he wore when he had asked me why I got so upset earlier in Brian's hospital room.

I could feel my face growing hot, and the beginning of tears forming in my eyes. Even after all we had been through, he still couldn't find it in him to trust me. Before I could start crying, however, Holmes stood up, pulling me up with him. "Come with me," he whispered.

I found myself being half-dragged past the dance floor to the stage, where Holmes beckoned to one of the band members, and had a hurried conversation, which I didn't manage to catch. I was just completely bewildered; one moment, Holmes was being a thoughtful, fun, person, the next moment, he was a misogynistic jerk. Why was he being so difficult?

The band began to reassemble on stage. "What's going on?" I asked Holmes softly.

Holmes didn't answer, but put a finger to his lips, before pointing to the man who had stepped out in front of the mike. The man grinned and winked at me, before making an announcement. "For our last song for tonight, we'll be playing a special request, which happens to be an old favorite of mine. Once again, I'm Chuy, and for all the guys in the Bayou Brass Band, thank you for having us here tonight."

"Special request?" I mouthed to Holmes, as the band began to play the first chords into the song, a seemingly slow ballad.

He had the funny smile on his face again. "One more dance?"

I flushed beet red. He was asking me to dance to a slow song, after he had disparaged women- including me- a few moments before. But I couldn't resist and found myself nodding, as Holmes then pulled me close, sliding his arms low around my waist. I nervously wrapped my hands around his neck, as the lead vocalist began to sing…

I've never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight

I've never seen you shine so bright

I closed my eyes, burying myself in Holmes' chest, as he pulled me closer. I remember that my mind was racing, trying to figure out what Holmes was up to, where we stood, what was going on, but as the song continued on, every worry, every concern, every thought just melted away. It was just the two of us, so closely intertwined that I could feel his breathing and heartbeat; we seemed so disconnected from everything else around us that I felt that time was standing still, if but for a moment.

The Lady in red

Is dancing with me

Cheek to cheek

There's nobody here

It's just you and me

It's where I want to be

And I hardly know there's beauty by my side

I'll never forget the way you look tonight

When the song ended, I found myself extremely reluctant to let go, hoping that it wasn't my imagination that he didn't want to let go either.

He reached up, gently caressing my cheeks with his long tapered fingers before lifting my chin up so I faced him. He looked at me, eyes uncharacteristically reflecting an emotion I couldn't discern. "I trust you," he finally said. "Too much so, I think."

I was about to ask him what he meant by that when he put a finger to my lips, brushed some strands of hair from my face, tucking them behind my ears (which probably were so red right now I looked like a tomato). He smiled to himself, muttering a "To hell with it," before leaning down. And he kissed me.


Special thanks to ACD, for Holmes saying "Women are never entirely to be trusted- not the best of them", in The Sign of the Four and Chris De Burgh for "The Lady in Red" lyrics. (Tried to do the footnote thing but it didn't transfer over)

AN: I hope the length and content of this chapter (it's longer than my normal!) makes up for my incredible lack of skill in writing anything remotely fluffy/romantic etc. I do hope that this venture into romance isn't completely out of character in that it just messes up the W/H dynamic. I do have to say, however, all is not as it seems (hint, hint). Thus, I would like to wave frantically and scream that this is NOT the end, that "It's Not Over Yet!" In lieu of doing that, I shall just say politely that there's more to come, and that you are all such darlings for staying with this story for so long and being so supportive and understanding and fantastic reviewers/readers etc.

L'Wren: I hope this update was fast enough for you! Thanks for reviewing!

Hermione Holmes: I'm so glad the last chapter turned out ok, and thank you so much for your compliments! I'm so gladyou enjoyed the scene with the walk through the Garden District- it's one of my favorites too. Hopefully this chapter lives up to the last! And no cliffhanger this time (I think.) Thanks for reviewing!

Kenta Divina: Here's some nice Watson/Holmes action for you. And really, don't feel too bad for Brian just yet. There's still more in store!

Kittenchatter: Hello hello! (I'm not awesome, really). And I'd have to say, Holmes has known about Laura for quite some time. He's just a bit slow with these things. And yes, Brian is the one who swings into action J even though Holmes does his thing too J I hope the fluff in this chapter makes up for it, but you also understand I enjoy writing angst and awkward and unrequited more than fluff, right? ;) Thanks again for your unwavering support!

QueenofSpain: Wow, thanks for the support! Glad I was of some help in providing the study break (it works out well because I write as my study break, and it's always nice to know that someone's reading J) I hope that Holmes didn't come off too compassionate with his emotions in this chapter, as we all know he's still got the emotional maturity of a 5 year old. At least when it comes to girls.

Horsefeathers103: Thanks! I try to tie in as much Canon as I can, although it has been kind of hard with the characters taking on a different type of relationship- something completely different than Canon. The whole modern era thing too- one of the reasons I don't write Holmes + Watson stories set in the Victorian times is that I know I'd botch it majorly, and I have too much respect for Canon to do so. Many people, especially on FF, do a fantastic job of it, and I'm always so envious and I admire them so much,especiallysinceI know I can't do it. Speaking of Canon, I thought you might appreciate the direct quote from Sign of Four!

Just a general survey question to all my readers: So I know I said I was going to stop at 3 stories, but one of you suggested that I do a chapter in Holmes' POV. Well, I'm intrigued enough to take it a bit further, in that I'm contemplating writing the 4th (and really, the FINAL) story involving JH/LW, and I'm seriously thinking about doing it from Holmes' POV. Yes, the entire story from Holmes' POV. Would this be something you guys might like? Or not? Or you know what, just let me know after the next chapter (which will be the last- or second to last, I'm still dealing with length issues) if you're unsure.