Chapter Twenty-Three:

Kathryn…

The next morning, Kathryn woke to feel Sawyer sleeping peacefully next to her. She looked down at him and admired the serenity he captured as he was comatose that she never saw when he was active. Perhaps that was why she never found him particularly attractive. He rolled onto his back and smirked in his sleep. She smiled warmly. He was probably one of the only people who could get her to show an emotion other than irritation, anger and/or great distaste.

She brushed his curly blond hair from his face and he grabbed her hand. "Don't do that," he said softly, still partly asleep. "It tickles."

Shaking her head in amusement, Kathryn laid on her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows. "Good morning," she said. "Did you dream?"

"Yeah," he said. "I dreamt that you let me do that sooner." He opened one eye and looked at her. "Did you dream?"

She paused. "Uh, yes, actually," she said. He gave her an expectant look. "I dreamt that I was putting a gun to the heads of a certain list of men and pulling the trigger."

He stared at her. "You have problems," he said, sitting up and rubbing his the sleep from his eyes.

"I'm aware of that," she said, also sitting up, but taking the silk blanket with her for modesty's sake, if nothing else. "Sawyer, I was wondering. Are you in London alone, or is the League with you?"

"Oh, my god," he muttered. "I completely forgot. I was supposed to meet them at Victoria last night."

He got out of bed and quickly began dressing. Kathryn watched him silently. He really was a handsome man. And only four years younger than her. On the Nautilus, the age difference felt too extreme to pursue anything, but in London… Well, for her, everything was different in London. Except her firm resolve against falling in love again. So she merely let Sawyer have his fun. Now, he was going to take her back to the Nautilus. Whether he wanted to or not.

"Kate," he said, pulling on his black vest. "Come with me. Come back to the Nautilus and the League."

She nodded. "Go get some break fast," she said softly. "I'll be out presently."

He crossed to her, kissed her lightly, then left the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Kathryn quickly got dressed. She chose her black work attire. It was a bit provocative, true. But she needed to be able to move properly in case Skinner pulled anything. Pulling on her long, black over coat, she walked to the kitchen, her red-dyed hair spilling over her shoulders.

"Stop right there, Bennet!"

Kathryn looked up sharply and saw several men standing in her kitchen. Two had Sawyer gagged and his hands tied. Every other man had a gun of some sort aimed at either her head or her heart. The leader of the group was none other than Professor James Moriarty himself. "Good gods, James," she said. "No matter how many times someone kills you, you always come back. How do you do it?"

James walked over to her, stopping less than two feet from her. "I like your new look, Kitty," he said softly. "And I know you have the formula for the Elixir of Life. If you would be so kind as to return it to me, I would greatly appreciate it."

"And what would a Professor of Mathematics want with an Elixir of Life?" she asked alluringly, looking up into his eyes.

An odd look crossed his eyes. "You wicked tease," he said, smiling, tempted. "I saw what you did with Sir Lucas. Brilliant, Kitty, I must say. When I first taught you, I didn't think you would be able to think of something so depraved. Allow me to offer my congratulations."

"I would prefer it if you didn't," she said simply. "But, if you've come here for the formula, you'll have to come with me to my study." She turned sharply. "And they can stay here." And she left the kitchen, hoping that Sawyer wouldn't do anything stupid. If she played her cards right, she could get them both out of the situation unharmed. But only if he didn't do anything stupid. Kathryn and James entered the study. She closed the shutters and he locked the door. "If you're insistent on offering your congratulations, James, you may do so in here."

He smiled, crossed the room to her and pulled her into his arms. Tenderly, he kissed her. This was one kiss she had missed since ending a marriage or relationship. At times she was led to believe his kiss was one of actual love than lust. When she loved him, she was only eighteen. When he loved her, he did so without drawing the attention of Mr. Holmes. Until it appeared that he was murdered, that is. It wasn't until later, when Mr. Holmes enlisted her help, that Kathryn learned what her love really was. And even still, it broke her heart again to watch him fall into the abyss of Reichenbach Falls. And yet, he was alive. He had created the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen to steal their abilities and sell them as weapons less than a year ago. She knew Sawyer was certain he had killed him. Even so, here he was, alive, and kissing her as he did when they were engaged to be married. "You really are a wicked tease, Kitty," he murmured, looking deep into her eyes.

She smiled. "I do what I can to survive, James," she replied. She kissed him. She could feel his tongue gently play games with hers. "Gods, I missed you."

"Still Pagan, are you?" he muttered, letting her go. "Why does that not surprise me? What surprises me is that you were Pagan to begin with. It didn't seem to fit your character then."

Kathryn walked over to her desk. "That was fourteen years ago, James," she said, going through the papers on the desk. "What surprises me is that you're still alive. Honestly, how many times have you been murdered or killed? Three?"

"Seven," he replied, following her to the desk. "Which is why I need the Elixir's formula."

"You developed the means to create it, didn't you?" she asked, surprised. "And Sir Lucas stole the formula from you. Didn't he?"

He nodded. "Correct," he said. "That man stole more from me than just the formula, however."

"What do you mean?" She was still trying to remember where she had put the formula. She knew she left it in her study, and she was almost certain on the desk. But she couldn't find it. "What else did he steal?"

"You." She stared at him. "You see, it was Sir Lucas who attempted to murder me. He didn't want it known to the public that he had the Elixir of Life formula. So he attempted to dispose of me. Doing so, I had to disappear. And we couldn't marry." He took her hand and caressed it. "These past fourteen years, I have watched your actions. I've documented everything you've done. Everyone you've killed, every man you've married. You've married more times than I've died."

"As I said," she said. "I do what I can to survive." She sighed. "But, had I known you were still alive, I would have searched for you."

"But that would have ended a brilliant career before it started," he said, pulling her into his arms again. She rested her head against his shoulder. "You were well up on poisons, but you hadn't put any of the weapons you created to any use. If you hadn't watched me fall into Reichenbach Falls, you never would have killed your first victim." He sighed and kissed the top of her head. "But now, Kit. Now, once I have rebuilt my assets and redesigned my plans, we can be together. Forever. Without anyone getting in the way. Without Holmes, Lucas… Skinner."

She looked up at him. "How do you know about Skinner?" she asked.

"My dear girl," he said. "He used to work for me. That was before he went invisible. I knew he had found you and was growing attached to you."

"Didn't you organise the League, though?" she asked. "Didn't he recognise you?"

"No," he said. "The process he went through to become invisible jarred his memory. Enough to forget he worked for me at all. But he didn't forget you. Which seemed ideal for the League's second mission. Who else would be talented enough to find their way around Sir Lucas' home and find a mythical potion but you?"

"I'm flattered, James," she said. "But you've complicated things a bit."

He nodded. "If you're referring to your recent bullet wound," he said. "I understand and know exactly what you're talking about. And frankly, darling, I planted the distrust in him."

"You wanted him to shoot me?" she asked, surprised.

"No. Never," he said. "I wanted to get you out of the League. So I could find you and make you mine again." He lifted her chin gently and kissed her again.