TheDarkestShinobi: So I don't know if this has been done before or is refuted in cannon but I realized I didn't have too much of a background on Kate. I mentioned her earlier as a tidbit but have decided to run with it. And I like her! Review please!
Start:
Kate first met Moriarty when she was 17.
She had first come out to her parents a few weeks before, and their love and support filled her with such warmth that she decided she could tell her closest friends too. One of her friends decided to tell her older brother, who suddenly decided that Kate was a danger to Mel and needed to be converted.
His attempt to talk to her and date her didn't work. Kate thought men were great, but women were just so pretty and she told him that and it ended with him hitting her in an alley. She screamed before his hand covered her mouth and silenced her to just crying.
"You should really leave her alone" were the first words of his she heard and she'll never forget the relief of help. He was small and scrawny but his friends weren't. He had taken her head in his hands and told her it was okay now. He read her and told her he knew she was bisexual and that he was gay, that it was okay and he was making it his life's mission to rid the world of bullies. She hugged him and cried.
He offered to get rid of her first ex-girlfriend and she, when she was boxing, managed to give his first ex a black eye. He was her best friend for a while but she watched him turn into something else. She supported him though decisions that became more and more questionable, until finally she knew he could have anyone she wanted murdered and never found. She was equally appalled and intrigued but he let her out without a fight in a rare moment where she saw Jim and not Moriarty, as he had started to go by.
Years later, she found herself hiding in the bathroom because her employer/lover had gotten some photographs of a compromising politician and they wanted to kidnap her for leverage. She couched in the stall and suddenly knew there was only one person she could call for help.
He answered on the first ring as he always does and she bit her lip.
"Jim?"
"Yes, it's me." He answered firmly before there is a softer, "Kate?"
"Jim, I need you."
"What do you need?" he answered back and he finds himself enraged at people who would try to harm her. She is one of very few people that both Jim and Moriarty are fond of and she is out of that situation so quickly that the next thing she knew there was a woman helping her up off the bathroom to take her home.
"I owe you one, Jim." She said right before she hung up, and as they often said as young adults, "and I'll give you one better." Their friendship had rekindled after that and she learns that Jim and Moriarty are two separate people. She finds an odd satisfaction at being treasured by a man who doesn't value people and loved by a woman who plays with hearts for a living.
Now, she thinks, she has the one better. At least, her mistress does, in the form of royalty tied to the bed.
"Call Jim." Irene is skeptical, but Kate pouts and Irene can't help herself.
"You're a naughty kitten." Kate smiles and tilts her head to the side.
"Meow," Irene runs a finger along Kate's cheek.
"Dial him."
"Yes, Mistress." She breathes into the black lace of Irene's gown as she presses the button on her phone.
"Hello?" he answers after a few rings and Kate can tell he's in the middle of something.
"This is Kate. Jim?"
"Yes of course it is," they both answer to Jim for her, "what do you want?" because he loves her, but her timing could not be worse right now. He's in the middle of his confrontation with the Virgin and his pet and this was supposed to be fun!
"Hello, Jim, this is Irene." Moriarty turns away from the boys. Well, Kate's okay. "I've got something for you. Or rather someone, her majesty is currently tied to my bed awaiting my return."
"Say that again!" He screams as he turns.
"Jim!" Kate gasps and Irene places a hand on the back of her head.
"Say that again," he repeats calmly but threatening "and know that if you're lying to me I will find you and I will skin you."
"Jim," Kate breathes out "it's your one better."
"Wait." He voices before muting them. Kate and Irene look to each other and Irene raises an eyebrow.
"I find it funny that my little kitten is best friends with that giant dog." Kate hums as Irene plays with her hair. Suddenly Irene tightens her hand and pulls so that Kate is looking at the ceiling and Irene is pulling her hair, she lets out a strangled breath as Irene mutes the call from their end.
"If this works, kitten," Irene lets her lips hover over Kate's exposed neck. "I will make you a very happy woman."
"Yes, Mistress." She breathes out before she whimpers as Irene's hand tightens, "but I decide if we continue with him and if I say we are out, we are out."
"Yes, Mistress." Irene lets go of her in that instant and pushes down on her shoulders and Kate instantly falls to her knees and looks down. Irene continues to play with her hair and Kate nuzzles into Irene's thighs.
"So if you have what you say you have," Irene looks to the phone grabbing it with one hand and playing with Kate's hair with the other. She takes the phone off mute. "I will make you rich. If you don't, I'll make you into shoes. "
"Since I have what I said and Kate greatly believes you to be an asset, I'd like to form a partnership."
"Go on." Kate can tell he's amused. Normally people come to him with information they don't know how to use. But her Mistress has a plan.
"I'll need some of your resources, and I'll trade some things I have, but I want to play around with royalty."
"I'll put you on a leash." He warns and Irene leans onto the banister.
"Come now, you know me better than that, Mr. Moriarty. I am the one who holds the leash."
"This isn't a one better, Kate." Moriarty shifts the conversation and Kate shifts on the floor. Irene narrows her eyes at the implication that Moriarty meant that much to Kate.
"Jim, trust me on this." Moriarty sighs.
"You have her there now?"
"Yes." Irene stands up straight.
"I'll come over tonight, we'll talk about it."
"I'll make your favorite." Kate tempts and Irene shakes her head.
"Seven." Irene concludes and ends the call. Kate looks up at her and Irene smiles. "Come now, kitten, wait a few minutes and then we'll see if her highness likes pets, maybe she'll even let you kip on the bed and lick up the milk." Kate closes her eyes at the image and lets out a breath.
"Well now," She says louder as she moves towards the room and grabs her whip. "Have you been wicked, your highness?"
…
I took some pictures of her royal highness tied to the bed.
"In your bed?" Moriarty opens as he hears the phone picked up.
"Of course," she sounds smug "in all her glory." There is a soft sigh "and then some"
"Naughty." Moriarty teases and she smiles, she thinks he's flirting.
"I'm afraid I'm the one who gives out the spankings, Mr. Moriarty." He rolls his eyes.
"Spare me," he deadpans and she laughs as if he's told a joke. "I'm almost there, but I already have some ideas about where we go from here." She hums and finds herself smiling as he outlines their options and when she poses her own.
"You can tell Kate this is her one better." He sums up before he hangs up the phone. He is going to have fun with this.
…
I have a present for you
"Look at this, kitten." Irene tilts the phone and Kate looks at the two men in the picture.
"I like the blonde one." She rubs her head against the bare skin of Irene's arm.
"Do you?" Irene makes a note of it. "Well, the brunette is the detective."
"Sherlock Holmes?" Kate looks to the picture again. "He's not your type."
"You're my type." Irene flirts, "but brainy is the new sexy." Kate makes a noncommittal sound.
"Kitten, looks like we are going to have a visitor." Kate watches her walk away. "I'll need a bit of time to get ready."
"A long time?"
"Ages."
Kate watches Irene go through different outfits and voices her opinion on each, but Mistress is right when she states that anything and everything would work on her. Kate does Mistress' makeup, and knows she's going in a battle dress but she's still irresistibly turned on to see Mistress walking around before the boys arrived.
When the door rings she walks over and says hello, she watches the detective bumble through an excuse and laughs as she lets them in. When she finally sees the blonde, good old Captain Watson, she realizes that he is the one Jim was talking about. Her fondness for him changes instantly. He belongs to Jim's in the same way she belonged to her Mistress even though they didn't know it yet. When he fills up the bowl in the kitchen, she snaps a picture of him and sends it to Jim with the caption.
Present. He's a cutie.
She watches him leave the kitchen before heading upstairs to the bedroom and then she hits the ground with the thought that the hit was harder than it needed to be to knock her out.
…
When John comes back from checking the back door, he finds Sherlock on the ground and Irene Adler is sitting on the windowsill.
"He'll sleep for a few hours, make sure he doesn't choke on his vomit, it makes for a very unattractive corpse."
"What's this, what have you given him?"
"Now that it's just us, I can tell you that Jim Moriarty sends his regards." John turns to look to her, and she notices the shift from the good kind doctor to the dangerous soldier. She's not interested in men herself, not sexually, but she'd love to break the soldier and corrupt the doctor. She'd even let the kitten watch, clean up, play. She knows she could do it. She tilts her head in interest and he shakes his head as he points to her.
"What did you do to him?" Now that's a dark dangerous voice she'd make whimper. Oh if only she had the time.
"He'll be fine. I've used it on loads of my friends." John kneels and turns Sherlock so that he's on his side and she smiles as he turns back to her.
"Sherlock, can you hear me?" Sherlock makes noise, but there's no telling if it was in response to John's question. John turns towards Irene. "Are you working for Moriarty?" She shakes her head, she's not working with him yet, and for some reason he believes her.
"Did he send you after him because of me?" Now John's worried. She shakes her head as she wonders how Moriarty would feel if she kissed him, owned him or corrupted him first. He has to be the one Kate said Jim was showing interest in, however unknowing the both parties were. Kitten sees the way he's going stir crazy, it's only a matter of time. "But he does seem to be missing you." John rubs his head in frustration.
"I can't believe it."
"I wouldn't go," she advises because she can read his thoughts from his expressions. Sherlock jerks up but John uses a hand to keep him down. Irene smiles again. She'd have John on his knees, his dog tags taking his breath away. "Jim Moriarty is the type of man who thinks it is beneath him to beg, so I'd make him." John can't help but to laugh in disbelief and Irene sends him a friendly wink before leaning back. John turns back to Sherlock to help him up and get him home. He glances to Kate and places her in bed.
…
The very next day John sees two more men tailing him and ducks into an alleyway before jumping up to reach the fire escape. He climbs quickly, knowing he has a minute at most. He watches, from the roof, as the two enter the alleyway before cursing and making a call. John shakes his head as he watches them.
"Not going to get me before I get the milk again." He thinks back to Irene's words and shakes his head.
When John gets back to Baker Street with the groceries and puts them away as Sherlock sits up from the couch. John is a little late, but the next step for him will be to make tea, it's like clockwork, John and his tea. Then he will leave a cup that Sherlock will ignore before drinking it. Sherlock looks back down to the file Mycroft gave him about Irene but looks up at the sound of John's ringtone.
Odd.
"Hello?" John sounds as confused as Sherlock is.
"Any idea why Moriarty is threatening to blow up Big Ben if you don't have tea with him this afternoon?" John laughs before stopping.
"You're serious?" Sherlock tilts his head in thought. "Oh God, you are. No. No clue. I thought it had to do with Sherlock."
"That was my initial assumption." Mycroft responds back evenly, as if bored.
"Jesus, no clue." John sighs and Sherlock shifts. "Tea today?"
"I am given to understand his men are outside in a black car." John shakes his head, looking for an answer that's not there.
"Great. Just great." John hangs up to see he has a text.
What kind of milk?
What?
Is that Moriarty? Is he really texting a criminal mastermind about milk?
What kind of milk do you take with your tea?
2%
What the hell, maybe he'll get some milk with his tea. John shakes his head before grabbing a novel off the table and walking over to the door.
"John?" Sherlock asks as he glances from the kettle to John. He feels a little lost with the small imbalance and he's not sure why. Half of John's mouth quirks up.
"Big Ben is in danger. Tea is imminent. Ask your brother." Sherlock's look of confusion causes John to laugh so hard he almost falls down the stairs.
He doesn't make it out of 221 B before seeing the men waiting for him. He recognizes Maraino but not the other. The man at his door holds his hand out for the paperback and John rolls his eyes but the man won't move.
"Really?" The man doesn't move, "what am I going to do, paper cut his trachea?" Which is impossible. The man takes the book and pauses, trying to figure out if it is possible and John snatches the book back while trying not to laugh. He can't believe this. He really can't. "I believed Big Ben was threatened, let's go have tea."
….
"Would you really have destroyed Big Ben over tea?" John asks later as he blows on his cuppa because that has never even been a thought for him. He can't believe how domestic this feels and that he actually feels grateful he wasn't knocked out this time.
"Perhaps." Jim replies as he sips his tea. His suit jacket is on the chair and his tie is loosened. John looks from one cup to the other and can't help himself from wondering. "You've been avoiding me" John stares. Not wanting to be kidnapped is perfectly natural. The question that he does ask is a little different.
"Could you?" Jim pauses before looking up at John.
"Don't ask boring questions, Captain. Of course I can." John shifts, Jim notices. "Even you could, although it's not exactly Kandahar." John's guilty look tells Jim more than he thought it would.
"It was different." John bites back.
"Yes." Jim agrees and John puts his cup down angrily.
"Don't you dare judge me!" He's defensive. Jim shakes his head.
"No. Not on that." Jim finishes his tea.
"What is this even for?" John sees that Jim is done and guzzles his tea. The burn in his throat satisfies him a little.
"Two things. The first is to show no harm will come to you with me." Lies. John narrows his eyes and Jim continues, ignoring Moriarty's voice inside his head. "The second is that I can and will cripple the nation if anyone tries to keep you from me." The hair on the back of John's neck rises as he stands, his argument about the first point lost. The scariest part is that John believes him, somehow John has become a person that Moriarty will destroy a city for. What does that mean? Why him? He slams his fists into the table.
"Why?" Jim's face changes into a few emotions in those few seconds and John is stuck by the oddity of it compared to the man who had him strapped into a bomb and threatened him. Jim can't figure out whether or not he wants to tell him. He thinks back to Kate's words and finds his heartbeat is erratic. Sentiment? Moriarty practically roars with disgust, especially once Moriarty realizes this makes getting rid of John harder. It wouldn't be a choice anymore, it's a battle. Finally Jim leans forward and decides to just tell the truth but Moriarty's phone rings.
"Oops, maybe next time" Jim says as he picks up the phone. Maybe that's a sign.
"Yes he's done, as is your interference." Jim opens and closes his hand as he listens, mocking the other person. John watches in apprehension as Jim rolls his eyes. This man wants something from him, and its enough that he will continue to threaten England and so terrible he can't even tell John. "Don't make me threaten something your masters will hang you for." Jim hangs up and rolls his eyes and John wonders if there is anything he could deny this man. How much o this life is out of his hands now? "Mummy's waiting." Jim says to John as he slides his phone across the table. John stands with a quick look to the window and grabs his phone before heading out to get into one of Maraino's cars. He spends the ride lost in thoughts he can't put together and as soon as he walks into 221B, Sherlock rushes over to him to check him over. When Sherlock is sure John is physically fine he holds him at arm's length.
"I don't know how to get him to stop." Sherlock hangs his head and John feels the curls brush against his chin. He focuses on that, because the inside of his mind isn't something he can settle right now.
"It's fine." John soothes and Sherlock lifts his head slightly. John could feel his breath on his chin. "I mean it's not fine to be kidnapped by Moriarty all the time but he's not hurting me." John pauses. "Anymore." He sighs. He thinks back to Jims earlier actions. "What's going on here, Sherlock?" Sherlock stands fully and lowers his hands to his sides. John's tongue moistens his lips as he waits for an answer.
"No idea." Sherlock pulls back before looking, fondly, at John, "but I'll figure it out." He promises. John believes him.