Needless to say, Molly was hysterical.
"Molly, you need to calm-"
"How can calm down when my children have just been kidnapped?!" Molly shrieked. "We have to find them! We have to-" She collapsed into a pile of sobs. Mycroft knelt beside his wife. "Molly, I promise I will do everything in my power to get them back, but you need to calm down."
Molly let out a few more cries, before she took a deep breath and looked up at him. "Who would take them?"
Mycroft didn't meet her eyes. "I don't know."
"I don't believe that for a second, Mycroft Holmes."
"Molly it's late-"
"No! You're going to tell me who took my children." From the tone of her voice, Mycroft knew insisting otherwise would be foolish.
"Very well."
And he began to tell the tale.
"Did you give them the sedative?"
"They're not even ten, I'm not giving them the sedative."
"Why not?"
"Because I've seen this sedative take down guys bigger then me. No way am I giving it to a kid."
"Aw, I didn't know you cared about kids."
"I've got two of my own, as well you know."
"Yeah and I'm not asking you to give them the sedative."
"I would hope not! They're your kids too."
"But these aren't my kids. They're the Iceman's."
"Don't you think you should Holmes a new nickname? He's got a wife and three kids, his heart isn't made of ice."
"I wouldn't be so sure. He'd still sacrifice all four of them if necessary."
"Molly Hooper maybe, but the kids? No. Even you wouldn't do that."
"Well…."
"JAMES MORIARTY DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME YOU WOULD SACRAFICE ARE KIDS FOR SOME STUPID MISSION."
Jim let out a laugh. "Of course not, Seb. I wouldn't even sacrifice you, but I do have a reputation to uphold, thank you very much."
"Why did you want the kids anyway?"
"Insurance. Now we're almost there right?"
"Yup."
A few minutes later, Sebastian Moran pulled into the driveway of Mycroft Holmes.
"About six months ago I found a note on my desk, it was a threat, of course. It warned me that the worst was coming. I did everything I could to figure out who sent the note. And I think I did, but not soon enough. Two of my colleagues have been murdered. Another note was left beside the second body. It said 'two done, one to go'. We are still trying to figure out who the next victim will be. I tracked the murders to Vienna, but obviously they knew I was onto them."
Molly was about to say something when there was a knock on the door.
"The police are here, Mr. Holmes." Franz said.
"Thank you," Mycroft turned back to his wife. "Stay here, I'll take care of this." Molly nodded and Mycroft followed Franz out the room.
"I'm sorry all this had to happen." A familiar high-pitched voice said. Molly spun around to face Jim Moriarty and Sebastian Moran standing on her balcony.
"Where are my children?" She demanded. Molly didn't even have to ask, she knew the pair had taken her kids.
"They're fine." Jim assured her.
"Somehow I don't find that reassuring."
"Well you should," Sebastian said. "Because their safety depends on you."
"I don't follow." Molly tried.
"Oh yes you do, Mrs. Holmes." Jim said. "Don't play stupid. You know exactly what we mean."
"The two men that died were Robin Locksley and Richard Gold," Sebastian continued. "The second and third most powerful men in Britain. It's not a hard to figure that next on the list is one Mycroft Holmes."
"W-why are you telling me this?" Molly asked.
"We aren't telling you, we're merely confirming your suspicions." Moriarty said. "Now how this turns out is all on you."
"W-what?"
"You're the only person who knows Mycroft is next on the list. So you have two choices." Moran started. "One, you warn your husband,"
"But then you'll never seen your kids again," Jim interrupted. "Or two, you say nothing and get your kids back."
"But my husband will be dead." Molly finished, her head reeling.
"Precisely…well it was nice talking to you, Molly. See you around." Moriarty jumped around the railing and Moran followed suit. Molly hoped they broke their necks, but she knew they wouldn't.
"I didn't think you'd still be up." Mycroft said. It was around three in the morning and Molly was sitting on the bed staring into the darkness.
"I couldn't sleep…" She whispered. Her husband crossed the room, concern written all over his face. "Are you alright?"
"My children have been kidnapped, of course I'm not alright."
"We'll find them, I promise." Mycroft told her as he settled in bed. As soon as the light was out, Molly threw her arms around him.
"Molly you're starting to scare me." He said, returning the hug nonetheless.
"I'm just worried something's going to happen to you next." She said, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"Nothing's going to happen to me, dearest."
I wish I knew that for certain. Molly thought miserably.
Which would you guys pick?
~Kate