quite short, can't think of anything at the moment. enjoy.

edit: also, I need your help: what do you think Sherlock would do? I have an idea what's going to happen at the end, but I need your input on what he chooses. :D

To Jim's surprise, Sherlock chuckled. It was typical for Sherlock to have received a comment like that – being the only consulting detective in the world, he was sure to have been told those sort of death threats before. Not to mention the pool, where Jim, after he had changed his mind, was pretty convinced he was going to kill both Sherlock and John – which obviously failed.

"I get that a lot," Sherlock explained. "Now tell me where John is."

It was Jim's turn to laugh now. He's going to love this, he thought. "I thought I'd leave a little challenge for you," he said. "You see, John's perfectly safe. Well, no, he's not, because I'm not that nice." He grinned. "He is, for now, however. He won't be when you make your decision. I'm giving you a choice, Sherlock," his face turned serious again, "a choice between life and death. You surrender, John lives. You don't surrender, you live, John dies." Jim paused, as if thinking of what he was going to say next. "If you kill me, you'll still die. So you're going to have to choose, aren't you? Who's more important – him, or you?"

Sick… psychotic… bastard…

John didn't write the note himself. He wrote it under the force of Jim, and did what Jim told him to, so that it was guaranteed Sherlock came. It was a trick; all of it was a trap, set up to put him in this dilemma…

"I know you have a heart, Sherlock," Jim murmured. "Prove it."

I can't die, Sherlock thought. The whole world would collapse. I'm the reason for the criminals in prison, I'm the reason Scotland Yard have solved all their cases, I'm the reason for London not being the holiday destination for murderers and robbers. Why should I die? What has John ever done but be my companion? I didn't need his help before he came strutting along, I did everything fine by myself. What great loss would it be if John died?

Sherlock looked down at the jacket that was resting on his arm, and he blinked. That was selfish. Really, very selfish. John's a human being, and even if he's not the world's only consulting detective or something absurdly ridiculous like that, I can't sacrifice him just because I think I'm more important. Moriarty's right. I do have a heart, and I can't kill somebody like John. He's my only friend, and I don't want to risk losing somebody like that, somebody so important like him…

I hate you, Jim Moriarty. I can't even put into words how much I hate you.

Sherlock had no idea what to do. For once in his entire life, his head was in a whirl and he was almost certain there was no way to move forward. He had to pick one. Consulting detective or the doctor?

Who was more important?

Sherlock held his gun higher. "Tell me where John is, before I make my decision."
"No chance," Jim replied. "I'm not that stupid, if you haven't taken that into account yet."

Oh, I know that, Jim Moriarty. I really do know that.

"I'm not saying anything until you tell me where he is," Sherlock pressed, not giving up. This may have been the only escape out of this horror.

"Well that's just tough, isn't it!" Jim's voice raised into the usual high pitched childish tone he usually had when doing something like this.

If I press further, he's going to kill me. Don't want that happening just now.

Maybe later.

He looked down at the gun he was holding, staring at it for a couple of minutes and thinking, I should probably just surrender.