Author's Notes: Wow, thanks to all of you who reviewed, faved, and followed my story!

apedarling: Aw, thank you! Yeah, teen!lock was interesting to write! ^^

Freewaygirl: Updated! :)

Alexandria Keating: I'm glad you like it, where I'm taking this is still a little hard to see in detail, but I garentee ya'll will like it. :D

trinicutiegal: Aw, you are too sweet girl! Or gal I should say. ;) You're not babbling, in fact your review absolutely made my day. I'm glad you think my work is good. *hug*

Nicolive: And to the first person to review, thank you so much for clicking on my story! I'm glad you noticed the reference. Lol! But may I ask what SACD is? I guess I'm a little slow as to what that means. :S

Now! Onto the story! Oh, and please review, the more reviews I get the faster I update, even if it's just a few words! :3

Chapter 2: A Kiss of Poison

James Moriarty stood outside the castle grounds of Conan, a cloak covering his face from wondering eyes, and a darkened look of significance painted on his face. He easily side stepped the commotion of passersby's and travelers alike and moved into a small alleyway out of the sight of others. He leaned against the cracked bricks and pulled out a knife to clean out the dirt under his nails that had been bothering him.

"Hello, there stranger." A cool, feminine voice sounded nearby, but Moriarty didn't even glance up.

"You're late," He reasoned calmly, "and you know how I hate to be kept waiting." The woman chuckled mirthlessly and stepped into full view for Moriarty to see her better. Her dark ebony hair was tied into a bun while a dark blue coat covered her from neck to knee. Her equally dark eyes glittered dangerously while her ruby mouth bore an elegant smirk.

"I apologize, but I'd prefer to call it being fashionably late. Only normal people are ever just 'late'."

"Either way," Jim said with an uninterested tone, putting the knife back into its leather sheath. "Did you bring it?" He asked, meeting the woman's gaze with an equivalent glare. She smiled fiercely, her white teeth a stark contrast to the blood of her lips.

"Oh, yes. I had to go through an old magician and his apprentice for it, poor old fools." She pulled out a small clear vile that held a strange black liquid in its content. Jim grinned and reached for it only to find it not in his reach any more.

"Ah-ah-ah! Where's your end of the deal, Moriarty?" She waved a finger in his face and acted as if she was talking to a child. Moriarty scowled and extended his hand back into his cloak to extract a long, slender pin encrusted with jewels and precious metals. The top held a laughing Chinese dragon wrapped around the pin's entirety.

"The Dagger's Pin, just as you asked, now hand over the poison, Ms. Irene Adler." Jim said with distaste.

"My, my, using my full name, are we? You must be displeased." Irene teased, but she complied and handed the vile to Moriarty, who in turn gave her the hair pin.

"What are you going to use the venom on the pin for? It's not like you need it." Jim asked his curiosity piqued. Irene smiled a little wider, just barely showing the tips of her fangs.

"Oh, one never knows what one might need with a poisoned object, but like you I have business that needs to be finished. And who knows," She carefully applied the pin to her bun, "this could come in handy one of these days." With that said, Irene dug her sharp nails into the brick wall and easily scaled up to the rooftop. She looked back down at Jim, nothing more than a black silhouette against the sunset.

"Until we meet again, Moriarty," And she was gone from his vision.

Molly sat with her hands clasped in her lap as trays of food were brought into the dining hall, each one a delicacy from different lands per her request.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," Her mother whispered next to her, her hands grasping Molly's for just a second enough to give it a quick squeeze. Molly smiled brightly, her face flushed with jubilation. Becoming fifteen was a big step, after all. The teenager looked around the room at her visiting family, ranging from aunt to uncle and cousin to cousin, including Moriarty who sat presently across from her looking bored.

A graying Mrs. Hudson waved subtly at Molly from where she stood near the entry way, her eyes alight with happy tears. Greg Lestrade, Captain of the Guard, stood with a few of his other soldiers around the entire hall, but he offered a quick, sincere smile to the girl as well. As soon as the meal was settled the King stood and clapped his hands together to silence the chatter of the dignitaries before raising his wine glass.

"It is a great honor to have you all here this evening," He began, his voice rumbling and easily traveling to those at the far end. "I could not ask for better family and friends to be at my side, and I could not have asked for a more beautiful and extraordinary daughter." He smiled at Molly who easily returned the favor. "God has blessed this kingdom and me well, but tonight is not about me or politics or even the kingdom directly. Tonight is about a coming of age from a young girl to a marvelous queen, one who will rule once both I and Angela, my wife, are gone.

"Margaret, Molly, my beautiful daughter, you have always been a queen. I can see how good you are by the everyday acts you do and know that when you one day wear the crown, you will rule with a pure heart. Happy birthday, my love."

"Happy Birthday," Molly's family chorused before taking a sip of their wine. It was Molly's first try of alcohol so she drank only a small amount in weariness. The sweet liquid went easily down her throat and left a grape aftertaste in her mouth. Deciding she liked it, Molly took an even deeper drink only to have her mother tap her lightly on the arm.

"Be careful, dear, we can't have you drunk within the first five minutes of dinner. Pace yourself." Her mother advised, chuckling as she did so. Molly laughed sheepishly and set her cup back on the table while a few servants came from around all sides of the room to set dishes in front of the patrons. After a while Molly sat back contentedly, but did not slouch, and gently sipped from her wine once more. She was about to ask her mother something, what it was she never did remember, when all of the sudden her father started to cough violently, his whole body shaking and his face completely crimson.

"Aster? Aster!" Her mother exclaimed immediately by his side and trying to pound him on the back. "He's choking! Call the doctor, he's dying, dear God in Heaven he's dying!" Her mother cried.

"It's like something's burning inside of me!" The king groaned his face paling to a deathly white.

"Poison, its poison, no one touch the food or drink!" One of Molly's uncles said, immediately backing away from the table. The entire hall was in a state of disarray as some immediately ran trying to get out of the castle itself and back to their homes while others merely fainted in fright. Jim Moriarty had to fake a choking gag behind a napkin to hide an eerie smile forming on his face.

Molly's mother started to cough up blood as she scratched at her throat as if she was suffocating.

"Mama, Papa? Please don't die, don't leave me." Molly sobbed, softly beating her fists on her Father's already still chest.

Mrs. Hudson firmly pulled Molly's shaking form to her feet and rushed her from the room.

"No, no I can save them! I can save them, Mrs. Hudson!" Molly said angrily trying to push away from the maid. In reply the older woman quickly faced Molly and took her head in her hands to look her directly in the eye.

"They're gone, Molly. I'm sorry but they're gone." Her voice shook and cracked and Molly could only feel the tears that slipped quietly down her cheeks.

"They are gone." Mrs. Hudson repeated before openly sobbing and pulling Molly into a warm embrace.

Jim watched from the doorway of the now empty dining hall, besides the dead royalty. He smirked maliciously, everything was falling into place.