Okay, so first of all this story went on way longer that I anticipated, originally it was only supposed to be a couple of chapters to ease me back into writing but I've enjoyed it too much :)

Seriously – and I mean it this time – there's only one, maybe two chapters at most left then epilogue. Going to include Reichenbach fall and then finite!

Hope you enjoy :D

I don't own Sherlock.

Liz rammed her key in the lock with shaking hands then ran up the stairs of 221b as fast as she could given her short legs. Slammed the door behind her and collapsed against it breathing heavily. She couldn't believe it. He was alive, very alive and well. Not ten minutes away.

''Liz?'' it was John. ''Liz is that you?''

''Yeah..'' she replied shakily as John emerged out of the kitchen,

''Wasn't expecting you back yet, I've ordered takeaway, thought you were at the – Jesus, whats wrong?'' he asked when he saw her against the door. She was trembling and her knees look as though they were about to give way any second, ''Liz are you alright?''

''No John, I'm not'' she chocked back a sob – Liz did not cry. She bit her lip and willed the tears not to fall but it was no use, they had already begun trailing down her pale cheeks.

He walked over to her quickly, and pulled her to him before she collapsed, ''what is it, whats wrong?''

''It's Mark-,''

''The new coordinator?'' he asked puzzled,

''He's found me John, at the support group. I don't know how but he's found me''

''Who found you? Liz, look at me and take a deep breath, okay?'' he pulled away from her slightly to see her face but kept hold of her shoulders, ''now tell me whats going on''

''Lee…''

John went with her as she crumpled to the floor and shushed her as he fumbled through his jacket pocket, one-handed for his phone.

Lee? But he was dead. ''Sherlock better answer his bloody phone''

John had managed to calm Liz down and sit her on the sofa where he handed her a glass of water and then paced about the flat. It had been around twenty minutes since Sherlock said he was on his way and in that time John had managed to get a little more information from Liz about what happened at the community centre. There were still some things he didn't quite understand but given the circumstances he thought it best not to push her.

Another ten minutes and Sherlock could be heard thundering up the stairs, two at a time. John had told him the gist of it over the phone and to be quite honest, he was dumbfounded.

He burst in through the living room door to see Liz sat on the couch, elbows on her knees and chin resting on her hands – staring at the far wall numbly. John was stood beside her; it looked as though he had been trying to coax her into drinking some water but judging by the untouched, full glass on the side, he had been unsuccessful.

''Tell me what happened'' Sherlock instructed from John as he swiftly moved over to crouch infront of his wife, he took her hands away from her face as John told him what little he had found out after their conversation.

''And you're sure Liz? You're sure it was him?''

''Yes'' she said for what she felt must have been the tenth that night, ''I knew it was him before he even said my name… Before I looked up even'' she finished quietly,

Sherlock sighed tiredly before jumping up, causing the other two to flinch,

''So what do we do?'' John asked, ''get the police involved?''

''No.. He'll be long gone by now, well he'll be gone but close enough…'' Sherlock explained, ''now that he knows we know he's alive. He'll be keeping a low profile''

''But he was at the community centre – Christ, he was holding the meeting for crying out loud! Posing as this… Mark whatever his last name is'' John too, started pacing up and down as the two of them slowly but surely tried to conclude what was going on.

Liz wasn't even listening anymore. All these years she thought he was dead, that he'd took the cowards way out and committed suicide before his trial... All this time she thought she'd been safe when in reality Lee Kingsley had been out there somewhere, possibly waiting…

''Unless he wants us to know he's alive.. But why would he want that? Why go all out in public and invent someone else when he can just… Oh…'' realisation dawned on Sherlock's face just seconds before his phone buzzed;

- Finally, the penny begins to drop – JM

''Moriarty…'' he whispered and then realised something else, ''cameras''

John looked up and glanced around the room, puzzled, ''what?''

''Cameras – in the flat. Now -''

Sherlock looked down at his phone when it buzzed again; - Very clever Mr. Holmes – JM

''- But why would you need cameras?'' he asked out loud, now addressing the recording devices that where no doubt hidden somewhere clever in the room, ''you've been keeping us under surveillance but why?''

John stared moving furniture around, books, the skull – anything that might be a good hiding place for a tiny camera or cameras…

Liz stood up and walked over to her husband, arms touching as she read with him the text message he had just received; - I told you I would destroy you Sherlock Holmes, Lee Kingsley is going to help me – JM

''But why would Lee Kingsley agree to-,'' he stopped himself before he could go any further. He felt Luz stiffen beside him, and guessed that she had pieced it together also. Jim Moriarty was going to use Lee Kingsley. After the last plan didn't work, this was going to a whole other level of extremity.

The front door downstairs knocked and they all stopped still before John explained that it would be his takeaway. Liz said she would answer it for him seen as John was balancing with one foot on the desk and the other on the bookcase, removing one of the cameras from behind some books.

The phone buzzed again; - And the penny finally drops, my; your reactions are slowing… JM

Before he could even close the text, his phone rang and he answered it quickly, ''Why do you have to bring him into this? Fine, you want to destroy me but why him?...''

On the other end of the phone Moriarty chuckled, ''because he was more than willing to be up for the job. I don't just want to destroy you Sherlock, I want to end you. I want to take away all you have ever believed in, put your heart and soul in and what better to way than to start with the people you love?''

''What do you mean; you're going to use him to what? Follow me and pull my wife to pieces?''

''Well yes, there is that.. But you just don't get it do you, Sir Boastalot? After he's successfully done his job, she's his prize''

There was a moment of nothing when Sherlock's mind was fitting together the last pieces of jigsaw and all that could be heard was Moriarty's laughter down the phone before Sherlock hung up and shouted to Liz downstairs; ''Liz, don't open the door!''

No answer.

John got down from the desk and started walking with Sherlock silently over to the door. He and John stood at the top of the stairs where sure enough Jim Moriarty was slowly walking up, followed by Liz who was being held by a man Sherlock had never met before but knew full well who he was. He'd seen Lee Kingsley in photographs at Scotland Yard, even a few in the flat he helped Liz clear out all them years ago.

Behind his well asserted pokerface, Sherlock gulped. He was unarmed, so was John. The nearest gun was in the cutlery drawer, underneath the cutlery. There was no way he'd make it in time before Moriarty or Lee got a chance to shoot one of them first.

And Liz, he noted had never looked more terrified. Even at the powerstation when she was beaten and bloody, a gun pointing to her head did she not look this… defeated.

''So finally, the ex-lover meets the husband'' Moriarty chuckled as they all entered the flat, ''this is going to be fun,'' he then turned to address Lee, ''just tie her up over there, I'll deal with these two''

Lee pressed the gun harder into Liz's back to indicate she move and started pushing her roughly when she disobeyed.

She whipped her hear round and spat at him to not touch her, ''I'm going to enjoy this'' he whispered huskily and she wrenched herself out of his grasp, choosing to offer her hands to be tied up rather than be forced to. ''Oh, I forgot. You always did like to be, shall we say restrained''

Liz's jaw clenched and she cringed at the use of his words. Over by the fireplace, Sherlock's face paled, he and John were being ushered backwards as more of Moriarty's men trudged into the flat and started tying them up.

''I don't think we can take them Sherlock'' John hissed through clenched teeth as six or seven of them filed into the flat, all carrying weapons, ''what are we going to do?''

''I know we can't'' Sherlock admitted irritately, ''and I'm working on it!''

No sooner had he said this did they start being dragged from the flat and into a black van that was waiting outside. Lucky Mrs Hudson was visiting her sister for the Easter holidays; god only knows what they might have done to her as well…

Inside the van was moderately huge. Plush sofas lined the edges and there was even a wine cooler in the corner. On the opposing side was a large screen, ironically displaying the inside of 221b Baker Street and of course Liz…

''We have history, you and I'' Lee said as he plonked himself over in one of the chairs by the fireplace,

''Forgotten'' Liz dismissed and Lee scoffed,

''But it's not though is it, because you'll always remember'' and of course she would. It never left her mind, obviously it got easier as the years went by but it never truly went away.

''Let's cut to the chase. If you're going to rape me, I'd rather have it over and done with''

Lee fiddled with one of the threads loose on the chair before looking up to meet her eyes, a frosty expression set across his face, ''Well it wouldn't be the first time I've tried it would it? Of course the last time you smashed a bottle over my head before I could even get your knickers off''

Back inside the van Sherlock's heart plummeted. That was something Liz had never told him; never felt she could share with him. The most intimate violation… Beside him John was looking at him from the corner of his eye, guessing from the look on his face, this was new information.

''I despised you'' she hissed and he banged his fist on the chair arm,

''Yes but you came back! Didn't you? Stupid bitch, you always came back to me!''

There was a short pause where everything was silent only for Lee's ragged breathing, ''how is it possible?'' Liz asked, finally giving in to curiosity

''My 'suicide'? Yeah, that was pretty easy. Get in with the right people and you can do just about anything, I didn't track you down till some months ago – of course I already knew you'd married that detective you met at Scotland Yard, what was it, a year after my death?''

''Two years'' she corrected,

''So, two years. So much for mourning your loss-,''

''My loss?'' she repeated, fighting back a chuckle ''your death was one of the best things that ever happened to me! I was finally free and now, you come back, working with Moriarty and pretending to work at the community centre… and it was you, following us that night after one of the meetings?''

''Clever girl'' he clapped mockingly and stood up. His some six foot tall build towering over her where she sat, ''you always were smart, I think that's one of the things that attracted me to you''

He strolled over to her and Liz prepared herself. In the van Sherlock's fists clenched as he watched the screen carefully, Lee leant over her and stroked her jaw affectionately before blocking their view of Liz from the camera.

All was silent, everyone in the van – including Moriarty seemed to be holding their breath for something to happen when suddenly 'stayin' alive' starting playing out loud and Moriarty pulled his phone out of his pocket,

''What?'' he said irritably, and then said something quietly that neither Sherlock nor John could hear, probably instructions through a microphone to an ear piece that was by Sherlock guessing, Lee's. ''you've got to be kidding me, how long do we have?...''

Sherlock's mind starting whirring, trying to come up with an escape plan quickly whilst Moriarty was distracted. There were two 'henchman' guarding the doors on the inside of the van, both armed. No doubt there'd be at least four or five more on the outside…

Just then Moriarty hung up on the phone, ''well, looks like you get off lightly… This time'' he said regrettably,

''Better offer?''

''Something like that…'' And Sherlock noted the edginess to his voice, whatever that phone call was about, it had Moriarty worried, ''Kingsley'' he yapped into the microphone by his lapel, ''we're leaving, you've got thirty seconds… no just leave her there''

Liz hadn't seen nor heard from Lee or Moriarty for almost four months, their last encounter was so brief, she often wondered how long it would be before the next one... The support group continued as normal after a few weeks of being cancelled and she got a job working for her old solicitors.

''Mycroft?'' John said as he opened the door to see the eldest Holmes brother stood on the doorstep of 221b, rain splattering on the large umbrella that covered his head.

''Doctor Watson'' he greeted with a curt nod, ''I'm here to see Sherlock… Won't take long, there's something he needs to know''

''Of course'' John stepped aside so Mycroft could get past. Upstairs Liz was sat on the couch with her legs tucked beneath her and still wearing her work clothes. Sherlock was sat beside her, the three of them had been watching a tape on the television that was relevant for the case he and John had been working on and eating takeaway at the same time.

''Who is it John?'' Liz called, winding up another mouthful of noodles on her fork.

''Estranged brother-in-law'' came the reply in what definitely wasn't John's voice. They both turned to the door as Mycroft strode in, water dripping on the wooden floor from his umbrella.

''Thought we agreed on no social calls?'' Sherlock drawled, re-focusing his attention back on the television,

''We did… But it's regrettable to say that this is not a social call'' at that Sherlock turned to look at his brother. John shuffled awkwardly passed him and settled himself by the desk, ''I'm afraid I have… let some information get into the wrong hands and that has put you in terrible danger Sherlock... All of you'' he addressed John and Liz who were watching him closely.

''What, again?'' Sherlock asked annoyed and Liz looked down at her lap.

Mycroft twisted his umbrella on the floor somewhat awkwardly, ''just, be careful''

''Is that it?''

''Sherlock'' Liz said warningly,

''What, if that's all he came to say then he can go now'' he looked up at his brother and smiled falsely, ''bye''

John crossed his arms and looked down, his eyes darting from side to side across the floor as he tried to ignore the awkward tension that had passed over the room. Liz, who was irritated at her husband's behaviour got up and offered to see her brother-in-law out at the front door.

''Sorry about him Mycroft, I don't know whats got into him…'' Liz apologised as she held the door open,

''Don't worry about it my dear… Sherlock is, an inauspicious of sorts'' he pulled on his black gloves before stepping out into the cold street, ''look after him Elizabeth'' he added sincerely.

''I always do… Mycroft?'' she added before he could get into the sleek black car waiting for him by the kerb, he turned round. The pouring rain once again bouncing off his umbrella making it difficult to hear what she was saying, ''I know it was you who stopped Moriarty that night, and Lee. I honestly don't know what would have happened…'' Mycroft simply cocked one of his eyebrows and smiled, ''thankyou''

With one side of his mouth curving upwards, he nodded briefly and said ''take care Elizabeth'' before getting into the car.

''John?... John!'' Sherlock yelled up the stairs as he struggled with Liz in his arms, ''give me a hand''

John appeared at the landing and ran down quickly when he saw the state of his flatmate come friend, ''what the hells the matter with her? She's not been drinking has she?'' he asked worried, grabbing her under the arms and Sherlock held her legs. Together they started carrying her up the stairs.

''No, she passed out on the way home; she was fine when I met her after the meeting but then she just sort of collapsed''

''She's not been drugged?'' John kicked the door open behind him and it slammed against the wall loudly.

''No, I shouldn't think so. I don't know whats wrong'' he admitted and John heard the worry quiver in his voice,

''Right, let's get her to the bedroom and I'll check her over, uhm, can you manage whilst I get some stuff?''

Sherlock nodded and gingerly let go of her legs, then wrapped an arm round her waist and the other under her knees. John carefully let go after making sure Sherlock had got her and went to the kitchen.

He placed her on their bed cautiously and removed her coat. She felt hot and her skin was clammy beneath his touch, like she was burning up and her pale face looked wishy-washy in the soft glow of their bedroom.

John returned carrying a small bottle of something which Sherlock assumed were old fashioned smelling salts and a glass of water. He checked her pulse, ''a little fast but not alarming'' he then pressed the back of his hand to her forehead and frowned, ''although she feels pretty warm… she's not been ill recently?''

Sherlock shook his head.

''And she's been eating properly?''

''Yes!'' Sherlock snapped, ''for Christ sake John, you live under the same roof don't you!''

''I was only asking!'' he replied and Sherlock had the decency to look guilty. He knew John meant well and he was only asking these questions with purpose and for Liz's benefit. ''Okay,'' John sighed before getting up off the bed, ''I'm certain she'll be fine; it could be any number of things. Sleep deprivation, worry, or she may be anaemic… Do you know if it was sudden or did she say anything before?''

Sherlock cleared his throat, ''Not really, she just stopped walking and when I asked her she said she felt dizzy and then blacked out''

''Alright…'' John got up off the bed, ''I don't think the smelling salts are necessary'' he mumbled, ''I'll just leave them there'' he placed them on the bedside table then looked at Sherlock expectantly, rocking on the balls of his feet with his hands tucked behind his back.

''Thankyou'' Sherlock said sincerely, offering him a small smile which he returned. Just then, Liz started murmuring something and John edged closer to the door,

''I'll just leave you to, err… Alone. Let me know if you need anything'' He backed out of the room and closed the door softly. He could hear Sherlock speaking to her quietly as he walked back to the kitchen, he frowned. People just didn't faint, not without a proper reason and seen as there wasn't a reason then it was slightly worrying.

John weighed out the possibilities in his head as he poured himself a coffee, maybe she was just tired. Back to a full-time job after months of unemployment was bound to be tiring, what with that and the meetings which were now held twice a week. He had to admit, she was doing extremely well on that part, it had been months since she last drank alcohol but there was something he just couldn't quite put his finger on…

''Are you alright?'' Sherlock asked once again as they sat on the bed, he was perched on the edge with his elbows on his knees and looking at her over his shoulder. Liz was leant against their bed head, the pillows propped behind her and a feeble smile across her pale lips.

''Yes, for the hundredth time, I just feel a little lightheaded. I'm sure it'll pass''

Sherlock nodded once before getting up, he still hadn't removed his coat and scarf. He took them off briskly and draped them over the end of their bed before standing next to her with his hands casually on his hips, ''Right, do you need anything?''

''No, I think I'm just going to have an early night… Actually, could you get my pyjamas?''

Most times he would have said no and told her she was capable of getting them herself but given the circumstances, he'll humour her… Just this once.

He turned and walked swiftly over to the dresser, pulling out random clothing and mumbling that she should have a more organised way of storing her clothes like he did. Finally he pulled out some cotton pyjama bottoms and an old, oversized t-shirt he used to wear back before they got married.

He placed them on their bed then helped her sit up so she could change. She unbuttoned her white blouse and Sherlock tugged it off her shoulders, then she stood up shakily and slipped out of her heels and grey pencil skirt.

Later that night when Sherlock came to bed she was still asleep or he thought she was asleep when in truth she'd been lay wide awake for the past few hours, unable to sleep despite the fact that she was tired.

No, she had been thinking – anxious. It had been on her mind for some time now but only really considered it today. They had been so careful! What if she'd forgotten to take her pill for a few days, she'd been so busy lately it wouldn't have surprised her if she hadn't… Well she'd know soon enough…

She felt Sherlock's side of the bed sink behind her and she tried to slow her breathing pattern down otherwise he'd know she was awake.

He was lay on his back with his hands on his stomach and staring at the ceiling. He'd not bothered to change, again. Liz inwardly huffed; it annoyed her when he did that.

''You can stop pretending to be asleep, I know your awake'' he drawled and her eyes snapped open. She turned so she was lay similarly to him and sighed,

''Go on, what gave me away?''

''I've never seen a sleeping person lie so stiffly, a plank would have been more convincing'' he said, not talking his gaze away from the ceiling,

''Your comparing me to wood now?''

Liz turned her head to face him and he laughed through his nose, ''feeling better then?''

''Much'' she smiled.

''Your pregnant aren't you?''

The question was so abrupt that she recoiled.

Her immediate reaction was to say no, but she wasn't sure. Her brain was buzzing and she could feel Sherlock's eyes burning in the direction of her abdomen under the duvet, ''I don't know…'' she replied honestly, returning her line of sight to the ceiling. The short pause signalled the end of the conversation and Sherlock turned over fully and wrapped himself around her.

Liz continued to stare at the ceiling for hours until she eventually drifted off. At least she didn't feel alone this time.

Please review, I'm not very motivated at the moment so it could be just the job ;D