Chapter 14: The Fourth Door~

Jim smiled, and licked his lips, giving Sherlock a ravenous look like he wanted to swallow his soul. John's blood went cold,and his heart was flopping like a dying fish, the same way it used to do in Afghanistan when a soldier died "on the table".

"Well, seeing as you now have 3 siblings..."Jim rolled his eyes, like he were about to break into an Excorsist routine, and then he shook his head,

"Door 1: I come up with a really sick end for Sherrinford, which ,by the way I've been watching you for years, dolly, and- "

He made a hiss sound with his teeth,that indicated he intended something perverse for her. Mary swallowed, and John kicked his way free of the arms, and protectively drew her to his chest, furious.

Sherlock snorted a soft laugh- as if he'd ever choose that door!-"What's door number 2?"

Jim smiled, "Mycroft dies. Not really so sure how, I guess I'd come up with a few diffrent ways, and let you pick from those."

The agent's hands tightened on their sidearms...Forced to stand down because of the vest that would blow them all to Kingdom Come, but furious with the way this freak was humiliating their boss.

Sherlock rolled his eyes, and nodded, as if that was completely stupid,

"Door 3?"

" I take John to a similar location as the one I took you when you were a "wee laddie" and burn the heart out of him, and make you eat the ashes."

John stepped forward, "Sounds like the best door to me!" he gasped, and Mary started to cry,and claw at him, unable to speak, but wanting him with her.

Sherlock threw out an arm, and let it slam into John's chest,to hold him back,

"I choose Door 4."

"There isn't a door 4, DOOFUS!"

Sherlock leaned down over him, silver-green eyes piercing ,like lighting through the storm -cloud, into Jim's overbearingly dark ones,

"Yes ...there is...One we closed...But it's always been there, and we can open it again, you and I. This is our problem,...isn't it?"

"What?What door?!" John gasped,digging his fingers into Sherlock's arm. But he never broke gaze with Jim, and froze, even though John's nails were digging into him,enough to draw blood.

"WHAT door?! Look, it's ok, I'll do it! Just let my family off the hook , for the love of God, Jim!" John cried, twisting at Sherlock's arm again, desperately, jostling his shoulder hard as he could, wanting to be let go.

"You would do that for them?" Jim asked,coldly,"As TERRIFIED as you are of the idea of dying -again- by fire? Why?"he laughed, at how absurd that sounded.

"Why does any one do anything? Your words, not mine."

"OH, ADMIT IT, SHERLOCK, IT'S CUZ YOU LOVE THEM!" Jim shouted, and Sherlock turned to John, face grey.

"What?..No...No, I said I'd do it!" he gasped.

"But Johnny!" Jim whined, making a puppy-dog-pout face, "It's not your choice, it's his...Is that your final answer, Sherlock?Door Number 4?"

Sherlock swallowed, and for the very first time since he'd known him, John saw pure terror, barely concealed, in his eyes.

"Final Answer. Door 4, yes..."Sherlock said, as John was shaking his head. Sherlock spun fiercely on Jim, "But , just so you know, if you try to do anything to them, which you will once I'm finished, -no, I'm not that stupid!- these people are witnesses. You will be brought to justice this time, GOD is my witness, you will..."

Jim smiled,sickly, "Oh, I won't fight it. But..." his voice got higher in tone, "To ensure my deal is kept, Mycroft is coming with us- also as witness- or I'll blow you all to hell!-"

Mycroft stood tall as a thin oak, face a mask of ice, to hide the fact that his soul was shattering like a thousand kingdoms of breaking glass. Spreading his arms like wings, he gracefully made his agents step aside.

"You will be brought to justice." he repeated,eyes as cold as a serpents.

"Yep, but it'll be too late for Sherly,now won't it! Speaking of which, say your goodbyes, honey, we need to go..."

John was clinging to Sherlock suddenly, fingers digging at the front of his shirt...

"N-nnn-" he couldn't even utter the sounds it took to say "No."

"It's alright,John..."

"NNNNN!"

"Let me go..."

John clung to him,and little trails of blood ,from where John scratched him under the fabric, began to appear on the white of his shirt. Greg was clutching his mouth to keep from screaming, and Sally was actually crying, mouth gaping, finally understanding the "Freak".

John was shaking, and pulling at him "Me...let me do ..it.." he mouted, unable to make the words...

"It's alright,Let go..."

John tried to shout,and it came out as a wheezing groan.

"Let go, John! Let go!"Sherlock begged in desperation, as Jim put a gun against his head,and Mr. Moriarty hand-cuffed Sherlock and Mycroft together...

Mary was screaming now, unintelligble things. John sunk to his knees,at Sherlock's feet, and Sherlock looked down at him, eyes wide-open in absolute terror, but he was controlling himself, quietly hyperventalating...

"Goodbye..." he whispered, as he was hauled away to a long black car, that Lindor had brought around...