Thank you for all the brilliant comments for the last chapter! Sorry I didn't get more out yesterday. Had a completely crazy day. :)

DANGER. Her mind screamed. Rose had milliseconds to come up with a plan to get the hell out of there. Sherlock was TROUBLE, Mycroft was DANGEROUS, but together they were brothers and as she took in the man's shocked face, looking at if someone…a plan formed. She reached out and slapped Sherlock across the face. A right good Jackie Tyler slap because it had to be realistic or Mycroft would never buy it.

Before he could recover she snatched up her coat and pocketbook from the floor and stormed out of there, hurrying past the elder Holmes and hoping the shock of her actions would keep his mind occupied. She felt horrible, not sure if Sherlock would understand her actions were a means of escape, but then maybe it was better if he didn't because things between them had become too complicated, too dangerous, too real.

She only had one choice. She had to run.

Sherlock had never been slapped like that in all his life. Half his face erupted in pain, but at the same time he knew it was her means of escape. She knew how dangerous Mycroft could be. She'd already told him as much. She was trying to escape, but not just the party.

Panic gripped his chest as he realized her plan. What she was about to do. RUN. Now that he remembered who she was he realized that she must have some sort of technology that allowed her to get in and out of places. How far could that technology take her?

He had to find her before she disappeared. Before he lost her forever. He hurried across the room, ignoring his brother, but Mycroft grabbed his arm as he passed.

Mycroft wasn't an idiot. He knew that slap was staged. He'd seen the look in her eyes while his brother was…he didn't even want to think about it. How far Sherlock had fallen. Swimming with the goldfish had changed him. Still, he had to wonder what drew his brother to that woman. Was she another Irene Adler or was this some ploy on Sherlock's part.

That's when he remembered the puzzle box. A gift. No, this wasn't a ploy. Who was she? Did she pose a threat? Well, she seemed to have his brother wrapped around her finger and that was enough of a threat. He grabbed Sherlock's arm as he passed.

"Who is she?" Mycroft asked, glancing at Sherlock disapprovingly.

"She's none of your concern," Sherlock replied, glaring at his brother.

By coming there he had inadvertently brought about Mycroft's attention. Focusing it on her, but she was far too important to allow his brother to interfere.

"Since the last woman you became interested in nearly bankrupted the country I beg to differ."

"She doesn't pose a danger to you or the country."

"I'll be the judge of that."

Sherlock grabbed Mycroft's wrist. Applying just enough pressure to make the man wince. Then he glared into the man's eyes, bending very close to him.

"Don't challenge me on this, brother mine," Sherlock warned.

He released his brother's wrist, retrieved his coat, and walked out of the room.

The cool night air struck him as he hurried outside. He glanced around the street, but she was nowhere to be found. Quickly, he pulled out his phone and began searching her name. He had to find her before she vanished. Before she was gone forever.

Rose stuffed the contents of her safe into her bag, the one she had with her with she first arrived in that universe. She couldn't stay. Not now. Not after drawing Mycroft's attention. It was too dangerous. If he found her friends he'd use them or lock them away and let someone experiment on them and she couldn't chance that.

She pushed all thoughts of Sherlock from her mind because if she allowed herself to think about him she'd break down. She could feel it. The loss. It was there just under the surface. To come so close to having someone again and then lose them. It was too much.

Her mobile chimed. She pulled it out thinking that it was Trevor or, perhaps, one of her friends. That was another thing she needed to do. Let them know. Put the steps into action to protect them.

Dinner?

-SH

Sherlock? How the hell…but she knew. He remembered. She sighed. Dinner. She couldn't. There wasn't time. For all she knew Mycroft was headed to her flat. She typed out a reply.

Sherlock waited for her reply as the wind whipped his coat, but he ignored the cold. He wasn't even sure if she was still in town, but he hoped. Hoped he wasn't too late to stop her. His phone chimed.

I can't.

-RT

She was still there, which meant there was still time to stop her. He didn't know how he was going to get her to stay, but he would do whatever he had to because he couldn't lose her.

Rose pushed back the tears that threatened to come as she turned back to her task. Another sigh. Now wasn't the time. She could lose it later. After everyone was safe. Her mobile chimed again. She pulled it out.

Please.

-SH

He waited for her reply. He wasn't sure what he would do if she refused. Go to her flat, find a way to make her stay. He didn't want to do that yet though. He wanted her to come to him, if she would. That had been their game. He would come and she would escape. He would wait for her and she would elude him. His phone chimed again.

Where?

-RT

She knew it was dangerous. Beyond dangerous, but he deserved a goodbye. Something she never got and she didn't want to make him live without one as she'd had to. It wasn't fair and after everything he deserved that much. Her mobile chimed.

221B.

-SH

Sherlock didn't have long to wait for her reply.

Be there in 20.

-RT

He smiled as he slid his phone into his pocket and hailed the first cab. It wasn't the dinner he would've planned, but until he implemented the steps that would protect her and her friends he didn't want her out in the open. Not after drawing Mycroft's interest.

He could handle his brother, but he needed time for that. A day, maybe two after that Mycroft would leave her alone because he'd have no choice. Mycroft might control the British government, but Sherlock knew his secrets and if he had to use them to protect her then that's what he would do.

Rose finished packing her bag and then changed into something that was more her. There was no sense in pretense anymore. She just finished dressing when the front door opened.

Adrenalin flooded her body. Her first thought was that Mycroft had found her. She glanced around her room, but she didn't have any weapons in there and her transporter was still in her pocketbook in the front room.

Three gunshots drew her attention. In the next moment pain lanced through her mind and she didn't have to see it to know Frank was hit. In the next moment the last person she expected stepped into her room.

She had enough time to realize that he was pointing a tranquilizer gun at her and that it likely wasn't the one he shot Frank with before he fired. She was struck in the shoulder. She pulled it out intent on getting the hell out of there, but the effects were almost instantaneous. She swayed.

"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded, but her voice was already growing weak.

"Helping you make the right choice," he replied.

Her mind was too muddled to figure out what the hell he was talking about. She dropped to her knees. He reached her then. She tried to shove him away, but in the next moment the darkness took her.

Standard Disclaimer.

Thank you to all my brilliant readers!

If you have time reviews are always welcome. :)