Okay, I have been blown away by everyone's support for this story! I'm so glad you all like it and I really hope you continue to do so! Thanks! This chapter is a little smaller than the first two as it was originally part of one HUGE chapter so I've split it up into two... Don't hate me! :P
"You do understand that this is not a pardon Mr Holmes." Mary watched from the edge of the large and official looking room with John beside her fidgeting as Sherlock stood in front of Lady Smallwood; his hands behind his back and his fingers tapping. "What you did was a very serious matter and you will not go unpunished for it. When this situation has been resolved, you will be back on that plane instantly. Is that understood?" Lady Smallwood finished, waiting pointedly for Sherlock to respond who instead was gazing around the room, his eyes searching the walls and avoiding her stare. "Mr Holmes?"
"Hmm?" He responded finally, looking at her with his eyebrows raised. "Sorry, were you talking? Only I don't listen to people when they talk complete nonsense." He said, his tone short and Mary caught John's lips twist into a small smirk at the corner of her eye.
"Excuse me?" Lady Smallwood replied, a little taken aback.
"You saying that you'll send me away is complete nonsense. Of course I won't be on that plane again for the exact same reason that I am standing here now. You need me. You will always need me whether it be to eliminate men like Magnusson, which I have still not been thanked for, you're welcome by the way." He muttered the last part and flicked his eyes to his brother who merely looked mildly irritated before he continued. "Or whether it be to help you find and stop Moriarty. There will always be something that you need help with and it will always be me that you come to."
"Don't over-estimate yourself and our need for you Mr Holmes. We have merely requested your help this time because you have dealt with Jim Moriarty before." Lady Smallwood replied and Sherlock opened his mouth to retort but Mary looked to her side when she heard John speak first.
"So what, you're going to ask for his help, let him do all the hard work for you and then send him away again. Just like that? Is that how you thank people that help you?" He asked, his tone firm and accusatory and Mary could sense that he was beginning to get wound up.
"In-case you have forgotten Dr Watson, Mr Holmes killed a man."
"Yes, a man that wouldn't have stopped twice at the thought of hurting you or anyone you cared about. And now he's about to try and stop one of the most dangerous men I have ever known and you're making threats to him? I think, some sorting out of priorities is in order here." John argued, his jaw clenching when he finished and his eyes flashing over to Mycroft as he began to reply.
"Dr Watson, my brother is aware of the situation -."
"Oh piss off Mycroft, I know what would have happened to Sherlock after the six months. I'm not as stupid as you two Holmes' brothers might like to think." He interrupted and Mycroft frowned at the outburst, not used to being spoken to in such a way. Mary just caught a glimpse of a smile on Sherlock's face before she felt her phone vibrate in her coat pocket.
"So you'll just send him to die after everything that he has done and will do for you? That's it? Your own brother?" John carried on as Mary frowned in confusion after reading the text she had received.
'Do shut them up. They're giving me a headache.'
Mary looked at the name of the sender and then to John, her gaze darting between the two of them a few times, positive that what she was reading couldn't be right but it was there as clear as day. The message had been from John.
"John." Mary said, her voice being drowned out by the arguing of the other four people in the room. Her phone went again, the message still from John even though he hadn't done anything but shout at Mycroft.
'You might want to be a bit louder than that, they'll want to pay attention to what's coming up next.'
"John." She tried again but no-one responded. "Would you all just shut up for a minute?!" She yelled suddenly and all four pairs of eyes looked at her, shocked. "John, where's your phone?" She asked and he frowned in confusion at her.
"Erm. In my pocket. Why?" He asked. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, fine I just need to see your phone." She replied, holding her hand out so that John could give it to her. She flicked over to the texts to herself and saw the message that she had just received, sent only two minutes ago when John had been nowhere near his phone.
"How did -?" Mary began to wonder but Sherlock had already strode over to them and took the phone from her hand wordlessly, examining it closely.
"When did you get these texts?" He asked, his eyes still on the phone.
"Just now."
"But I haven't sent any texts. I haven't been near my phone." John said after he glanced at the messages himself before they all looked at each other when John's phone, which was now in Sherlock's hand, buzzed.
"Another text. This time from you Mary." Sherlock muttered, his eyes flicking over to Mary for a second.
"But... My phone is in my hand and I didn't use it." She replied, intrigue overpowering her confusion. "What does it say?"
"It says: 'clever isn't it?'" Sherlock answered just as Mary's phone vibrated in her hand, quickly, she opened the new message.
'It's rather fun too, imagining all your baffled faces.' Mary read the text aloud. "That one was from Sherlock." She added and Sherlock buried his hand in his pocket and whipped out his own phone, not checking it like Mary assumed he would but staring at it as if waiting for something happen. Sure enough, a few seconds later, it buzzed. Everyone watched as he clicked it and his eyes ran over the words of the text he had just received. Mary could see his face harden instantly and she could have sworn that his already pale skin turned an even lighter shade.
"What does it say?" Asked John, who must have picked up on his change of expression too. Sherlock cleared his throat before answering.
"'Are you starting to see how I got little Molly all alone?'" He replied and Mary felt dread fill her when she thought of what Moriarty had done with her.
"He used your phone number to text her and get her away from St Bart's." John said, shifting his weight from one leg to another as if desperately wanting to do something other than just stand there. "That explains her sudden decision to go to Baker Street."
"He must have text her from my number straight after she replied to me and got her to leave." Sherlock said, spinning on the spot to face the other way as if inspiration would catch him but before it could, a ringing sound came from Mary's hand. They all looked at her as she looked down at the phone.
"It's Molly." She said and Sherlock moved closer to her suddenly.
"Answer it. Put it on speaker phone." He ordered and slowly Mary moved her finger to press the green button.
Someone is ringing... who is it? I'll update pretty soon after this one to make up for splitting the chapter into two. Hope you like and please review as always! They make me happy happy! :)
