A/B: Well I finally got this chapter put together – sorry it's been so long – (puts hands over face) – I hadn't forgotten it – it just wasn't ready. The good news is there is one more chapter – an epilogue - & it will be just John and Sherlock (winks). It is also mostly written, 'cause that is what I like to write:D

I'd like to thank everyone for their patience & for sticking with this.

Thanks to mattsloved1 and johnsarmylady for love, support, virtual tea – really tea when we can get it:D

Warnings – slightly messy death

10. The Unbinding

Wiggins had listened to Holmes and Watson speak of Moriarty. They, in turn, had spoken of the insanity of the man when he'd been alive. Certainly there would be some throughout the city who remembered him. The nightmare he had been became the villain mothers would eventually use to threaten their children with if they dared to misbehave. 'Do as you're told, or Moriarty will get you.'

Never having meet, Moriarty, his sister scared him more. When he heard the stories of Moriarty, in all of them he would explode violently and take out half of London, just to get the attention of one person. Janine on the other hand, appeared calm and unruffled, reasonable, standing there. There was no denying she was beautiful, wearing a merry expression on her face, as if she had no other purpose but to provide delight to those assembled. She looked down upon them all and smiled that beatific smile. Then you looked in her eyes; cold they were, cold as the ninth level of hell, dark and deep, holding infinite secrets and the key to the world's ending. Wiggins shivered and felt more afraid than he had been for a very long time.

"Hello boys," she said, her voice beautiful and rich. "Glad you could make it. I rather hoped you'd be here for the whole breaking of the curse thing. It's been rather dull sitting around waiting for you. This is so much more satisfying, taking care of you personally."

"If you wanted us dead, why do you not just kill us?" Sherlock asked, his face expressionless.

Janine walked down the stairs of the dais and over toward where Sherlock and John stood. "Now Sherlock, what fun would there have been in that? I wanted to make you suffer!" Her mouth curved into an even greater smile of goodwill. "You and Johnny-boy here were both so stupid, so full of yourselves. Didn't think of anyone else, so wrapped up in love for each other. Do-gooders, the both of you. Did you know he was my twin? Jim? He was. I felt it. I felt the moment he died, killed by you both. I felt it in my heart. Broke it right in two." She leaned in as if she were sharing a secret wondrous and rare as her eyes travelled up and down their bodies. "I wanted you two to feel it as well, feel what it was like to not have half your heart."

"The curse was your idea?" John asked.

"Oh Johnny, it's a good thing you are good looking," she stopped in front of him and ran her hand intimately over John's chest. "You are one dumb fuck, do you know that?"

"I just wanted to be sure," he said. "I wanted to make sure I returned these to the rightful owner." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out thin strips of leather. Opening his hand, he held it out for Janine to see. "Sherlock and I, we are no longer your playthings. You do not own us." He said it quietly, but steeped in contempt. The leather jesses were dropped at her feet and John took his foot and ground them into the floor. For a moment, Wiggins could see a mad light flare up in her eyes as she lifted her head to look at him.

"Dear Johnny, you will never be free of me and I think you shall pay for that."

A low growl came out of Sherlock. "I see the wolf is still a wee bit there, Sherlock. Perhaps I should keep you and turn you into the wolf permanently, hmmm?" She leaned closer to John, touched his shoulder, circled around him and spoke in a carrying whisper. "Yes, of course it was my idea. He was just going to kill you. Dull. He had no imagination. It's a wonder I didn't get him out of the way sooner. I guess he had his uses and he was far easier to control than he ever knew. I was right there, whispering words, telling him what to do, like a little spider curled up in his ear. I suggested the curse. I worked the spell." She walked back toward where Mary was tethered. She ran a hand lovingly through Mary's short fur. Then she turned and beamed at them, before focusing her attention on John.

Skipping up to him, she asked, "was it you? Did you pull the trigger? Hmmm. I thought so. See, I couldn't tell, but I know your type. Did you go all Neanderthal protecting your lover? Did Captain Watson come out to play?" She flicked John in the face hard enough to make him blink. "You killed something old and sacred when you killed Jim. Did you know? See, here's something I bet you didn't realize, because you are just so stupid." She looked at Sherlock and winked at him, conspiratorially. "We weren't just suddenly magic. We've been around for a very, very long time. In fact, you might say, we're the reason behind the Change. You're welcome," she trilled.

"You caused the Change?" Wiggins exclaimed.

"Oh, it talks, too. How lovely. Yes, we did, James and I. Planned it for centuries. Worked our magic long and deep. We were rather tired of the way things were. We pushed the trigger and blew up society."

"Please don't tell me you did that you did it out of the kindness of you hearts. I would find it hard to believe you were environmentalists and were saving the trees or the badgers," said Sherlock.

Janine looked honestly surprised and then broke into peals of laughter, bright and bell-like. "Oh good lord. No! Don't be ridiculous. We were bored."

"You were bored, so you broke the world?"

"Now you're catching on. And I'm getting rapidly bored again, all this confession, getting it off of my chest. Time for something else. I have you all here, everyone in one place. Sherlock and John, my dear Mycroft and you," she flipped her hand in Wiggins' direction. "Mary's brother, I believe, or Alice as you knew her. No matter. You are insignificant. Perhaps I'll let you go. You can spread word of what happened here as a warning. Of course I could turn you over to your big sister. She could take care of you. She's awfully hungry. Hasn't eaten for days."

A tilt of his head and Sherlock spoke. "All this self-aggrandizing and evil villain shtick doesn't suit you."

"Why? Because I'm a woman? How sexist of you."

"Of course not. Don't be more idiotic than you already are. It doesn't suit you. Your desire for revenge has made you dull and slow-witted. If you were a little less bent on destruction and more savvy about how things really work perhaps you would have realized we did not come here alone."

"If you mean Mycroft's men, I already know about them. They'll be taken care of."

"No, not Mycroft's." And the slow smile, somewhat evil looking, lit upon Sherlock's face. The corners curled up in a very contented expression. There was no humour in his eyes, just deep satisfaction.

At that moment an explosion outside rocked Appledore. Screams and shouting could be heard coming from the front of the building.

Jeanine whirled and ran toward the nearest window, her face no longer masked in grace. A true picture of how flawed she really was now adorned her face.

She stalked back toward Sherlock and hissed, "What have you done?"

"I? Nothing. We're not the only ones who have felt Magnussen's yoke. Your forces are now facing Lestrade and his people. And a lot of them have magic as well. Oh maybe not as fierce as your own, but it should keep you occupied. Of course, he's late. Should have been here sooner, but that's what you get not doing everything yourself. He was supposed to be creating a diversion for Magnussen. This works just as well, so I will probably forgive him."

Her eyes darted wildly for a moment, but she drew herself up and spoke, her voice once more calm and soothing, her emotions under control. "No matter. It's sad it couldn't last. I guess it's time for me to leave." She turned to go, but came back. They all knew she'd planned the move. "But before I do, I think I should leave you with a little present. I could curse you again, make it stick, leave the two of you as animals, pining for each other, different species, not even knowing why you were unable to love others of your own species. But that would be too generous of me." She shrugged. "You're right Sherlock, I should have just killed you both, but I didn't. I think I'll fix that now, but I'm only going to kill one of you." She cast her hand as is she was going to throw something invisible toward John and began to utter fierce words under her breath. Before she could finished the move, three bodies hurdled themselves toward her.

The look on Sherlock's face, he knew he was too slow; he didn't have time to get to her and stop her. Wiggins moved too, but he wasn't close enough.

There was only one who was. Mary lunged, her movements smooth and supple. The power in her muscles and the abruptness of the motion snapped the leash. Unfettered, she cried in rage and leapt on top of Janine. Janine held up her hands to ward off Mary, her shriek broken off mid-cry as Mary ripped out her throat.

Mary growled as she worried at the body on the ground and then looked up at the group, her muzzle and throat drenched in blood. No one moved, shocked by the suddenness of Janine's death. Wiggins collapsed to his knees and he closed his eyes, pain lanced his heart. His sister would probably never be turned back now that Janine was dead. A deep sadness filled him for her. A wet nose snuffed his hair and he looked up, Mary was watching him, some sort of recognition deep inside her eyes. She batted at his hand and he placed it, shakily, upon her head. "Hey," he said. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You all right?" John Watson placed a hand on his shoulder, his dark, blue eyes were filled with kindness and a matching sorrow graced his face.

"Yeah, I guess. I guess I am. Is it over, now?"

John stood up straighter, turned to where Sherlock was standing and smiled softly. "It is."

Sherlock's long legs crossed the floor to John and he pulled him into a fierce hug. His hands came up and encased John's face once more. "You are never leaving my side, ever."

John laughed quietly. "You might get sick of me after a few days."

Sherlock answered by pulling John into a kiss once more, broken only by Lestrade appearing at the door. "Did we miss anything?"

oOo

After disposing of Janine's body, Mycroft and Lestrade's men went over the grounds of Appledore and returned once more to the Tower of London, gathering the bodies of Janine's forces and their own people. Two separate pyres were built in the former courtyard.

Lestrade stood watching and in spite of the cold air blowing off of the river, he wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. Mycroft stood beside him.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Now we rebuild," said Mycroft. "Turn this city back to the people who now inhabit it."

"That easy, is it?"

"No, I suspect not. I believe it will take hard work, for someone who is determined to do so."

"That'd be you?"

"Me? Of course not me, Gregory. I have never been interested in being in charge. I'd rather return to what I was doing before the change, occupying a minor position in whatever government is created here." He smiled at Lestrade, a slightly warmer smile than he would have shared with anyone else.

"Who'd you think would be interested in running the city?"

"Come now, Gregory. You ask a lot of questions. We must see about arranging for your investiture into office."

"Are you insane?"

Mycroft stood and looked Lestrade up and down. "No, of course not. You have proven yourself to be a capable leader. You work well with both the human population and the Fey. You are also well liked, therefore, you would make an admirable leader."

"And you'd be there, behind me all the way." There was a slight edge to Lestrade's voice.

"Of course. Just think of all the good we could do. I have the knowledge and the means. You have the commanding presence and self-restraint. We would be a formidable team."

Lestrade crossed his arms and looked very seriously at Mycroft. "I will think about it. But you are not to go behind my back and try setting up a Mycroftian dictatorship just because you think you can or should."

"I wouldn't dream of it. I would only do what was right and true. That's all I have ever done."

"Uh huh. We'll see."

They continued to watch the grim workings in the courtyard.

"Where did Sherlock and John get to? I wanted to talk to them," Lestrade asked after a while.

Mycroft sighed, a long-suffering sound. "Where do you think he'd be after being intimately separated from his partner for the better part of two years?"

Lestrade winced and then broke into a hearty laugh.

"Can't say as I blame him."

Mycroft just nodded, resigned.

oOo

Wiggins sat, sheltered from the wind in a corner of the wall, facing the sun, no longer blocked by the moon. He watched Mycroft Holmes speak to Lestrade, not even remotely interested in what they were discussing. Although, judging from the look on Lestrade's face, the leader of the underground city was about to have his worldview shifted.

Mary, forever removed from him as a sister, sat curled up at his feet. She was sleeping. Wiggins had found some food and water for her after the dealings in the throne room. She had been half starved, and he had been careful she not gorge herself. He sighed, uncertain of what he should do now.

A shadow crossed in front of him. Wiggins lifted a hand to shade his eyes and found Mycroft Holmes standing in front of him.

"William."

Wiggins smiled, a sad, small smile, but in spite of everything, he found he still had his sense of humour.

"Mycroft," he said equally grave. Mycroft's eyebrow twitched.

"I am sorry for the loss of your sister. If we had been able to undo her curse before Janine had died, we would have done so."

"Yeah, I know. I've been thinking about that. Alice here, or I guess I should still call her Mary, 'cause after all, she's been Mary longer than she was Alice. She, uh, she was a serval almost all the time, wasn't she? Not like Sherlock and Dr. Watson. She never got a chance to be human in between. So I think, in my heart, she just ain't anymore, if you get my meaning. Human, I mean. She always was a bit wild. This just suits her. I always thought she'd died, so maybe it's better this way."

Mycroft looked out into the distance, his expression thoughtful. His piercing gaze returned to Wiggins. "It is my understanding that she was cursed at a different time than my brother and Dr. Watson. It may have been that we would never have or never will be unable to unravel Janine's. You may be quite correct in stating that Mary's humanity may have left long ago." He sighed. "I am still sorry for both of you and wish there was something I could do to make it up to you. You have proved yourself to be a brave and loyal friend to my brother and his partner. I can offer you employment. I can always use a man of your unique qualifications.'

Wiggins chuckled softly. "Thanks just the same, Mr. Holmes. I don't think we'd suit each other. I might ask your brother though. He's more my style. Besides, maybe someday he'll let me take over the business. I could be his apprentice." The sad smile brightened and a wicked twinkle gleamed in his eyes.

Mycroft rolled his eyes. "Lord save us all," he muttered.