(A/N: I know, I know! I haven't updated in forever. In my defense, I just moved overseas to Brisbane, Australia and I haven't had internet in a month. I re-wrote this chapter three times before I finally got it, so I hope you guys like it. I know it's short, but I assure you, it will be the last short chapter in a while. I'm writing like crazy in order to keep all of you satisfied, so bear with me if it's a bit messy. And please, feedback is much appriciated. I'm actually a student writer, so I'm open to all kinds of advice. What ever you have up your sleeve. Anyway, without further ado, here is Chapter 10.)

Ten: Crystal Greene

I fell to my knees, the phone still against my ear. Nicky was gone? Just... gone. No one had seen him since lunch yesterday. He was missing. Mom thought he was just taking a rest, but I knew better.

I should have known they would go after him. He was the second most important man in my life, and now he was gone. Just... gone. Taken from me. Nicky could die. Nicky... could... die.

That thought echoed in my head over and over. My cousin, who I care for dearly, could die. At my hands. How ever indirectly... and there is nothing I can do. Nothing. I have to investigate, look for these women. I don t understand why they would tell me who they were, where they lived, their contact information, who they were going to kill... unless there was a twist.

My phone clutched in my hands. Mum has hung up ages ago, but I was so petrified that it didn't matter anymore. What was I going to do? I was sure there was SOMETHING I could do, but there was nothing that came to mind.

It was getting late. Outside, the thick layer of clouds was darkening, indicating that night was falling. Still, I paced. Having not eaten since breakfast that morning, my hunger suddenly made me stop in the middle of my living room. I put my hand over my stomach as the low growling came from it. It was only when I sat at the island in my kitchen on a bar stool when I realized how tired my knees were. I had been pacing for hours. Then, I set my phone down and I realized that my knuckles were white from holding it so long.

I put my head down on the counter and groaned. Ah, I didn't feel like cooking. It was too much energy. Too much unnecessary energy. Then, I picked up my phone and dialed a number.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Molly." I said into the phone.

"What's up?" Molly seemed confused.

"Are you still working?"

"I'm just about to get off... why?"

"Do you want to get together for dinner?"

"Why? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I just don't feel like cooking. How do you feel about pizza?"

"Uh, sure."

"There's a pizza place right up the street from here if you want to meet there in say..."

"Forty five minutes?" Molly asked.

"Of course. No problem."

So, forty five minutes later, I left my flat and walked up to the pizza place. I found a table and ordered a half cheese half pepperoni for Molly and I. I got a coke and I sat there at the table in the small pizzeria panicking. What if on the way to the pizza place they got Molly. I would never forgive myself if that happened. Maybe I should have invited John along as well.

"What is it?" Molly asked, shooting in the door and sitting down across from me, making me jump, "What's wrong?"

"Nicolas is gone." I said, my fingers idly drawing on the table, "They took him."

"They took him..." Molly trailed off, "Are they going to kill him?"

"I have no idea. They might. They killed Jordon."

"Jordon was a warning, wasn't he?"

"Yes, but they could randomly decide to send another warning."

"You never know." Molly said.

"I know. That's the worst part." I sighed as I stood up to get the pizza.

"Will you be okay?"

"I just need to go stay at my mothers and keep everyone in the living room so they don't get away."

"That's not very practical. Maybe you should just look for them. Visit each woman and see what they have to say."

"It's not like they'll actually give me any information about who they actually are." I said.

"You are a detective." Molly leaned over the table, careful not to get her hair in the pizza, "You can't be thrown off because of this. You're supposed to be hot on the trail, or heading in the wrong direction, but somehow there s a hint of truth and you find the truth from that tiny little scrap. You've dealt with worse cases, Ally. You have to overpower this and get right on the trail of the kidnappers."

"You're right, Molly." I said, lifting my head from the table where it had sunk down a bit earlier, "I need to get myself together."

"Yes, Detective Colt, you do." she grinned.

"I will do just that." I said, standing up.

"You go, girl!" Molly exclaimed.

"Right after I eat." I sat back down and grabbed a second slice.

"Also a good idea." Molly laughed.

Once I was finished, having eaten half of the pizza, I bade goodbye to Molly and ran off towards my flat. I sat down on the couch with the list of numbers and names. I took a deep breath and I picked up my cell phone and I called the top number.

~!~!~!~!~!~

THUMP. I woke up with a jolt, tangled in a blanket, clutching a couch cushion. I had slept on the couch the previous night, looking over the list of names for something, anything, that would give me a clue as to what in the world they could be doing. Nothing, as usual.

My phone was vibrating in my back jeans pocket, making my butt feel really weird. Seriously. It's a weird feeling. Rubbing the sleep out of me eyes, and propping myself up on one elbow, I reached behind me and pulled my phone out of my pocket. I checked the caller I.D. God, what the hell? It s seven in the morning.

"What the hell do you want?" I asked, hearing the grogginess in my voice.

"Jeez, are you drunk or something?"

"No." I said, straightening my voice, "I'm just waking up. My alarm doesn't even go off for another forty five minutes."

"So only forty five minutes of lost sleep."

"I didn't get to sleep until four." I said pointedly, standing up to put the couch back together.

"Okay, a lot of sleep lost. Anyway, that conversation has automatically deleted from my hard drive."

"What the hell do you want?" I asked, wrestling the couch cushion into it's spot.

"Ah. I never answered that question, did I."

"No. You didn't. Will you now? Please?"

"I wanted to know if you would like some coffee."

"Why?" I asked, my nose crinkling in confusion, "We don't even like each other. Why would you ask me if I wanted coffee?" I stood up straight and put a hand on my hip, giving up on the cushion.

"I never said I didn't like you." he said.

"Well, you really don't have to."

"Oh, come on. It's just coffee."

"I have a boyfriend. And I don't like you." I said pointedly, suddenly seeing my reflection in the mirror by my bedroom door. My eyes widened and I hurried over to it. Damn. My hair is a freaking rats nest.

"Oooh, that hurts, Crystal." He said, not sounding hurt at all.

"It should." I said as I tamed my hair with one hand.

"Well, I'm afraid the coffee isn't optional, neighbor."

"Where the hell is John?" I asked, balancing my phone between my face and my shoulder so I could work on my hair better.

"Out. He went to get some groceries or something, so I went out to get coffee and I am attempting to be a good neighbor."

"Really." I scoffed, moving into the bathroom and putting my phone on speakerphone so I could fix the monster that was my face.

"Yes, really."

"Why are you being good to me? You must be bored. "I said, running a brush through my hair, loving the feeling of various knots being untangled.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Okay, the neighbor thing I get," I admitted throwing my hair in a ponytail and starting to fix my eyes so I didn't look like a raccoon, "But your flatmate's girlfriend I don't get."

"Ah, neither do I, but then again, I don't have anything to do."

"Really? No cases? No cases at all?"

"No, but for the first time ever, I don't care. I am not bored out of my mind."

"Why?"

"I have someone to play with."

"You sound like a ten year old." I said, very pleased with how easily this eyeshadow was coming off.

"We all have a ten year old inside us. So, coffee?"

"You re right outside, aren't you?" I said, applying lip gloss.

"You know it."

"Latte?"

'Medium." He assured me.

"Five minutes." I said.

"Fine."

I hung up first, not waiting for him to say anything else.

Six and a half satisfying minutes later, Sherlock and I sat in his living room sipping coffee and not talking at all. I'd been in his apartment before, only once to borrow a book from John, and honestly, it hasn't changed at all. The air may seem as if it was awkward from the outside, but on the inside, it couldn't be less awkward. In fact, I was so close to bursting out laughing.

I couldn't stop checking my phone for the time. I had a lunch appointment at noon with a woman who was in the Mi-Nyo. I was looking forward to this meeting, believe it or not. This woman could potentially kill me without there being any evidence, and I was looking forward to meeting her for lunch. My mind can be a mysterious place sometimes. Even I don t know if I m all there.

I know for a fact that Sherlock isn't "there", and he could never be "there". He was so scatterbrained and ridiculous. Now that I really thought about it, it's never been clear where there really is. It could be the bathtub, the kitchen sink, seat 23 row 30 at the Sydney Opera House, a chair in a coffee shop in China, or possibly even the Eiffel Tower. It would be a very interesting experience to go looking for there but I doubt I would ever really find it.

"The weather is nice today." I commented offhandedly.

"Making pointless comments about the weather now are we." Sherlock stated.

"Conversation starter, I guess." I said.

"Well, if you think rain is good weather, then yes, it is nice today."

"Of course. I love rain. There's a reason I haven't left London."

"Really now. I thought you were staying in London for a completely different reason." Sherlock eyed me across the room and over his coffee cup as he sipped.

"Please." I scoffed, taking a drink of coffee," I could get the job I want anywhere. I mean, have you seen the school systems? Besides, I like it here."

"Do you now." Sherlock mused.

"Of course. It would take something huge to get me to leave."

"Like?"

"I don't know. An exceptionally good job... my mother dying, a better school then the one I go to now..." I trailed off, unable to think of anything else.

"Coffee with Sherlock Holmes?" he asked, a playful glint in his eye.

"Yes," I laughed, "Coffee with Sherlock Holmes would compel me to leave London."

"Hey, this isn't too bad, is it? Coffee, a few laughs..." he looked me in the eye. His gaze was surprisingly intense, so I forced myself to look away.

"It could be worse."

"How so?"

"Do I really have to answer that?"

"Not especially, no, though it would be nice if you would."

"Well, I'm not, so forget it." I leaned back into the chair, the Union Jack pillow supporting my back, holding my coffee with both hands and taking a sip.

"How could it be better?" Sherlock asked casually.

"John could be here. I could have a job." I sighed.

"How much do you like him?"

"A lot-" I sat up suddenly, looking at him, nearly laughing, "Are you hitting on me?"

"What?"

"Are you flirting with me?"

"No". Sherlock suddenly looked disgusted, "Of course not. I don't bother myself with those sorts of relationships." he waved his hand in the air as if to dismiss all the romance in the world.

"Fine. Good to know." I relaxed back again, "To answer your question, I like John a lot. One day, I think it could even be love."

"Really? You really believe that?"

"Of course. I'm having coffee with his flatmate and we go out all the time. I never get tired of being with him. I think this is going to last."

"You re a very secretive girlfriend, though. Sneaking out, having coffee with his flatmate, turning up the same time as Detective Alex..." Sherlock trailed off.

"Isn't Detective Alex a guy?" I asked, sipping my coffee, perfectly calm. This was it for Crystal Greene.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. And the search continues." Sherlock shook his head slightly, looking outside at the rain.

"Do you want to go outside?" I asked, my eyes shining.

"What? And risk getting a cold? Of course not." he scoffed as if I was below him for wanting to go outside. I dismissed that.

"Oh, come on. It ll be fun." I leaned forward, setting my coffee down on the table next to me.

"Of course not. It's silly. Why would I do such a thing?"

"Suit yourself." I said, standing up and moving towards the door, "I'm going to go outside."

(A/N: It's short, I know. Bear with me. I'm working on it.)