Chapter 17

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Sherlock got back to his flat slamming the door behind him. He groaned as he heard the familiar footsteps of Mrs Hudson running up the stairs most likely to see what all the noise was about or to warn him that any damage to her door would be taken off his rent.

"What on earth is all the banging and shouting about and where have you been the last few days? Doing what you do, anything could have happened to you. You don't think I worry about you when you go off running into danger all the time? I already thought I'd lost you before. Would it really be so much to ask that you take care of yourself and another thing I see any damage on my door and it is definitely coming off your rent Sherlock!" Mrs Hudson yelled She barely had a chance to come up for breath before looking in him taking in how pale and tired he looked. "Sherlock, are you alright love?" she asked.

"I'm fine Mrs Hudson and even if I wasn't I fail to see how it would matter to you. As you have reminded me on several occasions you are just my landlady. You will get your rent now leave me alone," he yelled.

"Sherlock dear, what on earth has gotten into you?" Mrs Hudson asked shocked.

"Mrs Hudson, please, please just go, just leave me alone, I need to be alone," he yelled.

Mrs Hudson sighed as she headed back down to her flat muttering something about how too much time alone wasn't good for anyone.

Sherlock yelled at her to shut the door before flopping down on his couch. He was exhausted, the effects of his medication being altered always took a few days to fully wear off. He needed to sleep...he needed to stop thinking about what happened, stop thinking about John. He couldn't think about him and what he had done and why what he'd done mattered to him. His brother's warning about sentiment in any form snaked through his hazy mind. He couldn't think about this, never was it more important to delete things that weren't important so he could focus on what really mattered. He wasn't quite able to admit to himself that at the moment he wasn't quite sure what that was. His work, of course but there was something more. Deep down he knew it was his friendship with John that he needed regardless of how flippant he acted about John Watson, the truth was he needed him, he needed his friend which was why he couldn't bring himself to fully delete him just move him to a different section of his 'mind palace' as he couldn't think about that right now and what this meant about himself.

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"Sherlock really is taking his time, isn't like him. He usually isn't able to resist me. I assume he hasn't turned his phone on yet. I suppose I could go to his place but I'll give him a bit longer to get back to me. I did leave a message. It is better to do these things properly I feel," Moriarty said with a smirk as he looked at John.

"Stop this, just stop this now!" John yelled.

"John would you stop yelling, you'll disturb the neighbours make them wonder what on earth is going on, really your manners are terrible, seems Sherlock's awful ways are rubbing off on you. Not to worry, I am only joking there are no neighbours near here. Do you like my place by the way? Well, one of my places that is. Don't you love what I've done with it?" he asked.

"What are you planning to do?" John demanded his mind was reeling for answers but he kept coming up short. The only thing that was glaringly obvious to him was how badly he was failing his best friend.

"All in good time John but I think there is something more urgent that we need to address first wouldn't you agree?" Moriarty asked.

"What do you mean?" John asked carefully.

"Isn't it obvious? I mean what you did to Sherlock. Did it mean so little to you that you have forgotten already? You made it all a little too easy. I was hoping for more of a challenge but never mind the next part will make up for it," he said tauntingly.

"You know why I did it, what you would do to him if I didn't do what you asked me too!" John yelled trying to convince himself as much as Moriarty.

"How many times has Sherlock saved you now John? At least twice from me and you can't return the favour to him. That really does say a lot about your friendship doesn't it? I suppose it's not surprising really the way Sherlock is," Moriarty mocked.

"I couldn't rink you killing him if I tried to do anything," John protested hating how weak and hollow it sounded even to his own ears.

"Excuses, excuses John, you think Sherlock didn't take those risks when he saved you? You think he didn't know what I would do if he tried to save you. Difference is John, he took those risks because he knew he could save you. Not to worry though, loyalty and dedication is such a fickle thing really. Makes life all the more interesting wouldn't you say?" he asked with a smirk.

John stared at him his mind grasping at any last minute attempts he could make to try and keep Sherlock safe. Moriarty smirked as he watched him. "It's too late for a change of heart now Doctor Watson. There is nothing that you can do now and even if there was you think there is anyway you would be able to do it now? You made this decision now you need to live with it, or not as the case may be. I haven't decided yet, like I say one of the things that makes life interesting. That is what it's all about afterall, doing what ever you can to starve away the boredom."

The time passed in agonizing slowness before a phone rang making John jump and a cold feeling of dread wash over him. "Ah, here we go took long enough, never mind it let us have a nice little chat. Now not a word John, you know what happens if you say anything," Moriarty warned as he answered the phone as John fell into an anguished silence.

"Ah Sherlock, took your time, not to worry here we are now I wont waste time with idle chit chat. I know you want to play, so I'll text you where to meet me and when. I'll see you soon for our greatest game yet," he said with a smile as he cut off the call. He knew Sherlock would come, there was no way he could resist the game. He sent Sherlock details of where and when to meet him.

"What are you planning?" John demanded.

"I suppose there is no harm in telling you now. Sherlock and I are going to meet in an old abandoned warehouse. I'm not going to shoot him nothing quite so unoriginal. Do you know what the best thing about this building is? It is very old so the lights don't work properly, they are constantly flickering on and off, you can just imagine what would happen to someone who is shall we say sensitive to such things," he said with a calculating smirk which widened as he saw understanding dawn on John's face.

"You bastard! You can't get away with this. I am not going to let you do this," he yelled.

"Oh but you are John, you see while I am away my friend is going to sit here with you and he is not as understanding and friendly as I am it would serve you well to remember that. He doesn't have my easy going nature, infact he has a bit of a temper," he taunted.

In a last pitched attempted to try and stop this John tried to reason with Moriarty again hating how helpless he was how much he had betrayed his friend and he still had no idea what to do to help him. "Where is the fun in this Moriarty? You know what will happen if you do this how can that be fun for you?" John tried to argue. He hated how useless he was, he was arguably a smart man so why couldn't he think of a single thing to do?

"It shows Sherlock that he isn't always in control and we all know how much Sherlock likes to be in control yet he is about to be beaten by light bulbs, how the mighty have fallen. You see John not only is this fun for me but I am also providing him with valuable life lessons, all part of the service," he said.

John bit his lip still trying to think of something to do panic tearing through him as he realised he may have played a huge part in getting his friend killed.

"John stop wasting time trying to think of a way out. It is too late, you failed him best thing to do is sit back and enjoy the ride," Moriarty said.