Evelyn heard footsteps towards her, and thinking he had come back to taunt her some more, grabbed the gun and pointed it forward looking up to see the blurry outline of Sherlock and John. She rubbed her eyes clearing her vision as they stood still, watching her carefully.
'Eve, why do you have a gun?' John asked cautiously, taking a slow step towards her. Without any warning, she crumbled back into the sobs, dropping the gun again. Her body shook with each sob, as everything became too much all at once. It felt like every part of her was breaking and became hysterical, the pain overtaking her and blocking out the world around her. She heard voices around her calling her, but she didn't answer, she couldn't answer. She felt someone carefully pick her up and carry her slowly towards her flat.
'Place her on the sofa, Sherlock' John answered a question Eve barely heard, grabbing a blanket from the armchair and placing it around her as Sherlock gently lowered her to the sofa. She pulled the blanket around herself, trying to vanish into it.
'Here, drink this' Sherlock asked, his voice softer than usual. 'John says it'll calm you down.' He placed a mug of water in her hands and she slowly put it to her lips, taking slow, soothing sips till the sobs subdued and began to feel calmer.
'Where's the gun? It's my father's' She whispered, her voice thick from crying. 'I need it just in case he comes back.'
'Who?' Sherlock asked, settling himself down in the armchair nearest her.
'James' she replied, fresh tears threatening to fall at just the mention of his name. 'James Moriarty.' She heard John trying to hide his shook, as Sherlock leaned towards her, looking at her more intensively.
'Why did he…how do you know him?' John asked feeling confused. Eve took a deep breath, trying to find the words to explain but instead fresh tears began to flood down her cheeks silently as her body was once again overtaken by the pain. She felt so ashamed and embarrassed, that she was completely breaking down in front of people she had only known a few days. She hated that she appeared weak and vulnerable broken by a man, but that was how Moriarty made her feel. Every time she built up her walls, he'd find a way to break her back to her knees. Through nightmares, memories and now trespassing into the life she had started to rebuild for herself. She hated him! She had to find a way to break this hold he had on her.
She finally calmed down after Sherlock had made her a cup of tea and sent John to find Mrs Hudson, to keep her away until Eve was much calmer, Eve didn't want her Gran to worry. She thanked Sherlock for the tea, and excused herself so she could go freshen up. She closed the bathroom door, taking a moment to get her breath back in sync. She pushed her hair off her face and gathered it in her hands and tied it into a messy bun. She grimaced when she looked in the mirror, she looked a frightful mess, and her makeup was everywhere. She grabbed a make-up wipe, slowly wiping the mess away, leaving a blank canvas. She wished she could just simply wipe today away. She filled the sink with cold water, splashing her face several times to try and banish her red, sore eyes. She dried her face roughly, then taking a deep breath, walked back out into the main room. She could do this.
Sherlock heard the bathroom door close and looked up to see Evelyn walking back into the room. The first thing he observed was that she had removed her make-up, which bought out her English rose complexion to it's full beauty and make her look simply beyond beautiful. He also noticed that she had pulled her hair off her face, and how this showcased the strong, stunningly vivid green of her eyes.
She sat down on the opposite armchair, tucking her legs neatly under her. She smiled softly at Sherlock, taking a deep breath.
'Okay, where do you want me to start' She sighed, keeping eye contact.
'At the beginning, if it isn't too hard' Sherlock asked, resting his head lightly on his hands, trying to focus his mind on what she was about to say only, not how beautiful she was. Something he couldn't help but notice, no matter how hard he tried not to.
She took another deep breath, moving her eyes away from his as she began recounting the events that had led up to today, taking pauses every now and then, to steady her breathing and stop any flashbacks from forming too vividly in her mind. Despite this, she could still see clearly in her mind the first time they had met.