Chapter 4

Meanwhile Shay walked into the room, finding Sherlock and John in such a tight embrace, making her smile. It was nice to see people who were so in love with each other and so trusting of each other. Honestly, she had never felt that way with another person in her life. She had crushes, she loved her daughter. But she didn't have someone she could confide in, someone who loved her for her and only her, someone she could curl up with at the end of the day. She didn't even want to interpret them, finally clearing her throat.

"Are we ready to go?" She asked.

"Yes I believe we are and- ... Shay?" Sherlock peered into her, completely invading her space as his eyes roamed her up and down, Shay shifted uncomfortably, hating to have people too close to her, especially considering her experience in Moriarty's home.

"Hmmm I see... I'll speak to him later about that," he murmured and left the room to head to the armory. Scanning his ID card, the doors slid open for him and Mycroft was finishing a conversation with one of team members that would secure a permitted. Leaving the two alone, Sherlock stared at his brother vacantly and the corner of his mouth smiled. Mycroft froze, knowing exactly where that expression was coming from and tried to busy himself by writing on his clipboard.

"Mycro-"

"Do Not, Brother."

"But I want to know-"

"Know what?" Shay cut in, obviously not going to be heard by these two.

"No."

"Fine, fine, I suppose I'll have to ask her myself and ah! There he is," Sherlock pulled John the rest of the way in with Shay in tow behind, "Let us might men, and woman, suit up! We have a case and it needs solving."

At his brother's enthusiasm Mycroft merely shook his head and sighed, but accidently caught Shay's eye and quickly looked away to clear his throat.

"We have to be there in forty minutes so everyone hurry up, who knows when the opportunity will arise again," he instructed.

"You could say that," Sherlock smirked as he began to pull on the bullet proof shirt to which Mycroft answered him with a glare.

"I'll go see if the rest is ready," the government official said and slipped out of the room.

Shay looked to Mycroft, not entirely sure what Sherlock was talking about. But there wasn't time to think of that. "What are the guns I'll be given?" She asked one of the guards, the man showing her a usual sniper gun, a .45, and knife, Shay numbly strapping everything to herself, making sure everything was on her securely. John watched this woman numbly get suited up, marveling at the detachment to the cause, just like he had seen in his time in the army.

"Shay are you okay?" he asked. She looked up.

"Yea, I'm fine. Just getting ready." She said, strapping a gun to her inner thigh.

Finished, Sherlock placed back on all his usual clothes, "What? I like to be comfortable, I don't need the army getup" and slipped his personal gun in his belt. All set to go, the trio walked out to their waiting van to which Mycroft sat in the front passenger seat and went over the plan one last.

"We know My, stop the fussing and just get on with it. You have a cake to tend to no?" Sherlock smirked.

"No I have an idiotic brother to keep an eye on because- ... just be quiet," Mycroft groaned. Generally not the time or place Sherlock could not help but admire John's uniform as he sat across from him, at least it was as close as it was to his old one now updated and modified. Smirking, he forced John to bend over and kissed the crown of his head.

"You know your training; keep us out of trouble, eh."

John smiled slightly as Sherlock kissing him, mentally filing away that Sherlock liked his uniform, hoping he could use the uniform in the bedroom. "Sherlock, we're around other people." He said, squeezing Sherlock's hand.

Not even giving notice to the couple at first, Shay had her face in her hands, mentally mapping out the route of the house, thinking of where exactly Alex could be. She looked up at Sherlock and John, smiling at them. "You two are adorable together." She said, just wishing she had someone like that.

John grinned at her. "Yes, we make each other happy once in a while. But he still won't get the milk." He joked.

"Maybe after this I will," Sherlock actually was being very honest about that and looked down in his hands, and in leaning back unconsciously played with the dog tags that rested under his shirt. Ones John given to him on their anniversary. The more the team neared the Moriarty estate, the further his eyebrows furrowed and his smile stretched into a thin line. This was it, no more planning; only doing. Perhaps their last great case.

"Five minutes out," he murmured.

"Five minutes out," Mycroft announced.

Shay exchanged a look with both of them. "Sherlock, John, I know this sounds pessimistic. But I have to ask you. If anything happens to me, please, take Alex and raise her as your own." She asked, John nodding.

"Let's not think about that. I doubt you'll come out of this harmed. Mycroft has given you too many defenses." John said. Shay looked to Mycroft, giving a small smile. "All three of you have done so much for me. Thank you."

"Course, anything," Sherlock looked to her but did not smile, leaning back with his palms pressed together in thought. Parking a block away, the soldier teams was dropped off to set up along the roof tops if the trio had to abort early or should they be chased. A small group flagged the estate from the East side, back of the house, waiting at precisely midnight for the power to be cut for 30 seconds for them to climb the fence, cross the censored lawn, and to the patio.

Patrolling on the mansion's rooftop was at least three of Moriarty's men, the team waited a minute and another minute passed by when they began to scale the wall with grappling hooks. On top the men who were patrolling were dead; Mycroft's men had just as good accuracy.

"Ready for the rest?" Sherlock whispered to his two companions.

Shay got her gun ready as John gripped Sherlock's hand. Shay smiled slightly at hearing about the three people patrolling. That was supposed to be her job and she was usually the only one. The routine previously had been simple; put Alex to bed, read her a story, possibly go into Jim and Seb's room for a little bit of their version of 'fun' and then go up to the roof and stand guard until the sun rose. Then she'd go jogging, wake Alex, make breakfast for Alex, then go to sleep. But in light of the fact that she allowed herself to be caught and the fact that they feared that she would squeal like a canary, they upped the security.

"Ready to go?" She asked and stood up, hunched over in the van, going by the door. Oh god she was ready.

In the nursery, Alex was in bed, holding her stuffed tiger. Her mother had been gone for two days and this is when she missed her mother the most, when her mother was supposed to have tucked her in and read her a story. But she didn't. Instead Daddy came in and tucked her in, Sure she loved her Daddy and she loved when he tucked her in but when she asked for her Mummy, he had narrowed his eyes and said "Don't talk about Mummy again. She's dead to us. She forgot how to love Daddy and our dear Princess."

Upon hearing this Alex curled up, crying in sorrow, her father only trying to tell her that it was okay, that people died all the time. Then he left her alone when she wasn't listening to him, Alex hearing the lock on the door heavy against the door. Alex had been crying on and off, wanting her Mummy more than anything, hearing a strange sound of a van quietly pulling up. She looked out the window, seeing nothing. Just a shadow of something.

"Here we go..." Sherlock stuck a round metal disk to the skylight window, two arms popping off and cutting into the metal, the ends not regular metal blades but rather diamond. "At least we learned something from the Criminal Consultant," Sherlock commented. Pulling the disc up, popped a perfectly nice round bit of bullet proof glass and the hole big enough for them to rappel down. The silence deafening, the trio signed to each other, John checked up and down the hallway as Shay began to pick at the lock to Alex's room. A small click and the two quietly entered inside, the size of her room alone would have snuggly fit all of 221B inside. A bed with a canopy, a piano, telly, bean bag chairs, a table set for her real tea parties, large mahogany wardrobe, and stand up mirror.

"You were correct about the spoiling..." Sherlock whispered.

"Oh shut up." Shay said quietly and pulled off her knit cap, Alex sitting up at the sound. Alex, grinned, running to her mother's arms.

"Mummy!" She cried out, Shay gently shushing her as she held her child, a surge of joy filling her. "Daddy said you were dead." Alex cried out, curling her against her mother's shoulder in her usual spot and her thumb going in her mouth. To the three year old, she had her mother. All was right.

"Shhhh, baby." She soothed, stroking her child's hair, tears welling in her eyes at seeing her child. She looked to Sherlock, standing up with her child in her arms.

"Thank you, Sherlock." She said, kissing her child's cheek, "Thank you so much Sherlock." She looked around, seeing that there were no traps so far. "This can't be this easy." She whispered. She looked at Sherlock. "As soon as we go the better." She said, Alex looking up.

"Where we going?" She asked in her tiny tired voice. Shay smiled at Alex, smoothing her hair back.

"We're just going on a trip." Alex's features darkened much like her father's the minute she heard.

"Me don't wanna go!" Alex said, struggling out of her mother's arms, Shay gripping her child. "DADDY!" She screamed out, Shay clapping her mouth over her daughter's mouth.

"Shit, he must have heard that." Shay said, frantically, hearing the sound of footsteps outside the room, John running into the room, bolting the door with a play wooden sword Alex had lying around.

"Really boys did you think it was going to be easy?" a voice cooed from out of nowhere, and when they all turned their heads into the direction of one of the walls, the bookcase leaning against it and Jim stepped through, Westwood and all, "Really do you take me for being that dull? Little insulted."

"How did you know we-"

"I know Shay, she is a tad predictable. Within the hour she left I knew she would have been running to someone, preferable a Holmes since she had the chance to snuggle up to him many times in Scotland Yard," Jim explained after interrupting Sherlock.

"So what just been waiting for us?" Sherlock stepped forward a bit to block Shay and Alex, his hand twitching for the gun in his back pocket.

"Snipers on the roof had life support attached to them, soon as no readings were given, alarm wakes me up, notifies me. Then just watched the rest back in there," he jutted his thumb behind him.

Shay held on to Alex, tightly, pulling out her own gun, pointed right at Jim, hating him for this. How dare he turn her daughter against her? How dare he?

"It doesn't matter. If I'm really that predictable, you'd know that I wouldn't stop fighting for Alex." She said as Alex tried to wrestle herself out of her mother's grasp.

"Daddy, they gonna take me away." Alex wailed and Shay's heart breaking as she held on to the girl who was reaching her arms out to her Daddy. She screamed for her Daddy, Shay holding on to her.

"Sherlock, could you pass the candy?" She asked.

"What's in it Sherl? Something to knock her out make her go sleepy bye?" Jim surmized.

"Yes and what of it?" he growled back.

"Alex dear," Jim began to coo and even his eyes grew a little, "do you want to stay with this bitch? This retched mother and the big galumphing trolls to take you away? They might be promising you Candy Land and Father Christmas but they are lying to you. Understand hon?"

Alex looked over at her father, studying the man who the past few days had given her everything she wanted. Toys, games, cuddles, for the past three days, all she possibly wanted she got. She pinched her mother's armpit, Shay crying out as her arms dropped, Alex, running to her father, her arms up, demanding to be picked up.

"You monster." Shay whispered, Alex looking at her mother with big dark eyes, already regretting her decision.

"Here's Daddy hon and remember who's the king?" Jim whispered rather loudly after scooping her up.

Shay pointed her gun at Jim's head, at this point blind with anger. "Let me do it Sherlock." She whispered, having been told she had to wait for Sherlock's word to shoot. "Let me at the bastard." She whispered,

John meanwhile edged the way around, a red dot dancing on John's chest, Shay noticing it.

"You wouldn't shot them. They have nothing to do with this." She said.

"That was rather fast for Sebastian, good man, I'll make sure he's rewarded later," Jim peered through the window out and across to the adjacent room on the other side, it so happened to be Sebastian's own study, "And not kill them? Course not! I could never kill them, it would be too easy."

"Trust me Shay if you could I would say sure. But seems we have got ourselves in a bit of a tangle," Sherlock drawled, trying to keep face.

"What was it you referred to me in the court? A spider? Yes, I can be rather sticky, though Shay knows that."

Shay said nothing, only glaring at him with such hate. "I think I paid off my debt many times over Jim. Now I think we need to make some adjustments, first by giving my daughter back.

John meanwhile was behind Jim, carefully lowering himself so his knees were on the floor, the red dot on his chest following him. John took out an action figure, one of Hamish's but he decided for the sake of the mission they had to borrow it.

"Alex." He whispered, Alex looking over her father's shoulder. John wiggled the action figure. "Look, do you want this?" He asked, Alex nodding, trying to wiggle out of her father's arms.

"Now, now. I'll buy you an entire set tomorrow morning. Stop squirming it's not lady like, your mother would know," Jim kissed her cheek and backed away from John.

Alex wiggled out of her father's arms, seeing the opportunity to go back to her mummy. Quickly scampering to John to look at the action figure, Shay visibly relieved, seeing John wrap his arms around the little girl, turning around so his back was facing the red dot, keeping Alex safe.

"Jonathon-" Jim's tone changed, "let go of her immediately. I am not asking, I am telling."

"Someone a little ruffled Jim?" Sherlock could not help but smile, "A tad annoyed?"

"Are you forgetting who is the other one on the end of the gun? Sebastian can hear us too you know. So when I tell him to shoot John's arm-" A shot ran out and shattered the glasses, the bullet precisely grazing John's arm, nowhere near close to Alex, bits of blood spattering out.

"He can shoot John's arm."

John cried out in pain, Alex screaming in terror, running away from the man, Shay pointing her gun at the source of the bullet, edging towards John.

"You can't keep doing this. Even if you win tonight, Alex will grow up and she will fight you." She said, trying to keep her voice neutral, Alex hiding behind a giant teddy bear in the corner.

"She'll grow up. And being my daughter I hope to god she knows some day that what you do is wrong," She hissed, glaring at Jim, "She has 50% of me. 50% is enough for me." Shay turned on the sniper scope, trained on Sebastian as a red dot ended up on her own chest. And now the two were in a stalemate, two snipers facing each other down.

"You do realize that that I have a gun... on all three of you... why are you so dull!" Jim threw up his hands and his shoulders slumped forward, "Fine, fine, fine. You and Sebastian can hold onto that riveting staring contest you have going on while I address the boys. Boys!" he clapped his hands, "You are in my house, so play by my rules."

"Moriarty we have the estate surrounded so put an end to this nonsense and just let her go. No way you come out on top of this," Sherlock snapped and quickly his eyes darted to John, his heart jumping into his throat when he saw how much he was bleeding.

"What... what about this?! I have such a grand idea, grand idea indeed! Alex! Daddy's going to play a game but you stay there with Mr. Snuggles, he's a good bear."

Shay looked over at Jim, taking her eyes off Jim for a while, not liking where this was going one bit. She looked over at Alex, who was now totally behind the bear, looking with her big brown eyes at her mother.

"Just- Stay there." She said, for once agreeing with Jim.

"I call it the trading game. I'll let you have Alex if one of you is willing to give me someone else in return. Fair exchange no? Think about it. I either take Shay back and force her to beg me to forgive her because she eventually would," Jim had been pacing at that point and ran a finger down her spine, "Or I have my doppelganger to which I know we could play endless chess, I think it would be a draw every time." His foot took him over to John who had slumped against the wall and was gripping his arm.

"I have the army doctor I could patch up, I hope he remembers how good mates we were back at the pool so many years ago," he smiled and his finger slide in between John's hands, sampling a droplet of his blood, "Should I put a timer on?"

Shay looked to Sherlock, her mind racing. She implored him with her eyes, reminding him of the promise he made. That he would take Alex if anything happened to her.

"If I choose myself, then do you absolutely promise, that Alex goes with them, and John gets let go?" She asked, shaking at the idea of staying here. Staying her would guarantee a slow painful death for herself. But if Alex was going to live a totally new, honest life with Sherlock and John, then she would do it.

"Shay, don't do it!" John cried out, wincing in utter pain at his arm.

"I need you to promise me that Alex will go with them." Shay shouted, her voice shaking as she lowered herself down on one knee, carefully placing her gun down, all the time watching her daughter, who was terrified to leave her hiding place.

"John..." Sherlock watched Jim and carefully walked over to his husband, slowly slipping his coat off and draping it on his shoulders. Suddenly at a sprint, he ran past Moriarty who jumped back and tried slashing him with his hidden knife, but missed him. A chunk of wood near his head blasted out of the wall, a second bullet burying into the shelf of books as the detective wrenched the hidden door back and flung himself inside the room.

"He knew it would lock behind him... clever..." Jim hummed and bounced on his toes.

Shay was taken aback at what Sherlock did. This wasn't in their plan. Did he just leave them to fight with Jim?

"Do you promise?" She pressed Jim. her arms above her head, remembering the spare guns she had on her if she needed them.

"Tell them Jim! Tell them!" Sherlock shouted over the intercom.

"Do I really have to explain it?" he rolled his eyes and sighed, slowly becoming bored.

"Yes."

"Well, seems Sherlock made the decision for you. Once inside the door cannot be unlocked unless the one occupying it is leaving the room. I was waiting for John to do it but, well, you know."

"Shay, make sure John sings to Alex and Hamish ok? Make sure they get along," Sherlock felt sick, sick to his stomach, watching everyone outside on the monitors. It was tearing him from the inside out, John looking petrified, Alex completely confused and quietly sobbing, Shay just simply shocked. For a split second Sherlock wished Shay was the one who had run in instead of him and shaking his head in shame, hated that feeling.

Hamish would be wondering where Papa went, Daddy having to explain to him he was not coming home. Probably never. Never to see him grow, never to see him ride his first tric. Kids at school would be whispering into each other's ears, "Ham's only got one Da, how odd." "Where's his mother?" "Never had." "Then-" "Da left him."

Now he was beginning to choke, releasing the intercom button so no one could hear him.

Shay turned to Jim, seeing John on the ground. John looked at the door blindly, reaching towards the door. So, Sherlock was gone. Never for John to hold him again, never for the three of them to have dinner again, the two of them never holding each other again. Tears came to John's eyes as Shay helped him up, sitting him on a chair. She forced a smile, walking slowly towards Jim.

"Well now-" She said, lowering her voice. "It seems that you got what you want. You got Sherlock, just like you always wanted." She said, her hands going to the back of her neck. What no one knew about was that her bullet proof vest came with something new. Something Mycroft showed her secretly. She pulled up the bullet proof hood, the material sticking to the back of her head.

She lunged at Jim, getting him on the floor. She whipped out the gun, pointing the gun at Jim's head, crouched down low so her head was protected. "TELL ME THE CODE OR I BLOW YOUR FUCKING BRAINS OUT!" She screamed, shaking with rage. John had been seated close to Alex, the little girl running to cling to John's legs. 'This is it' John realized. This was the Red Devil coming out. She banged his head against the floor, not hard enough to knock him out, but hard enough to let him know who had the power.

"I think you forgot something Jim. When you kick someone down hard enough, that person will bite back." She hissed, her face inches away from his.

" 'You see you never go for the head, pain doesn't hurt elsewhere after that-' " a fist hit him square in the back and he began to break out into a giggle, "See, can't feel it. But I admit this is sexier."

"You so willing to let Alex go like that?" Sherlock spoke up when he realized what was going on, "You would be so willing to trade her for one of us? For your own amusement?"

"Now see, there's the part where you are completely wrong and out of line there Sherlock. You see I already thought of something else so, no, not merely giving up my Princess, I look it more as gaining a piece in chess and once my pawn crosses the board, I can get her back easily, believe me. And um, Shay love. Were you asking me something about a code? Your hit made my head all fuzzy and scrambled, having a hard time remembering."

Shay grabbed his neck, making him face her.

"Yes, the code. The code to get Sherlock out. Now, give it to me. Or you'll find your pretty little Westwood suit covered in your blood." She hissed.

"How rude. Are you forgetting about Sebastian too? I could have him change position," the red dot moving back to John then Jim further lowered his voice, "And if John did anything rash who knows who might be accidently hit..."

"We leave, all four of us. And you have no position to do anything." Shay took a knife from her inner thigh pocket, placing the knife at his throat, sitting on his chest. "Now, if Seb was to shoot, wouldn't this make the knife slip? And we'd have a little accident, wouldn't we?" She moved her mouth close to his ear, the way he used to when torturing her in the early days when she tried to run.

"And we wouldn't want a little accident would we? After all, you can't bear to have your blood spilled, not even the blood of your child." She mocked.

"You always did love to test me dear," Jim said quietly and even leaned into the knife just to get a sliver of blood, but pulled back, "Your lucky you gave birth to a beautiful, wonderful girl. So much potential. Sebastian love, stand down. Men in the back- oh that's my people behind your little soldiers on the roof tops, please, let them go too. Your brother still could lose a few pounds Sherl," he turned his head to a hidden camera and grinned at Sherlock.

"Astounding. Now give me the code out," Sherlock perked up and was having mixed feelings about this.

"221B," Jim hummed and Sherlock sighed, punching in the numbers, the door clicked open and he stepped out.

"Now please get out of my house, I have planning to do," Jim asked and turned his head once more to see Alex, "Princess. Daddy loves you, I promise to rescue from the big bad men. I'll always love you more than your Mum because I would never abandon you."

"Sherlock, John, take Alex and get on the roof." Shay ordered, John quick to reach for his husband, picking up a protesting Alex. She turned to him.

"There must be a catch, there's always a catch with you."

"But of course love, there always is, isn't there," Jim laughed and grinned at the woman.

Shay made sure her full weight was on Jim as she heard the three make it to the roof, trying to consider when she could get off Jim finally and run to hold her daughter.

"Seb, you can come in now, I know your listening," Jim called out and watched his favorite sniper enter the room, "I would kiss your cheek but I have a female on top of me."

Shay eased up to her feet, quick to point her gun at Sebastian, "Don't come near me, she warned, backing up slowly to the rope that would attach to her harness. She clipped the rope on the front of her pants, tugging it for Sherlock and John to let her up.

"He just wanted to say hi!" Jim called after watching her disappear into the hallway, "I do not think I will ever fully understand women, you Seb?"

"I doubt it boss. But we're not giving up on Alex that quickly, are we?"

"Basher," his hand gripped his sniper's collar and yanked him down, "You think I give up so easily? Really? Should I punish you for such a comment?"

"The man with the plan Boss?"

"The man with the plan," Jim repeated back.