COD(Cause of Death): Unknown

Note: Thanks to catarineem, DarcyJane, MadAsAHatterJayy, lililoop, almightyswot, and IvPayne for their encouraging reviews on the last chapter. You all made me feel good about that chapter when I wasn't sure how any of you were gonna react. You may be in for another shock. ;) enjoy loves.

Twelve.

The second she came back to reality was the time that she begun to really take notice of the things around her. The mask had been removed from her face despite the still painful feeling of the air moving through her lungs and pressing against her ribcage. Her heart felt like it was still trying to fix itself. It was beating slower than it should have and though it should have concerned her Molly just couldn't understand any of this.

She knew she was alone now but wasn't too eager to be moving around just yet. She was in no condition anyway. She hurt all over - it had dulled slightly but she was still very conscious of the fact that this shouldn't be real. She shouldn't be alive or breathing again.

From what she remembered from her last moments of time with Sherlock in his head she knew that she had unraveled one of the biggest puzzles of the mystery. The who but that didn't mean a thing. She hadn't known exactly who he was. Plus there was the fuzziness of someone else. Someone that she was sure she knew but couldn't make herself think much about because it was dark there. The grainy images of her memories were forbidding her from wondering to that place. It was most painful.

Not as painful as dying but second best at least.

Molly could only remember the heat of her lungs erupting on fire as she was pulled back to the real world. If she could actually call it that. She was in a dark room hooked up to several machines and IVs feeding her with medication and fluids that will help get her back to square one.

How long would that take? Weeks? Months? She didn't have a clue. She found herself inhaling a deep breathe that as a result caused her to choke from how huge of an effort it took - a backlash of sorts.

Her eyes shut again as a way to make herself focus. What had she seen again? There was a man. He had the stature of Dr. John Watson but was much taller and much more built. He had green eyes that evoked such an menacing glare that it still had her shaking just thinking about it. He hated her, she could remember that much. The things he had said in response to her and her obvious distate for his friend had made her afraid. However, Molly couldn't help thinking that even though the man was her killer she hadn't been truly afraid of him. He was just the enforcer - the man who served as the blood lusting crazed marksman. Someone else was behind it.

The sound of a door opening and closing pulled Molly from her thoughts and the clicking of a button turning on caused her to open her eyes. She saw a man walking with a slight lip over to a table that was a few feet away from the bed she was on. There seemed to be items strung over it. She couldn't see it very well. She just hoped it wasn't any form of torture devices. She didn't wish to die a second time.

The man came over to her soon with a smile on his face and a clipboard in hand. "Hello. Dr. Hooper, you look better than you were four days ago. That's great." The words sounded like echoes, very slow in her ears. She tried to focus some more but it wasn't helping much. There was a lot going on around her. It had been four days he said, that seemed weird to her. She had been out that long. It made sense though, she had needed her rest. "You're probably wondering where you are and what's going on exactly. As your body is trying to get back to it's regular set it would be best to tell you in small increments." He paused as he sat down on a stool Molly hadn't seen there next to her and looked at his clipboard.

"Without knowing it you inserted yourself into the crossfire of three unique players. Two you already knew from previous engagements. The other - someone who we - my team and I are working for. I can't state specifics yet but it will become clear as you remember things. You will remember." He took a pause. "You'll be meeting my boss after the task you are set out to do is completed. He won't come any sooner than that. He's out on one of his excursions with a few of his friends. He's trusted us to do our part. You're in good hands Miss Molly."

He turned around as if remembering that someone else was there looking on but then he turned back to me. "I'm not supposed to say this but I feel it'll make things for you if you are aware. The IV in your left arm is giving you fluids while the one inserted in your right is administering a drug that triggers memories. It was one of things we were suggested to use if by the time we resurrected you that you would need. It's practically harmless." He nodded before walking away.

Molly swallowed as she looked at her right arm. A green liquid was slithering it's way from the line to her body. Harmless, he said. How could he be sure when he wasn't the one being medicated with it. She hadn't felt any different from the obvious pain but she had been sleeping with no signs of dreams or memories invading her subconscious. Did that mean it wasn't working? Or what?

Molly wasn't sure. She had concerned at the first notion of her being drugged to rip it out. However she felt like she needed to remember this. Despite the man's statement that she had to (she found it irritating by the way), she wanted to know everything. Why would she put herself in the line of fire? It wasn't very normal of her ...unless.

Molly closed her eyes again as she found herself wanting to think of it. To know more. Know the why. Know the how.

"You shouldn't be here." She croaked as she tried to shove the door closed. The line of light coming from the inside of her flat showed an inch of his face. The dark hair, the dark eye that she could see and a portion of his mouth that was settled in the infamous smirk that she had only seen for herself in the papers. He was alive. How was he alive?

"I am though, dear. Won't you invite me in? You're being very rude." He frowned and the glimmer from the one eye she could see looked angry and disappointed.

"N-No." She stammered as she began to shove the door closed with her hip only to be knocked back as it was shoved back ten times stronger in her direction. She faltered and almost fell as she was pushed back. It wasn't him. Another man. Much taller. The green eyed murdering monster.

Molly backed away and went in search of her phone. She couldn't just let them in like this. They were evil. Before she moved much further a hand reached out and pulled her back. "It's not nice to leave your guests with a lack of entertainment. Would you fetch us some tea? You know how I like it, don't you?"

She pulled her arm back as she watched him in his tailored suit sit down quite gracefully in her only chair in the room. He crossed one leg over the other and folded his hands in his lips. That smile from before when she had been unaware of whom he was present. He looked quite boyish.

She shook her head furiously. "I can't. I have somewhere to be. I need you to leave." She had gathered her barings of the initial shock of the situation. She was in the room with two dangerous men.

"Not before tea. Please Molls." He frowned at her obvious rejection of him. Molly was about to refuse again when the big man stepped up, hovering around her. "Get the tea." He was very impatient but that's not what made her move to the kitchen. It was those damn eyes of his. They caused an unpleasant chill to run through her. She quickly left them there and moved towards the kitchen.

Molly sighed as she started the water boiling on the stove in her kettle. She had to find a way out of this. What would Sherlock do?

Once she had fixed the tea Molly set it on a tray and made her way back to the front room. Both men had their eyes on her. One amused by her while the other seethed at her. Molly grabbed one of the cups and passed it first to the larger gentleman and then grabbed the other for her ex. As she turned to give it to him she purposely dropped it right in front of him. "Oops. That was my only other cup. Sorry, Jim." She feigned sadness as he stood up and huffed. The tea had splashed all over his shoes and the cuffs of his pants.

Before Jim could speak the larger man had dropped his cup of untouched tea and had grabbed her. He had his hands around her throat, choking her.

"Bastian, don't kill her yet. I still have things to discuss with Dr. Hooper. She's not making this easy though. Take her out to the car." Molly eyes widened as she felt the man loosen his grip around her neck and went for her waist. She ducked away from him and tried to make a run for her bathroom. The man just ran after her.

He grabbed her roughly and tossed her over his shoulder and made his way towards the door. Molly clawed at the door's frame trying to not get out of that door. She didn't want to go with them. Especially not James Moriarty.

She opened her eyes, breathing roughly as she noticed two women standing by her side. Both looking concerned as they pushed her hair back and began dabbing a cool wet towel against her face.

"Moriarty." Molly mumbled.

One of them nodded. "How far did you get it?"

"He and his friend came to my flat and took me away. That's it."

"Not entirely. There's a bit more."

"How do you know that?" The other brought a straw up towards Molly lips. It was a bottle of water. She needed to stay hydrated.

"We've been watching out for you. Doing as we were told to do."

"Why didn't you interfere?"

"We can't mess with any one's set timeline. It had to happen."

"Then how'd you fix it. How am I here again?"

"The art of equivalent exchange." The first woman stated as Molly drunk more water.

"The what?"

"It's one of the basic laws of alchemy. The concept in it's most barest forms means: "In order to obtain or create something, something of equal value must be lost or destroyed."

We used a certain form of it however. It's called Human Transmutation. It sounds just like what is. Ressurection of someone who had died but it has very severe consequences."

"What type of consequences?" Molly needed to know. She had a bad feeling as it was because alchemy wasn't safe. She had read a few things about it and it wasn't good.

"It's best if we not tell you. I'm sorry." They both stated before leaving her there once again alone.

It looked like she was going to be in the dark for a little longer. At least she had gotten somewhere.

Hello there! Well you've finally gotten some questions answered but I fear you only have even more. I hope you liked it though.

I don't own any credit to the art of equivalent exchange or human transmutation. All that craziness belongs to the mastermind behind the anime/manga series Full Metal Alchemist. If you've never seen/read that series I definitely recommend it, it's one of my favorites. :3 I didn't fully explain it because it will be demonstrated in the next chapter. *hint*

Did y'all miss a certain consulting detective? Hmm...he will be back too. Let me know what y'all think please.

Much love,

Day