COD(Cause of Death): Unknown

Note: Just a little information about this one. The last chapter was all about Molly and what she was experiencing now that she had been brought back and I'll be explaining that bit towards the end of this one but for the most part this one will focus on Sherlock and his recollection of things before her death and that moment which John referred to in an earlier chapter. Thank you all for you constant feedback and I hope you like this one as well. Enjoy. :)

Thirteen.

Sherlock Holmes is an impatient man. He likes things to move along and for things to happen. Action. Action. Action. Any moments of nothing leaves him quite bored. This new adventure or case that he had spent the better part of two weeks now trying to unravel had been stimulating for him as well as confusing.

However, now he was at a standstill. The anticipation of the lose ends coming together and the ultimate reunion of Holmes and Hooper was still an unknown of when it would happen and where. He had tried to figure out where by going back to the clues that had been settled within his grasp since the dreadful beginning when he and John were called out by D.I. Lestrade.

There wasn't much to go on. The markings on the ribbon had just been slash marks that happened to intersect. He had spent two days examining every stitch and every blot of ink. He came up with nothing.

He even went so far as to try to interpret the notes left by the unknown player as well as the Rooks. It had only seemed hurt to frustrate him. All players were being secretive. It was a game and everyone had their own strategy and most likely a motive. The biggest question left unanswered is the one that Sherlock hadn't begun to ponder about until this warm morning.

He hadn't been to sleep since the initial moment when he realized that the case really wasn't a case of murder anymore. It was just a puzzle without that variable anymore. What was left still left him in a stupor.

To distract himself he journeyed out of 221b Baker Street on his own and on foot for once. No scarf or trench needed as the warm breeze left him feeling very odd. He waited until embarking the very park he had found Doctor Hooper in the week before her disappearance and sat down on one of the benches.

There were few spectators about. The sun was beginning to arise from the horizon. A mere illumination to the wooded area of trees. It made it look different. Sherlock looked around to just see who was around, not actually caring but wanting to be aware in case he had to leave because of too many intrustions.

There weren't many. A young couple out for a stroll with their baby whom was resting quietly in a stroller. A girl by the color of the carrier. A light pink.

Then there was an old man with bird feed a couple yards away. He looked content in his expression and smiled before settling near a tree. A small spread of the feed had been spread near the edge where the grass met the walkway. The birds had flew down and began to peck the seeds into their beaks, quickly.

A man that looked to be twenty five was jogging past. He was fit and though the music that sounded from the loud volume he had set it at was supposed to be more calming and not something one would usually listen to when doing exercise, the man looked quite stressed. Sherlock gave him a bit more look as much as he could see and noticed the cap on the man's head. Bald - recently shaved off. Sick. Dying. Probably shouldn't be out but is trying to feel alive again.

Sherlock pursed his lips at that. He supposed he wouldn't want to be stuck inside knowing that he were going to die. If that were the case, that is.

Besides a few puppies running around in the grass by another couple there really wasn't much to keep his attention long. That was good.

He let out a few cleansing breaths as he slipped back into those set of memories which had had been attempting to not think about.

It had been three days - almost four with no answer from the pathologist who Sherlock had been trying to contact about a test he needed her assistance with on a case. It would most likely result in a huge lead and ultimate closure of the case.

A group of girls (all from different cities and schools) had been murdered and laid in strange places in three feet deep holes in the ground. Murder wasn't exactly anything new but the way it had been done had been peculiar. Then there was the fact that none of them knew of each other and ran in different circles. A totally of thirteen, so far.

Another possibly on the next day if he didn't get to use some of the equipment at St. Barts. He had gone there and found that Molly wasn't working that day. He had decided that it would be possible that he could get early enough the next day to make sure that the next murder didn't happen. That had been the plan, however no Molly present. She had taken the week off, he had been finally notified by Stamford.

Sherlock had sent her a collection of texts then full of sarcasm and narcissim but still recieved not a single reply. When the next murder happened later that night and he had to go to Cardiff to check out the crime scene he had been furious. Despite his actions most of the time, he did care about human lives. He wasn't a total machine. He could have prevented the death of another girl.

Molly Hooper's absence was making his job harder for him to do that. It was then as he left that crime scene that he made up his mind that he would need to find her. She wouldn't have gone out of London. It was only a week and from what he noticed she didn't have that much money to spend on things let alone a real vacation.

He remembered something Stamford had mention as Sherlock had been leaving. Something about Molly's friend Meena also taking a vacation. They most likely were with each other then, he concluded. He went to Meena's flat only to find out via her neighbor - a older woman with many kittens that they always spent some time in the park.

Sherlock hadn't exactly thought of Molly as a person who had much of a life outside of her work. He knew she dated a lot but there really wasn't anything that he could recall from the time when he had spent time living with her post the fall that made him believe that his conclusion was incorrect. Now, however a day at the park was just one thing not many events. He had met Meena before. She was Molly's polar opposite.

He didn't waste much time after uncovering that set of information and went ahead and took a cab there. It was out of the way from this area. They had most likely taken one or a car.

Upon his arrival at the park he didn't have to look too far. The pair were settled on a blanket under a tree closer to the entrance to the trees. Molly was dressed comfortably in a mint colored sun dress. Her normal cardigan was settled at her side. He waited a moment and saw that she was laughing. Not in that nervous way she had often did around him. It was cheerful even.

He discarded all of this as he went back to his motive for being here. He needed her to come back to the lab. He needed her approval to get into the certain area where the equipment and located. He was still trying not to admit that he would need her help working with said equipment as well. It was a new area for him - not familiar at all.

He tucked his hands in his trousers pockets before approaching the duo. Molly had looked up in his direction just as he was a mere three feet away. She frowned and turned to her friend who must have noticed her change in demeanor and began to say something in response but then her friend turned and spotted him where he stopped analyzing the situation.

"Sherlock." The way her face screwed up made him think of something that John mentioned whenever something he did or said was wrong. Not good at all. This was going to be troublesome.

He sighed, taking the last few steps towards them and crouched so that he was at their level. "Hello. Meena. Molly. Nice day isn't it?"

"Don't do that okay? It's pretty obvious you came here for a reason. You need Molly, don't you?"

Maybe not too hard, then? Sherlock regarded his pathologist's friend and colleague before hesitantly glancing at Molly. She was looking at the both of them, quietly. Why wasn't she talking? He preferred that she didn't speak but it felt strange. It was as if Meena was her overprotective older sister. He suppose in a way she was. She had taken that role ever since his return and they were around each other. It was most prominent when she had become aware that her friend and the detective had been living in close quarters for awhile.

"Yes. I do need her assistance with something. Actually I needed her help three days ago but she seemed to be missing from her post. I had to come find her."

"Oh." Molly squeaked. Surprising both of the duo by uttering anything. "Um. Meena I'll be just a moment." Sherlock stood up noticing that Molly was going to speak with him now. He wasn't sure if this would be good or not.

He walked a few metres away with her trailing behind him. He stopped and turned to her. "She's right you know." Molly mumbled as she peered up at him.

"About what exactly?"

"You always come for a reason. Never because I might need you to be here but I'm always at your beck and call. It isn't right but you expect it, don't you?"

Sherlock bypassed her question. He knew where she was headed with that question and he couldn't go down that road. "There has been a serial of murders, Molly. I need your help."

"Right. There's always a murder." She paused. She held out a small card towards him. He reached out and took it carefully into his hands. He looked down at it and saw that it was her security card for the lab. "Just drop it off when you're done."

"You misunderstand. I do actually require you to be present at the lab. That new machine that you got in last week. I need to use it. I'm not certified to use it. I need you."

She seemed to be pondering something as she gnawed on her bottom lip. Her hands twisting. "Have you ever thought what you'd do if I wasn't here to help you? If I wasn't in London? I could have left the country. There will be a time when you actually need me and I won't be here."

"Now is not the time to get sentimental Dr. Hooper. Another life is at stake. One was taken last night while you were ignoring my messages."

"My phone was off."

"Time is of the essence."

"Ask Ruth. She owes me a favor. I'm on vacation. I don't plan on leaving just because you say you need me. Take my pass and go." All nervousness had been wiped from her actions. Her voice was strong and stern. Before Sherlock could retort, Molly had turned and began her walk back to her friend.

That hadn't just been a spur of the moment for Molly to tell him all of that. Molly Hooper never did anything without thinking about it long and hard. He had questioned her logic then and he had wondered what she was actually trying to do

She had evoked several things out of him during that moment. He was annoyed and he was curious, but most of all he felt a tug stir inside him. Like this was a mere glimpse into some new territory. Where it went, he didn't know. Nor did he find it necessary to dwell on it now.

He looked at the duo who had went back to their smiles and their happiness and he had turned back around. Leaving whatever that was behind.

CODCODCODCODCODCODCODCOD

Five days ago...

The preparation had been the easy part. Gathering all the ingredients needed and then mixing them together was all it took. The two men took care of creating the diagram of white chalk that created the transmutation circle. It was a large piece of work. The center was where the steel pan would go with all the ingredients that the two women had gathering and were now adding into it.

It was mostly different chemicals that they had on hand from working in the labs and items from home that were customary to have either in stock for cleaning or for preparing food in the kitchen. These were the following:

35 liters of water

20 kilograms of carbon

4 liters of ammonia

1.5 kilograms of caustic lime

800 grams of phosphorus

250 grams of salt

100 grams of saltpeter

80 grams of sulfur

7.5 grams of fluorine

5 grams of iron

3 grams of silicon

2 drops of human's blood

The final ingredient was decided to be taken from one man and one woman. It didn't matter who. The concoction wasn't specific. It was added once everything was mixed together in the pan and put in the center of the finished diagram.

On each side of the circle two people were stationed. They all waited a moment before placing their hands on the inside of the circle and without warning it began. An electric blue light worked about the lines of chalk for a moment before stopping.

Each of the people present stared at one another before black swirls began emitting from it. No one moved as a pair of eery arms rose from one side and began to worm it's way towards one of the man. His name was Elmer.

His eyes widen as the arm attacked him pulling him down and immobilizing his arms causing gashes to appear on his arms as they tore him to pieces. Another black set rose from the other side of him. Elmer screamed in agony suspecting that he was about to die, only for the new set to grab the man next to him right legs and tear into it much like Elmer's.

The woman watched in horror as this was done momentarily before seeing that a yellow glow was being cast on the body of the doctor they had been told to bring back. This was the cost for their risk. They had been warned about this but it didn't stop them.

When the glowing stopped and the black arms had swarmed away and disengrated in an instance the women rushed over to the men first and began to assess the damage. Elmer was the one with the most damage is arms had been severed almost completely. They could save them but he would more than likely be paralyzed in his arms. They made no move to ask what he wanted as they grabbed their surgerical tools and began to work on him.

The other man pulled himself up off the ground wincing in pain as his right leg burned. He tried not to pay attention to it as he draggef himself, bloody and all towards the table where the pathologist had been lying dead as a corpse.

However now she had began to convulse and cough erraticly. "Anya! Hurry, now!" He screamed and the red headed woman rushed over and began to cover the woman's face with a mask. "Welcome back, Doctor Hooper." She said as she made sure that the mask was fit snugly around her and she turned the switch to begin the flow of gas to the mask.

Anya let out a sigh before seeing her friend Rek half slumped against the trap table. She rushed around to him and began to help him. Rek hissed and groaned as she tried to stop the blood flowing out his leg. "I really hope she is worth this." He mumbled as Anya injected a sedative into his vein, knocking him out. She cringed every time he yelp in agony.

This had been a nightmare but it was worth it, she told herself. He had promised her it would be when it all came out. She trusted the man with her life once, hopefully he still was true to his word.

These were their consequences for doing something unnatural but they are scientist and you'll be willing to do anything to save the ones you want to protect the ones you care about the most.

Good job, Rooks.

Note: Okay whoa, long chapter! I really wasn't sure how it really was going to go entirely but I like it a lot. The last bit may been a bit gory in the details but it had to be revealed. The act was very destructive but it had to be done, right? You'll begin to uncover why that is soon. It does deal with our hidden player within the Rooks and you may already know who he is if you've been paying attention to certain hints I've given throughout the story so far. What did you think about what happened with Sherlock and Molly during the flashback? I hinted at something there too...Molly may have about to do something drastic. That would change all their lives before the other problem happened. Lots more to reveal and lots more to read, obviously. Please let me know what you thought. I think more long chapters like this are coming!

See you next week! :)

Much love,

Day