They didn't have to wait for long this time. Within 3 hours Moriarty was back again. This time only Moran was with him. He looked delightedly at the pair of them. At Sherlock's matted hair and Squish's red eyes.
"Oh darling!" he cried, "why are you so sad? Because of the things I said? You must learn not to take things so personally you know" He pouted when neither of them replied to him and then his eyes widened, "How did you like my present Sherlock?"
"Very nice Jim" the taller man replied as he got to his feet, "you really didn't have to get the good stuff for me you know."
"Only the best for you honey" Jim smiled, he took a step closer to Sherlock so that his fingers curled towards his chest, "Only ever the best for you" he repeated as he reached upwards and stroked Sherlock's face.
"When are you going to learn that your sweet little pathologist isn't for you and come to daddy, hmm?" He laughed as felt Sherlock stiffen, "Oh well maybe later hon, now it's time for the next round." Moriarty clapped his hands together in delight.
"So the last round was all about her choice, this one is all about yours, ok muffin? Mr Moran?" he called out and the other man stepped forward, "If you would be so kind?" Moran nodded and quickly pulled Squish towards him so fast that Sherlock was powerless to do anything even if Moriarty hadn't pulled him towards his own chest and pinned his arms to his sides.
He was surprisingly strong for a small man Sherlock thought. Even when he had his attention solely focused in Squish, he still was making calculations, deductions and part of him hated himself for not being able to focus on the one thing that truly mattered to him. The only thing he cared about right at that moment. The look of sheer panic that was on his daughters face as she was held roughly in the arms of a person who was in the pay of a man who had tortured her. A man who had laughed as she was tortured and at that moment Sherlock Holmes wanted nothing more the to take her away and hold her until she stopped shaking, to make her a cup of tea and to play her the violin until she was asleep and the carry her to bed, just like he had done when she was a small child. He didn't even know if she remembered those times, but he did. And although he kept those memories locked up deep inside of him, he knew they were there and it was these that he sought some comfort in when he was reliably informed that he didn't have a heart.
Jim was speaking and Sherlock listened, "Right here's the deal." He said, his eyes lit up with glee and malice, "Seb here is something of a monster. He was kicked out of the army for raping and killing a fifteen year old girl in Vietnam. Since then he has raped, murdered and tortured his way to me. Now me and Sebby here have had such fun, but since my focus is on you, it seems fair that I give him something and he has expressed an interest in your darling little girl here. So… I'm going to give you a choice Sherlock"
He met Sherlock's dark eyes with his own eye, blue as chips of ice and twice as cold, "You can either let Seb rape her or… let him play with her for twenty minutes. With you watching" His mouth curved upwards at the shock on Sherlock's face, "I give you my word that he won't sexually do anything with her and he won't kill her if you choose the second option but other than that? She's all his."
"How long do I have" Sherlock's voice was as cold as Moriarty's eyes.
"Ten minutes to choose Sherlock." Moriarty's voice was as soft as silk, "Or you don't get a choice." The door slammed close with a bang behind them. Squish crossed the floor in a step and barrelled into Sherlock who clasped her to his chest.
"It's allright. It's ok" he murmured into her hair, "It's going to be ok"
She stared up at him with eyelashes stained with tears. "Don't leave me." She pleaded, "Promise me, that you won't leave"
He looked down at her, and his heart felt like it was breaking because he knew that there was only one answer he could give and that meant that he would have to do one of the worst things of his life. "I promise" he said simply.
Jim came back into the room with Moran who looked like all his Christmases had come at once.
"Made a decision yet Sherlock" he smiled cockily, "what's it going to be, because either way I'm getting my hands on her."
Sherlock looked at him disdainfully and then looked at Jim, "Twenty minutes" he said, feeling sick to his stomach as the words left his mouth, "Not a minute more. And I swear." He said turning to Moran, "For everything you do, I'll do it to you but ten times worse."
"Now, Now Boys" Jim laughed, "let's not get ahead of ourselves. Now Sherly baby, it's not that I don't trust you but I want Seb to be undisturbed as he works so this gentleman." He gestured to a hulking figure that had entered the room without any of them noticing, "Will be making sure you don't try and stop Sebby from knocking Squish around, ok?"
The man stepped forward and calmly stood beside Sherlock who didn't seem to realise or maybe just didn't care.
"Great, now on with the show"
Squish stepped forward, her face was incredibly pale but she stared down, Moriarty defiantly, "same rules as last time Jim" she said, "Nothing to the face"
Jim laughed, "Same rules, hear that Sebby, nothing to the face"
"Screw that" the other man growled and he leapt at the girl and hit her hard round the side of the face. In an instant Moriarty launched himself the other man and began to kick and punch him like a man might kick a disobedient dog.
"Do... Not… Ever… Ignore… Me" he shouted emphasising each word with a kick to the ribs, then he appeared to gain back his composure, "Now" he said straightening up, "have fun and I'll be back in a while. And Seb" he turned at the door, don't disobey me again or you'll wish I had killed you and remember. I'm watching this and I will know if you do" With that he was gone.
Seb turned to the girl who was lying on the floor and looked at the other man and the hatred in Sherlock's eyes could have killed someone.
Seb just smiled, "Let the fun begin" he said.
5 minutes later Squish was sure she was dying, her whole body felt like it was broken and she was unable to keep herself from crying out as Seb's boot kicked her ribs. Sherlock was being held back by the other man and was depetaly trying to reach her. The big man didn't say a word just held Sherlock back, as Moran kicked her again. He went and opened the door and shouted at someone for about twenty three seconds.
Those few seconds were enough for her to look up and smile at Sherlock before Seb was back again, this time he was holding something in his hand. He didn't say anything just upended a mug of boiling water onto her stomach. She screamed, her back arching as pain coursed through her like a bullet train. She didn't have anytime to even think about recovering before he was kicking her again.
She could feel her consciousness flickering like a television with bad signal, and oh god she didn't want to die. She wanted to see John again, and Molly and even Mycroft. Hell she'd settle for Donavon at this point. And Alex. She didn't want to die without seeing him again. Not without kissing him and feeling his arms around her. She couldn't die. She refused to. She refused because Sherlock needed her and she needed him and she needed him to know that she didn't balme him and it would be ok.
She felt something different, a new pain and realised that there was blood trickling down her shoulder and a dull throbbing was coursing through her back and she realised that Moran had once again moved on. That the dull throbbing was where he had hit her with his belt and the blood was where he had cut her shoulder.
He was adding more cuts now though they weren't cuts not really. More like scratches. Thin and long, which made it so much worse when they were hit by the belt or kicked by a boot. It felt like thousands of snakes where biting her and they hurt so much and she could feel the bones in her ribs cracking and she wanted it stop so very much.
Then without warning. It did.
She thought she could feel someone lifting her up and holding her. Someone was murmuring into her hair, "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry", and there was someone else there too. Someone who was laughing and saying…
"I told you I'd burn the heart out of you Sherlock, I warned you and you carry your heart around with you so obviously and that makes the temptation so very sweet."
She was so tired and wanted to sleep so much, but from somewhere there was still a little bit of strength left, a little spark of defiance made her raise her head and say, "Not burnt out yet Jim, not even close" before she couldn't do anymore and her conscious mind flickered and she fell into unconsciousness.