Sorry for the wait, guys! Three more chapters
"Hello, dear", Moriarty said after a second… probably recovering himself from the surprise of seeing Sherlock. "May I know why you are here?"
"You know it already", Sherlock smiled, looking to the sky. He heard Jim laughing next to him.
"You came back from death to kill me? What a pleasant surpriiise", he said in a high pitched tone. "And how do you intend to do it?"
Time seemed to pass so slow as John looked at the clock every other minute. He tried watching telly but that was no use. He couldn't eat, he still felt sick with fear. The flat was too silent for his liking. He debated, wanted to get out and the silence was too much but he knew Sherlock wanted him to stay inside, his life could depend on it.
Sherlock smiled, looking back to the man beside him. "Oh, I don't intent to", he said.
Jim stared at him seriously, trying to decipher his words. When he didn't respond, Sherlock added.
"Why can't you say 'I don't know'?", he asked, returning Moriarty's words of the day of his trial.
"I don't know", Jim smirked madly, clearly thinking about that moment.
"It's going to be your style", Sherlock said. "I am going to talk to you. And then you are going to kill yourself"
Jim frowned. "How?"
John slowly sat up from the couch. He had stayed in that position long enough for his body to freeze up on him. He was sore. He looked outside at the rain falling. He could hear the rain hitting the window and the roof. It reminded him of how quiet it was.
"You have nothing else to live for, Jim. You said I was your distraction", Sherlock said.
"Oh, please, don't remind me. You were so… disappointing", Jim replied, faking a broken voice.
Sherlock smiled widely. Step 1 completed.
"But I wasn't, was I? I beated you. I made you think I was dead", Sherlock added. "Was it not you the one that talked about our final problem?"
Jim's eyes lit up with rage. "Staying alive", he whispered.
He slowly moved towards the showers. He had turned the telly on, just for noise. He heard movement down the stairs, reminding him that Mrs. Hudson was still awake. He turned the water on hot as he could bear and step in. The headache beating on his head slowly died away.
"We can't both live, Jim", Sherlock continued. "It was your rule. One of us had to die, the looser of our game. And I won, Jim".
Step two, completed.
Moriarty got up, walking around Sherlock like a satellite. One second he seemed about to burst and the next he smiled widely, his shoulder relaxing. "But I tricked you too, Sherlock. I made you jump. You really thought about Johnny boy… Maybe a start a new game for the two of you. I have heard that you have gotten quite close… about time, might I add".
Sherlock tried to breath calmly. Step three, completed.
The water nearly burned his skin as he tried to relax. He tried to keep his mind off of Sherlock. Off of what could happen. He stepped out from the shower nearly an hour later, wrapping a towel around him. The rain had at least stopped. The headache was back. He moved from the shower to the couch, collapsing on it with a tired sigh.
"You haven't", he said. "You didn't know I was alive until I walked right in front of you".
Moriarty's grimace was back. "One more time, I beat you".
Jim shook his head, smiling madly. "Wrong, Sherly", he said, startling Sherlock for the first time.
John closed his eyes. He had to force himself to sleep. He couldn't think of anything else he would do besides drive himself insane. He wrapped the towel tighter around him as he slowly started to drift off.
When Sherlock didn't respond, Jim laughed, staring at Sherlock with his dead, unfeeling eyes. "I control everything, darling. My men advised me about you… just a minute before you came, you got that one right", he smirked.
"What were you waiting for then?", Sherlock asked.
"I always wait for you", he replied, winking at him. "I had to tell you the new rules"
John slowly waved into an easy sleep. He knew he wouldn't sleep well or much at all, but if it passed a few hours without Sherlock then it would be fine.
"Which are?", he asked, trying not to miss a bit.
"We have to finish this thing between us, darling. In.. my style, as you said".
His style. Sherlock himself had taken the pink phone case to make Moriarty kill himself. Was he talking about…? "I presume you brought the pills?"
Jim grinned like a fool, taking them from his pocket and handing them to Sherlock.
"Shall we?"
John's eyes opened. Sleep was useless. Of course he wasn't able to sleep. He let out a harsh sigh and rubbed a hand through his hair. He closed his eyes, allowing his mind to wonder over to Sherlock.
Sherlock took one pill absently. He could handle this. He had to. "So, we kill ourselves. That's it?", he asked.
Jim smirked. "Is it not the sexier way of dying?", he said.
Sherlock shook his head from side to side. "So ordinary. I could just walk back to where I came from".
"But you won't", Jim disagreed. "You don't want me to hurt Johnny boy anymore, do you?"
He sighed heavily, opening his eyes. It hurt to think about him, he couldn't sleep. He slowly got up. He looked out the window, wishing he could go for a walk, but he had a promise to Sherlock. He stumbled into the kitchen, trying to concentrate long enough to make a cup of tea. He kept the towel around him, shivering a bit from the cold tiles. He figured he'd have to put on clothes some time.
Sherlock grimaced before he could control himself. "You haven't have time enough to get one of your men to him", he deduced quickly.
"They are on their way now", Jim replied, looking carelessly at the birds.
"So I guess that if I kill myself, John will live", Sherlock shrugged. Just like last time. You are repeating yourself", Sherlock sighed.
John sat down at the table with a mug of hot tea. He went into his room to change into a pair of pajamas. He felt mentally exhausted, but he couldn't sleep. He returned to sit on the couch, curling up on the end he usually watched Sherlock sulk on.
"No chances now, Sherlock. He both die here, end of it. I am done with this game", Jim said, his voice emotionless suddenly. "I promise John and aaall of your little friends will live".
Sherlock sighed… trying to hide his triumphant smile. "Can I at least send a text?", he asked.
"Of course. Tell your little John that he won't see you anymore", Jim nodded.
Sherlock took his phone slowly. Step four, completed.
John tossed the phone in his hand as he tried to concentrate on what was on the telly. It was boring, everything seemed boring now without Sherlock. He glanced at the phone, he was worried, just worried that Sherlock could be hurt or worse.
Sherlock began to type, faking sorrow.
"I can't wait to tell my dear Moran", Jim smirked.
Moran... Oh, the same Moran Sherlock had killed? Sherlock smiled mentally, remembering everything. Killing Moran, taking his phone, texting Jim, pretending to be Moran...
"I tricked you again" , Sherlock typed. When Jims phone biped, he smiled broadly. Step five completed.
He placed the phone down. He was going to drive himself insane. He was going to hurt himself. He drained the rest of the tea and started to pace. It must've been late at night, Mrs. Hudson would be asleep. She would hear him pacing. He suddenly didn't care. He needed a distraction.
For once in his live, Jim looked really horrified. He looked up at Sherlock smirking face.
"Sentiment, Jim", Sherlock said, "is not an advantage. I learn that from you, didn't I?"
Moriarty recovered himself, returning the phone to his pocket. He closed his eyes for a second… and smiled, nodding with his head. When he opened them, there was that light again in his eyes. "You win", he said. He mouthed a 'thank you' before lifting his hand and bringing the pill to his lips, swallowing it.
Final step, completed.