total of 504 Hits and 328 Visitors to story: Prince of Hell.- WoW.. I can't thank you guys enough so I'm publishing this chapter early! A bit sad I only got 3 reviews but they were so nice I decided what the hell! But next time I want 4…..ok THANKS!

-‡-Prince of Hell-‡-

Chapter Three

Athena nervously fidgeted with her Blackberry but her pretty face displayed a calm façade. She stood by the corner next to the busy tube, watching the humans shuffle in and out. Her sharp eyes may have been looking down on her phone as she typed but she was fully alert and watching for her Masters approach. I'd been five years since she had last seen him. In death Athena had committed the sins of thievery and vanity which sent her to the Moriarty's, John had been disgusted at her treatment under their Princes' hand and challenged the Prince for her release. Athena reached up and felt the black ribbon around her neck, she allowed a small smile. It was an honor to serve under Prince John.

She felt his arrival as if the sun had exploded and flooded the world with heat and light, washing the mundane from the area and replacing the stiff air with his all-consuming presence. John limped out of the tub station, the humans subconsciously making way. He was dressed oddly and Athena wrinkled her nose at his green jumper and faded blue jeans, coupled with his limp it gave him a sad look. Mary walked a step behind him, her golden hair artfully piled atop her head and a simple blue summer dress on her pale frame. Athena's face lit up at seeing her blood sister.

"Your majesty." Athena said with a bow, not caring what the humans thought. This was her Prince and her savior; she owed him the respect due.

"Please Athena, call me John here."

"As you command." She said seriously.

John looked around, noticing the humans still made way for the odd group of three, all eyes avoiding the three. Sliding away like butter on a hot pan, it was as if they didn't even exist. John held out his arms with a wide smile and Athena flew into his embrace, letting her proper façade fall for a moment as she allowed the warmth that radiated from John to soak into her skin and fill her senses.

"How are you doing?"

"As I stated in my last report, just fine." Athena said stepping away from the warm spice that was John's presence, she turned and hugged Mary who squealed with excitement.

"I know but I worry about you being up here alone." John whispered, watching his girls hug with a fatherly smile.

Athena backed away from Mary, straightening her clothes and checking her hair. She glanced back at her phone and nodded. "Ok we can catch up later but there is someone I'd like for you to meet."

"Holmes." John breathed.

Athena nodded before giving John a once over and raising an eyebrow in Mary's direction who sighed. "He wanted to wear that."

Athena pursed her lips. "That's all well and good but where we're going you'll need something more formal."

John grimaced. "Does that mean shopping?"

"Yes sir." Athena said as she stepped away from the building and walked across the sidewalk to where a black car was waiting. She opened the door with a flourish. "I have arranged everything. Tonight you will meet him."

John sighed and limped over. Struggling to get into the car before he settled inside it's leather interior. He looked around and finally noticed her black designer dress. "I only gave you a bit of gold so you could live comfortably. What have you been doing?"

Athena smiled like a Cheshire cat. "I made some investments and opened some business in the name of Watson. You are just as important Above and below."

John face palmed with a groan. "Athena although I'm flattered that's what I wanted to avoid."

Mary and Athena exchanged a look before Athena waved the choefur on and he smoothly moved into the busy mid-day traffic of London. The bright sun shining through the cloudy day.

-/-/-/-/-/-

John was grateful to flop down upon Athena's leather couch as his girls chatted away in the large master bathroom. From the smell they were bathing in perfume, lotion and make-up. His leg ached from standing on a dais for hours as a small tailor took his measurements and rushed him a fitted black suit with a silk red tie and handkerchief. Looking at himself in the mirror with his blonde hair, square-ish face, dark eyes and black suit he looked like one of those iconic devils the humans had on their television series to sign of some poor unsuspecting person's soul. He grimaced at the thought. Propping his shinny Italian leather shoes up on the glass table John leaned back into the couch with a sigh. Athena had her apartment heated to a nice ninety degrees and her black and red leather furnishings reminded him of home. She didn't have any pictures or homey artifacts.

Athena and Mary emerged from the bath room twenty minutes later to find John dozing on the couch a pillow clutched to his chest. The girls shared a smile, each going to his side. Mary put a hand on John's right shoulder.

"He hasn't been the same since he got shot." Mary whispered so as to let her prince sleep undisturbed.

"Is that why he sent me up?"

Mary shrugged, truly not even knowing the reason. "I guess the blow hit him harder that we thought and he believed that his injury made him a crippled and useless. After his recovery is when he became obsessed with finding the perfect heir."

Athena nodded, looking down upon her master. "This might not end well."

Mary looked up at her blood sister. "What?"

"Holmes….there's two of them, either would work but they're a bit different."

Mary chuckled darkly. "John's a Prince of Hell looking for the perfect fair ruler of the sinners; it doesn't get stranger than that."

Athena nodded but still looked skeptical. "Just be prepared."

Mary reluctantly nodded. She reached out and lightly shook John awake. "John, John. It's time to go."

John's blue eyes flew open and he smiled up at the beautiful women above him. "Angels! Am I in heaven?"

The girls laughed at John, both blushing prettily at his generous compliment as he stood up and offered his arms out to escort his friends to that nights charity gala. Mary held his silver cane in on hand. "Let's go."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

The Human's need to lavishly decorate everything never ceased to shock John. I had been centuries since he had last set foot on the above ground and things hadn't truly changed, just the technology to make life easier for those who could afford it. Sub-consciously the humans knew he was dangerous and important, the glittery guests carefully moved around him, their eyes flickering around nervously. John brushed it off as having two beautiful women on his arms. Mary in her short skin tight blue dress and Athena in a stunning lacey black evening gown.

In the car to the Charity gala Athena explained that in the five years she'd been above ground she had invested in hospitals in the Watson name. Now almost all private and public hospitals belonged to the Watsons; a mysterious family no one had ever seen until tonight when the eldest son decided to attend the charity even for his newest hospital. Athena giggled as she also explained she had forged documents stating John was a Doctor and currently lived alone. Athena had even gone as far as to create personas for the entire family, complete with birth certificates, high school and college diplomas. Athena had even arranged for Harry and Clara to be legally married under her majesties crown. John was impressed at Athena's thoroughness.

"John, John Watson?" A pudgy man cried through the crowd as he fought his way through and stood in front of John, beaming up at him.

John looked down at the slightly smaller man with a frown. The man may have looked innocent and human to a normal pair of eyes but to John he was enormous and black as the night sky. A red tongue hang from the side of his mouth and his yellow eyes where laden lazily. He was a daemon of sloth.

"Do I know him?" John whispered to Athena.

"Yes you went to Uni with him. He was your roommate for all eight years. You remained friends even after you went to war. His name is Mike Stamford" Athena whispered back, Mary leaned forward to listen in.

Amazed that Athena had gotten a Sloth daemon to do anything, John decided to play along. "How have you been Mike?"

"Doing well and I put on a few pounds." The daemon called Mike said with a sly grin.

"This is where we must part. I will see you later. Play the part my prince." Athena whispered as she placed a gentle kiss on John's left cheek and untangled herself from his arm. She sauntered into the mob of guests and disappeared.

Mary and John watched her go, both sad of the loss of her presence. John turned back to the daemon and looked around; spotting a couch in the corner he jerked his chin in that direction. Mike followed him to the quite area and settled upon the leather cushion. The daemon dropped his innocent façade as a bubble of human ignorance oozed from their area, the guests tuning their backs and avoiding the corner.

"Prince Watson, I had heard the rumors."

"An Anderson." John sneered.

The daemon stiffened and spat on the ground with a snarl. "I despise the name and curse their family for generations. Your pet approached me with the idea of a conquest."

John raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't informed of this."

"It's simple. I help you get something here and you over throw those good for nothing Anderson's and take over Sloth and Gluttony. Once you have us, we'd be more than happy to help you defeat the Morarity's."

"What can a daemon of sloth do?" John asked.

"Please your Highness, you may be the Greatest Prince that ever was and daemons tremble at your name but you haven't set foot Above in centuries and times have changed. You need a man in the know."

"And that would be you?" John asked. He was impressed a daemon of sloth was taking initiative and being so forceful. All the Anderson's where always so useless in his eyes and it was a nice change to see a proper one. But the thought of a larger Kingdom and an overthrow twisted at his stomach. He dreamed of a single Kingdom as it once was but the notion that he should be the ruler made him pale. He would make a terrible king.

"The very same." Mike said with a pleasant smile his demonic form wiggling at the edges, a movement John had come to associate with laughter for daemons.

John crossed his legs. Mary passed him his silver cane and he rubbed the head thoughtfully. "Who'd want me?" He admitted.

Mike looked at the Prince for a second before bursting into laughter. "You know you're the second person to say that to me today."

John frowned looking confused. "Who was the first?"

"Him." Mike said point out of the bubble and towards a tall lanky man standing alone by the wall under a crystal lamp. His unruly black hair was tamed slightly and he'd had a pair of startling gray green eyes. He glared away anyone who dared approach him.

"Oh he's cute." Mary cried out. John raised an eyebrow at the daemon of sloth, wondering why the daemon was point men out to him.

Mike stood up, containing his demonic form into his pudgy human one. "Let me introduce you to the cream of the crop of humans. They've gotten craftier."

Thanks for reading!

Yuki- your enthusiasm makes me giggle! And the meeting awww well sorry for the cliffhanger but it's in ch4!

Serpentrose- Oh I loved the dance! Oh I am taking my time and already have the next 2 chapters so for you effort here's ch3! Hahaha Mary as Sherlock's mom? I love that…but no, no she's not (or is she?..hahah)

Valkyrie-23- I'm glad you adore this story and took the time to review that means a lot to me! Enjoy!