NOTE: So quicker update than usually. I´m kind of obsessed with Maroon5 right now so I´m sry I always wondered if Moriarty and Kitty Riley were actually together when Moriarty was Rich Brooke? Nevertheless: Hope you like it!
Chapter 18: It´s becoming harder and harder to breath
How dare you say that my behavior is unacceptable
So condescending unnecessarily critical
I have the tendency of getting very physical
So watch your step 'cause if I do you'll need a miracle
Does it kill
Does it burn
Is it painful to learn
That it's me that has all the control
Does it thrill
Does it sting
When you feel what I bring
And you wish that you had me to hold*
The reporter
It was late and Gemma was beaten up and filthy. Actually perfect for the next scene of her play. She had already abandoned the cab and was on her way back to that stupid Kitty Riley person whom she had sold the story about her real identity. It was so easy. A bit too easy Gemma noted with a slight disappointment but when she reached the flat of Kitty she saw Sherlock and John inside through the window. What the hell were they doing here? That was not supposed to happen! She´d intended to show Kitty her wounds and tell her Sherlock had just raped her, a bit more drama for the newspaper. And now? Now he was here? On the other hand that could be even better… Her lips curled into a wicked smile and she headed for the door ruffling her hair a bit more in the process.
The three people in the room heard the echo of footsteps in the hallway and Kitty´s eyes darted to the door. She hoped it wouldn´t be Ricarda. Concern furrowed her brows. The door was pushed open and a small frail girl stumbled into the flat she stopped at the balustrade of the small stairwell and leaned heavily against it raising her head only then to see the people in the room. In a split second her face turned into a mask of pure horror. Her dark eyes widened and started to glister with tears as she saw Sherlock.
"What is he doing here?! You said I would be safe here!" She exclaimed a wary expression on her face. Sherlock would like to punch her right now. Why was she here? Why did he have to see her twice in one night? Wasn´t the regret he felt enough? He was disgusted with himself he couldn´t believe what he was capable of. Maybe she was right and there was in fact no difference between them. Sherlock decided to push that thought far away he could deal with his guilt later.
Kitty jumped between her and the two men: "What happened? Ricarda what happened to you?" She grabbed her shoulders and shook her. John was irritated by the way Moriarty looked, her knees were bloody like her neck, she looked pretty beaten up.
"This is your source?! Moriarty?"
"There is no Moriarty! That is Ricarda Brooke, she´s an actress hired by you!" She pointed an accusing finger at Sherlock and turned back to John. "He invented Moriarty, a nemesis and all the crimes, actually."
"No! No that is Moriarty!" John shouted agitated he looked at Gemma and continued: "We´ve met, remember? First time you tried to blow me up!"
Gemma´s eyes widened even more and tears fell from her lashes as she spoke with a cracked voice: "Dr. Watson I´m so sorry! You are a good man, please believe me." Desperation made her voice crack and she sobbed heavily before she could speak again: "He made me do it. I´m just an actress and I needed the money! You were never in real danger! I´m so sorry!" She buried her face in her hands.
John was stunned he couldn´t think of anything to say. He´d met Gemma Moriarty twice and once she was naked in Sherlock´s bedroom. Could it be? But that was Sherlock! No it was impossible and yet a small nagging doubt settled in the back of his mind. John turned around to face Sherlock who was still standing behind him with a stoic expression.
"Sherlock… You better explain this, because I´m not getting it!"
"Oh I will… I will do the explaining in print. I´ve conclusive proof! Everything is an invention, everything set up by Mr. Holmes!"
Gemma spoke through her hands that still covered her face and her voice was muffled: "I have proof, I´m the storyteller, I´m on kid´s TV. Just show him the DVDs!"
Kitty turned around to face Gemma: "What happened to you?" Her voice was soft and compassionate. Gemma´s hands sank from her tear-stained face and she whispered: "Him." And her trembling finger pointed at Sherlock.
John´s eyes narrowed and his gaze followed Moriarty´s finger to Sherlock and an unsettling feeling settled in his stomach. He raised a suggestive eyebrow at Sherlock who just rolled his eyes. Great, they had definitely been together this night but what did Sherlock do to her? John didn´t want to imagine what happened but he remembered something else. The scars. All those scars that´d covered Moriarty´s body; they were real and told a whole different story of who she was. John knew too much about torture those scars were conclusive proof enough for him to believe in Sherlock. He took a small stepper closer to his friend.
Kitty was furious now and she took a closer step towards the two men: "What did you do to her?"
Sherlock exhaled and his eyes met Gemma´s for a brief moment before she dropped her gaze to the floor. Something flickered over her face only for Sherlock to see. That was so not her but he´d to admit she wore the disguise perfectly. Ricarda Brooke? Was she kidding him? His anger flared up again. It would end now! He would force her to admit that´s it all a stupid lie. Swiftly he rounded John and Kitty starting to shout:
"Stop it! Stop it NOW!"
Gemma flinched backing away stumbling up the stairs: "No! Get away from me! Haven´t you hurt me enough?" Her voice trembled and more tears rolled over her cheeks. "Don´t you touch me! Don´t you lay a finger on me! Ever Again!"
There was a lot of commotion, Sherlock running up the short fly of stairs after Gemma, John shouted "Don´t let her get away!" and Kitty screamed after Sherlock "Leave her alone!"
Gemma turned around running towards the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. The window opened easily so she could climb through it. She heard Sherlock shout and had to laugh out loud, wow this had been fun. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins that had been the best night but it wasn´t over yet. She´d pushed a small paper in Kitty´s hand and if everything went according to plan there was just a little bit more to come to make this night a perfect one. So she stayed in the shadows and waited.
Sherlock left John he knew Gemma was close and he would only have to turn around a few corners to find her. But he didn´t even have to look she stepped out of the shadows as soon as John had left.
"What do you think?" She spread her arms wide. "I did an incredible job here, should´ve considered the acting career sooner." That crooked smile again.
Gemma knew she´d only about one more minute before Kitty would see her and she couldn´t risk her to grow a suspicion.
"You are really angry. That´s good, you should be." She mused cocking her head to the side. Sherlock clenched and unclenched his fists at his side if he would take one step closer he would end up screwing her. Again. Though he was more than angry he was desperate. He had just realized how this was supposed to end for him. It felt like he was a character in a play.
He didn´t have to take the step she did it for him. "So Sherlock do you still want me?" She balanced on the tips of her feet to reach his lips with hers. "Or are you obeying your brother´s orders?" He could feel the touch of her breath on his lips. He drew in a shaky breath he couldn´t believe himself but he still wanted her. He had never wanted something in his life so bad, it was worse than craving a drug. And Sherlock heard the camera clicking. Gemma laughed lightly before she turned around and disappeared into the shadows once again. A set up, Sherlock already saw the article in the newspapers and heard Mycroft´s angry voice in his ears.
It took Gemma all her self-restraint to not kiss him and when she´d turned away from him she´d to run until she was out of breath otherwise she would have turned back. At least the plan will work out just fine. The last act was so close now. Curtains would fall like people. The audience would be so pleased – a tragic ending was always most appealing. Gemma laughed to herself a tragic ending seemed the only adequate one to her own twisted love-story. Nothing else would do wouldn´t it?
When Sherlock woke up the next morning he could already hear Mycroft and John arguing in the living-room. He had turned to sleep that night just for the sake of not thinking for a while. But his dreams were haunted by soft lips curled into a crooked smile. He heard footsteps one the wooden floor towards his room and then the door flew open. A newspaper or a paper that called itself newspaper was tossed at him. Mycroft stood at his bed a calm mask covering his face but underneath he was furious. John followed and Sherlock could barely stand the look of pity on his face.
"Do you care to explain this?" Mycroft spat.
Sherlock didn´t care but he still answered: "It was a set-up, Mycroft."
"Are you sure? Doesn´t look like a set-up."
"It doesn´t matter, Mycroft." Without another word Mycroft turned and left.
Sherlock sat on his bed and he could feel with every fiber of his body that the end to the game was close and it would probably be the last time he would sit in this bed. He looked up at John and his eyes were tired and he hoped no he prayed it wouldn´t be the last time he saw John´s face.
* Maroon 5 – Harder to breath