Chapter 7

Sally had no idea where the hell he had come from, because the only door of the room seemed to be close to Sherlock and the men who were right in front of them, but she couldn´t have cared less. Leave it to the doctor to make a secret entrance, she mused.

Moran though, seemed to be amused as well. "Ah Mr. Watson, here to do his dirty work again? It´s fascinating how the freak got you all under..."

He didn´t get much further because Sally had used his distraction to get the epipen and plunged in right into his thigh. Whatever was in there, it sure worked quickly, Sally thought, because it only took about two to three seconds until Moran´s hold loosened and she was free again.

Stepping out of the way, she watched as Moran crumpled down on the floor, all while remaining conscious and fully alert.

A paralyzer then.

"By the way, I´m the only one who gets to call him freak, you idiot!" She rasped and rubbed her neck. She could see John smile at that comment.

While the four men finally left Sherlock alone and moved towards Moran instead, she noticed that not only was John standing behind them, but Mycroft as well, gun in hand. And boy did he not look amused. He wouldn´t say much in front of the others, but later on when they would be alone she knew there´d be a real lecture. It was like with Sherlock, he pretended to not care when he was around others, but the one who knew him would see the tiny signs that he did.

Sally sighed. "Yeah I know, why the hell did I take on a men much bigger than me yada yada yada.."

"More like why did you take on a special forces soldier, but yeah, that's one thing what we definitely have to talk about." John answered and put his gun away as Moran was immobile now anyway. Seeing as Moran was being picked up by the guards and cuffed, he went over to Sally. "Let me take a look!" he said but it sounded more like an order and so Sally allowed him to prod at her neck and anywhere else she was hurting a bit.

"It´s all right, a few bumps and bruises, but you´ll live. Neck might hurt a bit the next few days though." He concluded while Sally nodded. She ´d already thought so anyway.

Mycroft had supervised Moran´s deportation from the room, but hadn´t said anything the whole time. Now before he could grumble at her, Sally did the only thing she could think of and gave him a small peck on the lips. While she would have loved to really kiss him and stay in his arms right now, she knew that this wasn´t the time and the place. And not only because Mycroft still didn´t like to show feelings when others were around.

Nope, Secret service headquarters weren´t cuddly love nests, she knew that. But since there hadn´t been anyone but her, Sherlock, John and Mycroft in the room right now, so she stole the kiss.

"You are not getting out of this lecture, Sally."

Sherlock had come over to them now and Sally was sure she didn´t imagine the tiny smile ghosting over his lips at his brother´s still kiss-stunned face. But that only lasted a second as John weighed in as well. "Exactly. Why the hell didn´t you talk to us? We could have worked together to take Moran down."

"Didn´t we?" She snapped but then held up her hands in defeat. " Yes, I´m sorry, but he was in the room with us all the time. And we had no idea what he´d planned so the best idea seemed to get you guys away from him."

Voices announced Anderson and Lestrade coming into the room while it was Sherlock`s turn to grumble. "The plan was for you to get out as well."

"So what, I at least persuaded everyone that we hated each other again and that convinced Moran." she grumbled back while Mycroft instantly added.

"If you had waited, I was just about to convince Simpson that there was something wrong with Norman, which he already had suspected anyway. But you run in and..."

She intercepted him, much louder than before. "I didn´t like to leave you and Sherlock alone under one roof with him and a dozen of trigger happy agents.."

"So you run and try to take down a trained combat soldier gone crazy? Alone?" John bellowed and then it was a loud whistle from Lestrade which made everyone stop.

"Guys, you behave like in quarrelling kids, talking all at once. How about we take a deep breath, okay?"

Four slightly guilty faces, trying to calm down looked at the detective or pretended to look around the room. Anderson grinned at them which nearly set off Sherlock again, but he caught himself as he noticed that there was no malice in that grin. The forensic worker seemed genuinely glad that everyone was okay.

"You are right, this is not the time and the place. The walls proabably have ears here." Sally sighed and settled down on one of the chairs, while the other did the same.

"Well since they have secret doors." John grinned at that, revealing the secret to his sudden appearance apparently, but Mycroft waved him off.

"No not here, secret door yes, but all watched by my men. We can talk as long as nobody comes into the room. "

John nodded at that, satisfied. "Good, then maybe someone can tell me how the hell that bastard is still alive? I thought he had died in that explosion in Rome, Sherlock?"

Sherlock looked grim at that. "That was my impression as well, yes. I still have no idea how he got out of the explosion, I barely made it and I had about 100 meters on him."

Sally sighed at that, remembering the story Sherlock had told her about Moran discovering him in Italy, about two weeks after they had met and took down the human traffickers. Moran had intended for Sherlock to die in that exploding warehouse he had set up, but luckily Sherlock had knocked him down and escaped. Just barely though.

She still didn´t like this story and was sure Sherlock hadn´t told them everything about it. She knew Moran had him in his claws for an hour or so and had tortured him, but what he had done, Sherlock wouldn´t say. She had taken great relief at the bastard´s supposed death though.

"I had no idea until he literally walked into the room and then I wasn´t sure if Simpson was in on it, so I tried to play along." shaking his head Sherlock set up to pace around the room, but John was quicker. As he was settled down next to the detective he put his hand on his lover´s shoulder, knowing well that anything more in the presence of Anderson and two of Mycroft´s men, who were watching the door now, would have been too much. Sherlock seemed to calm down a bit though.

"It´s all right, we got him now. No need to worry anymore." That was Sally and John nodded.

"That´s right. Mycroft can handle it now." A sigh from Sherlock, he obviously still was not happy about this but he would be all right.

"I will make sure that adequate measures will be taken, Sherlock. Especially since I want to know how Moran could infiltrate us. Simpson will have a lot to answer for as well." the older brother said, earning only a glare from Sherlock. Sally could tell they both were pissed.

John seemed to sense that as well and apparently decided to intervene before they would have had a go at each other. "Why did you only tell Sally anyway?" He asked. "You could have texted or called any of us. Or at least Mycroft?"

"My brother is notorious for leaving his phone in his office when he is here. Normally Anthea carries it after him, but as she was with me, well.." the detective smirked and this time Mycroft glared at him. " As for the rest, I was sure Moran would be at least monitoring yours and Lestrade´s phone. Anderson hasn´t his with him today, as the new constable from the drugs unit was so distracting that he left it in the interrogation room." Anderson tried to glare, but it was more of a blush really, so Sherlock went on. "So there was only one option."

John smiled gently. "That and you wanted to know what Moran wanted with Sally, yes?"

Only a huff from Sherlock but the meaning was clear. Holmes brothers could be quite possessive of their friends and loved ones it seemed.

Sally turned towards John and they both shared a grin.

"What was it anyway that Sherlock had you all pissed about?" the Doctor enquired and Sally sighed.

"The ususal. He did steal evidence again and I only realised it today. The court case is in two days, Sherlock, so I still need it back." She addressed the consulting detective, who mumbled something in response which none of them could understand. "Just give it back. If you are good I might give it to you for experiments after, okay?"

That seemed to satisfy him a little bit more, yet he was still grumbling to himself.

"What the hell do you want with a dried human ear anyway?" She asked and could see how John rolled his eyes at that. "I still can´t believe the guy kept it after he cut it off his friend while he was drunk. People these days. They get weirder and weirder."

Everyone in the room except the Holmes seemed to shudder with her about that. But Sally hadn´t expected anything else.

Then Sherlock turned to look at her, one eyebrow raised.„Miscarriage Sally, really?"

Sally grumbled at the change of theme. „So what? I needed something to make them shut up. Especially John." She turned towards him. „Sorry John."

John just nodded and so she turned back to Sherlock again.

„That´s the first thing which came to my mind. Of course your highness would have come up with something much better." she sighed.

Sherlock smiled at that, while she grimaced at him. „Still can´t believe they actually believed me." Had they really believed Sherlock being capable of that or had they seen through the act?

„Oh come on, even I saw that this was rubbish. There´s no way you could have been pregnant." Anderson announced and made everyone in the room turn towards him.

Now it was Sally´s turn to raise her eyebrows. „How so?"

„Well that´s easy. Without a man there can´t be a baby and its not like Holmes here would have gotten you pregnant just by talking."

That was...

Sherlock and Sally first looked at Anderson, then at each other, only to burst out laughing.

„Okay, you´re right about him Sherlock, I give it to you." Sally said and started giggling again.

„Well Anderson, it seems you have the wrong Holmes. If anyone would have gotten her pregnant it would have been his brother." Greg grinned as well, making the forensic scientist turn at Mycroft, now eyes even more wide.

„What? Huh? How?" he managed and that set everyone in the room off again.

It didn´t last long as suddenly Sherlock clutched his nose, his hand coming away bloody once more. While John gave him a handkerchief and tried his best to examine it, the consulting detective turned to Sally.

„Don´t you dare to look guilty about this Sally." he told her gruffly and then added „You hit like a girl by the way."

Sally huffed, though she was clearly not happy. „ 's why you had to dare me, right?"

Making sure Sherlock would hold still and shut up long enough for John to examine him, Mycroft took hold of his brother and decided to tell everyone else in the room who wasn´t understanding what Sally had been saying.

„No Sherlock, let John have a look. I will explain." He turned to others, Sherlock still in his grip who surprisingly complied just this once. Wonders would never cease.

„These two were signing all the time. Comunicating through sign language. It took me a bit to figure it out, as it wasn´t any of the languages I´d had learned but..."

„It´s self invented, something we tried to solve a cold case." Sally contributed and smiled „Pretty easily actually. A sign for every letter of the alphabet."

„Ah that explains it. Anyway, the exact phrase my brother signed to her before he got hit was: Harder you dumb wit. You hit like a schoolgirl anyway."

That set John off and he laughed. „Dumb wit? Sherlock you have to work on your insults. But anyway, I can give the all clear: the nose is not broken. The hit just caused a vessel to burst which can look rather ugly but is harmless. It can happen as well when you blow your nose too hard for example. So no need to feel guilty."

Sally seemed to be relieved at that though, while Sherlock grumbled. „Yeah right. But the next time I tell you to take them and get out of here, you do that. We´ve been lucky how this went. If Moran would have gotten the idea that..."

He didn´t get any further as the door opened rather hastily and Anthea entered the room, all out of breath. „Sir we have a problem. Moran escaped, he must have had some help here in the building."

That was the first time Sally, John and the others heard Sherlock cuss like a sailor.

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Thoughts?