Miscarried Justice

I was walking home after a very sneaky trip to the hospital, I had been for my twelve-week scan and I was pleased to know that everything was healthy. Tonight I was going to tell Jim about the baby. That thought give me mixed emotions, but he was the father and had the right to know. I got off the tube at Great Portland Street and walked round the corner, home. As I reached the front door I realised there was something wrong, it had been left open. I gingerly stepped inside, echoes of my past hitting me full force, I had to stay calm. No one was going to take us.

"Jim? Where are you?" I called. He had to be home.

"Percy? I'm in my office, careful there's glass on the floor." Jim called back, his voice sounding muffled. I avoided the debris scattered on the hallway floor.

"Oh God, Jim are you alright?" I rushed forward and knelt in front of where Jim was sitting. Jim's nose was bleeding and he had a split lip. I was trying very hard not panic.

"Yeah, I'll be alright, had much worse than this."

"Please don't say that, I can't stand seeing you hurt. What happened?"

"I was upstairs in the library when I heard glass smash downstairs, I came down to investigate when I found a masked man rifling through my desk, before I could react he pistol whipped me and made a run for it. I think they came in through the back door, over the garden wall. It could be a rival trying to find information. I'm going to need to take care of this." I hated what I was hearing; this meant he was going to have to go away.

"Yes, after we clear up the blood and you're face has healed. Come on love, I'll run you a bath." I helped Jim stand and led him upstairs; the mess could wait until the morning.

"Sit." I ordered, and Jim sat on the sofa at the end of our bed. I went into the bathroom and retrieved the first aid kit. I got out anti-septic wipes and gauze to clear up the blood. Jim winced as I made contact with his skin, his face tender, he was luck his nose wasn't broken. As cleaned Jim up my mind was deducing every detail I could. I would seek revenge for the person that dared harm my husband. The bruising that was beginning to form held a specific shape, it looked to be the butt of a Glock, with the engraved initials of 'W.S.' If seen the other way round, then they would be 'S.M.' Moran, I should've guessed immediately, Angie had been right, of course it was him who stole a key to our house. I was going to kill him. He was stalking my best friend and beat up my husband.

"Thank you love." Said Jim.

"Nothing to thank, in sickness and health remember." I gently kissed his forehead and re-entered the bathroom, disposing of the bloodied gauze and running the bath. "Come and have a hot bath and relax, I'll order pizza and we can sort everything else in the morning. I'm going to call Angie and let her know what's going on, they had a break in recently too." I left Jim to relax and walked downstairs. I pulled my phone from my pocket and called Moran.

"Ah Percy, what a pleasure. Bored of Jim already?"

"You've already been warned about touching things that don't belong to you. I think you need reminding." My voice was cold and dark.

"Oh are you coming out to play? What fun." Taunted Moran. "The roof at midday. You know where." Before I could say anything else, he hung up.

Jim and I enjoyed a quiet night, I wanted him to heal and be as calm as possible. I was mentally gearing myself up to actually hold a gun, taking Moran's life was simple, holding a gun scared me to death.

I left Jim to sleep. I had been waking up earlier than normal recently; maybe it was being pregnant, I just felt more alive and alert, it was refreshing. I went downstairs and cleared up the broken glass. I tidied up Jim's office, leaving the papers on his desk; he had a specific filing system that I didn't want to interfere with. I hoovered and dusted and after an hour you'd never know there had been a break-in. I showered and dressed, it was an occasion to wear a suit, I meant business and I want the world to know it. I added a blood red shirt under my black suit jacket, black diamond earrings and my statement smokey eyes. I also added a black holster, containing Jim's gun, over my red shirt and black hells to finish the ensemble. I slipped my phone, oyster card and key into my pocket and left. I got on to the Metropolitan line at Great Portland street and got off at Moorgate, walking the short distance to Bart's. I slipped inside the hospital with purpose so no one would question why I was there. I got in the lift to the top floor and slowly walked up the final two flights of stars to the hospital's roof.

"Right on time, you always were punctual weren't you Percy, or should I address you as Mrs. Moriarty now?

"You want to talk about names? Is it Alex or Sebastian?"

"Touché, so Angel spilled her guts did she?" He wasn't going to use Angie against me.

"You have no right to utter her name, and no, I worked it out." "Always the clever one you were, maybe manipulative is a better word. You cage Jim, stop him from reaching his full potential." Moran was baiting me; sadly it would take more than that.

"I think it's you're incompetence that hindered Jim. You always have been jealous of Jim though. You're recent injuries seem better? Did it hurt?" I sneered, raising one eyebrow with contempt.

"Jealous; what of his theatrical platitudes and bravado when I did all the real work. You think you see everything, but know little."

"I knew it was you that broke into the house, it took me seconds to work it out. Why do think I phoned, it wasn't social I assure you. The real question is what do you want?"

"I have everything I need right here."

"Oh, I get it you want recognition? Power? Love? Are you feeling underappreciated Seb, is Daddy not giving you enough attention?" I mocked. It was a power play.

"Wonderful, there it is, that dark side, the true manic residing inside you. If only you'd release it more, the havoc you'd cause. You'd make Miss Adler look like an amateur." He actually started clapping, a maniacal grin stretched across his face.

"You flatter me Seb, sadly it will get you know where. We have a few matters to discuss before I kill you."

"Kill me, you couldn't, you don't have the stomach for it." His words triggered the calm I needed to pull out the gun.

"Never underestimate me Moran. There is a reason I am married to Jim. I don't have an issue killing you, I like getting my hands dirty." At the word married, Moran flinched. So he didn't like the fact that Jim had won and he had lost, again.

"I don't underestimate you, I just doubt your true ability to kill." At his words I used the butt of the gun to smack him round the face, as he fell to his knees I cocked the gun.

"Sorry about your pretty face, but its fair after all, you hurt my family. No one has that right."

"I think I've outgrown Jim, I could do better than him. Angie is a bit of fun, she needs a strong man, not that lanky detective." I kept my face as expressionless as possible, pulled my posture tight and pointed the gun at Moran's chest. He had said the wrong words; his flippant remarks would cost him his life. The cold tone of my voice should've been indication of his fate.

"Your self confidence is astounding, it's a shame you'll never put it to use. You've outgrown your usefulness Sebastian, you're obsolete and more trouble than you're worth. A poor excuse of a shot and frankly you ambition is nothing more than petty jealousy. You hurt my husband, you hurt my best friend, you aimed a gun at my brother and now I'm going to kill you." I squeezed the trigger, starting straight into Moran's eyes, at the last second, he moved faster than I could anticipate and the bullet only grazed his shoulder. He lunged at me, tackling me to the floor and disarming me. Throwing the gun over the edge of the roof. This move surprised me and scared me; he was going to hurt me instead, killing was too easy for him. His weight was immense, I was struggling to get him off me, I got a few well-aimed bites and scratches in, but he was too strong. I started to panic, I couldn't breath and my mind went straight to the baby, I had to get him off me. I mustered all of my strength and managed to push him off and stood, I kicked him in the stomach. I made a run for the door but Moran had recovered more quickly and pulled my legs from under me, I fell head first down the stairs, my body being battered as I fell. As I reached the bottom steps I could hardly move. Moran slowly walked down, wiping blood away with his sleeve, he kicked me in the stomach twice and punched me hard enough the world went black.

Waking up delirious in a hospital bed seemed to be a pattern in my life. As I cam back into the real world, pain erupted across my body. I felt hollow. I had failed, my need to rid the world of the plague that was Sebastian Moran had failed. He had escaped and beaten me black ad blue. I raised my arm to ascertain some of the damage and the dark purple blotches were large and angry. A doctor entered the room.

"Good you're awake. You had no ID on you, can you tell me your name?"

"El-Elizabeth Richter."

"Thank you, Miss Richter, you had a very severe fall. You will didn't break anything, but the bruising will take a while to heal. We did have to take you into surgery, I'm afraid you lost your baby. The damage internally was ve…" His words became a loud hum in my ears. I'd lost my baby. The words just echoed around my mind, bouncing round my brain. My foolish actions had taken away my baby. I don't remember crying, but my face was wet. Nothing seemed to make sense. Jim. Oh my darling Jim, he hadn't even known he was going to be a father. Slowly, slowly realisation dawned on me, this is why he didn't want to be a parent. The risk and danger that stalked our lives was not conducive to raise a child. I don't remember the doctor leaving or how long I spent in that bed. It could've been minutes or years.

I eventually woke again and made myself stand up; I changed back into my clothes and discharged myself. I took some strong painkillers before I left the hospital. I checked my pockets and had lost my phone, but I still had my Oyster card, so getting home wasn't too difficult.

The house was eerily quiet when I returned. I made a little noise as possible and went to shower. The hot water soothed my aching muscles. When I left the sanctuary of hot water, I could see how battered I was, bruises coving me. I had a line of stitches across my abdomen, the evidence left, a scar to mark the loss. I gently dried my self and got dressed. I pulled out a black, long sleeved and polo neck jumper dress and long black leggings to cover every inch of skin. I added thick winter socks for warmth and curled up on my bed.

Hours later, I felt someone light stroke my face to wake me.

"Percy, come on sweetheart, wake up."

"Jim?" I asked blearily.

"I've been so worried about you. You didn't come home last night; I was ringing and ringing you. I even had Mycroft out looking for you. No one could find you. What happened?"

"Oh, umm…I fell down some stairs as I was leaving a meeting and I was taken for observation over night. I lost my phone. Sorry to make you worry Love." I hoped he believed my half-truth.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, no lasting damage, a couple of small bruises, nothing to worry about." Jim pulled me into his arms and I had to suppress the need to cry out in pain.

"I was so worried. Please don't scare me like that again."

"I won't." I hoped I never would, but who knows now Moran had escaped, I had made things worse.

"Go back to sleep. I have to organise some meetings." I snuggled under the duvet and heard Jim go downstairs, the full feeling of my fears for the future and the loss in my life hitting me as silent tears falling in the dark.