Falling For You

The Pool

The pool was dark, but John could make out a figure in the distance.  His heart jumped and he prayed it was Sherlock, but he had to be cautious.  He was dealing with Moriarty and Moriarty was full of nasty surprises.  The figure lying on the ground might not have been Sherlock at all or it could have been.  If John wanted to save his love, he would have to think like him.  So, he took small steps towards the figure on the ground.

"Sherlock?" he asked in a loud whisper.  He wasn't sure if they were alone, either.  He wasn't sure of anything.

A moan escaped the figure on the floor.  "Here," Sherlock croaked in return.  John was positive that the man on the ground was his love, so he rushed over and joined him on the floor, surveying him for injuries.  He found blood coming through his blood-soaked shirt, and John tried not to cry.  Sherlock turned his head and smiled gently at John.

"That's a lot of blood," John observed, his mind unable to form coherent thoughts.

Sherlock nodded.  "You saw the video," he assumed.

John looked down at his love, trying to figure out what was the best thing to do.  He didn't know if he should try and stop the bleeding or if it was dry blood or what was going on.  He should have brought something for Sherlock to eat because he was obviously starved half to death.  Sherlock didn't seem all that phased by the unfortunate turn of events.  He seemed like himself only a little weaker and only slightly out of it.  John tried to imagine how that was even possible after everything he'd seen Sherlock go through.  

"How did he get you here, Sherlock?" John wondered.

"You," Sherlock replied, unsure of why John was asking these questions.  Couldn't he deduce that Sherlock was dying?  Sherlock was unsure of whether he would make it out of the building alive.  He wondered how it would make John feel to have to actually bury his love for good.  John should have been phoning the ambulance or he should have phoned Lestrade and told him that backup was needed.  But Sherlock's thoughts were interrupted when he saw Moriarty enter the scene.  He was clapping his hands like he was impressed or something.

"How touching," he smiled.  John turned his neck and saw Moriarty standing a few feet from them.  He could deal with Moriarty later, but it didn't seem like Sherlock had all that much time left, and John wanted to spend these precious moments with the man he loved more than anything or anyone else in the world.

"Honestly, can't I die in peace?" Sherlock sneered.

Moriarty chuckled at this and moved towards Sherlock, but John blocked him from making any contact with his body.  He made it clear to Moriarty that he would not be hurting Sherlock anymore, and Moriarty thought it was adorable.

"Come here, Sherl.  I've got something I need to show you," Moriarty explained, a sickening grin on his face.  John rolled his eyes but was amazed to see Sherlock staggering to his feet.  John moved up with him and Sherlock fell onto John's shoulder for support because he couldn't stand on his own.  

"What are you doing?" John asked as Sherlock caught his breath.

Sherlock stared straight ahead into Moriarty's emotionless eyes and spoke softly.  "What he wants."

Without another word, John helped Sherlock over to Moriarty.  In one swift motion, Moriarty tore Sherlock away from John and held him tightly against his own chest and knocked John to the floor. Sherlock cried out for him, but John was fine.  He got to his knees when he saw that Moriarty also held a gun.  John was almost positive that Moriarty was just going to fire, but he instead aimed the gun at Sherlock's head.  Sherlock tensed and looked at John.  

"Don't move," he begged John softly.

"For God's sake!  Are you mental?" John screamed.

"Shut up, John!" Sherlock yelled.  His voice was hoarse, but John understood his words well enough. 

"Shut up?  Are you kidding?  Sherlock, he's got a gun pointed at your head with his fingers on the-"

"I know.  Last time I checked he had one bullet in his gun and one bullet can't go through my brain and yours at the same time," Sherlock explained.

John Watson looked at the pair of maniacs in front of him in confusion.  "So this is about keeping me alive?"

"It's always about keeping you alive."