Beneath The Mask

chapter 15

James:

I can't concentrate on anything. I keep thinking about Cameron. I remember most of what happened during my interrogation. what's going on in there now? if he or anyone of his worms touch her I will murder every one of them. slowly. hold on. why am I so angry? since when did I get protective of her? she's Just a girl. a girl i met at a party. a girl ive known for two weeks. a girl i seem to have become extremely attached to. I have to bring myself down to earth. I can't afford clouded judgement right now.

"Jim, are you ready?"

"Yes. We'd better make it quick. I'm catching a plane as soon as its over."

Cameron:

A woman walks in this time. "Hello," she says.

"Hello," I say in my proffesionally pleasant voice. She's not Mycraft, thus a response is warranted.

"I'm Sara."

"Cameron."

"So what's going on, Cameron. Why are you here?" she asks.

"Mycroft likes to make assumptions."

"Mycroft is assuming wrong then? You have absolutely no involvement with Mr. James Moriarty?"

"I am Jim's girlfriend, *that* is no mere assumption."

She nods. "Ok. I dont expect you to "sell him out, as some might say." Good. I have no intentions on it. "I mean you are in a relationship." I'm glad *someone* here has social sense. "But has he ever shared anything with you about what he does?"

"No." Nice try.

"He's been very secretive."

I can't help the slight smirk. "But he doesn't lie," I say. "He keeps his word. That's more than most men can say. Wouldn't you agree?" Especially when it comes to Mycraft.

"Yes. I'm inclined to say the majority

Score. "Is that what you like most about him? His honesty?"

I take a moment to consider James and all the qualities he possesses. His intelligence and humour...but his honesty? "Yes." I have to agree. That is the most attractive quality James has.

"That's nice. Can't say that for most of the men I've dated." We both smirk. Score two. "So you've never met any of his friends or?"

"I think I'm the closest thing to friends he has. And I think it's because he's a lot like my brother." Yet more truth.

"How's that?" She asks. As I knew she would.

"My brother was a genius, literally. The schools wanted him to skip grades. I've had practice connecting with people on higher intelligence planes than the general population." I shrug. "So I understand Jim, and that is the basis of human connection."

She nods, this making sense to her. "It's good you're able to connect. Hopefully that's been good for him."

I smile. "I believe it has."

She thinks for a moment, obviously changing her tactics. "I heard you took a trip to London recently."

Right. "What about it?"

"Mycroft tells me you have no passport on record. Must have been a pretty important trip." How do I go about explaining this one?

"It was. Or at least I thought it was." Fact.

She is clearly questioning my vague answer. "Would you mind elaborating on that?"

"Well, he's a man of his word and he was supposed to be the one on that trip and Mycroft has a nasty habit of showing up at the most inopprotune times and decided to arrest him, making his trip impossible." I make absolutely sure that my facts are accurate. "So I decided it would be only right to go and inform whoever it was he was supposed to meet that Jim couldn't make it. Especially since Mycroft told me plainly he was denying Jim the right to speak with anyone."

"So it worked out? You told them what happened."

"Yeah. They were kind enough to provide me a way back home, too."

"So you got to spend a little time with his colleagues?" Of course she points that out. Too bad.

"It was minimal."

"Were they nice?"

I shrug. "Pleasant enough."

"Where did you stay?"

"I didn't check a map."

She nods. "At least it seems they took good care of you

Do you remember any of their names?"

"I never asked for their names." Another fact.

She nods in thanks and leaves with no more information than she came in with. I let myself resume being bored with this room.