The Abominable Bride (Sherlock x Female!Reader)

Chapter 9: Gravediggers

*Present day*

Sherlock's vision starts to clear up and finds himself on a hospital bed. John, hovering over him, shining a penlight into his right eye. "And there he is. Thought we'd lost you for a moment. May I just check: Is this what you mean by controlled usage?" Mycroft asked, somewhat sarcastic.

"Mrs Emelia Ricoletti. I need to know where she was buried." Sherlock said, blearily.

"What, a hundred and twenty years ago?" Mycroft asked.

"Yes." responded Sherlock.

"That would take weeks to find, if those records even exist. Even with my resources..." Mycroft started to say but you already had your phone out and liked up the records and found them. "Got it." You said.

Later, you, John and Mary get out of the police car and met up with Sherlock who took another police car. He was carrying a shovel and leads the three of you to the cemetery. Lestrade and Mycroft follows behind you four, along with several uniformed officers. "I don't get it. How is this relevant?" John asked. "I need to know I was right, then I'll be sure." Sherlock replied.

"You mean how Moriarty did it?" Mary asked as you passed by more tombstones.

"Yes." said Sherlock.

"But none of that really happened. It was in your head." John argued but you shook your head.

"His investigation was the fantasy, John. The crime happened exactly as he and I explained." You replied.

"The stone was erected by a group of her friends." Mary said.

"I don't know what you think you'll find here, Sherlock." Mycroft said, annoyed.

"I need to try!" Sherlock shouted back.

Finally, you find the tombstone. On the front is carved:

EMELIA RICOLETTI

Beloved Sister

Faithful Beyond Death

Died December 18 1894

Aged 26

Sherlock stands over her grave holding the shovel. "Mrs Ricoletti was buried here, but what happened to the other one, the corpse they substituted for her after the so called suicide?" He asked, aloud.

"They'd move it. Of course they would." John replied.

"But where?" Sherlock asked.

"Well, not here!" John argued.

"But that...that's exactly what they must have done. The conspirators had someone on the inside. They found a body, just like Molly Hooper found a body for me when I..." Sherlock started to say but noticed you and John throw him a dark look while Mary raises her eyebrows.

He looks down before saying. "Yeah, well, we don't need to go into that again, do we?" He grips the shovel and gets ready to dig. "You're not seriously gonna do this?" You asked him. He looked up at you and replied "It's why we came here! I need to know!"

John turns away and mumbles. "Spoken like an addict." Sherlock looks straight at him and said. "This is important to me!"

John turns back, points his finger at him and said. "No--this is you needing a fix."

"John..." You say but he interrupts you.

"Moriarty is back, (y/n)! We have a case. We have a real life problem right now!"

"Getting to that! It's next on the list! Just let me do this!" Sherlock shouted.

Obviously, to you, he was desperate to know the answer. And you knew if he didn't get an answer he would act like a child. "No, everyone always lets you do whatever you want. That's how you got in this state!" John yelled.

"John, please..." Sherlock begs but John's obviously not having it.

"I'm not playing this time, Sherlock, not anymore!" He said, angrily. He steps back and flex his left hand as everything goes silent. "When you're ready to go to work, give me a call." John said, calmly as he grabs Mary's arm. "I'm taking Mary home." He said.

"You're what?" She asked instantly.

"Mary's taking me home." He said.

"Better." She mumbles and the two of them walk away.

You and Mycroft walk over to where they were standing. "He's right, you know." Mycroft said. "So what if he's right? He's always right. It's boring." Sherlock said, loudly. He looks over at you, Mycroft and Lestrade. "Will you help me?" He asked you three, calmly.

Mycroft and Lestrade exchange a look but you walk up to Sherlock and place your hand over his, which was gripping the shovel. "You know I will." You said and Sherlock gives you a smile. You look over at the grave site and said, sarcastically. "Besides I've always wanted to dig up a dead body." And both you and Sherlock laugh at this.

Sherlock looks over at his brother and Lestrade and asked. "And you?" Mycroft looked between the two of you and said. "Cherchez la femme." Sherlock raises the shovel and plunges it into the earth.

That night, you and Sherlock were neck deep in the grave as the two of you shovel out the latest shovel full of earth. Lestrade and Mycroft were standing next to the grave, shining flashlights down into the hole. You gave Lestrade a break almost an half an hour ago and started to dig with Sherlock, who kept digging this whole time.

Of course, Mycroft didn't do a damn thing but just hold the flashlight for you. You and Sherlock shovel out a few more loads of dirt when, suddenly, you plunge the shovel down again, its met with a hollow thump. You look over at Sherlock and he returns your gaze and gives you a crooked smile.

Later, the coffin was pulled out of the grave and Lestrade uses a crowbar to lever up one end and gives it to Sherlock, who levers up the other end. They lift the lid up and set it aside as the four of you look inside. Lestrade steps back as you and Sherlock cover you nose and mouth, appalled by the by the smell.

Inside the coffin, was a rotted skeletal corpse with worms wriggling in the eye sockets of the skull. Surrounding the corpse are the rotten remains of a wedding dress. Sherlock bends down and rummages through the coffin, looking for a second body but couldn't find one. "Oh dear. The cupboard is bare." Mycroft remarked. Sherlock stands up and looks into the grave. "They must have buried it underneath. They must have buried it underneath the coffin." said Sherlock as leaps over the coffin and jumps down into the grave and starts grabbing handfuls of earth, tossing them to the side.

You, Lestrade and Mycroft walk over to the edge of the grave and look down at him. You and Mycroft exchange a look as Lestrade sighs. "Bad luck, Sherlock." You said as Sherlock continues to frantically dig in the grave. "Maybe they got rid of the body in another way." Lestrade stated. "More than likely. At any rate, it was a very long time ago." You said, shaking your head.

"We do have slightly more pressing matters to hand, little brother. Moriarty, back from the dead." Mycroft said but Sherlock continued to dig up handfuls of earth, but suddenly he heard a harsh female whisper and he stops.

"Do not forget me." It said Sherlock raises his head and turns.

You and the other two men turn and look towards the coffin, as you three heard the voice as well. "Do not forget me." It said, again. Mycroft shines the light toward the coffin and Lestrade's jaw dropped, Mycroft stares in disbelief and you place your hands over your mouth as the corpse's right skeletal hand starts to move.

Sherlock frowns at the sound of the creaking bones, the coffin seems to shake and the corpse's head begins to lift up. Then the corpse lets out a furious scream as Sherlock's eyes widen and the skeleton plunges into the grave on top of him. Flattening him to the floor....