Despite the Odds

Chapter 2: The Empty Hearse

The three sat in a local restaurant, Mary and John sitting across from Sherlock with their arms folded.

Sherlock sat directly opposite John as he explained: "I calculated that there were thirteen possibilities once I'd invited Moriarty onto the roof. I wanted to avoid dying if at all possible. The first scenario involved hurling myself into a parked hospital van filled with washing bags. Impossible. The angle was too steep. Secondly, a system of Japanese wrestling..."

John interrupted as he snapped: "You know, for a genius you can be remarkably thick."

Sherlock paused, frowning as he asked: "What?"

"I don't care how you faked it, Sherlock." John bit out. "I wanna know why."

"'Why'?" Sherlock repeated, confused. He explained as though it was obvious: "Because Moriarty had to be stopped."

He saw John's incredulous expression and Mary's slight wince and it clicked.

"Oh." He murmured. "'Why' as in..."

John nodded while Sherlock lowered his gaze.

"I see. Yes. 'Why?' That's a little more difficult to explain." He tried to avoid the topic but John cut in flatly: "I've got all night."

Sherlock cleared his throat as he admitted: "Actually, um, that was mostly Mycroft's idea."

John asked, in disbelief: "Oh, so it's your brother's plan?"

Mary interjected, getting caught up in the moment: "Oh, what, he would have needed a confidant..."

She trailed off as John looked at her while Sherlock nodded: "Mm-hm."

Mary looked contrite as she apologized to John: "Sorry."

John turned back to Sherlock as he demanded: "But he was the only one? The only one who knew...?"

John trailed off as a new thought occurred to him and he groaned.

"Oh, of course." John muttered. "Marie knew, didn't she?"

Sherlock paused before he nodded. John sighed as he muttered: "That's why she disappeared isn't it? What, did the two of you have fun without me?" John demanded angrily and both Sherlock and Mary winced.

"She didn't come with me- she stayed here, looking out for you and the others." Sherlock explained.

John asked incredulously: "How the hell; when did you even plan-"

Sherlock interrupted: "Did you never question the perfect timing of her arrival? She left much earlier towards me than you did, but she arrived right as you did."

He pointed out and John replied in exasperation: "I... her phone records showed she was on the other side of town when I called her, so I just thought..."

"As you were meant to think." Sherlock murmured.

John was outraged as he snapped: "So, she was in it. How did you even manage it, she was terrified of Moriarty, I saw it-"

Sherlock interrupted: "She had to pretend that she was terrified of Moriarty, that he was the one thing she was so afraid of that her mind became an enemy instead of an ally. Fear overpowering genius."

John sat back, gaping at him.

Sherlock let John process this, and watched as his friend shrugged, putting the thought on hold as he demanded: "But that was it? Just your brother and Marie?"

Sherlock sighed as he replied: "Couple of others."

John's head dropped in defeat as Sherlock continued: "It was a very elaborate plan – it had to be. The next of the thirteen possibilities..."