Back To The Start (Sherlock fanfiction #Wattys2016)

Chapter Twenty Four: "Abby, no"

Sherlock could smell the flames already. So that was what "M" had planned. He wanted to burn Abigail alive.

Worry running through him, Sherlock couldn't hold back the yell that ripped from his throat. "Abby!"

Abigail, who was beginning to choke on smoke already, heard him. She felt tears stinging her eyes, unsure if they were from pure happiness or from the smoke, as she called, "Sherlock!"

Sherlock's heart lightened. "Abby, you're okay!"

"I'm fine, Sherlock!" Abigail coughed as she accidentally inhaled some smoke. "Maybe not all that fine."

"Where's the fire?" Sherlock asked.

"At the top of the stairs. Sherlock, it's starting to spread."

"Stay where you are, I'm going to get you."

Abigail coughed as response. She decided to save her air.

Sherlock stopped and tried to map out his best route to get to her. Not elevators, elevators and fires don't mix. He didn't know how big the fire was so running through it could do more bad than good.

An image came to mind of the outside of the warehouse as Sherlock and Molly pulled up. There was a rusty old fire escape leading up to the second window and to the top of the building. He could use that. Sherlock raced out of the warehouse to the side of the building. He tried to be as careful as possible as not to fall through.

Abigail tried to move as far away from the fire as possible. She could smell the gas. She didn't know where it was but she knew it was helping with the fire. Obviously, Moriarty wanted to burn her as quick as possible. Somewhat of a considerate psychopath, she thought.

This is bad, Abigail thought. If the fire spreads quick enough, it could kill myself and Sherlock. I don't want that. If anyone is gonna die, it's gonna be me. Not him.

Abigail fell to her knees, the smoke sticking to her lungs as she coughed, trying her hardest to stay awake and to stay alive. She needed to. She knew what her dying would do to Sherlock.

Sherlock clawed at the window, trying to pry it open. It was locked from the inside and getting it open was proving tougher than he thought.

Sherlock could hear her coughing. He could hear her gasps, her attempts to stay alive. He needed to get to her. He was going to get to her. Giving up, Sherlock drove his elbow through the window, smashing it.

Abigail propped herself up against the wall. The heat from the flames caused her to break into a sweat. Her coughing was becoming more weak. Getting air into her lungs was becoming a harder task than it should be. Her eyes became heavy. She tried to fight, but it was just too hard.

*~*~*

Abigail sat in the library of her mind palace. She held a book in her hands and flipped through the pages. The words were blurred, but what she could make out was every time the words "stay, alive" were on a page.

"You're not dying," said a voice. "You're just unconscious."

Abigail looked up to see Sebastian standing in front of her. Her eyebrows furrowed together. Out of all the people who could be in her mind palace, why him?

*~*~*

Sherlock reached inside the window and unlocked it. He pulled it open and climbed through. He could almost feel the intense heat already and raced to find Abigail.

He found her leaning against the wall. Her eyes were closed. He couldn't tell if she was unconscious or...dead.

"Abby," he breathed. "no."

Sherlock took her pulse and to his relief, she was just unconscious, but he knew he had to get her out of here. Sherlock picked Abigail up and raced for the window.

*~*~*

"What are you doing here?" Abigail asked.

"Oi!" Sebastian said. "That's no way to talk to the man who saved your life."

"You haven't saved it! You're the one who kidnapped me! You probably helped with the fire. If anything, you're the one who killed me!"

"You're not dead!" Sebastian argued. "Listen to me. You're just unconscious. I'm going to help you stay alive."

*~*~*

Being less careful this time, Sherlock just raced down the steps of the rusty fire escape and came back around to the front of the building. An ambulance was waiting with Molly. Sherlock knew she called no doubt.

A paramedic jumped out and took Abigail from Sherlock's arms. They continuously asked questions, (name, age, what happened, who did this). Sherlock mindlessly answered, his eyes glued to Abigail.

*~*~*

Abigail coughed. Black smoke came out of her mouth as she did so. It floated in the air and lingered there.

"What the hell is happening?" she asked.

"You need to breathe," Sebastian responded. "You're not in the fire anymore, you're in the fresh air now. Breathe. Cough if you have to, get rid of all that smoke in your lungs."

Abigail did as she was told. She inhaled deeply and soon started coughing again. More smoke came from her mouth and lingered at the high ceiling of her mind palace.

*~*~*

Sherlock clutched Abigail's hand in his own. The paramedics had allowed Sherlock to ride with Abigail as he was the closest thing she had to family in the area at the moment.

They had put an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth to make sure she kept breathing.

"Come back to me, Abby," he begged. "Please come back."

*~*~*

A cold hand took Abigail's. In surprise, she looked up to see Sherlock. His eyes were red, almost blood shot.

"Come back to me, Abby," he said. "Please come back."

As the words left his mouth, the black smoke cleared the room. Abigail stared longingly at her boyfriend, wishing she could take him in her arms and hug him, but she it was almost as if she was paralyzed. She couldn't move at all.

"There it is, Abigail," said Sebastian. "Your reason to live. I'm sure your family would be offended by that."

"Shut up," Abigail hissed. "I love my family, but besides Harry and John, I'm basically a disgrace to them. Sherlock is the only other family I have."

Sebastian smirked. "Then go back to him."

Suddenly, Abigail's body was free. She lunged into Sherlock's arms, wrapping her own tightly around his neck and refusing to let go.

*~*~*

Abigail's eyes slowly fluttered open. She began to cough, catching the attention of the paramedics and Sherlock.

"Abby," Sherlock said, his voice just barley a whisper.

Her eyes trailed around the ambulance, almost as if she was trying to figure out where she was and how she got there. Finally, her eyes landed on Sherlock and it was as if she knew.

"Sherlock," she said, her voice muffled by the oxygen mask.

"I'm right here, Abby," Sherlock assured her. "You're gonna be okay."

"I love you, Sherlock," Abigail said as she tightened her grip on his hand.

There was a pause where Sherlock let the words sink in. He squeezed Abigail's hand back and said, "I love you, too, Abigail."