"Oh my God. Ugh," Anita groaned, thudding her head against her folded arms. Sherlock and her were at her place, trying to drown Anita's sorrows in alcohol and crap takeout. Sherlock and her were sitting on the floor of her living room, the coffee table being their impromptu dinner table. Anita didn't want to actually get drunk, she just didn't want to think anymore. Sherlock chuckled beside her, glancing at her slumped form.
"Come on. It can't have gone that bad," Sherlock reasoned. Anita groaned again, thudding her head against her arms once more.
"Sherlock, I have never interviewed that horribly. Ever. Why the hell would they hire me after that?" Anita insisted before grimacing and shaking her head. Sherlock snorted at her, causing her to glare over at him.
"I'm sure people did worse than you," he commented, bringing a spoonful of Chinese food to his mouth. Anita shook her head, sending a desperate look at him.
"If I don't get this job, Sherlock, I don't know what I'm going to do," she replied. Sherlock stared at her for a moment before opening his mouth, but promptly shutting it again. He knew how much this mattered to her; she had to get this job, for her dad. Anita groaned again, slumping more than she had before.
"Anita, you've been working towards this job forever. They'd be idiots not to hire you," Sherlock told her, trying to comfort her as best he could. Anita looked up at him, gulping softly.
"Really?"
"Yes. How many hours did you spend practicing your responses? You have got to believe in yourself," Sherlock replied, giving her a small smile. Anita nodded, pushing her food around in it's takeout box.
"But what if-"
Anita's phone began to ring on the coffee table. Both of their heads instantly snapped over to it, staring at the contact. Scotland Yard. Anita's breath hitched as the phone sang out for a second time. Sherlock looked over at her, watching as she made no movements to pick it up.
"You've got to answer it."
"Right. Oh my God," Anita muttered as she reached over with shaky hands and picked up the phone. She shared a look with Sherlock before bringing the phone up to her ear. She didn't necessarily want Sherlock to hear that she didn't get her dream job.
"Hello?" Anita asked, gulping down the lump in her throat. Sherlock leaned forward slightly, trying to hear the other side of the conversation. He could faintly hear a man's voice, but couldn't pick out what he was saying. Sherlock's eye quickly locked onto Anita's face, watching her expression to try and guess how the conversation was going.
"Yes, this is her," Anita replied to whoever was on the phone. She nodded gently at what the person told her, humming occasionally into the phone. Sherlock continued to watch as Anita said her goodbyes before she set the phone down on the coffee table, staring at it.
"So?" Sherlock pushed, prepared to offer a movie night if she didn't get the job. As much as he hated movies, he knew she needed this. Anita looked up at him, tears pooling in her eyes.
"I got it. I got the job," Anita whispered, her voice growing louder with every word. She jumped up to her feet, raising her arms in triumph. Sherlock chuckled, getting to his feet as well.
"Congratulations, Sergeant O'Malley," Sherlock said as Anita quickly pulled him to a hug, squealing. Sherlock smiled brightly, hugging her back. She felt the tears of joy slipping out as she squeezed his shoulder before pulling back.
"I can't believe I got the job," Anita muttered, chuckling to herself as she plopped back down on the floor. Sherlock shook his head at her gently. Of course she got the job; Anita was born to be a cop.
"The man who called me, Detective Inspector Lestrade, was so nice about the whole thing. I start in two weeks and he said that after a year or so I could work my way up to Detective Inspector," Anita explained, cheerfully. Sergeant was just a transitional place, Anita wouldn't stop until she was a Detective Inspector. Sherlock hummed at her, encouraging her to continue.
"I'm just glad that I got the job, even if it's not where I want to be," she continued, shrugging her shoulders gingerly as she glanced up at Sherlock. Anita looked back down at her food, a small smile on her face. Her dad would have loved this.
Anita couldn't help but reflect on sixteen years of friendship and love as her, John, and Mary were taken to the Airfield. Mycroft told Anita and the Watsons that Sherlock was being sent away as 'punishment.' Anita called them up and screamed about stupid they were being for about a half hour before they transferred her to Mycroft, who told her to calm down. Which he regretted after the hour long rant he got. The car drove along the runway towards where an executive jet was stationary on the tarmac.
As the car pulled up, Anita saw Sherlock, Mycroft, and a security man watching the car. John, Mary, and Anita got out of the car and started to walk towards them.
"You will look after them for me, won't you?" Sherlock asked Mary as she approached him.
"Oh, don't worry. I'll keep them in trouble," Mary replied as she kissed his cheek and hugged him.
"That's my girl," he said, smiling.
John and Anita stopped in front of him as Mary turned and walked back to the two of them, taking John's hand. Sherlock looked over at Anita and John before turning to his brother.
"Since this is likely to be the last conversation I'll have with John Watson and Anita O'Malley...would you mind if I took a moment with them, separately?" Sherlock asked Mycroft. Mycroft looked a little startled, but glanced at the security guard and jerked his head towards the side of the plane.
"I'd like to speak to John first," Sherlock said and Anita nodded.
Anita, Mary, Mycroft, and the security man walked off to the side as they left the boys to have their moment. Anita and Mary walked over to the car while Mycroft and the security man walked towards the wing of the jet. As the two women watched their boys talk, Mary glanced over Anita.
"You really love him, don't you?" she asked and Anita bit her lip thoughtfully, smiling slightly.
"More than you or I could ever imagine. He's been there for everything. When I lost my dad, when I got my job at Scotland Yard, when I got my first flat. I have loved him for 16 years, and I don't think I'm going to stop anytime soon," Anita replied and Mary smiled at her, knowing Anita was being completely honest. Anita glanced over at Mary, noting her pregnant belly. They needed to lighten the mood a bit.
"You know, 'Anita' is a lovely name," Anita said, shrugging slightly. Mary narrowed her eyes at Anita, who smirked.
"We're not naming the baby 'Anita'."
"Come on! I'm not even asking for the first name, I was thinking maybe the middle name," Anita joked. Mary elbowed Anita's side as they both chuckled softly.
"No," Mary insisted. Anita chucked gently to herself, watching as John walked towards them. John smiled sadly at Anita, nodding his head over at where Sherlock was standing.
"Your turn," he said and Anita sighed softly before walking towards Sherlock.
Anita twisted the engagement ring around on her finger, a new nervous habit she picked up. She wasn't nervous to talk to him, no, she was nervous to say goodbye. She could barely say it to his grave, let alone to his face. Eventually, Anita was standing in front of him, staring into his eyes as hers filled with tears.
"Hey," she whispered, knowing if she talked any louder her voice would crack. Sherlock stared at her sadly.
"Hello, love." Anita smiled at the pet name, trying to keep it forever in her mind so she didn't forget the way he sounded. The two of them stood, staring at each other before Anita took a deep breath.
"What am I even supposed to say in this situation, Sherlock. I- I just-"
Sherlock quickly rushed forward and cupped Anita's face, leaning down and kissing her. Anita instantly responded, wrapping her arms around his neck and burrowing her hand in his curls. Sherlock moved one of his hands from her face down to her waist, pulling her closer to him. They both felt the tears dripping down both of their faces, but we're choosing to ignore them. Anita pulled back, Sherlock brought a hand up wiped her tears away.
"I think I might be a little late to our wedding," Sherlock said and Anita chuckled sadly, biting her lip to keep from crying more.
"Yeah, maybe," Anita replied, offering him a smile. He smiled back, rubbing his hand on her back.
"Anita, I never thought I would fall in love with anyone. I met you, and everything changed. For the better, always for the better. I'm sorry I won't have the chance to see Anita Holmes in writing," Sherlock said and Anita felt a new wave of tears flood her.
"I would have been proud to be your wife," Anita whispered to him, allowing a few tears to slip out. Sherlock stared at her before chuckling softly.
"And I would have been just as proud to be your husband," he whispered back, leaning down to give her a soft kiss. Anita pulled back as he straightened up, staring into her eyes. Anita stood up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, closing her eyes to cherish what he felt like before it was ripped away from her. Sherlock placed a long lingering kiss on her forehead before he started to walk away from her.
"I love you," Anita told him as he walked backwards, trying to look at her as long as he could. Sherlock smiled, nodding his head gently.
"I love you more," he replied and any other day, Anita would have argued with him over it, but today, this last final day she let him have it. Sherlock walked backwards a few more paces, trying to burn Anita into his mind, before turning around and climbing into the jet. Anita started to sob as she watched him get in, the door shutting behind him.
Anita stood, staring at the plane as she felt Mycroft walk up to her, standing at her side. They stood next to each other for a moment, neither of them saying anything until Mycroft reached a hand over and rubbed Anita's shoulder. She turned to him, tears still running down her face. Mycroft swallowed, offering her the smallest of smiles.
"I never told you, but nothing would have given me more joy than to call you my sister- in- law."
"Mycroft-"
"Don't speak a word of this to anyone. Can't have them knowing I've gone...mushy."
"I- thank you," Anita said, smiling sadly at him. He nodded before walking away, off to deal with something important, Anita was sure.
The Watson's walked up on either side of Anita, placing their arms around her as the jet ran down the runway and flew off, taking Anita's fiancé with it. Anita reached a hand up and started to wipe at her tears, trying to get them to stop.
"That simply isn't possible," Anita heard Mycroft say, the Watson's and Anita turning to face him.
"What happened?" Anita asked, sniffing softly.
"He's back," Mycroft replied, looking between the three of them.
"Who's back?" Mary asked.
"Moriarty," Mycroft said as he pushed a button on his phone and placed it to his ear, climbing back into the car.
"But he's dead. I mean, you two told me he was dead," Mary said, frantically.
"Absolutely. He blew his own brains out," John replied.
"So how can he be back?" Mary questioned.
"Well, if he is...he'd better wrap up warm," Anita commented as she and John looked off to the right and saw the jet turning around.
"There's an East Wind coming," John finished as Mary followed their gaze. Anita smiled happily as the plane landed. Oh, today was going to be a marvelous day.
author's note !