Sherlock and Y/N were now back at 221B. Y/N was now reading after she had prepped her dress for John and Mary's wedding tomorrow. She knew that Sherlock was hold up in his room, trying to figure out Moriarty's next move. He wouldn't allow her to help but he was concerned she was going to do something stupid, on her own. Y/N was worried about Sherlock doing the same thing.
"Mrs. Hudson?" Y/N could hear John call as he entered the flat. "Oh, Mrs. Hudson?"
Y/N stood up and headed out of her room. "John," she called with a smile. A pattering of four paws attracted Y/N's attention to the floor. "Gladstone!" She crouched down and scratched the dogs belly. "I've missed you."
John smiled as he climbed up the stairs after Gladstone. "Well, I've missed you, too," he joked.
"John," Y/N smiled again as she stood up. She brought him into a hug. "Nervous for tomorrow?"
"I'm more nervous for tonight," he chuckled. "Is he in his room?"
"Last time I checked."
John turned and knocked on Sherlock's bedroom door. "Holmes, you in there?" There was no answer so John went to open the door.
"Oh, John, I must warn you—"
But John had already opened the door to reveal the large plants Sherlock had been growing in his room.
"Your hedge needs trimming," John commented as he entered, with Y/N following.
"Where am I?" Sherlock's whisper echoed around the room.
Y/N couldn't help but roll her eyes before finding her place on one of the chairs near the window. John carefully eyed the animals that appeared among the plants in Sherlock's room before noticing a fake Sherlock looking out the window.
"I don't care where you are as long as you're ready," John said.
"I'm waiting," Sherlock continued.
"I'm not gonna play this game." Y/N pursed her lips to hide the giggle as she found Sherlock's hiding place and John continued to not be amused. John headed for the chair next to Y/N. "Remember, I have to catch the last—" Sherlock shot a dart into John's shoulder. John looked over to see it lodged in him before scanning the room and still not noticing where Sherlock was. "—train."
"Oh-oh, that's you dead, I'm afraid."
"You win." John sat down and grabbed the newspaper from the table between his and Y/N's chairs. "I lose." He opened the newspaper up. "Game over." Then Sherlock shot another dart through the paper.
"Still don't see me?"
John flipped the newspaper down partially and finally noticed Sherlock in painted, head to toe underwear. The right side of Sherlock's outfit was painted like the bookshelf against the wall while the left side was the color of the column. He even had a masked over his face. Sherlock had been hiding nicely in the corner.
Sherlock laughed as he moved to stand in front of John. "Quelle surprise," he taunted before pulling off the mask.
"I'm not going out with you dressed like that," John stated then he sent back to reading the paper.
"Would you prefer I joined you in the fashion faux pas of wearing fine military dress with that heinous handmade scarf? Clearly one of your fiancee's early efforts."
"Oh, how I've missed you, Holmes."
"Have you? Why?" Sherlock got in John's face for a brief moment. "I've barely noticed your absence."
"Liar," Y/N scoffed quietly, earning a glare from Sherlock.
"Then again, I'm knee-deep in research. Extracting fluids from the adrenal glands of sheep... and designing my own urban camouflage." He motioned to himself before moving back to get into John's face. "All the while verging on a decisive breakthrough in the single most important case of my career, perhaps of all time."
The leaves around the room's doorway began rustling and in came Mrs. Hudson with a tray. The tray had a white cloth covering something on it.
"Mrs. Hudson," John greeted, looking at the lady from over Sherlock's shoulder. "How are you?"
"Oh. I'm so pleased to see you, doctor," she responded. "Thank you for inviting me tomorrow."
John stood up from his chair. "And thank you for looking after Gladstone."
"Dear, dear sickly-sweet nanny," Sherlock said as he approached the woman, "might I have a word?" Sherlock pulled the white cloth off the tray to reveal five white mice under a glass cover. "Yummy. Feed the snake, woman."
"Sherlock," Y/N said in a reprimanding tone. She didn't like how Sherlock treated Mrs. Hudson but couldn't seem to do much about it.
"You feed it," Mrs. Hudson told Sherlock as she shoved the tray into his hands.
"Touchy, touchy," Sherlock replied as he back away. He turned around and headed to the opposite side of the room.
Mrs. Hudson rushed over to John. "Doctor, you must get him to a sanatorium," she said as she ripped one of the darts out of John. "He's been on a diet of coffee, tobacco, and coca leaves. He never sleeps. I hear multiple voices as if he's rehearsing a play."
John glanced over at Y/N, asking with his eyes if this was true. She responded with a shrug before looking quickly away. It was all true and Y/N had tried to stop it. But Sherlock wasn't taking no for an answer. He wanted Moriarty dealt with as soon as possible.
"Leave him to me," John told Mrs. Hudson.
Sherlock suddenly appeared behind Mrs. Hudson. "Don't you have a goat that needs worming?" He asked in her ear.
"Oh, how kind of you to remind me," Mrs. Hudson said. "So much to look forward to. What would I do without you?" She went to leave. "Good luck with your patient, doctor."
"Why are you here?" Sherlock asked John.
"Uh, Sherlock, John's getting married tomorrow," Y/N responded for John.
"Oh! Embrace me." Sherlock pulled John in for a hug. "Watson's getting married." He pulled the dart out of his friend's shoulder.
"You've lost a few pounds, Holmes," John commented as he hugged Sherlock.
"Yes, and you've picked them up." Sherlock pulled away. "Noshing on Mary's muffin's, no doubt." John chuckled. "Pour us a brandy." Sherlock turned to the side of the room and slipped through a set of curtains. "The stag party has begun. It is our last adventure, Watson. I intend to make the most of it."
John pushed open the curtains to reveal maps, photographs, newspapers, and other documents lining the walls. There were also many pins and red strings attaching specific things together.
"I see you've made good use of my old office," John commented.
"Do you like my spider's web?" Sherlock asked from behind a false wall where he was changing.
"Is that what you call it?"
"Y/N, my dear, can you show him?"
Y/N pushed herself out of the chair and came over. "Follow that strand," she said, pointing out one of the specific red pieces of yarn. John slid his fingers around the spring and began to follow it.
"Question: what do a scandal involving an Indian cotton tycoon... the overdose of a Chineses opium trader... bombings in Strasbourg and Vienna... and the death of a still magnate in America, all have in common?"
"Well, according to your diorama, Professor James Moriarty," John answered as he got to the end of the string revealing a picture of the Professor.
"Indeed."
"Mathematical genius. Celebrated author and lecturer."
"Boxing champion at Cambridge... where he made friends with our current prime minister."
"He's also my father," Y/N added.
"What?" John questioned. "Professor James Moriarty is your father?"
"He's the one who's been after me and the reason behind all of this." She motioned to the red strings around the room.
"Do you have any evidence to substantiate your claim besides that he's your father?"
Sherlock came out from the wall he was behind changed into pants and a white shirt, with his suspenders hanging down. Y/N inhaled sharply as she tried to remain calm. This look on Sherlock was something she had really never seen before, and she wouldn't mind seeing it again.
"This," Sherlock replied as he tapped on one of the news articles on the wall. "Now do you see?"
John looked closely at the article. "Dr. Hoffmanstahl's death?" He questioned.
"Yes. I've heard you speak of him, extolling his virtues."
"Hoffmanstahl was at the forefront of medical innovations, a true pioneer."
"Just the other day, Y/N and I averted an explosion that was intended for him." Sherlock briefly looked Y/N's way when he noticed she'd been quiet since he come out. He smirked when he notices the look she was giving him.
"Says here he died of a heart attack," John continued.
"Has all my instruction been for naught? You still read the official statement and believe it. It's a game, dear man, a shadowy game." Sherlock poured himself a drink of a clear liquid. "We're playing cat and mouse, the professor, Y/N and I. Cloak and dagger."
"I thought it was spider and fly?"
"I'm not a fly, I'm a cat." Sherlock took a sip of his drink.
"Not a mouse, but a dagger." John picked up the bottle that Sherlock had poured his drink from. "You're drinking embalming build."
"Oh, yes. Care for a drop?"
John looked at Y/N. "And you're letting him drink this?"
Y/N shrugged and held her hands up. "You know as well as I, there's nothing much that will stop Sherlock from doing what he wants," she responded.
John sighed and turned his focus back on his old friend. "You do seem—"
"Excited?" Sherlock interrupted.
"Manic."
"I am."
"Verging on—"
"Ecstatic?"
"Psychotic. Should've brought you a sedative."
"I'll give my life to see his demise. He must be stopped before his evil machinations come to a crescendo."
Y/N looked away at Sherlock's words, closing her eyes. She hated that he was so willing to die to stop Moriarty, to gain her freedom. They had fought about this frequently with it never ending well.
"And how will be do all this?" John asked.
"Don't be a dingy bird," Sherlock responded. "Bad people do bad things because they can. No one, not the victims, the police, the governments. Not anyone—"
"Except the great Sherlock Holmes—"
"Correct."
"—on this diet, will work it all out."
"Right."
"Or thereabouts."
"Thereabouts, not quite there." Sherlock took another sip.
John, having poured himself his own drink (obviously not the same liquid), lifting his cup. "Here's to your good health." They hit their glasses together. "Dingy bird," John whispered before taking a sip of his drink, with Sherlock copying his actions.
Suddenly, they heard a small groan and a thud following it. They all turned to see Gladstone laying under one of the bushes in Sherlock's room. It appeared to also not be breathing, or at least not breathing deeply.
"What have you done to Gladstone now?" John asked as he hurried to his dog. He crouched down beside the animal to check him over.
"Ricinus communis," Sherlock answered.
"I've told Sherlock to get rid of the plant," Y/N said. "The fruit is highly toxic."
"He's barely breathing," John noted.
"What an excellent opportunity," Sherlock said, turning to grab something. He grabbed a small pouch and pulled out a needle. "This may be just the thing." He ripped the cap off the needle with his teeth, leaving it between them, before he crouched down and stabbed the poor dog in the chest. "Sorry, do you mind terribly if I try my adrenal extract?"
"How many times are you going to kill my dog, Holmes?" Before the trio could say anything else, Gladstone jumped up and ran away. "Took off like a monkey from a box. I may need one of those in a few hours."
"Consider it a wedding gift." Sherlock handed over the pouch.
"Well," John stood up with Sherlock following, "you should finish getting ready so we can get going."
"Oh, yes, right."
"It was so great seeing you, Y/N." John brought the woman in for a quick hug.
"As it was you," she responded. "I can't wait for tomorrow."
"Me either." John smiled. He turned towards Sherlock. "I'll meet you downstairs."
"Of course," Sherlock replied with a single nod before John left the room.
Y/N turned to look at Sherlock, arms crossed over her chest with a brow raised. "You completely forgot about his bachelor party, didn't you?"
"I never forget anything." Sherlock waved off as he went to go grab a few more items of clothing.
"Sherlock."
"Fine, I may have forgotten. Briefly."
"I reminded you, frequently."
"Sorry, my dear. Sometimes I don't fully comprehend what you have to say because your voice is so soothing." He gave a small smile as he buttoned up his vest.
Y/N pointed a finger at the man as he moved to slip a suit coat on. "Don't try to flirt your way out of this, Holmes. He's going to be disappointed when he realizes that his other friends weren't invited."
"Other friends? He doesn't have other friends besides us."
"Sherlock, it's normal for people to have more than one friend."
He had now put a trench coat over his suit. "Have you seen my beard?"
"Your beard?"
"Yes. It's long, has grey specks in it."
Y/N sighed. "I think it's in the drawer over there." She pointed. "Are you seriously going in disguise?"
"I have to. We are being closely observed." He walked over to where Y/N had pointed to and pulled out his beard. "Which is also why I don't care to leave you alone tonight."
"I won't be alone. Mrs. Hudson is always here."
"Of course," Sherlock scoffed as he walked over to Y/N, "that makes me feel much better."
"I handled myself just fine before I meet you." Y/N reached out to Sherlock, fixing his collars. "I'll be just fine."
"Still. I don't like it."
"Stop worrying and go have one last night of fun with your friend."
"Right. I'll go." His big brown eyes met hers. "Promise me you won't leave here tonight unless it's an emergency."
"I can't promise anything, but I'll try."
"Holmes!" John shouted from down the stairs.
"Coming!" Sherlock replied. "I've got to go." He leaned in and pressed a short kiss to Y/N's lips. "Be safe."
"I should be saying that to you."
He started backing out of the room, still facing Y/N. "I'm always safe." He winked before turning and heading down the stairs.
"Have fun boys!"
"Watson, might we use an alternative exit?" Y/N heard Sherlock ask.
"Is there something different about you?" John responded.
"I'm under observation."
"As you should be."
"You drive."
Y/N couldn't help but giggle at the interaction before she moved to the window to watch Sherlock and John drive away.