"I will." Jim had replied calmly when Addison had asked for him to fix it.
Addison knew she should hate Jim. He killed her father, technically. She could be afraid. He was a criminal matermind, not to mention a psychopath. She wasn't. She watched him, just as she would anyone else, and read him. He was a bit of a challenge but in the end, she realized, it was easy.
Jim Moriarty seemed to ooze confidence. He was sure of himself. So sure of himself infact that he was unsure of himself. Addison could see it in the way he did things. Delibrate so sure of himself, but he always had backup, so unsure at least partly.
There was something else. Darkness in his eyes, and most likely in his mind. There was something, Addison couldn't place her finger on it, that was familiar. Something she'd seen on her father, and then it clicked. The eyes, the clever and sad eyes were hauntingly similar to Sherlock's. Not in color but the emotion lingering in the pools.
"What do you see?" Jim asked Addison turning to her. His words were slow and thought out. He'd been considering them for awhile.
"I see you, Jim. I see confidence but insecurities. I see cleverness but I also see sadness. I see you, but do you see yourself?" Addison asked finally.
Jim become frozen it would seem, finally he spoke. "I see myself as you see me. Why are you not frightened?"
"You won't harm me, not yet atleast." Addison clarified.
"Very good." He praised.
Jim glanced at Addison actually looking at her. He'd seen her a few times, never close enough to notice things. Like the way she had her arms folded suggested she was self concious, although aren't most teenagers, Jim thought. She looked straight out the window, her gaze didn't flicker. She wasn't thinking though. She was memorizing.
Addison was short, taking after her mother. She was very pale and had red hair. Her eyes were a dark shade of blue and they were clever and full of not sadness but curiosity. Jim noticed an air of defiance surrounding Addison which led him to believe she didn't listen very well.
Without looking at him she asking him, almost mockingly, "What do you see?"
"I see a sad and lonely girl, a scared a girl. A clever girl. I am curious what do you see looking back at you in the mirror?" Jim asked slowly.
"A monster."
***
Sherlock was panicked, but calm on the outside. This was worse than walking out of Lestrade's office to find the chair empty. This was 100 times worse, she was hidden from him by James Moriarty of all people. He paced in his flat where Mycroft was sitting relaying information.
"He just left with him? Of her own free will?" Sherlock asked.
"Yes, Sherlock." Mycroft said with a sigh.
"Why would she do that?" John asked glancing between the two Holmes.
"She wanted an escape." Sherlock said stopping abruptly in his pacing.
"From?" John asked.
"From the sadness. She wouldn't kill herself, so she would run away. Jim showed up right when she was at the end of her rope, to rescue her." Sherlock sank down onto the couch.
Sherlock wished with all his heart he wouldn't have faked his death. He wished she wouldn't have been forced to watch. Sherlock's brain was hard at work conjuring up how different things would be had he hadn't jumped, but there was always a chance she might not be here at all. Sherlock felt a hand on his back and looked up at Mycroft.
"Let's start looking Sherlock." Mycroft said softly. Sherlock nodded and put on his coat and scarf. A text came in as they walked out the door.
'Play the game I see. Why don't you go to where the game first began? x'
Sherlock frowned, what game? He assumed he meant Scotland Yard, but something wasn't right. Then he thought about Madeline and how Jim had helped her "die" in order to escape being a mother.
"Our first stop is Addison's childhood home." Sherlock stated.
***
Addison was sitting on a sofa in a flat that belonged to her mother. Jim had brought her here, she had refused to go inside. Jim had then asked Mark, his assistant, to escort her inside. He did so, at gunpoint.
Jim sat next to her as she glared at her mother. Addison hated the woman. She had been a decent mother, she yelled a lot but you have that. "Why did you fake your death? Don't lie." Addison asked finally.
"I was overwhelmed by you, you were different than a normal little girl Addie. You were over energized and just too damn curious." Madeline explained tiredly.
"Why are you back now?" Addison demanded.
"I want to take care of you. Your father has made you into him, you are so closed off."
"That's partially your fault as well, you know." Addison reminded her stupid mother.
Jim watched the exchange with an amused expression. He was pleased that Addison was easily detaching herself from her family. Maybe this would work out for the best, maybe she would agree to join Jim after all.
"Come now Addison we have other places to be." Jim guided her to the car and away they went again.
"You said you saw a monster in the mirror, why?" Jim asked breaking the silence.
"Because after losing my parents I didn't care. I would have done anything, Mr. Moriarty, to get rid of that raw gnawing inside me. Anything at all." Jim smiled sadistically.
"Anything, my dear?" Addison stared back at him.
"Yes, Mr. Moriarty." Jim patted Addison on the head and turned back to the window.
***
Sherlock sat on the couch in the girls home. The woman whom owned it, Mrs. Peterson, had been both delighed and disappointed to see Sherlock. Mycroft sat next to Sherlock, he was highly uncomfortable, and John was talking to a little girl who had asked if they were there to adopt her.
"Have you seen Addison?" Sherlock asked getting off the couch as the old woman entered the room.
"Not since you came and got her. Poor dear, must be terrified."
Sherlock stumbled back onto the couch. How had she not seen her? Jim told her that was the first place to stop. His eyes wondered to the little girl. The little red headed girl. Of course. Sherlock knelt in front of the child and took her small hands in his.
"Darling I would love to know, do you know a man by the name of Jim?" The little girl nodded vigorously.
"He came by earlier and said to tell Mr. Sherlock to go to the park."
"Thank you." Sherlock said throwing the child a smile before running out the door.
Sherlock got into Mycroft's car and waited, impatiently, for John and Mycroft to get in. When they did he shouted for the driver to go to the Park quickly. He was angry now, angry and panicked. When the car stopped moving Sherlock jumped out and ran into the park. He searched frantically his mind working to detect a clue. He found one.
A book face down beside a tree. Addison's book from her childhood, Pandora's Box. He picked it up slowly and on the first page it read:
'Very good Sherlock. Now to her favorite place. xx Jim'
Sherlock ran back to the car and shouted for the driver to go to The National Gallery. It was her favorite museum. He ran inside and to her favorite section he found a note in a painting. He sat down on a nearby bench to read it.
'Good Sherlock, very good. I am very pleased with you. Now I want you to get Dr. Watson and ask him to choose a place. I will meet you there. xx Jim'
Sherlock, dazed and slightly confused, ran back to the car and settled beside John, "Bloody hell Sherlock what on earth is going on?" John asked.
"Choose a place."
"What? Sherlock what are you on about?" John asked, he was angry and scared and didn't now what the hell was going on.
"John, listen to me I don't have time to explain just choose a venue so we can get Addison back."
"The pool." John replied. Sherlock nodded and the driver began driving.
***
"Where are we going, Mr. Moriarty?" Addison asked.
"To a secret place."
"Why?" Jim smiled.
"Why not?"
"Jim, I think you are overly curious." Addison said turning back to the window.
"Takes one to know one!" Jim said in a sing-song voice. Addison gave him a strange look before looking back out the window.
"You don't laugh much. Why is that? I thought teenagers laugh a lot."
"I'm not exactly average."
"That's true."
"Why are you taking me to this secret place?"
"To show you something."
"What?"
"You'll see."
Addison looked at Jim for a long time, "Why are you so interested in my father?"
"Because he's smart."
"Are you interested in me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because you're smart and just a little bit different than your daddy."
"How am I different?" Addison asked turning slightly.
"You see the world differently than he does. Where he sees good and bad you see bad everywhere. Good is bad to you. Where he sees emotions you see lies. Where he has light, you are consumed by the dark. You aren't like your father at all, no, you're a lot like me."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Wow lets all throw things at Macelynn because this chapter probably suuucks.
So we have learned somethings in this chapter yes?
I'll dedicate the next chapter to whoever I think leaves the most creative comments.
GO.
xox
Momma Duck