Chapter 53:
3rd person POV:
It's nighttime. Sherlock is currently walking through the Sea Life London Aquarium housed inside County Hall. He makes his way along the blue-lit corridors and through the glass tunnels under the water.
'Ladies and gentlemen, the Aquarium will be closing in five minutes. Please make your way to the exit. Thank you.' An announcement is heard on the speakers.
Sherlock continues onwards until he reaches an enclosed area with benches where people can sit and look at the various tanks all around. An elderly woman is sitting on one of the benches with her back to him.
"Your office said I'd find you here," Sherlock says.
The woman continues to look forward at the sea creatures. "This was always my favorite spot for agents to meet. We're like them: ghostly, living in the shadows." She turns to look at him.
"Predatory."
"Well, it depends which side you're on." She turns away to look into the shark tank again. "Also, we have to keep moving or we die."
"Nice location for the final act," Sherlock compliments. "Couldn't have chosen it better myself. But then I never could resist a touch of the dramatic."
"That is for sure," another voice answers. Mary then walks into the room and stops at Sherlock's side a couple of feet away from him.
"Hello, Mary," he says without turning to look at her.
"Hey."
"John?"
"On his way," Mary answers.
Sherlock nods. "Then let me introduce, Ammo."
Mary stares at the elderly woman in shock,"You were Ammo?"
"Using AGRA as her private assassination unit," Sherlock adds.
Mary narrows her eyes at the woman,"Why did you betray us?"
"Why does anyone do anything?" the woman questions.
"Oh, let me guess. Selling secrets?" Sherlock guesses.
"Well, it would be churlish to refuse. Worked very well for a few years. But the ambassador in Tbilisi found out. I thought I'd had it." She looks towards Mary before returning her gaze to Sherlock. "Then she was taken hostage in that coup." She laughs,"I couldn't believe my luck! That bought me a little time."
"But then you found out your boss had sent AGRA in."
"Very handy," she says,"They were always such reliable killers."
Sherlock narrows his eyes and addresses his friend "What you didn't know, Mary, was that this one also tipped off the hostage-takers."
Mary clenches her hands into fists.
"Lady Smallwood gave the order, but I sent another one to the terrorists with a nice little clue about her code name should anyone have an enquiring mind. Seemed to do the trick." She sighs,"The hostages were killed, AGRA too ..." She looks across to Mary," ...Or so I thought. My secret was safe. But apparently not. Just a little peace. That's all you wanted too, wasn't it? A family, home. Really, I understand."
Mary glances across to Sherlock but his gaze is fixed on the elderly woman.
"So just let me get out of here, right?" she tells them calmly,"Let me just walk away. I'll vanish. I'll go forever. What d'you say?"
"After what you did?!" Mary growls. She starts towards the older woman.
"Mary, no!" Sherlock warns.
The older woman then stands and pulls a gun from her purse, aiming it at Mary.
Mary freezes and holds up her hands, taking a slow step back.
"I was never a field agent," The woman smirks,"I always thought I'd be rather good.
Mary scoffs.
"Well, you handled the operation in Tbilisi very well... for a secretary," Sherlock jibes.
She frowns,"What?"
"Can't have been easy all those years, sitting in the back keeping your mouth shut when you knew you were cleverer than most of the people in the room," Sherlock continues.
"I didn't do this out of jealousy!"
"No?" the sociopath questions,"Same old drudge, day in, day out, never getting out there where all the excitement was. Just back to your little flat on Wigmore Street."
The woman stares, jaw slack at him. How could he know so much about her?
"They've taken up the pavement outside the Post Office there. The local clay on your shoes is very distinctive," Sherlock says, glancing at her shoes. "Yes, your little flat."
"How do you know?" She questions.
"Well, on your salary it would have to be modest and you spent all the money on that cottage, didn't you, and what are you, widowed or divorced?" Sherlock starts to fire off deductions. "Wedding ring's at least thirty years old and you've moved it to another finger. That means you're sentimentally attached to it but you're not still married. I favour widowed, given the number of cats you share your life with."
"Sherlock..." Mary says softly, a nervous look on her face. She knows how much Sherlock can get on people's nerves when he does this, and the woman currently has a gun in her hand.
"Two Burmese and a tortoiseshell, judging by the cat hairs on your cardigan," His eyes flit over her body,"A divorcee's more likely to look for a new partner; a widow to fill the void left by her dead husband."
"Sherlock, don't." Mary says for firmly, but he fails to listen.
Sherlock gets louder as he steps closer to the elderly woman. "Pets do that, or so I'm told, and there's clearly no-one new in your life, otherwise you wouldn't be spending your Friday nights in an aquarium. That probably accounts for the drink problem, too: the slight tremor in your hand ... the red wine stain ghosting your top lip. So yes. I say jealousy was your motive after all – to prove how good you are..."
Her gaze turns to look towards the entrance as Mycroft walks in. Greg enters next to him, with three police officers at his side.
" ... To make up for the inadequacies of your little life," Sherlock hisses.
Her eyes flit from Mycroft to the officers, fear and dread filling them. Her arm holding the gun shakes.
"Well, Mrs Norbury," Mycroft says,"I must admit this is unexpected."
"Vivian Norbury, who outsmarted them all," Sherlock voices with much sarcasm. "All except Sherlock Holmes." He takes a step forward, holding out his left hand. "There's no way out," He says softly.
"So it would seem," She smiles a little. "You've seen right through me, Mr Holmes."
"It's what I do."
She tilts her head to one side,"Maybe I can still surprise you." Swiftly she brings up the gun and aims it at Sherlock.
He smirks,"That will only make things worse for yourself."
She narrows her eyes,"You think your invincible, Mr.Holmes. But I know that you are not. Everyone has a weakness... and yours is Darkwood."
Sherlock's eyes widen a fraction, fear spreading through his body.
Then she shoots.
As soon as she got a shot off, the policemen rushed forward to apprehend her. Then a cry of pain echoes throughout the room.
Everyone looks to Sherlock...but he is fine. It is Mary who is on the floor, bleeding.
Right as Vivan spoke her final words, Mary leaped in front of Sherlock and took to bullet for him. Her mind worked faster than his for once and she knew that he was not going to move. She knew a Darkwood bullet to his chest would kill him, and she just couldn't let that happen.
Mary rolls over onto her back, gasping in pain. Sherlock stares at her in shock, then drops to his knees to press his gloved hand against the wound. She looks up at him, her eyes wide, and she whimpers.
"Everything's fine," he tells her, his eyes wide," It's gonna be okay." He looks round to Mycroft and shouts,"Get an ambulance!"
Mycroft snaps out of his shock and nods. Turning away to make the call just as John runs in.
"Mary!" He shouts and races to her side.
"John!" She gasps, breathing heavily.
Sherlock stands up and steps back as John presses his hand against her wound.
"Mary?" John calls,"Mary, stay with me."
She gazes up at him, face full of pain.
"Come on, Mary," he says softly.
She sobs and lets out a cry of pain. "...John, I -I think this is it."
He shakes his head vigorously,"No-no-no-no, it's not."
"You made me so happy," she tells him in a weak voice. "You gave me everything I could ever want."
"Mary, Mary..." he gently shushes her, and runs his free hand over her forehead.
"Look after Rosie," Mary says with tears in her eyes. "Promise me."
"I promise," he whispers.
Mary grits her teeth as another wave of pain comes. She lets out a ragged breath and glances over at Sherlock. "I'm sorry..." she whispers,"...For shooting you that time. I'm really sorry."
Sherlock forces a soft smile,"It's-it's all right."
"I think we're even now, okay?"
He nods,"Okay."
She yelps with pain.
"Mary. Mary," John calls softly, trying to calm her down. He gazes at her with fearful eyes. He feels so helpless, unsure of what to do to help her.
John suddenly gasps and looks up at Sherlock as a thought hits him,"Turn her! You can save her life-"
"No!" Mary cries out, grabbing John's arm. She looks up at her husband with pleading eyes,"John, please don't!" her breathing is becoming more ragged,"I don't want to live a life like that. So please..."
John gulps, looking like he wants to argue, but nods anyhow.
Sherlock stands above them, biting his lip nervously. He wants to help, but at this moment he can't do much. Not without Mary's permission. Flitting to a hospital would be too jarring on her fragile body in the state. She wouldn't make it.
"Y-you were my whole world," Mary sobs.
John squeezes his eyes shut, trying to fight the tears. He is trying to be strong for her.
"..Being Mary Watson... was the only life worth living," she gasps in between jabs of pain.
John gazes at her with anguish in his eyes. "...Mary."
Her eyes flutter shut, yet she still breaths. She has fallen unconscious, but she won't last more than a minute.
"Mary? Mary!" John shakes her gently. Turning to Sherlock with a frantic look,"Do it now, Sherlock."
Sherlock's eyes widen,"B-but she said-"
"No, you have to save her! I don't care what she said!" John shouts with tears in his eyes,"TURN HER! SHERLOCK, PLEASE!"
Sherlock gulps. If he does this Mary will live, but she may hate him forever.
'I would rather her hate me if it means she can still live,' he finally decides.
He nods to John,"Alright." He drops to his knees next to Mary and bites his wrist. He then looks down at Mary to give her his blood... but then he stops.
"What are you doing? Turn her!" John says frantically.
Sherlock slowly meets his gaze, his own eyes filled with tears,"...John. I-I'm sorry, but she's gone."
John's eyes widen. "...No," he whispers. He looks down at his wife and shakes her shoulder softly,"Mary? Darling, please wake up. We can save you, just-" his voice cracks with emotion,"...Just open...your eyes."
Sherlock, Greg and Mycroft watch silently. For a several long seconds nobody moves, then John lifts his hand again to put his fingers against the pulse point on Mary's neck. He removes his hand with a sob and cradles her head, resting his chin on top of it. He squeezes his eyes shut as he silently sobs.
Sherlock sits back and stares at them as if he cannot believe what has happened. He was too late.
He reaches out a hand to touch John's shoulder but before he can make contact, John's head snaps up, his teeth clenched and his face full of murderous rage. He glares at Sherlock, breathing heavily.
"Don't you dare," John growls savagely. "You made a vow. You swore it!"
His eyes wide with shock, Sherlock stands and steps back. He swallows hard and looks away from the scene before him.
A few minutes later and an ambulance has finally arrived. They walk in with a stretcher, and Sara jogs in after them.
"Oh my-" She covers her mouth when she sees Mary unmoving on the floor, with John crying above her.
"Sara," Sherlock calls softly. She looks at him then rushes into his arms. He holds her tightly,"Leave him for now."
Sara gulps and nods. Glancing over at the couple, tears fill her eyes. 'This wasn't supposed to happen! Mary was safe, she should have lived a long, happy life.'
Sherlock's arms tighten around the small woman as he gazes at John and Mary.
Nothing will be the same after this.
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