Morstan and Adler

Seven: Irene

IRENE

Irene had had a good time. She'd been living with Mr Holmes for two years. It was fun to watch her little puppet Sherlock dance. Not that she didn't love him. She loved him, alright. But he was like a funny little child to her, learning how to walk, learning how to love. He amused her.

And now she knew Moriarty was alive.... she could barely contain herself. When he walked into the room, he often asked her why she was looking at him strangely. In fact, she was looking at him in strange contempt, satisfied that she was one up on him. Holmes, to some extent, knew this. He gave her an equal dose of strange looks when he thought that Irene wasn't looking. He didn't like to be beaten. And she'd beaten him.

She'd even heard herself - he once had a case with a man named John Openshaw, who had heard that Sherlock was unbeatable. Holmes, being unusually modest, said this:

"I am not unbeatable. I have been beaten four times: Three times by men, once by a woman."

Irene knew this woman to be her. She also knew one of the men to be Moriarty. The other two.... she didn't know.

In fact, Sherlock Holmes was never beaten. He always won. He actually did beat Irene, and Moriarty - well, the first time, anyway - but Sherlock's definition of a victory was different. He may have stopped Irene from taking over Britain, but in his mind, he didn't do it well enough. He lost.

But now.... he'd just called her from Serbia to say that he was going back to London.

Irene was upset, needless to say. She picked up the phone and texted Mary.

He's coming back to London.

A/N: Sorry it's a short update! And don't forget to comment what you think! Dedicated to my newest follower @theonering_ and @sherlockianof221B but it wouldn't let me add it to the dedication, sorry :)