A Game Of Hearts And Minds

CHAPTER XXVIII - Suprise!

Lauraine's POV

I couldn't bare it anymore. I couldn't bare keeping my survival hidden from Sherlock anymore. I had already thought about reaching out at least three times a day for the two months that I'd been gone. The man I loved, the brilliant and enigmatic Sherlock Holmes believed I was dead.

I faked my death. But in doing so, I unknowingly pushed him into the abyss of his own demons, now watching helplessly as he slipped back into the clutches of his addiction.

Every day I spent in the shadows, observing him from afar, I witnessed the slow unraveling of the man I married. The vibrant energy that once defined him faded, replaced by the pallor of despair and the haze of narcotics. My heart ached as I saw him succumb to the very vices he once fought against so valiantly.

I followed him everywhere, even now when he was at his lowest and still pulled himself together to attend John's and Mary's wedding. And as I looked through the windows, there he was, in the loneliest place on earth - in the middle of a dance floor, no partner, all the couples swirling around him.

He was visibly akward for a moment, adrift. Then he lifted his head and saw another woman across the floor, waving to him. He started forwards, then came to an immediate halt when he seemed to realise why she was waving. Sherlock had pointed out a man earlier that night, and the sci-fi comics fan he had pointed out to her, was now right next to her - and they're starting to dance. The woman gave Sherlock a thumbs up behind her new boy's back.

Sherlock smiled, but I could see the dissapointment and lonelines shine behind the iris of his eyes. He looked around again, still so adrift, still so out of his comfort zone. Akwardly, he started making his way among the dancers, heading for the exit. And when I saw him coming to the doors, scrambling towards me, I couldn't move. I was frozen in place.

He came striding towards me, looking straight through me. His facial expressions didn't change one bit. It was like he never even saw me. "Sherlock?" My voice was barely a whisper, and he looked at me for a second as he continued striding my way. As he walked past me, he spoke. "Oh you've started talking now? Didn't know hallucinations could talk."

I turned on my heels and stalked after him. "Sherlock? I'm not a hallucination-"

He interrupted me brutally, "Yes you are. You are. You have been for the past two months!" His demeanor changed from relatively calm in the first two sentences, to absolutely rageous during the last. He swung around, fury and tears in his eyes.

"No sherlock, I never died. I've been with you al this time." I said, smiling. Sherlock's eyes widened, disbelief etched on his face. He stared at me, shock and longing in his eyes. Sherlock struggled to comprehend, his rational mind battling the emotions that surged within him. "But I've seen you, spoken to you. I thought I was losing my mind."

"You weren't hallucinating, Sherlock. I found a way to be with you, to watch over you. I will tell you everything later, I just need some time," I paused, sighing heavily. "I just need some time to figure things out."

Sherlock reached out hesitantly, as if afraid that I might vanish. "How is this possible?" He whispered to himself.

"Love transcends the boundaries of life and death. And our connection is beyond the tangible."

Sherlock took a step closer, still struggling to graps the reality of my presence. "Why now? Why reveal yourself?"

I smiled, reassuringly. "John and Mary's wedding was a moment of joy, and I wanted to share it with you. But you were lost in your thoughts, unable to enjoy the celebration."

Sherlock, clearly overwhelmed, froze in his place, shifting his gaze from me to the venue where all the people inside were wirling around the dancefloor, the men guiding the woman and everybody very clearly drunk. After a moment, his gaze turned to me again as he sighed. "I... I don't know what to say."