The Little Mouse (BBC Sherlock Fanfic)

Chapter 3: Run to 221b

That night Sherlock locked himself away in the bathroom in the dark to develop the photos from the canister that Rose had provided. When he was done and the pictures were hanging above the bathtub, he came back out. He seemed so thoughtful.

"What is it Sherlock?" John asked.

"That girl. She is far too clever. Of course I mean in comparison to the rest of the population."

"And that bothers you?"

"Yes. And how did she know that he would have a canister of film in his back pocket?" Sherlock frowned, he was pacing now.

"You think she is working for them?"

"Could be."

"Then why would she warn us?"

Sherlock looked thoughtful as John continued to speak. "You know facts Sherlock, but I know people. She's a humble girl, maybe we aren't getting the full picture but she's a good woman."

"You're letting your emotions get the best of you John." Sherlock scolded in a mumble.

"No, I'm not." John said sternly, but in his eyes Sherlock could see that he fancied Rose.

"We will be cautious none the less."

"Of course."

"Hm." Sherlock hummed. As he had suspected, there was more intrigue to this case than one might have originally guessed.

A few minutes later Sherlock went back into the makeshift dark room and came out with the photos. "People, places. This is the original from the papers she had given us. But, with a few new additions." Sherlock said. He saw pictures of various interiors of buildings, different people two of Rose as well. He put the pictures down on the table for John to see.

"Why would they target her?" John asked.

"She's small, meek. Easy to manipulate since her heart is so big." Sherlock shrugged. "The why's don't really matter. From this I can gather that they intend to blow up this building and cause mass murder all in the hopes of distracting me enough so that my guard will be down."

"So what do we do?" John asked.

"We get them first."

Little did they know that the following night everything would change.

At said evening Rose was forced into a warehouse where she sat on a chair across from a thin, psychotic man with eyes and a voice to match, his back was facing her from across a small table. "Hello Rose." He said then turned around. His voice was dull and emotionless which made him just that more chilling. Rose stayed quiet then looked down meekly. "Moriarty."

"You should know better than sneaking around behind my back." He said as he leaned forward against the table.

Rose gulped softly. "I just thought it might help."

"And how would telling Sherlie help me any?"

Rose licked her lips nervously as two big men stared at her threateningly. She stayed quiet for a little while. "I thought if he could trust me then I could misdirect him. I gave him a fake canister. This is the real one, s-see? It will make it even harder for him to stop your men."

Moriarty hummed and took the film canister. He opened it and saw that it was in fact the original. "Good girl. But let me do the thinking from now on, hmm?"

Rose nodded meekly. "Yes sir."

Moriarty glanced at the door. "Let her go." He said, then Rose immediately hurried out. She feared he would soon realize that the film was just a reproduction that she had made to fool him. She feared for her life. She wasn't thinking, she just ran. She sprinted all the way to 221b Baker Street.

Twenty minutes later John looked out the window and saw Rose panting and running towards their flat. "Sherlock, it's Rose." He said with some urgency.

Sherlock got up calmly and looked out the window. A black car headed towards her down the street so both John and Sherlock ran down the stairs and just as they got the front door open, the black car's back door opened and a man tried to pull her inside. Rose screamed, her face contorted into fear. John pulled out his gun and aimed for the driver and shot but just barely missed. The driver pushed the gas pedal while Rose was still hanging out of the car. Sherlock ran the other way and hailed a cab.

Once the taxi stopped, Sherlock went around and threw the driver out. "You don't need this right?" He asked then took off after the black car. Rose was still hanging out of it and she was trying to pull herself free before the car got too fast but that soon was not going to be a possibility and all at once she was pulled inside. The door slammed shut by itself.

The man in the back immediately took out his gun and aimed for her head. She ducked as he shot and he blew out a window because of that. John had been running all the while and Sherlock drove on the opposite side of traffic. He was about to get hit head on by another car but he yanked on the wheel to the side so he slammed into the mysterious black car instead. Rose had braced herself so she wasn't too bad off but her enemy had gotten knocked around. Sherlock sped up and nearly missed crashing again before he knocked into the hood of the car and smashed it into a pole. John had been running as fast as he could while Rose tried to get out. The large man found his gun soon however and was about to shoot. John saw this and stopped then aimed. His hand was shaky and he was scared that he would miss, or worse, hit Rose. He took a deep breath then squeezed the trigger.

The bullet pierced the glass and went straight through the man's head. Rose was panting like a little rabbit might when scared. John ran to her and helped her out of the car. "Are you alright?"

Rose nodded, still looking stunned.

Sherlock grabbed the driver out by his shirt and took his gun. "Take Rose back to the flat, I'll follow behind. When you get there, call for Lestrade."

John nodded then put his arm around Rose and kept her close. He was still shaking. Rose looked sympathetic. "You did good John. You saved my life, even though I was very stupid to come here."

"No, not at all. I'm glad that you see this as being a safe place." John said with a sweet smile.

"But I could have gotten you or Sherlock killed. I-"

"But you didn't, and you should never blame yourself for wanting to live." John said compassionately yet sternly, to show how important this was for her to remember.

Rose nodded and looked down. "It's just, you and Sherlock are so important to the world. People like me, we are supposed to keep the important ones safe."

"I'm just like you Rose. Except less clever." He said with a little smile as he led her down the street. The sidewalk glistened from the fresh rain, the light glittering along the streets.

"But you help Sherlock so much. I know you must." Rose said, then when they reached the doorway she wiped her feet on the mat. She glanced back at Sherlock to make sure he was okay and he was. John led her up the stairs then sat her on the couch and put a blanket on her.

When Sherlock entered the room he put the convict in handcuffs. Rose was still talking to John, not realizing that he had entered. "And Sherlock is just too important for someone like me to ruin that. I'm just a speck in this whole world. Who am I to think that my life really matters in the grand scheme of things? It would be rather egotistical for me to think that the whole world would cease if I were dead."

John frowned. "But what is Sherlock accomplishing if not for us specks, hm?" He asked with a little smile.

Rose chuckled. "I suppose that's true, but you're no speck John. You're special too."

John smiled, but he didn't believe her. "I am but a humble helper."

"Oh hush." Rose chuckled then ruffled his hair.

Sherlock listened to all of this with interest. Maybe it was his ego that made him finally see this, but she really was a clever girl.