The Sister

Chapter 44: The Fall

As soon as Ubel leaves I look around the flat one last time. I know what I must do. Despite my efforts to convince Moriarty otherwise my friends are one of my pressure points. So are my brothers. Well except for Moriarty.
"I'm going out for a bit!" I shout to Mrs Hudson.
"Be careful dear!" She exclaims.
I almost crack right there. How can I make her and John go through this again? No I have to. Otherwise they will die. I have to do this. I take a deep breath, square my shoulders, and text Moriarty.
St Barts rooftop. Come and play brother dear.
AH
With that I step out the flat and head to St Bartholomew's Hospital. As soon as I get there I'm struck by the weather. It's chilly, rainy, and very very foggy. Much more foggy than usual. I can barely see where I'm going. I enter the hospital and walk up the flights of stairs until I reach the roof. I've always hated St Barts. The sterile white walls. The bare white cement on the outside. The crying families standing outside operating rooms. The needles. Images pass me rapidly as I climb the steep grey stairs. I shudder and feel sick to my stomach. How can I betray everyone I care about like this? The only thing that reassures me is the thought that I'm doing this to protect them. All too soon I reach the rooftop. I peer out through the fog and just make out the silhouette of Moriarty on the other side of the rooftop.
"Hello brother dear," I greet.
"How wonderful it is that you showed up!" He exclaims "now you can do it here! Just like Sherlock! Except it will be a bit more permanent for you."
"And for you," I snarl "John and Sherlock and Molly and Greg might lose me but at least they'll never have to deal with you again."
He chuckles but doesn't seem to acknowledge what I've said.
            "One thing I want to know is how can you act as if you're any better than me? Like you're the white knight and I'm the villain.  It's not like you haven't killed and lied and cheated and blackmailed just like me.  And can you honestly say that you feel bad about all the people you've killed and lied to and bribed and blackmailed?" He asks.
           "You're right," I sigh taking him by surprise "I'm no better than you.  I accepted it long ago that I am not a good person.  But my friends are.  Sherlock and John and Molly and Greg and Mycroft don't deserve to die.  My hands are stained with the blood of more people than I can count but theres aren't.  The only one who has as much blood on their hands as me is Mycroft but he's my brother.  I will not let him die.  That's why I'm here.  Not to put on some facade of a good person but to protect them."
"Well I've finally found your weakness!" He exclaims "you were tougher than Sherlock but now that I've finally broken you there is no chance of your returning. You're ordinary just like Sherlock and everyone else!"
I swallow hard.
"Well there's no chance for you either!" I snarl "I'm anything by ordinary. As Sherlock said, I may be on the side of the angels but don't think for one second that I am one of them!"
Swiftly in one movie I draw a gun from my holster and shoot Moriarty in the head. His head whips back and he collapses with a bloody hole in his head. I take a deep breath then get my phone and call John. I look down and see him and Sherlock about to enter a cab with the groceries.
"John stop," I tell him when he picks up. "Get Sherlock and come to Barts Hospital"
"What? Why?" He asks quizzically.
"Just do it," I mutter.
Him and Sherlock walk into the parking lot.
"Now stop," I tell them "John put your phone on speakerphone and look up on the roof."
He does and although the fog makes it difficult to see a mere 10 feet in front of you much less a figure on a roof when he sees me I hear his sharp intake of breath.
"What are you doing?" He asks panicked "get down!"
I swallow hard and grit my teeth as the tears in my eyes threaten to spill down my face.
"I'm going to have to do it from up here," I sigh "there are so many things I haven't told you. I wish I had more time but this is all I can do. Every day the blood on my hands erases more and more of my being. The number of people I've sent to their deaths raises every day. The number of people I've murdered in cold blood..."
"What are you talking about?" Sherlock asks in panic.
"Oh brother dear you know exactly what I mean," I reply shakily "I mean that this is the last time I'm going to talk to you. First of all I want you guys to know that I love you so so so much. John you are as much a brother to me as Sherlock and Mycroft. I wouldn't do this if I didn't have to. But I must. Every day a little more of my being chips off until I'm ready to shatter. I'm like porcelain left in the sun. Lastly I'm doing this to protect you. As long as I'm with you you're in danger. I have even more people trying to kill me than Sherlock. As long as I'm alive you will be in danger but now you can get on with your lives. Sherlock, John, you two belong together. You are soulmates. I love both of you and I know that you will both get through this and live a wonderful life."
As I say the last part my voice cracks and tears start to drip down my face.  I feel like a whole is being ripped through me and I lose the tough exterior that I portray to the world.  I feel like I'm being skinned raw.  My whole facade is melting into nothing and the only thing that remains is the real me. Raw, broken, damaged beyond repair...
"What are you saying?" John shouts "get down from there now!"
I take a deep breath. Clench my fists.
"Goodbye my brothers."
Then I jump. Down. Down. Down.