Daddy Dearest

Chapter Two

James Moriarty kept Sherry tucked against him as he approached the rickety looking steps that led up along the brick wall to their flat. At the top of the landing, he noticed that a bum was lounging a few feet from the door. The bum was completely out of it; his mouth half open as he snored like a chainsaw. James pretended to ignore the bum, sliding sideways past him until he could unlock the door to the flat and slip inside.

His accurate depiction of a coffin stared back at him. It was a muddy brown colored interior with darkly varnished wood reflecting them in its surface. The only source of natural light beside the doorway was the single window at the end of the room. A rocking chair sat there; already well used. James crossed over to the bassinet near the kitchen table and gently laid Sherry down in it.

"I'll get your formula started," whispered James, bending to kiss her forehead delicately as he saw her face scrunch up a bit in complaint.

James backed up away from her, moving to start the formula. Walking past the still half opened door, he still noticed that the bum was lounging outside. He ignored the bum again, moving to get the formula ready. As the formula was getting ready, he could hear the bum's chainsaw snore grow louder and louder in volume.

"Oh now," said James, turning to look over his shoulder at the bassinet. "This just simply won't do. Now will it?"

James moved aside from making the formula temporarily, moving towards a small radio that was tucked into the cobwebbed corner by the centuries old looking fridge. He pressed down on the grey play button on top, smiling softly as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons' "You're Just Too Good To Be True" flooded the air.

He reached to crank up the volume as the song played out, drowning out the snores of the bum outside. He started to sing portions of the song out loud as he did a semi-waltz through the kitchen. He moved to grab up a broom by the door, opening the door wide again as he sang the song. The bum on the stoop opened his eyes slightly when he heard singing, and felt the harsh prodding of a broom in his side. Before he knew it, he was falling off the stoop and down several stories into a trash container far below.

James smiled in satisfaction as he moved back into the flat. He put the broom back in its position, swinging a foot back to kick the door shut. He moved towards the bassinet where his daughter was, bending to pick her up as the song continued to play out. He kept her tucked close to him as he walked back to where the formula was, singing to her as he did.

"I love you baby. Trust in me when I say. Oh pretty baby, don't bring me down I pray. Oh pretty baby, now that I found you, stay. Oh pretty baby, trust in me when I say. I need you, baby..."

The end of the song died in his mouth before he could sing it, suddenly feeling as if someone were watching him. He stopped his semi-dancing and singing with Sherry, grabbing up the formula bottle and bringing it near her lips.

"Eurus," said James without turning around. "Why must you always appear as if you were a ghost?"

"It's more fun that way," said her voice then. James turned to look behind him. Near the single window in the flat, she sat in the rocking chair. Her hands were about her flattened stomach as if she were still imagining she was pregnant with Sherry. Eurus was absently staring off into space in the direction of the bassinet; a weird smile of sorts on her face.

"You can't just keep showing up like this..." muttered James as he kept Sherry close to him. She was contently sucking at the bottle he had provided.

"Why can't I? She's my child too..." Eurus smirked then. "Interesting...the baby has created a soft side in you. A vulnerability." Eurus turned her eyes from the bassinet to look at Sherry in James' arms. "Let me see my daughter."

Eurus was still clothed in white prison garb of some sort; her hair looking slightly wild. James brought Sherry closer to his chest, only causing Eurus to chuckle.

"She's making you too soft...I didn't think a dead man could get soft." She rose from her seat, moving closer to James. "I think it's time we got a babysitter for Sherry, don't you think?"

James was confused. Granted, him faking his death in the first place was to help Eurus with her plan to take down Sherlock Holmes and everyone else that happened to follow. While they were working together, it was true that matters had slipped completely out of their control, resulting in the five-month-old Sherry he was now holding close in his arms. He still lived as if he were dead to watch out for Sherry while Eurus still pretended that she was locked up in Sherrinford. That was the deal they had come to. He didn't understand why she was suddenly changing her tune.

"A sitter?" asked James then, moving to put the bottle down on the table that was littered with week old coffee stains. He repositioned Sherry gently to begin burping her, causing Eurus to let out a bark of laughter.

"You need to look in the mirror, James! For crying out loud, this child has turned you into a sap! It's your weakness. Now give it here. We're going to find a sitter for it."

Eurus moved to try to walk closer to Sherry again only for James to take a step back.

"Sherry doesn't need a sitter. She has me. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of her."

"Give her to me, James."

"Eurus, no," said James, moving to tuck Sherry close to him again; retreating a few more steps until the table was between the two of them.

"Two wrongs," Eurus said then, motioning at him and her, "do not produce a right. That child will only grow up to hurt you, and you're giving it the ammunition to."

"Our daughter is not a weapon!"

James didn't realize how passionately he cared about his daughter until the words flew out of his mouth. Eurus was making her way slowly around the table as James stood there rooted in shock at his words. When he finally snapped out of it, Eurus was standing right by his side. He kept Sherry close to him, turning his head to the side to look at Eurus.

"I never said she was a weapon...I just worry about you, James. I know you miss being out there...I know you miss your network...Your web...A spider can only survive away from its web for so long..."

As she said that, Eurus moved to brush her lips gently up his neck, causing him to close his eyes, but not loosen hold on his daughter.

"Unless said spider gets tangled in another web," said James as he forced himself to open his eyes again.

Eurus smirked at that, running one of her hands gently up his arm.

"Our daughter is asleep," she said in a soft voice, changing subjects. "How about you let her rest?"

James turned then to notice Eurus told the truth. Sherry was asleep in his arms. He gently moved to lay her down in her bassinet. She looked so beautiful asleep like that. As he turned from putting Sherry down, Eurus was suddenly upon him. He closed his eyes as he kissed her lovingly back. They repelled each other, yet always seemed to clash together.

James was right about one thing though. He was tangled in another web; a web of Eurus' creation. Right now, Eurus was enjoying toying with him until he broke. The worse part was, he was letting her. He couldn't stop her. He was trapped in her web, and he couldn't stop his old will from dying at her touch.