Moriartys Girl - A Sherlock Story

31 - The Day, Part 3

"What are you doing here?" Sherlock looked over Jims shoulder to me as he turned round.

"Finally! What were you doing?" he walked over to me, taking me by my waist and pushed me towards Sherlock.

"I had to talk to a few people" I put my hand on his shoulder, staring at Sherlock.

"Why are you here?" Sherlock kept his eyes on me as he spoke, "Isn't this between me and Moriarty?"

"No. It's between the three of us" I replied, "You always put me down. You always made me feel like I was nothing." I moved towards him, "You can't change who I am"

"I tried. I nearly succeeded" Sherlock stepped back, closer to the edge.

"No, no you didn't. It was always there, it would have always come out"

"I just pushed it along" Jim quipped from behind me.

"You dragged it out of her" Sherlock snapped, "You made her kill, made her torture"

"I had a CHOICE!" I screamed at him, "We all have choices. Jim showed me one and I took it"

"I showed you one" Sherlock said, moving his attention back to me

"I didn't like it that much" I slowly walked to the right and circled him as I spoke, "It was just so...boring. I could see my life with your choice; degree, still living in Baker Street with you and Nan, find myself a man if it's not you, right?" I stopped in front of him, "The lesser of two evils, right Sherlock? You didn't care about me; you just didn't want Jim to have me."

"How did I know he'll try to be in your life?"

"You knew. You're Sherlock Holmes, you always know." I turned back to Jim. "But I never really understood why. Why Jim? Why me? Of all the girls, why me?"

"Because it's you" Jim stood there with his hands in his pockets, "For years I've been watching you. Seen what you do. I couldn't let Sherlock have all the fun."

"But why me?"

Jim continued to stare at me as I tried to find an answer on his face. I couldn't see anything. He wasn't giving anything away... Or was he?

"Don't you see it?" Sherlock's voice was right behind me in my ear, "he likes you."

"No he doesn't." I said very quickly. There was no way he liked me, "He put up with me because I was able to do things for him so he didn't get his hands dirty."

"No, no, no, Lexi" Sherlock moved between the two of us, "That may have been why he started but not why he's here now."

"What are you on about?" I asked, looking between the two of them; they just stared at each other.

"He's asking you to choose" Sherlock turned to me, "You just said you had choices. He's giving you the choice."

"Me or Sherlock" Jim smirked as Sherlock turned back to him, "Make your choice"

"Jim, I don't - "

"I chose you because of your shot; because of what you've been through" Jim started to explain as he walked over to me, "I let you go because of what you've been through. But I couldn't actually let you go. I couldn't get you out my head." Jim took my hand in his, gently rubbing his thumb over my knuckles, "Help me be better."

"I can't do this" I removed my hands from his and took the gun from my purse, pointing it at Jim. "It's my choice right?"

Jim backed up and Sherlock came to my side, "Lexi, don't do this. Don't be stupid."

"Oh, so you can kill him but I can't?" I shouted at Sherlock, "I'm stupid for wanting him out my life?"

"There are other things we can -"

"No. This is my choice. My life was simpler without you two in it, not in London. With mum" a tear ran down my cheek, "Mum may not be there but I need that life back."

"It won't be the same" Jim pleaded, "Not after all this."

"I don't care" I pulled the trigger and shot at Jim. He went backwards and fell to the ground.

"Alexa!" Sherlock shouted before I turned the gun on him

"I'm sorry Sherlock. I have to"

"No you don't. You have a choice!" He slowly moved backwards

"Yes, I do. And I can't carry on knowing you're alive" I swallowed hard before my final sentence, "Say hi to Rebecca for me." I pulled the trigger again and Sherlock went over the edge.

I lowered the gun and turned round to see James still on the floor. I walked over to him just lying there. "I'm sorry Jim," I kissed his head and walked passed him and through the fire exit, down the stairs and out a back exit where my car was waiting. That was not to plan exactly.