Sherlock: Lover Mine [Book II]

Burning

"Make me, Detective."

"You want revenge because I dismantled Moriarty's network. Release Susanna and you can do what you will with me." Sherlock couldn't see John's expression, but his statement caught Susanna's attention and she snapped her head in his direction.

Don't. Was the message in her eyes. Simple yet desperate. Sherlock tightened his grip on his pistol and refocused his eyes on Jerome.

Buy time. Buy time.

"That offer is tempting but I'll have to refuse. It's no fun if you're chivalrous."

Alex spoke up, "This is getting a little boring, isn't it?"

"Not yet, sweetheart. Not. Just. Yet."

John and Sherlock were losing their patience and it showed. Sherlock narrowed his eyes, "Boring? Me?"

"Happens to the best. Face it, you aren't the same fireball of a detective you were when Moriarty was around. You've gone soft. And it's terribly amusing to watch you squirm."

"Let Susanna go. She isn't part of this feud." John tried and was shut down.

"The second she became intimately connected with Sherlock was when she became part of everything. Don't deny it."

Sherlock drew a sharp breath, "So you think this is boring?"

"Is that an invitation?"

"I do so hate boring affairs. If you're going to do anything, just do it now."

Alex gave a dark smile as Jerome considered.

"Alright then. Fire is so much more dramatic in short bursts," He relented, "Since I'm not done burning you, might as well finish in one go."

"Jay?" Alex asked, seeking permission. Sherlock stiffened and steeled himself. John recognized the subtle signal and re aimed.

Jerome nodded as Sherlock threw his gun to the floor, "Vatican Cameos!"

John took Alex and incapacitated her with a clean shot to the leg. She let go of Susanna on her way to the tile floor and Sherlock raced around the pool to take on Jerome. The latter was only momentarily fazed, and before Susanna could get clear of him the psychopath grabbed her and dragged her in front of him as a body shield.

"Jay!" Alex cried. Jerome looked only slightly conflicted. He's come too far to let it go. He can't. Sherlock deduced as he approached his opponent and lover, "You!!" Sherlock had to run past Alex, who took the opportunity and swung her good leg out in front of him.

It caught him off balance for a few seconds. John came running up to tend the wound and Jerome used the precious few seconds to lift up Susanna and toss her into the deep end of the pool, giving her a solid punch to the stomach to keep her from struggling any more as he did so.

Sherlock watched Susanna fly into the chlorinated water as if it were a slow motion film. She was bound and gagged. No matter how adept she was at swimming, she would suffocate and drown within a minute. John saw and got up, running after them.

Sherlock tackled Jerome hard, throwing them both to the ground. The two brawled and wrestled for too long before John could get there and relieve his best friend.

The detective and would be husband then shed his coat, blazer and scarf before diving in to retrieve Susanna. His heart threatened to stop and his eyes stung from more than the chemicals when he saw her eyes closed and that she was simply falling into the depths.

She's sinking like a lead weight. Water is already in her lungs.

He finally reached her and kicked off the pool's bottom to propel them back to the surface. He held her head above water until they reached the edge of the pool. John took hold of her and lifted her out, laying her on the tile.

Eyes burning but refusing to close or flush them out, Sherlock managed to climb out of the water and kneel beside Susanna. John had removed the gag and was working on her arms, so he'd turned her over onto her side. Sherlock's heart ached and felt like it weighed a tonne, "She's not breathing!"

"You knew this would happen when you opened your heart," Jerome spat evilly, "Your heart is burning and I'm the one doing it."

Sherlock ignored him as he flipped Susanna, who had turned light blue, onto her back and started giving chest compressions. He would have to thank John later for forcing him to certify for CPR. The army doctor himself had to get up and tend Alex again, but he was pale with worry and Sherlock had turned blank white.

"Come on, Susanna! Please!" Sherlock begged. He pressed harder against her upper chest, but she didn't respond. After a minute he resorted to oral resuscitation, desperate to get her to react and show signs of life again. Every second longer that it took to revive her meant a second closer to death. Jerome snickered and laughed as the sopping wet detective split from his fianceé and let out a growl of frustration, "Wake up, Susanna!"

He tried again, using every fiber he had. This time he gave Susanna a few more strong compressions before following with more mouth-to-mouth. This time her body twisted and Sherlock cleared in time to turn her over so that she could expel a translucent mixture of stomach bile and pool water. Her eyes popped open as she did and she dry heaved before expelling more of the watery substance, but she was breathing and turning back to a normal color. Sherlock almost cried, "Thank goodness, Susanna!"

John let out his own breath of relief as Sherlock pulled Susanna close and helped clear out the rest of her lungs and esophagus. A minute later the pool was descended upon by Scotland Yard and first responders, as well as Mycroft's own men. Susanna declined a hospital visit and remained tucked in a ball in Sherlock's arms, who buried his face in the crook of her neck and left a series of gentle kisses there.

Alex was taken by the ambulance and Jerome was detained and whisked away. John took care of the Yard and updated everyone by text or call before approaching the pair of waterlogged lovers, "At least let me check you, Susanna."

"A-A-Alright." John nodded and knelt down. Sherlock still didn't move and John understood. When the doctor was assured that Susanna was going to be fine, he gave Sherlock's shoulders a firm squeeze.

"You did it, Sherlock. You saved her."

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