Sherlock: His Lover Called A [Sherlaide II]

Priority

Miss Me?

Sherlock's eyes turned steely gray as he read those words. Then Adelaide turned it over and there was another message.

Just in case you've forgotten about me. Yes, I know all about your new pet.

"Moriarty..." Sherlock growled and took the card from her. Everything about it screamed of the consulting criminal. The fine quality of the paper and ink. How Adelaide was addressed as a "pet". The specific phrase "Miss Me?". That was a dead giveaway. Of course, he always did relish having my full attention.

"Th-This is Moriarty, then?"

"Most certainly. Only he would describe you as a pet and send so simple a message with such expensive cardstock and ink," Sherlock answered. He tapped the card in his hand, "This was not dropped with the rest of the post. No, someone else slipped it into your box."

"M-maybe Pete saw who did?"

He nodded, "Perhaps. Go and ask him. I need to inform the others."

"O-Okay." She stepped around him as he whipped out his mobile and texted John and Lestrade before calling Mycroft.

"Mycroft."

"What is it, Sherlock?"

"Moriarty. He left a message."

"What was it this time? A body?"

"A note. Left in Adelaide's post box- clearly meant for me. Mycroft, I know you've rigged up the place-"

"Besides the Postman, there was one other person who opened the box. The security footage shows a woman depositing a card into it. She must know about the cameras because she avoided showing her face in every camera angle and shot we have. She wore a hooded parka, cap, and gloves so she effectively concealed almost every identifying characteristic. Except for her basic body measurements and hair colour."

Sherlock bristled, "A professional courier. Probably long gone by now."

"Indeed."

"Then Moriarty is biding time. He isn't emerging fully from the shadows..," Sherlock hummed, "Vicariously, of course. He blew his brains out so someone is pulling the strings. This is a proxy criminal."

"... Precisely, brother mine. Thus, the question is what to do now that this proxy Moriarty has confirmed their knowledge of and interest in Adelaide?"

The consulting detective sighed, clenching and unclenching his jaw. Adelaide and Peter returned and he mentally deduced that the landlord had indeed seen a woman near the mail boxes earlier. However Sherlock was more concerned with how frightened Adelaide's baby blue eyes were. His heart stung whenever she was scared like that and he was not about to allow her unspoken fears become reality. He won't get her. Not now. Not ever.

"I will call you back, blood," He hung up on Mycroft and got the confirming report from Peter. Once that was through, Sherlock dismissed him and whisked Adelaide upstairs into her flat, "Love, now that Moriarty has expressed his interest in you-"

"H-He wants to k-k-kill me, doesn't he?" Sherlock's heart clenched up and she continued before he could respond, "He wants to hurt you-"

He reached out and pulled her as close as he could to his chest, holding her firmly against his frame, "I won't let him hurt you, Adelaide. Do not worry. Now that he has made this move I know I will be able to start hunting him and his new associates down. Moriarty will not succeed."

"How are you so sure, Sherlock?"

Truly, he wasn't certain. And he knew she knew he wasn't. Sherlock sighed, "I'm not. But you can be certain that I will do everything in my power to keep him from harming you, Adelaide," To his confusion she started sniffling. He backed up a bit, just enough to look into her face as two tiny droplets trailed down her cheeks, "Love, I promise. I won't let him touch you... why are you crying?"

He cupped her face as she sniffled again, "Why, Sherlock?"

"Why what, Adelaide?" He brushed away the escaped tears.

She looked up at him, "Why are you so willing to protect me when it's so obvious that you're the intended target? He wants to burn you and you're focused on me?"

Sherlock knew that that had been simmering for a while, and that it wasn't just Moriarty that was bringing those feelings to the surface. He frowned and brought her back into his embrace, "Because you matter too much for me to do nothing and let you get hurt."

Much longer and that won't be a proper answer.

"O-Okay..."

But I'm not certain of how to answer that question. But keeping her and my friends safe is more important. Until Moriarty is dealt with, that is my priority.

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