Believe in Me || Sherlock

Believe in Me- Chapter 51: Our Last Moments

I planned most of this chapter in advanced and then tweaked it. It really hurt.

Enjoy! (Or not...)

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Flora observed the dark poolside. No one was here. She was alone and it was quite creepy. Only the waves could be heard and Flora's irregular and heavy breathing. What would happen if she did die? Things would be very different. But maybe that was a good thing, Flora thought she wasn't much use anyway. She fiddled with the sleeve buttons on her shirt until Sherlock arrived, which was quite quickly. He looked quite frantic and nervous. Flora turned to him without an expression; she didn't know what to feel. She got up as Sherlock approached her.

"What's going on?" He asked, looking around the pool for anything suspicious.

"I thought you'd know that, detective," Flora tried to have a joke, but Sherlock wasn't having it.

"I'm serious," he said sternly. "It was here for a reason, right? The pool, I mean."

"That wasn't my choice."

Sherlock looked instantly intrigued. "Who's was it then?"

Flora hesitated then faced away from Sherlock. "Kate."

Sherlock sighed with annoyance. "I had a feeling she might have been involved. No doubt it was something Jim planned."

"Maybe so."

"What did she say?" He asked.

"Long story short: 'say your goodbyes and then you go up in flames.'"

Sherlock looked perplexed. "What does that mean?"

Flora began to shake and tears formed in her miserable looking eyes. "We're going to die."

The detective's face showed a hint if shock. "I don't understand."

"A bomb is going to go off any minute," she told him. "It started when you were 'dead,' Kate came over to Baker Street and she asked if I would die for you. Of course I said yes. Then she said something about considering answers..." She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath as Sherlock listened carefully. "Kate text me as soon you and John left earlier this evening; told me to meet her here, then she told me the details."

"Bloody hell," Sherlock placed his have in his hands. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Kate must have been plotting this since Moriarty's death. She must have thought that with him out of the way, she'd try her luck with Flora. Sneaky.

"I'm so sorry," Flora let out a sob. "I- I didn't mean for this to happen..."

Sherlock wrapped his arms around Flora, pulling her into a hug. "Nothing is going to happen. Promise."

Flora buried her head into Sherlock's scarf, tears soaking into the material. "Don't make promises you can't keep. It's going to happen... Once Kate's started something, she won't stop. And you're not dying for me again. Not for real."

"Trust me," Sherlock said softly. "I wasn't planning to. But just on this one occasion-"

"No," Flora cried. "Absolutely not."

"Looks like we'll just have to die together."

"No," She looked up at Sherlock, her eyes were red and watery. "This time, I'm dying for you. That was... the whole plan."

As much as Sherlock hated for this to happen, maybe she would just have to die. He knew that she was smart enough to stay strong, smart enough to survive. Flora was sad, not because of dying, but because of letting him go. Flora had taken one of her arms from behind Sherlock's back and ran it through his hair and making his expression turn soft with sadness. She tried to smile as the echoing ticking of clock began.

"You don't have to worry," Flora sniffed. "Everything's going to be okay."

"No, it's not," the detective's voice cracked slightly.

"It is, it'll be less painful then," she paused for a moment. "This time, you'll have to believe in me."

"I will," the corners of his mouth tugged, trying to smile. "I'll always believe in you."

"Thank you," Flora's voice was a hoarse whisper. "Sherlock?"

"Yes?"

She let go of Sherlock completely, but held his hands. They were cold, as were Flora's. Ice cold. "I know we haven't been close lately... But I must thank you for the wonderful time I have spent with you, I would never have traded it for anything. Thank you for protecting and caring for me. I owe you my life... and my life it what I shall give. I love you too much to see you die again."

"Wha- No," Sherlock stuttered as Flora let go of his hands. He tried to grab her hands again, but felt to weak to do so. "Please... Don't do this."

Flora trembled with sadness and looked Sherlock dead in the eye. "Trust me."

"But you won't survive-"

"Trust me," she repeated.

The nerve-wracking ticking came to an abrupt holt, but there was still time to save Sherlock. Flora, using her quick thinking and her plan, pushed Sherlock as hard as she could until he lost his balance and toppled over into the pool. He didn't suspect it coming. The last thing he heard was a ear-splitting roar of an explosion before being engulfed by water. The foul tasting liquid filled Sherlock's mouth, but he was determined to reach Flora. He pulled himself up to the surface, the waves lashing about like a tsunami. He looked at the surrounding area. Miraculously, the bulging hadn't been completely blown to smithereens, the walls had crumbled, the roof was no longer there and small fires crackled and burned. The police would be on their way soon. Sherlock heaved himself out of the pool, sitting on the ledge. His clothes stuck to his skin, his coat was soaked and his hair was dripping wet through, but that wasn't what was worrying him. Sherlock turned around and his heart dropped when he saw Flora; her body cut, burned and lying lifelessly. The happy, lively woman he once knew was now nothing. Eyes filled filled chlorine and tears, Sherlock slid over to her and looked at her body with disbelief. Surely this was a dream? It just couldn't be real.

Flora's face was bleeding with many cuts and her arm was bent at an awkward angle. There were also burns that lined her nose and some of her face. Sherlock picked up Flora and rested her limp body on his lap, then he cradled her lovingly. His heart was now shattered into a million pieces and may never be repaired. Sherlock had stayed silent and broken until he heard the police sirens outside. Minutes later, officers came rushing in followed by Lestrade, who stood in horror and the sight that lay before him. He came over to the detective in a split second.

"Oh my God," he croaked. "Sherlock... I am so, so sorry."

Sherlock could no longer let his human side be contained. He let the tears fall down his cheeks and he let Lestrade watch him cry.

They had been through so much together, now it had all faded into oblivion and all was lost...