the king's crown | j. moriarty (18+)

fifty three

"IT'S NICE TO FINALLY meet you, Mr Holmes, properly." Elizabeth placed her hand out to the man once they had reached their destination and could speak face to face. They were in an office when this opportunity arose. Elizabeth had also noticed that one of the walls were reflective.

"How do you know who I am?"

"You're Sherlock's brother." Elizabeth said exasperated. Mycroft looked at the paper in front of him and smiled tightly. "We've met." Mycroft eyed her suspiciously, obviously she wasn't important enough to stick in his massive brain.

"You have spent a great deal of your time with my little brother these past few years. Very close to John Watson too, I can see." If Mycroft was trying to intimidate her with documents and photographic evidence, it wasn't working. He was about four years too late.

"Yes, I have."

"That's good." Mycroft said, making Elizabeth squint. "Very good. He doesn't really have friends."

"I wouldn't say we were friends."

"No, because he is being put on a plane tomorrow afternoon and not you." Elizabeth smiled with a raised eyebrow and hummed. Mycroft blinked twice, quickly, as if trying to understand the foreign protective sensation that had snapped out of his throat. After a brief moment, Mycroft proceeded to lift the gun that had been in Elizabeth's pocket in a doggy bag. "You shot Charles Augustus Magnussen."

"I did." Elizabeth said without flinching. "But I'm disappointed if you needed the gun to know that." Mycroft offered her a sharp twitch of his lips.

"I didn't." He said, reassuring them both of his intelligence. "But sadly the police do."

"What?" Mycroft clasped his hands together after placing the gun down. He smiled challengingly, letting her know he had the upper hand before he even spoke.

"I intercepted this before it was recorded. Now, if this were to be found by the squad soldiers who removed you from Magnussen's property, this would put you in a very awkward situation. Not to mention Sherlock would be free." Elizabeth tilted her chin.

"What are you asking from me?" Elizabeth said dryly.

"Miss Dallon, James Moriarty, though dead, is still the biggest threat to this country. Regretfully, I'm requesting your services. Otherwise I'd happily see you face the charges for what you have done. It seems you aren't as disposable as you make out and it seems her Majesty's Secret Service now need help from the mundane." Mycroft spoke through a fake smile, and Elizabeth remained silent. "So, here we are." Mycroft said clasping his hands together. "You are to provide information; data, contacts and cases about whoever and whatever is requested. Failure to do so will mean this offer is revoked and adequate punishment will be enforced, do you understand?"

"No." Elizabeth states bitterly.

"Good." Mycroft hissed, "I'm not my brother, Miss Dallon. I'm not so naïve. I know your relations with Moriarty go deeper than you declared in court and to my brother. And frankly, Moriarty must have seen something in you to spend so much time with you. So you're an asset. You are involved."

"Good of you to presume."

"Sources have informed me of this. I told you I am not my brother. Don't doubt what I say." Mycroft asserted. Elizabeth looked him over sceptically.

"You want phone numbers from me? Elizabeth mocked. And Mycroft shifted uncomfortably.

"I want you to source and give me information,  whenever it is requested. You have... an ability that goes beyond what my credentials allow." Elizabeth crossed her arms. "There are also...opportunities to supersede this role." Elizabeth looked through him and at the desk again. Scoffing. What on earth was happening? Opportunities? She could get a job with the secret service. Ironic, really.

Elizabeth isn't stupid though, and noted quickly she would need to get the agreement tape being recorded on the other side of the wall ahead of her and the gun at Mycroft's side. If Mycroft plans on using this against her, using it whenever he fancied, Elizabeth would have to make sure he can't accuse her of anything. She'd play victim.

"If you say no, Miss Dallon, you will be killed."

Elizabeth was sure this was supposed to frighten her, she tried to force herself to react in a natural way. If they killed her though, Moriarty wouldn't stop until everyone and anyone related to this meeting was dead. It would be very obvious he is still alive. She thought of the information she'd also be able to feed from and pass to Moriarty and Mycroft's offer seemed suddenly much more palatable. She thought then of the ominous 'sources' giving Mycroft information about her and her cheeks became hot. She'd be dealing with that later.

Elizabeth nods an 'okay' and Mycroft clears his throat in return. "There's something else." He says, avoiding eye contact. "When my brother returns," he gathered the paper in his hands, standing and turning away from her, speaking quickly. "Look after him."

♔

"Sebastian!" Elizabeth chimed, running around the car to the guard and linking arms with him. He smiled, sighing a laugh.

"Yeah?" Elizabeth looked up to Sebastian, the setting sun colouring her face orange.

"I've had a really good day." Sebastian smiled, confused, sneaking a look to the coat pocket resting against his thighs. No gun. He cleared his throat.

"That's good to hear." Elizabeth skipped to Moriarty's office, swinging arms with Sebastian. It was no longer unusual for Elizabeth to enter wherever Moriarty was working. If anything, it's was a pleasure.

"I've missed you." She hummed to Sebastian and there was that beauty that came from her, looking perfectly herself.

Elizabeth had fallen through an inconceivable amount of madness to find herself and though she wore it beautifully, finally content in who she was despite years denying it, she was undeniably insane. That didn't mean she was any less important than the girl he met years ago. But she thrives from the madness fed to her by Moriarty. She'd never imagined she would, the effects of his insanity in her had scared Elizabeth, and Sebastian and Jim in fact, but it couldn't have melted into her more naturally. Her true form was found. "Shall we catch a movie later?" She said nonchalantly. Sebastian shrugged.

"Yeah go on, then." Elizabeth grinned and opened the door, singing Moriarty's name as she entered. Jim looked up from the desk he was working at. It was white and had a vanished top, buried in papers.

Jim Moriarty looked to her with quirked eyebrows from the sight of their arms tangled and bodies together. James slowly lifted his head away from his work and his eyes began to dilate at the focused image of Elizabeth. She looked different. She seemed breathless with sin, itching and excited but glowing too. James had never been anything less than infatuated with Elizabeth, but today, what he'd seen in her developing was finally here, pouring from her skin and he was surprised to see its sudden impact. Her final acceptance. His eyes were clouding with lust he couldn't help.

Jim had always had the same effect on Elizabeth, even when she wanted to hate him, and maybe that's why she ended up here, like this. Years later, insanity in her blood, her teeth impatiently digging into her lower lip to expose the sin she'd committed and her eyes sparkling with excitable danger. She giggled at the heaviness of his gaze and squirmed beneath it.

"Do you have something to tell me, love?"

"Oh, so much."