Dancing With The Devil (part two)

Chapter 6: Silence

Astrid felt her vision going blurry as she stumbled up onto her feet. She found herself leaning over the railings shouting out his name across the street, to once again be pulled back by Sebastian's strong grip. He pulled her inside and pushed her back against the wall with his hand over her mouth.

"He mustn't hear or see us," Sebastian argued as the other blonde continued to punch his arm and attempt to wriggle out of his grip.

"Fuck off Seb!" she carried on straining, before Seb finally loosened his grip and looked sternly into her eye.

"Just, calm-"

"Oh fuck off." She pushed him back forcefully and practically launched herself back out into the open. Sherlock was about to stand up onto the ledge. He was panting with shock as he jumped up onto the ledge. Astrid watched him take out his phone and start to speak into it. She rolled her eyes as pools of water began to form in them and went back inside, "I'm going over there, and there's shit all you can do to stop me."

"But-"

Before he could say anything, she pushed passed him and sprinted down the narrow staircase, when she got out into the open, she looked up at the rooftop and Sherlock was still there. She ran around the block, not taking note of her surroundings, and ran in through the entrance door. She ran up to the desk where their was a small lady sat at it.

"How do I get to the roof?"

"You're not supposed to-"

"Just tell me, it's an emergency."

"Just follow the stairs."

After hearing the reply, she continued on her journey without thanking the little woman and sprinted over to and up a large staircase. It took her a good minute, and by the time she reached the top, she suddenly slowed down. Astrid hesitantly pushed down the handle of the door causing the door to slowly open, allowing light to pour into the dark stairwell. She leaned round slowly to see Sherlock still stood on the ledge. She found herself looking down where her eyes met the lifeless body of James Moriarty.

The pools of tears were now waterfalls, Astrid felt all ability to stand leave her body as she collapsed into a heap on the floor. She took no notice of Sherlock and pathetically crawled over to the body of her dead lover, whispering his name over and over again, she reached the side of his body and took the gun out of his hand and with shaking hands aimed it at the detective who was still facing away from him.

"You bastard!" Her shaky voice managed to yell. The detective slowly turned around, his phone on his hands. He put it away from his face and smiled sympathetically.

"I'm sorry." He sighed and smiled again, almost genuinely. He turned back round and said something into the phone, before throwing it to the ground.

Then he jumped.

He actually jumped.

Astrid threw the gun across the roof and took Jim by the hand and rested her crying face on his chest.

"Please, Jim." She sulked, "you can wake up now ...he's gone. You can wake up. Please just wake up."

There was no movement from the Irishman. Astrid lifted her teary head up from his chest and let the wind blow her hair back. She slowly managed to stand up. Astrid stumbled across the roof to the edge where Sherlock had jumped off and peered over the edge. There was a large crowed around where he fell, she could even see John Watson. He, however, wasn't crying, but Astrid could tell by the state of his face that he was upset. She heard the door of the roof open and she quickly reached for the gun that was by her feet and lifted it up at the intruder.

"Show yourself!" She shouted protectively. Sebastian Moran stepped out of the stairwell with his hands up. Astrid sighed as she threw the gun to the ground. She sprinted over to him and attacked him with a hug, after a few seconds, chocking through tears, Astrid managed to whisper something, "what's going to happen now?"

There was a small pause.

"I don't know." Seb said truthfully. Astrid sighed as she buried her face into his chest, not baring to look down at Jim's body. She couldn't get him out of her head. His perfectly chiselled face, his smirk that could be dangerous and kind at the same time, these would be stuck in the back of her mind forever. She remember the first time they met. The first time she saw his smirk, when he took her to a restaurant, then took her home, and her life changed forever.

Then it hit her.

She instantly remembered what Jim had said not two hours ago:

'You remember where we first met, right?'

'Of course, at the George, you took me for dinner.'

'It's just that ...if anything happens to me-'

That was it. He'd seen it coming. Realisation dawned upon her, Astrid wriggles out of Seb's hold and started walking towards the exit.

"Where are you going?"

"I need you to take me to the George."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

And with that, Astrid disappeared down the staircase with Seb hesitantly following.