Vatican Cameos (A BBC Sherlock Fanfiction)

4. Over-Reacting

LATER.
*********

The four of them have been thrown out of the restaurant and have relocated to a café. Sherlock and Elisabeth sit on one side of a table, with Sherlock wearing his coat, his fingers steepled in front of him. John and Mary, also in their coats, sit side by side opposite him with their arms folded.

"I calculated that there were thirteen possibilities once I'd invited Moriarty onto the roof." Says Sherlock.

"I wanted to avoid dying if at all possible." He explains.

Flashbacks of Sherlock on the rooftop of Bart's, he rapidly looks around the roof and all the surrounding buildings, visually calculating trajectories, angles and even the possibility of a ladder being lowered from a helicopter.

"The first scenario involved hurling myself into a parked hospital van filled with washing bags. Impossible. The angle was too steep. Secondly, a system of Japanese wrestling ..."

"You know, for a genius you can be remarkably thick." Interrupts John.

"Tell me about it." Says Elisabeth.

"What?" Asks Sherlock.

"I don't care how you faked it, Sherlock. I wanna know why." Says John.

"Why? Because Moriarty had to be stopped." Says Sherlock.

He looks at Elisabeth's expression.

"Oh. 'Why' as in ..."

He lifts a finger, pointing it in her direction. She nods.

"I see. Yes. 'Why?' That's a little more difficult to explain."

"We've got all night." Says John.

"Actually, um, that was mostly Mycroft's idea." Says Sherlock, looking down.

"Oh, so it's your brother's plan?" Asks John.

"Oh, he would have needed a confidant ..." Says Mary.

Sherlock nods in agreement and Mary trails off at John's look.

"Sorry." She says.

She refolds her arms and looks down. John turns back to Sherlock.

"But he was the only one? The only one who knew?"

Sherlock closes his eyes briefly and seems to force the next sentence out.

"Couple of others."

John lowers his head. Sherlock talks quickly.

"It was a very elaborate plan – it had to be. The next of the thirteen possibilities ..."

"Who else? Who else knew?" Asks John, looking up at Sherlock.

Sherlock hesitates.

"Who?" Asks Elisabeth.

"Molly." Says Sherlock.

"Molly?" Say John and Elisabeth simultaneously. Both of them outraged.

"Molly Hooper – and some of my homeless network, and that's all."

"Okay." Says John, he sits up a little and glances round at Mary, who gives him a sympathetic smile. He turns to Sherlock again.

"Okay. So just your brother, and Molly Hooper, and a hundred tramps." He says.

Sherlock chuckles.

"No! Twenty-five at most." Says Sherlock.

John hurls himself across the table and attempts to throttle his old friend again.