As It Should Be

Chapter 9: The Riechenbach Falls (Again

Sherlock couldn't remember much of what happened between leaving Johns and waking up the next day. He was on complete autopilot. His heart shattered to pieces, knowing that the love he had for the right man, the good man, would always be unrequited. And the love he found to be requited was with the devil. When he woke up James the flat was empty. Sherlock wasn't sure what had happened when he left the flat that night to go to Johns, he could remember a struggle, he must have confronted James, they must've fought. It was all very blurry, that whole day. From the moment things clicked into place, Sherlock felt like a mess of emotion. Incoherent. Confused. But he felt clearer now. He knew what had to be done.

He got up and wandered into the living room, where he saw from the window, Johns's car parked outside. He picked up his violin and began playing his own composition.

"You're here to help with James I suppose" Sherlock said, not turning away from the window as he continued to play.

"Sherlock, James isn't here." John said. There was an unnerving tone to his voice that was enough to still Sherlock's hand. He put down his violin and bow and turned to face his guests.

"What? Well not now, he left last night, I assume"

"No, Sherlock, James isn't in the country. He hasn't been for a while."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You remember he left, months ago, after that dinner, when you broke his nose?"

"I- no he broke my nose" Sherlock was suddenly remembering his fist hitting James nose. How Sherlock had cried and begged James to stay as he walked out the door with his suitcase.

"No, you broke his nose, remember, darling. He was leaving you again, and you were upset." Mary interjected, her tone calmer than Johns, who seemed frustrated, aggravated, concerned.

"No that - he was here yesterday! He gave me this." Sherlock pointed to his black eye.

John and Mary looked at each other concerned.

"He's evil, he's tricked you. It was him, this whole time, he was Moriarty! I was blind not to see it, but it was him, he's been killing all these people."

"Sherlock..." Mary looked as if she were about to cry.

"Yes, it was him. Mary, he's good I know, he tricks people, he gets into their head, but I need you right now to know I am telling the truth." Sherlock quickly turned. "John, you believe me. Of course I can trust you, you believe me right."

John was silently looking at the floor, he slowly raised his head and Sherlock noticed his face was angry, angrier than he'd ever seen it. "Not this time." He spoke in a slow quiet whisper.

"Mary, please tell your husband he's-"

"SHUT UP! Stop fucking talking." John roared. "You don't get to do that." His voice was shaking. "You don't get to say her name. You don't get to say my wifes name. Not after what you did."

"What I did." Sherlock laughed, exasperated.

"Oh don't you dare. You can have your delusions about James all you like, but you don't pretend you don't remember, not her. You have some GODDAMN RESPECT YOU COWARD." Sherlock was thrown by John's sudden seemingly irrational anger. Then suddenly, in a quiet shaky whisper, tears beginning to fall down his face John spoke the words that changed everything. "You killed her."

"Wha-"

"YOU KILLED HER YOU MONSTER"

"I - Wha-" Sherlock looked back at Mary, except, where she was stood, where she was just standing, only moments ago, was just an empty space.