Holmes woke up with a silent scream and hit carriage's window. He would have fallen down, if not for Professor catching him and putting next to himself.

"Bad dream?"

"No, why?" Holmes replied, while rubbing his head. "The last hotel didn't belong to the best, but at least it wasn't haunted."

"I'm sorry to hear that." he mocked. "Next time, I will tell the landlord about your requirements."

Sherlock glared at him. If he was in a better shape, detective surely would talk back to him.

"Ask the question." Professor told him almost instantly.

"What?"

"Anger won't help you."

"Really?" Holmes leaned closer. "I admit, I may have my plans, but by sending me on this suicide mission...You wanted to kill me! This was never a part of our contract. You wanted to break your word!"

"No, I wanted to teach you a lesson." The villain answered without any change in his posture. "Be grateful that only you suffered. In other situation... I don't have to remind you, who would take the blame."

Sherlock hit the window frustrated and immediately regretted it.

"Stop this." Moriarty held him by his arms."You'll only hurt yourself."

Detective snorted. Living with Moriarty was dangerous. It made him do things, which he hoped never repeat again. Of course, Holmes knew that the world wasn't divided only on black and white, but covered in all shades of grey. It was like standing before a shining beautiful curtain, which suddenly was raising up, destroying all illusions and throwing him in the darkness.

"As for Sebastian, you would never do that." Professor added indicating his choice to rescue Moran.

Holmes closed his eyes and felt as Moriarty's hand brushed his hair away.

"No, you wouldn't." Moriarty said as to a gifted student, who suddenly was stuck in one place and needed a motivation to go on. "Man is described by his actions. Deep down, you know that the true failure would come, when you would become like me. Love makes us vulnerable, but... it also makes us human. I suppose."

Sherlock's body was tired, but his brain automatically picked the meaning of words. He helped Moran, not because of the need to solid his position in devil's hierarchy, but because he saw a wounded man.

What an irony, Holmes thought, that the most hated criminal helped me understand it.

"Oh, and please listen to my last advice..."

Sherlock looked at Professor with an interest, then in a second was grabbed by his throat and positioned a mere inch from Moriarty's face.

"Don't ever try to recruit Moran. Your heart may not be tainted, but remember that mine is." detective resisted, but the mastermind only squeezed harder, keeping detective in his place. "You should feel honoured, Mr Holmes. You have experienced a rare generosity from my side."

He let him go. Sherlock exhaled with a loud gasp and pushed away as far from the mastermind as it was possible.

"What now?" Holmes asked, when he regained the ability to speak again.

"Now?" Moriarty grabbed him again, indicating that the lesson hadn't been finished yet. "The journey will be very long. Do you have any propositions?"

Detective had many ideas: start the fight, jump from carriage and run into cold forest, even kill himself. It would be good, if Moriarty could take away his hands from under his shirt.

The constant tension exploded and the final result rather didn't suit to the situation - Sherlock started laughing nervously, at first quietly, then the sound grew louder. Moriarty only half smiled in response and held the trembling form even closer to himself.

Holmes let him win.

For now.