Hello, I know I've been a long time, but I've had such a writer's block. At last here it is! I hope you like it, and I'm very glad Elementary has started again.

Chapter 12

Joan got up early the next morning, wanting to squeeze in a little exercise before she'd find out how to take this bitch down. She knew there was only one way. Find a weakness. And there was really only one way to do that. Talk to her again. Surely a woman like that was easily reachable. Certainly if she caused a little...trouble for her.

When she closed the door behind her, she looked casually down the street, immediately spotting Alfredo two doors down. They nodded, politely, as if they were just two strangers crossing each other's path, but really, it was a sign. The game was on. When she started running, she ran south, immediately to where 'Irene's' house was situated. Her and Alfredo would stake out for a few hours, maybe even blow something up.

Normally, Joan would never have even thought of the possibility of getting her hands on C4. Now she had, and Alfredo had it in his trunk, ready to detonate at any given moment. The detonator was her phone.

Which brought her to another thing that had her mind busy as a bee. Sherlock's text. She cried last night when she got it. He had never been so sweet or so sensitive before. He didn't even once use twelve year-old's language.

Forever yours,

He actually said that, forever yours. He'd told her he loved her before. But never, forever yours. It felt like a commitment, one that Joan was more than willing to make, but one she doubted Sherlock would be able to keep. He'd never been that much of a romantic.

Joan shook her head. She had to keep her head in the game, before she lost to that bitch and Sherlock would never be able to come back. She looked up to find the white house rising up in front of her. She'd been thinking about Sherlock all this time. She leaned on her knees, trying to catch her breath, when she heard a car pull up. Turning around, she saw Alfredo smiling at her.

"Hey, Joan. You've got a nice pace."

"Hey. Thank you for wanting to help me." she said, giving him a quick hug.

"So. This is where the bitch lives?"

Joan bit her lip. "I don't know to be honest. This is where Moriarty was when she led Sherlock here. You got the...stuff?"

"Yep, still in my trunk." He looked at her with a frown on her face. "Joan, are you sure you need it? I've never known you to be a violent woman."

Joan's gaze hardened. "I'm sure. Moriarty made this personal." She cringed at the harsh tone in her voice. She hadn't realized she was this pissed off. She could just rip the bitch's head off right now.

"She has, hasn't she?" Alfredo put a hand on her arm. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Joan bit, but Alfredo just looked at her. "Fine. No, I'm not okay. I'm not even remotely okay. I'm feeling a bit down. Just let me be for a few days, okay?" Alfredo lifted his hands in defeat.

"So what are we doing here?"

"I need to find weaknesses. Something that can tear her down enough to bring Sherlock home." Joan stared at the house.

There were no cars or signs of life whatsoever. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe Moriarty didn't live here. Alfredo cleared his throat. "You wanna do that by staring at the house?"

"I'm...not sure."

Alfredo smiled. "Okay. Lemme help you out here. You need to find weaknesses. The only way to do that is if you talk to her, or people who work with her."

Joan nodded, biting her lip. "I know, but how...?"

He turned her slightly to the right, and there she saw it. There was a car coming up to the house. Joan swallowed. If only she had Sherlock next to her, with his single stick training and his quick reflexes. But no, she did not really need him. She had her own training, her own skills. She had Alfredo next to her. They could handle this.

A dark man in a white suit exited, walking towards them with arrogance in his step. "Good morning. Are you Miss Moriarty?"

Joan's eyes widened momentarily and then smiled. "Yes. I am indeed." she said, and even Alfredo looked surprised at her perfect English accent.

The man bowed gracefully, and Joan had to fight to urge to raise her brows. Strange custom, but not unheard of. "Miss Moriarty, it is quite an honour to meet you. I am Papua Tunde. I was told you could...help me, with something."

Joan gave a smile, just like Moriarty would have; arrogant, dangerous, beautiful. "Certainly. This is my right hand man and trusted body guard, Alfred Lacombe. Anything you have to say to me can be said in front of him, he is to be trusted." Papua Tunde bowed his head to Alfredo. "Unfortunately, I was just about to talk a relaxing walk after my morning jog. Would you care to join me? We can do business on the way."

"Whatever suits you best, Miss."

So Joan turned around and started walking away from the premises, as fast as possible. If Moriarty came back – or outside – right now, everything would fall to ruin and she and Alfredo would probably lose their lives. Nerves coiled in her stomach as she walked with this intimidating man through the city that she had just met. "So Miss Moriarty. I'm looking for some help in the disposal of an...unwanted individual."

"You've come to the right address."

"I know I have. Someone in London recommended you. He spoke very highly of you."

That perked Joan's interests, and she stopped. "Really? Who in London?" She straightened her back, tightened her core and stretched her neck, thinking murderous thoughts to make herself look more dangerous.

"Oh, I don't think he'd like it if I..."

Joan turned, sending the guy a murderous look. "You give me that name, right now, or so help me I will let my bodyguard loose on you."

Papua Tunde just smiled. "You are really living up to your reputation, Miss Moriarty. Richard Brooke. He told me."

The name didn't mean anything to her, but she smiled as if she did. "Ah yes, Richard. What's he been up to?"

"The usual." he said, smiling familiarly at her, and she smirked back as if she knew what he was talking about.

"Back to business. What do you need?" Joan knew she had to get out, now, before she got in way over her head.

"One of your clean jobs."

"When?"

"Two days from now."

"I need to check in my diary. Contact me tomorrow, but do not come back to my estate." she warned. She had to make sure he never met the real Moriarty. "I don't have my contact information on me, do you have a pen and paper?"

Papua Tunde smiled, taking out a piece of paper and a pen. "Here you go, Miss."

Joan wrote down the number of one of the burner phones and handed it to him. "Here you go. I have another appointment now. Good afternoon, Mr Tunde. Alfred?"

Alfredo nodded silently, staying in perfect body guard role as he walked after her. He held it together until they moved two blocks away from the weird guy, before he let out a relieved breath. "Are you crazy? Did you really just impersonated a raging, murderous bitch?" he hissed at her.

"I improvised." Joan said, tremors going through her with the adrenaline receding from her system.

"You panicked and did something stupid."

Joan rolled her eyes as the circled back to the villa, and to their car. The C4 was luckily unused. She would've dreaded having to use those. "Fine. Yes. I panicked. But this is good. We have a name we can give Sherlock. A guy in London."

Alfred nodded, smirking a bit. "You're right. Let's go back before the raging bitch comes back."

Joan nodded, happy that she could leave this place. She drove away quickly, hoping not to run into Moriarty. She wanted to go home quickly and get on the phone with Sherlock. It had been way too long since she'd heard his voice. She said goodbye and thank you to Alfredo in front of the brownstone, and quickly went inside to make her call.

Anxiously pacing around and biting her nails, she waited for Sherlock to pick up. "Joan." Joan nearly sobbed when she heard his voice, and then smiled.

"Sherlock."

"Are you okay? Is everything alright? God I miss you." Joan smiled. Sherlock Holmes was rambling. That was a first.

"I'm fine, everything is fine. I miss you, too." She smiled into the phone, hoping he could hear it. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, I guess." He sounded tired, his voice a bit scratchy, as if he was on the constant brink of crying.

"I have some news you might be interested in." Joan quickly recounted her tale of this morning. Sherlock was a good listener, never interrupted until she got to the end. Then all hell broke loose. He yelled at her for going to Moriarty's estate, for being so immensely stupid, for not thinking about what could've happened to her, and God damn it, if something had happened, what about him?

She took it all without saying anything, allowing him to let his crankiness out. She realized he was just worried sick over her. "Nothing happened, Sherlock. But I'm sorry I didn't think ahead. I honestly never realized something that bad could've happened."

Sherlock was breathing heavily on the other side. "I'm sorry for yelling. That was wrong. But Joan, you mean...a lot to me. If something had happened...God, I can't even begin to think about it. Anyway. Richard Brooke. The name doesn't ring a bell. But I'll look into it. Good job, Joan, even though it was dangerous."

"What's life without a little danger?" Joan said, smiling. "It's why I stayed in the first place."

Sherlock chuckled on the other end. "I'm going through old case files with Lestrade right now, to see if we can find something about Moriarty that we missed the last time. She has quite a record. Of course, none of it was ever proven, and she was cleared for most of it, but still."

"She's good."

"She is." He stayed silent for a moment, before taking a deep breath. "Joan, I realize that you want to help, but I want you safe. Please be more careful."

Joan bit her lip, dreading what she had to say next. "Well, I kinda sorta agreed to meet with him again?" she said, making it sound like a question. She braced herself for a next wave of rage, but to her surprise, it didn't come.

"Interesting. What did you say his name was?" She repeated the name, and Sherlock hummed to himself. "It does ring a bell. I'm going to find out more about this man. If you meet with him, take Alfredo with you. Do not find yourself alone with him, always have Alfredo next to you. I realize you can take care of yourself, but it will make me feel better."

Progress. He knew she could take care of herself now. That'd been a long time coming. "I won't, Sherlock. I promise."

Sherlock sighed deeply. "I miss you so much, Joan. I wish we could do this side by side. Like everything else."

Joan held back a sob and a laugh at the same time. "We are, Sherlock. Just...with an ocean between us." She looked at her feet, smiling sadly. She shouldn't be this affected by the separation from a guy. For God's sake, she was a grown woman who could take care of herself. But she loved Sherlock more than she ever thought she would, and she wanted him to be here to solve this case together. Solving it alone felt wrong.

"I love your optimism, my dear Joan." he said, and she heard his smile through the phone. "Just a few weeks. I want to come home in a few weeks. Let's make sure I can."

"Yes." she said, wrapping an arm around herself. "Let's do this. We can do this, I know we can."

Sherlock chuckled on the other line. "Yes, we can. Because you're amazing. Your talent is extraordinary, and I am positive you will figure this out. I will make some inquiries for that name."

Joan blushed heavily at the compliment. He had never given her a compliment like this before. "Okay." she said, and she sensed the conversation was coming to a close. "I love you, Sherlock."

"You know you have my heart, my dear Joan. Always and forever."

Joan smiled to the wall in the kitchen while she made herself some tea. He was literally the sweetest, most romantic guy she had ever met, and she just wanted to wrap him in her arms "Talk to you soon." She hung up and went to the living room to drink her tea.

It was eerily silent in the house. No strange noises from Sherlock's strange habits, no yelling from him, no sudden appearance of animals...it was nice.

It felt absolutely wrong.

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