Shadows of the Past (BBC Sherlock) -1-

8. Judgment Day

Another day of the Moriarty trial was about to begin. Unlike yesterday, I didn't question whether or not I was heading to Old Bailey again to watch. I knew I wanted to head back; there was no doubt about it. I doubted today would be as interesting as yesterday though.

Unlike yesterday, Sherlock wasn't going. John and I weren't about to convince him. We both caught a taxi to the courthouse.

It wasn't long before John decided to break the silence.

"I can't understand something," he told me.

"What's that?" I glared out the window.

"How you managed to get in a mess with Moriarty."

I cringed. "That's not something I'm happy about."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I was just wondering. To me, it doesn't make sense. You don't seem to be the kind of woman that's into what he does."

"I'm not," I agreed. I looked down at my clasped hands in my lap, heaved a sigh. "Let's just say I fell into one of his traps. Being in his care wasn't fun."

"Did he hurt you?"

"Yes, more so emotionally than physically." I picked at my nails. "I really hope this is all over soon."

Before John could rope me into further conversation, my mind wandered.

~*~

"You're running up my bill with all this champagne," I whimpered as I took another sip from the glass I held in my hand. "I'm sure you picked the most expensive one too, didn't you?"

"You deserve the best, Rachel," he crooned. "And don't worry about that part, any room service I'll pay for."

"Even though everything is under my name, you're willing to pay for room service?"

"Why not? It would be wrong to let you pay for everything."

I shuddered, feeling the effects of the champagne seep into my body. I leapt off the chair, stretching. The champagne inside the glass swirled around, dancing. Soft music was playing in the hotel room. A light bulb went off in my head. "Jim, how good of a dancer are you?"

"I have nothing amazing to brag about. Why?"

"I suddenly feel like dancing."

"That's the champagne talking, darling. But if you want to, you better put the glass down. We're not letting that spill on the floor." Jim came to me, snatching the glass away. He set it down before taking me in his arms.

Jim respectively had an arm around my middle while his other hand occupied one of mine that wasn't on his shoulder. I really didn't expect to find someone when coming to London. Then again, I hadn't expected to be nearly raped on my first night here, and yet that almost happened. Life threw us unexpected things whenever it felt like it.

Meeting Jim Moriarty was one of the better unexpected things.

"How much longer are you staying?" he asked me as we spun slowly in a circle.

"Hmm...it can't be too much longer. I booked a month here. And it's been, what, two weeks? Or has it been three? I don't know, I can't think straight right now."

However long I had been here in London, it had taken that long for me to fall for Jim. We got along so well. I knew something had started between us when he had somehow slipped me his number right after I got settled in at the hotel.