Beauty and the High-Functioning Sociopath {#PFCC2k16}

Sherlock Needs a Case...Badly

It had been a few months since the incident with Irene. It was raining outside and Sherlock was looking at something on his microscope. He had been doing that a lot lately. It had helped him get his mind off of Irene. He refused to call her anything other than The Woman. Alex was sitting with him when she got a text. It was from Mycroft.

Meet me outside.

Alex quickly made an excuse and grabbed her jacket and went outside. Sherlock had barely even let her know that he had heard her. As soon as she stepped outside, she was soaked. Mycroft was standing under an umbrella, smoking.

"You don't smoke." Alex said.

"I also don't frequent cafes." Mycroft said. He closed the umbrella and went inside. Alex followed him.

They sat down at a table. Alex ordered some chips, but Mycroft didn't get anything. He took out a baggie with some papers and the camera phone in it.

"It this the file on Irene Adler?" Alex asked.

"Closed forever." Mycroft smiled. "I am about to go and inform my brother or, if you prefer, you are that she somehow got herself into a witness protection scheme in America. New name, new identity. She will survive and thrive. But he will never see her again."

"Why would he care?" Alex asked. "He dispised her at the end. Won't even mention her by name, just The Woman." 

"Is that loathing or a salute?" Mycroft asked. "One of a kind, the one woman who matters."

"I matter to him." Alex said. "Not in that way, but still, I matter. He's not like that. I don't think he feels things in that way." 

"My brother has the brain of a scientist of philosopher, yet he elects to be a detective." Mycroft said. "What might we deduce about his heart?"

"I don't know." Alex shook her head. 

"Neither do I." Mycroft said. "But initially, he wanted to be a pirate."

"He'll be okay with this witness protection, never seeing her again." Alex said. "He'll be fine." 

"I agree. That's why I decided to tell him that." Mycroft said.

"Instead of what?" Alex asked.

"She's dead." Mycroft said. "She was captured by a terrorist cell in Karachi two months ago and beheaded."

"Is it really her? She's done this before." Alex said. 

"I was thorough this time." Mycroft said. "It would take Sherlock Holmes to fool me. And I don't think he was on hand, do you?"

"No." Alex said. "To be honest, I'm glad she's dead." 

"So...what should we tell Sherlock?" Mycroft asked, pushing the file towards Alex.

"I'll tell him what really happened." Alex sighed. She took the files and went back to the flat. 

Alex walked into the kitchen, seeing that Sherlock hadn't moved. He didn't look up at her.

"Clearly you've got news." He said. "Spill it." 

"It's about Irene Adler." Alex said. 

"Oh?" Sherlock looked up. He sounded so hopeful, which broke Alex's heart. "Did something happen, did she come back?"

"No, she's, uh...I just bumped into Mycroft upstairs. He had to take a call." Alex said.

"Is she back in London?" Sherlock said. 

"No, she's..." Alex took a deep breath. She couldn't do this to Sherlock. "She's in America." 

"America?" Sherlock tilted his head.