For a scary moment, I thought I was dead. Or still in the hands of Moriarty.

When I woke, hearing a beeping monitor, I knew I was safe. I was in a hospital. But does that mean I'm really safe?

The first thing I noticed was a vase full of flowers, fresh and far from drooping. I smiled at the gesture. In the chair beside the flowers was Bayley, who was sleeping. I sighed heavily.

Bayley started, and he became more alert when he noticed I was up. "How do you feel?"

"Better," I croaked, clearing my throat.

"Good." He scooted the chair as close to the bed as possible, grabbing my hand. "They kept you overnight as a precaution. You should be out sometime later today."

"Mm, good." A guilty pit settled in my stomach. I looked at my fiancé softly. "Bayley..."

"I was told everything. Sherlock filled me in. He told me what you did."

"I'm not proud of it."

"As bad as this will sound, I am. I'm proud that you ended him, Rachel."

Okay, not the discussion I expected. "Good or bad, I still spilled blood, Bayley. Don't try and justify it."

"Don't tell me you didn't feel an ounce of something good when he didn't move."

I put my hands to my ears. "Okay, enough, please. Yes, I'm happy that he's dead. I'm not happy that I...did it."

"I'm sorry about Amanda."

I burst into tears, which alarmed Bayley.

"What's wrong?"

"I—I did it, Bayley. I killed her. I killed Mandy."

"Rachel, no, you didn't."

"Y-you weren't there. You didn't wake up near her body," I wailed.

"Darling, listen to me." He took both my hands in his. "You did not kill Amanda. The place was still standing, not all of it became rubble. Scotland Yard did a thorough sweep and found a room where they had security footage. Moriarty made you think that you killed her. Someone else did it, not you."

"He—he put her blood on me, Bay. He made me think that I..."

"Shh, I know. I'm so sorry."

"W-why are you apologizing?"

"The torment that you went through...we could've stopped it sooner."

I shook my head. "You were doing all you could. I'm grateful for that, really. H-has anyone else come to visit?"

"Mrs. Hudson dropped those off." He nodded towards the flowers. "She's expecting us for dinner one day soon." He chuckled. "Mary popped her head in and took Rosie back from Mrs. Hudson. John came in, by himself."

"Without Sherlock?"

Bayley dipped his head. "When I said he told me everything, I meant everything."

I swallowed. Here it comes. I could feel the tears in my eyes again. "I wish you wouldn't think it's true."

"Rachel, I can't ignore something like that."

"I know." I pulled my hands away from him to rub my face, groaning.

"I thought we were done with the deception, Rach?"

"I was hoping the circumstances would justify it."

"Darling, you cheated, with Sherlock Holmes, a man who was incapable of human emotion at the time! What circumstances justify cheating of any sort?"

"Okay, bad start, I agree," I said. "It was...I don't know what it was. Real, an experiment. It's hard to say. It was a confusing time."

"Confusing is an understatement."

"I'm sorry, Bayley," I said sincerely. "I didn't know where my head was. I didn't know what made me think it was a good idea. I guess I didn't inherit my dad's brains; I can be the dumbest girl at times."

"Very rarely, seeing as you survived the house of horrors." Bayley cleared his throat. "He told me Moriarty had photographs."

"Did he show you?"

"God no. He knew he was already asking for trouble by telling me what went on. I should've seen through it. Why would Sherlock need you on a case? A replacement for John? No offense, darling, but crime solving isn't your thing."

"No, I totally agree. Believe me, I wanted nothing more than to leave London and go back to you."

"John isn't speaking to Sherlock, but that's expected."

"What about you? What did you do?"

"I punched the bloke, just once. He's got a strong bone structure. Bruised my knuckle."

"You should give me one, too. Make it fair. I'm just as much at fault."

"You know my stance on violence against women."

I rolled my eyes. "So I guess this means we're not marrying, huh? I mean, I lost my maid of honor, and now the truth has ruined us."

"Not necessarily," Bayley told me slowly. I watched him with interest. "I'm willing to work through this. It'll take some time, and it will most likely hurt. But I can't lose you, Rachel."

"I can't lose you, either." I sniffed. "I can't promise this will be easy."

"We both know it won't be."

"I'd like you to find it in yourself to forgive me, and Sherlock."

"I tried to, when he told me. I almost considered it when he gave me a sincere apology."

"He doesn't give those out willingly." I smiled. "It's an incredible thing to witness, right?"

"Definitely, especially coming from a man like him."

"Mary suspected it, back before Sherlock tried to leave London." I dipped my head.

"And she thought it was best to not say anything?"

"It was done long before the issue with Magnussen happened." I shrugged. "I never got into details with her. She could tell something was different with how I acted around him."

"Do you still feel something for him now?"

"No," I said adamantly. "I cut ties with that part of our...whatever it was. I knew a man like him and a woman like me weren't going to work. Besides, he's always been more like a watchful protector to me, anyway. It took us some time to fully realize it."

"You've got a strange protector, Rach."

"I know. He's my dad's best friend, too. So I guess this means we've got to leave Baker Street. I doubt you'll want to be in the same place as him."

"I already arranged that. Mary made some extra room for us."

"Speaking of Mary, I can't believe you. Risking your lives and nearly dying like that! Especially her of all people!" I ranted suddenly. "She's got a newborn at home!"

"Mrs. Hudson was willing to watch her."

"That's not the point, Bayley! Rosie would've been orphaned if both her parents got killed!" I hyperventilated. "You two endangered us all! You knew Moriarty said for my dad and Sherlock to be the only two to confront him!"

"Rach, calm down."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "You're all reckless."

"That's hilarious coming from you."

"I'm not reckless!"

"Really? So none of your antics here would qualify?" He raised a brow. "Don't lie to me, love. I'm tired of the deception."

I sighed. "Agreed. We're not going into marriage with anything to hide."

"Anything else I should know about?"

"Nothing," I said truthfully. "Am I going to be put in jail?"

"As far as anyone is concerned, a shadow killed him and disposed of the evidence. As long as nothing comes up, you're clean. Even if something goes wrong, we've got connections to help you walk."

So I had to live with Jim Moriarty's blood on my hands. Wonderful. "But what about his connections?"

"They might fear for their own lives instead of seek revenge." Bayley shrugged.

"I don't know, Sebastian Moran seemed like he was the loyal kind." I peeked around, thinking someone had just tried to walk in here but realized I had company. Bayley looked where I did. "I saw you."

"I guess that's payback for the time I gave you a hard time for your stealth skills," said Sherlock, as he appeared in the doorway. I saw Bayley visibly tense; I held his hand tighter. "I didn't know you were going to have company."

"Should've guessed it. I'm in a hospital, I've got people who care about me." I shrugged. "You seem to be losing your touch, Sherlock."

"I'll leave you two alone for a few minutes," Bayley said in a tight voice.

I looked at him softly. "Take a breather."

Bayley had a hard time letting me go, but he did. He purposely knocked into Sherlock on his way out. I sighed heavily, sinking into the bed, as the consulting detective made his way in. He sat in the chair Bayley once occupied.

"So," I said awkwardly, "it's going to be ice between you for the rest of our lives?"

"If he chooses to keep it that way. I've already said my piece on the matter, it's up to him to dictate how this goes. He'll forgive me, because of you. He'll do anything for you, Rachel."

"I know. Sometimes it bothers me, because it makes me wonder just what he's willing to do." Like blow up a freaking door to nearly get Dad and I killed. "But I'd rather him forgive you because he wants to, not because I asked it of him." I bit my lip.

"Things are on the rocks?"

I nodded slowly. "We'll work through it. We're staying with Dad, Mary, and Rosie for the time being."

"Understandable. Wouldn't want to wake up to morning brawls."

I chuckled. "No. Besides, with what's happened, the wedding needs to be tweaked, the finer details." I rubbed my eyes. "It's better to fix them in a neutral place."

"Does this mean my invitation is revoked? It won't bother me too much, I'm not fond of weddings."

"You're still coming, Sherlock," I assured him. "You're my dad's best friend."

"Not so sure about that now."

"You've worked through your issues before. You can get through this, too."

"I don't know. Finding out your wife was a former assassin is one thing, but to find out that your flat mate messed around with your daughter? I'm not good with emotions like you think, Rachel, but even I can see that would be more difficult to work through."

"I guess you're right." I rolled my tongue in my mouth. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For finding me. I knew you would." I didn't want to imagine how my life would've been had I been in Moriarty's care even longer.

"You're an idiot."

"Excuse me?" I glared at him.

"For offering yourself up as a sacrificial lamb."

"Sherlock—"

"You and I both know it wouldn't have been you; he would've turned around and killed John first."

"You can't possibly know that." I crossed my arms. "He wanted to kill me."

"Yes, but he would save the best for last. In his twisted mind, he felt something for you. He wouldn't want you to be the first to die, even if I uttered your name as my choice."

"I guess we'll never know, and we're better off not knowing."

"I'm sorry about Amanda."

"Thanks. Her first trip to London was a one-way ticket," I sobbed. "My first trip, I came back home. Scarred and reluctant to ever return, but I made it home."

"And you found yourself back in London, years later."

"I guess it was a sign all along." I messed with my hands.

"I'll let you rest. Those bags are getting worse under your eyes." Sherlock rose from the chair.

I snorted. "They'll never get any better. I'll see you at the wedding, right?"

I saw a soft look in Sherlock's eyes. "Yes, you will see me there."

"Good, because it wouldn't be a Watson wedding without Sherlock Holmes," I teased.

I was amazed that that earned me a rare Sherlock Holmes chuckle as he left my room.