*I do not own Elementary, nor any of its characters*

For Sherlock, the greatest moment of his life would come later. It would actually be the same moment that made Joan rethink her own greatest moment. After that night, when the consulting detective discovered that the love that he felt for his partner was truly something he would give his own life up for, Sherlock was never the same. For months, he would not let Joan out of his sight. He made it his mission to tell her he loved her at least ten times an hour, one for each minute he knew she suffered waiting for him to come out of the building. The guilt of that day filled every spare space in his mind, he swore to himself to spend the rest of his life making it up to her. Joan watched all these things and they tortured her as they tortured him. She knew that if anyone were to fell guilt, it should be her. If she had been straight forward with him, told him what she knew as soon as she had returned from the prison that day, he would have been nowhere near that building. So, after three weeks as Sherlock whispered that he loved her into neck for the one hundred and twentieth time that day, she had to push him away.

"Is there something wrong?" Sherlock asked, trying to pull her back into his embrace.

"I know you love me, you don't have to keep telling me just because you feel guilty," Joan quickly raised her hand to top him from arguing and walk to her purse. Digging for a moment, she pulled out a flash drive and placed it in his hand. "There is a recording on here you need to listen to. Unbeknownst to Irene, or at least she pretended not to know, I recorded our entire conversation from the day that I visited her." Sherlock looked down at the drive and back at Joan.

"Why are you giving this to me?" He questioned.

"Because, I love you and I want you to stop feeling guilty for something that I could have easily prevented," Before he could argue she kissed him gently and walked out of the room. Sherlock watched her go, before slowly turning to his desk, inserting the flash drive into his computer, and pressed play.

Irene: Hello, Ms. Watson. And where is dear Sherlock this morning?

Watson: Where is he, Irene?

Irene: And who might that be dearest?

Watson: Marcus Delar. Your brother.

Irene: Joan, dear, why don't you have a seat? We have much to discuss. So, what makes you think that Marcus is my brother?

Watson: I don't think anything, I know. I will know, without a doubt, the moment Captain Gregson calls to confirm the DNA test.

Irene: DNA test? Where did you get Marcus' DNA?

Watson: Dear, you are losing your touch being locked up aren't you? How do you think we got his name? Now enough of this small talk, where is he, Irene?

Irene: Being watched. And very soon he will be taken care of, that I can promise you, Ms. Watson.

Watson: Sit down! You'll have to forgive me for not taking your word as the gospel truth.

Irene: True enough, my dear. So do tell me, what is it you expect me to tell you?

Watson: I want to know the story, I want know everything, and most importantly… I want to know where he is.

Irene: Do you have a pen? 1598 Industrial Street, that is where he has set up his headquarters. However, I strongly suggest you leave this whole business to me, Ms. Watson. I can take care of my own men.

Watson: If you had any control over your men, Irene, we wouldn't be having this conversation. I would not be alive to visit you.

Irene: Stride carefully, Ms. Watson, very carefully. I have complete control over my men, but Marcus was always different. He is smart, not that should surprise anyone considering his impressive genealogy, but having a mind of his own makes him more independent. It was never a problem until it came to you. I knew that he was not the right man for the job, but I never thought he would defy me.

Watson: Until me? Why should I have any effect on him?

Irene: Darling, of course by now you have noticed his attachment to you. At first, I simply thought it as an infatuation, much like what I believed Sherlock felt for you. I had no really respect for you, but seeing the effect you were having on Marcus as he tracked yours and Sherlock's movements, I started to applaud you for the power of manipulation you must possess. To enchant to geniuses, that takes unique talent, a talent I had only ever seen in myself. Marcus suggested that you were more than you appeared, that you may be of some benefit to us. He wanted to keep you, like a puppy. I considered it, I mean you obviously made an interesting enough pet for Sherlock to want to keep you around, but I noticed Sherlock's attachment to you. You had too much influence over him, and that would never do. If Sherlock were to join us, I would be the only voice in his ear, I did not need a little… little pet distracting him or contradicting me.

Watson: So, why not get rid of me then? There was never a threat on me as you fought for Sherlock, why not get me out of the way?

Irene: Two reasons: Sherlock is a genius, he would have instantly realized it was Moriarty's doing and never would have agreed to join me, and secondly, Marcus asked me not too. He insisted you would be an asset to me but not a threat. You needed more training before you could ever truly be a problem, and I trusted him. But after that little stunt at the hospital, I realized I had grossly underestimated you. That had never happened to me before. I suddenly realized just how strong of a spell you had cast over Marcus to prevent him from seeing what was right in front of him. His loyalty fell into question in my mind. Was he truly blind to the threat you posed or had he lied to me to protect you?

Watson: You doubted your own brother's loyalty? How do you trust anyone?

Irene: Simple, I don't. As soon as Marcus joined my… shall we call it my business… he was placed at the same level as any of my employees. He did not receive special treatment until he proved he deserved it. Likewise, when his loyalty was called into question I put him to the test.

Watson: That is why you order him to kill me, to prove his loyalty.

Irene: Yes, and he failed. It was only after you and Sherlock came to visit me that I realized just how serious of a situation I was facing. You, my dear Ms. Watson, are Marcus' Sherlock.

Watson: What do you mean?

Irene: Marcus sees in you, what I have always seen in Sherlock. You are different, special to him. Sherlock fascinates me because he is my equal, my only equal. He provides me with a challenge I have found in no one else, the next closes thing has been Marcus and yourself. You fascinated Marcus in the same way. He loves you, in his own way. And in his mind you belong to him, just as Sherlock, in a way, belongs to me.

Watson: Sherlock does NOT belong to you!

Irene: Yes, well, that is a discussion for another day Ms. Watson. Marcus wasn't completely wrong about you, you are truly fascinating. Which is why for now, my dear Joan, you are safe as long as you do as I say. Orders have been sent to take care of Marcus, he has failed to prove his loyalty and has broken my number one rule. I am sorry for what happened to you, Joan. It should have never happened.

Watson: Well, I should be going. I have already overstayed my time.

Irene: Remember what I told you, Ms. Watson. My people will be handling this problem, please for your safety, Sherlock's safety, and the safety of whoever else you may feel inclined to tell, stay out of the way. I have told my men that both Sherlock and yourself are not to be harmed, but I cannot protect you if you get caught in the cross fire.

Watson: Thank you, Ms. Adler. It has been a very informative visit.

Irene: If you wish to see justice serviced, be at that location at five o'clock. Don't go in, just watch. Justice will be serviced, I am a woman of my word.

Watson: My condolences, by the way. I am sorry that this is the only ending you see fit. No matter what my brother did, I would never be able to kill him.

Irene: I am not killing my brother. I am disposing of an untrustworthy employee.

As the recording ended, Sherlock simply sat staring at the computer screen. A few emotions ran through him very quickly. Pride: His Joan was able to discover one of Moriarty's secrets, face the woman after all the trauma she had faced, stand her ground and get the information she needed. Anger: Joan had been capable of preventing all of this pain from the fire, Irene had realized that her brother was a risk and thereby had placed Joan in more danger, Irene had the gall to believe she owned him. Jealous: Marcus, how dare he love His Joan, how dare he think he had any right to her. All of these passed quickly, as he left the desk and approached the stairs. As he stood in the door frame gazing at the sleeping form of the woman he loved, Sherlock realized Joan was right. The guilt that he was caring was hurting himself and Joan more than anything else. He couldn't really blame her for keeping this information from him, at the time his need for revenge outweighed his reason. That had been clear as he had run into the building before knowing all the facts about the situation. He smiled as Joan sighed softy and turned in her sleep to face the door where he stood watch. The woman in his bed truly was remarkable, he wasn't sure he could ever live without her. And that was the moment. The moment he realized, he never wanted to find out.

Approaching the bed quietly, Sherlock brushed a few stray strands of hair behind her ear before climbing in to bed with her. Wrapping his arm tightly around her waist, he whispered softly in her ear, "Joan, my angel, one day I am going to marry you."

And, my dear reader, he did. Two years from the day he made that whispered promise, Mr. Holmes stood at the end of an aisle smiling as the love of his life walked towards him. With Gregson and Bell standing beside them, the consulting detectives exchanged vows, rings, and a heart stopping kiss. As the judge introduced them to the crowd, the new Mr. and Mrs. Holmes realized they were experiencing the greatest moment of their lives. Together. Now and for Always.

*My dearest readers, thank you for you patience and devotion. It has been a long journey, but it is now complete. I hope you enjoyed my story, as I enjoyed writing it. Yours with love, TigerLily