"Oh, I may be on the side of the angels, but don't think for one second that I am one of them," the detective hisses.

Realization dawns over Jim. (Dramatic speeches, spent his whole life looking for a cure for boredom… why didn't I see this sooner?) Laughter bubbles up in Jim's gut and boils over like an unwatched pot. (I didn't need the snipers after all. He'd self-destruct without me – back to the drugs, out of sight. This is just quicker.)

"No, you're not. I see. You're not ordinary. No. You're me. You're me! Thank you," the criminal says through hysterical giggles. Blinking back tears – the detective will think they're tears of gratitude, but they're actually tears of mirth – he whispers, "Thank you. Bless you. As long as I'm alive, you can save your friends; you've got a way out. Well, good luck with that."

As the shocked detective staggers backwards, Jim whips out his pistol and turns it on himself.

James Moriarty is free from want.

A/N: Dialogue here is from "The Reichenbach Fall." I am forever in debt to Ariane DeVere for posting transcripts on her LiveJournal. I'm also forever in debt to you, lovely readers! Every review I've received (even the negative ones) has been a pleasure.

I'm going to take a hiatus from writing fanfiction for the next few weeks since real life needs my attention. I will continue to respond to PMs and reviews and read others' stories.