A/N - idk about you all but I love a bit of old music!

In this chapter, I feature a song called "Stay Awhile" by Dusty Springfield towards the end. I highly recommend you listen to it an her music in general - the video is attached!

Enjoy ❤

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She hadn't realised how much she had missed the Belle Vue apartment building until she stood outside it once again, looking up at its grand height, still in love with how all the odd turned on apartment lights made it seem almost like a Christmas Tree.

Except this time it might be a killer Christmas Tree.

"Way to ruin a view." She muttered to herself as she walked inside.

There was no receptionist at the desk which she found odd - there was always a receptionist. Unless Jim had had something to do with it? She prayed to God that he didn't. And if he did, she hoped it was something minor like bribery. Without wanting to question it further, Elizabeth took this chance to head to the elevator and up to her old apartment.

The elevator ride was painfully slow and seemed to be full of a lot of thinking energy.

What if he killed her?

Elizabeth was quite keen on breathing. She enjoyed living. She also didn't know if she could bring herself to kill Jim in self-defense if absolute need be.

The lift doors slid open and she stepped out, gingerly walking down the hall until she stopped outside her old apartment door. Music echoed from inside. He always was a bit extravagant, she guessed. Or maybe that would be to mask her screams as he brutally killed her? She knew he wouldn't be adverse to the idea.

"Dear God, Irene, you better be right." Elizabeth took a breath before opening the door and walked in.

Her dining room table had a candle on it, lit by a dancing flame. It was the only source of light in the flat. Two plates also lay on the table. She almost smiled - Jim always was melodramatic about things. Listening closer to the music, she could hear the the mellow tune of Dusty Springfield's Wishin' And Hopin' flow from her TV. She squinted in the dark of her flat - where was Jim?

The music stopped suddenly and Jim appeared from out of the shadows of the apartment, arms open wide a bright smile on his face.

"Long time no see, Lizzie."

She gulped, "What is this, Jim?"

His hands fell by his sides and he looked at her in disbelief, "I haven't seen you in four months and this is the greeting I get?"

"You've tried to kill me."

"No, no, no, no. No." He took a breath, "Come on, Lizzie. I thought you were smarter than this."

"You tried to shoot me! What else am I supposed to think you're doing? Gifting me with a piece of metal to keep me company six feet under?"

Jim chuckled, amused by her small outburst. Her frustration was precious. He had missed her.

"If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead. Think about it."

And think about it she did. Jim did have a point. Perhaps Irene was right? He didn't want to kill her? At least not until she revealed she would be going back to Sherlock.

"Shaun was always the target. I only had Shaun killed because he was busy telling you where one of my safe places were. I'm a business man, Lizzie. My clients expect my network to be fully professional and confidential. Couldn't very well let a little tattle-tail like him go on, could I?"

"Shaun was my friend, Jim! And he had a brother! A younger brother that he was trying to care for."

"Oh, please, just because the two of you occassionally worked together and had a couple of 'raunchy' nights, doesn't make you friends. Not in this business. Surely, you know that friends don't last here." He rolled his eyes.

"And what about that man on the phone, Jim - you killed him too!"

"Homeless, guy. A loose end in the world. Probably in a better place now if you believe that. And actually, I gave you strict instructions not to speak back or I would kill him. But I knew you would. Whoops." He shrugged.

"You didn't say you would kill him!"

"It was implied."

"My God, you really have no remorse, do you?"

"Mm, can't really say it's my department." He frowned, "But that never bothered you before so why does it bother you now?"

Elizabeth shook her head. She knew he had no remorse but just seeing this side of him - she didn't like it. Who would? If ever she had continued to have a blissful ignorance about his daily actions, this moment would have quashed it completely.

"How can you not care?"

"I mean, I killed three people and called an ambulance for you but, ha, if that's not what you people call care then, I honestly don't know what is."

"What?"

"Scarlett and her goons. Like eesh, and I thought I had revenge issues - she waited ten years." He chuckled.

"You let her stab me?"

"Wow." He wandered over to the candlelit table, "Guns take time to reload, and again, I did call an ambulance for you, Lizzie. You would have been dead without it. I saved you."

In all honesty though, yes, he did intend for her to get a bit hurt. Just as a bit of a punishment for willingly going along with trying to take him and his network down. It was just a little punishment. Had it been anyone else, they would be dead. But this was his Elizabeth. He knew full well that it would only push her away if he were to be completely truthful with her.

He pulled out a chair for her, "I thought you might like dinner while you're here."

Elizabeth scoffed, "I need to get back before Sherlock and John."

"Oh, they won't be done for a while yet. I made sure to make a really interesting crime for them to solve. You have time." Jim smiled, "See, I even helped you get here tonight. Isn't that kind? All the trouble I went through? Would really like some appreciation around about now."

Elizabeth hesitated by the door. Her worry for John and Sherlock grew exponentially more but she tried to reason with herself that Jim would see no reason to get them now while he was going after her. It wouldn't make sense.

Jim sighed, "Lizzie, stop looking at me like I'm going to murder you. Like I said, if I wanted that, you'd be dead already. Come, sit." He patted the chair he had pulled out for her again.

Elizabeth approached reluctantly and sat down in the chair. Jim sat opposite her, and picked up his knife and fork and began to eat the food that he had organised for the two of them.

"Do you like it?"

"What?"

"This." He gestured around the room, "I played your favourite artist, had your favourite meal made, made it all look pretty - "

"After you trashed the place and left me a threatening note."

"All the better to help you with." He dropped his cutlery on his plate, "Imagine if I left you a note saying 'I'll come for you soon'. You never would have gotten close to the detective then. And close you did get! Tell me, how good a kisser is Mr Holmes, Elizabeth? Come on, you know you want to gossip about it a bit. Not like you have anyone close to confide in at Baker Street."

She was horribly confused by his apparent niceness. She didn't get it. What was his goal? To get her back? Because this wouldn't be how he was going to do it.

"Stop it. Stop this! What even is this? Aren't you angry? Why aren't you shouting at me? Why aren't you threatening or torturing me or - or telling me all the ways you are going to brutally murder me?"

Jim fell silent and leant his head on his hands for a moment as he stared at her with the ever so calm, infuriated anger in his eyes. Why didn't she get it? He just wanted her back. Of course, he was disappointed in her but he wasn't an unreasonable man. Her track record had been perfection until that night at Mycroft's mansion. One mistake from someone who had been by his side for more than fifteen years. His only family. He would hardly turn his back on her that quickly.

Elizabeth swallowed, her throat aching for liquid of any sort. She hadn't seen that fearsome look in his eyes before but it struck the fear of God in her.

"That's why." He answered.

Her brow furrowed.

"You were the only other person who didn't look at me like that - like I was a monster. I liked that."

He grabbed the knife and slammed it into the table out of frustration, causing Elizabeth to flinch.

"I took you in. I gave you a safe home. I gave you freedom. I taught you everything you know today. And you're not even thankful."

"Jim - "

"Irene told you that I was asking you to make a choice: come back to me or stay with them." He sat back in his chair, "What's it going to be then?"

"I - "

"No. Wait. Let me say something else - you asked why I wasn't angry? Of course, I was. But it was you. I know this is a dog-eat-dog world. I knew you would think I would leave you to fend for yourself - who wouldn't? So, I forgave you. Instead, I turned the anger into disappointment. And falling for the detective? Don't even get me started on that." He chuckled in disbelief, "You and Sherlock Holmes. Shocked me, it really did. But that also means that I already know your answer. So, Lizzie, why do you think I would go through all this effort? I'll tell you why - because I don't want to let you go. That's why."

Silence fell across the room. They both just stared at each other.

"Are you going to kill me?" Was the only question that found it's way to Elizabeth's mouth.

Jim just scoffed and stood up. She still thought he would kill her? That's all she could see him do to her now. Sherlock had tarnished his perfectly sculpted ideal out of her mind. They would regret it. He stepped over to her chair and offered her a hand.

"Dance with me."

"Why?"

"Just dance with me."

Elizabeth took his hand and he pulled her up, leading her to the clearest space in the flat. He pressed play on the TV and music swiftly sung out again. They took each other's hands and rested the other on each other's waist and shoulder.

Treat me right, must you run now?
For the night's just begun now, oh
Honey please, won't you stay awhile with me? Oh yeah, yeah

"I miss you, Elizabeth." Jim quietly croaked, "Just come back. We'll let bygones be bygones. You'll be safe with me like you always have been."

"You've hurt people, Jim. I can't keep ignoring it anymore."

"They're people that often deserve it."

"The elderly don't. Neither do children."

"It was Sherlock's fault."

"No, Jim. It was all you. And you know it."

Oh, I hate to see you go
Tell you what I'll do
I'll be good to you
I'll make you glad that you are mine
So come on baby

"Say it to me, then."

"What?"

"Your choice."

Elizabeth looked him in the eyes, worrying about the potential knife she could get lodged in her back but she prayed it wouldn't be so.

"I'm staying with Sherlock. I'm sorry, Jim."

He pulled himself away from her and headed straight to the door of the apartment. Elizabeth's heart pounded in her chest, the beat deafening her ears as she watched Jim lean his head against the door. Jim really wished that he wouldn't have to turn to Plan B but she had made her choice. And she would live to regret it.

"Just go." Was all he said as he opened the apartment door wide, "Leave, Elizabeth."

"Just like that?" She was in a state of shock.

"Yes."

Elizabeth didn't question it further. Jim had shown her mercy. Perhaps Irene had truly been right when she had said Jim had a proper bond with her and regardless of what she did, he would respect it? She paused in the doorway.

"I am sorry, Jim."

He shook his head, an air of true hurt in his demeanor, "You're not...just go."

And she did. Elizabeth Parrish walked out of the apartment building, unscathed. However, the same wouldn't be said for her future.

Treat me right, must you run now?
For the night's just begun now, oh
Honey please, won't you stay awhile with me? Oh yeah, yeah
Stay awhile with me