-Continuing from last story, after Jane finds Minnie-

{THIS IS WAY LONGER THAN I MEANT IT TO BE... A LOT HAPPENED.
Also, I used TheWomanIreneAdler and _JaneMoriarty_ versions of the RP for this. Thank you guys!! 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤}

Jane had only said a few words before Irene had hurried to wake Jim up.
Still groggy from sleep, and unknowing to the fire he was about to be thrown into, he sleepily asked, "Darling, what's it?" And moments later, after Jane requested it, he felt a small hand fly across his cheek. Much more alert from the slap, a few curses flew from his lips.
""What was that for?!" Irene was already rushing to get ready and go see her friend.
"Minnie's in the hospital- Jane just called." At the word 'hospital', Jim sprang from bed, joining Irene in her hurry.
"Can Kate watch the twins?" He asked hastily as he pulled on a random jacket- probably not even his.
"I'll call her and ask her to." Jim was dashing down the stairs, desperate to get to where Minnie was. His chest began getting heavy as he reached the last step. His vision was blurring, and Irene's worried words were lost on him. Minnie. That's all he could think about. Not how Irene was taking him to the sofa, not even remembering to breathe. Minnie. For all he knew, she could die... what had happened after he left her flat? Did she fall, or, in her drunken haze, wander into the street? Out a window? Was there an accident of some sort? All the worst possibilities were flooding his head. Just like when they couldn't find Sebastian- when doubt raced through everyone.
When he feared Sebastian could've died.
Irene held his hands tightly, hoping to calm him down even a little bit. The last thing they needed to worry Minnie and Jane with was him taking the room next to Minnie's.
"Darling, you need to breathe." Irene encouraged, hand gently rubbing his back. Taking the muffled voice's advice, he began counting his breaths, calming himself down. Minnie will be fine, he told himself.

After about twenty minutes of working to calm Jim down, and a 20 minute drive to the hospital, Jim and Irene found themselves at the front desk, waiting to find out which room Minnie was in.
"114, Minnie Holmes." The desk attendant chirped with a (in Jim's opinion) pathetically kind smile. Jim was ready to make a mad dash there, but was stopped by a Doctor in front of Minnie's room.
"Are you here for Minnie Holmes?" He asked carefully, and Jim nodded, trying to look into the room, but to no avail.
"Is she alright?" He asked quickly, eyes desperately landing on the man. His eyes flickered to Irene, who seemed worried- but not nearly as much as Jim.
"She's doing well, considering. But... I'm sorry, she has retrograde amnesia. Unless you're a member of her immediate family, it is highly unlikely that she'll remember you..." He stared at the Doctor for a moment. His eyes betrayed him, pain already flooding through them.
"What do you mean? She 'won't remember me'? She-she has to-" He argued, before cutting himself off, "C-Can I see her?" The man's eyes flickered to Jim's companion, but he nodded anyways.
"Yes, but... carefully." He was soon off to tend to other patients. The moment his hand was on the doorknob, Jim was thrown back into reality, and he practically jumped away. Irene's fingers were still tangled with his, and she seemed even more worried than before, her eyes boring into him with a silent concern.
"Irene... if she isn't going to remember me, then-" he concentrated on keeping his breathing steady, emotions under control, "W-What about the twins?" His eyes had tears practically covering them, the salty drops reflecting the harsh hospital lights.
"We'll try to help her to remember, Jim..." Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, and much calmer than he was. He was a wreck- a c4 strapped to a timer, just itching to detonate. Tick, tick, tick.
"We'll handle it together." She reassured, eyes sympathetic to the mess of a person. She wanted to be able to fret and worry about her friend, but... then there would be no one to calm him. Tick, tick-
"Who am I even supposed to say I am!?" Boom, "Yeah, hi, I'm your ex-fiancé, and we have two kids- oh, and did I mention, that both my sister and I are in love with you?!" Suddenly, the stillness of his body was gone- any calm he'd been holding onto had dissipated in the explosion of his words. His hand was yanked from Irene's and tossed to the side to showcase his point, the other tugging manically at his hair like he was some bloody mad scientist. Not that he wasn't insane. He was insane, but at least he had the common sense and the ability to use a comb... usually. Not now.
"Does she still wear her engagement ring?" Irene's voice penetrated through the storm of all his thoughts. Yes, she did- he'd saw it...

Her hands tugged at the lapels of his suit jacket, pulling his as close as possible. In a frantic need, she pushed it off, hands quickly moving to the buttons of his shirt, sliding up his chest the moment she was done. He could feel the exact distance of each cool finger as they brushed up his chest... and something colder. At the base of her left ring finger, a thin band- she'd kept it? His eyes flicked open for a moment, and he was met by the familiar sight of  a pearly crescent moon and star, forever secured in gold. His awe was short lived as her lips took his again.

He nodded a little bit, not seeing what that had to do with anything-
"Tell her you are Jim, her fiancé, first. Don't mention the twins, for now." Her voice portrayed a collected, logical person, and he had every reason to agree. Still, he shook his head the moment the shock wore off.
"I- she didn't want me..." God, he was pathetic. Anytime he thought about Minnie- the way she smiled, and her hair felt when his fingers were running through it... he also thought about that night.

"Jim... sit down." He'd seen it a long time coming, yet he wasn't ready. He wasn't ready to say, "Yeah, if you think that's what'll make you happiest... we can do that." He'd tried, but he couldn't just get himself to accept it. Still, he sat down to face the music.
"Yes, my love? What is it?" He wanted her to stay. He wanted them to be the family he'd never had- like she'd promised, like he'd promised. Maybe he could convince her to stay-
"Oh god- I can't do this!" She turned away, shaking her head, "I-It's nothing..." She looked so... upset. Her eyes that dull blue, just like whenever he looked into them. He wanted to think they could make it work... but maybe she didn't want it to, anymore.
"Min, come on, what is it?" He pushed, hoping she'd speak her mind. He hated seeing her like this.
"Jim, its nothi-" She tried to look at him, not managing to do so.
"You don't have to be with me, you know?" He cut in, trying to distance himself. Her eyes shot up to him, tears already welling.
"W-What?" She looked shocked, "Jim- look, its fine, really..." But her tone betrayed her. Not even she believed that, he could tell. He forced a small smile, focusing his energy into making it easier on her.
"Minnie, come on, I'm not blind. You're not happy with me, anymore, and that's fine... I just want you to be happy." He told her as earnestly as he could manage. Yes, he wanted her happy, but he extra-preferred she be happy with him.
"I-I'm sorry, Jim..." He nodded. He was, too. He was sorry he wasn't good enough, and he was sorry that he was such a pathetic bloody wimp that he was letting one of the best things of his life go. With a stupid understanding smile on his face.
"It's fine, Minnie... I understand." He wouldn't want to be with him, either...
"I love you, Jim, I do, I just- maybe we just need some time apart. This doesn't mean this will be forever..." She tried, tears falling onto her cheeks. He whipped them clean, nodding again. He went to kiss her- like he usually would. Damn, he wanted to. One last time- feel her lips on his. But, he didn't. He managed to kiss her temple, flicking his eyes shut to remember the feel of it all. From her breath on his neck, to the soft flesh beneath his lips- everything.
"I'll help you pack." He couldn't be there anymore. He needed a moment to himself, so- for the first time since he was 11, and after Carl and his pals nearly killed Jim, he ran. He didn't look like it, but that's essentially what he did. He ran from the depression already washing over him- the loneliness. Hiding in, what was once, their room. It smelled like her. No way in heaven or hell could he stay there... not without Minnie. Never without her. So, he did what any rational person would do- called a friend.

"She loves you and you love her. She keeps your ring, and Sebastian told me she misses you, so much, and she doesn't know what to do." All he could do was tangle his fingers in his hair, shaking his head violently. That wasn't right- that wasn't RIGHT! No. Minnie left him, because the opposite of that was true.
"Y-You don't understand- I saw it. I saw how unhappy she got- I saw us deteriorating!" He fired back. A sad look grew in Irene's eyes, a small sigh escaping her as she took his hand.
"You'll see what she tells you." He just wished he knew what to do. Any decision looked like a terrible idea.
"All I ever wanted was for her to be happy... what happens when she finds out I lied?" Irene always had the answers for these things. Anytime he was having an issue, of any sort, she always knew how to solve it- as long as it was more an emotional issue, or involved another person. She was good with feelings... he didn't even understand his own.
"Tell her the truth, then. Tell her everything about you two." And that just seemed worse, somehow. He was beginning to panic- if Irene didn't have a decent plan, then he didn't know what the hell to do...
"I-I can't go in there!" He proclaimed, his head shaking furiously as he tried to pull as far away as possible. She caught his cheeks in her hands, hoping to ease him.
"I can go in there with you, if you want." She offered, voice even and calm. He was always the calm one- the person in control. But not now- now wasn't the time for that. Now was one of the few times when he was so crazed with panic that he couldn't even decipher his own thoughts. Moments like these, he idolized how easily Mycroft could detach enough to figure out what the hell to do. He looked at her, really looked for the first time in a long time with fear in his eyes.
"Everything will be alright, I promise." She stared into the swirling browns of his eyes, the usual dark colour watered down to a relaxed oak, darts of the fear he craved to witness in other's, filling his eyes.
He nodded a small bit, still unsure of her words, "Thank you..." Voice soft, in a fearful whisper as it left his lips.
"You know I'll help you with anything-" She placed her lips to his forehead, grasping his hand back in hers, "Can we go in?" With a deep breath and an affirmative whisper, he took an unsteady step towards the plain looking door. Hospitals were places he was well acquainted with, and a place he decided, in that moment, Minnie didn't belong. Ever.
Irene was eventually the one to open the door, and he was almost immediately met with the sight of Minnie sitting up in the bland cot. Her raven hair was smoothed down, but unbrushed, and her eyes immediately met them. As he feared, there wasn't a speck of recognition...
His breath got trapped for a moment as he studied her, "Hey, Min..." Anyone could see in his eyes that he was feeling something. Years of torture had taught him to disguise emotions, but there was obviously something.
"Hello... Excuse me, who are you?" Her head tilted in that adorable way he remembered as she focused on the man who definitely knew her. But... she didn't know him. His eyes shifted quickly to Irene before returning to Minnie as he stepped forward, letting go of Irene's hand.
"I-I'm Jim Moriarty..." In a split moment, he changed his mind, deciding he couldn't put her through the truth. She needed someone there, something stable. At least, that's what he told himself. That the truth would be too much for her. After all- not even he could face it.
"Y-Your fiancé." The small lie felt sour as it slid easily from his tongue. He could lie- he was good at it. Manipulation was his strong suit, and lies were what his life was built on.

He just didn't like lying to her.