Alexandra met Holmes and Watson at the train station with her bag. She had made an agreement with Mrs. Hudson to watch Archie while she was gone. Holmes looked at her and fury crossed his features.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He asked.

"I'm coming with you." Alexandra said. 

"You have to stay home." Holmes said.

"I'll stay home when you do." Alexandra snapped. Holmes opened his mouth then shut it again. "Besides, I feel I deserve to come with you. You're always leaving me home alone." 

"Oh...yes, fine, alright." Holmes said. 

Alexandra grinned and climbed aboard the train. She, Holmes, and Watson were situated in a first class compartment. Alexandra sat down next to Holmes and cautiously placed her head on his shoulder. He stiffened up, but did not shrug her off as she had expected. She shut her eyes, trying to sleep. She drowsily listened to her husband and her brother talk.

"You don't suppose-" Watson started. 

"No, I don't, and neither should you." Holmes said. 

"You don't know what I was going to say." Watson said. 

"You were about to suggest there may be some supernatural agency involved in this matter, and I was about to laugh in your face." Holmes said.

"But the bride, Holmes!" Watson said. "Emilia Richoletti, again! A dead woman, walking the earth!"

Holmes sighed and opened his eyes. "You amaze me, Watson." 

"I do?" Watson asked, a hint of hope in his voice.

"Since when have you any kind of imagination?" Holmes asked.

"Darling." Alexandra murmured sleepily.

"Perhaps since I convinced the reading public that an unprincipled drug addict was some kind of gentleman hero." Watson said. 

"Yes, that was quite impressive." Alexandra said. 

"You may both rest assured that there are no ghosts in this world." Holmes said. The train whistle blew as he closed his eyes again. "Save those we make for ourselves."

"Sorry, what did you say?" Watson asked. "Ghosts we make for ourselves, what do you mean?"

Holmes didn't answer. He was in his mind palace. Alexandra was sleeping soundly the whole trip there, snuggled against her husband. When Holmes exited his mind palace, he pushed Alexandra off of him roughly. She hit the seat and woke up. She glared at Holmes. He paid no mind to her as he got off the train. Watson helped her up.

I'm so glad I got married again. She thought after she thanked her brother.

------------------------------

"Somnambulism." Sir Eustace said.

"I beg your pardon?" Watson said. 

"I sleepwalk, that's all. It's a common enough condition." Sir Eustace said. "I thought you were a doctor. The whole thing's a bad dream."

"Including the contents of the envelope you received?" Alexandra raised her eyebrows.

"That's a grotesque joke." Sir Eustace said.

"Well, that's not the impression you gave your wife." Alexandra said.

"She's a hysteric, prone to fancies." Sir Eustace said. "It appears you are the same way, Mrs. Holmes."

"I know my value." Alexandra said, unfazed by Sir Eustace. "Anyone else's opinion doesn't really matter."

"No." Holmes said, whirling around from where he was standing by the window. 

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Eustace asked.

"I said, no." Holmes said. "My wife is not a hysteric. She's a highly intelligent woman of rare perception." Alexandra's jaw dropped. "Your's is the same."

"Our wives see terror in an orange pip." Sir Eustace said.

"Our wives can see worlds where no one else can see anything of value whatsoever." Holmes said. 

"Can they really? And how do you deduce that, Mr. Holmes?" Sir Eustace asked.

"Lady Carmichael married you. Mrs. Holmes married me." Holmes said. "I assume they were both capable of finding a reason. Mrs. Holmes' was love. I don't know what Lady Carmichael's was."

Sir Eustace started towards Holmes. Alexandra stepped in front of her husband protectively, glaring at Sir Eustace. Only she got to wring Holmes' neck.

"I'll do my best to save your life tonight, but first it would help if you would explain your connection to the Richoletti case." Holmes said. 

"Richoletti?" Sir Eustace questioned, a flicker of fear crossing his face. 

"Yes, in detail please." Holmes said. 

"I've never heard of her." Sir Eustace said.

"Hm, interesting. I didn't mention she was a woman." Holmes said. "We'll show ourselves out. I hope to see you again in the morning."

"You will not!" Sir Eustace shouted.

"Then I fear he will be solving your murder. Good day." Alexandra said. 

"Well, you tried." Watson shrugged as they left the room.

"Will you see that Lady Carmichael receives this? Thank you." Holmes said to a butler. 

"What was that?" Alexandra asked. 

"Lady Carmichael will sleep alone tonight on the pretense of a violent headache." Holmes said. "All the doors and windows of the house will be locked."

"Ha! You think the specter, er, bride, will attempt to lure Sir Eustace out again?" Watson asked. 

"Certainly. Why else the portentous threat? This night, he will die." Holmes said. 

"Well, he won't follow her surely?" Watson asked. 

"It's difficult to say what he'll do." Holmes said. "Guilt is eating away at his soul."

"Guilt? About what?" Watson asked.

"Something about his past. The orange pips were a reminder." Alexandra said.

"Not a joke?" Watson asked.

"Not at all. Orange pips are a traditional warning of avenging death. It originated in America." Alexandra said, proud that she knew this. "Sir Eustace seems to know this only too well, the same as he knows he is about to be punished."

"Something to do with Emilia Richoletti?" Watson asked.

"I presume." Holmes said. "We all have a past, Watson. Ghosts. They are the shadows that define our every sunny day. Sir Eustace knows he is a marked man. There's something more than murder he fears. He believes he is to be dragged to hell by the risen corpse of the late Mrs. Richoletti."

"That's a lot of nonsense." Alexandra scoffed. 

"Indeed. Watson, did you bring your revolver?" Holmes asked, turning to Alexandra's brother.

"What good would that be against a ghost?" Watson asked. 

"Exactly, did you bring it?" Holmes repeated.

"Yeah, of course." Watson said.

"Good. Now, come, you two, come." Holmes said. "The game is afoot!"

The three of them went to look for a place to sit and wait out Mrs. Richoletti's ghost. Watson went on his own while Alexandra went with Holmes. She looked up at him while they were walking.

"Mr. Holmes, thank you for standing up for me." Alexandra said.

"What? Oh, yes." Holmes said. "Well, you see, I wasn't sticking up for you as much as I was trying to protect my reputation. Even though it's exactly what I've done, I can't have people thinking I've taken an idiot on as a wife, can I?" 

Alexandra was fuming. She had a feeling that she looked like a tomato. She stormed off, not caring about what would happen when she did was she was going to do next. She was going to show Holmes she was intelligent. She would do whatever it took. First, though, she had to do something she'd been dying to do for a long time now. She went to send a telegraph to Mycroft.

When I complete this assignment, I want a divorce. I don't care how long it takes. 
~ AW 

Alexandra sent it off, feeling as though a large weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She would not be returning to her husband tonight. She would wait out Mrs. Richoletti's ghost herself. She settled in a place close to where Holmes and Watson were (she could see them, they weren't as well hidden as they thought) and listened carefully.

"Marriage is not a subject upon which I dwell, Watson." Holmes said. "I regret getting married immensely. I don't remember why I did it."

"You and Alexandra used to be so happy. What happened?" Watson asked.

"We're just...different, that's all." Holmes said. "I'm intelligent, she's not."

"She's going to file for divorce if you aren't careful." Watson warned.

"That will be better for the both of us." Holmes said. 

You have no idea. Alexandra thought. 

"Do you have feelings for someone else?" Watson asked. 

"The fairer sex is your department, Watson." Holmes said. 

"You have an interest in someone." Watson said. "There's a photograph in that watch you're wearing. I glimpsed it once. I believe it is of Irene Adler."

WHAT?! Alexandra thought. Oh, that divorce was the best decision of my life. 

"You didn't glimpse it, you waited until I'd fallen asleep and looked at it." Holmes said. 

"Irene Adler." Watson shook his head.

"A formidable opponent, a remarkable adventure." Holmes said. 

"A very nice photograph." Watson said, smirking.

"Why are you talking like this? Shouldn't you be encouraging me not to lean towards committing adultery?" Holmes asked.

"Aha! So you do have feelings for her, then?" Watson was grinning from ear to ear.

"Why are you talking like this?" Holmes asked.

"Why are you so determined to be alone?" Watson challenged.

"Are you quite well, Watson? What's the matter with you?" Holmes asked. 

"Holmes, against absolutely no opposition whatsoever, I am your closest friend." Watson said.

"I concede." Holmes nodded.

"I am currently trying to have a perfectly normal conversation." Watson said. 

"Please don't." Holmes said. (THIS IS ME ALL THE TIME.)

Don't even try, John. Alexandra thought. 

"Why do you need to be alone?" Watson asked.

"If you are referring to romantic entanglement, which I fear you are, I have often explained before. All emotion is abhorrent to me." Holmes said.

"Holmes, you are a living breathing man. You've lived a life, you have a past." Watson said. 

"A what?" Holmes said.

"Well, you must have had..." Watson's voice trailed off.

"Had what?" Holmes asked.

"Oh, you know." Watson said.

"No." Holmes shook his head. 

"Experiences." Watson said. Alexandra nearly blew her cover by laughing. 

"Pass me your revolver, I have a sudden need to use it." Holmes growled. 

"Damn it, Holmes, you're flesh and blood, you have feelings, you have...you must have impulses." Watson said.

"Do your sister and I have any biological children?" Holmes asked.

"No." Watson said, shaking his head.

"That answers your question, then." Holmes said. "Dear Lord, I have never been so impatient to be attacked by a murderous ghost!"

"What made you like this?" Watson asked. 

"Oh, Watson..." Holmes said, a hint of sympathy edging his voice. "Nothing made me. I made me." 

What the bloody hell does that mean? Alexandra asked. 

 A dog barked and Holmes turned towards the noise. "Redbeard?"  

"Good God!" Watson said. Alexandra turned towards where he was looking and her blood ran cold. Standing there was the ghost of Emilia Richoletti. 

I'll get her. Alexandra thought.

She ran out from her hiding place and chased after the ghost. She could hear Holmes and Watson behind her. Hopefully, they hadn't seen her yet. 

"Alexandra!" Holmes called. 

Drat. Alexandra thought. She ran faster. She heard the sound of glass breaking. Where had that come from? 

Alexandra broke a window open and climbed in. She heard someone screaming and sobbing. She ignored the noise, knowing Holmes would go there. She would go after the ghost. She went down one of the darkened halls slowly. She realized how foolish she was. She had no weapon, no means of protecting herself. 

"Hello?" She called. 

Do not forget me,
Do not forget me.

Alexandra turned her head at the mournful tune. The bride was here. She ignored the fear clawing at her heart and looked around, trying to see in the pitch black that consumed her.

"I know you're here." She said. "Please, show yourself. I have no weapon. I can't hurt you."

Remember the maid,
The maid of...the mill. 

"How can I remember you if I've never seen you?" Alexandra joked. Her body froze as she heard breathing from behind her. A shiver passed through her. "You're behind me, aren't you?"

Do not forget me,
Do not forget me. 

Alexandra turned around, terror stabbing at her. Her heart was thumping out of her chest as if she'd just run a marathon. Her blood ran cold. Standing behind her was Emilia Richoletti. 

"You?!" Emilia asked. 

Alexandra screamed in pure terror. Holmes, from where he was standing over Eustace's body, heard her. He straightened up in an instant, terror also stabbing at him.

"ALEXANDRA, I'M COMING!" He yelled, starting to sprint towards her scream.

Alexandra had just started running. She suddenly crashed into someone's body and fell down, taking them with her. She heard a familiar voice groan in pain and looked at who she had fallen on. It was none other than her husband, Sherlock Holmes. She stood up quickly.

"Sorry." She said.

Holmes stood up and brushed himself off. He glared at his wife. "What the devil were you thinking, woman? You could have gotten yourself killed!"

Alexandra gaped. "How about, 'Are you alright, Mrs. Holmes?' instead?"

Holmes ignored her. "That was the most idiotic thing I have ever seen you do!"

"Well, I apologize for wanting to feel like I could do something important for once!" Alexandra said. She calmed herself down. "Where's my brother?"

She and Holmes raced to find Watson, who was running away from his post after also getting scared by the bride. He crashed into Holmes.

"Watson!" Holmes yelped.

"Holmes, sh-she's there! She's down there!" Watson said.

"Don't tell me you've abandoned your post!" Holmes said. 

"What? Holmes, she's there, I saw her!" Watson said. The trio raced to the window Alexandra had broken. Alexandra inferred that Watson had been given the task of guarding it.

"Empty!" Holmes said. He turned and glared at Alexandra. "Thanks to you, our bird has flown!"

"What? How is this my fault?!" Alexandra yelled. "I saw the ghost, Holmes!"

"THERE. ARE. NO. GHOSTS. YOU. IDIOT!" Holmes shouted, inching his face closer to her with every word. Alexandra cowered back, blinking tears out of her eyes. She looked to Watson, but he didn't make a move to help her. Alexandra straightened up.

"I'm aware of the fact you think I'm an idiot. You don't need to yell to get it across." She said coolly. Her voice didn't crack, which she was proud of. "You won't have to tolerate me any longer. I've filed your brother for a divorce. I'm sure this is a relief to you." Holmes' eyes flicked to her. He opened his mouth to say something but Alexandra held her hand up. "Don't. I don't want any apologies, not now. It's far too late. Goodbye, Mr. Holmes. I'll see you in court."

With that, Alexandra walked away, leaving Holmes standing in a dumbfound silence. 

--------------------------------------------

I'm not sure if I'm going to put the Moriarty scene in or not. If I do, the next chapter will be that and the modern scene. Alex is not going to be happy about the drugs. AmityRules SINGS THE "DO NOT FORGET ME SONG" TO ME ALL THE TIME AND IT FREAKS ME OUT. I do it to her, too, so I suppose I'm getting what I deserve. I feel like I'm making Holmes a bit bipolar here. Thoughts?