After The Fall || A Sherlock Fanfiction

Chapter 2 - Only The Beginning

The next morning Jemima woke up to a shuffling noise from downstairs. It seemed like John was already up and making breakfast. She noticed on her way downstairs that the spare bedroom door had been left ajar and she peeked in. The curtains were still firmly closed and the light was switched off. The tissue box from last night was lying sideways on the floor and the small, metal waste-paper bin was overflowing with them. The covers were scrunched up in a ball in the middle of the bed, suggesting that John had slept curled up, like a small child. More tissues were lying on the mattress. Jemima made her way downstairs, habitually avoiding the creaky floorboards. She then padded with bare feet into the kitchen. The black floor tiles were cold against her feet but the bright walls and an abundance of light streaming in through the large window gave the room a sunny atmosphere. John had stayed with her a few times before so he knew he could just get up and get breakfast without bothering to wake her.

"Oh, you're awake." He sniffed, looking up from his toast at Jemima. His eyes were still red and puffy, he'd obviously been crying before she came in.

"Morning John. Shall I make some tea?"

"Oh um... yes please." He replied, still distant and distracted.

"No sugar, right?" She asked.

"No sugar." He confirmed.

Jemima made his tea and her own, grabbed a slice of toast and sat down. John took his tea gratefully and for a while they sat and ate in silence.

"I'm sorry Jem." John said after a long pause.

"For what?" She asked through a mouthful of toast. Her golden brown curls accidentally went in the butter and she frowned as she wiped it off.

"For barging in on you last night." He said

"You shouldn't be sorry." She told him.

"No, I mean it, I shouldn't have. I had no right to expect it." He argued.

"You saved my life and stopped me from having to have both my legs amputated." Jemima pointed out. "I'm not even close to being even with that."

"I was an army doctor, it was my job." He said modestly.

"And you did it brilliantly." She replied. "You can barge in on me whenever you feel like it."

"I can't stay." He said "I have to go back."

"No, stay." She said.

John gave a large sigh.

"Fine, but for the love of god, please, take care of yourself." She pleaded. "I worry about you sometimes."

"Don't worry, I will." He assured her.

Twenty minutes later and he was standing in her doorway on the top step. He looked tired and bedraggled. His hair was standing up in all sorts of different directions and some stubble was growing on his chin. His shirt was untucked and he slouched over, very different from his usual soldier's posture. He gave Jemima a hug, thanked her for letting him stay and then he was off. Walking down the street without another word.

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Two years later

Jemima woke up to a small envelope on her doorstep with the rest of the post. She opened this one first due to the pretty patterns on the envelope making it the one that was least likely to be a bill. Inside the envelope was a cream coloured piece of stiff card with curly black writing on it. It was an invite to John and Mary's wedding. Weddings weren't really her thing but she decided that she had to go. Jemima replied to it later that day by ringing John. She chatted to him for a while and he seemed much happier than he had been a few months ago when she had last seen him. She told him she was excited to come and he seemed very pleased. He shouted to Mary that Jemima was coming to the wedding and she grabbed the phone from John and they talked for a while. She was laughing when she finally hung up and she decided to go shopping for an outfit later that day.