Altered Souls, Rejoined Halves

Chapter 1: A Wild Dream

The misty veil that covered the quiet streets of London was yet to lift when John slowly opened his eyes. It took a few moments for the doctor to realize that the slender hand resting on his chest was not of someone whom he dared to imagine about, following the short yet detailed dream he had just woken up from.

It was all so quiet around him that he could even hear his own breathing, the air entering and exiting his lungs. A faint sound of the clock was flowing inside- the only thing that he could define as company. He wanted to turn to his left side but he did not want to disturb Mary either. She seemed to be in full ease, diving deep into the sea of slumber. Letting out a soft sigh, he shifted his eyes from his fiancée toward the ceiling. The dream was somewhat ridiculous, yet there was something he could not but think about.

It was the time when he used to be the flat mate of Sherlock- solving crimes, saving lives, and of course, blogging. There were many mornings when he had to wake up and immediately get to work without even swallowing a morsel, many nights when they were storming the streets of London, rushing to different places looking for clues and criminals- no matter how late or how odd the hour could be. That thrill of the chase, blood rushing through his veins, the tension, the adventure- those were the days!

The two of them were standing on a mound one bright morning, their eyes fixed on a rivulet a few yards away below them. Soft spring breeze blew through the leaves, creating a sweet, murmuring sound that added another level of tranquil in the atmosphere. Sherlock remained mute, standing in his usual smart pose with a face lacking expressions. Like many other times, this was just another moment of ease before going on a chase. A moment when Sherlock usually thinks and analyses the entire plot in front of his eyes while breathing in the atmosphere around him. But this morning seemed a little...different. He somehow felt that Sherlock was not into one of his thinking moments rather something he seems to be secretive about. But it was known to John that keeping silence was the best thing for these types of moments; even though his stomach was bulging with a load of questions by now. At last, the detective was the one to break the silence.

"John?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you see the bushes behind those fields? There's a route behind which leads straight out of this place, towards the Highlands."

"Oh?" The doctor frowned a little in confusion, "never heard of that one."

The small smirk curving up one corner of Sherlock's lips did not escape John's eyes, leaving him furrowing his eyebrows the same way in the first place. Slowly, the detective turned his neck to look at the straight haired man. "A perfect way to disappear, unnoticed."

"I'm sorry, what?" John blinked a few times while throwing a confused look at the detective.

"Impossible to remain undetected without a proper camouflage or a reference though. Obviously there will be quite a scene to watch in 221B. The entire London will be surprised."

He gazed back at the horizon, not permitting the smirk to leave right away.

"You mean disappearing from here to the Highlands...?" John furrowed his eyebrows deeper as he stared at the tall man. "Don't tell me that you're gonna play dead once again, Sherlock. Or are you?"

"Who said we're going to Highlands?" Sherlock asked with a hint of amusement. "Neither dead nor alive." His face slowly lost the smirk as a clear smile took its place. "We shall disappear from Baker Street, from London itself."

"But where to? Any reason or plan in particular?" John looked away for a few seconds before looking at him frowning in confusion once again. "And we... What do you mean by us?"