Drunken Watson, Hidden Feelings

Chapter 6

Sherlock paced the kitchen fuming, what the hell had happened? Moriarty had clearly hurt John, but what did John me by- well everything he said. The apology, and his statement about through the looking glass and echo. That had to have been the word he was about to say. There really were no other words that began in that way, at least not words he would expect John to use. Through the Looking Glass...a novel by Lewis Carroll. Echo...a sound or series of sounds caused by the reflection of sound waves from a surface back to the listener. Or, Sherlock thought Echo in this case could be the Echo from Greek legend. The one who fell in love with Narcissus. Was John giving him a clue about the first case? Or was this just a coincidence?

And surely John couldn’t be proclaiming his love for him at such a time. By saying he was- Echo. Echo! That was it. John was trying to tell Sherlock that everything he had been saying was the echo of someone else, in other words, Moriarty had scripted the phone call except for the last bit when John dropped the hint.

Happy that he felt like he was finally getting somewhere, Sherlock walked into the sitting room and sat in John’s chair thinking, there was more to this mystery to figure out.

Through the Looking Glass was the sequel to Alice in Wonderlandl. In this book Alice went through a mirror and played a game of chess, unknowingly, was crowned queen, checkmated the Red Queen and woke up to holding her cat...Alice had came to the conclusion that it had all been a dream. But the author implied that Alice herself could be simply the product of the Red King’s dream; like life, we are but figment of someone else's imagination or dream.

What on earth was John trying to tell him. Sherlock jumped up pacing again. He couldn’t figure it out.

If I said to you, Through the Looking Glass, what would you think I meant?

- SH

Surely not the book by Lewis Carroll so, I would think you were trying to tell me things aren’t what they seem.

- M

Sherlock smacked himself in the forehead. Of course. Why did he have to text Mycroft for that? He should have been able to figure it out on his own.

Thank you.

- SH

Are you feeling okay?

- M

Sherlock read the message rolled his eyes and tossed the phone onto his chair. Why couldn't Moriarty just be on with it? The sooner, the quicker Sherlock could solve the cases and get John back home.

Falling back into John’s chair, Sherlock ran a hand over his face, exhausted. He dozed off, his head lolling to the side. What seemed like only minutes later Sherlock's phone went off. Startled awake Sherlock called out for John before he remembered John wasn’t here. Grabbing his phone and mumbling a hello without seeing who was actually calling.

“Oh geeze Sherlock, I’m sorry, didn’t mean to wake you up. I have a case here I need you to come look at.”

“Lestrade. I’m kinda in the middle of my own case.” Sherlock yawned.

“I know, and I wouldn’t be calling you if it wasn’t either really important or connected to John’s disappearance.”

“So which is it?” Sherlock was clearly irritated.

“Both.”

This got Sherlock's attention and he sat up straighter, Lestrade’s words successfully knocking some of the grogginess away. “What?”

“A man came in the precinct saying he has killed multiple people. And that we should contact you to solve his crimes. If you succeed you’ll be that much closer to finding John Watson.”