Unbreakable Hearts: Superwholock AU

Chapter 23

Time seemed to run at a different pace after that. No one was sure of how long it had been after the incident, no one was sure of how many days, maybe even weeks, it was before they were all sat in The Doctor's room.

Only the Doctor's room.

Jack was there, but he was packing. Many left after the incident, Jack was soon to be the next. He solemnly placed bundles of shirts, pairs of socks and folded hoodies into his vibrant green suitcase. The Doctor helped Jack with some things, grabbing items from shelves or photos from the table, he didn't try and make conversation, there seemed to be nothing to say. Those unsaid words hung thick in the air.

"I'm sorry,"

"It'll be okay,"

"I promise."

They seemed false; fake. Hollow words. Empty promises. They'd been said thousands of times; Jack didn't need them said again. But still they lingered, like a heavy fog shrouding the silence.

The Doctor gently picked up the last photo frame left and handed it to Jack. Jack had looked better; he had an old beanie pulled over his head, leaving his faded pale green fringe exposed. His eyes were heavy, the usual brightness glistening amongst the crystal had dimmed dramatically. His lips pulled into a small smile as The Doctor passed him the photo, but his eyes stayed sad.

Sherlock stood on the other side of the room, pacing with his hands placed in their usual way, under his chin. John sat cross-legged on The Doctor's bed, his eyes focused intently on the cream bedsheets. Dean was beside him, his legs slung over the side of the bed, eyes concentrating on his black trainers. Castiel stood next to the window and Donna sat by his feet, her hands resting in her lap. Sam and Gabe sat on the empty bed, the one without the owner, they sat back to back. Sam's legs were curled into a cross like John, while Gabriel's were sprawled across his end of the bed. Sam's eyes were focused on the ceiling, while his golden-haired friend followed Jack's action and motions, almost mournfully.

Within the silence, Sherlock's mind ticked quickly away, searching for what he knew was right in front of him. The pattern.

Why was Aaron targeted?

He thought back to when he was talking to Mark and Jack; Aaron had cheated on Mark during the holidays, but no one knew who with. Perhaps that was the why. Maybe it was just the wrong person to be with? No, it couldn't be that. That doesn't fit.

Sherlock went back through the list of victim in his mind; Zoey, Fiona, Kellin, Vic, Luka (I needed another victim so let's just pretend I mentioned them,) and Aaron. None of them knew each other. None of their parents worked together. So why?

Zoey then Fiona made sense. Vic then Kellin made sense. But what was the link that connected them? And where did Luka come from? Aaron wasn't close to them, it would make more sense to...

Sherlock stopped dead in his tracks.

Zoey, then her girlfriend. Vic, then his boyfriend. Aaron, then his boyfriend; Mark

How did Luka fit into this? LGBTQ; the one link between all of them, Luka was gender fluid

How did he miss this? He was too focused on why the killer jumped to notice the obvious pattern emerging, why had he been distracted?

It didn't matter. Mark was in danger.

"Sherlock? Sherlock what is it?" For a second John's voice seemed distorted, far away, but it soon subsided and Sherlock snapped his head up to face him.