Loving a Holmes

He's Home

That night I had gotten a call from Mary Maston, John's girlfriend and hopefully now fiancee. She sounded a little confused "Maddie? Uh... John and I just got kicked out of the restaurant we were at. Um... Sherlock's back, do you remember the restaurant you and I went to about a week ago, meet us there."

I sigh softly and shake my head. "God, Sherlock, what did you do?" There is no doubt in my mind he went to John first and sprung the fact he was still alive and back in London on him. When I arrive at the restaurant, I see John, Mary, and Sherlock sitting in at a table. John and Mary are dressed very nicely, having been at one of the five-star restaurants in London before Sherlock got them kicked out. John and Mary are sitting across from Sherlock with their arms crossed, as I approach the group. "Hey, guys."

Mary smiles up at me and seems to be more intrigued by this situation than upset by it. John lifts a hand as if to wave, still staring at Sherlock. John takes a deep breath as I move behind Sherlock sitting across from Mary. "So this was all your brother's plan?"

Mary glanced over at John and then back to Sherlock, pointing at him. "He would have needed a confidante." John clears his throat looking over to Mary, who looks away, crossing her arms. "Sorry."

"But he was the only one? The only one who knew?"

Sherlock shrugs. "A couple of others. It was a very elaborate plan, it had to be. The next of the 13 possibilities was..."

John cuts him off. "Who else? Who else knew? Who?!"

"Molly."

"Molly?!"

"Molly Hooper, Madison, and some of my homeless network, that's all."

John looks over at me shocked. "What? you knew?! That's why you disappeared for a week every six months."

"Of course she knew, John. She found out right after I jumped off the roof. She didn't know about the plan before that."

John takes a deep breath. "Okay, so just your brother, Molly, Madison, and 100 tramps."

"Ha, no! 25 at most."

John jumps across the table, gripping Sherlock's throat. Mary and I jump up to try and separate the two of them. Soon a few men in the restaurant have to help us separate them, but by the time we get them apart, Sherlock has a bloody lip from the few punches John had been able to land. One of the waiters gives us a small thing of tissues and we are asked to leave by the manager, well, told more than asked. When we get outside Mary stays with John and I stay with Sherlock as he told the tissue to his lip. We walk for a few awkward minutes of silence before we get to a little deli shop that is still open at this late hour.

Once in there, John leans against the deli case and Sherlock stands in front of him, patting the tissue against this bloody lip. "Seriously, it's not a joke? You're really keeping it." He motions around his upper lip, referring to John's new mustache.

"Er, Yeah."

"Sure?"

"Mary likes it."

"Hmm, no she doesn't."

"She does."

"Doesn't"

"oh don't." John looks over to Mary who is shrugging , "Oh, brilliant!"

Mary puts her hands up slightly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't know how to tell you"

"Right, no, no, this is charming! I've really missed this!" John takes a deep breath and steps toward Sherlock whispering softly. "One word, Sherlock, that is all I would have needed! One word to let me know that you were alive."