for him

three

john sighed and stood as he watched greg step out of the elevator. "i'm not going." he said to the inspector.

"john, we've checked the security tapes and jim was here yesterday. we don't want you here." greg said as he walked to the nurses station.

"you mean sherlock?" he asked.

"look," greg said as he leaned against the counter. "i know you're only in because you want saturday off, but i've already talked with your supervisor and he has agreed to give you saturday off even if you go home now."

john sighed and set down the patients files. "do you really think jim'll try something?"

"yes," greg nodded. "i do. now go get your stuff. i'll take you home."

john walked out from behind the station and went to the elevator, greg following behind him. he told greg to stay in the lobby as he went to the locker room to get his things. no one else was in there and he went to his locker, opening it to reveal the pictures and a bouquet of roses. john looked at the pictures closely and saw they were all of him. him walking home, working, showering, and one of him and sherlock eating lunch yesterday. john ran out of the locker room and to greg.

"m-my locker." he panted, pointing to the locker room.

greg got up from the chair he was sitting in and ran to the locker room with john following behind him. he stood in front of the locker and called for security then called a few officers in, including sherlock. "was this here earlier?" greg asked john.

john shook his head. "no. some of those pictures are from this morning too." he said. "and i hate roses. i'm allergic to them and the only people that know that are sherlock and jim."

the door to the locker room opened and two security guards walked in. "you called, sir?" one of them asked.

greg nodded. "no one is allowed in here. if they need something, just ask what they need and get it, okay?" he asked.

they both nodded.

"stand guard please."

the second time the door opened, it was sherlock with officers behind them. john ran to sherlock and hugged him tightly and sherlock hugged back, looking at the boy's locker. he gave greg a nod then let go of john, directing him out of the locker room.

when they got to the flat, john went to their room and changed out of his scrubs. he walked back out to the living room and sat on the sofa as sherlock made him tea.

"okay?" sherlock asked john softly, handing him the tea.

john took the tea and shook his head. "the letters."

"what about them?" sherlock asked as he sat next to john.

"there were more." he sniffled. "he mailed one every two months and i always took them out of the mail so you wouldn't see." he set his tea on the coffee table, pulling at the sleeves on his sweater. "they're in a box under the bed. he always talked about what he was going to do when he got out. he said he was going to leave me presents then after that he was going to visit me and then he would come after you and take me for himself." he said and looked up at sherlock with tears in his eyes. "i wanted you the believe that he was finished with me. that he didn't want anything else to do with me. i'm so sorry," he cried.

sherlock pulled the boy into his lap, hugging him closely. "it's alright." he said softly. "i'm not mad." he said and kissed john's head.

"i'm sorry!" john sobbed, holding onto sherlock tightly.

sherlock rubbed his back. "it's okay. i'm not mad." he said softly.

once john calmed down, sherlock picked him up and carried him to their bedroom, setting him on their bed then covering him with a blanket. it hurt sherlock to see john cry himself to sleep. the last time sherlock witnessed it was when john was seventeen. he looked over the boy before getting on the floor and looking under the bed, pushing around boxes until he found the one john was talking about. he left their bedroom, leaving the door open a crack before he walked to the desk, sitting down and opening the box.

someone started knocking on the door and sherlock left the letters, getting up and looking out the window, seeing greg's car in the street before going downstairs to open the door.

"i have evidence." greg said, holding up the bag.

sherlock let him in. "stay quiet. he's sleeping." he said as he closed the door behind greg, locking it. he took the bag then went upstairs with greg following behind him.

"what're these?" greg asked, gesturing at the letters on the desk.

sherlock sat down at the desk again. "letters from jim that john hid from me." he opened the evidence bag and took out the stack of photos. "you can read them. he's a sick bastard and they're graphic, just a warning." sherlock said as he looked at the first picture.

all the pictures were of john. john walking home, john sitting on the tube, john working, john in the showers at work. there were some with sherlock in them, but sherlock was scribbled out. sherlock set the pictures down and pulled out the journal that was in the bag. he examined it before opening in, reading the first page then closing it in disgust.

"he's sick." sherlock said, putting the journal and pictures back into the bag.

greg hummed in agreement. "have you read all of these?" he asked.

sherlock nodded. he picked up one that he set to the side and gave it to greg. "this one is filled with ways jim is going to take me down then take john for his own."

greg shook his head, setting the letter he was holding down. "i'm not going to read that." he said then cleared his throat. "is it alright if i take these in?" he asked.

sherlock nodded and gave greg the evidence bag back to him. he stood up and started packing up all the letters, putting them in the box. "what else was in the locker besides that stuff?" he asked.

"a bouquet of roses." greg said. "john said you and james were the only ones who know that he's allergic."

sherlock nodded. "anything else?"

greg shook his head. "the rest of the things were john's."

sherlock sighed and handed greg the box. "keep me updated, please."

"of course." greg said. "i'll be by tomorrow with some files."

sherlock nodded. "make sure you lock the door on your way out."

"will do." greg said before leaving the flat.

sherlock watched out the window before going back to his bedroom. he opened the door slightly and peeked at the boy who was still sound asleep. he closed the door before walking into the kitchen and going through the fridge and cupboards, looking for something to make for dinner.