March 9, 2014
"I'm a fake."
"Sherlock!" John couldn't believe what he was hearing, this man, his best friend, the one who he trusted unconditionally, was talking nonsense.
"The newspapers were right all along. I want you to tell Lestrade. I want you to tell Mrs. Hudson, and Molly. In fact tell anyone who will listen to you. That I created Moriarty for my own purposes."
"Okay, shut up Sherlock. Shut Up! The first time we met. The first time. We met. You knew all about my sister, right?"
"Nobody could be that clever."
"You could."
Sherlock choked out a laugh, if he wasn't sure about John's loyalty before. He did not doubt it now. Sherlock had to search his mind for an excuse, anything to tell him. Suddenly a thought came to his mind. "I researched you. Before we met I discovered all that I could to impress you. Its a trick. Its just a magic trick."
Its just a magic trick.
Its a trick.
A trick.
"SHERLOCK!" John sat straight up panting heavily he stared around. For a moment it seemed completely unfamiliar. Then his eyes widened with realization. "I didn't, did I?" Slowly he turned his head and glanced over his shoulder, and there behind him, was the greenish-gray headstone with the inscription 'SHERLOCK HOLMES' written on it. He sighed and began to stand up."I must've fallen asleep again." he said aloud to himself, as he pulled the Belstaff coat off of his lap.
"What?!" He said to himself picking up the coat and examining it closely. It was the coat, Sherlock's coat. He smelt it, oddly enough, it smelled like Sherlock too. He stood up and looked all around as he brushed himself off. "What the-" He looked back down at the coat and stared long and hard. This must be some sick person's cruel trick... Unless...
No that was impossible, even though the events of the past three weeks have indicated otherwise, he would not believe it. Not after three years. He turned to face the grave and sighed slowly. "What is going on Sherlock? What is all this?" He held up the coat and shook it as he spoke. With a second sigh he turn and walked back toward his new flat. On his short journey he thought back over the past three weeks to the odd events which had occured. First was the appearance of a deerstalker hat, which he found resting on the skull he had brought from 221B to his new place, there was a note taped to it, but all that was written on it was one word "John". The second thing was that Mrs. Hudson phoned him and said that she came home to find Sherlock's violin and case on her kitchen table, a note was stuck to it, which had her name on it. The third and final event was Lestrade. Sherlock's navy blue scarf appeared on Lestrade's office desk, with the name "Lestrade" on, again, a little note paper. John froze in place. What if? He hadn't thought to look on the coat, or around the grave. Could there be? Another note? He quickly, but thoroughly, looked over the coat. No note. He spun around and dashed back to the headstone. There on the headstone was a note, which gave John the shock of his life.
'It was just a trick, John. Just a magic trick.'
"A trick." John panted. He couldn't take this anymore. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. After a moment someone answered.
"Hello?"
"Dr. Ella?"
"Yes?" Said a woman's voice. "John, is that you?"
"Yeah, um can I make another appointment?" He requested nervously.
"Of course. But, its been awhile, what is wrong?" Ella soundt concerned.
"I think Sher- I mean..." He took a deep breath "I think I'm going insane."
"What do you mean?"
"Well I-" He stopped before he could really start. There was a strange VWORP VWORP VWORP sound, that he had never heard before.
"John? Are you alright?" He looked around him, there was nothing there. "John?" Ella asked again.
She recieved no answer.
_
Somewhere in time & space
"Doctor! What's going on?" The girl shouted. "What's happening?" The TARDIS shook an shook, the girl frightened almost out of her mind, ran around to the man's side and grabbed his arm. "Doctor!"
He then faced her. "I don't know Clara, once I figure out I will tell you." Said the man with brown floppy hair, a purple cashmere frock coat, and dark blue bowtie. He ran around the control room turning nobs and pushing buttons until finally everything came to a halt, sending both of them crashing to the ground. All became still and quiet.
The girl slowly stood from where she had fallen and looked around the room. "Doctor." She whispered. "Where are we? Have we landed?" A creak from the door answered her question. She looked over and the doctor was no where to be seen. "Doctor?!" She called out as she ran toward the door. Just as she reached it, he popped his head back in, making her jump. She shook her head when she saw the big, mischievious grin on his face. "I'm not even going to guess." She said plainly, "Where are we?"
"Earth." Was his answer.
"Where on earth are we?"
The Doctor chuckled. "I love it when you humans say that." He said rubbing his hands together, almost greedily.
"And I'm getting annoyed at you still calling me 'You Humans'."
"Oh right, sorry. Anyway we are in London."
"Oh cool. Alright then, when are we?"
"2000's somewhere. Probably between 2010 and 2014." He walked back outside and Clara followed him. They were standing in a cemetery. About twenty yards away was a man standing in front of a grave, with a long, dark coat draped over one arm and had a mobile phone in the other.
The two of them looked at one another. Clara leaned closer to the Doctor. "He must've lost someone recently."
"Maybe. But why would the TARDIS bring us here? Doesn't make sense."
"Does it ever?" Clara asked half-teasingly as she turned and strolled back into the TARDIS. The Doctor followed close behind.
"Well what do we know? Anything?"
Clara leaned against the console and shrugged. "Nothing much. Just that we heard that someone or something needed help." She pointed toward the door. "Do you think it was him?"
"Nah. He wouldn't be the type to believe in me."
"True. Now what?"
"I dunno. I just..." He frowned for a minute and went quite. Clara stared at him trying to figure out what was wrong, which she quickly abandoned, there was no figuring him out. Suddenly the Doctor jumped off of the railing, which he was sitting on, and jogged down to the door.
Clara leaned against the railing and placed a hand on her hip. "Where are you going."
"Outside for a sec. Won't be long."
She frowned and glanced down at her feet. Then brought her head up again, fast. "Oi!" She cried. "I don't wanna be left behind." She then ran down the steps and out the door.
_
December 16, 1988
Quickly the steps were falling, faster and faster. As the child ran for her life. She looked over her shoulder and let out a cry. He was still there. Down the path and through the trees she continued on until her small, six-year-old legs could hold her no longer. The girl dropped to the ground with a cry. She listened carefully, everything was quiet. She rolled over onto her back and found that she was all alone. Slowly she stood up and looked all around her. "Where am I?" She turn and turn around but all she could see was trees. The woods was dark and scary, and the child started crying. "Help me, somebody." She raised her voice to almost a panicked scream. "Help me!"
Out of the darkness two red glowing eyes appeared. The girl froze in fear as a deep, low, rumbling growl. The eyes came a little closer to her and thats when she saw it. A wolf, snarling and growling coming closer and closer to her. She started backing up, but, as she did she backed into a tree. The wolf gave a frightening bark and charged towards her. The child screamed and covered her eyes. Just then, there was a strange sound, VWORP VWORP VWORP.
The wolf coward down and ran, the little girl brought her hands down and looked around. The wind whipped all around her and a big blue box appeared. She carefully and quietly moved toward it, but jumped almost out of her skin as the door swung open and a man in a purple cashmere frock coat, and dark blue bowtie peered out of the door. "Um.." He said looking around. "Okay. This isn't quite what I expected."
Then a young woman with dark brown hair and a cute little purplish-blue dress leaned out. "What-ooh. This is not good." Then Clara looked down and saw the girl standing there. "Oh, where did you come from?" She asked stepping out of the TARDIS, against the Doctor's wishes.
"Um." Said the girl. "Back there." She pointed behind her, "Somewhere. Somebody was chasing me." The little girl began to cry.
Clara walked up to her and knelt beside her. "What is your name?"
The child swallowed back some tears and took a breath. "Lilly ma'am, Lilly Brown."
"Lilly Brown?" The Doctor said with a smile. "Well then Clara, the TARDIS brought us to the right spot after all."
"I suppose so." She agreed. She stood up, "What now then?" The Doctor looked down at Lilly who was clinging to Clara's side.
"Well." He said squatting down, to be eye level with her. "You can trust me sweet heart, okay?"
Lilly nodded. "Okay. Who are you?"
"I'm the Doctor."
"Doctor Who?"
He smiled, "Oh I love when people say that." He stood up and reached out his hand to her, which she took. As they walked to the TARDIS he asked her, "So who was chasing you."
Lilly, who hadn't stopped looking around, replied. "Him."
Clara and the Doctor turned and saw a man, if you could call it a man, with a long black robe and hood, standing off behind a tree, he had no face. The Doctor became extremely nervous, "Clara get her inside now!"
"Doctor, what is that?" Clara asked as she ushered Lilly inside.
"That, is a Trickster."