Title – Deals and Grace
Author – Moonbeam
Summary – For the tumblr prompt 'In Which Sherlock Made a Crossroads Deal Ten Years Ago… But Nothing Goes As Planned When John Puts On His Grace To Stop Sherlock From Having to Pay' which pretty much says it all. Reichenbach references.
Rating – PG-13 (language) – no other warnings.
Disclaimer – If I owned it it wouldn't be as good, there would be more of it though. Which might not be a good thing, so best I just play with them sometimes.
Author's Notes – For felinejaye at tumblr, I hope they enjoy it.
Well, I wasn't going to start anything new and I haven't written for Sherlock in a while but dammit I could not get this prompt out of my head.
Deals and Grace
by Moonbeam
There were signs.
John should have read the signs but it had been so very long, so very, very long, since he'd had to deal with those beings that he hadn't even thought about it until the hellhounds appeared in the middle of their sitting room and went for Sherlock. John had reacted immediately and the hellhounds were dead; he might not have his full power anymore but he could still manage a couple of hellhounds.
He knew what to expect and he was just attempting to drag information out of Sherlock when he felt the demon. He turned and stared at…Crowley, fuck Crowley, when he appeared in the middle of their sitting room.
"Sherlock Holmes," Crowley said. "We made a deal, you have had ten years. It is time to pay for your deal."
John knew that there was nothing he could say and nothing Sherlock could argue that could negate the deal. John looked at Sherlock, and at Crowley who didn't recognise him in this form and knew what he had to do. It wasn't what he wanted to do, it would change everything but he had no choice now.
John swore, closed his eyes and let go.
He felt the swell and power and the tidal wave of Him washing over him. He could hear his brothers and sisters. He could feel the power of the other angels and the moment they realised that his Grace was unmasked. John shielded himself as his brother had taught him long ago but there was a moment between the time when John's Grace was locked away and when it was hidden.
Someone would come looking for him.
There was nothing for it, John opened his eyes and turned on Sherlock and the demon at his side.
"Crowley," he said allowing a little of his true voice out; Crowley flinched, Sherlock didn't. "The human is mine."
Crowley gathered himself and looked at John. "He has an angel in his pocket and he made a deal with me. A deal that is binding; by the way."
"The contract for your life Crowley," John said. "Or I take your life and the life of any demon that dares come after what is mine."
"Fucking angels," Crowley said clicking his fingers and the contract appeared. He gave it to John who regrettably let a little of his power out to test the document in his hand. When he was sure that it was real he let his Grace burn it into nothingness.
"You may go," John said. "You should never return."
Crowley left complaining about angels who decided to fuck with him when they picked humans for pets. John didn't give him any thought.
"That's how you did it?" John asked turning on Sherlock not bothering to put the power away yet. "That is how you faked your own death?"
Sherlock nodded. "Angels aren't real."
"I would have flown down into hell to try and get you back if I had not been informed that you were not down there," John said and Sherlock dropped down to his knees. John gripped his control back and made sure that less of his true voice came out this time. "Do not tell me what is and is not real, Sherlock Holmes. I just had to unleash my Grace to save your soul."
"I have done research, there is no proof that angels exist." Sherlock said now that he could stand up and look down at John again.
"There is also no proof that demons exist and yet you made a deal with a crossroads demon so that you could fake your own death."
Sherlock didn't concede to John's argument but he did incline his head and John knew that that was the best he was going to get.
"You are an angel," Sherlock said instead with just a hint of surprise.
"I fell from heaven with one of my brothers a long time ago; I have been wandering the earth, without actively using my Grace for centuries. I change forms every lifetime and I generally will myself into a family unlike other fallen angels."
"But you have your Grace now," Sherlock pointed out.
"I called it back to me," John said. "Or did you think you could talk a demon out of a deal for your soul?"
Sherlock waved his hand casually. "It was unavoidable; I needed to bring down Moriarty and his organisation."
"You do not want to start that argument again," John said. He could feel his wings fluttering at his back though Sherlock wouldn't be able to see them yet. Now that his Grace had been unleashed from the prison in his own soul where it had been locked it desperately wanted to stretch, his wings wanted to fly and his Grace ached for the brothers and sisters he had run away from.
Sherlock frowned at him and John felt like he could actually feel Sherlock beginning to deduce him, observe the differences, trying to see what he had missed before that had hidden John's true nature from him.
"Do not deduce me at the moment, Sherlock." John bit out. "Now I have to try and shield us from the other angels."
"You were in the Army." Sherlock said ignoring what John said as he normally did.
"I am a doctor, Sherlock. I was trying to save people."
"How predictable." Sherlock said with such condescension John's wings fluttered.
"It was the same reason as yesterday, Sherlock," John said with exasperation. "Pack a bag."
Sherlock frowned. "You think they will care about me?"
"I think I don't want you here while I am dealing with them. Angels don't have a sense of humour and one of them will smite you."
Sherlock turned with a flourish and came back moments later with John's laptop and his coat. John sighed and reached out with two fingers to press them into Sherlock's forehead. Sherlock disappeared and John smiled when he was gone – settled into the Holmes house in Essex. John let his wings out, he felt the tips flutter over the yellow smiley face on the wall and he could feel the pleasant stretch of them. John knew he would have to worry about his brothers and sisters soon, he was surprised they weren't here already but he ignored all of that to bend his knees and push down with his wings to pass through space and matter to…fly.
Two days later when he went to Essex for Sherlock he had painted demon and angel sigils on everything he could. He had avoided three visits from his brethren and the journey to collect Sherlock would be the last chance for him to use his gifts before he locked his Grace back up in the box in his head.
"I have questions," was the first thing Sherlock said when he appeared in the house in Essex.
"Of course you do," John said as he gripped Sherlock tight and took them home.
The End