Over stick and stone
(Part 5 of Wolfes)
"SHERLOCK" John´s scream was the last thing Sherlock heard as the man, they had hunt aimed with his gun at Sherlock ready to pull the trigger. And Sherlock knows, knows the man will pull the trigger, he knows there is no use to talk and nothing he would say will change the outcome. So Sherlock Holmes closes his eyes accepting a bullet hitting him between his eyes.
But it wasn't the noise of a bullet leaving its chamber it was the fury growl of an … animal. Better said a wolf. Sherlock eyes shoot open right in time to see John´s wolf figure attempting to bite into the already unconscious man´s neck.
"John, stop." There was nothing else he could do. If John wants to kill that man there was nothing to stop it. He was nether strong or fast enough to stop the wolf physically. Losing the energy from his adrenalin rush, through hunt, fight and near death Sherlock´s leg get wobbly and he decided he could just wait on the ground for John to finish whatever he wants to do. Sinking to the ground Sherlock looks up and meets worried eyes in a face not covered in blood. The man was still alive. Sherlock wouldn't want John to kill for him, or again the cabby still counts.
Looking deep into John´s animal eyes he sees only the human, who is more than a human. "You changed, on your own." Amazed Sherlock lifts his hand and lays it on his friends head. "Thank you, for saving me."
Getting back on his feet, Sherlock sees the torn clothes of John lying around them. "John, can you change back?" Sherlock had to ask. It would be easier to go back home with a human, even if they had to share his clothes. But the head shake of John was a clear 'no'.
"You wouldn't have clothes anyway. I guess we have only a few possibilities left." John looks interested up at him. "We could call Mycroft to pick us up." A wild shake of John´s head was answer enough. Sherlock would have asks his brother for that favor but he would do what John wants. "We can wait here until you changed back and you wear some of my clothes." That gets Sherlock a thoughtful look. "Or we walk home, through half of the city on a special paths. I guess only a few people will see us at that time of night." John didn't answer he was thinking, at least it looks like that for Sherlock. The decision was obvious so Sherlock got his phone out what earned him a threatening growl from John.
"I will call Mycroft." Another growl. "So he can erase our presences in this room." John stopped the growling.
The phone was ringing and answered after the third ring. "Locate my phone and send a cleaning team." Sherlock says without the polite and sometimes brotherly fighting small talk. "In the cellar, there is an unconscious man, who need probably an ambulance but don't care what happen to him. Just make sure no one knows we were here." John rubbed his head that is on the height as Sherlock´s lower chest at him. Thanking him for destroying evidence. The evidence of what John did.
"Are you two alright?" Mycroft asks but knows that Sherlock wouldn't sound that calm when John was hurt and the doctor would have called an ambulance already.
"Yes Mycroft we are fine. Can you do me the favor and clean this place." Sherlock sounds a bit impatience now but only to get off the phone and plan the best route to bring John home, unseen.
"Of course brother. Call me if you two need anything else." He hung up and Sherlock put the phone back into his pocket.
"So what we need now is a bit of a disguise for you." John´s questioning look would have been readable for everyone. "Yes John, I can´t walk through the city with a giant wolf." Sherlock takes off his scarf and tight it around John´s neck. "Now you have a collar and I can say you are my pet dog." That gets him another growl. "Sorry but it´s the best way. Of course you still look a bit threatening for most people but we can´t change your size. I like your size so you will have to wear a 'collar' and I will have to find a way with less people as possible. Deal?" John nods his head.
They leave the cellar together. No one was close to them so they disappear unseen in the dark alleys of London. It was always a special experience to walk through London under the guide of Sherlock. Someone who knows every street, every leader that leads to a path over rooftops and knows the entrance to the underground where two figure, one human and one wolf, could walk undetected to their home.
"You know John it is nice to walk with you through the city but I think I like it more when you are able to talk." John walks close to him. "We should find out how you can change without really wanting to. Because I can see it was an accident. You didn't change on purpose, right?" John nods. "We could do a few experiments. Maybe we can figure out how you can control it, the change and the tuning back." John didn't comment on this. "If you don't want to that's okay. But I have seen you the last times, the pain gets less and you are more the human you. I think one reason is that you let the beast out without fighting it. I guess the beast part of you need sometime outside and as you had repressed it had to fight its way out. Now it can come out if needed and had proven to be very useful. Like as you have saved me a few minutes ago." Sherlock continued as John turns his head for an example for his words.
Sherlock and John had crossed a bridge to get on the other river side, there was no underground tunnel or building they could cross it without being seen. A few people saw them from the other side of the road but they didn't panic. They pointed at them but the brilliant blue of the scarf marked John as Sherlock´s, no one question it.
The way was long and some parts weren't as pleasant as other. For example, John needed a lot of persuade by Sherlock to follow him down a wastewater canal. The last meters back to Baker Street where on the rooftops. They climbed down and finally arrived back at home around half past four in the morning. Tired and dirty they walk into the bathroom.
Sherlock helped John with the cleaning. For a case like that he purchased dog shampoo, there was no wolf shampoo in the store but is was definitive better then human shampoo. John seemed to enjoy his shower/bath. His drying was a strong shake behind the shower curtains to protect the bathroom from the water and a strong rubbing from Sherlock with a towel. "How about you wait in the living room, I will be there in a second.
John still with a bit wet fur walked out of the bathroom while Sherlock takes a quick shower himself. After drying up and getting into a fresh pajama he joins John on the sofa. Most of the furniture was covered with the huge body of his friend.
"I guess you still can´t change back, right?" A slightly shaking 'no' came from John. "Good than make a bit room for me." John lifts his head, Sherlock sits down and the heavy head was placed in his lap. Exactly where it belongs. Smiling Sherlock joins John in a half slumber until they fall both into a deep and exhausted sleep after a very long walk, a near death experience and not to mention the two previous days of case work.