Disclaimer: Misses Mary Watson, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson belong to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – thank you for creating, forgive me for playing.

Story: Misses Mary Watson visits Sherlock Holmes and wants him to solve a little problem...

Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson

Genre: Angst, Romance

Warnings: Slash. Don't like, don't read.

Dedicated to: No one.

Alteration

Chapter One: The detective and the wife

"Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love,

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove."

(Some English Poet)

For the second and last time in her life, Misses Mary Watson entered the small bureau of Sherlock Holmes at a rainy afternoon in autumn. The famous detective, who had helped her once, was sitting in a chair, reading a book, the pipe in his hands.

As she came in, he looked up. Misses Watson believed she saw surprise in his eyes, just for a moment, but then he looked as normal as usual.

"Misses Watson! Nice to see you again." He stood up and shook her hand, noticing that she winced imperceptible when touching his hand.

"Can I offer you something to drink?"

"No, thank you", Mary Watson replied, "I came to see you, Mister Holmes, because I need your help with a problem I maybe could solve alone, but I would be glad to know you will assist me."

"Please sit down", Holmes said.

The woman took place in the chair that had belonged to her husband, and actually, did still belong.

"Now, what could be so difficult you have to visit me and cannot rely on Dr. Watson's intelligence?"

"I think you'll find my request very peculiar, Mr. Holmes. First, I want you to promise me not to tell my husband anything about our conversation – whether you'll help me or not."

The detective laid his pipe aside on the table. This was certainly getting interesting. "You're not in any danger, are you?" he asked.

"I assure you I'm not", she answered.

"Then I can promise you not to tell Dr. Watson anything."

"Thank you. Second, I'm afraid I have to tell you I don't have much time, In an hour, I have to be home again. But I believe you can help me nevertheless", Misses Watson said.

"Go on then." Holmes lent back in his chair. There she sat, asking for his support once again, the woman who stole Watson from his side. Almost. Her husband was still trying to work with him on every case. But it was different. Before meeting Misses Mary Watson, Watson had spent most of his time with Holmes, who never had had such a patient and warm-hearted friend. But she had changed something in their friendship he'd rather not have changed.

"Mister Holmes, I want you to plan my flight", she told him straight on.

"Flight? Why do you want to flee? And from what or who?" he asked surprised.

"I want to leave my husband, Mister Holmes. And I don't want him to find me", Misses Watson explained calmly, ignoring his questions.

Startled, the detective starred at her. She had never made the impression to be unhappy as Misses Watson. "I'm afraid I can't help you with that, Misses Watson", he finally replied, after a short silence when he had been fascinated by the thought of having Watson for his own again, here, in the Bakerstreet 221b. But he couldn't do this. He knew how much Watson loved this woman.

"I will go, whether I have your support or not", she told him.

"May I ask you why? Don't you love Dr. Watson?"

"Of course I do. I wouldn't have married him if I did not."

Holmes believed her. If he knew something about her, then that she was a plain and honest person. "And he loves you. So why do you want to leave him?" he asked.

"I'm afraid you're wrong, Mister Holmes. My husband doesn't love me. He wants to love me and believes he does, but deep inside he knows it's not true. He is not too blame, for he always tried to be a good husband but I don't want to see him haunted by a phantom any longer", Misses Watson said.

Thoughtfully, the detective looked at her. She was sure of what she was saying. But was she right? Or was all she believed to see just pure imagination, caused by an argument or a false suspicion?

"What sort of phantom do you mean? A thing or a person?"

"I'd rather not talk about it", she replied, looking down.

"If you want my help, Misses Watson, you have to convince me your leaving won't hurt Doctor Watson too much." No, he was not going to let her hurt his friend. Even if it would be a great chance for him.

The woman looked up again. For the first time since her arrival, she seemed unsure.

"It is a person", she finally said.

"I suppose this person is the reason you believe your husband can't love you?" Holmes guessed.

"Yes", Misses Watson replied, her face pale.

"I don't know anyone he could love more than you. And I know him quite a while", he remarked.

"The person is sitting in front of me." Her voice was bare a whisper, but Holmes heard it. It took him a while to understand what she was saying.

"I didn't think our friendship could be such a problem. If you think Dr. Watson is away with me too often, I'm sure we can arrange..."

"I'm not talking about him working with you. I'm talking about him loving you."

And while he starred at her with confusion, Mary Watson stood up and went over to the door. "If you can make a plan for me, please send it to our house until 4 o'clock." She paused, then said: "Good-bye, Mister Holmes. I'm sure you can understand that I can't like you, but I hope you will be able to make John happy. Though I don't know how two men can seriously love each other, he deserves to be happy."

And with these words, Misses Mary Watson went out of the door and left a very irritated Sherlock Holmes in his room.

End of chapter 1.

Please tell me what you think, but don't forget, I'm only german *g*.

Thanks.            11.01.2001