Author's Note: I own nothing, but am eternally grateful for the genius of ACD and now MG, SM, BC, MF and the BBC crew.

I have no experience with asexuality, but have researched the subject on the internet, especially . I apologise if I have got anything wrong. Any errors are for the sake of the story and not to cause offence.

I am not an expert in most of the things I use in this story, just what I picked up from the interweb and my own imagination. As this is an AU I'm excusing any failures in authenticity as "well that's what happens in my universe." A cheap get out I know, but these are my scribblings and they make me happy.

Check chapters for specific trigger warnings.

Set in the early 1990's, this is a missing story from Chapter 1 of 'Watersheds' (/s/9616904/1/Watersheds). You may want to read that first.

Trigger warning: mentions of cancer

"Yes Mum … yes … of course I will ... no, no … well, yes … no I really don't … but Mum, that's not what I want. I don't … no, I haven't … yes, of course I'll be there … no, don't do that … I don't need … I don't need you setting me … yes, of course I remember him … I'm sure he is, but … no Mum … no … I have a boyfriend!" Bridget's head shot up at her friend and flatmates exasperated exclamation. "Yes, I'll ask him. Yes, we'll be there. Bye Mum. Love you. Hug Dad from me."

Mary replaced the phone's receiver on the cradle and released a slow breath, her shoulder's drooping as she slowly turned. A few steps brought her to the flat's sofa where she threw herself down next to her room-mate who had been flicking through an old copy of Cosmopolitan in a vain attempt to find anything of interest.

"Your Mum at it again?"

"How did you guess? My sister, Jackie, is having an eighteenth birthday party. I'm expected to be there. Of course, Mum doesn't want her oldest daughter showing up without a man on her arm. She was trying to set me up with Justin. I mean, Justin for fuck's sake. I've known him since primary school. I mean he's a total sweetheart, and she could easily bully him into being my date, but he'd hate it more than I would. He's one of those blokes who can only commune with his computer. Totally brilliant at programming, but social situations are just not his thing. To be honest, carbon based lifeforms in general freak him out. Give him silicon any day."

Bridget laughed before calming down and resuming her concern at her friend's plight. "So you told her you've got a boyfriend."

Mary coloured "Err, yeah. Probably not my best move. She'll go bonkers when I turn up on my own, then she'll spend the entire evening trying to palm me off on any single male. It'll be a nightmare. God, why did I say it?"

"I could go with you. Say your boyfriend got called away to a family thing and I offered to stand in."

"Thanks, but no. It wouldn't work. She'd just try to find two blokes for us."

Bridget smirked. "Yeah, she'll need luck with that."

Mary snorted a laugh. "Wouldn't stop her trying though. She's one of those women who thinks a lesbian is just a woman who hasn't found the right man yet."

Bridget grimaced. "Oh, one of those. I've got an aunt just the same. What about your Dad? Can't he help?"

"Nah. From long experience he knows not to get between Mum and her matchmaking. She was delighted when I said I wanted to go to University. Thought I'd finally grow into myself as she so charmingly put it. And wanting to be a doctor, in her mind, is just a way to land a wealthy husband with lots of social standing. A nurse would have been better. You know, longing looks over the operating table. All very Mills and Boon. Even so, she could barely control herself when I told her what I wanted to do. Went round all her friends bragging how I was going to land a future Harley Street surgeon."

"So she doesn't know, about you I mean?"

"Oh, she knows. I've told her often enough. She just doesn't understand it."

"What about your sister? Have you told her?"

"Yeah, Jackie knows, as does my older brother, Pete. He understands, Jackie not so much, and my baby sister, Jenny, is only fifteen. She's having a hard enough time understanding hormones and boys without throwing an asexual big sister into the mix."

"So anyone you take is going to be grilled by your Mum and fawned over by your sisters."

"Yep. If I can even find a bloke to go with me. And don't suggest either of the Wankers. Can you imagine Marcus or Andy in a room full of alcohol and teenage girls? It'd be carnage. Mum'ed never forgive me."

"What about John? He'd be perfect. A trainee doctor, charming, good-looking, and guaranteed not to try and get in your knickers at the end of the evening."

"You're right. But he's always so busy."

"Come on girl. Don't bottle it now. Ask him. I'm sure, if there's any way he can make it, he will."

"Alright, alright. You win. I'll ask him. It can't hurt, can it? And if it keeps my Mum off my back it's worth it."

-0-0-0-

John had managed to borrow an ancient VW Beetle from his friend, Phil Warren, for the evening. Parking outside the school hall, John hopped out of the driver's seat, pushing down the button to lock his door before slamming it shut, checking it had actually locked, then moving round to open the passenger door. He offered his hand to assist Mary from the car, before locking the vehicle and pocketing the keys.

"You look beautiful. I'm so glad you asked me to be your escort for the evening. I wouldn't have missed this for the world."

Mary smiled at her friend. "No, thank you. I'm sorry you're having to pretend to be my boyfriend, but my Mum's a rabid matchmaker. I love her to bits, but when it comes to marriage and babies she's a monster."

John grinned. "Don't worry about it. That's what friends are for. I'm delighted to do this for you. You have fun tonight and leave your Mum to me."

"Are you sure John?"

"Of course. Now come along. I want to meet these other Morstans. They must be pretty special to have produced you."

Mary lightly swatted at his arm. "You smoothy. My Mum's gonna love you. Come on, let's get into the warm. I want to show you off."

Hand in hand they walked into the decorated hall. A high pitched squeal was quickly followed by Mary finding her arms full of her over excited youngest sister. "Hello Jenny. Calm down. Anyone'd think you haven't seen me for years instead of just a few weeks."

"How can I calm down? You look gorgeous. As does your boyfriend. Hello, you must be John." The fifteen year old turned on all her adolescent charm as her gaze hungrily devoured the man whose arm had slipped around her older sister's waist.

"Hello Jenny. I'm delighted to meet you. You're looking very glamourous this evening." John temporarily released his hold on Mary to take Jenny's hand and bent his head to place a gentle kiss upon it. Jenny positively glowed at the attention.

Clasping John's hand she dragged him further into the room, unconcerned that Mary was pulled along too. "Come on. Mum's been looking forward to meeting Mary's new boyfriend. She's going to love you." Something about that tone made John feel like a lamb about to be introduced to a tiger.

A small woman, fair haired and in her late forties, turned around when Jenny called out "Mum. Dad. Look who I found."

A tall, silver-grey haired man, glass of red wine in hand, looked over his wife's shoulder at the approaching trio. Obviously well practised in damage limitation, he stepped swiftly past his wife, hand outstretched in greeting. Jenny had dropped John's hand, so John was able to accept, taking the older hand in his own firm grip to shake.

"Hello, I'm Pierre Morstan, Mary's father. This is my darling wife, Theresa."

John took the middle-aged woman's offered hand, lifting it gently to brush his lips to the back in greeting, causing the woman to blush and giggle.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm John Watson. Thank you so much for inviting me."

Before Theresa could commence her interrogation, the sound of breaking glass closely followed by an anguished wail, drew everyone's attention to the far side of the room.

"It's lovely to meet you John, but it sounds like someone needs me. I look forward to having a little chat later." Mrs Morstan threw a determined smile in John's direction before twittering across the room to aid one of her young guests whose dress now hung limp and beer soaked as tears and alcohol fell to the floor in dismal splashes.

Both men's eyes momentarily followed the progress of the lady across the crowded room, before turning back to face each other. Mary returned at that moment with a glass of cola for John and something similar for herself. Having handed John the glass, she stepped closer to the older man, going up on tiptoe to press an affectionate kiss to his cheek, eliciting a happy grin from her father.

"Hello daughter."

"Hello Daddy. Play nice with John. He's one of the good guys." Mary then smiled affectionately at John before disappearing into the melee of guests, leaving the two men alone in the crowd.

"So, you're one of the good guys?"

John smiled a little coyly. "Mary seems to think so."

The older man pondered the response for a moment then nodded his head. "Then she's probably right. She's a pretty good judge of character."

John smiled. "Yeah, that she is."

"So, John, you're one of Mary's flat mates aren't you?"

"Yeah, since the start. There are six of us in the flat, but we mostly ignore two of them. Bridget, Simon, Mary and I get along well. We all keep an eye out for each other and keep the digs going between us, shopping, cooking, cleaning and the like. It's good, nice."

"I'm glad she has good friends. She's mentioned you before you know. Says you're going to join the army."

"Yeah. The Royal Army Medical Corps. It's the least I can do as they're paying a load of my fees."

"So you go straight into the Army once you graduate?"

"That's the plan."

They both took a moment to drink from their respective glasses. Pierre Morstan then looked the younger man in the eye: a look of appraisal, as the older man took the measure of his daughter's supposed suitor.

"Do you love my girl?"

"Of course."

"But are you in love with her?"

John pondered whether to lie, but decided a version of the truth was best. "We're not ready to be in love, but we're good friends. She's caring, and funny, and I cherish the time I spend with her. I would never deliberately hurt her, and she knows if she asks for my help I'll do everything in my power."

"I can't ask for more than that can I?" He watched his oldest daughter laughing with her brother.

"Anyone she gives her heart to will be very lucky," the father declared with affection.

"Yes they will."

It was the first and last time John spoke with Pierre Morstan. The diagnosis of stage 3 bronchioloalveolar carcinoma sixteen years later would result in Mary curtailing her time at the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine at James Cook University in Cairns.

News of her father's battle with cancer prompted her to move back to the UK where she took a teaching and research post at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Pierre Morstan died six months after her return when treatments failed to halt the disease that ravaged his body.

-0-0-0-

John was dragged away from Pierre and onto the dance floor by the excitable Jackie and Jenny.

Pete turned to his sister, using his beer bottle to gesture at his younger sisters and their latest object of fascination on the dance floor.

"So, John Watson. He's the bloke you talk about. Not the gay one."

"No, that's Simon. He's a darling, training to be an Oncologist. John is going to become a surgeon in the Army."

"Right, and Bridget's the lesbian Cardiologist."

"Oh, so you do listen to me. Yes, Bridget is my room-mate."

"Do I need to have a word? You know, the 'big brother break her heart and I'll kill you' talk?"

"Oh, Pete! You idiot. Thanks for the offer, but it's really not necessary. John's not like that."

"And there's nothing going on anyway. Oh, don't look at me like that. I've got eyes, and I've known you all your life don't forget. And of course, surprising though it may be, I am actually a bloke myself. I know what to look for. He likes you, and he likes women in general, he's charming and friendly, but the way he shies away from any unwanted touching, that gentlemanly way he kisses a woman's hand, not an affectation but a way to maintain distance without ruining the lady's self-confidence. I'm guessing you and he have a lot more in common than a flat and an interest in medicine. Am I right?"

Mary stared at her brother open-mouthed. "When did you become a detective?"

He looked at his sister in surprise and then burst out laughing. "Don't be daft, you little idiot. I'm only looking out for you. Checking out the lads who sniff round my sisters, just like I've always done. It's a big brother's prerogative. This John seems almost too charming. Normally I'd be worried and looking to warm him off, but there's something about him that's just a little different if you look closely enough, and know what to look for. I think John is quite safe."

"Oh, Pete. What will I do with you? If you want to know about John, you ask him yourself. As to scaring him off, don't you dare. He's a good friend and he's doing me a huge favour warding off Mum's matchmaking. She's still going on about me landing a man and having babies. She really thinks that's the be all and end all. It's such an old-fashioned attitude, straight out of the 1950's. She can't accept that's not what I want for my life. Apart from the fact I've wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember, I really can't see me ever having kids. It's just not who I am. I don't even know if I'll ever get married."

"Really Mare?"

"Don't look at me like that. Like I'm to be pitied. I'm glad you're married to Maggie and you're already planning kids. It's what you've always wanted. Why is it so hard for my family to accept that that's not for me? It's not what I want, and I can't picture a future for me where it would be. I've got things I want to do with my life, and a husband and 2.4 kids is not part of that."

Pete leant forward to wrap his sister in a hug, pressing her head to his chest and resting his chin on her hair. "Hey, hey! It's alright love. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I know that's what you want. It's not my place to tell you what you want is wrong or to persuade you to change your mind. And it's not wrong if it feels right to you, if it makes you happy. I know full well that being married with kids is not a fulfilling experience for everyone, female or male. I'm not a sexist you know. If we have a daughter, I'd love for her to be free to do whatever she wants, whether that's business, family, or following her Aunt into the big, bad world to be a doctor."

Sniffling a little, Mary looked up at her older brother, giving him a small smile of gratitude.

"Listen Mare, don't worry about Mum. I know she's got her opinions, but she's wrong to push them on to you. I'll do my best to keep her distracted. Let's face it, we're never going to change her mind, but that doesn't mean we have to put up with it. Promise me though, next time you come home, don't bring a fake boyfriend. She'll just have to learn to cope with you being a determined single woman."

"OK Pete, I promise."

"Mind you, if you want to bring John along as a friend, it looks like your little sisters won't mind. And judging by the look on Mum's face, she won't mind either."

Mary looked in horror in the direction her brother was indicating. John had obviously finished dancing with her sisters and was now seated at a table on the opposite side of the hall from the DJ, her mother sitting opposite him sipping wine and looking delighted to have cornered the handsome young man.

Mary made to rescue her "boyfriend" from her mother's clutches, but Pete laid a hand on her arm to halt her.

"Don't. Give them a moment. John looks like he's holding his own quite nicely. Come on, let's get another drink. Then we'll see if he needs rescuing."

Mary cast another worried gaze at the table across the hall before turning back to her brother. Chewing her lip, she came to a decision, nodding her head in acceptance of her brother's suggestion.

"OK. I just hope you're right."

-0-0-0-

John had a fun time dancing with Jackie and Jenny. Then their little party was joined by three or four other teens whose names he didn't catch. He also noticed the glower from some of the young men prowling near the bar. John decided that discretion was the better part of valour, so, when Mrs Morstan came over to re-introduce herself, he excused himself to his disappointed admirers and guided the older lady to a quiet table away from the DJ and the dance floor. He held out her chair for her to sit, and ensured she was happy with her drink before joining her at the table.

"So, you're John Watson. Mary talks about you, you know. Although she never mentioned you were dating."

"No, she wouldn't have. I've found her to be a very private person."

"Yes, she is that. Always had her secrets has our Mary."

"Really? I've never thought her secretive. Just … contained. Not one to speak too much about herself. It's one of the things I like about her. Her composure, and her quiet resilience."

Mrs Morstan looked speculatively at the young man. "You're a strange one Mr Watson."

"Please, call me John."

"In that case, I suppose you can call me Theresa. After all, we're both adults and you're almost family."

John laughed a little uncomfortably. Whilst he had no problem with allowing people to believe whatever they chose about their relationship, he'd already agreed with Mary that he would not out-right lie. Apart from it feeling wrong, he didn't want to make things more difficult for Mary with her family.

"Please Theresa, don't marry your daughter off just yet. It's not what she wants. It's not something of interest to either of us."

Theresa looked at him, trying to size him up.

"So you're not planning a family?"

"No, we're both focussed on our careers at the moment."

"But she'd be such a good mother. I want my little girl to have a family."

"Well, that's not what either of us wants at the moment. We're both more interested in saving lives than creating them."

"Huh, men. You never know what a woman truly wants."

"May be, but I know what your daughter truly wants for her future, and that's to be the best doctor she can be saving as many lives as possible."

"She'll change her mind soon enough."

"Possibly. That's her decision to make, but at the moment she has a clear plan for her life. Don't you think we ought to let her pursue it as she chooses? After all, no-one should have regrets except those of their own making." The smile had never left his face, but his eyes held a steely determination.

Theresa Morstan looked momentarily non-plussed by John's forthright manner. She hadn't spoken to her daughter about anything important in years. Perhaps she was out of touch with her daughter's dreams. But she was confident that, in the long run, she knew what was best for her daughter. Marriage and children would ground her. She could be a GP if she wanted, but in the end the desire for a family would drive out her flighty ideas. If Theresa Morstan knew anything, it was what was best for her daughters.

John took the moment to excuse himself from the table, offering to replenish Theresa's drink. An offer that was declined. He headed for the bar, but detoured when he spotted Mary and her brother just receiving their own drinks order. He took the opportunity to give Mary an update and hopefully garner an introduction to the final member of the Morstan clan.

Mary spotted John as he approached. Her face broke into a relieved smile. Turning to Pete she asked him to order another cola for her friend, before introducing John to her elder brother.

The two men shook hands, neither feeling the need to assert any dominance. Peter trusted his sister's judgement, and his own opinion of the man before him was only positive. John took an instant liking to the tall, blond man before him. Unlike his petite sister, Peter took after his father, tall and broad with a strong handshake and an open expression.

"So you're John Watson."

"Yep, I've been getting that a lot this evening. Mary, you didn't tell me you'd told them about me."

"Sorry John. I've told them stories about Bridget and Simon as well, but you're the only one they've actually met. That makes you a bit unusual."

Pete grinned. "It's good to finally meet one of her infamous flatmates. I know she's tough and can look after herself, but she's still my little sister and I worry about her. It's such a relief to know that you all look out for each other."

John grinned back. "Yeah, we do. We're all good friends. Of course, we don't include the Wankers in that, but even they're not really a problem."

Pete looked confused. "The Wankers?"

Mary giggled. "The other two blokes we flat-share with, Andy and Marcus. They're all about beer and shagging. I can't imagine they'll last much longer given how little work they do. They're normally either drunk or hung over. But like John said, they're not a problem. We've got them well trained."

"Well that's alright then. I s'pose. And you John, not into beer and shagging?"

Mary looked shocked and then angry at her brother's impolite question. John looked a little taken aback before bursting into laughter. "Beer occasionally, in moderation. Other members of my family do not have a good relationship with alcohol so I'm wary. As to shagging, no, as I think you've already guessed, that's not for me. In fact, it was Mary who helped me with that. It was how our friendship started actually, trying to work out why my sexual desires seemed a little … skewed from the norm. Although I'd appreciate if you kept that private. Yeah, Mary's been great, really supportive, and we've become good mates. So don't worry big brother, you know she'll always be safe with me."

John held out his hand. Pete grinned and shook the smaller man's in an offer of friendship. The agreement was made. Pete knew that, as long as John was around, his sister would be protected whether she wanted it or not. What more could any older brother ask for.

So you know, based upon the outcome of my previous stories in this series, 'Watersheds' and 'Trefoil', I did some digging on how I see my characters identifying, even though, as John says, "I soon learned that the labels were actually pretty meaningless. I am John Hamish Watson and I am who I am."

In the story, John identifies himself as biromantic – the non-sexual aspect of bisexuality.

Based on John's diagnosis, which Sherlock agrees with, Sherlock identifies as demiromantic - he may feel romantic attraction once a reasonably stable or strong emotional connection has been created. However he hates to be touched by those he has no romantic attraction to except by the very few he has an established strong emotional connection with. This includes Lestrade and Mrs Hudson. Although his main area of casual interest in the past has been men, he now includes Mary in his sphere of romantic attraction.

Throughout the story Mary identifies herself as asexual or under more recent definitions, largely heteroromantic - "If you were to ask on the Kinsey scale I'm probably about a 2. I'm predominantly interested in men, but can be attracted to a woman. I have no interest in sexual intercourse."

As I said, I have no actual experience with this and have based this on internet research, but this is how I want my characters to be for the purposes of this story arc. If I've got anything badly wrong then please let me know.

If you wish to comment, I would love to hear from you. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Don't forget to follow me on tumblr as awomaninvisible