You know it, I don't own it.
I am guiltily, intrigued by the Sherlock and John relationship, and yes that includes Johnlock. However you can't ignore Mary, so this idea popped into my head. Enjoy!
Sherlock was curious. His curiosity was set on the medium sized cardboard box sitting on the coffee table. He stared at it over the tips of his fingers. It had been a week since his last case, and none of the clients who came that day had a case that rivaled his curiosity for the box.
The box in question had been dropped off earlier by a blond with a pixie cut and a mouth. It hardly took a genius to deduce that the blond was John's sister. After a brief conversation with Sherlock she had left it at the flat, with instructions to say hello to John.
The box was sitting on the table waiting for John to come home from work. It sat their mocking the detective, there hardly any clues to what was inside. The only thing the detective could deduce was that the box was over 10 years old, due to the much younger scrawl that covered on side declaring it John's box.
Sherlock glanced at the clock; John would be home in an hour maybe longer. It would be more than enough time for him to open the box, go through it, and then replace everything. John wouldn't even know that he had gone through it.
It wasn't like John didn't go through his things, the detective thought. The man was always fiddling or moving his experiments around.
Sherlock's will cracked and he scooted over to the box and slowly opened it. Inside was a collection of odds and ends, Sherlock pulled out a stuffed blue otter that looked well loved. Sherlock quickly set it aside and reached for something else.
He found an old book that also looked well loved. He leafed through the book seeing the battered corners of where John had quickly turned the pages. Two old tickets fell out from their place as a makeshift book mark. Sherlock picked them up and saw that they were for a dress ball, but both were unused. He placed them back into the book and set them aside.
Sherlock was about to grab another object at random, but caught site of a small round box. Curiously he picked it up and popped it open. He looked shocked at the ring that resided within. It was rather simple, a single pearl being the centerpiece. Sherlock wondered for a moment why John would have a woman's ring.
"What the hell are you doing?" John asked snapping Sherlock out of staring at the ring.
"The clock," Sherlock stuttered turning to look at the clock. His brain just remembering that he had broken it during one of his experiments. "I didn't mean to-"
"You didn't mean to get caught?" John asked walking over grabbing the stuffed otter and book and placing them back into the box. He reached out for the small box and ring. Sherlock slowly handed it over. "Where did you even get this stuff?" He asked looking into the box.
"Your sister dropped it off," Sherlock replied, he noticed John was staring at the ring. "Was that your mothers?" He asked curiously.
"No," John replied simply snapping the box closed and placing it in his pocket.
"Then why would you have a woman's ring?" Sherlock asked. The fact that John had put it in his pocket attached a deep sentimental value to it.
"Why don't you just deduce it," John replied harshly. Sherlock felt as if the army doctor had slapped him.
"Did I do something wrong?" Sherlock asked as John picked up his box.
"I don't know Sherlock, maybe the fact that you went through a box of my personal things without permission." John snapped back.
"You go through my experiments all the time," Sherlock replied.
"Sherlock, that isn't the same," John replied setting the box down. "You leave them spread out across the flat, this was in a box that has my name on it."
"I didn't realize that it would be that big of deal," Sherlock replied.
"Well it is," John replied grabbing is box again and heading for the stairs.
"What was her name?" Sherlock asked taking a stab in the dark. He saw John's shoulder's drop as he turned back. He slumped down into the chair pulling the ring out.
"Mary," John replied. "Her name was Mary." He added with a deep sigh looking at the ring. Sherlock was amazing at how sad the doctor looked.
"Did she say no?" Sherlock asked, knowing that some people held on to things like that.
"I wish she had," John replied with a sad smile.
"What happened?" Sherlock asked softly.
"I was going to propose," John replied. "I had been planning it for a month. I got tickets to this old fashioned ball, she loved things like that. I was going to propose in the gardens," He explained a tear running down his face.
"You never got the chance," Sherlock commented quietly. John shook his head.
"She was killed," John replied. "A drunk driver, he hit her and then drove off. He left her there alone to die." He added bitterly snapping the ring box shut. "I signed up for the army the next week, and I tried to forget."
Sherlock was quite for a moment. He had wondered how the man had gotten into the army, but he never imagined anything like this. He didn't like to think that his John had such tragedies in his past.
Sherlock couldn't imagine the thought of losing some one forever. He then felt a sudden guilt on his shoulders, he had left John. He tried to make John believe he was dead. He had missed John after the fall, but he always knew he would return. He suddenly hated himself for causing the army doctor the pain of losing someone close.
At the same time Sherlock felt almost happy that this Mary woman had died. If she hadn't, John never would have been shot causing him to come back to London. He wouldn't have found Sherlock.
"I am sorry," Sherlock finally commented, trying to apologize for everything. Very carefully he reached out and touched John's hand. John unconsciously squeezed it, as if he was trying to make Sherlock feel better. He looked down into his box, and reached in pulling something out. He held it out to Sherlock. "She was beautiful," Sherlock commented looking at the blond woman. John nodded before placing the picture back in the box.
"Thank you," Sherlock commented. John looked at him confused. "For telling me this," He added. "I take it you don't tell it to a lot of people." He added.
"Sherlock, you aren't a lot of people," John replied with a smile. "Now, do you want some tea? I'm starving." He added getting up. Sherlock watched him head into the kitchen, his John was quite amazing.
Okay, I do feel bad that I came up with another sad story to add to John's life. I love the Mary and John relationship (from what I've seen of it), but at the same time I do love Johnlock relationship. So my mind concocted this idea to have them both live peacefully in the same realm.
I hoped you enjoyed it! Reviews are welcome!