It was Christmas Eve. 221b Baker Street held laughter and enjoyment. A man stood on the corner huddled in a ratty old coat. A top-hat with patches on it lay atop his head. The man looked strange with his mismatched and torn clothing. His eyes held the hints of despair and longing. It was freezing out, and the man seemed to be lost as to where to go for warmth. He looked as if he hadn't eaten in days. "Spare change, Ma'am?" His gruff voice asked as an older woman bustled closer with grocery bags filling her arms.
"How about you help me with these bags, young man, and I'll give you something to eat in return. You look half-starved." The woman replied with concern in her tone.
"That would be grand. Thank you." He replied taking the bags from her and handling them with ease. "Lead the way."
A reddish-brown beard could be seen poking out in between the folds of his old magenta scarf. His curls that wrapped around his ears in a tangle were the same color as his facial hair but looked a bit duller. His cheek bones were high, and they accompanied his deep brown eyes well. Although, his eye color looked a bit unnatural as if he was wearing contacts to mask their true color. His raggedy boots crunched against the dirty snow as he reached the steps and continued to follow the kind woman to her door.
"I'll tell you what, a tenant of mine is having a bit of a Christmas party. It would be lovely if you attended. You don't seem to have anywhere else to go." She said with a smile. She didn't give him time to reply before speaking again. "Good, then it's settled. Go right up those stairs there. That's what the groceries are for. Mycroft relapsed on his diet and ate up all the sweets..." She lightly shoved the man into the door and up the steps to 221b. He simply smiled and nodded before finishing ascending the steps and pushing open the all to familiar door which revealed cheerful faces. All pleasant to his sight except for one particular woman that was currently fussing over a certain man too much for his liking.
"Everyone, this is... Um... Oh I don't think I caught your name?" The woman said looking to the bearded man. "Samuel." He replied warmly. "Alright, everyone this is Samuel. He has no where else to go, so I though he could join us. Won't that be lovely?"
One by one the people in the room greeted him, even though it was rather pointless to the bearded man. Mycroft refused to shake the man's hand and instead asked him when was the last time he had a shower. Samuel just glared at him knowingly. The woman that was hanging all over John was Mary. Apparently they were engaged. The bearded man didn't like that at all.
"So Samuel, don't you have any family or friends you'd rather be spending the holiday with?" John asked with a raised eyebrow. "No. Spending it with you kind people is actually a splendid way of spending the evening. Otherwise, I would still be on the corner begging for change in hopes it would buy me a Christmas meal." Samuel replied with a small nod. "Why didn't you just go to a shelter?" Mary asked a tad bitterly. "I make do without having to visit those filthy places." He replied with equal bitterness.
"You don't seem to be making do if you have to beg for the change out of other people's pockets." Mary quickly replied obviously striking a nerve in the man. "Who wants some more eggnog?" John questioned hoping not to have to be witness to a rather nasty argument between his fiancee and a homeless man.
"I do not think I have to answer a witch like you." Samuel replied sharply. "Oh god." Muttered John as he fiddled with his mug nervously. "I think I'll go now. It was a nice meeting you all though, but it is it getting rather late, and I have to go get more change out of people's pockets if I want to get a blanket to keep me warm." He said that last part with a cold glance directly to Mary.
He pried himself from the chair that had once belonged to John's previous flatmate and excited the flat only stopping in the doorway to say goodnight to the rest of them. "Have a pleasant night, John. You as well, Greg, and Molly. Mycroft can have a wicked one, and a most fantastic night to you Mrs. Hudson." With that, he disappeared from the flat and went back out to the street.
He rounded the corner briskly walking along waiting to be a certain distance away. Once he was, he tugged off the beard and popped out the contacts. This was best, he thought. Let John live his new life. He would just remain as Samuel for now until it was right. He would keep away minimizing his interactions with anyone he knew in the past. He had long since destroyed the remains of Moriarty's web, but it just wasn't right yet. He turned in the direction of where he just came from looking sadly upwards. "Merry Christmas, John. I love you."