A/N: This was my first Sherlock Fanfic, please don't judge me!
John could tell straight away that Sherlock had had a bad day. It didn't take much skill to read the look on his face as he came barging into the flat.
"What happened?" he asked, standing up and taking his partner in a gentle embrace. For a second, Sherlock didn't say anything, just rested his head on John's shoulder, but finally he spoke.
"I failed John." The words were no more than a pained whisper. "There was a man – a murderer – and he had this girl at knifepoint, threatening that if anyone came any closer, he'd cut her throat and then kill himself. It looked like a standoff, and then I had a stupid idea, oh, I was so stupid…" he trailed off for a second. John led him gently to the sofa, and sat him down, curling up behind him, and gently massaging Sherlock's shoulders.
The other man went on. "I thought I could sneak up on him, but he saw me, and he made good on his threat." he paused, "he killed an innocent child. The girl was only about twelve. Too young to die, too young. And he just cut her throat. Just like that. And then he turned his blade on himself, severed his own carotid artery, dead in seconds. His last words were directed at me; 'remember her face' he said." Sherlock buried his face in his hands, "remember her face." He repeated, "And I always will."
Gently, John moved his arms until they were around Sherlock's waist, and then slowly lay down on the sofa. Sherlock lay next to him, and then he rolled over, so that they were facing each other.
John reached up to caress Sherlock's face, and Sherlock leaned into the caress, closing his eyes. John put his hand gently behind Sherlock's head, and then shifted so that he could kiss his partner on the lips. Sherlock kissed him back, and then they curled up in each other's arms, and fell asleep right there. John never even got the chance to tell Sherlock about his own bad day at the practice. Maybe it was just as well…
THE END