My first BBC Sherlock slashfic. My BBC Sherlock character, Melody Woodstock Holmes, Sherlock's little sister, is also in my Melodyverse, but my Ydolemverse fanfics don't seem to work without her so, here it is. To be clear, THERE IS NO SMUT! Just a bit of fluff. This is my first slashfic entirely so you will have to be paitent with me. Anyway, my second Christmas fanfic. You can read my first fanfic, another Sherlock BBC fanfic, as well, it's called 'Just Like The Ones I Used To Know...'
Anyway, Merry Christmas to all and read on!
Last Christmas,
I gave you my heart,
The very next day,
You gave it away,
This year, to save me from tears,
I'll give it to someone special...
17th December, 2pm, 1 week and a day until Christmas
Melody sat alone, strumming her guitar. She was thinking furiously. John and Sherlock were off at the station with Lestrade, talking about a case. Usually, she would be right in the midst of it, but right now, she needed to calm down. Sherlock and John- God, those two infuriated her! The signs were all pain-staking obvious, a blind, deaf, dumb and mad man could see it!
Melody stopped her strumming and put her guitar down before she threw it across the room in frustration. Her brother was so in love with John, she thought about buying a collar and leash to give to him so he can be a real love-struck puppy. Why doesn't he just tell him? John would gladly take him. Melody sighed. She knew why he was so difficult. She remembered all too well...
Melody sat alone in the living room, waiting for her brother. She sat on his favourite thinking chair, cross-legged, waiting for him as panic gnawed at her innards. For God's sake, she was only 12 years old; she shouldn't be here by herself! Just as that thought escaped her head, a person walked into the room. Melody looked up at the woman with the auburn curls in the motorcycle leather. She held her motorcycle helmet underneath her arm and a package in her other hand. Melody raised an eyebrow at her and crossed her arms.
"Where's Sherlock?" Irene Adler asked her.
"I dunno, you tell me" Melody demanded, "I am worried! Where's my brother? He was supposed to be with you"
Irene sighed and looked away. This told Melody all she needed to know. Melody sunk back into the chair sadly.
"You're leaving" Melody simply stated
Irene turned back to her, "Yes. I can't stay here. There's a whole world waiting"
"And what about Sherlock?" Melody demanded, "Why does he have to wait? The world's not going to miss you. He will"
Irene tilted her head slightly, her reddish-brown waves gently framing her pale face. Her red lips pursued as she thought deeply. Her big brown eyes watched Melody with concern before holding out the package.
"Here. I'd hide this from Sherlock if I were you" Irene said, "He wasn't happy about the news"
"What did you expect?" Melody shot back, not making a move, "The people he gives a damn about always seem to leave him. You're no different from anyone else"
Irene sighed and gently placed the package on Melody's lap. With that, she turned around and went to walk out the door. But Melody wasn't going to let her get away that easily. She shouted back to her.
"Will we ever see you again?"
Irene paused and turned back to Melody, smiling, "You can count on it. Merry Christmas, little Holmes"
With that, Irene vanished. Melody looked down at the package, wrapped in green and red stripped paper with a large white bow on it. Cautiously, like it was a bomb, Melody unwrapped the package to reveal a small jewellery box. Upon opening the box, Melody discovered a charm bracelet. On it were two charms. One was a magnifying glass. That was Sherlock. The other was a heart-shaped locket with a key that couldn't open it. Irene's. Melody put it on her wrist just as Sherlock entered the room. She leapt up off the chair with lightening fast speed and ran to her big brother, wrapping her arms around his waist. He stared at her incredulously.
"Melody, what on earth is the matter?"
"I was worried about where you were. It's Christmas Eve and I was all alone" Melody replied, hugging him tightly, "You scared me"
Sherlock's face softened as he watched his little sister. He lowered his long, thin arms and wrapped them comfortingly around his sister. She was the only person he could be even remotely human around and she was glad of that.
"It's OK, Mel. It's just... I have to tell you something" Sherlock pulled Melody off him and knelt down to be face-to-face with her, "Um..."
"It's about Irene, isn't it?" Melody asked politely
Sherlock nodded, "She's leaving, Melody. She's running away again"
Melody sighed, "When is she coming back?"
Sherlock shrugged, "I don't know. But Lestrade's looking for her right now and well, I- I had to throw him off the scent. Wasn't too hard"
Melody looked up at Sherlock, "You protected her? Why?"
Sherlock stood up and walked over to the lounge, where he had left his violin. Melody watched as he began to play the violin, properly, with such flourish and grandeur, but with a overwhelming sadness in every note. It was then she knew: Sherlock had loved Irene Adler.
And she had broken his heart.
Melody sighed and began to pace around the living room. Sherlock still respected Irene and admired her as the only woman to outwit him, but no, there was no love anymore. He was too scared to do that again. Melody looked down at the bracelet on her wrist. The collection of charms had expanded over the years as she met and became attached to more people. An umbrella for Mycroft, a phone for Anthea, handcuffs for Lestrade and a guitar for her. She still needed to get one for John.
Melody felt her frustration building up again. If she had thought that one of them would have common sense, it would be Doctor John Watson, ex-Afghan soldier and pretty much the mediator of the household. He was just as crazy about Sherlock as Sherlock was about him. For once, Melody agreed with Donovan by saying that John was now definitely his shadow. But John also had a reason for protecting his heart. One that Melody had inadvertently witnessed...
Melody waited at the surgery patiently. Sick kids sat all around her, while she just waited with a paper bag lunch. John had a tiff with Sherlock again and he had walked out, leaving his lunch behind again. She practically knew the staff here by name now, all of them smiling and greeting her by name as she walked in. God, John had been working here for about six months and they all knew her more than him.
Melody walked up to the desk, "Excuse me, is Dr Watson free yet?"
The nurse, a middle-aged black woman named Laverne, smiled, "Yes, child, I think so. You know your way"
Melody smiled politely back at her and walked off to John's surgery. As she went to knock on the door, Melody heard raised voices through the door.
"John, I can't do this anymore. You have to choose, me or them"
Melody gawked at the sound of Sarah's raised voice. She never picked her as an angry person. John's voice soon joined in, just as angry as Sarah's.
"Sherlock and Melody are my flatmates! You can't make me choose between you two"
"Well, tough, John. I need to know that this is going somewhere and I am tired of having to wait while you go gallivanting off around London with them!" Sarah shot back, "Now, decide now. Me or them?"
There was a pause. It was minute but it killed on Melody's ears, which were desperate to know John's answer.
"I'm sorry, Sarah" John replied, "I care for you, but this really isn't fair"
Melody smiled as Sarah sniffed, "Well, I guess this is it"
"Yes" John answered, "Oh, and consider this my two weeks' notice"
Melody dove out of the way, hiding behind the nearby pot plant, as Sarah stormed out of John's surgery, her face twisted with anger. As she walked away, John slowly emerged from the room, watching after her sadly. Melody observed his facial expressions. He really did care for her, but he wasn't going to pick Sarah over Sherlock and Melody. John wearily sighed before turning around and entering the surgery, gently closing the door behind him. Melody walked out from behind the pot plant and looked at the lunch bag in her hand. She saw the nearby bin and threw it in before knocking on the surgery door.
"Who is it? I'm not taking any patients at the moment" John called out
Melody opened the door, "Well, I'm not a patient, Doc"
John took his fingers off the bridge of his nose, where he had been massaging them, and smiled weakly at Melody, "Hey, Mel. Lemme guess, I-"
"Forgot your lunch again" Melody finished, "And I'm here to take you out to lunch"
John raised his eyebrows, "Really? What happened to my lunch?"
Melody laughed, "You left it unattended in the kitchen after you fought with Sherlock. I can tell you it isn't edible anymore"
John groaned and laughed, "Yeah..."
Melody held out her hand and John took it. Melody pulled him up as he grabbed his coat. They walked out of the surgery, locking the door behind them, and headed off to the local pizza parlour, for a good two hours. Neither cared that Sarah was furious when they came back. It was worth it...
Melody sat back down on the couch and picked up her guitar again, absent-mindedly beginning to play 'Last Christmas'. She had heard it on the Internet one day and it became stuck in her head. As the lyrics floated through her head, a plan began to form alongside it. Her fingers froze during the chorus and Melody had a 'Sherlock epiphany'.
"Oh" Melody smiled, "Oh! Yes! I've got it!"
"Got what?"
Sherlock and John entered the apartment, exhausted from their trip to the station. Melody turned to them, smiling.
"Just figured out a difficult problem"
24th December, 12pm, Christmas Eve.
Melody laid on her bed, typing furiously at her laptop. It had been a week since she had her revelation and she had spent the entire time putting her plan into action. She was going to make sure Sherlock and John got together this Christmas or she is a disgrace to the name of Holmes. A vibration next to her captured her attention. She picked it up and answered it.
"Hello? Anthea, hi. Oh, wait, what is it today? Lily, gotcha. Sorry, I still like Anthea. Hope you don't mind. Alright, where's Mykee?" Melody asked, still writing, "OK, tell him we'll be at Mum's Christmas Party as usual. We won't be late, I promise. Oh, and also tell him that if he may get a surprise if my plans work. Alright, thanks. See you"
Melody put her phone down and finished her typing. She sighed. She was done. She quickly printed the page off using her little portable printer and put it in an envelope. Sealing the envelope, she wrote 'Holmes and Watson' on the front using her left hand and left it on the kitchen table. She left her coat and her scarf- she knew Sherlock would notice them – and hurried out the front door, making sure Mrs. Hudson didn't notice her leaving. She hurried off to the abandoned pub she specified in the letter. Now she had to wait.
24th December, 3pm, Christmas Eve.
"I'm glad that's over" John sighed as he entered the apartment with Sherlock right behind him. The tall man stood in the doorway, taking off his coat and throwing it on the couch. He leant against the doorframe and watched John as he collapsed on a kitchen chair. Sherlock watched John as he relaxed in the chair, in his dark grey sweater. He had always been curious at what lay underneath that sweater. It had been a while since he had been in the army but he was sure that John would still be quite toned from all that vigorous training.
John met his eyes and Sherlock quickly averted them, looking for something else to focus on. They came to a rest on the envelope on the table top. New, written on in black permanent marker, has 'Holmes and Watson' on it. No more than 3 hours old, written by someone that was left handed.
"John, what's that?" Sherlock pointed.
John raised an eyebrow at it and picked it up. He tore it open and pulled out the letter. His eyes widened as he read it. He turned to Sherlock, looking fearful.
"Sherlock" he showed him the letter.
Sherlock took it out of John's hands and looked at it. It had a small paragraph of writing with a clue underneath.
Dear Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson,
If you ever want to see dear Melody Holmes again, I suggest you follow these clues and not contact the police. They are ever so irritating.
Yours truly,
M.
Underneath that were five different pictures. The first one was just a black square. The second one was a flower. The third one was a man's torso, with a circle on the left side. The last one was a fire, with the words EL right next to it.
John read the letter over Sherlock's shoulder as his flatmate took in the clues and the letter. He swore he could hear the cogs in his brain whirring overtime as he analysed the clues. John took in his scent as he leant further to see properly. Sherlock smelt like disinfectant alcohol, buttercup shampoo and nicotine patches, combined with the natural manly musk. An unusual combination, but Sherlock wasn't an average person. Anyway, John liked it. It was very Sherlock.
Sherlock crushed the letter in his hand, "He'll pay for taking Mel"
Sherlock hurried over to the couch and grabbed his coat, throwing it on as John watched him, stunned.
"Where are we going?" John asked
"The Black Rose Heart Hotel" Sherlock replied, "That's what the clues meant. That's where they're holding her"
As Sherlock ran outside, John not that far behind him, and called a taxi, he pondered on the problem with the letter. The clue... it was way too easy. A child could have cracked that code. Why would they make it so easy for him? Maybe they were idiots. But then again, most people are to him.
"Where to?" The taxi driver asked
"The Black Rose Heart Hotel" Sherlock said as he and his partner climbed into the cab.
The taxi driver laughed, "You sure, mate? That place has been closed for a good odd 15 years now"
"Yes" John said, "Just hurry up and get there please"
The taxi driver grumbled to himself as he drove off with the two anxious men in the back seat.
24th December, 5pm, Christmas Eve.
Melody waited patiently behind the bar for Sherlock and John. She had been waiting there for about an hour, after she finished setting everything up. She was now just sitting there, listening to her music. Suddenly, a door slammed open. She calmly turned her music off and got the lighting buttons ready in her hand. They were here.
John walked in behind Sherlock, who stormed in with a look of determination. He was going to get his little sister back. John looked around. The place was pretty much undisturbed. It was covered in dust; the furniture was all stacked up. This place really looked like it had been abandoned for about 15 years.
"Hey, bring Melody out now!" Sherlock shouted to no one in particular, "Or I promise I will make you regret it!"
John walked up to Sherlock and put his hand on his shoulder, "Sherlock, calm down. You're letting your emotions rule your logic"
Sherlock nodded, knowing he was right, "I've been around you too long"
John smirked and, unbeknownst to him, so did Melody. She then turned on the light in the next room. John noticed this and began walking towards it.
"Sherlock..." Sherlock turned and began to follow him. The light shone down on a table, which was covered in photos. It was a combination of family photos and footage surveillance photos, courtesy of Mycroft. Melody peeked above the bar to see John and Sherlock looking down at the pictures of themselves.
"What is this?" Sherlock asked.
These photos had both him and John in them, sometimes with others, some with just Melody or were completely alone except for the other. But there was a running theme with each photo. In each photo, either Sherlock or John was staring at the other, when the other doesn't realise it. Sherlock's eyes widened as he noticed the pictures of him staring longingly at John, and raised his eyebrows at the sight of John with the exact same look, but looking at him. Did this mean...?
Sherlock looked up at John, who was also wide-eyed at the sight of this evidence. A light blush began to grace his cheeks. John made very quick eye contact with Sherlock but quickly broke it off. He was embarrassed by this, Sherlock noted. Is it embarrassing because it was him?
"Sherlock, I- I don't know what to say" John said
"You're embarrassed" Sherlock replied, as frank as ever, "Is it because it's me?"
John looked back at Sherlock; giving him such a fierce glare that Sherlock nearly stumbled back.
"I would NEVER be embarrassed about you, Sherlock. You are fantastic, amazing, wonderful and so much more. Why would I ever be embarrassed about you, Sherlock? I love you!"
Melody covered her mouth to cover her gasp. Sherlock stared at John. John's eyes were wide and he took a step back, as he realised what he just said.
"Oh, God. I don't know what came over me. I'm s-"
John's apology was cut off by Sherlock's lips. John froze, for but a moment, before melting into Sherlock's arms and reciprocating. Melody stood up from her hiding place, completely unnoticed, as they shared their sweet, passionate kiss. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and quickly wiped them away. Finally, Sherlock and John broke apart, their foreheads resting on the others.
"Well..." John said, "I guess that says it all"
Sherlock chuckled. Melody then began to clap. The two men jumped at the sound and stared at Melody, standing behind the bar, clapping slowly, with the happiest grin on her face. She finally stopped, clapping her hands together, her eyes welling up again.
"I was hoping you guys might reveal yourselves. Well, not quite so animatedly, but still... oh, this is fantastic!" Melody got up on the bar and pushed herself over it.
"Mel, you're alright" Sherlock sighed
"Of course. This is all me, a set-up to prove to you two that you are meant to be together" Melody came to a stop in front of them, hands on hips, smiling, "This was so dramatic and perfect, I couldn't resist"
John glared at her, "We were worried sick, for what?"
"You two!" Melody shot back, "I swear to God, if I had to spend one more day watching you two dance around each other, I would have strangled you both!"
Sherlock shook his head, "Thank you, Mel"
John slowly grabbed Sherlock's hand, interweaving his fingers with his new lover's, "Yes, Mel. Thanks"
Melody shrugged, "No problem. But... if you could do one thing for me..."
25th December, 11am, Christmas Day.
Sherlock and John stood together, talking to Mrs. Holmes, holding hands. Melody sat at the side of the room, holding her drink in her hands, as she watched her brother and mother converse. Mother was over the moon that Sherlock finally had someone and really approved of John. Melody felt her chest swell with pride when she told John that he was really a part of the family.
As Melody watched on, Mycroft sidled up to his little sister, twirling his umbrella in his fingers, smiling to himself.
"Well, my sister, you have outdone yourself this time"
Melody looked up at her eldest brother, "I am a Holmes. It was nothing. I just had to do it before I killed them"
Mycroft chuckled, "Yes. Well done, my sister. I am very proud of you"
Melody hugged her brother, "Merry Christmas, Mykee"
"Merry Christmas, Mel"
There was a small pause before Melody piped up, "Oh, and you owe me 50 quid, Mycroft"
Thank you for reading. Two fan fics down, three more to go!
Read, review and do what you do! Please, no flaming!
