Get Well Soon
By: Raven612
Disclaimer: I do not own these boys. I so wish I did, but alas I do not.
Summary: Twinverse. Anna and James pick out the perfect present for John while he recovers from the showdown with Moriarty. Their present is more work than anyone had anticipated. Sequel to Ripple. Fluff and cuteness.
A/N: You may need to refer to Ripple in order to know a few things that will be talked about in this story, but this could be a standalone I suppose. Enjoy this oneshot, the next one I post will be a small multi-chapter probably with the wedding. I am working on the next epic which will have nothing to do with twinverse and we will see Jim and Sebby once more. Also, if there's anything you'd like to read in twinverse, just leave it on a review or visit my tumblr at iamsherlockedandtied dot tumblr dot com. Please review and enjoy!
"This one mummy, this one!" Anna shouted excitedly as her little finger tapped against the plastic that kept her fingers away from the object of her eye.
Harry frowned as she stopped to examine the gift Anna had chosen for John, she sighed, "I'm not sure he'd like that, or Sherlock for that matter, now I came in here just so you'd stop begging, now let's go look in another store," she suggested trying to steer Anna away and find James in the process.
"No! You said I could pick out anything for him and I want to get him that," she pouted and dug her heels into the floor beneath her feet.
Harry sighed and looked to where Anna was pointing again and then noticed the price, she let out a low breath, "Bloody hell," she muttered. If she wasn't convinced that John and Sherlock wouldn't like what Anna had picked, the large price tag cemented her resolve.
"He deserves it mummy! He was shot," she snapped and turned her head up to glare at her mum.
Harry blinked and stood to her full height, "Anna, this is not something you buy for someone without telling them or asking them first. John and Sherlock might not want it, plus it's something that you have to prepare for. Furthermore this is not what you buy someone still recovering from a gunshot wound," she tried to reason, but the four year old girl wouldn't listen to reason, she was firmly set in her resolve.
"No, I want to get them this!" she nearly shouted and stamped her foot. She was now drawing attention to them. Harry smiled quickly as she looked around at the other patrons. She sighed and looked around in search of a sales clerk. She muttered under her breath and left a self-satisfied Anna behind.
Sherlock raised a brow after Harry and the twins had arrived with their package. He knew immediately what was inside and frowned as he held the door for them. Harry stopped and gave him an apologetic look, "I'm sorry Sherlock but…you try and resist a little girl with her heart set on something she thinks will make her uncle happy," she said with a small smile and hurried after the twins, she was actually a bit eager to see John's reaction as well to the gift. She knew he'd always wanted one since he was a young boy, but had never been given one, nor had he the time to get one before meeting Sherlock.
Sherlock turned to follow, "Oh I think it would be rather easy to dissuade a child from her ideas," he said to Harry and shoved his hands into his trouser pockets. He was not going to like this one bit, but if it brought a smile to John's face, he was sure he wouldn't be able to say no. Three weeks had passed since the day Moriarty had John shot and kidnapped him and the twins in a failed attempt to get to the detective, but Sebastian and Jim were the ones who ended up six feet under.
Sherlock stood in the doorway of the living room to watch the gift presentation. James had jumped onto the couch and made himself comfortable next to John while Anna flounced around excitedly begging Harry to hand over the gift.
John was smiling at Anna and looked at the large white box with a red ribbon in Harry's arms. He cocked his head curiously, "What's that?" he asked and nodded to the gift.
Harry sighed and looked down at Anna so that the girl might explain her gift, "Anna has been on me for the past few weeks to get you a get well present, and I finally gave in and let her pick something out. I tried to talk her out of it, but, well, you know how she can be," Harry said and held the gift out to him.
John looked over at Sherlock who looked away with a shrug; he really wasn't going to like this. He sighed and went to his chair and plopped down. Anna grinned and was immediately in his lap, "It's for you both," she announced as she settled onto Sherlock's bony legs.
Sherlock frowned and made no move to accept Anna into his lap, but he didn't push her off either…that might not be taken too well, he lifted his head to look at John and he raised a brow, "Well go on, open it and get it over with," he told his fiancé and leaned back against his chair.
John sat back down on the sofa with the box in his lap. His left arm was still in a sling to prevent his moving it and upsetting his injury, so he had to use his right arm for everything. He looked at the box and tipped his head, and then the box jumped a bit. John jumped as well and looked up to see Anna smiling widely and James kicking his feet excitedly next to him, he looked to Harry who was frowning apologetically, "What the hell is it?" he muttered and settled his right hand on the lid of the box.
Sherlock raised a brow and opened his mouth to answer John when Harry cut him off, "Go on and open it John," she urged and shot Sherlock a glare.
John nodded and pulled the ribbon off the box and lifted the lid. He peeked inside and his eyes widened. He looked up and across to Harry, "Wha….?" He trailed in awe and looked at everyone seated in the room.
Anna giggled and bounced on Sherlock's lap while James vibrated with excitement. Harry and Sherlock looked like they were trying to come to terms with a sour taste in their mouths. John looked back into the box and a large smile broke out across his face.
"No…I can't believe it," he said with a grin and reached into the box and pulled out a wiggling mass of fur and skin.
Sherlock couldn't help the small smile at seeing his lover so happy over a…a puppy. Harry grinned too and cocked her head to the side as she watched the fur ball poke its pink tongue out against John's nose. James and Anna were now on their feet reaching out their hands to try and pet the puppy that was now wiggling uncontrollably in John's lap. John let out a small laugh and scrubbed his right hand over the small body in his lap.
"Jesus, I can't believe you guys got me a…a pup as a get well gift," he said almost breathlessly and looked up, "I…it takes me back to my childhood, and you remembered Harry," he gushed and picked up the small English Bulldog and set it off to the side where it immediately attacked the ribbon that had tied its box shut. John got to his feet and beckoned Harry to him for a hug. She stood and moved around the coffee table to gently encase her brothers in a tight hug, she smiled as she buried her face into his neck.
"I didn't think it was a good plan originally, but then I remembered how badly you'd always wanted a puppy and so…well now you have one," she shrugged and looked back at Sherlock who was staring at the small bundle curiously.
John chuckled and nodded. He turned a bit to see the twins playing with him, he looked over at Sherlock, "He's perfect, and I think he'll learn to live here well," he announced and moved to where Sherlock was still sitting in his chair.
Sherlock looked up at John and quickly masked his distaste for the dog and smiled a bit, "I suppose we can give him a trial run," he muttered and lifted an arm and settled his around John's waist.
John grinned and settled his right hand in Sherlock's curls, "Oh sod off, he's welcomed here, and maybe he'll do a right job of settling you down too," he teased and bumped his hip into Sherlock's shoulder.
Sherlock muttered and lifted his feet when the dog jumped from the sofa and waddled to him, he almost sneered, but kept his face in check. Sherlock started to analyze the small mass and scrunched up his nose.
John frowned at the look, "No experiments Sherlock and I mean it," he said and gave his fiancé a look and crouched down to welcome the pup to him with a grin.
"What's his name Uncle John?" Anna asked excitedly with a little jump.
John raised a brow, "Uh…well none not yet, I'm not sure what would suit him," he answered and cocked his head to the side as the pup jumped and started chewing on his sock.
Sherlock snorted, "Hellhound," he muttered under his breath and ignored the jab of John's elbow to his thigh and shifted away from him.
James crouched down and reached out to ruffle the pup's fur, "He looks like a…Harvey to me," he suggested and looked up at his uncle with a small smile.
John grinned, "Harvey hm? How about we add that to the list of names to be considered, first off we need to get him supplies," John said and got to his feet once more.
Harry jumped up then, "Right, yes, supplies, we actually have you covered with those as well and if Anna and James would like to, they can come and help me bring everything in," she said and gave them each a look that had them jumping to attention and rushing out into the hall to grab whatever it was they had stashed there. Harry smiled, "We figured you weren't well enough yet to get supplies and well…we did get the pup for you so the least we could do is help you out," she said simply with a shrug and excused herself to help the twins.
Sherlock raised a brow and pushed himself to his feet and moved to the opposite side of the room and towards the kitchen, "He is fully your responsibility," he called to John as he moved into the kitchen.
John snorted and looked down to the pup gnawing at his sock, "You won't be so bad will you boy, hm?" he asked softly with a smile and ruffled the dog's head and stood up and pulled his sock off. He chuckled and moved to hold the door open as Harry and the twins carried a few items in.
Anna set the dog bed filled with toys down. She went over and picked the pup up and brought him to the bed, "Okay, see this puppy, this is where you sleep and these are what you play with," she told him and pointed to each thing she was talking about.
John and Harry watched in amusement. James opened one of the snack bags and pulled out a tiny bone, he looked up at John, "Can I give him one?" he asked and walked over to them.
John smiled, "I don't see why not," he shrugged and watched as the pup bound over and eagerly snatched up the treat that James was holding and then jumped up on him to beg for more. James giggled and fell back onto his behind. John grinned and sat down leaning against the sofa.
John looked up at Harry with a large grin, "Thank you Harry, really, he's…it's a perfect gift," he assured her with a nod and watched the twins play with the pup and giggle. Harry soon joined them, but no one, save for John, noticed the lanky detective leaning against the door watching them all with a very faint smile, and his arms crossed lazily over his chest.
Late that evening Sherlock and John sat on the sofa. Sherlock was holding the squirming pup at arm's length, studying it. He frowned and turned the pup this way and that, "Do we really have to keep him?" he asked and set the pup on John's lap, where it immediately circled a few times and settled comfortable on John's stomach. Sherlock glared at it.
John chuckled and settled his right hand gently on its back. Soon enough small snores started to emit from it, "Yes we're keeping him Sherlock, he's adorable and he likes it here," he said and gently stroked the pup's back.
Sherlock sniffed and crossed his arms, he had accepted the pup because it made John happy, but he doesn't need to like it, he huffed, but gently pulled John into his chest, "If you insist he gets to stay then name him," he muttered into John's hair and kissed it.
John frowned and looked up at him with a fake scowl, "I haven't quite figured it out yet," he muttered and looked down at the small bundle snoring and now kicking a little on his stomach.
Sherlock snorted, "Hellhound is still a suggestion," he muttered and nuzzled the back of John's neck.
John snorted, "Uh, no," he said definitively and cocked his head.
Sherlock sighed, and rolled his eyes and was glad that John couldn't see the small smile he held as he watched his love study the pup fondly. He was happy to see John so excited, and eager with this new addition that he could hardly even find dislike for the pup anymore.
John and Sherlock were both silent for a few minutes when John finally spoke up, "Gladstone," he said and then nodded. He tipped his head and turned it to look up at Sherlock, "Gladstone, what do you think?" he asked.
Sherlock raised a brow, "Gladstone, for the pup?" he asked and looked from the bundle to John.
John nodded, "Yeah, after a man from the 19th century and for whom the medical bag in that same century was named for," John said and looked down at the pup and smiled, "Gladstone," he said slowly, trying it out. The dog gave a loud snore and nuzzled its scrunched up face deeper into John's stomach and yawned. John grinned and looked up at Sherlock again, "See, I think he likes it," he muttered and lifted his head a bit higher and kissed Sherlock's jaw.
Sherlock snorted and shook his head and lifted a hand to ruffle John's hair, "Whatever you say, he is your dog after all," he muttered and nuzzled his face into the back of John's neck and kissed it.
John chuckled and shook his head, "He's ours now Sherlock, for better or for worse," he muttered and settled himself against his lover, a contented and happy smile on his lips.
A/N: So, what do we think? Reviews please, also the reasoning behind Gladstone's name was a possible suggestion I saw while researching it, and about the only one that made the most sense. Any requests for twinverse fics, just let me know! Thanks all for reading!