Getting thanked
(Part 6 of Wolfes)
"Who are we meeting?" John runs behind Sherlock down the stairs. The only thing his friend had said was that they would meet someone. Not who, where or why. But as always he follows Sherlock. They walked down the street and into the closest park. "Sherlock what are we doing here?" They never met with clients in the park, with Sherlock´s homeless-network they meet in back alleys and under bridges but not in a park with a playground in the afternoon sun.
Sherlock didn't answer and pulls John away from the main path between bushes and trees to a small glade. He turns around and looks into John´s eyes. "Take off your clothes."
John needed a second to understand what Sherlock had asked him to do. "No, why should I take them off?" While asking, Sherlock took off his scarf. "Wait why are you taking off your clothes now?" He was just confused by his friend's behavior. Yes they got a bit more intimate since the whole wolf thing started a year ago. Thinking about it, exactly one year ago.
"Do you trust me?" Looking in Sherlock´s eyes he sees nothing that could ever not trust this brilliant man he loved. Who could tame beasts and tests patient doctors to his limits.
John sighs. "Of course I trust you." And he begins to take off his clothes, all of them. John folds them neatly and puts them in an empty backpack Sherlock had taken with them. His friend was still in all of his clothes, except the scarf.
"John I want you to turn and meet someone in your wolf form." John´s instinct told him not to but he trusted Sherlock and did what he had asks for. The turning didn't hurt anymore. They had trained until John was able to at least turn into the wolf whenever he wants to. For the changing back they hadn't achieved it every time.
Sherlock kneels in front of him and put the scarf around his neck. The 'undercover dog thing' was still Sherlock's best disguised for him but John was okay with that. He could trust himself that the beast wouldn't attack as long as he was close to Sherlock. His scarf had Sherlock´s personal musk on it and John always felt safe with it around him.
"John we will go out into the park and meet someone who has to tell you something but for her to tell you that you have to be a wolf. We won´t get to much attention and when we meet her you will look to everyone really harmless because of the person who comes with her. Trust me no one will freak out because you are a bit too big for a dog." As to prove his words Sherlock takes his head into his hand and places a kiss on John´s forehead. John melts under it and follows Sherlock into the busy afternoon park.
John stays very close at Sherlock´s side and even closer as they were at the playground. "John lay down for a second." John did this, trusting Sherlock knows what he is doing. He wasn't offended or something like that because Sherlock told him to do something a dog would do.
A woman looked at them and as Sherlock waved at her she came closer, followed by a six-seven year old child. "Mr. Holmes, good afternoon. Thank you for meeting with me." She takes Sherlock´s offered hand it.
"Of course. You ask to meet my friend here to thank him." He smiles down at John who hadn't moved since the woman came close enough to get touched by him.
"I hope you don't think I´m silly but I have learned to at least thank someone that helped you." She knees down next to John but looks up again to Sherlock as to ask for permission to talk to the dog or touch it. Sherlock nods. "His name is John and he will understand what you are telling him."
"Hello John. My name is Ella Johnson. You probably don't remember me but a year ago you saved my life." She offered John her hand to sniff at it, what John did.
"John you can sit up now." Sherlock said in a soft voice knowing that his friend was nervous around other people. John moved his body into a sitting position, slowly to get Ella the chance to walk away when she sees his full size but she didn't run away, no she got closer and closes her arms around him. John was never hugged from another person in this form except Sherlock.
"Thank you for saving me." John accepted the hug still not sure what he did to earn the thank from that woman that smelled a bit familiar but he couldn't remember why. "I brought my nephew Jake to the park to show him the person who had saved me." She let go of John, stands up and guided the small boy that had hidden behind her to meet John. With the curiosity of a child the boy steps forward and reaches out to touch John´s ears. Because of the size of the boy John had to lower his head. After feeling and touching them for a while the boy starts to talk. "Thank you doggy for saving my auntie, she is the only one I have left and without her I would be alone in this world." Jake steps back again and Ella takes his hand.
"Thank you Mr. Holmes for that opportunity." With a last pet of John´s head they say their good byes and leaving the park. John turns to Sherlock with a question in his eyes.
"She is the one you saved as you killed the guy behind a bar. Remember as you still couldn't control it. He was your first. She tried to find out who saved her and ended with my phone number. I agreed to meet her and bring you along. Her sister and brother-in-law died two years ago in a car crush, left their only son behind. The boy has no one except his aunt. Be proud of what you did for these people; don't think about the trash you took out of the way. You save more than one life that night." John nods, he understands what Sherlock try to do here and it was the perfect gift. Another human being had thanked his wolf for the things he did.
"Do you think you can change back so we can go home?" John nods his head but didn't follow Sherlock to the glade behind the trees. Sherlock turns around and understands. "Let's have a walk home." John stays close to Sherlock again but not out of fear he could hurt someone or scare them away. He stays close to show Sherlock his affection and gratitude.