Unable to cope with John's obvious feelings for him, and his own feelings for John, Sherlock orders John out of his life, and 221 B. It was supposed to be a relief, but Sherlock finds he cannot ignore the devastating consequences to his heart. Worse yet, Sherlock's actions throw John in the path of a serial killer bent on revenge.
Choosing Love
Prologue: Regardless of the Cost
The plane lurched into the sky and he felt his heart sink with more than the weight of gravity. He had done it. He had really done it, and because he had chosen love over money, his father might never speak to him again...
He sighed, and turned to look at his new bride, Jessica, sitting beside him. He had chosen correctly, he knew it. Love wasn't something to be lightly thrown away, regardless of circumstances.
When he had first spoken of his intentions, his father had been livid. His father was adamant that Jessica was only after money and power and would be a blight on the family name. Nothing he had said could convince his father, and his father had threatened not only to remove all financial support, but also to ensure that he was blacklisted from every possible place of employment in the medical field. He had managed to complete his medical training before his marriage, so they were not entirely without hope.
Jessica mumbled quietly and leaned her head on his shoulder. He leaned forward and kissed her temple, a smile curling at the edge of his lips. "Try to sleep," he whispered. "We'll be there soon." They were together, so no matter how little they had, they had everything.
He twined his fingers through hers and watched the last lights of London disappear outside the plane window. For now, he had to leave the country. For the moment they were exiled, but that would change. He would make it change if it was the last thing he ever did. They would return one day and, in the mean time, he would try to make things right, not because he felt entitled to the money, but because he hadn't given up on his father. Traditions existed for a reason, but sometimes it was better to break them, than keep them.
Hadn't he always claimed he would show his father how to run a strong business that hadn't lost its heart? He could do that from the United States of America as well as from the United Kingdom, maybe better since here he would be starting from the ground up. He would work hard, make his own name, and start a family with Jessica. He would reach out to his father every step of the way, and make sure the older man knew that as much as he might have closed himself off, his son still loved him, and wanted him to be part of his life and his family.
With that happy thought, he leaned his head back against the headrest of his seat, and slept.