Two men were standing around the TARDIS console. They in some ways looked similar: They were both pretty tall, slender with dark hair, wearing their usual suits. But in reality, they couldn't possibly be more different: the first one, the Doctor, was the last Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, who travelled in time and space, saving all of causality from those who wanted to harm it.
Sherlock Holmes however, was a completely different story:
He was a consulting detective from 21st century Earth who solved murders with his best friend John Watson, well had up to then.
Sherlock's body stiffened as what he'd just done started to really sink in. Minutes ago, he was watching John from afar, almost breaking down at his grave. Now he would never see him again, never be able to tell him how sorry he really was. It was just too dangerous.
The Doctor slowly pushed a couple buttons, and then stopped as his eyes flashed over to Sherlock.
"Future or past?"
Sherlock bit his lip and piercingly turned his head to look at him.
"Future. You said foreknowledge was dangerous."
"The future it is." The Doctor nodded while looking down.
Sherlock took a deep breath and leaned onto the console, his eyes quickly flashing around the room. The Doctor stopped what he was doing for a moment and walked up next to him, mimicking his stature.
He hated seeing him like this, so hurt because he had to do what he just did. The Doctor turned around to face him.
"I know it's going to be hard to start completely anew, at some point a couple hundred years in the future. But all you have to do is find some new friends and-" Sherlock interrupted with a bitter laugh.
"Ha! Find some new friends? You don't get it do you, Doctor? It took me half my bloody life to find someone, who accepted me as I was. John was an exception to the human race. He's the only person I'll ever have, who can be called a 'friend'." The anger in his voice was clear to hear.
The Doctor sighed.
"Look, I know how difficult it is to find friends. Trust me. We have a lot in common."
This time Sherlock violently turned his head and leaned in a little closer towards the Doctor, the fury with the world clearly visible in his eye.
"Yes, but the difference between you and me is, you're the wonderful, mad alien, with the magnificent time travelling box, while I'm the ordinary, human, high-functioning sociopath!"
The Doctor tried to remain calm. "You're everything but ordinary, Sherlock." he said reassuringly while placing one hand gently on the consulting detective's shoulder. Sherlock rolled it backwards and the Doctor pulled his arm away.
"And perhaps that's the problem..." Sherlock said looking away.
"Sherlock... Do you wish you were ordinary?" The Doctor asked curiously.
Sherlock's eyes flashed back for a second, but he then continued avoiding the Time Lord's gaze.
"It isn't like you don't..." He muttered as he slightly blushed.
"Our situations are different; you have a gift, Sherlock." Sherlock finally turned around revealing how upset he actually was.
"No. In this case they aren't. We both have a gift, me with the deductions, you with the regeneration-cycle, which is at the same time a curse: an undeniable curse. It'll always be with us, whether we like it or not, and it'll always get in the way of leading the normal life we both want." Sherlock turned away from the Doctor and started pacing up and down the TARDIS control room.
"It never really bothered me that I could never have one, a simple life. But now, it managed to even get in between John and me. I just want it to stop now."
The Doctor nodded understandingly.
Sherlock walked over to the TARDIS door and opened it, quietly gazing out at the stars passing by. He smiled as a tear of sorrow slowly trickled down his face. The Doctor followed and glanced over his shoulder.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
"It's the only thing that doesn't set them off: something I don't know."
It was the first time he openly said he didn't know something and wasn't ashamed of it. All he was looking at was great big balls of gas (had he said that aloud, he would've known through the Doctor's correction that stars are actually made of plasma) that created light. He didn't need to know anything more and didn't want to either. All he could see was their beauty as they burned in every color he knew and many more.
Just for a minute or two, he was at peace.
"Look after him, will you? Make sure he's alright." Sherlock said softly while finally closing the door. The Doctor became focused again.
"Yes, yes of course. You have my word."
"Thank you, Doctor." Sherlock whispered.
Sherlock left the TARDIS at precisely 2:59 PM and thirty eight seconds on the 26th of October 2467 in what was formally known as "London" but the name of the city had slightly been deformed to "Landen" with time. The English there, was a little hard to understand at first, but thanks to Sherlock's "gift" he was quickly able to pick it up. Earth wasn't as futuristic as he'd imagined it, anyways enough had stayed the same so that he could resume his work in 25th century Landen, almost entirely like he left his in 21st century London. The fake detective known under the name of "Sherlock Holmes" had long since been forgotten, so he decided not to change what he was called.
And like he thought, thanks to his "curse", not many tried to get close, and those who did failed. It wasn't as if much had changed. There was only one thing missing 455 years in the future...
He was okay, but one couldn't call him "happy" or "comfortable".
In the end, Sherlock was right: Alone was all he had and was the only thing that protected him. But a friend, was simply what he needed...
A/N: I may make a second part to this but I need ideas, feel free to give me some along with some feedback please :) Maybe I'll also come up with something myself... Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this!