A/N: My fondest thanks to you all for your kind reviews! It is so good to be back and has started off my month with good feelings. Although I can't seem to shake off my 'modern' writing style, I am delighted you are enjoying it.

Prompt 02: From BookRookie12 – Immortal. Hello again, my dear. I hope you like this one, in all its AU tendencies :-)

Immortal

It is becoming somewhat of a problem, these cemetery pursuits, setting the doctor's teeth on edge.

Watson is on the ground, knees cold and bruised, both hands pressed to Holmes's side. His fingers are stained and slipping, two long minutes counted under his breath and the bleeding will not stop.

Holmes is eerily silent, one hand absently touching Watson's. He keeps saying, "All is well, Watson," as though it is, as though it always has been. As though it will be.

Watson laughs, a crazed broken sound, because all is not well. It really isn't.

The sky is a dull black, the moon full and baring down on them like its judgement day, a huge white chasm. Rain is falling in sheets and Watson doesn't care about it, pays it no heed, because it's not touching them anyway. He only needs to stop the bleeding. He thinks this is all he has been trained for; his whole knowledge of medicine and the unexpected gathered solely for this moment, army reflexes clicking into place. But then he thinks, I can't do this. Nothing has prepared him for this.

His hands slip again and he curses. Two weeks of tracking Jacobs, four victims and seemingly endless nights running across rain-soaked cobbles and grimy docks and dirt tracks, and this is what it has come down to: Holmes fatally wounded and calmer than a cargo ship on the ocean. It isn't right, Watson thinks. Nothing feels right.

Holmes is watching him, asks quietly, "What will you do?"

It is an odd question, but Watson will allow him it, considering the circumstances. His fingers stutter on Holmes's side. The blood is still flowing and he knows it isn't going to stop. He wants to claw at his own chest, dig deep and remove vital organs and muscle, beg the nearby stone angels with their upturned faces and cupped hands for a miracle; would give his own life to save that of his closest friend.

Holmes is waiting for an answer. His hand has moved and is now gripping Watson's shoulder.

"Watson?"

Watson's back bows, weighted. His eyes are wet, hands curling tight in the lapels of Holmes's coat, anchoring him.

He grounds out, "Anything," because he would, because he hasn't thought this through, because his mind doesn't consider the possibilities of anything, because he cannot bear the thought of Holmes dying, will never be prepared for it.

A strange thing happens then, something dark and intangible passing across Holmes's eyes.

The detective shifts, body pushing upwards despite Watson's shocked protests and efforts to keep him down, a hissed warning when Watson tries. His hand alights on Watson's neck, bloody fingers pressing deep behind his ear and into his hair, thumb settling upon the doctor's jaw. Holmes's lip curls swiftly, almost a sneer, a sudden flash of white and then Watson cannot see any more, because Holmes is on his knees, leaning in close, his other hand reaching around Watson's side to keep him still.

Watson realises too late. Fragmented thoughts warping into some kind of sense, the rain and moon and Holmes's strange disregard of pain. Then he realises it doesn't make sense, none of it does. He has no idea what to do and wonders if he should push Holmes away, but his hands are still twisted in Holmes's coat and he isn't even trying.

Holmes lowers his head, breath ghosting over Watson's cheek, thumb seeking out the doctor's frantic pulse. He whispers, "All is well, Watson," and for the first time in his life Watson is scared of him.

End

A/N II: Ooo-err! I apologise if it came across a bit slash-like. That was not intentional, however I was definitely going for intimate. I hear vampires like to get up close and personal. ;-)

I rewrote this so many times because it just wasn't flowing right, but I couldn't shake the idea once I'd seen the prompt, lol, hence the late posting. Sorry!