Disclaimer: I do not own Sherlock or Twilight. I just play with them every now and again.


Edward knew that he had hurt Bella when he left. It had been for her own good and he had honestly expected her to heal from her broken heart. Even if he hadn't. Couldn't. Never would have.

He didn't know what to expect when he came back. Crying, grief, anger. Edward knew he deserved it all.

He didn't expect Bella to forgive him. He didn't expect her to cling to him and beg him to still be there when she woke up.

And nothing could have prepared him for the nightmares.


Sherlock knew that John would react badly when he learned that he had faked his death. He expected some shouting. And maybe some punches thrown. Sherlock had already proved that he could provoke John to violence, and suspected that his sudden resurrection would be a repetition of that occasion – John striking out only when pushed far beyond his limits and then feeling very badly about it afterward.

Sherlock didn't expect to come home to a John who was thin and pale. He looked as if he hadn't slept at all in the past three years. He was using his cane again.

John stared at Sherlock, unmoving, unblinking. Sherlock waited, waiting for John to work through his shock and start in on the shouting.

Sherlock didn't expect John to step silently forward and poke him a few times as if checking he was actually there. He didn't expect John to wrap his arms around his neck and pull him into a hug and not let go. He didn't expect John to start shaking and it took a few moments to realize that John was crying.

It wasn't the reaction Sherlock had expected. He supposed it was probably going to be less painful overall than John hitting him. He supposed he should be grateful for that.

But when John had fallen asleep, tears run out, exhausted, and still refusing to let go, Sherlock realized that he would have preferred being hit.

Seeing John like this hurt much, much worse.


Author's Note: Thus ends the second part of this fic - the perspective of those who left. There may be a third part eventually. If so, it is likely to be far, far less melancholy.

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