The Doctor is feeling woozy. Still on the ground, he opens his eyes to see Sherlock and John staring each other eye to eye; John on the couch, Sherlock across from him in a chair. For some reason, John is holding an ice pack to his head.
The Doctor struggles to get up.
"Ooh...ow...John you really pack a wallop you know?"
John doesn't answer, still locking eyes with Sherlock.
The Doctor feels like an awkward third wheel.
"Well...so...wait why do you have an ice pack? I was the one knocked out?"
John still doesn't take his eyes off Sherlock.
"After you fell out, I hit Sherlock again and then-"
"Then I hit him and he fell out for a few minutes."
"Speaking of falling..."
"Christ, don't start this again Jawn. I already told you everything what more do you want?"
"You told him everything? That was fast."
"You were knocked out for 3 hours."
"Oh...but you just said John was out for a few minutes."
"And you were out for a few hours."
"So the 3 hours I was out, you told him everything and you two have pretty much been having a staring contest ever since?"
"You catch on fast Doctor. You really are smarter than you look."
"How do I look?"
John is getting anxious.
"Sherlock, you still haven't answered my question."
"You never asked one."
"I would if you give me the chance."
"Hang on a minute, what do you mean how I look?"
"I think there are more pressing matters at hand right now."
"John is getting even more anxious, annoyed, and enraged.
"He's right Doctor. You've been here one day and asked me to hold on a minute. I've held on for weeks because of this bastard!"
He throws down his ice pack.
"I've been feeling broken for weeks! I paid a lot of money for a funeral that only 5 people attended thinking it would be a proper burial for my best friend not knowing he was one of the attendees! I had to plan the funeral all by myself, your brother wasn't any help by the way because he was always away on 'business'. I had to watch Mrs. Hudson be a complete wreck to the point I had to beg her to take a vacation and all I want to know is...what was the point? I understand you didn't want Moriarty's henchmen to come after us, I get that, but you said yourself that you 'took care of them' whatever that means so why stay in the shadows? And don't give me that 'My loneliness protects everyone' crap. I've heard that story before and I can tell in your eyes it's more than that. So I just want a straight answer out of you for once without being a smartass or I swear to God-"
Sherlock gives in.
"Alright Jawn. I didn't want to get you involved but you asked for it. I didn't just 'take care' of those henchmen...I interrogated them."
The Doctor and John both look puzzled.
"When I found out they didn't find Moriarty's body on the roof, I was confused. He died literally right in front of my eyes. There was no magic trick he could have pulled to fake what he did. He was dead and he couldn't have just walked away from that. Someone, somehow, had to have dragged off the roof while everyone was looking at my body without being seen. I needed answers so I found any and everyone connected to Moriarty. I used my...methods... to get answers but I got the same ones every time. All I know is that he's Moriarty's boss, I figured that much. Why Moriarty needed a boss I don't know. All I know is that he's more powerful and apparently dangerous than he was because everyone I talked to said they'd rather have me kill them than face him again after even speaking to me. He also calls himself The King of Hell, and something about a crossroads. That confused me. If I came back, I didn't want to worry about this man coming after all of you."
Sherlock gets up and walks over to John.
"It's been hard on me too not seeing any of you, not directly. I know I've been a bastard and it was cruel of me to leave you all in the dark. I don't know if I'll come out to everyone else yet, but all I know is that I will never, ever do something to any of you, YOU specifically ever again. Friends don't hurt each other, definitely not like this. Friends protect each other and since you're the only one who truly cares about me, my only real friend for that matter, I couldn't ask for anyone better. You will never have to go through this again. I promise. Now, any other questions?"
John leaps up and gives Sherlock the biggest hug you can imagine just before breaking down in tears.
"I MISSED YOU SOOO MUCH!"
"I missed you too Jawn."
Sherlock tries to hold a big smile, but he can't help it being in John's arms.
The Doctor looks touched.
"So you're friends again."
John lets go and pulls himself together.
"We never stopped."
"Good. Even Molly?"
"I forgive Molly."
"Good, good. Well, I'm off. I'm actually feeling better myself. Thank you John for being a friend when I needed one."
"No, no thank you for being a friend when I needed one. By the way, can I ask about Clara?"
"Sorry John, let me be the one to tell you long distance relationships don't turn out well. Believe me. There are other Clara's out there."
John is too happy to be with Sherlock again to be disappointed about Clara.
"Ok. You're right. There probably are."
"I'm sorry, you replaced me with a Clara?"
John giggles.
"I'll tell you later."
Sherlock walks to The Doctor and shakes his hand.
"Pleasure seeing you again Doctor. You have to come back sometime. I really wanna travel in that box of yours."
"I'm sure you'll love it. By the way, what do I look like anyway?"
Sherlock grins.
"A very peculiar fellow, that's for sure."
"I can say the same for you, but I like peculiar. One of my strong points."
The Doctor begins to walk out.
"Well, until next time, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone."
"Oh, we're not..."
"Not at all. We're just...we're not even..."
The Doctor laughs.
"Lighten up, only joking. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Jump to conclusions like that, someone will think the wrong thing."
He giggles as he walks out as John and Sherlock stand there bewildered.
"Where does he get off saying that? We don't give that impression do we?"
"Not at all."
"Good cause you're not exactly my type Jawn. You're gonna have to buy me flowers before trying to woo me. I'm not some common whore after all."
They look at each other and burst out laughing.
END