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Thank you to everyone who followed or favourited the story :D It's nice to know people are interested in it. I also want to (finally) say a big thank you to my friend Flo for reading the story first and encouraging me to keep writing it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sherlock, John does.

Chapter 3

"Wrong." Said a familiar, deep voice coming from behind John.

John froze in shock before turning slowly to face the tall, slender form of Sherlock Holmes.

xXx

"No" John muttered quietly then louder, "No! You're dead! You are dead!"
"John." Sherlock said calmly. "I know I seemed to be dead but you have to believe that I'm really here."
"No you're not!" John shouted. "You are dead! And I'm just seeing things, I'm actually going mad! Or else this is just some stupid dream and I'm going to wake up and you'll still be dead."
"This isn't a dream John." Sherlock replied in a worried tone. "I'm really here."
"Well if this isn't a dream then I'm going mad because there is no way that you can be here! I saw you fall and there is no way you could have survived that! I saw your dead body afterwards and you had no pulse! You were definitely dead and you are buried right here!"
"John, when you went to my grave after the fall you said 'Don't be dead' so on some level you must have believed that there was a possibility that I could still be alive."
"I was in denial! It's one of the stages of grief!" John laughed at that. "See, even in my imagination you still don't understand feelings."
"John." Sherlock's voice sounded pained. "I'm really alive, it's ok."
"No it's not ok!" John yelled. "I've finally lost it and I'm imagining that you're here talking to me, nothing about this is ok! I need to leave, I should go home, yes that's a good idea..." By now John was talking more to himself than to anyone else.

"John, he is real." Arleigh said, finally contributing to the conversation. "Does that help at all?"
"No, not really." John replied. "I've probably imagined you as well, after all, Sherlock never mentioned having a sister."

Arleigh reached out, grabbing John's arm. He looked up in shock at being able to feel the contact.

"Maybe you are real then..." John muttered. "But I still don't believe that he is..."
"It really is him John."
"It can't be..."
"It is really me." Sherlock said, reaching out to John.

John stood there staring at Sherlock for a moment. "No," He whispered again as he pulled away from Arleigh, "it isn't... I should just go..." And with that he turned and ran out of the graveyard.

"JOHN!" Sherlock shouted after him. He would have run after him but Arleigh held him back.
"Sherlock, that's enough." Her words were quiet but firm and had the desired effect on Sherlock. Have I lost him now? Sherlock wondered despondently as he watched John run away, not looking back even once.

xXx

"What was that about?" Arleigh yelled at Sherlock the minute the door shut. "The plan was meant to be that we gave John plenty of hints to get him used to the idea that you might not be dead before he actually saw you again! You weren't meant to just turn up and give him the fright of his life so soon! But no, you're Sherlock and you don't even think about that!"
"I don't understand!" Sherlock said, ignoring his sister. "Why doesn't he believe that I'm alive?! All the evidence points towards it! So why can't he see..."
"SHUT UP, SHERLOCK!"

The screamed words from his sister made Sherlock freeze for a moment, in the middle of pacing around the room and he turned to face her.

"Good, that's better." Arleigh said more calmly. "You are completely overlooking the fact that John saw you jump off that building. As evidence goes I would say that was pretty strong evidence that you were really dead, wouldn't you?"
"Yes, but it was fake, I didn't really commit suicide! And besides, committing suicide for the reasons he believes I did goes completely against everything he knows about me!"
"Yes, it may have been a fake suicide, but it was a fake suicide staged by you. I know you well enough to know that you must have planned it so that even you would have been convinced!"
"Well I had to make sure that there could be no doubt that I was dead."
"Exactly, John truly believes that he saw you commit suicide two years ago, it's no wonder that he thinks he's going mad when you turn up, very much alive, when you're meant to be in a coffin in the ground! We already know he's been having nightmares about the fall for the last two years..."
"Nearly two years." Sherlock interrupted.
"Really Sherlock?! You want to concentrate on that?! I'm sure that will help convince John that he isn't going mad!"
"It's hardly my fault..."
"Yes it is!" Arleigh's disbelief at his statement was obvious. She turned and walked towards the door.
"Where are you going?!"
"To get Mycroft."
"Why?! He'll just get in the way!"
"Because he has more chance of getting John to believe him than either of us do and, whilst he isn't an expert on emotions either, he has more experience of dealing with them than both of us combined."
"You could just ring him."
"Well maybe I want to get away from my idiotic brother who can't even follow his own plan." Arleigh said as she stormed out of the building.

Fine, thought Sherlock, I'm alone, that's fine. Perfect in fact. I prefer being alone. But he couldn't help his mind wandering back to the fact that he had always enjoyed John's company. That was why he had changed his mind about staying in the flat whilst Arleigh talked to John. He had wanted to get closer so he'd snuck out and hidden close by to hear the conversation. And then he couldn't help himself. When John had started denying that he was alive he couldn't continue to let him believe that. Admit it, you missed him. And you didn't like seeing him in pain. Sherlock couldn't stop the traitorous thoughts. Sentiment is a chemical defect found on the loosing side. Caring is not an advantage, Sherlock. That last thought sounded uncomfortably like Mycroft. Although you're a bit past caring by now aren't you Sherlock.

xXx

"If you had just let me handle the situation this would never have happened."
"Oh shut up, Mycroft." Sherlock snapped. Mycroft had been expressing this same thought in just about every possible variant available ever since he had entered the building seventeen, no eighteen minutes ago. Just get on with it, Sherlock thought, you're meant to be helping not telling me why I should have let you deal with 'the situation' in the beginning.

"As much as I hate to admit it he is probably right, Sherlock."
"I didn't ask for your opinion, Arleigh."
"I know you didn't I just happen to feel that the discussion would move on much sooner if Mycroft were to stop repeating himself, and the only way that's going to happen is if someone agrees with him. You're never going to do that so I may as well."

There was a moment of silence and Arleigh looked back and forth between her brothers expectantly. When neither of them said anything she gave an exasperated groan.

"Fine, if the two of you refuse to start a conversation I will." She turned to Mycroft. "Sherlock needs your help because he ruined the previous plans and now John thinks he's going mad. Do you think you can help resolve the situation?"
"We'll have to tread carefully," Mycroft replied, glaring at Sherlock. "But I'll see what I can do."

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