This Chapter took me a while to write :P but it is longer. I don't own Sherlock
I heard John's footsteps on the stairs at a little after one in the morning. I found him in the kitchen again brewing tea the next morning. He handed me a cup.
"How did your date with my darling older sister go?"
"Fine but don't you have to be at work in a bit?"
"Not for another hour and it's a ten minute tube ride to the hospital. So spill or do I have to call Mary and make her." I smirked.
"You want me to tell you how John's date went?" Sherlock piped up from the couch. I nodded and turned around in my chair.
"He has a dopy smile on his face so it went well might have gotten a snog out of her. My guess is that they spent some time talking about you, Emma. Therefore, John is hesitant to tell you about it." John blushed but nodded. I smiled and set my empty cup on the table. I left John to his stuttering and I went to work.
John had the late shift so therefore when I returned only Mrs. Hudson and Sherlock were home. Sherlock lay in the same position he was when I left. I plopped on the ground next to the couch and leaned against it by Sherlock's stomach. He opened one eye lazily and smiled softly at me. In the almost month I had known him I had never seen him so laid back. He was typically a raging ball of energy. I had a feeling few had seen him like this. Not a care in the world. Somehow I knew his brain was going a mile a minute.
"Tell me a story, Morstan," He whispered.
"About what?" I answered as I unstrapped my boot from my leg. If I was going to be sitting here a while I might as well wiggle my toes.
As I slipped the boot off being careful not to show the scars, he responded. "Any story. I don't know. Maybe one about John" I braided my hair while I thought about what story to tell him.
"I've got one" I sighed and Sherlock smiled softly. "When I was about fifteen and John seventeen, John really liked this girl, Greta and he wanted desperately to impress her. Believing he found a way to impress Greta, John asked me to teach him how to braid hair. Since Greta always had her hair in a braid. I agreed. So I spent an entire Friday night and Saturday morning teaching John how to braid hair. It took him four hours to braid my hair correctly and at ten hours he finally managed to French braid it. After ten hours I had enough and told John he was good. Come Monday I found John sitting under a tree braiding Greta's hair. So in the end it was worth it." I turned to Sherlock and laughed softly. He was snoring quietly. He must have been really tired to fall asleep like that. Hands still folded in what John called his "thinking position." He looked so young and so at peace with the world.
It happened again about a week later. This time he fell asleep right as the story ended. I could not understand how he could sleep on the couch. I tossed a blanket over him. I watched him while I drank a cup of tea. He twitched in his sleep but made no sudden movements. Twenty minutes later John stopped dead in the door.
"Is he asleep?" He stuttered. I nodded.
"And I put him to sleep with a story"
"Which one?"
"Your elbow in the butter dish when you were fourteen."
"How did he fall asleep during that story?"
I shrugged. "He fell asleep at the end." I handed John a cup of tea. I settled down the floor by Sherlock again.
"You get your boot off tomorrow right?"
"I think so I am not sure though," I sighed and I felt Sherlock shift. He rolled over and tangled one of his hands in my curls. I tensed and John chuckled.
"He's asleep, Em. He won't hurt you anyway. Well, not on purpose at least." He sighed and I relaxed against the couch. John stood up.
"Since you are not moving for a while. I will cook dinner tonight." He slipped into the kitchen. Sherlock murmured something I could not make out and tugged gently on my hair.
"John," I stuttered tensing up again. John sat on the coffee table across from me. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently.
"Emmalyn, in the month you have known Sherlock has he ever hurt you?"
"No"
"So why would he start now? Emma, Sherlock is not going to hurt you at least not on purpose. Please see that, Emma" I counted to ten and relaxed. John smiled and returned to his cooking. Twenty minutes later John placed two plates on the kitchen table.
"You realize I can't move right?" I asked and John chuckled.
"There is an easy way to fix that. All we have to do is wake Sherlock." He shook the other man gently. Sherlock sat up straight and untangled his hand from hair in the process. He grabbed his coat and disappeared out the door and I didn't see him again for the rest of the night. He wasn't there when I left for the doctor's the next morning. The doctor could something was bothering me and questioned me on it.
"One of my flat mates stormed out last night and he hasn't come back yet."
"On the bright side your boot may come off" I nodded.
"Can I wait until I get home to take it off?"
"If you promise to take it off."
"Cross my heart." I drew an X over my heart.
"See you in a month for your last check-up" I returned to 221 Baker Street. When Sherlock finally returned, I was sitting staring at my boot. I did not even notice him until he placed his hand of my knee.
"It can come off" Again it was more of a statement then a question. I learned that even at crime scenes Sherlock was a know it all. He plopped on the floor and started unstrapping my boot. He slipped it off and I wiggled all ten of my toes. He tugged at my right pant leg. "May I?" That was the first time I had heard Sherlock ask a serious question. I nodded and Sherlock rolled up my sweatpants up to my knee. "Oh, Emmalyn" He traced his finger over one on the seven surgery scars. He tapped the entrance wound.
"You are the only one I have let see them." He looked up at me startled.
"Not even John"
"If John sees them I'm afraid he might slip into a flashback. You were right you know. He did save my life. He spent three hours doing surgery on my leg." I ran a finger over the thickest scar. "This one is his." Sherlock nodded and rolled down my pant leg.
"Let's get you walking again." He declared as he stood up. With a determined glint in his eyes, Sherlock held out his hands. I hesitated for a second before placing both my hands in his. He pulled me to my feet. Instantly I could feel my right leg giving out. I could feel myself start to fall but Sherlock was faster he grabbed my forearms and held me steady.
"Together." He whispered and I nodded. He stepped back and I took a shaky step forward. He smiled. "Let's surprise John and show him you can walk." Ten minutes later a cough sounded from the door. Sherlock let go of me and spun around in one fluid motion. I yelped as I fell without Sherlock's hold to support me. He winced as I hit the floor. "Sorry, Emmalyn"
Mrs. Hudson chuckled. "What is going on here?"
"Well, Emmalyn was cleared to get rid of her boot. Yet she has no strength in her foot."
"We are going to surprise John" I giggled like a two year-old. Mrs. Hudson smiled.
"Well, Dr. Morstan, Mr. Holmes, you have some work to do. Good luck, my dears." She disappeared out the door. Sherlock helped me back on my feet. He held me steady. For the next two hours it was touch and go sometimes he would keep me up. Other times he would drop me.
"You know it has been about half an hour since you dropped me" Not ten seconds after I said that I fell back as Sherlock lost his grip.
"Sorry, Emma, Tea?" he asked.
I nodded. "Yes, but I think I will stick to the floor for now"
When John returned an hour later, Sherlock and I were swapping stories about him.
"What is going on here?" He asked. I unfolded my legs and wiggled my toes. "Emma, you can walk."
"Well, sort of," I turned to Sherlock. "Shall we show him?" He smiled and stood up. He helped me to my feet. Sherlock brought me over to John. John threw me over his shoulder. I rested my head on his shoulder. The last thing I heard before drifting off to dream world was Sherlock's baritone voice.
"I think you lost her. You better put her in my bed again. She can barely walk much less tackle a flight of stairs."
When I woke up, Sherlock stood in the doorway. "Emmalyn, let's get you walking again. John made breakfast." He picked me up and deposited me in the kitchen. John placed a plate of pancakes in front of me. Once John and I finished our food, Sherlock and I got to work on my walking while John cleaned the flat. He would chuckle softly every time Sherlock would drop me. At one point I thought he was going to pee himself. Sherlock had lost his footing and had fallen backward bringing me with him. John had erupted in laughter. Sherlock and I took one look at each other and burst into giggles. By dinner Sherlock was only there for balance he was no longer supporting my weight. Finally by bedtime I could take a few shaky steps on my own without Sherlock's help.
The third time it happened. I was dead on my feet when I entered 221B.
"Tell me a story, Emma" Sherlock declared without opening his eyes.
"Not now, Sherlock, I am dead on my feet." He opened his eyes and stood up. He grabbed me by the hand and pulled me down so my head rested on his chest.
"If you fall asleep it won't matter." I kicked my shoes off and started to tell a story about John. About halfway through I felt Sherlock's breathing even out and heard his heartbeat slow down. I fell listening to Sherlock's proof of life.
The fourth time it happened John, Sherlock and I had all just gotten back from solving a crime.
"Emma, tell me a story" I rolled my eyes.
"If you sleep in your own bed and not on the couch."
"Deal" He disappeared into his room.
"Please fall asleep on him again that was so adorable." I rolled my eyes. I entered Sherlock's room to find him curled in a ball in the center of his bed. I told him a story and once he fell asleep I tucked him in. When I came out awake, John was very disappointed and holding a camera.
The fifth time it happened Sherlock had been drugged by a criminal. After John had washed him up, I was put on Sherlock watch.
"Story" He murmured into his pillow. I smiled and dove into the first story I thought of. About halfway through he pulled me against his chest. By the end of the story he was out. I followed soon after lulled to sleep by his beating heart.
What do you think?
