As usual, thanks for the support and I'd appreciate feedback.
John wakes up first the next morning, which, once he remembers the night before, he concludes is probably for the best. Sherlock's grip is, mercifully, looser so John slips free from the detective's arms and stands up, stretching. His bad shoulder protests, making him wince, but everything else appears to be fine. John risks a glance at his flatmate; Sherlock hasn't woken and if he kept his usual habits while he was gone he probably hasn't slept more than necessary since Bart's.
The memory makes John cringe and he takes one last look at his flatmate to make sure he isn't hallucinating before exiting Sherlock's room. He heads toward his own room with the intent of showering and changing, maybe updating his blog to let the world know that Sherlock is indeed back. John pauses in the living area, however, when he notices the brown-haired woman stretched out on the couch with her hands tucked behind her head like she owns the flat. He isn't sure how she got in or how long he spent there puzzled by that fact when she speaks.
"I'd think that a gentleman such as yourself would be above staring, John" the woman comments without even opening her eyes. "Mycroft let me borrow his key, in case you were wondering. Yes, he has a key, he's Mycroft, don't be surprised. Mrs. Hudson will confirm I've been here before on numerous occasions, Sherlock specified you not be told. He shares about as well as Mycroft, but I've learned to work around it."
John frowns. She knows about Mycroft and Mrs. Hudson knows she's been here..why does she seem familiar. He ponders it for a few more moments before it clicks. "You're the one I always saw at the cemetery."
"Bingo, Sherlock asked me to keep an eye on you during his absence. That's probably why he never bothered to tell you about me, knowing Mycroft is monitoring your every move is bad enough but a second Holmes watching you besides the one you live with?" She snorts "That'd make anyone go insane."
"You're a Holmes too?" John nearly groans at the revelation. Two Holmes are bad enough but with three running around how did they not own the world yet. Or kill each other for that matter.
"Adopted" her reply makes John snap to attention. "This will take a while to explain, I'd imagine you want to change or shower. I apologize for my brother's behavior last night, he certainly never will. Off with you then, we can talk more when you're ready." John doesn't move right away, despite the fact that this woman obviously knows Mycroft and Sherlock he isn't keen on just letting her sit out here alone. After all, she might get into something and force John to deal with a crabby Sherlock later. She opens her eyes and fixes John with a cool stare. "I promise I have no intentions to harm you or Sherlock, nor will I break anything, now go on."
John finally wavers and heads toward his room, satisfying her more authoritative side. She knew Sherlock would be sleeping in today and had decided to take the opportunity to finally talk to John. When she'd monitored him in Sherlock's absence she'd used her 'Gambler' personality. It's not quite the same as the one she was born with; the Gambler is her business face that no one can crack, but her born personality, Holly, is more open.
She waits an appropriate amount of time and gets up, walking into the kitchen to put the kettle on for tea and leave out two cups with the tea bags ready, not Sherlock's favorite, she's not going to get into her brother's stuff. Holly returns to the couch exactly as she was before and waits. As predicted, almost as soon as John gets back to the living area, freshly showered, the kettle starts whistling. She fights a smirk as she senses John's confused look thrown her way before she listens to him walk into the kitchen. Moments later he comes back into the living room and, by the sound of things, sets her tea cup on the table before taking a seat with his own.
"Now then" she sits up and faces John "introductions, my name is Holly Holmes. Holmes isn't the name on my birth certificate but it's my legal name, Mycroft took care of that once he was able."
"Holly" John chuckles "Pretty normal when compared to Sherlock and Mycroft."
"Yes" she smiles "I was adopted into the family after my parents died, but they're my brothers as much as if I'd been born a Holmes myself. I've been raised with them since I was five."
"How is it they never talk about you?" John asks, taking a sip of tea.
"Well, that's easily explained; some people will tell you I have a split personality disorder, Mycroft included. That's not quite true, my business identity is almost entirely separate from me since my work is dangerous." At John's questioning look she adds "Yes, more dangerous than Sherlock's. They don't talk about me as to help me keep my identities separate. Sherlock also believed I had a split personality disorder for a while but he's realized that I really don't. I have to thank you for that, John."
"Why me? I didn't even know about you."
"My business personality has the standard Holmes's mentality; no nonsense, sentiment is garbage kind of thing, then there's me." She shrugs "Obviously I don't look like I can pull it off but that's because it's my mask."
"Like Sherlock's neutral expression" John nods, probably knowing all too well how often Sherlock puts his own mask on. "Alright, I can understand that, since Sherlock always comments I'm too sentimental."
"Your sentimentality is what helps him though" Holly points out. "That's why Sherlock now deals with my personalities as if they are one and the same. Mycroft is getting there but I mostly see him on business, so I can let it slide." Not to mention Lestrade hasn't been working on Mycroft's cold shell as long as John's been chipping away at Sherlock's.
"I'm to assume you're the one who set up arrangements with Angelo last night?" John's comment snaps her out of her musing.
"Of course, I'll always help my brothers out." John looks away, turning a slight pink and she smirks. "He does care, it's just not easy for him to show it. I think if you give him a little more time he'll adjust though."
"I'm not quite sure" John mutters and Holly, knowing he isn't talking about Sherlock's lack of demonstration, picks up her tea and starts to drink it now that it's cooled off. "I'm out of my depth. He's been gone for two years and I realized a few things in that time. Now he's back and..." John trails off.
"Take your time, knowing my brother he won't push you. When you want to talk you may have to corner him. It isn't easy for him either." Holly knows her brother will have a difficult time talking, but she's confident that, for John at least, Sherlock will try.
John's mobile buzzes and he glances at the clock. Startled, John jumps to his feet "Bullocks I'm late for work."
"Don't worry about it, Mycroft called in for you" Holly comments. The news doesn't appear too surprising as John sits back down as he pulls his mobile out and his brow furrows.
"It's just Mary, guess no one told her." Holly frowns, giving John a look.
"Who's Mary?" She asks. At John's perplexed expression Holly rolls her eyes "I didn't monitor you at work, that was Mycroft's job."
"One of the new nurses, she's been pestering me to go out with her and I finally caved earlier this week. I'd like to make an excuse to not go but that wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me would it?" John means the question rhetorically but instantly Holly finds the urge to throttle the doctor or at least tear him a new one. Sherlock would be vindictive if she did though, which is reason enough not to. It's extremely difficult to reign in her urge to tell him off though. Holly tips her head back and closes her eyes, slipping into her mask that is the Gambler.
John doesn't seem to notice when she opens her eyes again, apparently lost in his own inner turmoil. It's harder to retain the mask of the Gambler in the flat, where she'd spent more time as Holly than the Gambler. No, not Holly, the Gambler, John is a client. She grits her teeth and stands up. "What you do is up to you, just be careful John, Sherlock can be both selfless and selfish." She shakes her head. Gambler, not Holly. "It was nice to meet you, thanks for the tea." The Gambler rushes out of the flat, ignoring Mrs. Hudson before sprinting towards one of her safe houses. It's time to change, there's work to be done.
John frowns, staring at the spot where Holly had just been, she'd seemed distressed. When dealing with a Holmes though, John is never quite sure how to react. He cleans up the tea cups and returns to the desk, opening the laptop. Sherlock will no doubt stay asleep for a while so John takes the opportunity to update his blog. As he does that, he contemplates his options.
He could try and bow out of the date with Mary on Friday. Originally John didn't want to go out with her at all but the woman kept insisting so he decided to humor her, though he doubted anything would come of it. That would be rude though and doesn't sit well with his gentleman manners. One more date then and he could turn his attention to...to what? Sherlock? Sherlock apparently isn't disgusted with him and if he'd bothered to commit every word from his declaration all those months to memory...
Where does that leave them though? John sighs in frustration and pushes the laptop away. Mycroft may have meant well to call him off work today but John could use the distraction. He rubs his face, he needs to find something to do but he's already gotten the groceries and the flat is relatively clean, leaving absolutely nothing to distract him from his thoughts. Sherlock will undoubtedly have some confounding thing or another he wants to do today but the bloke is still asleep. Oh Christ, Sherlock...what will he do if he finds out I have a date? He usually sabotages them because they 'distract me' but I don't even want to go to this one.
The thought of dealing with an offended, possibly hurt Sherlock after going on such a date would be exhausting, so much so that John could possibly snap at the detective (that never ends well). Of course if he told Sherlock beforehand the detective would insist on him not going if it would make John miserable or would try and keep him busy somehow. Though he wouldn't mind just this once John would still rather like to try and keep to his consistent use of manners. He looks back to the couch that was occupied ten minutes ago and scowls at it "You Holmes siblings are impossible to plan around!"
