A/N: And here it is. The final installment.


I couldn't bear to look at him at that moment. For Holmes to be so honest and open with me, with anyone, was rare and shocking. I wanted so much to say I wouldn't re-join; to quell his fears and have the matter done with once and for all. But I knew that I couldn't. If I was were to take the easy option and leave all those young men to their fate, to the grind of the war machine as Holmes had put it, I don't think I could have lived with myself. I bowed my head.

'Holmes, I cannot remain idle while this war rages. I have to do something. I must do something. I... I have no say in the matter.'

Holmes gave me a smile. It was grim, but it was a smile nonetheless. 'My dear Watson. Always the man of action, eh?'

'Yes , Holmes,' I said softly. 'Always.'

Holmes cocked his head to one side and stood up. 'I thought as much. If that is the case Watson, would you at least do me the service of considering my counter offer?'

I raise my eyebrows. 'Whatever do you mean?' Holmes gave a grin and went over to the desk, pulling something out from one of the drawers

'Apparently,' he said, 'Mycroft's superiors were so impressed by my performance as Altamont that they want me to continue.' Holmes dropped a stack of official and ominous-looking papers on my coffee table. 'They have requested –in that distinct way that makes one very hesitant to refuse – that I carry on my efforts in espionage.'

I stood for a moment too dumbstruck to speak. Then the wordsmith within me found exactly the right thing to say.

'How dare you.'

'I beg your pardon?'

'How dare you, Holmes!' my voice grew stronger and louder as fury filled my lungs. 'You go to extraordinary lengths – insane lengths, I think many people would agree – to prevent me from re-joining His Majesty's forces before practically begging me to stay in England, when all the while you had that that file and knew that you are going to bugger off for another two years! Do you think I haven't spent all this time worrying whether you were dead, or captured or heaven knows...'

'Watson, please! You misunderstand.'

'Really? Are you not going to continue your covert operations abroad?'

He paused. 'Well, yes...'

'Goodnight, Holmes.'

Holmes, with the speed of a man half his age, dashed between me and the door, baring my path. 'Wait, Watson, I wasn't finished. I am going back undercover, but only under one condition; that you come with me.'

To say that the day had been full of surprises would probably been the worst sort of understatement. However, I would have to say that was most definitely the most shocking statement I had encountered, on that day or any other.

'Me?'

Holmes nodded. 'Who else?'

I found myself rubbing my head. It had become considerably greyer over the past two years. 'Someone with experience, for one. Someone who understood espionage, who had some acting ability and relevant skills...'

'How about a former Army surgeon who has shown loyalty to his country time and time again? A man who is intelligent, meticulous , and has spent a fair proportion of his life assisting the authorities in apprehending some of London's most dangerous criminals? A man who is trustworthy, honourable, and knows how to keep his head in a crisis? Would you consider any of those skills or experiences to be useful?'

'You flatter me, old friend, but we both know that I am woefully under-qualified for a task as important as the one you are proposing. This isn't one of our Baker Street cases where the livelihood of a client is in jeopardy. Those stakes were high enough. But here we are talking about the whole country, the whole Empire. I don't think that the government is going to allow me to tag along.'

'Firstly, Watson, you are not and never were one to just "tag along." You would be an agent in your own right and an important asset to the British cause. Secondly, I know for a fact the secret service would be thrilled to have you amongst their midst.'

'Really?' I crossed my arms. 'How so?'

'Because they've already agreed.'

'What?'

Holmes put his hands in his pockets. 'When I realised you were planning on re-joining your old unit, I had a conversation with Mycroft as to what I should do. Oh, you needn't worry. Today's events were entirely my concoction. But Mycroft was the one who suggested having you accompany me on my little excursions. He said that my work on the Von Bork case was a little hap-hazard for his tastes which he attributes to your absence, what with you being my "conductor of light" and so forth. I agree entirely about you being an invaluable assistant, but to call my efforts slap-dash was somewhat affronting...'

I attempted to steer Holmes back to the matter at hand. 'So he just decided that I should join you? And convinced the rest of British Intelligence likewise?'

'Today, as it happens. Apparentl, Mycroft has considerable influence, Watson. I would be wary about refusing his offer, if I were you. My brother probably has agents across the realm waiting to pounce upon you should you decline. What do you say?'

I drifted back towards the settee and positioned myself upon its arm. 'This is... This is ridiculous, Holmes. I can't possibly work in espionage.'

'But it all fits perfectly, can't you see that, Watson? You can still serve your country, I can stop you from getting yourself killed, you can do likewise for me, and together we shall simultaneously fight the good fight and keep my brother from pestering me. Everybody wins.'

'What would people say? Won't they notice our disappearance?'

'I'm sure you could come up with a fitting excuse, old man. Say that you've gone to live with me in Sussex and help me keep bees or something along those lines.'

'Holmes, it would have to be something believable.'

'Well, you're the writer. I'll leave the details up to you. We have to be at the rendezvous point by eight o'clock tomorrow to receive our next assignment, so I would go to bed now if I were you. These spies are fastidious when it comes to punctuality.' Holmes headed out the door and towards the guest room.

I got up and followed him.

'Wait a minute, Holmes, wait a minute! I haven't actually agreed to any of this, you know.'

'I know you'll make the right choice Watson. Your country needs you, after all,' he called over his shoulder before shutting the door to his room, effectively ending the conversation. I stood in the hall dumbfounded. How could he be so certain I would agree to join him on his next mission? It was a little conceited of him to think I would blindly drop everything and follow him into the unknown, particularly after what he had put me through that day. Then again just that morning I was willing do exactly that, only without his companionship or support. I had joined him on so many cases before without the slightest clue as to what was going on, so why should it be any different now? Maybe I didn't need to be on the front line to serve my country. Maybe this time I needn't face the enemy alone...

'Watson, for pity's sake, stop whatever inner monologue you are currently performing outside my room and go to bed.' Holmes' voice rang out from behind his door. 'We have a busy day ahead of us. Wars don't win themselves, you know.'

I smiled and shook my head. 'Indeed, Holmes. I'll see you in the morning.'

The End


A/N: Thus ends my first multi-chaptered single plotline fic. I would like to thank all of you who have read, reviewed, faved and interacted with me. You kept me semi-honest and if it wasn't for your too-kind, too-encouraging words, I probably would have let this fall apart like so many other fics before. Special thanks to the wonderful Medcat, queen of the Holmes-Beta community, who edited half this story (you can tell the ones she didn't edit because of the obvious anachronisms, misspellings and clunky sentences) and who was kind enough not to hunt me down, kill me and carve the words [INSERT COMMA HERE] into my corpse. I hope you all enjoyed the ending and may the force be with you.