A/N: thanks to all who entered the game! The winner received her prize last night. Well done! Not telling who it was, don't want to spoil anything for the rest of you.

One order of business: if you're not pestering XSherlockedX and somethinginthewayful to write more, if you're not reading "Give His Heart a Break" by eccentricpetal, and if you haven't watched this fantastic Sherlolly vid: you tube .com/watch?v=-lzh5822sbg : WHY NOT?

Whatever else he knew, John Watson knew Sherlock Holmes.

Understanding him was often another matter entirely.

So when Sherlock arrived home, confirmed he'd bought Molly flowers and then insisted he needed to watch a movie, John knew exactly what it meant.

It meant he had no earthly idea what Sherlock was playing at.

But he let him be, reading a book while Sherlock munched chocolate and watched Dangerous Liaisons. Occasionally Sherlock made a comment: from a mild "that's not what I would have said," to all but shouting, "can't you see that he's lying to you?"

Oh, joy. Another peaceful night in with Sherlock Holmes.

After the movie Sherlock paced around the living room, muttering. John caught the words "elaborate ruse" and "vanity and cruelty" and "the sweetest times of my life."

At length Sherlock stopped pacing and stared at John. "He really loved her."

"Sorry, what?"

"The Vicomte. Valmont. All his schemes, all his lies to win a game, and he actually ended up falling in love with Madame de Tourvel."

"Ye-es," John said slowly.

"He died in a duel. And she died from a broken heart."

"I have seen the film, Sherlock," John said.

Sherlock waved a hand dismissively. "She was so good. So pure. Open, passionate. She was everything that he wasn't. And yet…"

John looked at him. Sherlock wore the expression he wore when he was deciphering a clue. But the words coming out of his mouth made John wonder exactly how much chocolate he'd consumed. And whether he'd washed it down with a healthy dose of lunacy.

"There's something I need to do," Sherlock said, grabbing his coat.

"I'll just stay here, then?"

Sherlock glanced at him, picked up a notepad and a pen and scribbled like mad. "Do me a favor?"

"What?"

"Get on your laptop and find me every song used in these three movies. Buy them, borrow them, I don't care what. Use my card if you need. But get me the soundtracks to them."

John glanced down at the paper Sherlock handed him. "Dangerous Liaisons…Romeo & Juliet, the DiCaprio/Danes version… and… Love Story? Sherlock, have you lost all your sense? Why do you… oh. Hang on. You know something, don't you."

Sherlock blinked. "John, if I knew anything I'd tell you, wouldn't I? You're my best friend, after all. And I was… so alone before you."

John stared. Sherlock gave him an odd look and left.

After he was gone, John started searching for the songs. But his mind was on what had just happened.

Sherlock had repeated back something John had said at his grave.

Something private. Something… secret, in a sense.

Telling him something without telling him. But what? And why? Why all this bizarre behavior?

John tapped on the keys and blew out a frustrated breath, reading the paper more closely. He squinted and frowned. Some of the letters were darker than the others. It was almost as if Sherlock was…

It took him a few minutes to figure it out. When he did he gasped.

Oh, no.

Oh, God, no.