Chapter 10
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John had been improving a lot. His limp went away as Sherlock spent more time with him and the reality that Sherlock was back and wasn't going away again hit John. John's appetite was improving and he was putting the weight he had lost back on slowly. His mind was healing too, he had very few flashbacks and they never lasted long and his nightmares were now only a few times a week, Sherlock was always there when he woke up from them.
Sherlock was also getting better, his nightmares became less frequent and John was helping him eat more. Sherlock had eaten the bare minimum when he had been away from John and he was, much like John, going from too skinny, to his original weight. They were both getting so much better.
They had had two weeks together and Lestrade was planning to pop in to see them. Just before he was going to arrive Sherlock and John were in the kitchen eating lunch and John said "I think I'm ready." Sherlock's eyes met John's and he smiled.
"I knew you were going to say that soon. And I agree, let's see if we can get back to normal life." Sherlock said.
John snorted "Well, normal for us, you mean."
Sherlock chuckled and nodded.
The door bell rung and they heard Mrs Hudson answering to Lestrade as they sat down on the sofa, waiting for him.
Lestrade soon was stood in the doorway. He stared at Sherlock for a few moments and then moved forward and sat on John's arm chair out of habit because John had never allowed him to sit on Sherlock's.
"Do you know how much I dislike you right now, Sherlock?" Lestrade asked.
"Probably a lot." Sherlock said.
"This isn't a joke! I can't believe you did this to John!" Lestrade said.
"I have been informed of what happened to him during the three years of my absence." Sherlock said.
"You may have been 'informed' of what happened. But I was there! I persuaded him not to jump of St Bart's. I had to watch him become nothing!" Lestrade shouted.
"Stop it!" John shouted.
"Stop it; I don't want you two to fight. I am so thankful for what you did for me for three years, Lestrade. Never forget that, and I see you as a true friend. And Sherlock knows what happened in those years. And he's fixed me. He's back, Greg, and I just want to get back to normal." John said.
"You... fixed him?" Lestrade asked Sherlock.
"His limp is better; he doesn't need his cane much anymore. His appetite has improved immensely, and his mind is getting better." Sherlock stated.
"Well then... I suppose you're forgiven then." Lestrade said.
Sherlock nodded.
"We'd like to start taking cases again, Lestrade." John said.
"Well of course, we'd be happy for your help. Actually if you want you can come down to the yard now, we have a case that we're working on now that is a bit tricky." Lestrade said, standing.
Sherlock and John stood too, put on their coats and shoes and Sherlock reached out and entwined his hand with John's.
Lestrade raised his eyebrows. "So... are you two together now?" he asked.
"Yes." Sherlock said.
"Alright then. Do you want to get a cab while I go in the police car?" Lestrade asked.
Sherlock and John nodded and they made their way outside.
They arrived at New Scotland Yard and walked in with their hands still holding each other. Lestrade's team had been called for a meeting about the case. People were all staring at the couple, both in awe at seeing the dead man and also curious about their relationship.
They all entered a room and sat down in their chairs, Sherlock and John stood behind Lestrade, who was stood at the front while the couple leant against the wall. Lestrade was going through what the case was about and they were going to the crime scene again for Sherlock to have a look.
"Is your leg okay?" Sherlock whispered to John, who hadn't brought his cane.
"It's fine. No pain at the moment." John said with a smile.
Sherlock nodded and went back to looking around at the group of people, deducing them all.
When the meeting was over and the officers were walking out Donavon caught up with Sherlock and John and pointing at their linked hands "Are you two together?" she asked.
"Brilliant deduction, Sergeant Donavon." Sherlock commented. John squeezed his hand in a gesture for Sherlock to be nice.
When they arrived at the crime scene the officers stood around the edge of the room while Sherlock and John walked to the middle, standing near to the body. John hadn't been around a dead body or blood since Sherlock's fall, but he thought he'd be alright.
Sherlock let go of John's hand while everyone watched on in silence, still unsure if they believed if the consulting detective was a fake or not. This would be the decider.
Sherlock danced around the scene like he did so often, deducing silently. Then he stood up and smiled at John.
"Cause of death, my good Doctor?" he asked.
John nodded and knelt next to the bloody body of a middle-aged man.
"I'd say that he was in a lot of pain from the stomach wounds but this blow to his temple would have killed him instantly." John pointed.
"Yes, a murderer who likes to torture and then kill." Sherlock's voice faded out of John's hearing and he was breathing out of his nose, he had earlier been breathing through his mouth, but he hadn't been concentrating and now the potent smell of blood invaded John's senses.
John looked down at the dead man and found the body morphing into something very familiar as it had invaded and haunted his dreams every night for three years.
Sherlock was doing his brilliant deductions, proving to everyone that he was real and a genuine genius when he heard a whimper from behind him and he stopped talking and looked down at John.
John was hunched over and staring at the corpse. Sherlock could see him shaking.
"John?" he called out quietly.
"No... no, Sherlock... no come back..." John said.
Sherlock quickly moved forward and helped John stand and turned him to face away from the body and he put his hands on either side of John's head.
"Stay with me, John. Stay in the present. Come back from the past. John, can you hear me?" Sherlock rushed out.
John's eyes shut and he brought his hands up to grip onto Sherlock's arms.
"Sherlock." He said.
"Yes, it's me. I'm not dead, please, John, remember." Sherlock said gently but firmly.
John's eyes opened and they met the consulting detective's. He breathed out a sigh of relief and fell into Sherlock's arms. Sherlock held John in a comforting embrace.
John slowly drew away but quickly entwined his hand in Sherlock's and said "I'm fine."
The crowd of people looked at the doctor in concern and John put up his face of bravery and smiled at them weakly but reassuringly.
"Finish your deductions." John said to Sherlock.
"We can just go home." Sherlock offered.
"No, I've got to start living." John said.
Sherlock looked at him with love and nodded, then continued his deductions. At the end the yard had a good lead and Sherlock hailed a cab and they went home.
Later that night as they curled up on the sofa, watching Doctor Who, John sighed in irritation at his earlier failure.
Sherlock looked down at John, whose head was resting on his shoulder, and said "I don't think you failed today. You triumphed."
John looked up at Sherlock with a frown of confusion so Sherlock elaborated.
"You went out for practically the whole day, your limp didn't return and you did part of your job by telling me the cause of death. And though you may have stumbled into the past for a few moments you quickly came back and you even carried on after. I think this is a leap in the right direction." Sherlock said.
John smiled and leant up, pressing a kiss to his love's lips. "Thank you." He said.
They went back to watching the telly, well, John did. Sherlock was watching John.
"And by the way, your deductions today were brilliant!" John said enthusiastically.
Sherlock smiled at the only person in the world who didn't think he was a freak for his mind, but thought he was brilliant.