The Things Love Can Do Chapter 10, a sherlock fanfic

John sat in the lonely flat. He hadn't gotten used to the quiet. The faint sound of Mrs. Hudson puttering around downstairs was the only noise. He stared at the paper, didn't read it, just stared at it. The knock on the door didn't register until it came again, a little louder. It wasn't in his head. There really was someone at the door.

"John! There's someone at the door!" Mrs. Hudson yelled from downstairs.

"Yes! I'm getting it." John got up and grabbed his cane. His psychosomatic limp came back since Sherlock died. He walked down the stairs carefully and opened the door.

Elizabeth looked up at John. It was raining and her hair was wet. "Hi," she said.

"Elizabeth?" John smiled at her. "What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in ages."

"Jim's a jerk and a liar, Molly's dead and I didn't know where to go."

"Molly's dead?" John stared at her. "And what do you mean Jim? I thought he was just an actor?" John asked, confused.

"She was shot. She's dead. Jim's a jerk and a liar and my brother's not dead."

"What?" John only processed the last part. He realized she was still standing in the cold and ushered her inside. "What do you mean Sherlock's not dead? I saw him. I saw his blood coming out of the side of his head when he hit the pavement."

"I don't know how it works, but he's not dead. I saw him today. And last week. And the day I woke up." She followed him inside.

John shut the door behind her. "Don't lie to me, Elizabeth."

"I've never lied in my life, John Watson."

John examined her face. She wasn't lying. "So, Sherlock lied."

"Yes." Though she hated saying it.

Tears began to form in John's eyes. "What happened with Molly?"

"They disappeared together and Jim hired someone to go kill her."

"Who told you that Jim hired someone?"

"Sherlock. Don't just think he was lying, John. I thought he lied too, but I trust him and I believe him. So please believe me."

"I can't, Elizabeth. I can't trust a man who made me believe he was dead! I can't! I just can't!" John repeated, tears falling from his eyes.

Her hand rested gently on his arm and she looked up him. "Then trust. Me." Her voice was quiet.

"Bring me to him." John said simply.

She nodded. "Okay." She sent a text.

I need to talk to you.

No.

She ignored this.

Meet me at the gazebo in the graveyard in ten.

Sherlock rolled his eyes and called a cab. He arrived at the graveyard I precisely ten minutes.

I'm here.

I'm not.

EH.

Someone cleared their throat behind him. Sherlock turned around and took a deep breath. "Hello John."

"Hello." Standing straight like the soldier he was.

"It's, uh, been a while." Sherlock said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah." He looked at him for a while, saying nothing. "I thought you died."

"I did."

"But you're alive." He said quite plainly, flatly.

"Your point?" Sherlock said coldly. He didn't know why he was treating John like this, but after that conversation with Jim and Molly's death, he really didn't want to deal with this.

"You lied. You lied to me. Your mother. Mycroft. Liz."

"I never lied to Liz."

"No?"

"No."

"Well. Good to know you're still around."

"Yes." Sherlock resorted to one word answers. He truly did feel bad for doing that to John and he knew he should be nice since John was all he had left since Molly died but, he just couldn't deal with it all.

"Well. I suppose I'll see you around. Since you're not dead. Sorry about Molly." John turned and walked to the road to grab a cab, using his cane again.

"I see you're limp came back."

"Yeah." A taxi came and he got in, going back to 221B where Liz sat with a hot cup of tea and a full pot ready for him.

"He's a real arse." John said, slamming the door.

"How so?"

"Barely spoke a word to me."

"He did just lose Molly."

"I know! But—"

"I know. But it's still no excuse to treat you like nothing. Like he didn't hurt you. Trust me, I know. But don't hold a grudge forever. He'll come around. You can be friends again."

"I don't know if I can be friends with him again."

"Not today anyway. But don't keep it up forever."

"I won't. Are you going back to Jim's tonight?"

"I don't feel like it. But I don't have anything with me."

"You can just borrow some of my clothes." John headed for his bedroom and grabbed a long sleeve, button up shirt. He walked back and handed it to her. "Here."

"Thanks." She went into the washroom and changed, dried her hair a bit and just got cleaned up. When she came out his shirt looked like a dress on her.

John stared at her. "Wow. Umm, that fits you well." John cleared his throat.

She laughed a little. "Thanks. How's your leg?" She sat in one of the living room chairs.

"Just a little limp. I'm fine." John managed to pry his eyes off of her.

"You haven't always had it have you?"

"Umm." He cleared his throat again. "Yeah.

"Psychosomatic?"

"No. Why would you say that?" John fidgeted with his hands.

"By the way you can't make eye contact, fidgeting, you're lying. You haven't had it forever. You stand strong, a soldier, a spot in your belt a little worn where you may have once kept a gun, no evidence of a leg wound, a cane that you don't always rely on, psychosomatic. I assume you've been told this before. More than once."

John just stared at her. "You are so much like your brother." He stated.

She laughed a little. "I like to think so."

"I don't." He crossed his arms.

She looked up at him. "I'm not so much like him that we're the same person."

"Stop it." John begged. "I hate this. I hate how you remind me of him. I hate that for the past year he made me believe he was dead!" He stood up in pain because of his limp. "I hate how I had to wake up every morning, come down the stairs and not find him doing some ridiculous experiment on our dining table!" John collapsed on the floor as if he gave up.

Elizabeth knelt down beside him; put a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry he lied and I'm sorry I remind you of him and how he hasn't been here and now he's suddenly alive. It shouldn't work like that. It shouldn't be this way. I wish it weren't, I do. But it is. There's nothing I can do or you can do to change it and I'm sorry for that. Whatever you had with Sherlock will never be the same and that sucks, but you will be happy again. I promise. You will get through things and get over him no matter how hard it is. You will."

John looked into her eyes. He didn't know why but he needed to do this. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. He slowly brought his hand to her cheek. She returned the kiss, her hand resting gently on his.

"Liz?" Jim stood there, hurt. Mrs. Hudson had let him in. He knew she would be here, where else would she go?

Elizabeth looked up Jim. "Hello." Her face showed no emotion towards him.

John stood up slowly and dusted himself off. "Uh, hello Jim. It's been a while." He said with a hint of guilt in his voice.

Liz stayed seated on the floor, "What do you want, Jim?"

"I came to apologize." He said as he gazed at her attire. "What were you doing?"

"Talking to John." She said simply.

John looked at her, also hurt. He looked at Jim. "We were kissing, Jim." John said, matter-of-factly.

"And that," Elizabeth added.

"Are we... still... together?" Jim asked carefully.

"No, Jim."

"Oh." Jim looked at John. "Treat her well." He walked up to Liz. "I still love you. And I love you so much that I will respect your wishes." He began to walk away. He walked out the door and pulled out his mobile. "Where are you?" He spoke to the voice on the other line.

"Coffee shop on Main St."

"I'm on my way." Jim hung up and headed for the cafe on Main Street.

Mycroft Holmes sat in the coffee shop alone with his mug and the newspaper.

"Hello Mr. Holmes." Jim greeted him as he sat in the chair across from him.

"Moriarty. What can I do for you?"

"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to talk."

"About anything in particular?"

"Your siblings."

"Go on."

"I think you already know, Mycroft."

"Let's say for arguments sake that I don't."

Jim rolled his eyes. "Sherlock and I made a deal that we would be grown up; no more childish games. I made that deal before I saw John kissing Elizabeth. I'm a man of my word, Mycroft. You know that. But, I can't lose her again. I won't make it if I lose her again. And even if Sherlock would help me, I can't ask him because of our deal. You are the only Holmes that is willing to talk to me right now, besides your mother." Jim ranted, thirsting for coffee as he raised his hand to get the barista's attention.

"You're asking me to make my sister love you again?"

"No. I'm not asking you to make her love me. I'm asking you help her realize she still loves me. Mycroft, I know it sounds crazy but I know she still loves me. I just know it."

"I can talk to her, but it's up to her and you know that. Maybe you think she's in love with you. But she may not. I can't make her mind up for her."

"I know, Mycroft. I know. I just, I need her. I really need her and it really hurt seeing her kiss John dressed in his shirt."

"She was wearing his shirt?"

"I don't know." Jim shrugged. "All I know is that it hurt."

"Well I make no promises, but I'll talk to her."

"Thank you." Jim grabbed his coffee from the barista and headed out the door.

Mycroft sighed, finished his own coffee and headed out into the rain.

"Are you sure about this?" John asked Elizabeth, who was sitting in his lap.

She put her arms around his neck, "Yes."

"John! You've got company!" Mrs. Hudson yelled from downstairs.

"Send them up!" John called back. Elizabeth sighed, climbed off him and headed to the kitchen.

John watched her walk to the kitchen then turned his attention to the figure at the door. "Mycroft? What are you doing here?" He asked surprised. He realized his greeting was quite rude. "Not that I don't want you here. Just surprised, is all."

"I believe my sister is here. I wish to speak to her."

Elizabeth heard him and poked her head out of the kitchen. "What can I do for you big brother?"

"This," He gestured between John and her. "is not allowed."

She looked at John and back to her brother. "Excuse me?"

"You can't be with him, Beth." He only ever called her Beth when he was worried about her. "It's not right. It's not ethical."

"Excuse me?" John stood up to defend himself. "Elizabeth, do you know what he's talking about?"

"It's my choice, Mycroft." Elizabeth ignored John.

"No." Mycroft shook his head. "This is your mind's choice." Mycroft took a step towards her. "Don't be like Sherlock and I. Don't let your mind take over your heart."

"Why do you even care?"

"Because he doesn't care about you." Mycroft said quietly as he examined his cane.

"Who? John?" Mycroft nodded.

"What are you talking about, Mycroft! Of course I care about her!" John took a step forward, limping a little.

"Oh, I know you care for her as a person and our sister. But you don't care for her like Jim does."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Because she reminds you of Sherlock."

"Mycroft!" Elizabeth raised her voice but didn't yell, knowing Mrs. Hudson was downstairs. "Jim is a liar and I should have left him a long time ago."

"And yet, you didn't. What makes you think John will treat you how you want to be treated?" Her mouth opened and closed without any sound escaping.

"I'll treat her way better than Jim ever did!"

"I highly doubt that, John. I don't disapprove of your bachelor ways; I just don't find it best for my little sister. And you may treat her like your everything but she likes to be equal, not the reacher nor the settler. With you she's the settler. With Jim, they're equal. As much as I hate to admit it, they make each other better." Mycroft stepped closer to John. "I know you may think you love her but in reality, John, you adore her because she reminds you of Sherlock. I know that if Sherlock was female, you two would have been married by now." Mycroft showed a small smile because he knew he was right.

"Mycroft..." Elizabeth's voice was small and there were tears in her eyes. "Why are you here?"

"Just doing my duty as your older brother." Mycroft turned to the door. "I do hope you take my advice. And John, I know you're mad at Sherlock but get over it. You need him as much as he needs you."

"You knew was alive, too?" John asked, dumbfounded.

"Of course I did, John. He's my brother." And with that, Mycroft was out the door.

Elizabeth sat on the big arm chair, staring across the room. "What do we do now?" John asked slowly.

She took a deep breath and bites her bottom lip. "I'm not just a female Sherlock, am I?"

"Of course not." John walked over to her and leaned in for a kiss.

She turned her head away a little. "Are you just saying that?"

"Of course not!"

She looked up at him. "John..."

He grabbed her face and kissed her. She kissed him back, a hand on the back of his neck. "Elizabeth, I love you." John whispered between kisses.

A small part of her wondered if Mycroft was right about John.

I talked to her.

And?

She'll be back in your arms soon enough.

Good. Thank you Mr. Holmes.

Treat her well Moriarty.

Of course.

It was late the next morning when a knock on the door echoed through Jim's house. He managed to pull himself out of bed. He hoped it was Elizabeth coming back to him. He opened the door slowly, his face dropping slightly. "Sherlock?"

"I heard you talked to Mycroft."

"I did." Jim nodded, ushering him in.

"She's with John then." He stayed outside.

Jim nodded. "Yes. She spent the night. I suppose they did some other things as well judging by the way she dressed and how his tongue was down her throat when I arrived."

"Mycroft talked to her."

"Doesn't mean anything. If he made a difference, she would have come back by now. Or at least called." Jim felt anger and sadness. "I just can't believe she picked John!"

"Why not? Because he's kind and considerate? Good looking? A good man? Yes, I can't believe it either."

"No! Because he's using her! She's just letting him because I hurt her!" Jim stared at Sherlock, surprised at his own confession. "I was a jerk. An idiot. Our little game got the best of me."

"If you really want her back you should talk to her. Don't get other people to do your dirty work. And don't hurt my sister again."

Jim nodded. "What are you even doing here?" He asked, just realizing now that he shouldn't be there because of their deal.

"My sister should be part of the deal. Neither of us hurt her."

"Of course." Jim agreed. "I never try to hurt her, you know? It just happens sometimes."

"It shouldn't." He turned and walked away.

Jim closed the door and pulled out his phone. He dialed Elizabeth's number. He was used to her answering on the first ring. It wasn't until the fourth and last that she did. "Hello?"

"Liz. We need to talk."

He could just picture her rolling her eyes. "What do you want?"

"Can we meet somewhere to talk in person? Something like this can't be talked about over the phone."

"Okay. I still need clothes and stuff so fill a bag of my stuff and meet me here in twenty minutes."

"Alright." He said before he hung up. He quickly grabbed a bag and filled it with her things. He got dressed and ready and fled out of his flat. Jim called a cab and was at 221B Baker Street shortly after. Three distinct knocks. Mrs. Hudson opened the door and motioned for him to go upstairs. "Thank you Mrs. Hudson." Jim smiled as he lugged the bag of Elizabeth's things up the stairs.

Liz was still in John's shirt though she had a housecoat on over top, she sat at the desk, John's laptop open in front of her. Jim knocked on the wall. "Hi." He smiled softly.

She looked up. "Hi." Her voice was quiet. "He's still asleep. Just give me a minute to change and we can go somewhere."

Jim nodded and handed her her bag. He watched her walk up the stairs and sat down in one of the arm chairs. She came down a few minutes later in jeans and her own t-shirt.

Jim smiled. "Beautiful as always."

She rolled her eyes. "Let's just go."

They walked out of the flat and headed to the park. They didn't speak a word on the way there. Once they arrived at the park, they sat on the swings.

"What did you and John do last night?" Jim asked with a hint of jealously in his voice.

"Nothing. We kissed twice, then he went to bed."

"That's it?" Jim prayed.

"Yes," she said. She rocked back and forth on the swing, looking at the pebbles below her feet.

"Oh. Okay." Jim nodded his head, slowly swinging with her.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"I'm not here to ask for you back. That's not what I want. Well," he paused. "I do want you back but on your own terms." He looked at her. "I do love you, Liz. I don't know how many times I could say it. I think I can say it forever. But I can't bear to think that I've hurt you beyond repair. I just want to apologize and tell you that I'm done hurting you. I'm done with this game. Your brother and I came to an agreement. Say the word and I'm gone. Out of your life forever."

"What word? I want to be sure I don't say it..." Her voice was quiet, she looked at the ground.

He smiled. "I don't want to hurt you anymore."

"That's not a word."

"I know. I just want you to know."

She nodded. "Alright."

"So," he stood up and faced her. "I'll let you sleep on it." And he started to walk away.

"I've slept on it."

He stopped in his tracks. "And?" He asked without facing her.

"I'll come by later to grab the rest of my stuff."

His face dropped. "Okay." He started walking off again. He hailed a cab and headed back to the flat. Liz went back to 221B where John was up.

"Where did you go?" John asked from the kitchen, making a pot of tea.

"The park." She sat at the kitchen table.

"By yourself?" He poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her, sipping his own as well.

"Thanks. No. Jim wanted to talk."

"Jim? What happened? What did you guys talk about?" John sat across from her at the table.

She shrugged. "Will you come with me later to get my stuff? There's not very much."

"Of course. Why don't we head there now? I have the day off. Might as well get it out of the way." John shrugged, taking another sip of tea.

"Sure, I guess."

John nodded his head and grabbed a bag for Elizabeth to put her clothes in. He got dressed and met her downstairs. They both headed out the door and hailed a cab. She knocked on the door to Jim's.

"Wait, it's open." John carefully opened the door. "Jim?" John called out into the empty flat. John walked into the living room slowly to find blood everywhere but no body to be found. John looked around carefully and found a gun.

Liz wasn't far behind him. "Oh my god..."