Chapter 21

"The Ood has two brains. They carry their hindbrain in their hand and are by natural inclination a peaceful people. When they are enslaved by humanity, their hindbrain will be removed to be replaced by a telepathy ball..."

Jack sighed as he looked at Sherlock. "Well, I suppose it had been a while." He walked to Sherlock and lightly tapped his cheek. "Come on, get out of it, Sherlock."

"The Aquarpey are green and have six tentacles by which they move on land as well as in water..."

"Oh, seriously." Jack shook him the way John had done, but Sherlock just kept on rambling random information. "Stop it," Jack said in his most authoritative voice. He could of course try slapping him, like River had found effective, but right now the detective looked so unfocused, that Jack doubted he would be able to defend himself in any way. He was also sinking further into the trance-like state, and Jack didn't want to know what happened if he went just that bit too far. After shaking him fiercely one more time, he just gave Sherlock a desperate look and pressed his lips on the other man's.

Sherlock gasped, as his eyes grew wide and round in surprise. For a long moment he didn't move. Then he squirmed slightly and pushed Jack away. He stood, panting, staring at Jack and then his eyes slid out of focus and he collapsed in a heap on the floor.
Ianto did not see him fall. Before the two men broke apart he had already turned and run from the room, deeper into the bowels of the Tardis.

Jack just watched Sherlock from a distance for a moment, feeling almost shocked himself, before he remembered to pick the detective up and put him on the bed in his unconscious condition.

After a couple of minutes, Sherlock stirred. He looked around, confused. "Where is John?" he asked.

Jack sat down on the side of the bed. "He'll be back soon. He's gone to see the aliens, with River and the Doctor, remember?"

Sherlock frowned. "No...?"

"Damn. River, big hair, and the Doctor, travelling through time and space? We're in London, 13th century, looking out for Lapicomedons. No?" Jack tried, feeling guilty that he had allowed Sherlock to slip that far.

Sherlock chuckled weakly. "Yes, I remember all that. But not John going off to meet aliens. I thought we were still looking for them."

"No, we found them yesterday. Thanks to Brother Matthew. Do you remember him?"

"The blind monk? Yes. I saw him at the abbey." Sherlock thought for a moment. "He knew about the aliens? Their whereabouts?"

Jack nodded. "He brought them stones, apparently. How does your head feel?"

"My head? My head feels fine. Why? Did I have an accident? A concussion? Is that why I can't remember?" Sherlock got to his feet. "No, that can't be it. No dizziness. No pain."

Jack smiled. "You did have a small accident, but it wasn't so bad. I'm glad you feel better. Shall I ask Ianto to make you a cup of tea?"

Sherlock smiled too. "Tea would be great."

Jack started walking out of the room, but then he stopped and turned. "Should your head feel strange in any way, please call us immediately." He hesitated. "Do you remember what has just happened?"

"Of course. I woke up," Sherlock frowned.

Jack nodded. "Alright. I'll go fix you some tea."

Sherlock looked around for his suit, and though it was somewhat creased, put it on.

...

"Ianto?" Jack called when he didn't see him in the control room.

Ianto was nowhere to be found, but a moment later a perky but ruffled Sherlock appeared.

Jack was frowning. "I can't find Ianto. He isn't the room where he was sleeping earlier. I hope he hasn't wandered off into the Tardis."

Sherlock frowned too. "I'm sure he wouldn't. This is an interesting place... But potentially dangerous, I think."

Jack smiled a little. "Yeah, I'd think so too. Maybe he's gone out for some air. I'll get you some tea myself then, but it won't be as good as Ianto's."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Sherlock said, glancing around. "This place must hold so many secrets," he mused. "I wish..." He trailed off, looking thoughtful.

Jack looked at him, a little alarmed. "Maybe it's better if you go back to your room until the others are back. You never know what could happen here."

Sherlock smiled. "No, it'll be fine. I wouldn't fiddle with anything without the Doctor being here. I promise."

"Right," Jack nodded, somewhat amused, while he started on the tea.

Sherlock walked around, feeling surprisingly full of energy.

...

After a short knock on the Tardis door, John walked in and smiled as he saw Sherlock on his feet. "Hey, feeling better?" he asked as he walked towards him for a quick kiss.

Sherlock returned the kiss, smiling. But then he pulled a way, frowning. "Better than what?" He ran his hand through his hair. "Oh yeah, the accident. Yes. I'm fine."

As Jack brought him the cup of tea, he looked a little startled when he saw John. "Oh. If I had known you would return, I'd have made you one too."

"Where are the others?" John asked.

"No idea. Didn't you meet Ianto outside?" Jack asked.

John shook his head. "I thought the Doctor and River would have been back almost an hour ago."

Sherlock looked back and forth between them, clearly confused. "What's going on here?" he asked. "Why is everyone splitting up?"

"I was helping Matthew," John answered. "You won't believe..."

At that moment the door opened again and River and the Doctor almost fell over the threshold, holding hands and laughing.

"Oh, you're back already," River said as she saw John.

"We... took a little stroll through the woods," the Doctor explained, straightening his bowtie.
Sherlock chuckled. "So I see."
The Doctor's eyes widened when he noticed Sherlock. "You're on your feet. Splendid." He let go of River's hand and strode over to Sherlock, taking his head between his hands and looking intently into his eyes. "All better, I see. Almost a complete wipe." He smiled, then frowned. "That usually takes some kind of intense emotional stimulus..." He looked over at John. "What happened?"

"Nothing..." John frowned and looked at Jack.

"I'll make some more tea for everyone," Jack said cheerily, quickly turning.

"Don't you remember anything? An intense emotion?" River asked Sherlock.

Sherlock closed his eyes, thinking. "I remember the Doctor leaving me here, to study the Lapicomedons. And then feeling excited. Elated even. And then I woke up with Jack sitting by my bed..."

"I was watching over you, like John had asked me to," Jack said, pouring tea.

"Only the way I had asked, I hope," John mumbled.

Ianto hesitated in the door to the control room, watching the scene for a moment. Then he stepped forward. "Jack took good care of Sherlock," he said, avoiding John's eyes. "Didn't you, Jack?"

"Yes, I think I did," Jack nodded. "After all he's better now." For a moment he looked confused as he saw Ianto's face.

"Right..." the Doctor said, looking around at all of them. "Sherlock's fine, Jack did a good job, we found the Lapicomedons and they'll think about letting me bring them home to restart their race. Everything is fine."

John gave Jack a thoughtful look, before laying an arm around Sherlock's waist and turning to the Doctor. "What went wrong with them, actually? I've caught some stuff about a war, but did it wipe them out completely?"

"At this moment the war is still in its early stages. But in a couple of centuries, their scientists will have found a way to deprive the enemy of their basic food source. The logic behind this tactic is that it will weaken them so much, they will have to cease fighting." He sighed. "It will of course go horribly wrong."

"They sent a chemical corrosive around, carrying bacteria that could penetrate the stone as soon as the chemical touched it. But they hadn't thought that the infection would spread further than the initially infected stones," River explained. "The effect eventually reached the whole Lapicomedon population. Either they ate the stones and got deadly ill, or they starved trying to avoid their only nutrition source."

"In less than a millennium from now, the species will have become extinct." The Doctor looked down for a moment. Then he looked up again, smiling. "Unless we give them a little hand. The bacteria will eventually die out too and the planet's geology will restore itself. And thus the planet becomes habitable again. There are no records of Lapicomedons on earth, so removing these two will cause no changes. And in time, they could contribute so much good to the world. Their technology and philosophy is really very unique."

"Sounds like a good plan," Jack smiled. "Let's just hope the next generations don't start new wars."

"We can hope that Karobarr and Grobrarr will pass on their love of peace and knowledge to their children," the Doctor said, smiling.

"Yet, they still have to decide whether they want to go back," River said. "That means we're stuck here for another day."

Sherlock smiled. "Well, that's not all bad, is it? I would love to explore some more. This is such a fascinating place." He laughed. "Or rather time."
The Doctor shook his head. "Oh no, my dear detective. You are staying in here. Your mind may have been cleared, but we can't risk putting too much new information in there just yet."

"I can tell you about what we've seen," John said, taking Sherlock's hand. "Unless that is dangerous too?" He looked at the Doctor.

"Just go slowly," the Doctor said. "And watch his eyes. If he starts seeming to eager, stop at once. Take a break. Distract him."

John grinned. "I guess that won't be a problem." He turned and dragged Sherlock along to their room.

Ianto stepped closer to Jack and muttered. "It's nice to see Sherlock feeling better."

"Yes, it is," Jack nodded, but as he looked at Ianto, the strange expression was back. "Is something wrong?"

Ianto shook his head. "Of course not. You took very good care of Sherlock. I'm sure he is grateful. As is John." He looked down, pretending to study the console.

"Yeah." The smug look didn't quite reach Jack's eyes.

Ianto sighed a little. "It must be great for you," he said. "Travelling with the Doctor again and all."

"It is," Jack smiled. "Although we've had more exciting encounters in the past - well, the future, from here."

"Yes, it all gets a little... wibbly wobbly." Ianto chuckled a little. "But I'm sure this encouter was... exciting enough for you."

"And we've got time to make it even more exciting," Jack said, taking Ianto's elbow and leaning towards him.

"I'm sure we do," Ianto said, turning away abruptly and walking towards the door. "I need some air."

Jack frowned. "Ianto?"

Ianto ignored him as he left the Tardis.
The Doctor looked after him, then turned to Jack. "What have you done this time?

"Nothing..." Jack said, looking at the door, wondering if he should go after Ianto. "I mean, he can't possibly know, he was sleeping..."

The Doctor frowned. "Know what?"

Jack looked around to be sure that Sherlock and John had left the control room before he answered. "I accidentally kissed Sherlock. I mean, you've seen him, it was a nice accident - but I didn't intend to. He just wouldn't shut up and he was getting lost in his head... It was the only thing I could think of."

"Of course it was," River smirked.

"Medically it was a very wise thing to do," the Doctor said. "It clearly was the main reason for his quick recovery. But I think you may have to accept that young Ianto knows about it. And that it bothers him."

"I don't understand why," Jack shrugged. "It's not like it's the first time he's seen me kiss someone."

The Doctor shrugged, a little helplessly and turned to River. "You understand these things, right? Human emotions?"

She chuckled. "I'm a psychopath, sweetie. Not exactly the greatest reference."

The Doctor sighed. "I guess you're on your own, Jack, in finding out why this is different."

"I guess I'd better leave him alone for a while. Maybe he'll start talking about it," Jack said, looking doubtful.

"You know him best," the Doctor said, nodding. "If that is usually the best approach, then you should stick to it."

...

In Sherlock's room, John had almost finished telling about meeting the aliens, sitting next to Sherlock on the bed. "I missed the next part of their negotiations because it was getting a bit too much for Matthew with the Golem and everything, so we waited outside the cave, and I suggested that I could help him with getting paper to Brother Joseph's cell... You won't- Sherlock?"

Sherlock nodded eagerly leaning forward. "Go on," he said, his eyes gleaming. Tell me more. More..."

John shook him. "Hey. Come back, you were doing fine."

Sherlock nodded. "Yes... Fine... More..."

John sighed and shook his head. "That's all the information you're getting. Here..." He pulled Sherlock closer and kissed him.

Sherlock struggled for a moment, wanting to ask more questions. But then he surrendered and wrapped his arms around John, kissing him eagerly.

John hummed and tangled his hands in Sherlock's hair, soon carried away in the kiss.

Suddenly Sherlock pulled away, staring at John. "You..." he gasped. "You were taller..."

John frowned. "What?"

"I ... there was a kiss... like this, but not like this. Only... you were taller?" Sherlock shook his head in confusion. "Maybe it was a dream."

"You dream about me being taller?"

Sherlock frowned. "Yes. No. I don't know. It was strange. I was talking... Like now. And you shook me. Like now. And then you kissed me. Only you were... taller. And different."

John gave him a studying look. "It must have been a dream..."

Sherlock nodded. "It must have. But it's weird. It's like I dreamt of this before it happened. Only... different." He chuckled. "Now where were we?" He leaned forward and kissed John.

John pulled back slightly, a serious expression on his face. "Was... Jack around, when you had that dream?"

"How should I know? It was a dream. I was asleep." Sherlock kissed him again. "It was a nice dream."

"Alright..." John sighed. "Sorry, I'm just worried about you. Probably it was nothing." He gave him a gentle peck on the lips and stood up.

"What?" Sherlock asked. "Weren't you supposed to be distracting me?"

"Yes, but..." John hesitated. "Maybe I should ask those who were looking after you, when I wasn't here, if anything strange happened. Just to know if you're alright."

"I'm fine." Sherlock got to his feet. "We're finally alone... Can't it wait?"

John licked his lips, clearly torn between staying and making sure Sherlock was fine. "Your health is more important, Sherlock," he decided with a sigh, before leaving the room.

Sherlock sighed too and lay down on the bed.