Anote: Just my personal opinion about SH in this chapter, is that when he wants something he plans it out like a military campaign.

Chapter 25- The adventures of the lucky cat part 3

With a soft sigh, the world came back into focus.

Every particle of evidence had been carefully weighed and balanced against the probabilities, before being discarded. Sherlock now felt he had a clearer understanding of the strange events which were occurring in London's underworld. If Soo Lin Yao was not dead as yet, she would soon be.

However at that exact moment, Sherlock's heart tripped uncomfortably in his chest. The world he had left behind had changed slightly during his mental absence.

With an anxious cough he cleared his throat, 'John, recall that I have already informed you that I am not interested in a relationship.'

The detective tried to draw back his hand but John held it fast in his strong grip.

'This is not a prelude to seduction, Sherlock,' the small man scoffed quietly as he monitored the other man's pulse in the time honoured tradition of medicine, 'sit quietly for a few minutes and let your body equilibrate. If your breathing got any shallower, I would have called an ambulance. Sherlock, you do know what you are doing, right? You have training with this mediation or whatever it was that you were doing?'

Sherlock's eyes sparkled with scientific curiosity, 'My breathing slows down? By how much?'

John gave this bit of enthusiasm a disapproving glare, 'I am not giving you CPR, so you better bloody well know what you are doing!'

Despite the doctor's apparent annoyance, Sherlock laughed softly at the man's warning, 'thank you for taking care of me.'

John didn't quite understand the intense look that the other man was giving him, as if he had done something amazing by taking his pulse.

'So have you made a breakthrough with the case?' the doctor asked, trying to shift his focus, 'did you remember something?'

Sherlock shook his head as he reached into his coat pocket, 'no, memory retrieval is a different technique. I was analysing all the evidence and, John, this is for you.'

Warily, the small man drew back and defensively folded his arms across his chest as Sherlock placed a little bag from the Lucky cat on the table, 'What is this?'

'It's a present for you,' Sherlock replied with a frown, 'Why? What's wrong?'

John jiggled his leg nervously under the table. From one moment to the next, Sherlock never did anything you would expect.

'You wanting to replace my gun I understand, but why have you bought me another present?' the doctor inquired a bit more sharply than he had meant to.

'Because,'….and here the detective's tongue stumbled slightly, as he became aware of John's displeasure, 'because that's what you do when you want someone to know that you want them to stay. You buy presents and take them out for food and pay the bill.'

For the love of…!

'This is not what people do?!' Sherlock asked crossly, clearly annoyed that whatever or whoever his source of information was, had proven to be incorrect.

If the detective hadn't just restated that he wasn't interested in a relationship, the doctor would have been in a full blown panic. As it was, the small man was relatively calm; just torn between stifling a fit of giggles and laughing out loud in the man's face.

John decided to spare Sherlock's feelings by accepting the small bag with, 'I can't believe you let that old hag con you into buying something from her store.'

'I saw your eyes pass over it several times,' the detective then unexpectedly informed him.

John frowned. He couldn't recall anything of the sort.

In the meantime, the doctor beckoned him closer with his fingers, 'Just for the record, Sherlock, I know you want me around…you don't have to buy me anymore presents, alright?'

The detective nodded his head, relieved that the man seemed comfortable again. This was one of the things he was afraid of; in that his lack of social "nicety" (whatever the hell that was suppose to entail) would drive John away. When he laid the small shopping bag on the table, the doctor had turned shockingly white and then crimson.

'And we don't need to tell anyone about this,' John added on casually, placing a finger against his lips.

'I don't talk to people,' Sherlock said flatly; no inflection in his voice betraying his feelings.

Grey connected on blue as they looked at each other. If Sherlock was at all uncomfortable by his confession, he wasn't showing it.

Well, that was one way we are alike, Sherlock. I don't talk to people either.

John opened the small box in the bag and looked down in surprise.

'You looked at it three times,' Sherlock explained again, when he saw the way the other man reacted.

The doctor reached in for the small jade pin cunningly shaped like a caduceus, 'Did I? Perhaps that is because jade is the gem stone of doctors.'

Sherlock tilted his head to the side as the man opposite him became lost in memories, 'you miss your practise.'

John gave a weak laugh, 'Of course. But a doctor needs to be able to get physically close to his patients. I am not sure if I can handle that right now. Well…you've seen first hand what a mess I can be.'

Sherlock supposed there was no point in pointing out how close they were right now. They were in fact so close that he count John's freckles (fourteen) and his grey hairs (seventeen). But, if he said anything now, the doctor would most likely jerk his chair back in surprise and fall over. Of course he could catch him, but suddenly grabbing hold of John would be a profound mistake and might undo everything that they had achieved together.

'You'll practise again,' Sherlock said with a careless wave of thin fingers; adding it to the list in his mind.

'Someday,' John murmured, looking so dreadfully unhappy about it all that Sherlock rummaged around in his head for something distracting.

'Were you aware that jade also signifies the wisdom gathered in tranquility and dreams?' the detective interjected curiously.

John's eyes widened with a friendly smile and he held out the pin, inviting the other man to claim it, 'wisdom gathered in tranquility and dreams? Sounds like a certain brilliant detective I know.'

Again Sherlock froze in place, this time stunned by John's gentle words of praise.

He thinks I'm brilliant? That's the second time he's said that now; the only one in fact, to say brilliant instead of piss off.

Sherlock shook his head, trying to regain his focus.

Focus you fool! Now is not the time to succumb to sentiment. This is important.

The detective carefully stored the words of admiration in his mind for analysis at a later date.

In the meantime, he pushed the gift back towards the doctor, 'Jade is also a protective talisman. John, from all my permutations… danger is coming. In most of my cases, I encounter nothing more hazardous than a broken shoe lace but not this time. I know you are no stranger to danger, but are you sure you would like to continue with me?'

Selfless Sherlock was pleased that John appeared to be giving it some serious thought; selfish Sherlock was busy calling him a moron. Again, the detective shook his curly head in an attempt to drown out the discordant conversation going on inside his head.

'As I see it,' the doctor murmured as he opened his coat and securely pined his new gift on the collar of his jumper just above his heart, 'If we are together, then the danger is cut in half. Better odds don't you think?'

Sherlock stared at him blankly for a moment, before his eyes lit up with a smile. (What was wrong with him today? All he did was smile like a twit from one moment to the next).

'Very well reasoned, John,' he forced himself to reply in an emotionless voice.

The doctor snorted quietly. He was not fooled by the other's lack of sentiment, but he was beginning to learn enough of Sherlock's temper now, not to remark on it.

'Got your breath back?' John cried as he suddenly leapt to his feet; ready for some action. Talking and sorting out misunderstandings were important but at the end of the day, they were two blokes after all.

Sherlock happily mimicked his actions, 'ready when you are. We need to find Soo Lin Yao.'

Anote: I already have a fresh idea on my scribbling boards! yay! See you soon.