Sherlock walked down the pavement towards the main building. He could hear John's footsteps behind him. The air was still cold, and snow still laced the ground, though it was no longer any deeper than an inch or two.

He gazed around his old University. My, how long it had been since he had stepped foot there. He had left as soon as he possibly could after he graduated, and hadn't come back since.

Old memories threatened their way into his conscious thought, pushing and shoving until they finally made it there. Sherlock had forgotten just how lost he had felt, how alone... Freak. As he looked around, he could remember every single time that dreaded word had been spoken in relation to himself. He could hardly spot a place in which he hadn't been called the name.

It seemed to him that Uni had been filled to the brim with Donovans and Andersons. The name 'Freak' was used to refer to him more often than his actual name, even by the teachers. Admittedly, Sherlock was a strange name, but still, it wouldn't be that difficult to remember. Even so, they still called him that repulsive word.

Sherlock was frankly amazed that he had managed to avoid getting himself killed considering the number of times he had been beaten up, threatened, and stolen from.

*flash back*

Sherlock pulled his long coat in closer to him as he walked towards his Chemistry building. It was late Winter, and the winds were still biting through his clothing despite the extra effort to keep himself warm. Then it started raining. There was really not much way to avoid that. He still had to get to his class quickly, or else be late, so he started to walk a little faster. Because of the rain beating on the ground, he failed to notice the faint noise of some one coming closer. Sherlock heard a crash of lightening and subsequently found himself pinned against the wall of a building he had been walking near.

"I told you when to stop..." Devin Hollows said.

"Deducing." Sherlock prompted the bully.

"Whatever. I told you when to stop, and you didn't. Do you know what that means?"

Hollows was on the football team, and larger than Sherlock. Sherlock was tall, but he was slim, and though surprisingly strong, not overly so. Hollows was built like a bull, but slightly smarter. He did get into Cambridge after all. Both knew how a fight would end between them.

"What do you want?" Sherlock asked. He supposed he should at least try to avoid a fight.

"You know exactly what I want." Hollows said.

"You want to beat me up, I suppose? My, you are a bumbling fool who can't do his homework without help, but even then I expected more of you. Getting beat up is so... boring."

"You won't think so by the time I'm finished." Hollows said, a sickening grin spreading across his face.

"Then there's always the chance that you could get caught, then you'd be expelled, now wouldn't you?" Sherlock said.

"Do you think any of the teachers would actually report me for giving the school Freak what he deserves?" Hollows said. "Yeah, you're smart, I'll give you that, but you're terrible at figuring out who's on your side... Want to know the answer?"

Sherlock had a feeling he was going to get the answer whether he wanted it or not.

"No one." Hollows said this in a sort of whisper, yet it felt as though he were screaming it into Sherlock's ear.

Sherlock felt the breath leave him as a knee sailed into his stomach, then he was immediately grabbed by the neck and slammed into the wall, over, and over, and over. Hollows threw him to the ground and dropped a knee into his ribs, causing a lightening like pain and a sharp crack. Sherlock gasped in pain.]

"S-stop- please- s-stop" Sherlock

"You didn't stop when I told you to," Hollows said. "So why should I?"

Sherlock started to get up, but Hallows pushed him back to the ground. Hollows kicked Sherlock in the ribs repeatedly until Sherlock's vision started to darken, his body starting to choose unconsciousness instead of pain.

Then a voice was heard that was neither Hallows's, nor Sherlock's.

"Devin!" the voice called out. "Time for class! Come on!"

Hollows nodded and waved in his direction before turning back to Sherlock.

Hollows kicked slushy snow into Sherlock's face.

"Freak."

Hollows jogged off to find his friend.

Sherlock's vision faded to black.

*End Flash back*

"Sherlock?" John said. He had been calling to him for the better part of a minute, but with no avail.

After another few moments though, Sherlock seemed to come back to himself.

"Sherlock? You alright?" John asked. "You just stopped here in this alley."

"Yes..." Sherlock said, obviously distracted, "I'm fine. Just... remembered something."

"What?" John asked.

"Nothing important." Sherlock said. "Won't help us with the case."

John decided not to further press the matter.

"The head office is that way?" John asked, pointing in one direction.

"Do stop being an idiot, John. I know you're not that stupid." Sherlock said. "Look at the signs. The head office is obviously that way."

Sherlock pointed in the opposite direction from where John was pointing.

John looked up at the sign he hadn't noticed until Sherlock pointed it out. Sherlock was right, as always.

"I am an idiot, aren't I?" John sighed.

"Yes, of course, I just told you that." Sherlock said.

"When is it my turn to be right?" John asked.

"You will be right when you are right, John," Sherlock said, "So... best you learn patience. It might be awhile."

Sherlock took off towards the head office.

John chuckled in fond exasperation.

"Why do I put up with you?"

A/N: Wow... That really puts things into perspective, now doesn't it? I really didn't know it was going to be that bad... But Sherlock seemed used to it, didn't he? Must happen a lot. I wonder what his teachers thought of him? Would they really not stop Hollows if they knew he was hurting Sherlock? Yikes, people can be so cruel sometimes. I wonder what's going to happen at the head office. Who will he see there? Reviews please!