Sherlock rested in the armchair closest to the door, John was in the one right next to him. The fire roared at their feet as they waited for Sherlock's mum and Ronald to return home.

"Why didn't you stay with Mycroft?" John asked, breaking the comfortable silence that filled the room.

"I wanted to stay with you" Sherlock replied softly.

"I would have stayed to."

Sherlock smiled, John was observing and correcting things around him.

After a short silence Sherlock looked at John who was still waiting patiently for an explanation.

"Sentient" he answered and the silence turned into the laughter.

Mrs Holmes came in and when she heard Sherlock and John laughing in the front room =she smiled and half ran to where they were.

"Sherlock!" hugging him where he sat.

"Mum!" he smiled back, Mrs Holmes looked from Sherlock to John smiling wider than John thought was possible.

"Sherly!" Ronald laughed when he came in, setting a bunch of shopping bags on the floor and letting them be swept back up by the cook who had existed her usual place in the kitchen for the bags and probably a sneak peek at Sherlock.

"Oh honey, it's nice to see you!" Mrs Holmes was smiling as wide as Sherlock now, collapsing into the chair opposite John and Ronald took the one to Sherlock's left.

They spoke about what had happened in the hospital and at Mycroft's, avoiding the convocation of sleeping together of course.

"At least everything's alright with you to… it is, isn't?" Ronald added, slightly scared he was walking over the line.

Sherlock waited for John answer and when he didn't get one he looked over to him with a questioning look, "Yes, of course" John answered hastily.

Everything was okay John to wanted answers, but all he cared about was Sherlock. He was okay and alive and back by his side.

Mrs Holmes and Ronald looked over at each other a few times having a silent convocation about Sherlock and John until they decided to leave, "I'll go and check on cook" Mrs Holmes said as she and Ronald left without another word.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I mean I just… I'm glad you're okay but… 2 years Sherlock, you don't know how much that hurt"

"Oh I do" Sherlock stopped John's train of thought with his words and made his heart feel like it was sliding down his chest causing a guilty pain in his chest.

"I do" Sherlock said again.

John realised what Sherlock was trying to say, John was without Sherlock but Sherlock was without John to.

"I am sorry John. Moriarty had thought of everything. He had assassins targeting Mrs Hudson and Lestrade and you, I couldn't let them… I didn't…" Sherlock's voice had started to crack slightly so he had stopped himself talking.

Mycroft had shared his theory that Moran was aiming a gun at John's head but he didn't know about the others.

John listened to Sherlock's story of what happened on the roof, the insurance Jim had on Sherlock and what Sherlock had figured out.

"I figured he would want to kill me, make me do it myself, so I chose my ground, I had control of that. I tried my best to get out of it or get rid of him, but my time until you came."

John's head span slightly as the deja vu of Sherlock saying those exact words after John had shot the cabbie.

He'd knew I'd come. This time it wasn't a lie.

When Sherlock had finished telling him about Molly and the fall, how he had survived John was filled with admiration that he had once mistook for jealousy.

"That's amazing" John let out, without even thinking. Sherlock frowned and looked at John from the corner of his eye, "Really?"

"Of course it was" John smiled back, happy with the fact hat he actually understood what Sherlock was saying and the peace of mind that he was back. The funeral still budded him though. John had been surrounded by family and 'friends' of Sherlock, he only knew Lestrade, Molly, Mrs Hudson and Sarah, although she came as a shoulder to cry on for John rather than for Sherlock.

John had had to listen to his mum, his uncle, Molly and Mrs Hudson talk about Sherlock, weather it was his work or his brain but no one spoke of his love and compassion or his humour at all so when it was John's turn he had left and talked to the dirt patch on the ground.

"You listened didn't you?" He blurted out.

Sherlock frowned at John as nothing he was thinking of was spoken out loud.

"You were at the funeral. Your funeral. You heard what I said."
"You left before you-"

"I went to the grave…. I knew someone had followed me I thought it was one of Mycroft's men but I- it was you."

Sherlock lowered his head and nodded, John felt anger fizz up inside of him before he realised what he had said.

I love you.

John's heart dropped and pounded in his chest, he had heard him.

John looked up at Sherlock, expecting him to do his 'married to my work' speech but instead Sherlock stood, the fire making Sherlock into a tall, skinny silhouette as he lowered himself to his knees in front of John's chair, hands on John's knees.

"Why did you only say it when I was dead?"

"You where never dead" John pointed out, Sherlock nodded in agreement for a few seconds, "No I wasn't… so…?" Sherlock smiled and waited.

"I love you too, John"

Thanks for the awesome reviews they're very helpful and I'll try to update as much as I can 3