Right, here's a chapter I haven't re-read five or six times, cause I wanted to give you all something for Christmas. I hope you aren't equating if with coal by the end ;P

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Still chuckling at Sherlock's comment John starts clapping for Sally. "Congratulations Donovan you've won the night." the room in general erupts with applause as well as a couple wolf whistles from Sean.

The doors leading deeper into the house open and Mrs. Turner, Dimmock, and the alchemist come back through already clapping for Sally as well.

Feeling he should make a point of it, John strides over and hugs Mrs. Turner and shakes the mysterious alchemist's hand. "That was a wonderful evening, thank you so much, both of you." Looking then to the alchemist, about to ask, John is surprised by Sherlock's voice speaking directly into his ear, warm breath fluttering over his cheekbone as Sherlock leans over from behind him.

"This, John, is my brother's chief of staff, she runs the house. Her name is Janet, a more capable lady is difficult to find."

Smiling at the way Doctor Watson shudders next to his flatmate, Janet sketches a curtsy, then turns to the room at large. "Well ladies and gentlemen, the entertainment for the evening has concluded, but there is still plenty of food, and desserts. If anyone would like a cognac or whiskey the staff will be through in a moment to ask around."

With that she disappears from the room and people start to move back towards the laid out banquet. John collapses into his throne with a sigh and pops his crown off his head laying it on the table. "My god I've been wanting that thing off my head all night long!"

Sherlock flows easily to his knees beside John on his bower of pillows, "Yes, I'm sure the fact that you were uneasy, the whole night, about impersonating a king doesn't factor into it at all."

John rolls his eyes, "Jog on Sher-lock, a solid gold crown is bloody heavy you git." Giving his flatmate's shoulder a bit of a nudge with his knee. "What are you doing down there anyway? You aren't the harem boy anymore, you could sit anywhere."

Sherlock quickly appraises John, 'he's tense, thinks I'll run off at the first chance, but doesn't want me to, clearly doesn't know what he wants.' His smile grows devious, "Well John, my plate is here, so I guess I need to stay put! Though I think I'll go talk to Donovan before settling in."

John's eyebrows shoot up, "Sherlock, please keep the conversation with Sally civil." his posture clearly displaying a different kind of worry.

Sherlock just gives him the look John knows means 'I'll just be myself' and Sherlock hears John groan in frustration as he walks away.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Sherlock smoothly wanders over to the cluster of people surrounding Donovan. Sliding between her and Anderson, effectively boxing the aggravating forensic 'scientist' out, Sherlock focuses on Donovan.

"You did quite the job this evening Donovan, solving a mystery meant to entertain the masses," looking at the angry set of her face and flickering a glance back to John's worried expression, he continues on. "I was quite surprised that you had the right of it without all the clues. As I was also very surprised you got it before Lestrade did, but then again he's very distracted this evening with his paramours."

Sally, who was looking at him suspiciously, clearly not quite trusting his compliments, looks quite confused at his last statement and then a startled aura settles upon her. Not quite believing what she hears, Sally turns slowly to look at her boss.

Lestrade is standing near the table Sherlock was lying on during the mystery with the young doctor, Sarah Sawyer, and Sherlock's older brother, Mycroft. As she watches for a moment she realises Sawyer is smiling up at Lestrade coyly while leaning into Mycroft in a rather suggestive manner.

In the few moments she's watching, Lestrade reaches out as if to stroke the woman's hair, only to bypass her completely and stroke Mycroft's cheek gently. Seeking Sherlock's silver-green cats eyes she reads confirmation for the crazy idea forming in her mind, and looking back at the three of them she cannot un-see it.

Even as Sally thinks it must be a joke, meant to tease the doctor, she sees a flash of vulnerability in the elder Homes' eyes and a gentleness to Lestrade's motion that erases the possibility of this tableau being anything other than what it is.

A woman enjoying the company of her lovers.

Feeling the bitterness build up, biting at the back of her mind, already formulating the nastiest way of exposing the... Sherlock's hand on her arm shocks her into a mental standstill.

"Sally, you don't need to do that. After all of the hell with his wife don't you wonder why he deserves your silence?"

Blinking in shock she notes the others, that moments ago had been collected together congratulating her, were now talking to Mrs. Turner and Mrs. Hudson was casting worried looks in her direction, whether because of Sherlock, or her, she's not sure any more.

Marshalling her bitterness back into action she let's loose on the target in range; Sherlock. "I love that you, the freak, are cautioning me about my boss' happiness! How do you know what is good for him. Let alone, how do I know that your brother isn't leading him on? I'm sure there's enough familial similarity for him to be experimenting on random people in his life."

His crazy mercurial eyes flashing with anger, Sherlock turns to look at the trio across the room. "It really is simple, someone who has proved themselves not completely idiotic tonight should be able to suss it out." Half turning his body he gestures slightly with his fingers, "Look at the way they are all within one another's personal space, that is key. A person such as my brother and I are very disdainful of random people standing close by."

Feeling her curious look he rolls his eyes, "Of course you and I are physically close at the moment, we are talking over something that is of utmost privacy and I'd rather not be over heard." He pins her again with his sharp gaze, the colour remaining a grey dismal shade, "Can you think of a single instance I've willingly come closer than within my arm's reach of you?"

Sally's eyes unfocus as she tries to remember, "I'll save you the time, no, I have never been this close to you for longer than it takes to brush by you in a hallway." Blinking she nods and follows Sherlock's motion to look back at the three people.

"So to get back to my point, they are all physically close to one another, yet in a very calculated manner. If one moves away the other two move to re-establish the same distance. So not only have they been practicing this behaviour a lot recently, but they all have a wish to make the other two comfortable, to make them feel loved. Not an action that happens a lot in relationships that are all about sex, is it?"

Sally, glancing briefly at the way Sean is turned away from her now, not paying her any mind at all, shakes her head no, looks at the trio a moment longer, then looks at Sherlock with bitter tears gathering in the corner of her eyes.

Sherlock feeling an unaccustomed swell of pity for the hard professional woman beside him tromps a bit on his normal behaviour and deduces her in a totally new way.

"Sally, I'm going to call you Sally just for now, you need to cut Sean loose as soon as you can! He is stealing your youth, beauty and prime child bearing years. When you are with him you are mean spirited and when your not the bitterness you harbour over his wife poisons everything about you."

Giving a characteristic toss of his curls and judging how long he has till John appears, Sherlock forges on. "I don't care if you think I'm a freak, and I don't care if you are never nice to me in your life time. But you are often curt and rude to John, and that I will not abide when I can see a way to change it, and neither should you."

Perfectly timed as always John appears at Sherlock's elbow. "Behaving Sherlock?" John questions with a worried yet hopeful look. The emotion he felt earlier for Sally flips on it's head and Sherlock feels as though the floor is falling out from under is feet. 'Right, for him I will stop alienating people, but only for him.'

Stiffening his knees against the pandemonium of emotion within himself he smiles at John, a full happy smile. "I was just pointing out to Sally that she is far too good for Sean, and she should cut the dead weight and find a good bloke like you, well not you, but like you."

John blushes a bit and studies his shoes as Sally's jaw drops looking between the two of them. Her eyes locking with Sherlock's for a moment she sees a vulnerability that has never been there before, and Sally can't in light of their conversation snipe at him as usual. "Right! Know any good ones I could ensnare then John? Since you're not looking."

John shuffles his shoe a bit and then changes the topic.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx