Chapter 29: Lab-sharing and the smallest of living creature

'Present, London - 2010'

The pain in his neck was the first thing John was feeling. With a sigh he sits up and massages his crumped muscles. He had fallen asleep on his kitchen table with his laptop right in front of him, showing John the last page he had been reading last night. The topic was clear: immortality. It was the homepage of some cult in east Europa that believes their leader is immortal and how he became immortal. John rolls his eyes all religious rubbish but he was at a point where he reads everything.

Tired and with a growing headache John gets ready for work. He was a bit late so no tea, no breakfast and no enjoying of the morning. He takes the subway and was grumpy the whole time. The crying child, the chatty teens and the anger elderly people, they all got to his nerves.


Greg was early at work; he had a good night sleep and was looking forward to see Mycroft again. They hadn't had a chance the day before to do anything after they arrived at work. Thinking about it they haven't label themselves as a couple, at least Greg was thinking of them as one, maybe they should talk about it.

He finds Mycroft at his desk in the office; in the same suit they had said their good bye the other day. He didn't leave and go home; Mycroft was here the whole night. Greg sighs, how did he end up with such a workaholic.

"You know you missed the night, right?" Greg greets him. Mycroft looks up with tired eyes, which told him, whatever he was doing was not very successful.

"Good morning. Yes I'm aware of the time and my loss of a good night sleep." Mycroft closes a book and his laptop. "I ... My brother ask me to help him with something or better his most important person but I can't find anything useful." The frustration was clearly written in his face and Greg could also feel it in the air.

"Can I help?" What else could he offer but Mycroft shakes his head, no he couldn't. Greg feels useless. Out of instinct he lays his arms around the man in front of him and gives him a kiss, long and deep as if nothing around them counts anymore. Greg feels Mycroft loose under his touch. At least he could do that, supporting and take care of the man he loves. They really should talk about their relationship status.


Mycroft feels more relax after the kiss Gregory gave him, feeling the endless support and believe in him flooding his system that was filled with defeat and helplessness. His research was as successful as John by the look at the man.

He would like to ask but he couldn't give away that he knows what John is looking for. Instead he told his agent the next mission. Finding out who contaminate the experiment from Alexander Flemming what leads to the discovery of Penicillin and its use. He is send to the day the contamination will happen.

Before John left Mycroft came closer and lays a hand on his shoulder. "John." This was the first time he called him by his first name like that. "If you need help or just someone to talk to and listen, you can come to me."

Mycroft could read the fear in John's eyes that told him that he doesn't want him to know that he is looking for a cure because he couldn't be sure of his approval and support. "Thank you sir, but I'm alright, just a bit tired."

Jim watched the exchange; he was doing his 'job' while watching his competition. Sebastian was right, the office isn't secure at all and the greatest weaknesses were the people. In his first hour here he found out that Lesteade and Mycroft have some kind of affair going on, that Johnny boy was trying (not successfully) to hide his relationship with his charge and Molly was to good thinking of people and too focus on her obsession for the clothes.

Not really what you would expect from a government operation that had to work smoothly. Jim rolls his eyes and continues his task. How did they even got so far. After reading their mission reports they are all luckier then they should.


'~1928 AD, London, Great Britain'

John had arrived in the cellar of the building Sherlock and Alexander Flemming should be in. While walking fast through the halls he nearly run into another person. He was wearing a lab coat and had his back to John but there was something really familiar about the man but he couldn't place it. Ignoring the feeling in his gut John walks to the Lab and knock.

A muffed, come in let John enter the room and finds Sherlock beaming at him and the younger version of Alexander Flemming watching them interested. He only has the picture of him, old and famous, one that was several years after this day, with a Noble prize.

"John there you are, I was waiting for you." For everyone except John and Sherlock did it sound like two friends that had arranged a meeting and John was late. For them it tells John that he had been missed and that Sherlock find four years are far too long. "Alex, I will show John around a bit." The other man in the room nods.

John can't wait to feel Sherlock's skin under his fingers again turns around fast and bumped into the table to his left. The glass bottle in it were shaking dangerous and one fell, opening one of the petri dishes and letting some of it's contain out and mix. "Oh god, I'm so sorry, it was an accident." John reaches out to clean up or save it but a hand stops him. To his surprise it wasn't Sherlock's, Alexander Flemming was holding his arm.

"I wouldn't do that, could be dangerous also it isn't something important, so don't worry." John nods and takes his hand back.

"Still, I'm sorry." Feeling guilty by ruining the man's work Sherlock had to push John out of the lab. It takes John a whole minute to understand what he just did. The reason for his mission was already discovered. Hopefully Mycroft wouldn't get disappointed because John's accident lead to Penicillin as weapon against bacteria.


Moriarty had been surprised as he nearly walked into John. Yes, John he knows the name of this person. Hiding his face as good as possible was the only solution he could think of. This strange person that hadn't aged a day in ten years was the sours of his interest; he would stay close and watch, his favorite study object and his lover.


Sherlock pulls John into an empty room, as the door closes he starts to kiss him but they only got a second to share the same air as they hear a sound behind them. Surprised and shocked they stare at a cage with rats. They release their hold breaths and look at each other. At the same moment John and Sherlock start to laugh, not caring who will hear them. "Okay that was close, just rats but that's bad enough. Next we will first check the room. Sherlock suddenly closes their distance and hugs John.

"I really missed you and I will miss you after you left again." Sherlock didn't let go and John enjoys the body warmth. Sherlock had to be a great cuddler in bed. John blushed by this thought but secretly looking forward to such an event, whenever that will happen.

"We have a few more minutes." John takes Sherlock's hand and lead him to one of the corners. They sit down, close together. "I was researching a bit more last night and I thought we could work through a list of possible ways how you became immortal." Sherlock nods. "Okay don't laugh. Just say yes when something makes sense for you." Another nod. "Here it comes. Did you drink of the source of eternal life? Have you eaten the heart of a god? Did you get cursed by a witch? Were your parents or someone else in you village, clan or tried something else then a human? Were you born on another star? Are you a god?" John takes a deep breath.

"That sounds all very ... unlikely." Sherlock was right but what else could he do. "I don't think I can remember my childhood but it felt normal compare to my life now. I'm sorry John."

"Don't be sorry we will find a way. But I think the key for all of this is for you to remember your childhood." John smiles encouraging. "How is your work coming forward?"

"It's great, I really enjoy working with Alexander, his intellect is very productive you could say." Sherlock smiled he always likes to tell John that he is doing good, even without him, so John doesn't have to worry. They don't want a second Jack the Ripper.

"Did you discover something?" Sherlock shakes his head.

"We just started; it will take some time until there are results." Sherlock's mind wander for a second to the experiment he had to prepare today and was really looking forward to. He loves working in the lab.

Knowing that he had messed up one of the experiments and interrupting Sherlock by his work John decided that it was time to leave. Sherlock gets up first and holds out his hand for John to take. They keep holding in to each other until they left the room. This small moment of intimity was all they needed to show the affection they feel. A last hug and a sweet kiss later John steps into HOPE and leave his scientist to his work.


Moriarty could watch the lovers say their good byes, strangely in a dead end in the cellar. There was something strange, he couldn't really see it but Jonny boy got inside and suddenly this thing was disappeared.

Fascinating was all the immortal could think. Searching his mind for a possible explanation he came to a novel he once read. It was only the script but he was sure it was published. Time machine... That was the answer. Moriarty was amazed that it had taken him this long to find that out.

Finally his creation was giving him the excitement and the challenge he needed. He wasn't surprised in a long time. The only question that was left was from what time Sherlock's lover was from.

Already planning to infiltrate the mission Moriarty was returning to his own lab.


'Present, London - 2010 '

Mycroft sits in his car; the driver had picked him up as soon as John had returned. He was to distracted about his worry for Sherlock that he completely ignored the accident that his agent had cursed in the past. He also ignored the looks in his colleagues faces for his reaction and just left them behind. Mycroft could hear the new one ask Gregory of that was normal but he didn't wait to listen to the answer.

On the seat next to him was a bag full of case files from ongoing missions and unsolved once. While his agent was in the past he had a small conversation with Anthea about how they could keep Sherlock at the rehab center. They figured out that the worst was probably the boredom. The cases should solve that. A method to keep the immortals mind busy and at rest at the center.

He arrived at the center and was lead to the visitor room. Sherlock was already waiting for him. The immortal looked better with every day. "I know why you are here but if you can't give me something against the boredom I'm out of here on Friday."

"Good thing I came prepared." Mycroft offered Sherlock the bag with the mission files. Sherlock looked at the first one. "I hope this will challenge you for a bit. In these files wait unsolved mysteries, unfinished mission plans for impossible missions and cold cases of murder that need solving. There is more where that came from." Mycroft smiled his secret smile as he sees the excitement in Sherlock's eyes. "I guess that will keep you busy a while."

Sherlock nods and start reading, expecting that Sherlock was done with him, happy but done, Mycroft gets up. "Where was he today?"

"Alexander Flemming, his lab where he cursed the accident." Sherlock smiled fondly; yes they hadn't founded the antibiotic without him.

"Still a few years to go then. Good day Mycroft."

"Good day little brother. Enjoy your reading." Mycroft leaves sure that Sherlock was safe for another few days from himself.


AN: Next week we have another special, Sherlock and Jim meet but it wasnt the first.
Chapter 30: Under the cloak of a dark time, Olympic Games