Chapter 36: When two fight

'~1962 AD, USA'

"My name is Gabriella, I´m 12 years old and today is the day that will later be called ´Black Saturday´. Without holding his hand while we watch everything from the beach, I would have run already as he explained to me what this all mean."

Sherlock is a good friend for an adult. In her experience are adult not very trustworthy or could keep a promise. Every time an adult had promised her something they broke it. Her parents promised her that they will be there for her forever but she is now an orphan, alone in the world without a mother or a father to be with her. Her teacher weren't better. They promised to help her, support her even without her parents so she could go to school, learn and have a future but no more school for her, without money they wouldn't let her in. The woman from her new ´home´ like she calls it promised that Gabriella had a place there, now she is homeless and without Sherlock she would be long gone.

Her savior was different he helped her, gave her food and a place to sleep. She had tried to take his bag as he had let it on a chair next to him. But Sherlock wasn't angry at her, he invited her to eat with him, ask her question and at last offered her a wish. He had said when he is able to do it he would. So Gabriella wished to be brought to the USA, the land where dreams come true, where everything is possible even for a child. Sherlock looked at her and without further hesitation he promised to take her with him on his journey.

There are people who would think ill of Sherlock for taking a little girl with him but he was never afraid. She had heard all the stories about man that kidnap children and hurt them but he wasn't like them. He was like … yes what was he? The first time Gabriella looked into his eyes she thought that the man was old. Much older than her grandma as she had died, but he was young mid-twenty she would guess, she never asked. She rarely asks anything, afraid he could get fed up with her and let her behind. He told her that he had to do something before they could take the next boat, he had to watch something.

That leads them to this beach where she could see the line of ships floating at the horizon. The sky was clear and a year ago she would have ask her father to take her and her friends to the beach. Instead she asks the man next to her the first question since many days. "Why are we here, Sherlock?"

He looked down on her and back to the sea, with his free hand Sherlock points to the ships in the distance. "We are waiting for them to decide which way mankind is taking. Under the sea are others, submarines, waiting and letting the situation getting more critical." The girl was confused. She had heard many thinks about a conflict but never really understood the whole thing. Her savior seems to notice this. "This ships build a line, a border that were send by the US government to prevent further shipmen of weapon and soldiers of the Soviet Union to Cuba. Under the sea, the submarines are form the Soviet Union. They have all come here today because we stand on the edge of something that could destroy the world." Gabriella, understands but that still doesn't explain why they have to watch the ships from the beach.

"What will happen?" Her voice got a bit smaller, only a short distance from this place were dangerous people and weapons, why was she here.

"The best thing that can happen is nothing. The two government leader need a bit more time to come to an understanding. If nothing happens here today we all can call us very lucky." Sherlock tights his grip on Gabriella´s hand. "This only happened because men can´t stand back for one second. Always is someone that they don't like having something that could be dangers against the own country so they build something even bigger and more threatening and so on. When no one stops it we all have to suffer. That's the reason we are here. If today isn't going down quietly there won't be a place on this planet to call safe and home anymore. I did everything to stop it, now we have to wait how mankind decided it wants to continue." So they wait.

Only a few minutes later a man appears behind him. Gabriella hides a bit behind Sherlock who was still starring to the horizon. The man came closer and without hesitation shot her saviors hand to the side and closes around the stranger´s. Surprised by the intimateness she stayed quiet, she had been taught by her father that adults sometimes need their own time and don't want to be interrupted.

"Sherlock why are you here?" The stranger asks the same question Gabriella had asked but to her surprise he gets a different kind of answer.

"Because I still have hope." The stranger looks out on the sea, watching the ships like they do. "Out there is a friend of mine, or better the son of a friend. I ask him not to send the bomb on its way if asked. And I still believe in mankind, John. I won´t give up hope on you." The stranger, John seems to understand what Sherlock had said even when Gabriella wasn't so sure he had answered his question probably but John nods.

"Can I wait with you two for a while?" John asks and Sherlock seems suddenly sad. Gabriella had thought that he would be happy when his friend would want to spend time with him and it seems like the man wasn't put off by her.

Time passes and nothing big happened, a few of the ships throw something into the water but there was no answer from down there. Suddenly Sherlock looked down at her with a smile as if he knew something good happened. "How about we get you ready and take the first boat on Monday, a friend of mine owes me a favor." John seem also like he was ready to go, she somehow liked the man, he has a nice aura surrounding him. No wonder Sherlock likes him.

Before they separate Sherlock stops John. "Did you eat something you don't usually eat or do you feel unwell?" Confused by this question John had let go of Sherlock´s hand and touch himself in the face and on his tummy.

"No, everything is fine, why do I look ill." John pulls on his hair but only a few single stray ones came out.

"No it's not that but could you visit one of your doctors, please." Sherlock shouldn't sound like he was begging, that was wrong, he had saved her, he will take her to the countries where dreams come true, why is he begging this man to go to a doctor, he looked fine and didn't complain about pain.

"I already was … but I don't have the result jet." John looked now worried too. "What can you see?" He looked now into Sherlock´s eyes with an intense fire she hadn't thought could appear in a humans eye.

"You smell like death, I have smelled it before on many people it took me centuries to understand what it means but yours is new, I couldn't pick it up the last time, so it has to be something new." John only nods, his eyes weren't really focus.

"I have to go." Without waiting John leaves the two behind, disappearing behind the palms and rocks. Sherlock looks after him until he had remembers that Gabriella was still here. He couldn't help his friend so he took the girl to their overnight stay at the friend´s house (with the boat).

'Present, London – 2010 Friday'

"-ohn. John! Do you hear me?" Mycroft looks more than worried as his agent finally decided to return into the world of communication and awareness.

"Yes. Yes Mycroft, I can hear you." It wasn't the shock of hearing that the lab results pointing out that he did have radiation poisoning or that it was severe enough that he will show synthons in a few weeks or sooner that will lead to his death, no it was that Sherlock already knew. That his love was sitting in the past worrying about John and thinking that he was already sentence to death. Who knows what could the immortal will do.

Without waiting for Mycroft to tell him more, offer useless treatment or a break John leaves the office, his boss gets thankfully a call only a second before he was able to stop him. Noticing the synthons of shock John let himself be led by the crowed back to his apartment where he falls into a dreamless sleep, the report could wait, it was Friday and even Mycroft would understand when the report arrives a day later. He had just told him that he would die a horrible unstoppable death in no time.

Mycroft didn't have the chance to tell his agent that he had found the way to get immortal; he couldn't tell John that Sherlock found it. Maybe he has to wait until the missions are over or John could change the past by telling Sherlock, the present Sherlock could not remember it like he did the day before.

All his concentration was brought back to one of his agent on the phone who had called and gave a shocked John the opportunity to leave. "Repeat this again." Mycroft says to make sure he hadn't heard wrong.

"Sir, the target is lost, we can't find him anymore. Team 2 and 4 had visual on him and suddenly he disappeared, in front of everyone. There was no building or vehicle he had jump into. He is disappeared." Mycroft answer imminently. It was most likely not the fault of his agent, they target an immortal with more experience; probably notice them as soon as he left the building today after work.

"Agent, new orders, Team 3 stays at the location where you lost the target. Team 2 is stationed around this building, Team 1 takes the address from the application and Team 4 goes to the medical centre. Report on me at any time for a sighting and at eight in the morning."

"Yes sir." The call ended. Mycroft sighs and sits down in his chair for a second. He had let his agent shadowing Moriarty since he had left the building after work. He didn't want the man to notice that they in fact know that he is immortal too but it appears they had chase him away faster than expected. He has to tell Sherlock that the observation was a disaster.

'Present, London – 2010 Saturday'

Mycroft lowers his head in shame, his agent weren't able to locate Moriarty again and Sherlock had trusted him to do so. None of his team did notice anything suspicions and the team that was shadowing the other members of their team (for their protection) didn't pick up something ether. Only bed news today and he was the messenger and that's without the worst news about John´s medical report.

The security measures took longer now to get in, not that it had stopped the other immortal the first two times. After the conversation they had on Thursday Mycroft had thought that they would go into the right direction by surveillance and knowledge but nothing was working so far.

Sherlock was waiting for him, after all the time it had taken even for him to reach the immortals room someone had already informed him. Mycroft didn't need to start, Sherlock could read, that Moriarty did get away. "He is gone but there is something you have to tell me that I will not like." Sherlock offered this as if to say I make it easy get over it.

"The medical report form John´s doctors came back after the incident in Hiroshima." Sherlock´s eyes focus icy on Mycroft before they lower sadly. "I´m sorry, he had been too long in the area and got hit by the first blast."

"How long?" The immortal looked as broken as on the day he asks to have a brother, even more compared to it.

"A few weeks before the symptoms can't be longer ignored." Before Mycroft could stop himself he asks the one question that was born in the office as he had watched John leave the room. "Would drink your blood, like you did all this time ago from Moriarty, cure him?" Was it possible that this … love story (Mycroft didn't have a better name for it), wouldn't end in a tragedy.

Sherlock reached out for the report in his hands and Mycroft gives them over without hesitation. The immortal looked down on the report, not on the words written more at the picture of John, connected with his file. "Not sure but it would be a possible way for a treatment … if John wants to stay with me … forever." Sherlock sounded unsure and insecure, also sunken in his thoughts. Mycroft notice that he wouldn't get much more useful information and had delivered his message. He said his good bye without getting an answer and leaves Sherlock who was holding John´s picture tight in his hand.

'Present, London – 2010, Sunday'

John had time to thing, lots of time. He had locked himself in his apartment after work, pulled the plug on the landline, turned off his phone and changed the door bells volume to zero. No one could bother him without kicking down the door.

John had time to think about a lot of things and he came to a decision. One he had to get approved by his boyfriend (he loved Sherlock to call that, even when the two never had talked about it) but he would have to wait for another few days until they would meet in the presents. There was no doubt in John´s mind that they would meet. If Sherlock wants to stay together with him forever, he would ask him to make him immortal.

John had time to think and immortality sounds better then dying and leaving Sherlock behind. It was not the death he feared. In his line of work was dying something that could daily happen. This new assignment was saver as he ever was and he was already attack, tortured, fell of a rock, poisoned by an atomic bomb and nearly losing the love of his life to the endless darkness in his lovers hurt that had built up strength to eat its owner alive.

John had time to think, accepted his fate and was now bored. Yes, what do normal people on a weekend? He really needs a few tips form … yes the list of people he knows and would trust with such a question was sort and thinking about it only Greg came to mind and he is working for a secret government unit as chef mechanic for a time machine and in relationship with the boss who John suspected to be far more powerful as he let on. His alternative where Mrs. Hudson who seems normal on the first looks but under her mask of normally and lovely old lady was a tough woman who knows how to fight her own fights if she must. Molly who was probably busy creating new outfits for him (he doesn't want to think about it, dress up was never his favorite game as a child) and the boss himself, god only knows what the man does in his free time, except spending it with Greg.

So it is Greg and John really needs someone to talk to, thinking isn't always the best solution.

The call came around 4 p.m. not his normal drinking time but John had to tell him something and they didn't have a pub night in ages. Okay ages was a bit much but being part of a time travel agency, time feels different. Everything is happening fast and changing even faster so a week feels like a month or more. John had told him that he got the medical report and wants to talk to someone, of course Greg would come for a drink around afternoon.

The pub was nearly empty, as expected. John was sitting in ´their´ booth already waiting for Greg with to beer and a relieved smile on his lips. "Thank god you are here, I think the bartender thought I would start drinking alone at this time of the day and start with two beer up front." John pushes one beer towards Greg who accepts it thankfully.

"It is a bit early but I think I remember us starting earlier once. Not that we have to tell them that." Greg takes a sip and looks at his friend again. "The results aren't good I guess." John shakes his head.

"I hope I can finish the mission without problem but I have already decided to ask Sherlock to make me immortal, if he wants me, of course. I will not let him alone but I won't tell him until we meet in the presents, it wouldn't be fair to ask something of him before our timeline match, who knows what happens until then. We still have forty years." Greg looked up from his beer, did John not know that their where only four missions left? Was it something Mycroft wants to keep away from John until the last second? Thinking about his lover makes him sad again, they hadn't spent a second together. Mycroft was busy with some kind of special mission. The whole weekend was filled with tries to distract himself form mission his partner.

John notice the change in Greg's thoughts imminently. "What did he do?" Greg looked confused. "Mycroft, you thinking of him right now and I don't like the lonely look on your face."

"He … he is busy with something he can't tell me and I was lonely and bored the whole weekend." Greg smiles at John´s rolling eyes. "Yes I know my boyfriend is only a call way and not decades in the past but still I´m allowed to miss him when he is not spending enough time with me."

"Alright, no judging. How about another, without our boyfriends, as you love to call them, we can drink." Both man lift their nearly empty glasses, empty them and order the next.

Mycroft could see them the second he enters the pub. The smiling and laughing men, he had to hid his own amusement. Walking over to them they look up at him surprised and on his lovers face grows a nice shade of red. Something Mycroft wants to see more and plans on do so this evening. "Gentlemen, I´m terribly sorry but I have to interrupted your lovely get together, I would like my boyfriend here to accomplish me." Both man share a look. The image of Mycroft Holmes in a pub like this was just not matching. But John understands that the man wants to share a few hours with each other, it the same with him, weekends are the worst, they are without Sherlock.

"You want to take my drinking partner away, boss. Not sure I can let that happen." John had to tease him a bit, Sunday, not really his boss right now. "What do you offer me in return?"

Suddenly very serious Mycroft answers. "The answer to your question about immortality but I will give it to you after your last mission." Both man were suddenly sober and stare at Mycroft.

"You know how Sherlock got immortal? How?" John questions and Greg reads something in Mycroft´s eyes that tells him enough to not question further. John would have to wait. His boyfriend must have planned everything and when the genius of a men would decide something like that it was the best to follow.

"John, Mycroft have his reasons and I guess it has something to do with the timeline." Greg offered as the voice of reason. Looking at his friend Greg seems to get into his head, as he accepted it very quickly but maybe the man was just tired after hearing he has only a few weeks left. Mycroft was also surprised and flinched a bit as a hand takes his. Greg had gotten up and took his hand. Still not used to that feeling he needed a second to relax. "I take care of the bill, be nice to John."

Mycroft looks at his boyfriend´s bag. "You can be happy to have someone like Greg who is looking at you as if you are his world." John says and Mycroft remembers back to the day at the museum where his only wish was that someone would someday look at him like Sherlock watched child version of John.

"Very happy, a wish came true." Mycroft smiles soft and turns his back to Greg to talk to John. "You are also happy, Sherlock is looking like that at you too." With that he left, takes Greg hand as he got to the bar and leaves John behind.

It took John a whole minute to understand what Mycroft had just said and everything indicates that Mycroft and Sherlock had met. Shock and relieved John gets up and walks home to get a clear head. Everything was changing so fast. The solution for immortality, his death coming closer, the little amounts of time John can spend in the past (50 years, they had nearly 17000 already) and the first clue that Sherlock was really here.