Chapter 37: Tears of a nation

'Present, London - 2010'

After all this endless years of exciting nothing surprised him anymore. Older as time (at least it feels like it sometimes) there is nearly nothing that could excide Moriarty more than a moment. A moment for an immortal can be a century but is mostly more like a few years. Like the internet. It was a fascinating thing; yes he had helped with the development by pushing the right and talented people. Planted seeds of ideas but only to get the system for himself, to uses it for his organization. Information is the key and the internet offered that.

Right now was a time of hiding and playing and the immortal enjoys it. He had known that turning that child all this time ago would offer him something to do. This child had grown and aged until his first death and was now a man, that could play with him. Sherlock, Moriarty was fascinated that he still uses his first name. He, himself had long forgotten what his parents had called him. He had forgotten many of his names. He doesn't need them anymore, useless information that can be erased. A mind like his can't be filled with rubbish.

His ´friend´ like he calls Sherlock had found friends himself, useful and powerful people as it seems, especially Mycroft Holmes. Moriarty hates the man, who had started to suspect him but doesn't want to show it openly. Because it could interfere with Sherlock´s time travel plan. He still needs to find out how that had started.

Hiding from the government agents would end in a few minutes because it is Monday and that means `Jim` need to get to work. He knows that nothing will happen to him, the agents were only there to watch him and it would be suspicion when he wouldn't appear at work. So the immortal gets his back, slips out of a hidden door in a small alley and walk right into the morning crowed that heads to the subway.

Before the underground would blog his signal (he had to think about an more efficient way for that one) he sends a text to Moran.

To M: Watch his toy. JM

John woke up with a strange feeling in his stomach. He stayed lying in the bed waiting for the feeling to disappear but he wasn't so lucky. It became unbearable as pain mixed with nausea hit him combined. Breathing heavily through his nose John jumps up, ignoring the dizziness and running to the toilette. The first good thing that happened on this day was that he made it in time to empty mostly bail in the porcelain bowel.

"Stupid alcohol, stupid tolerance Greg has." What followed was a moan and John decided to stop this pub visits for a while. He rests his forehead in the cold material and takes a few deep breaths to calm down his racing heart before he flushes the evidence of the day before down the toilette.

The look in the mirror solids his decision for an alcohol abstinent. John had deep purple bags under his eyes and his skin looked thin and pale. Sighing John washes his face, brushes his teeth and decided that the shower can wait until after a cup of tea. Maybe he has still something of this stomach friendly stuff he had gotten years ago for a stomach bug.

After the tea (still not tasting good enough to enjoy it) John had gotten on the next train to get to work. It didn't surprise him that the shaking of the train wasn't helping. What surprised him was the empty office. Jim und Molly were waiting for him. Molly took one look at him and her worry skyrocket. Before she can start to fuss over him John lifts his hand. "I´m fine, had too much yesterday. Greg can stomach far more than me."

"Oh, is this the reason he is at home?" That got a smile out of John, the first of the day.

"I don't think so. I guess our boss/ his boyfriend suggested a later begin of the day." Molly grimed and holds out a pail of clothes. John changes and was ready as Anthea entered the office with her phone as usually in her hand.

"Good Morning Mr. Watson, Mr. Holmes has the details for the next mission for you." She offered him the phone and John takes it without hesitation.

"Good morning Sir." There could have come more but John decided against the comment and really tries to not thing about where the man was right now. Of course the picture of him and Greg, naked in bed, only covered with a blanket appeared in his mind.

"John, your next mission will take you to Huston, USA in the year of 1963. The day President Kennedy was murdered. There are pictures of Sherlock in the crowd, watching." Anthea offered the pictures in question. "Find out if he knew about it before, was he part of it or did he try to prevent it. We can't be sure what happened. There isn't much video material at all about it."

"Understood. I´m heading out." Before John had to phone to far away he could hear Mycroft´s next question.

"How are you feeling John?" Good question. Physically not so great but he couldn't tell that Mycroft, ne needs to see Sherlock. Nothing would stop him, especially not a hangover.

"Everything is perfect. Take care of Greg." That let his boss stop and John had time to give the phone back to Anthea.

HOPE was ready and John couldn't wait to find Sherlock again. Last time was the little girl with him. And suddenly he was thinking what happened to her. The people they meet from now on could be still alive, it was fascinating. Kennedy´s assassination was a few decades in the past only nine years before he was born.

John shakes his head to get his mind a bit clearer and concentration on his mission. He could think later about time traveling.

Mycroft ends the call after getting an update on John´s health. It sounds like his agent was experience the first signs of radiation poisoning, he needs to talk to the doctor again. It sounded before like that would take another few weeks. He returns back to bed and was greeted with this one look he always dreamed about it. It makes his eyes water and Greg, lovely Greg notice imminently.

"What is it? Did something happen?" The mechanic set up on one arm to look at Mycroft to get a first impression of the situation before the words would tell him the rest.

"Nothing, really I just thought about something, which happened a long time ago." He smiled softly and climbed back into bed. "I think it was a good idea to stay in bed this morning."

"Don't change the subject but yes it was lovely from my boss to give me the morning off." Greg pulls Mycroft in his arms and holds his head on his chest. "You want to tell me? The thing from long ago."

"It´s a long story and I can't tell you a few things, not now at least but I can get you the short version." Mycroft feels Greg's hand on his head, while he starts to play with his lover's chest hair. "As I was twelve, I meet someone very wise and lonely; he was old and had seen many things. I witness him watching his one true love and there was this look in his eyes. It was love and longing, there was trust and desperation but most of all were his eyes filled with hope. Endless hope that they would spend the rest of their live together as soon as they will stand next to each other. This look, I wished for it to be pointed at me. That someone special would look at me like this. I had never giving up thinking about it, this dream about a special person. And right now you are looking at me like that. I got my dream and believe me I will keep it." Mycroft turns his head so he can look up at Greg.

There it was again. The look that was turning the world in something beautiful, filled with light and love. "You know you have the same look on your face every time we are alone. You hide it when other people are close by. I guess you don't want your enemies to know about me but that's okay. I can live with that.

Their lips meet and soft touches became more heated until they continue where they had stopped the night before. Mycroft had never been happier in his life.

'~1963 AD, Huston, USA'

The landing was as soft as John could manage but still was his body, especially his stomach not happy with it. In favor to meet his beloved John orders his body to follow his order and promised it can rebel as soon as he was back home. Now he needs Sherlock, the weekends are the worst and he will apologize as soon as he meet his present Sherlock for all the years he had suffered waiting for him.

John had landed in a back alley, a few hundred meters away from the whole event. Most of the streets are blocked and hundreds of people were standing around to see the President. John remembers that Kennedy was one that was loved by his people. He could remember a documentary he had once watched with half an eye, to busy doing something else. The TV was running in the background and the pictures of desperate people crying about the man had found their way to John.

Now he was standing in this crowd, between the people who will witness something horrible in a few minutes. While John walks to the place the picture had shown Sherlock he felt suddenly as if someone was watching him. John turns and looks around but there was no one looking at him or actively not looking at him.

Sherlock was standing at a street corner. He was lucky to be here. The last time he saw the president was a few years back. Huston was not his favorite place in the world but it was the city Gabriella had found a home. She was nearly done with school and she wants to be a nurse. A dream growing out of the wish to help others.

He was proud of her but this was the last visit he could do, at least the last he would talk to her. Her surprised comment that he hadn't changed after all this time let him remember that he can't risk being notice. Not after hiding his true nature for so long. Who knows what people would do to him when they find out about his immortality?

The air changes, that means John was on his way. Suddenly realizing what that means, Sherlock looks around to find the reason for it. Most times something bad happened or something important for history. Most times they witness together the changing points of mankind. War, natural catastrophe, political decisions and things like this. The only matching criteria is the President that is visiting the city and would pass by this street in a few minutes.

John´s hand touches carefully the tips of his fingers. They were in a public place to a time their relationship would get them disgust and most likely openly hatred. John was subtle and let the sign of affection be small and discrete. Sherlock, pulled out of his thoughts what will happen here soon and looks at a sickly looking John. The smell of death was still there.

It doesn't surprise Sherlock. After smelling it the first time he had found out about something called radiation poisoning. It was something people had talked about it a few years after the atomic bomb had went off. The one John was present to. There was no use to ask why he was sick. His only hope was that there was a treatment in the future John came from or that his future self had found out how to become immortal so John could be saved.

John was aware of Sherlock´s look, the meaning behind it. It was the last thing he had asked of him at their meeting before. "I got the results from my doctor." If Sherlock was surprised that he offers it without being ask, he doesn't show it. "Looks like our little trip to Hiroshima had a few side effects. I got something called radiation poisoning, do you know it?" Sherlock nods. "Yeah, looks like it would take a few weeks till it shows its whole glory." John tries to sound positive about it but he knows what is coming to him.

"Is there a treatment?" John shakes his head. "Did you find out how to get immortal?" Something lights up in John´s eyes.

"No but Mycroft has."

"Mycroft?" Sherlock tries to remember if John had told him about this person before but couldn't remember.

"My boss Mycroft Holmes, okay boss is a bit wrong, he is … I think a friend somehow. At least he is not the real boss-type-person. He had found his special someone; it makes people warmer and opener. He is the leader of the time travel agent I´m working in. Anyway I ask him for help and yesterday he told me he found it. I think he met you, the present-you from my time and the future-one for you."

Thinking about It, there was the possibility that his future-self had started the time travel thing to meet John in the first place. "What is it? Can I give it to you now?" Suddenly realizing what he had just set Sherlock looked down to his feet. "Of course only if you want to become immortal and you know … stay with me."

"If you will offer it to me I will spend the rest of eternity with you but unfortunally Mycroft didn't tell me what it is. Guess the time wasn't right and I would only take it from you. What if your future-self had changed his mind and doesn't want another immortal with him."

"That would never happen." Sherlock raises his voice and a few people around them look at him, offended by his load voice.

"Good, I won't change my mind about it either. I understand the consequences, maybe someday I will question it but I doubt it. I could never let you watch me grow old and die. I need you in my life as much as you need me." Sherlock was glad John wasn't rejecting him. All the confident about their relationship that he had thought he had were blown away with the thought John could react immortality and with it a life with him.

The crowd around them was taking a collective breath, something was happening and with something they mean the car with the President. John F. Kennedy was riding in a carbrio, with his wife and is waving at his fans. Suddenly John remembers his mission and what will happen in a minute. "Sherlock why are you here?"

Understanding where the question came from Sherlock offered John what he had. "I just wanted to see the president, I like that one and I was in the city to visit a friend. He is a good one. But I think your appearance means something is about to happen, am I right?"

Before John could say something a shot cuts through the cheering crowd and the both man watch Kennedy crumble into himself.

Silence.

Just one second than panic and the city of Huston drowns in chaos. John got a short look at the car that was driving off to the closed hospital but loses it as he was pushed by a screaming woman, followed by a giant man that was pushing him further away from Sherlock. The immortal was also pushed and pulled into the stream of running people.

After Sherlock could free himself from the people around him he walks back to find John. Slowly thoughts about John being pushed over and stepped on came to his mind. The fear of losing John was suddenly a huge metal ball in his stomach that was pulling downwards.

Between the panicking people, the running and shouting was it hard to find the one person that he was looking for but John had found his own way to get attention. The smaller man was standing on a parked car, looking over the crowd, looking for him and as their eyes meet the world around them disappeared.

The people, the assassination, the fear and panic, nothing counts except this one man looking into his eyes. Sherlock runs over to John while the other climbed down from the car and as they meet falling into each other's arms. The people around them had better to do.

Afraid about what will happen next Sherlock pulls John away and let him lead the way to HOPE. It was better when John was back home, without the risk of getting hurt.

'Present, London - 2010 '

Mycroft walks down the corridor that leads to Sherlock´s room. The immortal had called around noon, asking for a visit. The door was open but Mycroft knocks at the doorframe.

Sherlock is sitting on his bed, on his had a new wrapping and a pill box in his uninjured one. "What happened to your hand?"

For an answer Sherlock offered him the pill box. "Give that to John; tell him its some fancy experimental medication for radiation poisoning. Don't tell him it´s from me. I put my blood into the capsules; it should work like when I drank Moriarty´s blood."

Mycroft takes the box and puts it into his jacket. It was a sign of trust that Sherlock was offering something like that, he knows it could be used in another way against his will. "Why can't I tell him what it is or that I got it from you?"

"John will only take the solution for immortality when it comes directly from me. He told me so in the past. But we can't meet before the last mission as you call it, because it would change something. I am afraid that it will be too late at that point." Sherlock looked at John´s medical file he still had from before. "I think the time traveling isn't helping his condition." The look Sherlock was giving Mycroft as his eyes returned to the conversation were hart and lacking the warmth that had been resident before. "You will ask John if he wants a future with me. You will ask him if he wants to stay with me after this all ends and IF he says yes, then you can give the blood to him. Not one second earlier."

John arrives back and got sick again. "Stupid machine." Inside he apologizes to HOPE, it wasn't her fault. After John had drank a glass of water and changed into his normal clothes Mycroft was waiting for him.

"I would like to ask you something and I hope you will answer my questions truthfully." John swallows what could it be that Mycroft wants to know. "Do you want a future with Sherlock, together. Staying with him, forever?"

A surprisingly easy question for John to answer, he had talked about it with Sherlock not 10 minutes ago. "Yes." There was only one word needed. But what had brought on this question. Maybe his comment on Greg during the phone call.

"John, you know that this is the first signs of radiation poisoning. I have something for you. It´s an experimental treatment but you want to have a future with Sherlock so I will offer it to you." John takes the bottle with a fake label. Mycroft had changed the container to make it look more … real. He should tell John that the time travel is worsening his synthons but what would it change. John is determent to do it and who was he to separate the two men.

John doesn't question the medicine, takes it and ignores all the voices in his head that question this action. They can all shut it, thinks John. He wants a future so he will take the pills when they let him see Sherlock.