John receives the letter and can't help but smile once he reads it over, shaking his head a little as he enjoys the cooling air of the evening. Only a few years ago, some of these things would have horrified him, but his values have rearranged themselves a little bit when it comes to the consulting detective. Afterall, he truly believes that Sherlock does not do these odd experiments to get some twisted pleasure out of them, but merely because he has a scientific mind that gets bored easily, and needs the answers to some questions which may become relevant on a future case. Or perhaps they are relevant on a current case. It is hard to tell sometimes. Either way, he believes it has a purpose and isn't merely for enjoyment. After reading through the letter twice, he puts it down beside him, a nearby rock lending itself as a paperweight before he pulls some paper out of his little travel desk in order to pen his reply.

~oOo~

Dear Sherlock,

First, thank you for your concern. I am always as careful as I can be whenever I leave the base, though being here is not exactly a guarantee of safety either. When I signed up, I knew my life might be dangerous, and I'm alright with that. I am sure that this worry of yours is fleeting and will soon be forgotten when you get a good case.

I have to admit to being somewhat amused by your last letter, because it made me think. A few years ago, what you said about experimenting would have disturbed me. A lot. I would have probably called you a psychopath, or at the very least off your rocker. But I didn't know you then. And I feel like I understand you, if only a little bit, now. It is bloody hard to understand what goes on in that head of yours, afterall. As you know, you are quicker than most of us.

I can't believe you had to move flats again. When your landlord talked to you about his concerns, did you by chance call him an idiot or any other derogatory terms? Because that might have a bit to do with why you were evicted. Believe it or not, even if it is the truth, people do not like to be told they are idiots, or dull. I can tell you that from experience. You need to learn to be a little more careful about how you deal with people. Honestly, I'm amazed that you managed to make it this far without ending up in a bloody prison for saying the wrong thing.

Would say it has been somewhat uneventful around here since the last time that I wrote to you, except for one thing. Major Sholto brought me into his office about two weeks ago, around the time you were writing your letter in fact, to tell me some news. Moran escaped. They aren't sure how, but he must have had accomplices. There are several mor soldiers who have gone AWOL, but they aren't sure if they were helping Moran or not. Some of them had other circumstances that might have caused them to go AWOL. There's a manhunt out for all of them, including Moran, of course, but they aren't hopeful that they will find him. All that bloody work and we let a monster like that get back into the world.

After I found that out, I was so angry, I was seeing red. After what he did - what he tried to do - and we don't even bloody well know why. We still have no idea why he was doing what he was doing. If it was just because he was paid, if he really hated being a soldier that much, or if it was a personal vendetta against someone here. We might never know, now. I have no doubt he will be going back to whoever it was he was working with before.

Be careful, he knows who you are now, and I have no doubt he will not be happy with you, since you were pretty much the reason he was caught. Though come to think of it he might not be too pleased with me either at the moment. I'm sure if it was a concern that Major Sholto would have informed me of it, though. Since I am still here, and they haven't spoken to me about it, I assume that it's not a concern. So don't worry about that, I'm not.

Still, it's caused me to be more than a little frustrated, so I find I've been working out a bit more in my spare time. It helps to relieve stress, anyhow. Not as if I am concerned with my physical health.

Have you found any new cases or anything to occupy you? Let me know how your new flat is working out. Hopefully I'll have more to write about the next time I hear from you.

Sincerely Yours,

John

~oOo~

It's a near thing, but Sherlock almost punches a wall when he finds out about Moran, reading the letter from John. Regardless, it does end up leading to a half an hour rant to thin air about the incompetency of the army and the network that this Moran must have to get him out of custody in a way that baffles military investigators. Not that Sherlock has a great many good things to say about that, either. When he finally calms down, he reads the rest of John's letter, frowning a little as he considers the safety of his small army doctor, finally shaking his head and moving on to the more pleasant thoughts of the last two paragraphs. A case, oh yes, He must tell John about what has occupied his mind for the better part of the day.

And the plot thickens once again! Hope you like my newest twist. At least John will be buff next time they see eachother. :) Well, a but more fit than he already was at least.

I know some of you want more blatant Johnlock, and I promise it is coming, they are just in an awkward stage and neither of them wants John's mail read by someone who might not be pleased. It is sort of a fine line they tread at the moment. It will come, though. :) Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this!

Reviews/Comments welcome!