Authors Note: HEYO! XD Please tell me what you think; I would love to know XD I own nothing and no one, apart from the following: Fredrik Jones, Theodore Wells.

JUST SO YOU KNOW: This is my FIRST attempt at Sherlock and Johnlock, so please be kind!

Please, please review XD

ALSO: I made up middle names and first names for certain characters, just so I had something to work with ^_^

P.S. I know it's been a while, but I've been having a lot of issues with family, University, my anxiety, etc. It's kind of knocked me off of my writing. Trust me when I say I'm trying to write for my fics as fast as I can.

Chapter 13

Sherlock

2 MONTHS LATER – July 2015

We were just a little over a month into the summer holidays. Come September, John and I would be starting University. A new place, new people…. I would finally be away from the idiots that had surrounded me. I would have a new start, in theory. John seemed rather excited. He was looking forward to begin studying, to become a doctor. Since he could no longer join the Army and serve the country, or be an Army medic, John decided on becoming a civilian doctor. The obvious, logical, solution. I, however, was taking a….different approach to things. Technically, I could only do a major in one subject and, if I wanted, a minor in another. The University, however, made an exception for me. I was majoring in Biology, Chemistry, Criminology, as well as a couple of others that took my fancy. The University just seemed to like that their grades would be bumped up, in the courses I studied, so they allowed me to pick as many as I wanted, giving me timetables of when each course was being taught. I was, in a way, making my own timetable up as I went along.

I was just happy that I shouldn't get too bored. Theoretically, at least.

But that wasn't for another two months.

It was Friday, 10th July 2015. John's parents were away for the weekend, attending some fancy gathering they didn't want to drag us too; Harry was at Clara's until they got back; Mrs Hudson had gone to visit her sister. John and I were the only ones left in the house. We had plans with Mycroft and Gregory for the next day, my brother leaving no room for argument when he brought it up to us. Mycroft was going a little overboard, but it was nice to have my brother back. For how long, I couldn't be sure. John and Gregory seemed happy that Mycroft and I were getting along, especially Gregory. I couldn't understand why, however.

John and I were lounging in the living room, not doing much. Well, I wasn't doing much. John, on the other hand, was typing away on his laptop and had been for the entire morning. I couldn't find anything to hold my attention. Nothing was….interesting. Gregory's father hadn't given me another case, apparently, he didn't need me at that moment. Stupid really. To think of the amount of cases he could solve if only he brought me in more…. With a soft sigh, I let myself flop over the arms of my armchair, my head and legs dangling over the sides.

"John, entertain me!" I whined, staring at the ceiling.

"A couple more minutes, Sherlock." John chuckled.

"But I'm bored!"

John just laughed, good naturedly. He had been in an extremely good mood, since he and Gregory teamed up to arrange what we would all do the next day. Nothing Mycroft and I did could get them to tell us, neither of us could deduce it, either. It was disconcerting, to say the least. Nothing seemed to be able to bring his mood down. Not even Harry's teasing about his new "girlfriend", Mary, only replying with a "not dating".

No matter what I said, or did, John only smiled, telling me he'd be done soon. It was frustrating. To be honest, I wasn't sure why I wanted John's attention so much. Before, I had always wanted to be left alone, by everyone. By my Parents, by my brother, by my peers…. Never before had I wanted to be noticed, talked to.

Why now?

Now, it took John three minutes and thirty-seven point eight seconds to finish with his laptop – yes, I counted! He had leant back in his chair with a grin, closing the lid to his laptop. I tried to seem impartial but, by the look on John's face, I hadn't been nearly as successful as I had hoped.

"What do you say to having lunch outside?" John suggested, jumping up. "Supposed to be lovely this weekend. For once."

I wanted to say I wasn't hungry. I wanted to say that eating wouldn't cure my boredom. However, as I opened my mouth, my stomach gurgled loudly. All I could do then was nod, knowing John would leave it alone.

"Great; Mrs Hudson said she left us some of her homemade shortbread for us!" John beamed. "I'll grab them, make some sandwiches – maybe some fruit and crisps?"

"Strawberries?" I asked, quietly.

John stopped on his way into the kitchen, turning to face me whilst in the doorway.

"Obviously." he teased, lightly. "You wanna help?"

Though I may have dragged my feet on the way to the kitchen, I was very much looking forward to helping.

It was beautiful out in the gardens, sitting by the fountain. For once, I actually enjoyed the food in front of me, eating more than I thought myself capable. If John was surprised, he did a very good job at not showing it. Strawberries were a weakness of mine, however. I suppose, since they were practically sweet water, it was if I wasn't consuming anything.

"You sure like strawberries, don't you?" John chuckled. "Not that that's a bad thing! I just never pegged you as a strawberry lover."

"I like strawberries." I shrugged. "Mrs Hudson used to grow some in the garden and she would always sneak me one, when they were ripe."

John just smiled.

"Did you know there is two hundred seeds on the average strawberry, and the Ancient Romans believed they had medicinal powers?" I asked him. "Also, in France, they're believed to be an aphrodisiac, and are served to newlyweds at traditional wedding breakfasts in the form of a creamy sweet soup."

All John did was stare at me, his gaze intrigued, not disturbed.

"Research even suggests that eating just eight strawberries a day can improve heart health, lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, reduce the risk of cancers and even improve cognitive function." I added. "It was fairly interesting reading."

"Of course, you delete all knowledge of the solar system, but keep strawberry facts in that Mind Palace of yours." John laughed. "You truly are an amazing enigma."

Ducking my head, I couldn't help a small smile. John was one of the first people to actually like what I knew. Deductions, facts…. Yes, he didn't always like when I spouted off my deductions, but he usually liked them. Especially about that idiot Anderson, one of Gregory's friends. Every time John complimented me, every time he said anything positive about something I did, I couldn't stop this electric feeling bubbling in my stomach. It was pleasant, don't get me wrong, I just didn't know what it meant….

I didn't know what else to say. To be honest, when I was with John, I didn't feel the need to find anything to say. The silence was quite comfortable with him. His presence was enough. Well, at times. Sometimes I needed him to talk, to take my mind away from certain areas it would wander too….

"What do you want for your birthday?" John asked me.

He lay back on the blanket we had been sitting on, shutting his eyes against the sun and using his hands to cushion his head. He looked, for lack of a better word, peaceful.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "I've never thought about it."

"Never?"

"Never. My Parents didn't care about my brothers and I, so they didn't celebrate birthdays or the like. The closest we got was Mrs Hudson giving us a scarf or something that she had knitted."

John rolled his head towards me, opening his eyes to look at me as he frowned.

"They never gave you anything?" he muttered.

"Well, I suppose they gave us Redbeard." I sighed. "But he was a 'keep quiet and you get the keep the dog' kind of gift. We didn't have him for long before Father put a bullet through his head."

"When did he do that? Why did he do that?"

"I was ten, I believe. Redbeard was old, blind. Father and Mother hated having him around, anyway…. I found it strange when Father said he was taking Redbeard for a walk, since he never interacted with him before, so I followed. I suppose it was a small miracle that Redbeard didn't see it coming and that Father didn't try and prolong his death. It was quick, more than likely painless."

I didn't notice I was crying until John wiped the tears away with a tissue.

John

I hated not being able to do anything. All I could do was listen to what Sherlock told me, not being able to tell anyone or even confront his Parents! It was killing me. I wanted to strangle the ones that had dragged him down, to feel like he was nothing. I wanted to castrate the bastards that had beaten him down, when they should have loved him. But, most of all, I wanted to give him back everything they had taken away from him. I wanted to give Sherlock back what he should have had. It was bad enough knowing his Parents were awful, but knowing what they did? That was a whole other story. Knowing what had happened to Sherrinford. Knowing what had happened to Mycroft and to Sherlock…. It shouldn't have been allowed to happen. Nothing should have been able to protect those responsible.

We lived in a cruel and pathetic world.

Sherlock kept trying to brush off what had happened to him, when it all got too real. He would try to shrug it off and move on. But I couldn't. I couldn't forget anything he had told me. I couldn't, in my right mind, put it behind me and act like he had said nothing.

All I wanted to do was wrap him in a blanket and keep him safe.

According to Greg, Mycroft was the same. He would downplay a lot of the things that had happened to him, as if not truly accepting just how bad it all was. Denial. But Greg was good for him. I mean, I was sure Greg had something to do with Mycroft pulling the stick out of his arse when it came to Sherlock, and not just Sherlock accidentally overdosing.

The Holmes boys were far more complex than anybody knew.

Sitting in my armchair, I couldn't help but repeat, in my head, what Sherlock had told me outside. His Parents had bribed him, and his brothers, with a dog to keep them quiet about the abuse they all suffered. His Father had killed that same dog, because it was old and could no longer see. And Sherlock had see it happen…. I wouldn't be shocked if Mr Holmes knew that his youngest son had been watching. Would surprise me one bit. From everything I had heard, it would fit in. But I preferred not to think about it.

However, hearing about Redbeard, it gave me an idea. So, when Sherlock had gone upstairs for a shower, knowing he'd take a while to calm down after getting so upset, I called the one person that could help me.

"John, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Mycroft said as he picked up the phone. "Is everything alright with Sherlock?"

"Yeah, he's good, don't worry." I replied. "I just…. I have a favour to ask."

"Well, ask away."

I couldn't help grinning.

I know that it's been a while, but I've been having a lot of issues with family, University, my anxiety, etc. It's kind of knocked me off of my writing. Trust me when I say I'm trying to write for my fics as fast as I can.

Please, please review XD

Thanks a lot guys XD