TheDarkestShinobi: I promised myself I'd have this up as soon as I got a 30th review, and here it is!

Sherlock is out of the car the second it stops moving. He's flying up the stairs as Lestrade opens the front door. Lestrade starts up the step and looks up to see Sherlock's back. Sherlock seems to be frozen and for a second Lestrade is sure that John Watson is in the flat because Sherlock has stopped breathing. Lestrade shifts and peers around Sherlock to see the flat. It looks as it always, no mess, no John, no clue. Lestrade shifts back and waits.

"John was here." Sherlock announces after another moment and Lestrade places a hand on Sherlock's back for comfort. Lestrade feels Sherlock lean into it for the briefest amount of time before he is moving again. Sherlock takes slow cautious steps, and gently reaches out to touch the wall.

John let the door swing shut as he took a deep breath. He lifted his hand and placed it on the wall as he looked around his old flat. Sherlock hadn't changed much since kicking him out. John took a deep breath. He hadn't expected to be back here so soon or at all if he was honest with himself. John shook his head and placed a hand on the table to lean over and grab a pen.

Lestrade watches Sherlock place his right hand on the table before reaching over. He furrows his eyebrows but keeps his mouth shut. He knows how others thoughts and sounds distract and irritate the other. The only one who had free reign to interrupt was now on the other side, the other side of what Lestrade didn't know. Sherlock grabs at empty air he didn't need to lean to reach before pulling back. Sherlock turns in a perfect 180 degrees and Lestrade's mouth opens to ask why before he shuts it. Sherlock is tracing John's actions.

John turned and walked towards the skull. He wanted to tell Sherlock that all of it was fake. He wondered about Sherlock's different reactions to that. He could be furious with John for following his brother's plan and Moriarty. He could be grateful that John hasn't truly betrayed him, that this wasn't voluntary. John turned the skull to the side to look at John's usual spot. He could decide to test John, to see if John would really kill the others, then John would. John sat in his chair. No. He couldn't tell Sherlock yet.

Sherlock looks at the dust, always a giveaway. The skull is facing a different direction than he left it. Lestrade crosses his arms and leans against the wall, watching. Mycroft coming to him meant one of two things. John was dead and is driving Sherlock crazy, or John is alive and is doing worse. Lestrade is no fool; he knows that Mycroft knows about criminals like Moriarty. It was hard to leave them out there but who would testify? Who would prosecute? If John is alive Mycroft knows about it and wants it to be left alone. If John is truly dead than Moriarty is playing another sick game, one that Sherlock may not walk away from.

It's the chair, John's being redundant. Sherlock debates sitting in it but he can't bring himself to. Its Johns chair. Sherlock has never sat in that chair. Sherlock's eyes find the paper so he snatches it up before sitting on the couch.

XXX

John nodded, already having decided that clue would be enough to get Sherlock to figure out what case he had to solve. Jim had given him 12 hours for the tougher cases, so 16 should be plenty of time. He could only hope. John left the paper on the armrest and bolted. Sherlock would be here any moment now. He ran across the street and waited. He should have left, but he wanted to see him again. He hid in the shadows and further in his hoodie and watched as Lestrade pulled up and they both raced inside. With a few nods he turned and walked away, his hand playing with his mobile. He'd have to call soon.

"He was here recently, left just before we got here." Sherlock starts as he stares at the three Xs on the paper as Lestrade walks over to the couch.

"And he left that?" Lestrade points to the paper and Sherlock gives one curt nod. The missing insult of obvious hung in the air and Lestrade blinked twice at its absence before looking away.

Sherlock tilts his head.

It could be a romantic attachment, three kisses. He would have text that. Three Xs, roman number 30. Less likely.

XXX

The message isn't as important as the means in this case. He had to come back to the apartment, its more effort that a text, he could have been caught. It couldn't have been a text then. There was a reason! It had to be physical, stir a visual memory. He scanned his thoughts.

"Now Clara, who's Clara, three kisses says it's a romantic attachment."

"Harry," Sherlock thought aloud and Lestrade shifts his weight as his hands found his hips. "From Clara," he doesn't move his grip on the paper but looks at it differently.

"Expense of the phone says wife not girlfriend"

"Harry and Clara?" Lestrade interrupts Sherlock's thoughts. "What?" He shifts about again. "Are you talkin' about the twins from the cold case?"

"No." Sherlock admits, "but John is."

"Can we assume there's a-"

Sherlock never talks if he can text, so it surprises the both of them to hear his ringtone. He fishes it out of his coat pocket with his right hand and lets out a breath before answering.

"Have you figured it out yet?" John's voice sounds eager over the phone.

"The twin murders." Sherlock answers as Lestrade mouths the word 'who' and then 'John' while stroking his chin.

"Good." John sounds oddly relieved. "You have 16 hours." John's voice is serious now. Sherlock feels his face contort in anger.

"Not going to hide behind your victim's voice?" He snarls into the phone.

"I probably care about them more than you do," John says dismissively but Sherlock doesn't need reminders of how much he cares, especially not from John. "You'll hear from her if you save her."

"So it's a her." Sherlock doesn't need to repeat the information, but he wants to rub it in that John made a mistake in giving away a gender.

"This time." John hangs up and Sherlock lowers the phone, hurt written across his face. How could John… ?

This was the pool all over again, except there is no gun or bomb pointed at John. John chose this. His hand feels unsteady, so he puts the paper down and rests it on his leg.

Unacceptable.

No.

"Well," Lestrade prompts after Sherlock places his phone back in his pocket.

"We have sixteen hours to solve Harry and Clara's murder or a bomb will be detonated."

Sherlock sounds shocked and mildly horrified, he sounds lost and confused and Lestrade knows it's not the situation.

"John?" he questions and he's not sure what he wants the answer to be. Sherlock nods instead of speaking and Lestrade scratches his forehead. "The files are on my desk, should we head back?" Sherlock nods before standing and walking to the door and Lestrade wonders how a DI would be charged with murder.

…

David knows John Watson isn't like the others. Everyone who works for the Big M has something they want in return, records cleared or medical bills for a family member or a murder hushed up. For David, his brother got into some massive debt and killed the guy he owed. David is working to get him out. They all have something they are willing to die for keeping them here. Big M doesn't threaten them because better work comes from love, a vicious motivator or something like that. John doesn't want anything. Big M doesn't seek them out like he does to John.

There are rumors that Dr. Watson is Big M's squeeze, for lack of a better word. John always seems to be there, so he may live there, and Big M is always with him. While everyone calls big M Mr. Moriarty, John calls him Jim. John doesn't bow down to Jim like the rest of them. Mr. Moriarty buys John clothes. It's rather obvious to David but he wants to ask and he doesn't know how.

John is looking out the window with guilt plastered on his face. David knows Mr. Moriarty didn't send John to that guy's house, and John didn't seem to want anyone else to know either. David taps the steering wheel and wonders if John is cheating on Big M, and what insane revenge Big M is capable of.

TDS: This is important. I want your opinions. At this point in time, my plans for this story do not involve Jim doing anything to John that's 'less than professional' but I had the thought today and could feasibly introduce it. I haven't made a decision on it yet, but I would like your opinions on it.