Author's note- Thank you for all of your amazing reviews, favourites and follows! Hope you're enjoying!

Wow, so far the new series of Sherlock is absolutely fantastic! I love it!

Have any of you watched it yet? If so, what are your thoughts on it? Spoilers free please!

If you haven't, what are you looking forward to?

It's the finale tomorrow and I'm both scared and excited.

Enjoy this chapter, please, please, leave a review if you are liking it!

I'd also be interested in knowing how far you want me to go with the self harm in this. Or do you trust my judgement? I like how it's working at the moment, but I do take into consideration other's opinions.

Disclaimer- I own nothing apart from the Chocolate Orange I am eating. (So much for my news year's resolution of a diet.)

Chapter 26

That was how John found them at half seven in the morning. Both were on the sofa, during their sleep, they had moved so that Lucy was kind of sleeping on Sherlock's side, with Sherlock lying on his back against the length of the sofa. It was quite a sight, (and a miracle that Sherlock was actually still sleeping!) and it make John chuckle as he went to make himself some tea and toast. With a smile he looked at them and took his phone out. He pointed it at the pair, still fast asleep, and took a couple of photos. John pocketed his phone as he finished his quick breakfast. He was wondering why they had moved from Lucy's bedroom to the living room, but he would just ask the detective later on. Just before eight o'clock, John Watson chose a warm jacket to put on and pulled his shoes on as he got ready to go out. The rustle of his clothes eventually woke Sherlock Holmes- who groaned slightly in his sleepy state. Lucy flinched and woke up with a yelp as the consulting detective stretched- forgetting Lucy was sleeping on him- and he consequently hit her in the face.

"Good morning to you too," she mumbled sarcastically, rubbing her face and raising an eyebrow at the man beneath her.

"Get used to it," he quipped with a smirk, both of them were now fully awake.

"Good morning you two," John laughed at them, "Comfortable night's sleep?"

"Not really," Lucy sighed as she stretch, sitting on the detective. Feeling his leg go numb, Sherlock huffed and rolled his eyes before standing up without warning, making the teenager fall to the floor with a thud. "So, is this 'let's bully Lucy day today?" She muttered.

"Still not sorry," Sherlock mumbled as he felt the blood go back to his leg. The sofa had originally been comfortable when they went to sleep, but after several hours it took toll on the limbs sometimes. He looked at John suddenly, taking in his appearance before frowning: "You have work? Why?" Lucy stared at Sherlock, wondering how he could make a deduction like that especially moments after waking up.

"Yes I do Sherlock," John gave a half smile as he put his mug in the sink, "If you haven't noticed I've had to take a bit of time off for this case and for Lucy. They were fine with me taking the time off, especially when I explained the situation, but I really do need to go in and do a day's work now and then. You know... like normal people." He tilted his head at Sherlock pointedly.

"Oh, dull," Sherlock groaned. "Have a nice day." He then headed off to his room to presumably get changed and ready for the day. John Watson just shook his head in wonder at his flatmates odd antics. He turned to Lucy as she got up from the floor and sat back on the sofa.

"Why were you and Sherlock sleeping in here?" He asked casually.

"Well umm," the troubled teen rubbed her face as he came to sit beside her. "I had a bit of a bad night. I had a nightmare and woke up in the early hours of the morning, with a really bad urge to... cut." She sighed; she may as well be honest. "Sherlock didn't want to leave me on my own so he took me into the living room, made us both a cup of tea, sat me down and told me a bit about his own struggles." Lucy smiled, "And it really helped. The urge to cut went away. I asked Sherlock to play the violin for me and he did, and I must have fallen asleep while he was playing." John had wrapped his arm around her shoulders while she spoke to him, and the doctor found himself smiling at how she actually went to Sherlock and chatted because she was having a bad time.

"I'm glad," he murmured, bringing her into a hug, "Are you okay now?"

"I think so," she sighed, "I can never know when I'm going to get an urge, and that terrifies me. I don't know what to do."

"What about seeing a counsellor?" John suggested carefully.

"No." She shook her head, and he could tell how against she was to that idea, "I don't know. Don't worry about it. You should get to work." Sensing that she didn't want to talk anymore, he pulled away and gave her a smile, bidding her goodbye before he went off to the surgery.

Lucy went and had a shower before brushing her teeth and getting changed. When she walked out of her room and into the lounge, she wasn't surprised to see Sherlock standing there, waiting for her.

"You alright?" She asked him.

"Bored," he yelled, "John's out. I don't have a case and there is nothing to do!"

"You've only just solved a case!" She exclaimed back at him. He just grunted. "Well, what do you want to do? Visit your brother, go pester Lestrade? Have a jog around the city?" Lucy rattled off some pretty appalling ideas, but she had no idea what to do either.

"All boring." He groaned.

"Umm," she paused, thinking, "We could... go swimming, take a train somewhere, go to a park?" Lucy shrugged. Sherlock just sighed heavily as he paced. It was obvious- from the way he raised an eyebrow at her- that he didn't want to go swimming (although Lucy thought it would be hilarious to go to the beach with him.) But he didn't seem as bothered with the others.

"We could go to a park," he nodded his head to himself, "Take a walk around it. I did that with John once. It wasn't too bad. I know a park where it's never usually crowded."

"Sounds good to me." Lucy agreed.

After a quiet taxi ride to a part of London Lucy didn't recognise, both friends got out of the vehicle and walked into a large park that resembled a sort of Country Park. It was large- and you could probably walk for miles through it; and judging by the few cars in the car park, it wasn't crowded either. For quite a while they just walked along the path through the fields. It was hard to believe that such a peaceful and country-like park could be found in such a bustling, vibrant city!

The two came across and lush green field with recently cut grass and trees lining the edges- it was sealed off from the world and was serene and relaxing. Lucy walked a little further before promptly plonking herself down in the middle of the field. Sherlock followed her with a smile before sitting beside her, feeling a gentle breeze ruffle his hair, but enjoying the warmth of the day. Lucy took the bag off of her shoulder, placing it beside her before opening it up.

"Tea or coffee?" She asked the consulting detective next to her.

"You brought drinks?" He said, after all, he had been wondering why she was carrying a bag, although he deduced that she had brought some kind of drink with her by the sound he could hear of the sloshing of it. But he was still pleasantly surprised that they were hot drinks.

"Of course and it's just as well I did," she laughed, "Its miles until the next cafe or drink place." She looked at him. "While you decided to have a spur of the moment shower after we decided to go to a park, I thought I may as well make some hot drinks to put in a flask. And I also made some sandwiches in the unlikely case you get hungry."

"Um, thanks," he mumbled, "I'll have tea then." Lucy poured him a cup and added his sugar before passing him the steaming drink to him.

"How come you took us such a long way to go to a park?" Lucy queried, pouring herself a coffee.

"Because it's quiet and not busy. I don't like it when parks are too busy; it takes the enjoyment out of it." Sherlock Holmes told her as he took a sip of his tea.

"Thanks for what you did last night;" Lucy spoke up after a brief silence, "It really did help." Sherlock looked at her with a neutral expression.

"You're welcome. Anytime."

"Would you be angry at me if I didn't always go and talk to you or John if I got the urge again?" She asked uncertainly. Sherlock smiled, this was also why he had chosen such a quiet park. He knew that Lucy would probably want to talk about last night and about herself, so he thought that she would be more comfortable and open somewhere where they were alone.

"Of course I wouldn't be angry," he took his coat off and laid it on the ground before sitting on it, Lucy copied him and did the same with her jacket. "Neither of us would be angry because we know how hard it is and how hard it is to continue to resist that urge. The fact that you even came to me last night was a... big step," he frowned at his own choice of wording but carried on: "And I appreciate the fact that you felt like you could come to me. I understand that I'm not the most approachable person on matters- especially delicate matters. But I do care about you."

"Thanks, Sherlock." But she looked confused, "You know how that strange man... Anderson I think it was... you know how he said horrible things about you the first time I met him?" Sherlock nodded warily, "Well, why did he say that?"

"Because," Sherlock sighed, ruffling his hair as he thought through his answer, "As I said, I'm not an approachable man. And I can be, blunt to many; especially to people as stupid as him. The fact is he's jealous that I am a great asset to every crime scene he's on. I think he resents me for all of their team's successes. I frequently insult him and Donovan, so I hardly think that would make him like .because of the deductions I do about their life story. But it's who I am. And because neither John nor you judged me for it, I ended up liking the both of you, feeling comfortable around the two people who mean the most to me."

"I can't see how anyone could hate you," Lucy mumbled as she took out a sandwich, offering one to Sherlock who accepted- much to her surprise. "But then again, you can please everyone." There was a minute of silence in which the two ate and relaxed in the heat of the day.

"There are times I regret the first cut," Lucy started, Sherlock turned to listen to her, "But there are also times that I don't regret it." She glanced at him nervously, "If I stopped, then I feel as though I would just... die. I'm not sure how I would cope. I don't think I would cope. And that kind of terrifies me. The feel of the blade- it releases the emotion, the tension. If I feel too much emotion, it helps to numb it. And if I feel too numb, it helps to make me feel something. It's the one kind of pain that I can control. Sometimes, and I know it sounds bad... I do it because I'm bored. Because it's something to do. Because I'm too addicted and I just need to do it." She ran a hand through her hair. "It's both the best and worst thing. And I really can't imagine my life without it now. I don't want to see a counsellor. I don't want to talk to an overpaid stranger about my deepest, darkest secrets and emotions. I don't know what to do. There are times when I think about stopping, but I don't want to. I don't want to stop Sherlock. And I don't know what to do. I don't want to disappoint you or John." Sherlock study her sad and scared expression, seeing her inner conflict and uncertainty.

"You would never disappoint me or John," he shook his head. But Sherlock had no idea what to say. "So... what about reducing the amount you do it? Or find another coping mechanism?" He suggested.

"I've tried other methods of coping, but none work!" Lucy sounded upset.

"Have you tried holding ice in your hand until it melts?" Upon seeing the teenager's confused face, Sherlock continued, "It's meant to give the same relief. I tried it for a while myself. It wasn't too bad, it worked for a bit. But it may work better for you... or it may not work at all."

"I could try it," she sighed. But wanting to change the subject, she ended up asking: "How long did you know that my parents were the murderers?"

"Oh, well, you see, I had a fairly good idea when we went to your old house." He said, but offered no further explanation.

"You knew from that early on?" Lucy looked a little annoyed.

"Yes, I just had no way to prove it." He looked at her and furrowed his eyebrows, "Have I done something wrong?"

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?" She snapped.

"I had no proof, and at the time I didn't think it was appropriate to suggest something like that to you when I had no visible proof for you."

"Fair enough," she sighed, knowing that Sherlock had done the right thing, but feeling a little bitter about it anyway. Completely changing the subject, she asked: "What are your hobbies?" Sherlock laughed a little at the unexpected question, but he could tell she wanted to know him better so he said:

"Well, I like crime solving, experimenting, playing the violin and composing music. I like to draw and... dance." He admitted.

"Wait! What?" Lucy burst out laughing, "Dance? You, of all people like to dance?"

"Yes," he mumbled, now embarrassed, but he shrugged, "I can be unexpected when I want to be. Besides, I'm quite fit from all the running about, so I can do handstands and front flips and things."

"Really?" She eyed him sceptically.

"Yep, John doesn't know of course. Nor do most people, so keep it to yourself." He laughed at her still-shocked expression so he stood up and straightened his jacket. Taking a few steps forward, he turned to face her before jumping up and flipping his body backwards.

"Woo!" Lucy cheered and clapped him and he gave a mock bow as he sat back down again.

Lucy laughed. It was amazing how open he was being. He was away from the judging city where people would hate him for being who he was, and he was finally able to relax just slightly to a more fun man. Lucy liked this side of him especially, as it was so rarely seen by so few people. Admittedly, it seemed rather out of character for him. But underneath everyone's cold, tough outer persona, there was always a much more relaxed, fun side. And Lucy was glad that he felt comfortable enough to let her see him like this.

Maybe it was because of how they confided in each other. He clearly hadn't been very open with many people. But either way, Lucy was enjoying herself. Really, truly enjoying herself more so than she ever had before. And she finally felt as though she had a friend, and a family. She never had any friends; she never got on with people her own age. But something drew her to Sherlock. And deciding it was her turn to show off, she stood up and did a one-handed handstand before doing a back flip, landing on her hands, then feet before finishing with the splits. It was something she had taught herself when she had decided she wanted to be flexible and cool like gymnasts and talented dancers- so after many months of hard work, she had finally been able to do something like that. Sherlock gave her a round of applause with an amused expression on his face.

Author's note- I'm sorry it became a tad out of character at the end. But I think I'm correct in saying that there is always a fun person beneath a colder persona.

Hope you enjoyed. Please review.