Chapter Two

Ever since John got the call from Sebastian he had immediately started planning... he hadn't been this excited for a job in- well ever actually. If he was going to do this job at all he was going to fling himself into this one hundred and ten percent. He also had to trick Sherlock and whereas he was smarter than the man it could become a bit challenging. Sherlock was brilliant, there was no denying that... and John thought that if he wasn't such a 'bad guy' they could have been best friends.

Perhaps in another life or in another universe they were... Sherlock didn't know who John was, but John knew who Sherlock was and he was a bit obsessed in all honesty. He followed Sherlock as much as he could, he read his blog, watched the news, kept up on his cases, and stalked him on the interweb. John didn't know why he did that, but it was like he couldn't stop. He was drawn to Sherlock like a magnet and that was a bit weird to him. However, he had wanted to kill Sherlock more than anything because the thought of bringing down a brilliant mind to a helpless, dependent person who couldn't think for themselves anymore without looking to someone for approval sent a thrill though his body. He would take Sherlock's heart and he would get to hold it in his hands, something he was pretty sure no one ever had the opportunity of doing... and if they had, the number of people Sherlock gave his heart to was very seldom. He would keep it close and hold it protectively before smashing it to bits! Then he would take Sherlock's brain, he would caress and love it and worship it before taking it apart bit by bit. John knew his brain was messed up... maybe it was all the neglecting as a child. He slowly sat on the couch and his mind wandered.

John ran into the car and got buckled in his car seat all by himself! He was only three and none of his friends could do that! He asked them... although he didn't really have friends because people tended to avoid him, but he had squirrely (his stuffed grey squirrel) and he had his mummy and daddy. He sat happily in his car seat and looked out the window, waiting for his parents to get in the car. His mummy and daddy had packed a lot of his clothes and he was currently holding squirrely to his chest, he most definitely wouldn't let squirrely go into the suitcase!

John smiled brightly as his mother and father climbed into the driver and passenger seat. He couldn't wait until he was a big boy so that he could sit up there! Most boys his age just played with silly little toys and didn't care about anything, but John was different... he was always thinking about things way advanced for his age and he knew that when he grew up he wanted to help people! He told his parents this on a regular basis and they would tell him it was a wonderful idea... He loved his parents more than anything and even though they were hardly around and gave him funny looks sometimes John didn't see anything wrong because he was only three after all.

The car jerked forward and his dad pulled away from the curb. John was thrumming with excitement as he held squirrely because his parents didn't tell him where they were going... he tried to deduce it, but they seemed really adamant on keeping it a secret. John gave them props because most of the time he could deduce anything! However, he couldn't deduce it this time so he decided that it must be a super fun holiday! Maybe they were finally taking him to the science museum! He had been dying to go there for months now.

"Mummy! Mummy! Are we going to the museum! Why won't you tell me where we are going and why do I have my suitcase?" he hummed and played with squirrely's tail.

He was in the back so he didn't see his mother swallow and look out the window. His father answered for his mummy, "it's a surprise, John! Now behave and maybe we'll take you to the art museum next week."

"Science!" John corrected happily and he shut his mouth and didn't say another word. His father always said that if he was good and stayed silent they might go and even though it never happened John always, always minded because there was a small chance that they could go and all he wanted in his three year old self was to go to the science museum!

John's mother shot his father a look and John frowned. They must be fighting... she always gave him that look and his father would roll his eyes so John took that gesture to mean that they were fighting... John was really brilliant for his age! He was as smart as an eleven year old and he was only three! He personally thought that he was smarter, but no one would believe him. However, even though he was brilliant he struggled reading emotions... he thought his parents loved him more than anything and would do anything for him... because John would have done anything for them in the whole entire world! But as they pulled up to a tall building that looked like it has been around since the dinosaurs he was quickly about to realise that he could have never been more wrong.

John frowned as he stared up at the building and then as his mummy and daddy got out of the car. Surely they were just making a pit stop so he stayed in his car seat and waited for them to get back into the car. His father got into the back seat and grabbed his suitcase and John furrowed his brow more. "Oh... are we getting out of the car?" He smiled some.

"Yes." His father said firmly and slammed the door shut.

John was confused, but unbuckled himself and grabbed squirrely as he pushed the door opened. The three of them walked inside and John frowned as he looked around. They were at an orphanage and John didn't understand... he tugged on his mothers skirt and looked up at her, "mummy... I know you can't have kids anymore are we going to adopt a brother or sister for me to play with so I'm not lonely?"

His mother swallowed, but didn't answer his question. John huffed and held squirrely tighter to his small chest. He wandered off and sat on a bench nearby, he was close enough to see his parents and the woman who they were talking to, but he was far enough away that he couldn't hear what they were saying. He sighed and looked at squirrely, "why are we here? I wanted to go to the museum! Or an amusement park, but I'm not tall enough for any of the rides, but the baby ones." He huffed a bit and his squirrel just looked at him.

'You are a baby.' The squirrel said back to him. Obviously the squirrel wasn't talking, but John had an active imagination and made up the words for him.

"I'm three! That isn't a baby because I'm smarterer than everyone!" he hummed and stuck out his chest.

The squirrel was about to reply to him when a lady came up to him, "hello, dear. I'm Mrs. Turner..." She smiled some and was holding his suitcase in her hands.

Panic filled the small boy and his eyes darted around the room. He shouldn't have wandered off! He knew the rules! "Where's my mummy and daddy!" He gasped and stood up abruptly. He had a lot of panic attacks and he couldn't see his mummy! She calmed him, but she wasn't anywhere to be seen! He ran to the front door and started tugging on it. "No! They must have forgotten! Help me before they leave forever Mrs. Turner! Hurry!"

Mrs. Turner's heart hurt for the boy, but she put on a brave face and walked over to the young child. She knelt down so that she was level with him and took his hand into hers. "John... sometimes things don't really make sense..." she watched as the boys lip started to quiver and she swallowed. "Your parents are in a position where they can't support you right now and just want what's best for you... you'll stay here for a while just until they can get back on their feet..." Mrs. Turner knew that that was a lie... they said that they were struggling with money, but she could see that they weren't. For whatever reason they just didn't want this boy and dropped him off... this was for the best however because it was better to have a life growing up loved than to feel neglected and unwanted.

John was so, so confused because he knew that they weren't struggling for money... he looked up at the lady with sad eyes, "but... but daddy and mummy have a lot of money... I know they do!"

"Sometimes parents are really good at hiding things from children... they just didn't want you to worry." She said softly.

"NO! I know we have money!" he growled and held squirrely tighter. He wanted to cry, but he also didn't want to cry in front of Mrs. Turner. "I'm really smart for my age! Don't give me the baby talk! I'm not a baby!" he snapped and stomped his foot on the ground. He was silent for a very long time and then he swallowed hard, "they're not coming back are they...?" he whispered so quietly.

Mrs. Turner's heart broke even more and she shook her head slowly, "I don't think so, no..." she brought him into a tight hug.

He didn't know what to do! He had nowhere to go so he couldn't pull away and run... he just had to accept the hug, something he never ever received... his mind was spinning because his parents left him and they didn't even say goodbye! All those years of being 'busy' they weren't busy they just didn't want him! Why didn't they want him! He had done everything to please them and he loved them unconditionally! He thought that they loved him too and they would do anything for him, but now here he was at an orphanage because his parents didn't want him!

He started sobbing in Mrs. Turner's arms and clinging to squirrely. He didn't understand! He didn't understand anything and for the first time in his life he felt so alone... he didn't like that feeling at all and it hurt so badly.

Mrs. Turner swallowed and picked him up, "Hey... why don't we go meet the other children, yeah? And then I can show you to your room..."

John nodded slowly and wrapped his small arms around her neck.

John met a couple of children, but he wasn't willing to talk. Mrs. Turner recognised this and sighed he would come out when he was ready, but he just experienced something traumatic. She slowly walked up to his new room and set John down on the bed. "I know it may be a bit scary and sad now, but I promise that this place is really nice once you get used to it." she knew that that was the worst advice ever... this young boy just got kicked out of his home! Of course it wasn't going to get better, but she vowed to always be there for him just like she was with the other children. She sighed, stood up a little bit, and ruffled his hair. "John meet your new roommates James Moriarty and Sebastian Moran." She smiled.

John looked them over and pouted more. They were only infants and couldn't even talk! That would mean they would cry in the middle of the night and he would have to deal with that. He grumbled and curled up into a ball and tried to sleep.

John clenched his gun tightly at the memory. He was visibly shaking and he shouldn't have let his mind wander. He'd been doing that a lot recently and he hated it.

"John..." a voice said a bit nervously.

John was snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the figure that entered the room. He was about to tell him off for not calling him 'sir', but he realised that it was Mike. He relaxed some, but still had a tight hold and his gun because was angry and hurt about the memory he relived. "Ah, Mike!" he stood up and then threw the gun at Mike.

Mike blinked rapidly, "umm why have you thrown this at me...?" He frowned as he watched John shred off his Westwood jacket, take off his button down shirt, and then walked over to the tile. He didn't understand why John was getting half naked, but Mike didn't understand a lot of things John did so he never questioned anything.

John smirked and looked at him, "alright... now shoot me! Left shoulder!" he hummed.

Mike blinked some more and shifted, "umm, sir... I don't know if this is a test or something, but I really don't feel comfortable shooting you..." he swallowed. He honestly hated telling John 'no', but he really didn't want to shoot John.

John growled, "It isn't a test! I want you to shoot me!" he snapped.

Mike swallowed hard and aimed the gun, "what happens if I miss..."

John pursed his lips, "well then, I'll die a rich, successful man." He rolled his eyes. "Come on! Get on with it!" He was angry and he knew that this was something he needed to do... it was better to do it now when he was angry, than to do it when he was not. Mike just stood there are John growled more, "GET ON WITH IT!" He screamed and then the sound of a gunshot filled the air. John stumbled back on the impact and frowned a bit. He looked down at his shoulder and blinked as he watched the blood pour out of his body. Strange... it didn't hurt at- "MOTHER OF FUCKING GOD YOU SHOT ME IN THE FUCKING SHOULDER!" ah, there it was. He screamed out in pain as he collapsed to the ground.

Mike panicked and ran to him quickly, "I'm sorry! You told me to! I- This is my fault... tell me what you need."

John growled a bit and then groaned. He flew his hand up to his shoulder and clenched it tightly to apply pressure. "Oh you know... a cuppa would be fantastic!" He groaned and when Mike stood up to leave, probably to go get the tea, he groaned more and rolled his eyes. "NOT REALLY!"

Mike swallowed and knelt back down, "right... sorry, sir." He chewed on his lip and just sort of stared at the whimpering John. He didn't know what he wanted... "We umm... we need to get the bullet out..."

"WHAT FUCKING BULLET! IT WENT STRAIGHT THROUGH YOU PILLOCK!" John screamed in pain and whimpered.

Mike looked at the wall and sure enough the bullet was in there. He swallowed hard and tried to think of what else to do but he honestly had no idea and there was so much blood!

John gasped a bit and his eyes felt heavy, "If you don't do something quickly I'm going to die and then I most certainly haunt you for all eternity for killing me." He snapped and then closed his eyes. Oh yes, sleep felt very good at the moment.

Mike flailed, stood up abruptly, and ran out of the room. Luckily they had a doctor and nurse on the staff and he would go get them for John... he didn't like the idea of leaving John alone, but he had no other choice.

He grabbed the nurse and doctor and by the time they got back to John he had passed out. Truthfully it was probably better that way... a quiet John was always a better John.

~O~

John woke up a day later in his bed. His bed was giant and made of the softest sheets he ever had the pleasure to touch. John loved his bed more than anything and it was actually the only reason he ever actually slept. He groaned a bit, slowly opened his eyes, and saw Mike sitting in one of his chairs in the corner of the room.

Mike heard movement and he looked up immediately, "oh my god! You're awake!" he stood up and wandered over to the bed.

"And you seem to have stayed with me... you really didn't need to." He frowned some and pursed his lips.

"John, I was the one that shot you! Of course I needed to stay!" He sighed and sat at the edge of the bed.

"You know if you start calling me by my real name on a regular basis people might talk." He smirked a bit.

"I bet you would like that, wouldn't you?" Mike smirked as well.

John sighed heavily and shook his head; "you know I can't feel things..." he swallowed hard and looked away.

Mike swallowed and looked down at his feet, "No, suppose you can't... or maybe you just haven't opened yourself to the right person."

John narrowed his eyes and glared at Mike, "right! And who the fuck is going to love me for me? I would have to hide who I really am my whole entire life and I'm sorry, but I would never stoop so low as to lie to my own partner. They should know everything about me and I should know everything about them."

Mike shook his head, "I'm not saying you have to find someone... especially if you don't want to, but I'm saying don't tell yourself you can't feel things because I know you can... and I know you care for your staff... you're good to them, mostly."

John scoffed, "they all hate me if you haven't noticed."

"That's because they don't know how much you give them... you put up a front when they are around you and most of them are terrified... in fact I don't think you open up to anyone besides me and I think you're really going to struggle when you go live with Sherlock because you can't hide yourself and you know that... you also hate when people don't call you 'sir' and you blow a gasket. I've seen it more times than I would like to admit. You hate being wrong, but you're going to have to be wrong a lot when you're with him... and John I really don't think living with him is going to be a good idea... he's going to pick you apart and you'll have to stand there and take it... not only that, but you'll have to tell him that what he did was amazing and brilliant and extraordinary." He sighed, "I think you should rethink this..."

John growled at him because he knew all of that stuff already and he also knew he was going to be fine! Sherlock wouldn't pick apart his life he would pick apart the life he was going to make up for himself so it wouldn't hurt... "I'll be fine!" He snapped.

Mike sighed and shook his head, "right... because you're always fine, yeah?" he bit his lip when John just glared daggers at him. "Just do me a favour..." He took a deep breath, "don't... don't get invested..."

John's eyes widened and then he snarled a bit, "are you suggesting that I'll actually fall for this bloke?" he snapped.

Mike pursed his lips, "I'm just saying don't let that happen."

John pushed Mike off the bed, but instantly regretted it when pain shot through his shoulder. "Get. Out! I would never in a million years fall for Sherlock Holmes!" He snapped.

Mike swallowed, "John, all I'm—"

"GET OUT!" He screamed.

Mike nodded and snapped his mouth shut. He swallowed hard and quickly left the room.

~O~

One month later John was ready for action. He smirked at Mike and put on his blue and white chequered button down shirt with his coat, some jeans, and his brown shoes. He grabbed his cane and barely touched his hair. Just brushed it to the side a bit, which killed John because he was used to wearing it slicked back. He turned around and smiled at Mike as he leaned heavily on his cane, "well... how do I look?"

Mike smiled brightly, "practically unrecognisable..." He hummed. "It's rather amazing actually... so you ready to go?"

John nodded and smiled. He picked up his cane because there was no use pretending to hobble now... They climbed into Mike's car and Mike drove them to the hospital. They both climbed out and Mike brought John to the Lab and put his hand on the door. "Ready?" he whispered quickly.

John gave a slight jerk of his head as a nod and then they pushed inside.