John is sitting on the floor of the boy's bathroom in one of the stalls practically hyperventilating. How could he have been so stupid? God, he never should have left his cane leaning against the urinal like that. Not with that sniveling rat, Anderson, entering right after him. He had just stared dumbly as that little prat grabbed it and ran out the door.

"Have a good walk home, cripple!" Anderson called.

John had been so embarrassed that he had hopped over to the stall and shut the door after him. How the hell was he supposed to get home? He'd stayed late to work on some homework in the library. He couldn't afford a cell phone and Harry wouldn't look for him. His mother was working a double shift to try to pay the hospital bills and Lestrade had practice tonight. Bugger.

He sat there for about ten minutes breathing heavily with his head between his legs before pulling himself up using the wall for support. He teetered for a few seconds before finding his balance and hopping slowly with one hand on the wall. He was halfway down the hall when he slipped and landed hard yelping as pain radiated up his leg.

"Watson?" A girl called from behind him.

"Oh," he said flushing with embarrassment. "Hello, Sally."

"Need a hand, mate?" She asked walking around to face him properly.

"Uh…well…" John stuttered.

"Stop being such a wanker and take my hand." She said rolling her eyes. "I can drive you home."

"Okay," John said quietly letting her help him to his feet.

She wrapped his hand over her shoulder and walked with him out of the building toward her car.

"I thought you were going with my sister to that concert this weekend?" He asked curiously. Sally was his sister's latest fling. Sally was quick witted, foul mouthed, and secretly nice. John approved.

"Yeah, well…" She said hesitantly after helping him into her car. "Turns out your sister would rather chase after Clara's skirt."

"I'm sorry." John said awkwardly.

"Nothing you did." She said simply closing the door after him and walking around to climb in the driver's side. She buckled in smartly and started the car. "How are you doing?"

"Not too bad." He said taking deep breaths as she exited the parking lot and pulled out onto the main street. Not surprisingly, cars were not something that he wanted to come into contact with more than absolutely necessary since the accident.

"Bollocks," She said throwing him a snarky grin. "But I'll let it pass."

"Where are we going?" He asked as Sally missed the turn to take him home.

"Call it a hunch." Sally said. They drove for another few minutes before she pulled into a nice neighborhood and stopped outside a large brick house. "Be right back."

She exited the car and rang the doorbell. John didn't recognize the woman that answered the door but felt his face drain of color and slinked down into the seat as Anderson showed his ugly face as well. He could just make out the conversation.

"Hello," Sally said in a happy tone. "I was wondering if I could have a quick word with your son."

"Of course." Anderson guffawed happily. "What can I do for you, sweetheart?"

"Give me the cane or I will clock you one." Sally growled.

"What are you his protector now?" Anderson sneered.

"No," She said. "I'm just a decent fucking human being with rage issues. Now hand it over or get ready to explain to the entire school how you got punched by a girl."

"You wouldn't." Andereson said nervously.

"Is that a theory you really want to put to the test, you little twerp?" She answered.

John heard a door slam and Sally's footsteps as she came back to the car. She handed him the cane and got in without any fuss.

"You didn't have to do that." John said feeling heat flood into his face.

"Do what?" Sally asked dumbly. "I just drove you home."

"Thanks." John said quietly.

He saw Sally smile out of the corner of his eye and they listened to the radio loudly for the rest of the drive.

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"What do you mean that we aren't going to be able to go Paris this year!" Harry shrieked at the top of her lungs. "We always go to Paris for a week during the summer!"

"We can't afford it, Harriet." Mum said firmly. "With the medical bills, funeral costs, and trying to make the house payments on time, we just don't have any extra funds. I'm sorry."

John sat huddled in the corner of the kitchen as he watched the epic row that was occurring in the living room.

"This is so unfair!" Harry screamed and then threw herself onto the couch in a fit of temper. "I never get anything I want!"

John made his exit shortly after that. It had been almost two months since the accident and he didn't need a cane anymore. He just had a brace that was supposed to stabilize his leg as he got used to putting more weight on it. It was a Saturday morning and he had plans to meet Mrs. Hudson in an hour. No reason not to get there early. He grabbed an umbrella on his way out and began his slow trek to their park.

"Well, look at you!" Mrs. Hudson said cheerily as she met him at their bench.

John wasn't sure what it was about the older woman, but he couldn't help but get excited each week to just sit with her for a few hours and chat about nothing.

"I know." John said with a grin shaking away the remnants of the fight at home. "No cane."

"Stand up." She commanded. "Let me see you properly."

John did as he was asked and blushed as she took his face in her hands and kissed his forehead gently. "You look wonderful. Now tell me about your week."

They wandered through the park, John leading Met and Mrs. Hudson resting on his arm.

"What are your plans for the summer, dearie?" She asked.

"Not sure yet." He said with a shrug. "I need to find a job, that's for sure."

"What do you have in mind?" She asked.

"Anything really." John answered honestly. "I'll do anything."

"I was hoping you would say that." She said smiling.

He quirked an eyebrow in her direction and she continued, "I am in need of an assistant to help me with some of the more strenuous tasks at the house. My employer okayed me to find someone and I immediately thought of you."

"Wow." John said feeling excitement flood through his veins. "Thanks, Mrs. Hudson! That's so great."

"It's not the easiest house to manage," Mrs. Hudson tutted seriously. "But I don't doubt that you can do it and it pays rather well."

"That sounds brilliant." He said leaning over to kiss Mrs. Hudson on the cheek.

She smiled brightly and turned them back toward her car. "We can go now if you like."

John looked down at his outfit and grimaced at what he saw. He wasn't a vain teenage by any means but he didn't really want his future employer seeing him in his old shirt and the trousers with the hole in the knee.

"Don't trouble yourself, dearie." She said patting his arm lightly. "The Holmes could care less what you work in. They certainly don't have the right to judge considering some of the things those people get up to.

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"You must be John." Mrs. Holmes said holding out a hand covered in something yellowish.

"Yes, hello, Mrs. Holmes." He said with a smile taking the hand fearlessly.

"Oh, please." She said, waving her stained hands in front of her face. "Call me Anna."

John stared up at the figure in front of him. Anna Holmes had to be six feet tall. She was thin and willowy with cascades of dark brown wavy hair framing her pale face.

"Alright." John promised and then internally swore to never do that.

"Mrs. Hudson has told me so much about you." Mrs. Holmes continued with an easy smile. "She seems incredibly found of you."

"Well, I'm pretty fond of her as well." John said easily.

"So, she mentioned you might have an interest in assisting with some of the heavier work around here." Mrs. Holmes continued.

"Yes." John said evenly. "I do a lot of the housework around my house now so it wouldn't be anything that I would be unfamiliar with."

"Wonderful." She said clapping her hands together in front of her and finally noticing the stains. "Oh, dear. I completely forgot. Don't worry, it's just…"

"Iodine." John answered helpfully. "Yes, I noticed."

"Well done, John." She said walking off down the hall and motioning for John to follow her into a large office filled with rich looking, wooden furniture. She sat behind the desk and motioned for him to take a seat opposite her. "You'll be under Mrs. Hudson's direct supervision. She'll give you tasks and chores to complete and I do expect them to be completed in a timely fashion."

"Of course." John nodded along happily.

"I might have the occasional side job for you to work on as well, but Mrs. Hudson's tasks take priority." Mrs. Holmes continued.

"Alright." John answered.

"I'm sure that Mrs. Hudson has shared with you the unique way in which my family lives, John." She said with a shrug. "We are incredibly unorthodox and as such it is important just to take things as they come. Roll with the punches as they say."

"Alright." John said again feeling something unsettling run up his spine.

"You'll adapt rather quickly I think to the house but please keep one thing in mind." Mrs. Holmes said letting her smile drop for the first time. "Don't listen to a word that either of my sons say. They aren't your employers, they don't get to tell you what to do and they know it. Come talk to me if they do attempt to bully or manipulate you in anyway."

"Okay." John said hesitantly.

"I am very serious about this, John." She said. "My boys may be brilliant but that also makes them manipulating little bastards occasionally."

"Right." John said firmly. "Come talk to you if they bother me."

"Exactly." She said with a wink.

"When would you like me to start?" He asked.

"That's entirely between you and Mrs. Hudson." She said letting the smile overwhelm her delicate features again. "You're more than welcome to work evenings, weekends, nights. I don't care."

"Right then." He said with a smile.

"Good to have you on board, John." She said rising and taking his hand again. "I think you'll do well here."

"Yeah," He said returning the grin. "I think I will too."

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I had to make Sally good here. I hope no one minds. Next chapter: SHERLOCK.