Next chapter is up and another is on the way! I wanted to include this chapter because what is Sherlock without a case, right? Now I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think! Thanks :D
AN: Thanks to Goldenpaw for mentioning the alarmingly large amount of grammatical errors which hopefully have been addressed now! Thanks and enjoy! :)
They arrive at the crime scene where the sight of a short portly man lying naked in an alleyway greets them. They nod and utter the usual greetings to Lestrade making their way over to the body. John looks over to Sherlock and immediately sees that talented brain of his whirring away. His eyes are scanning the body tracking every detail and no doubt committing them to mind with perfect ease. He allows himself a small smile at the sight before remembering the poor man lying in front of him and leans down to examine the body in closer detail.
Sherlock cannot deny the wave of happiness that makes his insides tighten when he sees John examining the body; his brow pinched and his deep blue eyes carefully inspecting. God, how he had missed this. He has missed working with John like this. He cannot help but feel slightly off balance somehow. Despite him finally having a case he finds it is not wholly consuming his mind as his previous cases. John still manages to capture his attention. He contemplates whether this is a because of his recent realisation of feelings for John or because of how much he has missed his companion. Deciding that it could be a little of both he leans over John in interest, the sense of nostalgia overpowering and intoxicating him, like strong liquor. Utterly addictive.
John watches the shadow of Sherlock fall over him and deliberately does not think about how close their bodies are at this point. He cannot deal with memories of this morning right now. He doubts whether he will ever be really ready to deal with them. But for now he puts them out of mind.
"John?" Sherlock's low and inquisitive voice floats down to his ears pulling him from his thoughts.
Clearing his throat John put on his best 'I-was-a-army-doctor-voice' determined to do his best for Sherlock. His desire to please Sherlock, to help him, is overwhelming despite the fact that Sherlock will most likely be able to see everything he does and more.
"He looks to around 40 years old. Hands look rough and calloused…so he probably works with them a lot. Heavily overweight…several cuts and small stabs to his body and arms…hmmm but none of them fatal." He murmurs cataloguing the body and tries hard not to miss anything.
"The killing blow was the one to his chest, most likely punctured a lung, he would have been dead in minutes. Poor man must have drowned in his own blood." He says while he checks his eyes and body rigidity.
"He looks to have been dead at least 12 hours so he must have died sometime late last night." He says shaking his head feeling sorry for the man who lay in front of him. He had seen a few soldiers go out like that and it wasn't a way for anyone to die. He draws himself back of his memories and frowns at the body. He is missing something and he knows it.
Then it clicks. "The killer must have an accomplice…he has to be at least 200 pounds…no way he was stripped and moved without help." He states with shaky confidence. He risks a glance over to Sherlock who eyes are slightly wide in his face looking suspiciously like he is surprised. It is no wonder John couldn't recognise that expression; he doesn't believe he has ever witnessed Sherlock looking like that. John squints at him in confusion wondering if he was completely off track and looks at Lestrade who is wearing a surprised smile.
"What?" He asks Lestrade who just laughs slightly and shrugs a shoulder.
"He must be rubbing off on you…" He says grinning and inclining his head towards Sherlock who is now wearing that small twist of smile on his lips.
"I am impressed John. There may be some hope for you after all." Sherlock drawls; the tone of his voice failing to mask the pleased look on his face. John feels a small bubble of excitement pop in his stomach and tries in vain to ignore the pride he feels at Sherlock's words. He does allow himself a small smile though.
"I don't think I will ever be as good as you, Sherlock." He chuckles which earns him an annoyed huff as if the very idea was insulting.
"Well that goes without saying, John".
"If you two love birds have quite finished…Sherlock. The body." Lestrade quips looking bemused. His arms are crossed and he looks like a parent scolding his two favourite children. Sherlock smirks and crouches near the body taking a deep breath no doubt to accommodate for the large amount of information that is about to pour out of him.
"Approximately 40% of homicides are committed using a kitchen knife, as it is a weapon accessible to practically everyone, which increases the likelihood of that being the murder weapon. Furthermore the lack of precision in the wounds suggests that the person using the weapon didn't know how to use it effectively. Not trained." He states with every syllable laced with that unwavering confidence. Lestrade just shakes his head in a fond if exasperated way and waits for Sherlock to continue.
"The knife is serrated judging by the cuts and the characteristic v-shape that wounds have made. Evidently where the attacker stabbed the victim and then the victim moved trying to fend him off. Most likely a bread knife or steak knife… the attacker was most likely in a fit of rage judging by the sporadic nature of the wounds. As John noted, the attacker most definitely had help moving the body. He wasn't found until this morning and judging by the tire tracks outside the alley he was moved by car last night. He most likely worked in a car garage, judging by the flecks of car paint on his upper neck and residue around his nails, he clearly painted cars for a living. Married, but not wearing his ring. Judging the position of love bites on his body and the length of time he has been married. Obviously not made by his wife so she is most likely the killer." He says standing up looking satisfied with his conclusion and looks at both John and Lestrade expectantly.
John huffs in slight disbelief and looks up at Sherlock. "How do you know they aren't from his wife?"
Sherlock resists the urge to roll his eyes. "Because he removed his ring."
"How do you know that whoever attacked him didn't take it?" He questions.
"Because he is still wearing his necklace." He replies giving John a clearly exasperated look.
"Ah." John nods although it's quite clear to Sherlock that he cannot see all of the connections he made.
An officer comes over and talks to Lestrade who looks at Sherlock looking pleased.
"Meet James Ford. The wife you mentioned? We contacted her boss and he told us that she called in sick. Odd that she didn't call us to report her husband's disappearance."
Sherlock quirks a smile at that. "Indeed".
"Then it's her. Text me when you have something more interesting, Lestrade. John." He calls and strides off with those long legs of his. John rolls his eyes at Sherlock's usual anti-social behaviour, although some small part of him pleased that Sherlock has not changed so much, and turns to say good bye.
"Wait a minute John. Do you and Sherlock fancy going for a drink sometime with me and Molly? Celebrate Sherlock coming back and everything?" Lestrade asks; his eyes lighting up when he mentions Molly's name.
Greg and Molly…huh, John thinks to himself. It makes him smile. He's happy for them and he thinks they may just work well together.
"You and Molly?" he repeats grinning broadly.
"Yeah well early days yet. Tomorrow night good for you?" Lestrade gives him an embarrassed smile.
He thinks about Sherlock and wonders if there is any force on earth that will convince him to go. But he looks at Lestrade's hopeful face and finds he can't let him down.
"I'd love to and well…I'll see what I can do about Sherlock." He promises with a bemused smile. He says goodbye to Greg and jogs up to where Sherlock is standing on the street somehow managing to look like he is sleeping with his eyes open.
"Sherlock. You ready to go home?" John asks deciding that it would be better to try and persuade him to come along once they were home.
Sherlock nods but looks like he's deep in thought again. They walk off and hail a cab. Sat side by side as they had so often done John turns to Sherlock smiling.
"That was excellent! Didn't miss a thing." He praises unable to resist the urge.
Sherlock turns to see John's delighted smile and feels compelled to return a small one of his own.
"Elementary" Sherlock teases but something is niggling in the back of his mind.
"I…I really was impressed John" he says looking at him clearly wanting an explanation.
He watches as John's face flushes slightly and he turns to look out of the window.
"Well…I used to practice...you know…" he answers clearing his throat uncomfortably. Numerous explanations were flickering through Sherlock's mind; making his chest constrict and his heart pick up pace
"Practice?" he asks tentatively.
"My seeing and observing" John chuckles although it sounds slightly forced and it just leaves Sherlock desperate for more data.
"Why?"
John shifts clearly uncomfortable with Sherlock's questions but he turns to look at Sherlock anyway subconsciously sucking his lower lip into his mouth in an anxious gesture. Sherlock's gaze follows the movement for some inexplicable reason before looking at John's eyes. They seem to scan his face as if John is committing it to his memory or perhaps because some part of him still couldn't believe Sherlock was really there in front of him.
"I wanted to keep some part of you with me…some part of you alive" he says hating how his voice always hitches whenever he thinks about that gravestone and Sherlock buried under the ground.
Sherlock feels his stomach tumble sickeningly and loathes his body's reaction. He wishes he was as numb to human emotion as he had once believed. If he was he wouldn't have to feel such a confusing array of emotions ambush him from every angle. John holds the power that no other human on earth does. He moves Sherlock and that unsettles him deeply. Everything he feels for John in that instance is so overwhelming and he has to clench his hand into fists to keep himself from grabbing John and holding him. He breathes deeply through his nose and forces himself to relax; preventing himself from being overcome and give in to everything he is feeling for John. He wants to reassure him that he had never left. That he had always been watching and making sure John was safe. But he doesn't; it's too soon and too much is at risk.
"You always said you were the only one who reads my website." He says voice strained and low. John allows a small wistful smile but doesn't reply. Sherlock holds John's gaze for a moment longer before looking out the window again.
"Thank you" he murmurs quiet enough that John almost thinks he imagined it but it makes his heart beat so very fast that he knows it was real.
He needs to figure what this morning meant because sitting next to his best friend while feeling this way is going to drive him insane. He is so aware of Sherlock and everything he is experiencing right now is making him think that maybe what he is feels for Sherlock is something more than friendship. That maybe what he is feeling is something more than what he feels for Mary causing guilt to wash over him. He feels fear permeate his mind because for all his denial there is a small voice in his head that keeps telling him that he knows its true and it just leaves him feeling so confused. He has no idea what to do next but when he looks over at Sherlock's profile he finds himself drawn to the sight of his face looking through the window intently. He feels a familiar warmth unfurl itself in his stomach and wonders for how long he has felt this way and never noticed. He needs to figure this out and soon. He just hopes both Sherlock and Mary will understand; he can't lose his best friend. Not again.
Ok, so I know you guys are all waiting for it and I promise the next chapter is almost finished and you will not have to wait long. For those of you who were expecting this case to draw out, I am sorry if you are disappointed. I wanted to add a case in because what is Sherlock without a case? But this story is character driven so you can expect to see alot more of that coming your way in the next chapter.
It means so much when people let me know what they think good or constructive so please leave me a review; you have no idea how motivating they can be! Thanks for reading and I will see you next chapter! :)