The Dragon's Companion

Disclaimer:

I do not own BBC Sherlock.

Notes:

Basically there are people who are creatures. They can look human but can make certain animal features of theirs appear/disappear at will to blend in with ordinary humans. There's prejudice between humans and creatures so they generally hide what they are.

Chapter 9

John blinked. He had wondered about it. He knew what Meliora really looked like or at least some part of it. Janine had hinted to him that he hadn't seen everything but still, he hadn't seen any sign of Sherlock's except for the time the man had blown that small ring of fire.

Normally he wouldn't have cared about being locked up but after being imprisoned and tortured he now found he strongly disliked being anywhere without an exit. He pulled off his gloves and stuffed them in his coat pocket. The vent was higher so he would need to jump at it to increase the impact of his punch but once he made a reasonably size hole he could simply start pulling and pushing the edges to enlarge it.

He blinked in surprise as his friend's eyes seemed to take on a ethereal appearance. It was almost like they were glowing. He didn't notice the scales that seemed to appear and grow over Sherlock's fingers.

The scales grew over his hand and wrist, creeping up his arm underneath his sleeves. He pulled back his arm, jumped and punched through the area where the vent met the wall. The vent screeched and bent while the edge of the wall broke off.

John pulled his sweater over his face so he wouldn't inhale the dust.

The vent fell to the floor.

Sherlock didn't waste time as he worked on enlarging the hole.

One of Meliora's dog ears twitched and she cringed. Apparently the place she had locked them in hadn't been strong enough to hold them.

Janine raised a brow at her before the door to the flat was opened to reveal John and Sherlock, both covered in a thick layer of dust and pieces of concrete.

Cool eyes landed on Meliora.

The wolf flinched. "Sherlo-"

"Why," the consulting detective interrupted.

Jan stood up, believing it best if the two were left alone and so pulled John out of the room to wait downstairs.

"Dray," she started after the door closed, only to be cut off again.

"Why," he demanded, his tone harsh.

The wolf's ears flattened against her head. "I just wanted you and John to have a chance to talk."

Sherlock stared at her in disbelief and confusion.

"You know, without the distraction of a case or anything."

He frowned, not understanding why she'd want such a thing.

"So you two could admit something very meaningful to each other." Seeing the dragon's expression made her sigh in exasperation. "Really Sherlock? I've explained this like five times already." Still seeing his blank face, she growled out slightly, "Your feelings Sherlock! I wanted you and John to talk about your feelings!"

This time he gave her a look. "I already told you of my decision not to tell John."

Meliora threw her hands with a huff before letting them fall again. "But Mary's gon-

"I don't deserve him."

Her green eyes narrowed as she gave him a sharp look. "Let's not talk about who we think deserves who."

Sherlock's expression softened, "You do deserve Janine."

"I do not!" She shot back. "But she chose me and that's what matters. You can't take away someone's choice."

John stood at the foot of the stairs where Janine was sitting. He wish he knew what they were saying. Indecipherable shouting could be heard and he winced. This was the first time he'd ever heard them fight before. "So," he started.

The woman looked up at him.

"Do you know why she locked us in that room?"

She stared at him, wondering if he'd admit it to her. "She's been rather impatient about him finding a life mate."

He frowned, "But that doesn't explain why..." His eyes widened in surprise. "Me? Meliora actually wants Sherlock to choose me?!"

Neither of them noticed that the door had opened.

"Why am I not surprised you think this is all about you," the wolf said gruffly, thoroughly annoyed.

His brows drew together. "So you don't want Sherlock and I to be together?"

The black-haired creature looked upward, "Good grief. How naive can you possibly be? Do you really have no idea how people become life mates?" She looked down at him to see his slightly annoyed expression.

"Aren't they all different though?"

She stared at him for a moment. "Wow." Meli was in utter awe at his ignorance. "All this time spent around two creatures and you can't even be bothered to use the internet to look up the term life mate."

He looked back and forth between the non-human and Janine who actually seemed a bit embarrassed of all things.

"I knew what it meant," Janine felt the need to point out.

Green eyes blinked once before glancing at her.

"I looked it up when you and Sherl first told me you were a wolf." With a smile, she added, "I just didn't know it was me."

John's frown deepened.

She gave her life mate a grin, "Yeah, well, Sherlock didn't know either until the ring."

"And when did you know?" Jan questioned with a smile.

"At the wedding. When I saw you attach yourself to someone I knew you were planning to sleep with. I knew there was something different but I didn't know what it was until I was picking out a ring."

Janine walked up the stairs and replied in a low voice, "The day we first met?"

Meliora kept her eyes on the woman in front of her. "That's generally the day it happens," she answered softly. "Creatures are actually the ones that started the 'love at first sight' thing. Although we don't tend to fall in love with our life mates so quickly it may seem that way."

John cleared his throat. "Um, sorry to interrupt-"

"No he isn't," the wolf grumbled, her head having fell forward so her forehead rested on Janine's shoulder.

"-but are either of you going to explain what it is I'm missing?"

She growled lowly.

The human woman's mouth quirked up in a half smile. "Why don't we go to my place and let them sort this out?"

The wolf grinned and gave her a short but deep kiss before saying, "God I love you!" She ducked inside the door of the flat to pull out Jan's coat as well as her own jacket before tugging on her life mate's hand to lead her down the stairs. "Ta! We'll be back tomorrow," she told John quite happily before both of the women disappeared outside.

"Talk to Sherl," was all Janine could get in before the door was slammed shut.

John stood there, surprised at their quick retreat. After a few moments he shook his head and went back upstairs and into the flat.

Sherlock was sitting in his chair. His eyes flickered up to his companion. "John."

He came forward and sat down in his own chair facing the consulting detective. "Janine said I should ask you about life mates." He saw an emotion flash before the dragon's eyes but it was gone again before he could determine what it was.

"Clearly." His hands came under his chin as he took his thinking pose. "What do you know about life mates?"

"Oh. Well, that creatures mate for life and I suppose by what Meliora said that they all know if someone is their mate when they meet them."

"Wrong. All creatures do mate for life and there is a reaction that happens when first contact is made; first contact either meaning actually talking to, coming into physical contact with them or even something as passive as mutual eye contact. However, it is exceedingly rare to know what that reaction means until more obvious clues are given. If Meliora hadn't entered into a fake relationship with Janine it would've taken longer for them to enter into a real relationship as she would have most likely tried to resist the pull toward her life mate until she realized what it was."

"So you don't get to chose your life mate?"

"There's been some debate about how the process occurs. The most recent is that our subconscious mind taps into a greater percentage of our brain than our conscious mind does and calculates compatibility as well as the needs of our life mate. It would perhaps explain why creatures never want to divorce and certainly never betray their mate with the exception of when one of the pair is human. Humans are generally more difficult to understand."

He frowned, looking down in thought. "And Meliora locked us in this room because she was impatient about you finding your life mate." John looked at him long time friend. "Sherlock, why does Meliora think I'm your life mate?"

Sherlock simply stared at him, expression calm and unassuming. "Why indeed."

He was unsure how long he spent staring at Sherlock when he finally spoke again. "Am I?"

Blue eyes narrowed. "Are you what?"

"Am I your life mate?"

"Why would it matter?" He had informed the wolf of this. It hardly mattered what he felt if John didn't feel the same. No matter what she said or implied he knew full well John didn't-

"It matters Sherlock because I have the right to know whether or not I'm your life mate!"

"You're not gay."

"No. But that doesn't matter because you're Sherlock."

The person in question stared at him quizzically. What was that supposed to mean?

John sighed, exasperated. "I'm not gay."

Blue eyes narrowed. He knew that. The man said it often enough.

"I've never fancied men and I doubt I ever will. But..."

Sherlock's breath caught in his throat.

His expression softened as he saw his friend frown, "You're not like anyone else. You're you. And amazingly enough the only problem I had when realizing what I felt was not that you were a guy...and not even that you're a dragon..."

The consulting detective felt his heartbeat skip a beat.

He laughed lightly. "Though it seems obvious now that of course you'd be some sort of rare creature." John smiled at him somewhat sadly, "Anyway, even that didn't bother me as much as the knowledge that you'd never..." He sighed, looking down at the floor. A moment passed and he saw Sherlock's shoes come into view.

The dragon crouched down in front of John's chair, putting his hands on the human's knees. "John," he breathed.

The human looked into the creature's eyes. He felt his friend's hand slide to the back of his neck.

How had he been so oblivious? How had he not seen it? He cursed himself for not trying hard enough and giving John the impression the man hadn't stood a chance. He hadn't known the night he had told John he was married to his work that the same man would prove to be just as important, more important, than any case.

Oh god. Sherlock hadn't known how he felt. And now he was going to let him down, tell him that Meliora made a mistake and that- ...was Sherlock kissing him? He closed his eyes and kissed back. The kiss ended abruptly when his friend pulled away.

"It's you," he told his human. "You're my life mate."

John blinked, taking a moment to process what was said. The kiss had been chaste and innocent but it had affected him more than even the most passionate of kisses had before that moment. When he did finally realize what Sherlock said he realized he was being carried! "Sher-"

"I need to ensure no other creature would dare harm or pursue you romantically," the dragon cut him off.

"Sher-"

"Nothing permanent of course. Although you are my life mate I believe we should wait before mating and thus giving you my mark. Perhaps do that 'dating' thing you always insist on when in a relationship. Of course I'll have to make sure you're informed about what it means to be mine. Not that this means I'm not yours but creature policy-"

John tuned out. What had he gotten himself into? He felt Sherlock place him on the bed and looked up to see Sherlock's smoldering gaze. His mouth went dry. What was the man-dragon planning on doing with him now?