Chapter Three
Title: Static
Author: A Study in Schadenfreude
Pairing|Characters: No strict pairing
Length: Undetermined
Genre: angst, action-adventure
Warnings: Post-Reichenbach Fall.
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Moffat, Gatiss, and Conan-Doyle own the characters, we're just making them dance to our tune.
Summary: Companion pieces to the main fic "Mobile." You really should read "Mobile" to understand what's going on here, but you can read it as a stand-alone if you want. :)
John knocked on the door of 221A, rent money tucked into an envelope with a nice and succinct thank you note for Mrs Hudson (he promptly ran out of words to say after 'thank you for everything', and had to push through to end with 'take care' after a couple more lines). He'd dropped the bin bag in front of the door to the street so he wouldn't be holding rubbish when he said goodbye to his landlady. Mrs Hudson was already speaking as she opened the door.
"John dear, what are you doing? The neighbors will have heard that racket." She tutted softly, concern written all over her face at it wrinkled around the edges. John knew that she knows what would happen, and he could read the worry in her eyes.
That was almost enough to make him reconsider, but no, no, too far to back out now.
"It's showtime, Mrs Hudson." He said instead, handing her the envelope. "Here's the rent, as promised. Do me a favour and call Greg Lestrade after you call about the body? Number's in the envelope if you need it."
"Of course, John. Now, you get away from here before someone sees you and the mess you made in my flat is for nothing." Mrs Hudson chided gently, giving John a kiss on the forehead before sending him away. "Take care of yourself."
John nodded and left, grabbing the bag on his way out. He walked to Laurie's '94 Accord and tossed the bin bag into the boot before getting in and starting the engine. He'd gotten a block away when he pulled over. He couldn't resist the urge to stay and watch. To make sure everything had gone smoothly, he told himself unconvincingly. It was because he wanted to see if everything would go according to plan, he insisted, not because he was having a hard time letting go of the life that he had.
John walked down the alley that would allow him to see 221 without being spotted. He watches as Mrs Hudson step outside, crying rather believably. She probably would have made a great actress on West End. Not even a minute later, Lestrade's car screeched to a halt, the man virtually jumping from the driver's seat.
John watched with apprehension as his friend ran into the flat, waited as the sirens grew louder and louder before the emergency vehicles crowded the space in front of the flat. Barriers were erected, keeping back the small crowd of people who'd been on the street.
He exhaled a breath that he was holding as he watched Anderson step into the flat, knowing that the man would take care of most of the details. Everything was going according to plan, and as pleased as he was by this, he felt a lot more sorry for the others he was leaving behind.
John was startled from his passive watch when a tall man with curly, ginger hair stopped sprinting in front of his vantage spot of 221. The man was turned away from John, facing the flat, and to John it appeared as if the man was more apprehensive than he was. As 'John Watson's' corpse was wheeled out of the house, the man fell to his knees, shaking like something devastating had just occurred. Concerned that the man was having a heart attack or something similar, he watched as the man stretched out an arm to support himself against the building wall. John reacted automatically like the doctor he was and, without even thinking, broke his cover to check on the man.
His hand touched the slumped shoulder and was about to ask if the stranger was alright when he was batted away. John shook his head, exhaling again, and backed away. He knew that he would need to fight his impulse to act like a doctor, to help people. Doctor John Watson had just died and it wouldn't do for someone who looked like him to possess the same skill set. At least, not publicly.
John glanced up from the stranger to see a flash of silver hair exiting the building, and he turned away from the scene. He didn't want to see the look on Greg's face - he could imagine it very well and did not want a visual confirmation. John felt bloody awful for putting the man through this. He quickly walked back to the car, eager now to put some distance between himself and his old life.
Once back behind the wheel, John navigated back onto Marylebone Rd, heading west to Paddington Station. It only took him 12 minutes to get there with the traffic, which, thankfully, wasn't enough for him to ruminate over what he just watched. He parked Laurie's Accord in the car park and grabbed his things from the back seat.
He purchased his one-way ticket to Exeter St. David's with the last of his quid. Luckily the train was departing in 10 minutes and he was quickly able to find a seat in relative privacy. He pulled out his new mobile to send a text to Doctor Laurie.
Left your car at Paddington Station. Getting rid of the things in the boot can be your apology for your car getting me pulled over. I only paid for an hour, so you better hurry.
-JW
Switching the phone off, John, no, Arthur settled in for the 2 hour trip. Taking one last look at the station, he knew the next time he came back, John Watson would be no more.
A/N: There will be two more chapters for Static posted before the next chapter of Mobile, and they are important. Hope you enjoyed and please review (it's encouraging :D ) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!