Lestrade placed a soft hand on John's shoulder and guided him from the dying Jedi.
John gazed longingly at his master's weakening body, the knight grimaced as the boy was pulled from him. "Master, I want him with…"
Lestrade hushed him softly. Sherlock gave Lestrade a pained look, the master rested a soft hand on his former padawan's brow. The deceased smiled proudly at the young knight at his feet. "Trust me?"
"Barely." The rasping response.
"Brat." Lestrade flicked the young man in the forehead. Sherlock managed a pained smile. He motioned for John to come back to him, the boy obliged with a small sob. Sherlock stroked the child's hair tenderly. His fingers danced through the soft hair, his hand trailed down the sensitive skin of the boy's neck and gave the child's ear a light tug. He grimaced as John cried harder.
"John."
"I am sorry, Master."
Lestrade placed a steady hand on John's back. Gravely he looked at the padawan, John had tears toppling from his eyes. Lestrade gave the young back a gentle stroke. "I am sorry as well, John." Lestrade murmured to the poor child. "For you will have to endure your master's presences for another few years."
The thought did not register with neither padawan nor knight at first. Sherlock was the first to comprehend the failing promise. He let out a pained sigh against the hard floor. "Master, you raise his hopes."
John gripped Lestrade's hand desperately, the child's sky blue eyes implored the master not to be lying. Lestrade frowned heavily at the pair.
"You haven't figured it out yet?" The master gave Sherlock a disappointed look. "You of all people. I left you clues, kiddo."
"Master…" Sherlock croaked painfully.
Lestrade carded his hand through John's hair, he paused at the area where the padawan's braid had proudly been attached. The old master smiled and ran his fingers down, the interlace reformed under his fingertips. "We have time, young one." Lestrade said softly. "Think. Think of the clues left to you."
Lestrade twisted the boy's head and pointed to a scar on the small ear. Sherlock's eyes widened slightly, for as often as he nipped the boy's ear his eyes were usually shut. Sherlock reached up to stroke the small scar across the ear. John blushed. "What?"
"You couldn't always heal?"
"Yes I could!" The child huffed. "I healed myself the moment we got to temple. I tripped out of the ship and healed my nose."
Sherlock shot a look towards Lestrade, the elder had insisted the youngest retrieve his bear. "Little one, is that also the day you received your bear?"
"Yes, Master."
"Oh, I've been so stupid." Sherlock mumbled.
"Like you I saw myself pass in a vision, Sherlock." Lestrade said gently. "That is why I declined your offer of company on that mission." He stroked Sherlock's dark hair gently. "You would have only blamed yourself. However, previous to that I saw another vision. A vision of a small boy, a padawan." The master looked towards John, who had his hand firmly clenched in Sherlock's shirt. "Your padawan as it turns out. I came to this planet guided by the Force and found a young Force sensitive prince. His mother insisted I take and protect him. She gave him the bear, and I…"
"Stored a healing crystal inside." Sherlock frowned. "Master, no crystal is strong enough…"
"Young one, after you were knighted I needed to go on a mission to find my future. The council urged me to take another padawan, but after you it just didn't seem possible. What I found was an entirely Force sensitive planet. And the most powerful healing crystal I had ever encountered."
Sherlock glared at his former master. "You could have lived."
"Much like my light saber was not meant for you, this crystal was not meant for me." Lestrade smiled sadly. "My time had come, Curly. There was nothing I could do to stop it, other than protect my legacy through Force guided visions."
"But you could have…" Sherlock began, his voice laced with pain. "You could have survived, if you kept it, if you let me help you." Sherlock hissed.
"Sherlock, it was me or John." The master said finally.
Sherlock's eyes fluttered to his padawan, John's pained expression said it all. John was already blaming himself for Lestrade's death. Sherlock's stomach clenched.
Despite the fire in every cell he sat up slowly, his arm stretched out carefully, and he snatched the boy against his chest in a one arm hug. "Don't you dare, don't you ever think that was your fault." Sherlock's body screamed in pain, but he shoved away the feeling as John clung to him.
"It is my fault though." John cried.
"No." Sherlock said forcefully. His mind grew groggy.
John curled himself against his master, willing the elder's words to be true.
"Little one." Sherlock nipped his ear softly.
"There, you see? Stop your whining." Lestrade chuckled. "John, bring your bear to Sherlock, please."
John ran to where his bear had fallen and brushed it off. He ran back to Sherlock's side and perched himself across from Lestrade. The child made to hand the bear to the deceased Jedi, but was stilled with a small hand gesture.
"You'll need to sacrifice your bear and your healing abilities, John."
"Yes, sir." John said fiercely.
Sherlock shook his head. "John, you will be able to be hurt…"
"Master, shut up." John snapped. The knight gave the reformed padawan braid a hard tug.
"John, listen to me."
The padawan carved into the bear with his pocket saber, a clear crystal clattered to the ground. The child gave his former teddy bear a miserable glance and a small kiss to the head. Sherlock swore he heard the boy mumble "thank you". The bear was lain peacefully back to the ground. Sherlock gripped his padawan's arm firmly.
"Little one, you haven't felt pain in a long while. Think of what you are giving up for me."
John stared into the ocean blue eyes of his teacher, Sherlock recoiled slightly at the fire in his padawan's eyes. The elder reached for his student's cheek, his hand curved around the smooth fresh tenderly. John cried against the palm. "I don't care, Master. I don't."
"I do." Sherlock mumbled as thumbed away the child's tears. "I care, John."
The boy opened his master's fingers and dropped the crystal in his grip, Sherlock instinctive tightened his hand around the warm gem. Light began filtering through the Jedi's long fingers, Lestrade pulled John away rapidly.
"Sherlock, this will only fix your life energy!" He shouted over the growing roar of the Force. "Your physical body will still be injured!"
Sherlock threw Lestrade a swift look. "Master, will I see you again?" Sherlock called back.
Lestrade gave John's shoulders a strong squeeze. "No. No, Curly, you will not. Until you pass later on in life, we will not see each other again."
Sherlock's eyes bore into Lestrade's as the Force surrounded the young man's chest. Sherlock reached towards his elder longingly. "Master, please come back."
"I have passed, Sherlock." The master said with a sad smile. "I cannot come back again. I have broken far too many rules."
"I didn't get to say goodbye last time!" Sherlock shouted.
Lestrade stepped forward as the light began to fade from the knight's body. He knelt by his former student's body. Muttering a small blessing, the master extended his hand over Sherlock's eyes. "It is never goodbye, my apprentice."
Sherlock clutched the silver haired man's arm for a final time. "Master, I…"
Lestrade silenced him with a cheerful smile. "I know."
He allowed the knight to embrace him swiftly, before pulling away lightly. He ruffled the young knight's hair warmly.
"And just so you know, Curly, that crystal only works for Jedi completely dedicated to the light. You are a good man, kiddo."
The clasped hands one final time before the master began to depart. He gave John's hair a light ruffle.
"Take care of him."
"I will." Both Sherlock and John promised at the same time.
Lestrade threw his head back and chuckled warmly.
"I will see you in other world, I swear to you."
John waved tearfully as his grandfather began to fade, Sherlock began to sit up ever so slowly. His broad hand stretched out over John's back. Lestrade gave both Jedi a warm smile and a small wave.
"Te amo, cum te Mihi in die primo non licet. Mihi parvulus semper." Lestrade muttered softly.
"Magister, magistri mei." Sherlock replied softly.
John blinked at the foreign language. "Master?"
"Translate it on your datapad when we get home, little one."
Home.
"Yes, Master."
oOo
They ran.
There was nothing graceful, nor sophisticated about it.
Sherlock collected the child against his chest, kicked through the door, and ran. John cleaved to his teacher's neck as if to never let go. Sherlock cradled the back of John's head carefully. His broken legs cried out in pain, but his face betrayed nothing.
"Master, our sabers?"
"Getting there."
Sherlock shouldered through a door, Moran's study.
Former study.
The sabers were sitting on a desk, Sherlock's was dismantled, but all pieces were accounted for. John's remained untouched, his hand welcomed the warmth that surged through it at the touch of the familiar metal. Sherlock quickly reassembled his saber with ease, never letting go of the boy.
"John?" A shocked voice came from the doorway.
Harry.
Sherlock steady himself against the wall, his face was passive, aside from the droplets of sweat that fell from them. Sherlock's grip on the child was only tight enough to barely hold him.
She could easily stop them.
John threw her a pleading look. Sherlock braced himself for another fight, the young woman gazed at him tiredly.
She stepped aside for them.
John let out a small gasp. "Thank you, Harry."
The young woman nodded blankly. Sherlock glared at her for only a second before taking their leave.
Another day they would come back for her.
But today John was his soul focus.
Sherlock shoved his way through the royal guard, easily over powering them with his curse. Each one falling into a deep and sudden sleep. Even John felt the urge to delve into sleep at Sherlock's command. The knight shook him lightly.
"Stay awake, little one."
"Yes, Master." The boy mumbled.
Sherlock Force sprinted to the Jedi base without ever slowing, or breaking. He and the padawan both tumbled into the base clumsily, causing Mycroft to recoil at the sight of them. Rica was at his side in a moment.
Mycroft had brought them a healer.
Perhaps he wasn't completely useless.
Sherlock collapsed to the ground and released his padawan. John staggered from the Jedi unsteadily, Rica immediately had machines in Sherlock's face. Mycroft reached to pull John from the scene, but Sherlock caught his tiny arm in a vice grip.
"John." He breathed. The child scooted closer to his master, desperately trying to close the gap. Sherlock stared into his eyes. "Do not leave me." The master commanded. "Stay with me. Where I can see you." He shook the boy slightly roughly. The boy nodded fiercely, the knight was too exhausted to shield from the child. John could feel every emotion coursing through his master.
Including his fear.
Sherlock gave into the darkness pulling him under.
They were free.