Warnings: Johnlock slash (Rating could go up), beta'd now, I'm not British, Bullying, Mentions of drug abuse, AU

Disclaimer: I don't own Sherlock.

Special Thanks: QueenLadyAnne, my lovely Beta, who keeps reassuring me and giving me wonderful advice!

It has almost been two years now. You would have thought that John would have begun to get over what has happened, but he still wakes up at night screaming and lashing out against anything that happens to be close by. These dreams, unfortunately, do not consist of harsh desert sands or bullets whizzing past his head. These dreams, which always result in a sobbing and broken army doctor, consist of hollowed, unfocused eyes and a crimson red clashing against pale and tan skin. He still feels haunted by the brief flash of the red threads. 'As if losing Sherlock wasn't painful enough...now my mind is deluding itself into thinking we are bonded.' Still John would chant a little mantra of, ' I was mistaken. I was wrong. I didn't see what I had thought I had seen. Let. It. GO !'

He does try dating…once, a few weeks after The Fall. It was going fairly decently. Mary knew he didn't love her and she didn't expect anything more from him. Or so John thought. Two months after their first date, Mary (un)subtly brings up marriage, as if trying to gauge his reaction and see if he would be amenable to a wedding someday. He, at first, could ignore her feelings for awhile, although, when she finally said those three little words, he dumped her like all the rest. He then decides that dating is a tedious affair and pursues a life of singularity. He only truly ever loved one person in his lifetime, but now he was gone.

If he could help it, John refused to think back to that day. His dreams haunt him each night and the empty rooms of 221B drag him even further into the dark pits of depression he had visited previously, before Sherlock was in his life.

This time though, the despair seems to swallow him whole. He is drowning and no one seems to see. He sees all the happy, smiling people and hates them. His smiles feel stiff and awkward and getting out of bed in the morning is a chore. It was bad before, but now, he feels as if he is struggling to move or breathe. Everything feels so hopeless. What is the point?

Before Sherlock had…before Sherlock, John was broken, yet, Sherlock took the pieces and stitched him back together again. Now though, this once strong, proud man has been reduced to a shell of who he once was. This time…...he doesn't believe he can be fixed.

Mycroft has taken it upon himself to visit John every two weeks. He would travel to Baker Street, in one of his private cars, and try to coax John into leaving the dismal flat. The conversations would always go about the same. Mycroft would pronounce, in that posh voice he always seems to enunciate in, that 'John was being entirely too sentimental' and that 'he should get out of the flat and try to live his life.' Each long, drawn out recommendation, would be ignored and fall on deaf ears. John would respond, the same way he always would. He wouldn't actually say a word. He would walk over to the door, open it, and indicate to Mycroft, with a firm set to his shoulders and hardened eyes, that his presences is no longer wanted. He would then leave the flat, accomplishing nothing.

But something was off about this visit. Mycroft, unlike the usual routine, went into the kitchen, made two cups of tea, handed one to John, led him over to Sherlock's chair, and took the other over to John's old chair to sit down. Once he was settled, he looked at John with an air of omniscience. When he actually began to speak, it caught John's attention, "When you and my little brother first met, you came face to face with another seemingly threadless man. At the time, you wouldn't have been able to realize that my brother did in fact have a soul mate or that his soul mate was very much alive." John's eyes narrow as Mycroft pauses. He seems to be debating with himself internally before he cautiously continues with, "We have reason to believe that you are his one intended."

"John, there have been other cases like yours and Sherlock's. The threads have disappeared before death due to severe trauma. As Sherlock has told you before, he has never had a thread. We believe that he hadn't developed it yet. As you know, Sherlock had a extended infatuation with drugs. My people believe that the drugs put a strain on his system and stunted the growth of the bond between you two. Researchers have not heard of a case in which the threads occupants hadn't received one at such a late age, but agree it is possible. In your case, when you had been shot, the trauma of the incident left you unable to find your soul bonded."

John's gaze, throughout Mycroft's explanation, remained, hollowly, fixated on the wall. He looked at Mycroft momentarily before staring at the wall once again to reply, in a broken whisper, "Then why did it appear now?"

Mycroft tapped his umbrella against his shoe before saying, "We believe that…this event…..was traumatic enough to bring back the threads momentarily if not permanently. Sherlock had, once before, told me that his thread had appeared, when he was recovering from his overdose, because he had felt like he had been 'shot'."

That was enough to finally break John out of his indifferent haze. His gaze bore into Mycroft's knowing eyes but he didn't say anything. Mycroft stood up then, from where he was perched in John's old chair in 221B, and strolled over to the door. Before he exited the room he turned to John and uttered an eerie, vague message, " When Sherlock was little he had desired, besides being a pirate, to be a magician. He would stay up late at night practicing card tricks and illusions. He has always enjoyed his 'magic tricks' John."

With an air that only the Holmes' men seem to achieve, Mycroft swept away elegantly down the stairs and out the door, leaving John with a feeling of confusion and dread.

Notes: I hope this makes sense! I hope it all will come together in the next chapter. Sherlock will return and the rating will possibly go up (I haven't decided yet). The boys are now finally confirmed as soul mates :D

Kiras70: Here you are love! A new chapter! :D

Azile Signer: You are adorable! I love your comment! It has made me all happy inside! :D I hope you are happier now?

Kestrel98: I'm very glad you think so! :D That's what I was going for! I agree! I've seen tons of art with the threads and I just HAD to write a story! :D

TheMysteriousGeek2345: So do I :). I'm glad you enjoy it! :D They will get together, I promise! :D Here you are! A new chapter! :D

I hate to do this and I apologize... I'm going to have to update now on Wednesday and Saturday. I'm working on getting the updates done but I'm not sure I can do it for Monday. (again, sorry!)