Chapter 21
Thank you so much for the reviews I really appreciate them. Please keep them coming I really like to know what you think of this and that you are reading it. We are starting to near the end of this story but still got a few chapters to go yet. Sorry about the delay in this update!
Thank you to SilverOcean01 for pointing out some silly typos I made! So I have reposted this chapter.
Disclaimer
I still own nothing!
"Why aren't you doing it?" Sherlock's voice demanded breaking through John's thoughts.
"What?" he asked at last.
"You really should pay more attention John. Text Mary and invite her to dinner, it really isn't that difficult," he said shaking his head.
"Have dinner here?" John asked trying to disguise the horror in his voice as he glanced round their flat trying to hide the disgust in his face.
"No, of course not here. Too many experiments here she could ruin no we can go somewhere, that's what people do isn't it?"
"I doubt very much that Mary is going to want to touch the eyeballs you currently have sitting on our counter which we really need to talk about by the way but yeah we will go out," John hurriedly agreed.
"Fine you can pick somewhere to go I suppose you know what her tastes are. No need to look quite so surprised John. I am not quite the social pariah that you seem to think I am at times," he said.
"Yeah alright, sometimes you're not. Okay well I'll book us a table somewhere though. not Angelos," he added as an after thought.
"Why not?" Sherlock asked. "It's a perfectly good place isn't it? Never heard you complain about the food before," he pointed out.
"It is nice but I'd rather we went somewhere that we actually paid for a meal and don't get it free because you helped get the owner off a murder charge. I also think we should go somewhere that half the staff are not convinced that we are a couple," John answered.
"Fine where do you want to go then?" Sherlock asked in an almost bored tone.
"Italian Kitchen?"
"No it has rats and the owner has a growing meth habit, I don't want him handling my food."
"Really? How do you – never mind, how about Peking Palace?"
"A bit out your price range is it not? Especially when you are not just paying for yourself."
"I'm not paying for your bloody dinner!"
"No but it is good form to pay for you girlfriend's is it not? Going off how much money you have and the price of -"
"Yeah alright, not there, how about Hutchinsons?" he asked slight irritation leaking into his tone.
"Nope"
"For God sake Sherlock! Where do you want to go?" John snapped.
"I thought we agreed that you should pick somewhere."
"I'm trying to but you have a problem with everywhere I have suggested," he argued.
"Just thought you would want to go somewhere decent," he said with a shrug.
"Right, how about Browns?" he asked evenly.
"I suppose it will do, fine book a table," Sherlock said at last.
"Right I'll book it this week for Friday night."
"Do it now," Sherlock said.
"No, I will do it later," he said shaking his head.
"No, do it now," Sherlock said.
"Fine," John uttered getting his phone to look up the number so he could book a table.
"Right, now phone Mary," Sherlock instructed the second he hung up.
"Yeah I will in a bit," John said.
"No, phone her now."
"Why?"
"So you don't have time to not phone her and embarrass yourself by attempting to come up with a story as to why she wont be able to make it that we both know wont work."
"Why do you want to meet her anyway? You complained when I brought anyone back before."
"Curiosity," he said abruptly.
John sighed picking up his phone calling Mary when he saw there was no point in putting it off any longer. They both knew Sherlock was going to get what he wanted, he normally did.
"Hi Mary, listen I was uh thinking if you wanted to go for dinner with me this Friday, to meet Sherlock? Okay talk soon, love you," he said hanging up, "There, happy now? He asked.
"Ecstatic," Sherlock responded dryly.
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Sherlock sighed slightly as he took the new tablets for his epilepsy. He had to admit they were controlling the fits better but it was still early days, too early to tell if they would continue to work as they were. He hated that he was at last having to follow medical advice but he had no choice, he needed to be in control of his mind.
"Sherlock, just try not to be quite so yourself tonight alright," John said nervously in the taxi on the way to pick up Mary.
"Why not? She should get to know the real me," Sherlock said glancing over at John as he quietly took slow breaths in and out. The tablets made him feel horribly nauseous as his body adjusted to them.
"Yeah but I don't want you saying anything horrible to her, I actually really care about her," he said carefully.
"I'm not horrible just say things like they are," he said distractedly.
"Yeah well just try to reign it in a bit tonight tonight alright," John said as they reached Mary's house.
Sherlock made a slight noise that John assumed was the closest thing he was going to get to an agreement from him while Sherlock supposed throwing up over her would also be considered rude. He supposed it would as he silently worked on trying to quell his nausea.
"Hi," John said smiling as Mary got into the taxi. He leaned over giving her a hug and a kiss. "This-" he began before Sherlock interrupted him.
"Sherlock Holmes," he said offering her his hand.
"Hi. Mary Morstan, nice to meet you," she said shaking his hand.
"Likewise," Sherlock said causing John to blink slightly in surprise.
"What is it that much of a surprise that someone else could like me?" Mary teased seeing John's reaction.
"No, not at all, just surprising that Sherlock is pleased to meet someone," he said causing Sherlock to roll his eyes slightly.
As they got to the restaurant Sherlock excused himself heading to the bathroom locking himself quickly into a cubicle before violently throwing up.
"Something wrong with the food?" John asked as Sherlock pushed the food round his plate. He couldn't help but worry.
"No it's fine, just not hungry," he said disinterestedly as he pushed the food round his plate.
"Them coming to dinner was a wonderful idea," Mary teased causing Sherlock to shoot her a look of mild amusement and irritation.
"Tell me about yourself Mary and do try not to be dull. I suppose John has told you everything about yourself he can be very egotistical,"
"Me? I can be egotistical?" John demanded.
"Don't interrupt John it's remarkably rude, now Mary, where were we, ah yes, tell me about yourself," Sherlock instructed.
"Not much to tell really," she said as she launched into her life story as Sherlock listened. He knew she was smarter than the others John had dated which part of the reason this relationship had lasted as long as it had. He supposed she wasn't quite as dull as all the others he had dated. He knew John liked her and he wanted to understand where the pull to her was. He knew what John wanted in life and wanted to know where Mary fitted into that.
"Yes good to meet you too," Sherlock said as the taxi stopped outside Mary's place.
"That went okay right?" John asked nervously after Mary had gone inside.
"What, it was fine," Sherlock said distractedly.
John looked carefully at him he knew something was going on. A life of calm was never a lasting thing when Sherlock Holmes was about. "What's going on?" he asked. He knew Sherlock well enough by now to know when something big was going on or perhaps more accurately in this case was still going on.