Broken
John looked at his friend, sitting dejected on their sofa. He occasionally winced as he sniffed back the blood, causing pain in his obviously injured nose.
"Oh for Christ sake, Sherlock! Let him look at it." Mycroft said from the chair he was sitting in. Sherlock simply gave him one stony stare, before sighing and facing John.
John gritted his teeth resisting the urge to punch Sherlock himself, but his expression softened slightly as he saw the expression on his flat-mates face. He truly made a pitiful sight, dried blood surrounding his nose and mouth, more blood flowing from his nose.
"You deserved that Sherlock" he muttered as he prodded Sherlock's nose. He merely sniffed in reply.
"You called her a distraction... and as I understand, women don't really like that... Your ok not broken, unfortunately" he said, leaning away from his friend. Sherlock looked up at him.
"Mature John" he said rolling his eyes, no real anger or venom in his voice. He simply looked pathetic.
"John... I hope you realise that all my words were said in anger" he whispered. John scoffed.
"Yes, because I'm who you should be apologising to." he said gently, but looking at him pointedly. Sherlock nodded.
"Karen" he sighed. He looked at John who was watching him carefully.
"She won't forgive me you know... I called her a distraction- don't argue John you said it yourself" he said, without even having to look at his friend to see him open his mouth to suggest otherwise.
"Sherlock, you heard her... she said she loved you" Mycroft said in an almost caring tone. The abnormality was lost on Sherlock's depressed manner, however.
"I think you'll find that loved is the operative word there Mycroft... And I often find in my cases, that the more you care "he began, his voice breaking, thinking back to a such a wife who had hired him thinking that her husband had gone missing only to find that he was holed up with his lover. His male lover. Her face morphed into Karen's devastated face from earlier.
"The more you care... The more it hurts" he finished, choking back tears. Mycroft had no answer to this.
"Look Sherlock... Do you care for her?" John asked. Sherlock looked up at him his mind ticking. Did he care for her? Was this hurt caused because he... the great sociopath had developed feelings for another human being? His mind presented evidence for and against. The against, being the way he what he'd said before, the for, being every other moment they had spent together. And... He'd nearly told her, that night, dancing. He'd gone to say something, but she'd stopped him. Was she was afraid as feeling something as he was? She'd told him that she didn't trust people easily and yet she'd gone home with a person she'd only met hours before under less than trustworthy circumstances, she'd even saved him the day they'd met, she'd thrown herself into him regardless of her own safety to ensure that he was ok. Sherlock's face broke into an unfathomable expression and he nodded staring at the floor. Did he care for her? He most defiantly did.
"Why did I push her away" he moaned, placing his head into his hands. John patted him awkwardly on the back.
"We always do to people we love the most?" he murmured thinking of Harry and making a mental note to call her later.
Mycroft's phone beeped. He picked it from his pocket and scanned the screen.
"She's at Lestrade's" he said. Sherlock breathed an audible sigh of relief. She wasn't harmed. He leapt to his feet, shrugging on his coat. John looked at him wide eyed.
"Sherlock... Lestrade is going to kill you" he said no hint of sarcasm in his voice. Sherlock thought for a moment, before shaking his head.
"I need to know John... If there's any chance" he whispered running from the flat, John hot on his heels, Mycroft causally walking behind them, muttering to his driver on the phone.
As the black Mercedes pulled up at Arnolds Road, Sherlock was fidgeting, John was nervously wringing his hands and Mycroft was calm in a way that only Mycroft could be in a situation like this.
"STOP!" Sherlock screeched as the level with number 56, the driver clearly used to situations like this didn't slam on the brakes but merely slowed smoothly to a halt. He did raise his eyebrows however at his boss's brother wrenching the car door open before they'd even stopped, barely missing a bollard.
"For Christ sakes Sherlock, you'll break your neck!" John shouted, jumping out after him and promptly slamming into Sherlock's back. He peered around Sherlock's back and paled.
"On second thoughts...I think I would prefer breaking my neck to what's waiting for you" he muttered. Sherlock raised an eyebrow.
"Quite" he replied.
Anderson and Donovan were flanked one on each side of the door step, arms crossed; furious expressions on their faces, Anderson had one shaking hand on Donovan's arm stopping her from charging down to meet Sherlock. Sherlock's brain decided this was the perfect time to remind him that it wasn't only Lestrade that was fond of Karen down at the police station.
Sherlock took a small step forward, hand raised in surrender.
"I only want to see Karen" he said, quietly. Sally snorted.
"Nice injury there Sherlock... Did she do that?" she half, growled half laughed gesturing to his nose. Sherlock gingerly felt it, it had finally stopped bleeding. He nodded and the two burst out into fake laughter.
"Good girl" Anderson laughed, still glaring at Sherlock. John and Mycroft walked out from behind Sherlock, flanking him on either side.
"Look guys... He wants to apologize" John called from his right. Sherlock looked down at his friend touched at his sudden defence. The two gargoyles guarding the door cackled again.
"Like we're going to let him see her..." Sally shouted. Sherlock could see curtains twitching in the houses in the street. Sally appeared to as well.
"You really hurt her freak... she deserved better than that, especially after what she's been through these last few years... Now go before Lestrade gets back" she hissed, her voice quieter, but still furious. Sherlock's eyes lit up. There it was... hope. Lestrade wasn't in. He shook his head.
"I'm not leaving until I talk to her" he called, raising his arms. The curtains twitched again, including this time, the ones from the house he was yelling at. Familiar eyes peered out.
He ran forward into the gate, shrugging off John's hands. The eyes disappeared.
"KAREN!" he screamed, Anderson pushing him back. Donovan disappeared into the house. Sobs came from inside the house, disappearing when the door slammed shut. He was sure that he'd heard his name somewhere in them.
"Get the hell out of here!" Anderson groaned with the effort of trying to force a pushing Sherlock back. He broke free, running forward once more and began hammering on the door.
"KAREN!" he shrieked again, ignoring Anderson pulling him away.
"Go away!" Sally's voice shouted from inside the house. The neighbours had stopped their twitching and were openly staring at the scene.
"I'm not leaving till I talk to Karen!" he yelled practically sticking his mouth through the letter box.
"SHE DOESNT WANT TO TALK TO YOU" Sally screamed wrenching the door open, causing Sherlock to fall backwards into Anderson. The landed on a heap on the ground.
"Get off me... freak" he muttered, pushing a dazed Sherlock from him. John kneeled down next to his friend helping him up.
"Come on Sherlock... we'll try again another day" he whispered gently. Sherlock shook his head ferociously.
"I'm not leaving until she talks to me" he muttered, his brain still working to keep up with the current situation.
Mycroft stepped forward and faced the furious policemen.
"Look guys... he merely wants to apologize. At least give him a chance to put it right" his voice, the pitch perfect voice of reason. John swore that he nearly saw their faces soften. It seemed they were in with a chance... until.
"WHAT ON EARTH IS HE DOING HERE!" a voice bellowed from behind them. The three turned, Sherlock unwillingly since he was still being supported by John. Lestrade was standing behind them, broken bottles spilling from the bags he dropped in anger, red faced and huffing to control himself.
Sherlock untangled himself from John's grasp, still unsteady on his feet. He made towards Lestrade. Not smart, the man seemed to be losing control.
"Look Giles, I want to apolo-"he was silenced with another sharp blow to his face. For the second time that day, Sherlock Holmes, the great detective was punched directly on the nose. This time however, a sickening crunch came from it. John winced. Broken.
"You stay away from Karen! I warned you! What I would do if you hurt her, but you assured you had and I quote no romantic interest in her! Teach me to take the word of Sherlock Holmes... Now get out of here now!" Lestrade yelled, finger pointing at Sherlock's chest. Sherlock shook his head. He began to talk, ignoring the fresh blood dripping into his mouth.
"That's not something I can promise, Giles... I lov-"
"Don't you dare... DONT YOU DARE!" Lestrade interjected. Sherlock shut up immediately, eyes welling up with the emotional and physical pain.
"You don't do something like that to someone you like, let alone someone you lo-" he choked on the words unable to comprehend them.
"Get of my property Sherlock" he whispered rubbing his face. Sherlock opened his mouth.
"No seriously Sherlock, get off my property... before I do something I really regret" he said threateningly. John and Mycroft saw immediately that this was no idle threat. You do not cross the inspector when he was this angry.
"Come on Sherlock" Mycroft whispered gently, taking his brother by the arm. Sherlock nodded, barely aware of John steering him with his other arm towards the car.
"Back to Baker Street" John whispered. Sherlock was silent the whole way home.
He didn't even object when John fixed his nose, merely sniffing as he placed the strap on his nose. John decided as he looked at the man before him, the light gone from his eyes, the wondering mind silenced, that his nose wasn't the most important thing that was broken that day.
I'M TRYING TO GET THIS FIC FINISHED ASAP, I KNOW WHERE ITS GOING IT'S SIMPLY A MATTER OF GETTING MY IDEA'S TOGETHER AND THEN I CAN FOCUS ON OTHER STORIES :D NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE IN KAREN'S POV.