Aaahhh!
You do all realise I love you to pieces right?
Thankyouthankyouthankyou reviewers, you just make me SOOOOOOO happy :D
I'll be honest, I was having slight writers block with this one (which you may have realised because it's been like over A MONTH), because it's a bit difficult to think of new bizarre things to happen when this idea has really been stretched very far already. But I've done my best, and can only hope that you approve :)
Also, I would like to add a magnificant thank you to the BBC, Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatis, for all crating, writing and acting out this Sherlock Holmes adaption because it has become my life obsession, and we are all in your debt :)
In advance (and if you haven't read the last chapter), my apologies, but today is not actually set in 221b, because thanks to a long-standing promise and my sweet tooth, we're all going to the carnival!
Toffee apple anyone?
oOo
Friday -
Friday. John Watson loved Fridays. He always had and always did. Even before the war, and certainly more so afterwards, simply because it reminded him he was still alive.
Of course his mood towards the day, like many other things, was dampened by Sherlock's casual, in-depth observations. Last week John had arrived home looking relieved and excited. His flatmate, noticing this, had wondered why he was so unusually happy. And when John had nothing else to say but, "Because it's Friday", a cold laugh had sliced him in two.
"It's only a day John. Nothing special. There have been plenty of Fridays before today and there will be plenty after, and even when we are both cold and still and lying in our graves it will still go on and on and people like you will forever be tricked into worshipping a day that is as common as everything else in this boring world".
With this lovely, cheery, speech floating around John's head, he was feeling slightly less happy than he usually did on a Friday, but he didn't let it bring him right down.
Because today was special.
Today was unique and fantastic and the best day of John's life. Because today, he was not going home to 221b.
Straight after work, he was accompanying Sarah to the carnival none-the-less, and even though the idea seemed trivial and mundane compared to his new life, it was perfect. Especially after only barely surviving through Sherlock's 'welcome home' experiments over the past four days.
In fact, he decided, as the dizzying roller-coaster slowed down to a stop, he was perfectly happy with this change from things, even if there was the possibility of missing out on the start of a new case.
"Whoa...". Sarah collided with him, grinning from ear to ear as they both stumbled out of their seats. "That was brilliant! God, I haven't been on one of the since I was seventeen".
John was smiling broadly too, but only nodded in agreement, not quite trusting his stomach to keep his last meal down. In the back of his head, there was suddenly a sharp, cruel chuckle. So dear doctor, you can stand trailing along to crime scenes and seeing murder victims, but you can't get through a simple ride without being sick?. Shooing it away, he looked around, finally trusting his balance.
"Ok, what next then?".
With a softer, more mischievous smile, Sarah glanced around before pointing vaguely towards the stalls and dragging John by the arm. "Prizes", she laughed, placing him in front of a counter which was overflowing with stuffed toys and masks. The aim of the game was simple, a rounded man with a withered cap perched backwards on his head explained. Knock down all the pins with three tennis balls, and win a prize.
Testing his shoulder with a grim smile, and then lightening his expression for Sarah, John lifted the first ball, aimed it with all the concentration in his head, and threw it towards the targets. Much to his amazement, four of the ten pins flew off their perch and landed in a scurried mess on the floor.
Smiling with confidence now, John threw the second one, and was much happier when three more fell over.
Now with three left, and all the practise needed under his belt, he lined up his final shot, ready to reach for a prize, when -
"Hello John".
The cool, calmness of the familiar voice that had appeared out of nowhere, completely threw John, not just off balance, but into a state of panic, and the third ball flew through the air and smacked the carnival worker in the head.
Wincing and looking desperately apologetic, John whipped around to face Sherlock, who was standing very closely, and gazing casually at the two.
"Sherlo- ! What? What are you DOING HERE!"
The unflinching detective casually took a large bite out of the disintegrating candy floss and shrugged, his eyes shifting from side to side. Gulping, he lifted up the toffee apple in his other hand,
"Isn't it obvious John?".
Sighing irritably, John cast an apologetic look to Sarah and shoved his hands into his pockets, "No. Sherlock. No, it's not OBVIOUS".
There was that smirk again. God he could kill Sherlock sometimes, just for that smirk. "I am testing the sugar capacities between candy floss and toffee apples, and the difference in effects they have on the sweet tooth". He took a bite out of the toffee apple now, and chewed thoughtfully. "I was waiting for you, but when you didn't return home I decided you must already be here".
"How on earth did you know I'd be here?"
"Typical John. You are a typical human being, which means you couldn't help but be affected by the countless posters, advertisements and announcements that have covered the opening of the carnival. And, as you explained last week, it is Friday, so due to your limited brain capacity, and your increased happiness on Fridays, I realised you would want to be doing something special, with Sarah". He nodded in acknowledgement to Sarah before smiling back at John. "Hence, here you are".
"Yes". It wasn't a question or an answer, just a toneless statement, in which John wondered what exactly he was supposed to do now. His emotions were getting harder to control.
And then, surprisingly, Sherlock frowned, his brow furrowing slightly, before lifting in realisation. "You're angry".
Nodding vigorously, John remembered Sarah again and calmed himself, "Just slightly Sherlock. I'm on a date. With Sarah. It's Friday. Could you not just leave me alone FOR ONE DAY?".
Glancing between both of them, Sherlock seemed to shrink suddenly, and with a bleak nod, turned away, walking back into the midst of the carnival, the sweet food in both his hands forgotten.
Almost immediately, John felt guilty. Of course he hadn't meant to be that furious. He was a kind man, he hardly ever got angry when he could help it, and if he was, he rarely let his anger be shown. Deflating in one second, he felt slightly lost at what to do.
Sarah noticed the change in him too, and touched his arm, "John...I know you didn't mean that. Maybe you should go and say something".
Rather than argue, John nodded in defeat, and started to move away, when there was a loud explosion from the direction Sherlock had walked in, and smoke could soon be seen rising. Running towards it, John skidded to a halt when he saw a candy floss machine was on fire, bits of machinery lying all over the ground, and a furious looking worker was shouting and swearing at a tall dark figure in a candy floss dotted coat.
He caught a few snippets of the argument, mainly,
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Simple. I was testing whether your machine was able to reach the standards required for the perfect candy floss. Clearly not".
"Wha - ? You're paying for that!"
When Sarah reached his side, John was already turning away with a tired sigh on his face. But despite his best attempts to hide it, she also caught the light smirk in his warm eyes. Smiling at the scene herself, she linked her arm with his, and waited for him to speak. Eventually he did.
"I'm going to kill him if he brings candy floss into the flat".
oOo
…
I know, I know, I think I've lost it slightly, but my main guidelines for this episode were just Candy Floss, Toffee Apple, Carnival, Friday, Explosion. The rest is just nonsense to join it all together.
Ok so, reviews; always welcome, always loved, and Karma will always reward you :D
Thanks for reading - and hopefully enjoying. I'm debating doing the weekend too, but if I get any great ideas, then they shall be written! And I promise they will be up quicker than this one :S
OH and I would also like to add that there is a Have I Got News For You on BBC 1 in about two hours and BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH IS ON IT! Yes, that is the main reason I will be watching it. Felt I should mention it :D Ok...Thanks again... :)