Hours later, I opened my eyes to someone knocking on my bedroom door. It seemed I had cried myself to sleep after the disastrous events of dinner.

The door opened and Mum walked in. She had changed into a t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms.

'Hey, sweetie,' she said as she sat on my bed. 'How are you feeling?'

I sighed, sitting up.

'I don't know,' I replied. 'Kind of feeling numb, I suppose.' I shrugged.

'Yeah.' She looked away for a second then said, 'He and John have gone back to their flat, you know.'

I hummed in response. 'Come downstairs when you're ready,' she said, walking over to the door. 'And check your phone.' She walked out without saying anything else.

I raised an eyebrow but then took my phone from my bedside table. There were two texts, one from John and the other from Tara.

How are you feeling, sis? I talked to Sherlock. Made it clear to him he's never to do that again. - JW

Hi, Kodes! John called and told me what Sherlock said. He has some nerve! I called your mum and she said you're asleep. Text me when you're awake. I'll be at yours in five from then. - T

I smiled. This is how much my brother and my best friend cared about me. How much they helped me get through life.

I set about replying to both their texts.

I'm alright, I guess. Is he always like that? - KW

I'm awake now. - KW

I leant back on my bed, sighing. I had been looking forward to this dinner. The first family Christmas in six years. A dinner where our family was complete: Mum, Dad, Harry, John and me. And Sherlock. He wasn't part of our family. I didn't actually understand why he was even invited.

John replied to my text.

Most of the time, yeah. Sometimes he can be so incredibly sweet. And afraid. But I like him most when he's sweet. - JW

True to her word, five minutes later, Tara opened the door to my room. She tended to do that. She never knocked – well. She knocked on a minimalist level. She just barged straight in most of the time.

'Hi,' she said.

I nodded at her. 'Hey.'

She also chose to perch on the end of my bed. As she crossed her legs, her white dress fanned out around her, making her look like what I had always said was a flower.

'You know, Ben was telling me tonight how Christmas always seems to get less and less happy each year. Have you noticed that?'

I stared at her, wondering how her brother came into this. 'Not… really,' I replied, unsure of where this was going.

'Oh. That's what Ben thinks. I actually think it gets happier.'

'Tara,' I said, stopping her in her tracks. 'Where is this meant to be going?'

She shrugged, giving me a sheepish smile. 'Distraction,' she said simply.

'Ah.' I nodded, now understanding.

'Hey, you wanna go out somewhere?' she asked. 'I know a few shops that are still open.'

I did. But I couldn't. The memories were coming back up again and I couldn't. I couldn't risk seeing the sight. The sight of happy couples that made my heart ache. I couldn't do it. It was impossible.

I shook my head. 'No. I can't,' I replied. 'The memories are fresh in my mind for a second time. I can't chance it. You've seen what could happen.'

Tara rolled her eyes. 'Oh come on, Kodi!' she complained. 'It's been six, nearly seven, whole months! You won't have a panic attack after six months!'

I glared at her. 'Well you can go out on your own. I'm not going to risk having a panic attack in public.'

Tara sighed. 'Look. I know this is hard, Kodi. Really painful, in fact. But you need to take chances if you want to get better,' she explained. 'I know how hard this is and I agree that Telling was a twat. But you haven't seen him for three months. I highly doubt you'll see him now.'

'I guess so…' I replied, still hesitant.

'And even if you do see him,' Tara continued. 'You won't have to talk to him. Let me handle that.'

I chuckled then. 'You'll make things worse, T. You know how big your mouth can get.'

She feigned looking hurt. 'Don't make that face at me!' I scolded, as if I was a mother talking to my child. 'You know you have a tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time!'

She sighed and gave in. 'Alright, alright. You have me there. We'll just go past him silently.'

I knew she wasn't going to let the subject drop until I said yes. But I wasn't going to say yes.

At least, not yet.

'He could still talk to us. He did that for three whole months. I didn't reply but it still hurt.'

Tara sighed deeply. She asked if I would go with her next time.

Next time? This was very un-Tara-like. Tara would never usually give in until she got her own way. This symbolised two things. One, she was upset with me. Two, we were on our way to an argument. I realised it was probably the first.

'Tara?' I said. She turned away from me. I apologised and said yes, I promised I would go with her next time.

She stood up off my bed. 'I'll go home, then,' she said, still not meeting my eye. 'Hope you feel better. See you later.'

'See you later,' I replied in a whisper before the door slammed shut.

I sighed again. This was one of the rare times Tara and I were on non-speaking terms and I didn't like it a single bit. It was horrible. It made me feel hollow inside, like a part of me was missing.

If anything, we should have invited Tara to the dinner instead of Sherlock. Tara wasn't rude, she knew my family well enough, she was nowhere near patronising and I wouldn't have mixed feelings about her, like I now did about Sherlock.

I sighed. How could such a gorgeous person be so rude?

I shook my head, trying not to think about this any further. I went downstairs, planning to help my parents clear up and check on Harry.

Come over to ours? Need to show you something. - JW

It was a couple of days after Boxing Day, making it five days since the Watson dinner.

I had just received a text from John. At nine twenty three AM.

Why did he have to 'show me something' so early? Couldn't he have waited until I was actually awake, like a normal person would?

John wasn't normal. A year of living with Sherlock had turned him abnormal. But, unlike the oh-so delightful Mr Holmes, he was still kind and caring. He was still soft and gentle. He was still my brother.

So I replied to his text, saying I would be there in ten minutes. I got up and dressed myself, and then went to grab some breakfast. After my parents asked where I was headed so early in the morning, I told them I was going to Baker Street.

They both raised an eyebrow but waved me off. Before I closed the door, I heard my father say, 'That Holmes guy better apologise to my daughter. Or else he won't know what hit him.'

I chuckled. My father, trying to fight. Just too funny a sight, it was.

I caught a taxi, as I was in no mood to walk in the pouring rain. A rare luxury. It just so happened that I had some spare cash on me left over from my parents' Christmas present.

When I reached 221b Baker Street for the first time ever, I knocked with the brass knocker.

An elderly lady opened the door and I recognised her to be Mrs Hudson, John and Sherlock's landlady (plus housekeeper). I smiled as she asked who I was.

'Kodi Watson. John's younger sister. I'm here to see him.'

Her face fell. 'I'm afraid John's just popped out, dear,' she said.

Great. Now I have to walk back home in the rain. I wished I had held onto the cab.

'Would you like to wait inside?' she continued. 'Saves you walking back home in the horrible weather. Snow's been delayed this year.' She tutted, shaking her head.

I hesitated. 'When will John be back?' I asked her.

'Oh, my best guess is in twenty minutes.'

Twenty minutes. I had to survive twenty minutes of Sherlock.

However, I decided I would go inside. Twenty minutes wasn't a long time. I could try and patch things up with Tara. After all, we hadn't spoken since the dinner.

I told her I would wait inside for John. She smiled and said, 'Alright. Don't worry about Sherlock. John's put him in his place. Make yourself at home, love.'

She waved me up the stairs. I walked up, unsure of exactly why I was here.

The first thing I saw when I got inside was the living room. The very messy living room. Papers were scattered everywhere apart from on two arm chairs: a green one and a red one. There was no one in there so I assumed Sherlock must have been in his bedroom or something.

I made my way to the green chair, since it looked most comfortable.

'Don't sit in my chair,' I heard Sherlock say.

I jumped: it was so unexpected in the seemingly quiet flat. I whipped my head round to see Sherlock in the… kitchen? There was so much science equipment on the table that it looked like a lab.

He looked into a microscope saying, 'Feel free to sit on John's though.'

I raised an eyebrow but then turned so I could sit in the red one. I took my phone from my pocket, planning on texting Tara, but Sherlock distracted me as he sat on his chair.

'Uh, Kodi?' he asked quietly.

I looked expectantly at him. 'Yes?'

He took a deep breath. 'I… I'm… sorry. For my words on Sunday evening. It has…' Another deep breath. 'It has come to my attention that… what I said was incredibly unfair and quite rude of me.'

I saw him swallow. This was Sherlock Holmes, right? John had always told me that Sherlock was very confident.

Maybe he was scared of apologising. Or maybe he was scared that the person he was apologising to wouldn't accept it.

I was all set to accept his apology but I had to find out one thing first. 'Did John put you up to this? Or do you mean it?'

He breathed out. 'Both.'

'Well, I forgive you. You're right, you were rude but I have no proof that that's what you're always like, so all I can do is forgive you. Forgive and forget, right?'

I did have proof that Sherlock was always like that, if John's complaining texts were anything to go by, but, of course, I couldn't say that.

He beamed. 'Thank you.'

Just then, John came bounding into the room. 'Hey guys!'

I got off his chair, saying, 'You're back early.'

He shrugged. 'I found what I was looking for quicker than I expected.' He frowned as he saw me standing. 'Kodi, sit down.'

'But-'

'No. Sit. Down,' he said firmly. I sat.

He walked up to me, handing me a red velvet box. 'Have a look at that.'

I took the box and opened it. Inside was a silver diamond ring. It had a diamond heart shape sitting on top and diamonds lining the outside. There was an inscription on the inside reading: Please? in swirly cursive writing. I smiled. It was beautiful.

I closed the box and gave it back to John. 'You're proposing to Molly?'

He grinned, nodding.

Molly Hooper was his year-long girlfriend. She was a pathologist at St. Bartholomew's hospital. I felt happy for them. They had more ups than they did downs but when they did have an argument, they managed to work through it.

'Congrats, John.' I smiled at him. 'It's a sweet ring, I have to say.'

'She told me she liked it when we went out the other night.'

'Ah. When you going to do it?'

'I'm moving to hers soon.' He turned to Sherlock, who was watching us, mildly amused. 'It could be permanent, mate. You might have to find another flatmate.'

'I can live by myself. Or I'll move closer to my parents.'

John scoffed. 'What about Mrs Hudson?'

Sherlock stopped. 'Ah. Yes. I guess I'll just live on my own.' His voice was considerably saddened.

I wanted to say I'll move in with you. But I couldn't. I'd only know him for five days and he was rude to me on the first day.

But he apologised.

Yes, and I don't know him.

You can move away from your parents and Harry.

I could… I could leave my parents in peace.

I couldn't. I'd think about it, yes. But I couldn't. Not now. Not yet.

Lots of things stood at stake here. I couldn't just do this. It required a lot of thought.

I needed to talk to someone who knew Sherlock well. Someone other than John.

Molly. I needed to talk to Molly.

I said to my brother and his best friend that I needed to go. That I had something else I needed to take care of.

They bid me farewell and I was on my way.

Chapter 2 done! What did you guys think? I'd like to say thank you to discountdiamond and FishtheCat for their follows and reviews, DemontaDark for the follow and ClanaFan01 for the favourite and follow. I really appreciate it. Thank you.