A few weeks had passed and John had fallen into a new sort of routine. He'd get up every morning and have a nice breakfast. Then he'd read the day's headlines and went out to the shops. The town he lived in was a sleepy suburb compared to the hustle and bustle of London. It was an ideal place to relax and rest and John was bloody well sick of it. He missed the rush of people, the blaring noises of traffic, the grandoise of the metropolitan. But, every time he thought back on those days, thoughts of...him came with them. So, he figured it's better to be bored and somewhat active than back there and miserable. Besides in roughly 4 months, he'd be the father of what the scans show to be twin boys. He couldn't wait until they arrived, he so hated the loneliness.
Harry had been by a couple times to visit, but never fully sober, so the last time she'd visitied he'd told her that if she couldn't come sober to not come at all. It seemed she'd taken to heart his words. Mrs. Hudson visited once, but couldn't stop tearing up. Whether it was from the fact that one of 'her boys' was about to be a father or the fact that the other wouldn't be around to see it. She also brought back to many memories of a life that he was trying to leave behind.
He missed Greg's visits most of all. Before he'd broken things off they'd been on three dates. Each one nicer than the last. It was as if he didn't have to try with Greg nor Greg with him. They fell into a comfortable companionship that John had mised. With Sherlock almost everything he said was a target for ridicule, but he didn't have to worry about that with Greg, so talking became a bit easier. No subject was out of bounds and John became visibly more relaxed. He then became insecure. Things didn't go this well for him without turning to hell soon after. He didn't want to think about what it would be like to fall any deeper with Greg, only to lose him as well. He told himself it was for his own protection, for his own sanity. So, why did he feel like his sanity was dwindling by the day?
Given the enormous, although begrudgingly accepted, amount of money he'd received from the Holmes' estate, he hadn't needed to find a job and probably wouldn't well into old age, but he still wanted to find something to occupy himself. Trouble was, he didn't really leave his house much, other than going to the shops. It was almost like those first few months back from Iraq, except for two very big differences. Both of which he began to feel moving in his abdomen earlier in the week. He knew sooner or later he'd have to change, because he'd have to wrangle twin boys pretty soon and if they're anything like him or their other father...he's going to have a full-time job on his hands.
Greg Lestrade was depressed. He went through his days on auto-pilot and sometimes that was ineffective. He couldn't get the endearing blond doctor out of his head. He'd respected John's wishes by not pressing for them to be in a relationship right now, but it didn't stop him from wanting one. He wanted so badly to be there and protect him and his baby. He'd made a mental note to call and ask if he knew what he was having yet. He was dying to know. He wanted to know everything, he wanted to be there every step of the way. He'd never felt this way about his wife. That was more of a marriage of convenience. They were both from decent middle class homes and figured that it was the thing to do at that age. They ended things amicably, but he never thought he'd risk any of that again, but that was before...
Well, Greg couldn't pinpoint when it was he'd fallen for John. The petit blond man intrigued him from the moment he'd laid eyes on him, but not in the way he's feeling now. First, he felt confusion for anyone who is a 'colleague' of Sherlock Holmes, must not be fully aware. Then, it was respect. John had shot and killed for a man he'd known for about a day. He knew after Sherlock's deduction just who it was, but he just didn't report it. It was because he knew that he would be good for Sherlock, make him more human, and he'd almost achieved that goal...until. He hated Sherlock for what he'd done. It just didn't make any sense and once John found out he was pregnant, the hatred increased tenfold.
John had shared so much with Greg during their talks about Sherlock. He shared his past, his insecurites, his bewilderment at the sudden attraction to Sherlock Holmes after being 'decidedly straight for almost 40 years'. They initially formed a bond as two of the men who could put up with Sherlock's abuse and not punch him in the face...too hard. Then, at least on Greg's part it became a much more physical attraction, but out of respect of John and Sherlock, he never acted on or even voiced those feelings to anyone.
He was shaken from his thoughts by his cell phone ringing. No number appeared on the screen, but against his better judgement he answered it anyway.
"Hullo?" he gruffed into the phone.
"Detective Lestrade, I need you to go to St. Mary's Hospital immediately. Head to the emergency room."
"What? Who is this?"
"Mycroft Holmes. Please, do as I've said and hurry. John's been hurt."
As soon as he'd heard John's name, his keys were in hand and he was slamming his office door, rushing to the hospital.