An explanation.

John and Sherlock were sitting at the table, John eating his breakfast and Sherlock reading the newspaper column about the Empress Pin.

"You and I have barely scratched the surface. There could be thousands of operatives in the UK alone," explained Sherlock.

"You've cracked the code, Sherlock. I'm sure if you gave it to Dimmock he'd be able to find them," said John.

"Then they can just change the book-That's the cunning of book code."

Looking out the window, they both saw an eye spray painted onto the bin across the street. John gave Sherlock a knowing glance before returning to his breakfast. They sat in silence for several minutes, Sherlock staring at John, who was, in turn, staring at something supposedly very interesting in his bowl.

"You have questions," said Sherlock, repeating the phrase he had used not so long ago, after first meeting John.

"What?"

"About the incident on the railway with the cipher,"

"Wha-How on... Know that?" he muttered, stunned.

Sherlock sighed. "You're staring at your bowl, which probably means you're either bored or wanting to say something. I'm going on the latter, since the book you're currently reading is right there," he began, pointing to John's left. "Your mannerisms as well. I saw you self-consciously rubbing your temples as well as stealing several glances at me-especially at my hands. Obviously, you were remembering what happened when I-That incident..."

"The mind-reading thing?"

"Yes, yes-if that's what you call it," said Sherlock quickly.

"Oh, I see."

Sherlock gave him a puzzled look. "See what? I thought you would utter some word of praise as you usually do."

"Yes, well, it was brilliant," Sherlock flicked his eyes to the ceiling, "But, I think, you... don't like to talk about it."

"What makes you say that?" John gave him one of his own smug smiles back at him.

"Alright, fine. You're the second person to know about it," John opened his mouth, "Mycroft was the first," interrupted Sherlock. John sat back on his chair in an attempt to get comfortable. Noticing this, Sherlock went on, "Oh, and now you'll want to hear the whole story."

"Yep." Sherlock uttered a sigh of defeat and started.

"I was fifteen, and I had just reported an incident involving the local rugby club and several girls from my school-"

"-I can see where this is going."

"Anyway... They hadn't been so pleased with that. Two of them were being charged with a third on probation-"

"-Definitely-"

"-Do you want to hear it or what?"

"Yep-Yes. I'll just shut up, as per usual."

"Good. To cut a long story short-they knocked me out and dumped me near an electricity pylon while there was a storm. Said something macho and unintelligible like 'let's see your power of conduction.'"

"That's terrible."

"Exactly-that's what I told them."

"I'm betting they didn't take that down too well."

"No-they tied me to the pylon and left me there. Lightning struck it and travelled right through me. Should be lethal, I know, but, next thing I know, I wake up in the back of Mycroft's car. He had been following my attackers and was getting me to the hospital."

"So... The lightning strike did something to your brain?"

"Yes-during the first twenty-four hours I could hear every thought of every person within a radius of approximately five metres of me. In the car to the hospital, for instance, I could 'hear' Mycroft's thoughts."

"That must've freaked him out."

"Yes-well, at least he believed me and he didn't go to the hospital. Still got questioned by my parents and my attackers charged, but, apart from Mycroft, no one knew about the incident."

"Do you have any idea what may have happened to, er-you?"

"That the excess electrical energy was taken on by my brain and made it hypersensitive to other people's electrical fields surrounding their central nervous systems. It's a sketchy theory."

"Sounds pretty conclusive to me."

Just then, Sherlock's phone rang. "Hello?"

John stood up and walked to his bedroom.

He had a lot of information to digest.

Okay-One more chapter to go.

Sorry to disappoint those Doctor Who/Sherlock crossover fans.

*cough* Foxglade *cough*