The house was a mess. Sherlock had run off for some case with a client and he had left John with a kitchen full of the remainders of some messy experiment John didn't want to think about. He was tired and annoyed when he heard his phone ring. It was Lestrade.

'John, how are you?'

'Fine. Listen, Sherlock isn't here.'

'I know. I'm calling for you.'

John frowned, which Lestrade seemed to notice, even over the phone.

'Yeah I know this is not your job but we have a case and I could really use you…. Would you mind coming to the station?'

'Eeh… no not at all. I'll be there in twenty minutes.'

'Great. Thanks John!'

'Sure.'

John hung up. This was strange. What would Lestrade need him for? The Yard had a complete medical team and even Anderson, despite his many flaws, was a capable forensic most of the time.

But John was intrigued and twenty minutes later he walked into Lestrade's office.

'Good afternoon Detective Inspector.'

'Ha John, good that you came. Please sit! Do you want some coffee?' The DI seemed nervous. What was going on?

'No thanks. Are you okay, Greg?'

'Actually John, I've been better. We have been chasing a notorious serial killer for weeks now and finally we might have a way to lore him into a trap.'

'Eeh… good for you. So why am I here?'

Lestrade fidgeted with his pen. 'We sort of…. We could use your help to set the trap…'

John became suspicious. 'Just tell me what you need, Greg!'

Lestrade put down his pen, leaned forward on his desk and gave John a serious look. 'We need you to be the bait.'

John was startled. 'Me? The bait? But… Why me?'

Lestrade explained how the serial killer targeted people how were somehow related to the Army. The victims appeared otherwise random: men, women, soldiers, civilian personnel, medics, and all of different ranks. Their only connection was the Army. The psychologists of the Yard suspected that the killer had some sort of complex after having been rejected by the Army several times, but they could not provide a clear enough profile to find a suspect. Lestrade was getting desperate and therefore he decided to set a trap. Of course they had considered an undercover agent as bait, but the methods and the crime scenes for the killer showed that he was extremely careful, well-organized and with extensive knowledge of his victims; he would see right through the fake target.

'So… you want to provide him with a genuine one…?' John asked.

Lestrade gave him a pained look. 'I would never ask you if there was any other way, John! And I promise we will protect you so well! Nothing will happen to you!' He stared at him intensely.

John took a deep breath. 'Do worry Greg, I'll do it.'

Greg's face lighted up in relief. 'Really?'

'No.' snarled a baritone voice by the door. Lestrade and John turned to look.

'Sherlock, what are you doing here?' John asked surprised.

'Stopping you from doing something extremely stupid.'

'What? Why do you think…' John started, but Sherlock interrupted him. 'I wasn't talking to you John.'

John ignored the insult. 'How did you even know I was here?'

'I deduced it.' Sherlock stated without taking his eyes of
Lestrade.

'How the bloody hell did you deduce that?'

'Easy.' Sherlock glanced at John, 'You left your mobile at home.' He tossed John his phone.

'Sherlock,' Lestrade got up behind his desk, 'this case does not concern you.'

'Doesn't it? If I understood correctly you intent to use my blogger as bait for a serial killer?'

'Your blogger?' John repeated, 'what am I? Your pet?'

Sherlock flinched when hearing the last word. It was too familiar. John noticed but he ignored it.

Lestrade said: 'Your concern for his well-being is noted but...'

Sherlock interrupted him: 'My concern is for the well-being of this operation. Watching John act is like watching him dance: humiliating, unconvincing and people always get hurt.'

John's face was red with both anger and embarrassment. 'Just sod of, Sherlock. You heard the DI: we don't need you here.'

'I'm pretty sure that you do, Detective Inspector. Especially since you have to resort to such painfully obvious plans that are doomed for failure.'

'Sherlock, you don't know anything about this case.' Lestrade said.

'I know John's acting cannot fool anyone.'

'I will not be acting. I actually was in the army, remember?!'

'You are not doing this, John.' Sherlock said firmly. 'It is a ridiculous plan. You'll just end up dead and we will be no closer to the killer, but he'll be a lot closer to us.'

'I am doing this, Sherlock. Just because you think I am useless does not mean everybody else does.' John yelled. Sherlock frowned at him. 'I never said you were useless.'

John took a deep breath and stared at the floor in an attempted to calm his anger. Lestrade noticed. 'Why don't you go see Sally, John? She can fill you in on all the details of the case.'

John got up and marched out the door, without looking at his flat mate. Sherlock watched him leave with raised eyebrows. 'What is his problem? He knows he is a terrible actor.'

Lestrade gathered his documents. 'If this was your way of showing your concern for John it was lousy.'

'I am not concerned about him.'

'But you are afraid of losing him. We had this conversation before, Sherlock.' Lestrade was making his way to the door. 'I am getting tired of repeating myself to you.'

'Well then don't!' Sherlock responded. 'Because as I told you before: you're wrong.'

'Sure.' Lestrade snorted, turning in the doorway. 'And you came in here demanding John not to take part in this scheme because you think it would endanger the operation.'

Sherlock looked at him. 'Yes I did.'

Lestrade glared at him and then left the room saying: 'Yeah right! Just shut up, Sherlock.'

The second part will follow soon! What should happen? Leave me ideas and reviews please :)