Title: Making the Connection
Story Summary: A non-chronological collection of short chapters based on one word prompts, includes (pre-)slash for Johnlock & Mystrade
Chapter Summary: John and Greg are having a night out at their favourite pub when John makes a confession. Prompt: Rating
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Moffat, Gatiss & SACD.
A/N: Sorry for not updating yesterday, but real life got in the way, but here you go. And as most of the time the prompt came from oneword(dot)com, if you'd like to prompt me you can do so in a review or a PM.
Greg looks at him, baffled with what he just heard. Then he shakes his head. "It surprises me that I am surprised by this. I should've seen it coming, really. I've known Sherlock for years."
John chuckles a little and takes a swig of his stout. "Well, I guess it wouldn't have made much sense with the skull."
"So, you're telling me that you and Sherlock... you have a case rating system? That's bizarre! But then of course, the more bizarre it gets the more Sherlock likes it."
"Don't you have some sort of rating system at the Yard?" He's honestly surprised. People who have dealt with these things on a daily basis for such a long time must have thought of some sort of classification themselves.
"Well, yeah, we do. But I guess your system is more refined than ours. We usually just differentiate between 'rather obvious', 'tricky' and 'okay, let's call Sherlock on that one.'" Greg just shrugs as John giggles. "So how does yours work, then?"
"It's a ten point system. If there's a human body involved it gets five points, one point for a missing murder weapon, an uncertain cause of death is worth another point, two points if the dump scene is not the crime scene. But any signs of sexual assault, a present murder weapon or an obvious main suspect cost a case between one and two points." John takes a sip of his beer before he goes on. "It also depends on the victim, when..."
"I get it." Greg interrupts him. "It's complicated, too complicated for me after four pints." He clinks glasses with John. "But why do you guys need a system anyways?"
"Because it keeps us from having the same discussion over and over and over again. We don't take cases that are a five or less, but Sherlock doesn't leave the house for anything under 8." John shakes his head a little when he hears his words out loud. Having Sherlock in his life certainly shook things up quite a bit.
"So this whole colleague thing with you and Sherlock is working out?" Greg gives him an odd sideways look.
But John just smiles as he thinks of the eccentric detective. "Yeah, I think so."