John had been sitting there for an hour when he hears a noise he would never forget.
He's standing to open his front door before the noise fades, staring at a blue Police Public Call Box. The phone box's door opens to reveal a man with floppy brown hair, green eyes, suspenders, a tweed jacket, and a bow tie.
"Doctor." John grins at his old friend "You look much different than the last time I saw you."
The Doctor offers a quirk of the lips as he scans over his friend "You look like you've had a rough time."
The grin fades as John steps forward and closes the door, walking into the TARDIS doors. "I have."
Walking back into the TARDIS for the first time in years brings an affectionate grin back to John's face. It's been a long time, years for him and who knows how long for the Doctor, but the memories of awe and fun and adventure are brought back as the TARDIS makes a happy greeting noise. John pats the closest bit of her he can reach murmuring "Hello Old Girl. I've missed you." It doesn't matter that the entire place had been redecorated or that the Doctor no longer wore the leather jacket or brown coat he had seen him in last. He knew the old girl and he knew the Doctor.
"John?"
John turns back to face the Doctor. "Right." John leans against the rail surrounding the new Control Console and sighs. "Where do I start…"
"I find the beginning is always a nice place to start." The Doctor is leaning against the console as he speaks, his arms crossed and waiting.
So John does. He explains meeting Sherlock, and how Sherlock pulled him out of his post-war depression. How he gave him his legs back, and a purpose. How they solved so many cases together. How despite being a self-proclaimed High Functioning Sociopath Sherlock used his genius to help people, and was capable of caring instead of turning out like Moriarty and turning against the law to alleviate the boredom that plagued him. He explained that Sherlock was socially awkward and often disliked because he didn't understand the social norms and boundaries and was capable of discovering and speaking about someone's entire life after seconds of observing them. How even the social norms Sherlock knew tended to be ignored. He told the Doctor how Sherlock had saved his life over and over and how he had stood at John's side when he learned about the Supernatural World, turning his genius brain to learning everything he could.
He told the Doctor about becoming Blood Brothers with Sherlock and watched his eyes widen a bit as he realized what that meant about how John viewed Sherlock.
He told the Doctor about Moriarty and his psychopathic tendencies and his obsession with Sherlock. He outlined how Moriarty thought, what he did to alleviate his boredom, and the large network of people he had to achieve his criminal habits without getting caught. He told him what Moriarty had done just to get Sherlock's attention to start with. He told him about Sherlock faking his death and how he had arrived to that conclusion and why he thought Sherlock had faked the death in the first place. He told the Doctor that in order to prevent another Moriarty he was going to help Sherlock get rid of the network.
"I'm not asking you to kill anyone. I just need your help to find all the people in the network so I can stop them myself. You've already suffered through one war, I won't ask you to kill ever again, but will you help me find all the pieces of Moriarty's web?"
John doesn't fidget or look away from the Doctor's eyes as he observes him, pulling the truth of his words and what the 'loss' of Sherlock had done to him before he nods. "I remember hearing about Moriarty in the future. I know what he's done, and what will be done in his name. I will help you stop him."
John sags against the rail of the TARDIS at the unexpected release of tension. "Thank you." It's a gasped whisper, but the Doctor hears him and nods silently. John notices his silence and dark eyes and fears what Moriarty's Network had done in the future to put the dark look on the Doctor's face. He doesn't ask, he knows from experience he won't get an answer unless the Doctor tells him himself without prompting, but he wonders about and dreads whatever it was to cause his reaction.
John straightens from his slumped position falling back on his solder training to pull himself up. "Thank you." He says it again, meeting the Doctor's dark eyes, with his own serious but grateful brown.
"You're welcome John."
John heads for the door of the TARDIS asking "Do you want tea or something?"
"No thanks John. I'll be back in ten minutes. Maybe then."
John knows this is the Doctor's way of telling him 'I'm about to jump through time and come back. I don't know how long it will have been for me, so I may like some tea then.' The reference to having tea then means it's not something John is welcome to come along on.
"Alright Doctor. Don't be late." John closes the door to the TARDIS behind him and listens to the sound of it fading away before moving to make tea.
Ten minutes later there isn't a sound and John grins a bit. "Still perpetually late then." He sighs a bit before standing to make the tea the way he likes it. No sense in wasting perfectly good tea while he waits. There's no telling when the Doctor will actually be back, only that he will be back.
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~
It's three days later; John has just let Sam and Dean into his apartment and explained Sherlock and Moriarty a second time, including the how and why Sherlock became a Blood Brother, when he hears that same wheezing that had left him three days before.
He checks the clock and laughs. Ten minutes after he had left three days ago. "Stay there Dean, Sam. It's just the Doctor." He puts tea on and opens his door. The blue phone box is fading into sight and John hears two gasps from behind him followed by a whispered 'what the hell?' from Dean.
The door swings open and John stares for a few seconds before his doctor training kicks in and he reaches for the Doctor, dragging him into the kitchen past Dean and Sam ignoring his protests that 'I'm fine John! Let go! I'm fine, come on!' John reaches into the freezer and pulls out a cold pack wrapping it in a cloth before pressing it into the Doctor's swelling cheek.
"So?" John asks.
"So what?" the Doctor avoids John's eyes.
"What happened? Who punched you?"
"It was nothing. An angry alien, that's all."
"Doctor. I'm not an idiot. I'm a doctor. And I've treated both human and alien punches as well as supernatural injuries. I know what they look like. That is clearly a male human fist shaped bruise. Plus you left to help me and that didn't involve aliens."
John stares at the Doctor and waits.
The Doctor fidgets and stares before sighing. "I may have gotten caught by your Blood Brother a few years from now, and he may have been angry with me." The Doctor clears his throat and looks away.
John staggers backwards into the closest chair.
It's one thing to be mostly sure that Sherlock is alive and gallivanting around destroying Moriarty's Web. It's another thing entirely to have it confirmed that Sherlock is alive and most likely back home with him a few years from now. He knows he looks pale and shocked and most likely like he's about to pass out when Dean, Sam and the Doctor all call for him and take a few steps his way while the Doctor tells him to 'Breathe John.'
The shock passes after a minute and he's left with overwhelming relief and happiness and he just starts laughing. He starts laughing and he can't stop and he's so very, very relieved and he doesn't think he could stand if he had to.
"Oh Crap." He hears Dean's voice before he sees him kneeling in front of him and then Dean starts talking "Breathe John, come on. He's alive. Breathe."
John struggles to stop the laughter and breathe past the relief and giddiness and he hears Sam's whispered 'Oh. Oh.' even as he struggles. He hears the kettle whistle and sees the Doctor move to get it as he finally manages to draw in enough air and stop the laughter.
He's sitting up from his hunched over position when the Doctor hands him a cup of tea and John takes it gratefully. "Sorry."
"You just found out for sure he's alive didn't you?" Dean is staring at him with understanding eyes, as is Sam, and the Doctor's eyes are lightening with understanding.
"Yes. I suspected. I was even almost positive, but to have it confirmed completely…Well…"
"You didn't realize what a relief it would be to know for sure." Sam and Dean speak together and John nods.
John shakes his head, taking a deep breath and releasing it. "Sorry. Introductions. Doctor, this is Sam and Dean Winchester. Sam, Dean this is the Doctor."
Dean turns to John after the initial greeting is out of the way. "Alright, what the hell is he?" he nods at the Doctor "No offence man, but you're not human. If anyone but John had introduced you I'd have poured holy water over your head or shot you with salt rounds or something first and asked questions later. I've already used Christo so I know you're no demon."
John snorts. "He's an alien. An alien who can time travel."
Dean's eyes widen and he pulls back "What? Oh come on John, pull the other one."
John tries not to laugh as the Doctor turns to Sam and asks "Pull what? Pull the other what?" and Sam turns to John with wide eyes and a look on his face that screams 'is he serious? Tell me he's not serious!'
"I'm completely serious Dean. He has two hearts and everything. I've even seen it. The time traveling. I've seen London in the 1800s, I've seen the World ending, and I've seen London a few years from now, a few hundred thousand years in the future. I've seen the government replaced. I've seen the London Blitz and the human race rewritten and rewritten again. I've seen planets full of some of the strangest looking things I have ever seen. I've seen Satellites that were running the world, and people willing to die for love. I've seen hatred given form and love prevailing over it. I've seen sacrifice and loyalty and recovery. There are thousands of worlds out there, hundreds of thousands with so many different people on them with so many different pivotal moments in history. And that man. That man has seen so many moments and saved us so many times…" John shakes his head. He can see that Dean and Sam are shocked and starting to believe so he continues to speak.
"I've seen governments taken down in six words, aliens visiting for Christmas, and being fought and banished, I've seen people have their minds pushed into the back of their head while another takes over, I've seen flying cars and Human-Cat nuns running a hospital, I've seen the human race experimented on and coming out on top because of the Doctor, I've seen alien versions of werewolves, and Queen Victoria was not amused, I've seen furies and reunions, pre-revolutionary France, I've helped save parallel worlds on the verge of being taken over by metal men, people with no faces, Beasts claiming to be the devil, aliens that absorb people…I've seen impossible things. Things that shouldn't happen because it defies everything you have ever known. I've seen it…and it is terrifying and awe-inspiring, and amazing and I wouldn't have given any of it up." His grin is wide and reaches his eyes as he turns to the Doctor. "Did I ever thank you?"
The Doctor's eyes are wide and clouded with memories as he answers "Yeah. Yeah you did."
Dean and Sam have sat down into seats and are staring at the two of them "Holy Shit. Aliens? Aliens? Really?" Dean's voice breaks the silence.
John rolls his eyes "Honestly Dean. We used the hunt the worst of the Supernatural together and you still do it regularly while I deal with whatever shows up in my area. What's so hard to accept about aliens?"
Sam finally speaks up "You know he's got a point Dean." Dean stares at his brother "How many times have you complained that normal people are oblivious to what we do? What's really out there in the dark? If all that's there, then…It's not that hard to except that there's more out there." Sam gestures up with a hand.
John is grinning as the Doctor smiles next to him whispering "I like that one John."
John snorts. "I can't wait for you to actually meet Sherlock and talk to him." John's grin widens at the very idea while the Doctor rubs the bruise on his face at the reminder of the curly haired man with the right hook.
"You know…1200 years and I've never been punched by someone's Blood Brother. I didn't even get to introduce myself! I was talking to you, and he walks in and midsentence he sees me and stops. I got up to say hello and he just…he walked right up to me and punched me." He glares at John. "You laughed at me."
John is laughing at the very idea now, so he believes it's very possible he laughed in the future. "Sorry Doctor. I wonder what you did to deserve it though? Sherlock doesn't really punch people he meets without a reason. Granted we may not understand the reason, but he has one."
The Doctor shrugs "I don't know. Haven't done it yet and you wouldn't let Sherlock yell at me for whatever it was so…"
John nods "Right." He rubs his face draining the rest of his tea and standing. "We'll start looking tomorrow. Doctor? Would you mind if we slept in the TARDIS? I don't have enough room for all of you."
"It's fine, let's go." The Doctor leads them all to the TARDIS and John grins at the looks on Dean and Sam's faces. He loves this bit. Rose's face had been funny then too. His smile fades a bit at the thought of Rose. He remembers after the Battle at Canary Wharf. The shocked horror after Rose had gotten stuck in Pete's World. He shakes it off as he steps inside, turning to watch the complete and utter shock wash over Dean and Sam at their first glimpse of the TARDIS.
He watches as Dean backs up out the door and circles the TARDIS while Sam moves forward searching the Console Room. Dean rushes back inside and gasps "It's bigger on the inside!"
Sam on the other hand shows his scholar mind as he asks "It's a different dimension isn't it?"
The Doctor turns to John. "I really like that one. He asks the right questions."
John laughs at Dean's face. John's pretty sure the two brothers believe him now.
This is gonna be interesting. He can tell.