[John]

Walking out of that house, bag in hand, I had the sudden bizarre idea that I might never see Sherlock again. Most of me found the idea to be silly, as once the detective had calmed down he would see that he had been wrong, and would ask me to return. He had only left out of anger, after all. However, a niggling feeling was left that I couldn't quite shake that said otherwise. I tried my best to ignore it, but it kept coming back to me, with increasing intensity.

It was rather inconvenient for me, as I would have to find somewhere to stay that was surrounded by people who would not recognise me. Considering most of London had heard about my trial and many knew of Sherlock or had read my blog, it would most likely prove to be rather impossible. I decided therefore that Baker Street was the only option, and I would have to keep a very low profile while there. I wasn't yet sure how I would be able to get food, but I was certain that I would find a way. Eventually.

I had thankfully been given a key by Sherlock once I had agreed to living with him again, so getting into the flat was no trouble. It felt strange to be there without the detective, but at least this time I knew he was alive and most likely in good health. I took the time to wonder what he was thinking in that moment, and whether he regretted his outburst yet. It was a rather strange reaction from him, now that I thought about it. Sherlock really hasn't seemed himself, and considering all the effort he had out in to making sure I stayed with him, I found it queer that he would give it all up in the heat of an argument. There was definitely something going on, and I just hoped that it would be fixed soon. A sudden thought struck that he might have pushed me away on purpose, either as the result of a threat, or trying to keep me safe. It was definitely a possibility, and one I would explore when I next saw from him. Unless he was already in the enemy's hands?

A sudden knock at the door startled me out of my thoughts, and for a happy moment I thought it was Sherlock, come to apologise. However, my hopes were shattered when I heard the voice that accompanied the knocking.

"John? Are you in there? John?" Lestrade sounded calm, so I didn't rush to open the door for him. I was surprised to see him alone, I had been certain he was here to arrest me again. Not that I was complaining.

"You look better," he said, and I gave him a small smile. This seemed to relax him a bit, he probably still wondered if I was sane. He looked around the room and I let him in, and offered him a cup of tea, which he declined.

"So, where's Sherlock, then?" He asked, more as an ice breaker than anything else. Little did he know it was an important question, one I didn't really want to go into detail about.

"We had a fight." I said simply, and he gave me a concerned look, so I turned my head away. When I looked back at him, he had seated himself on the sofa, and was beckoning me to join him.

I sat down awkwardly next to him after a mild hesitation, and he watched me through furrowed brows for a good five minutes before he began.

"John, I know the last few years weren't good for your mental health. I think we all know that." He smiled sadly, and I kept my gaze averted from his face so I wouldn't be able to see the pain and sadness I knew I would find there. "You're a different man with Sherlock around, and I think he's helped you as much as you've helped him. Now, I don't know what you were arguing about, and I'm not going to ask, but I'm sure he'll be back eventually. He's stubborn, but you're his friend. He'll come back."

Lestrade seemed proud of his speech, but didn't appear to have planned past it. There was another moment of silence before he finally seemed to come up with something. "Mycroft called us, and your record is officially clean so long as you don't do anything to mess it up. I just want you to know that I'm always here for you, mate, and if you need someone, um, well... You know where to find me."

I was surprised at how genuine he sounded. I felt a renewed respect for the man, as I was certain that I wouldn't have been able to rekindle a friendship with someone who had murdered and gotten away with it.

"Uh, thanks." I said, wishing I could come up with something more fitting to show him that I really appreciated what he'd just said. However, Lestrade seemed to realise that I really was grateful for his efforts, as he smiled happily and nodded his thanks.

That seemed to be the end of our conversation, as he stood and walked towards the door, calling out "I'll be back again tomorrow to check on you! Get some rest!" as he left. I stared at the door once it had shut, letting the conversation sink in, before getting up. I needed something to do, but I wasn't sure what, yet.

I ended up watching crap telly cradling a cup of tea for the rest of the evening. It wasn't very productive, but I didn't really feel like an activity requiring mental activity. It was nice, in a way. I thought of Sherlock, again, and it made me feel sad.

That night, I slept in his bed instead of my own. I felt silly doing it, and I prayed he wouldn't find me in it if he decided to come back in the morning, but I felt so comforted by it. His scent was all over the pillows, and it was almost like he was there with me.

It didn't stop the nightmares, though.

I had horrible dreams that night, filled with blood and screaming. The worst dream was undoubtedly the one which contained Sherlock. He lay on the ground, his chest red with blood, choking and crying out in pain. I stood above him, holding the knife that had injured him, and for some untold reason I was eager to end his life. I could feel someone beside me, his hand on my shoulder, urging me to finish the job.

"Don't forget," the man whispered in my ear, and I could feel his warm breath clouding my thoughts like poisoned gas.

"Falling is just like flying, except there's a more permanent destination. So, when the time comes, which will it be? Will you fly, Johnny-Boy, or will you fall?"

Coincidence? Or a warning? I'll let you decide that one! Sorry it's not that long, but there's definitely going to be a lot of crazy stuff coming up soon, and I estimate there will only be about five chapters left from now... There will definitely be a cliff hanger around the time of next Tuesday evening, and it will definitely depend on whether there's Wifi in the hotel in San Francisco for a chapter update while I'm there! (Sorry) Anyway, thank you so much you amazing people for your reviews, it's so sad to think it will all be over soon! I have been trying to reply to all reviews, though I think I might have missed out the ones for chapter 25 so sorry if you didn't get one! I'll definitely do one for everyone who reviews this time! (And there are over 90 of you, so if you can find the time to send a tiny review telling me you're even a little bit excited for the story I'll appreciate it so much!) Thank you! See you tomorrow or the day after :)