Brother Dearest; Chapter 7

Turn me into someone like you

Find a place that we can go to

Run away and take me with you

Don't let go I need your rescue (Muse-Save me)

When Sherlock arrived at Piccadilly Circus with Lestrade, the police had already tried to evacuate part of the surrounding streets. Sherlock’s eyes were searching in the crowd of people. Of course it was a busy day today of all days. There were tourists all over the place on this beautiful first day of spring. It was still early but more people were coming, busloads of them! Lestrade went to talk to his colleagues to try and get as many people away from Piccadilly as soon as possible. Sherlock however was still looking for John. Finally he found him on the corner at a traffic sign. He had his jacket zipped but Sherlock could see some wires underneath his coat. John just stood there, hands in his pockets. He was looking at the people coming from the bus and the police directing them back in the bus. John looked at his watch. Then he crossed the street and walked to the Eros statue where he stood still.

All of a sudden without any warning John took out a gun from his pocket and shot in the air. People started screaming and running in all directions. The police tried to get them out of there in an orderly fashion but people where panicking.

In that panic John grabbed one of the passer-byers and held him at gunpoint. It looked like it was a random man from the crowd but Sherlock; who still observed John saw another man push that man towards John and then running off himself as if he didn’t have anything to do with it.
 

John started to yell out loud: ‘I’m going to shoot this man if you don’t listen!’

Nobody did listen; the screams where to loud and there was too much panic. Sherlock still watched John and started to shout across the street: ‘John! John stop this! Don’t do this, John we are here to help!’

John looked around when he heard Sherlock’s deep baritone voice. His eyes locked onto Sherlock’s when he saw him. Sherlock could see the unwillingness in his eyes. There was something else, something that drove him to this. ‘Stop Sherlock, or I’ll have to shoot this man and I will’ John said.

Sherlock was halfway across the street but stopped in front of the statue of Eros. He looked at John standing in the middle of the street. ‘Let that man go, John, take me in his place, please’

John saw the look on Sherlock’s face; ‘You know I can’t do that’ he said with a cold tone in his voice that frightened Sherlock.

John firmed his grip around the man’s neck and pointed the gun at his temple. In the meanwhile the police had managed to get rid of the crowd of people at Piccadilly Circus and was busy putting up a perimeter. It was now just John, Sherlock and the police. John had to know this wouldn’t end well for him.

Sherlock started to walk towards him holding out his hands; ‘I just want to talk to you John, please, let me come nearer’ and when John didn’t respond; ‘John, Nothing is what is seems. I know what you mean now. This is not you, this is Moriarty, obviously. I am sure there are several marksmen behind me, pointing guns at me, am I right?’ Sherlock stopped and faced John. He saw John’s eyes looking quickly up and down to Sherlock again.

‘I don’t know what you’re on about’ he then said and again his eyes where flashing up to a building across the street and to Sherlock again. ‘I want them’ looking at the police ‘to listen what I have to say, now Sherlock’ John started pulling the trigger. He held the man close and said; ‘I don’t have to tell you who this man is, do I?’

Sherlock who hadn’t given the man a second glance, turned towards the man and gasped. John had an arm around the man’s neck and held him close. It was the judge who had put Mary in jail. How did Moriarty know the man would be on this exact spot at this exact time?

Sherlock’s phone rang again; before he looked at it, he knew who it was. ‘Moriarty’ he said looking at John as he spoke.

‘Oh Sherlock, you’ve already wasted half an hour. And I don’t see Mary anywhere. Well, I am very disappointed in you, baby brother’ Moriarty heaved an exaggerated sigh. ‘You are trying my patience. Put the speaker phone on so John can hear’

Sherlock put the phone on speaker phone; ‘John’ Moriarty said ‘You can shoot the judge now. Go on, I’m watching you’

John hesitated. Sherlock saw he loosened his grip on the judge and whispered; ‘I don’t want to, please don’t make me. Sherlock, save me for God’s sakes’

‘You don’t have to’ Sherlock said looking at a police van driving towards them. ‘I believe there’s Mary. You can stop this now Moriarty and come and get your girlfriend yourself or she stays right here’

Moriarty started to laugh; ‘Oh Sherlock, you are so funny. I forget that sometimes. You did remember the BOMB now did you? Good, because if you don’t let Mary go, you know what will happen? Look at John Sherlock’ and as Sherlock turned to face John red dots appeared from across the street. Sherlock knew them all too well; the red dots from the marksmen. Sherlock put his phone back in his coat pocket.

The police van opened and out came Mary. Lestrade brought her to Sherlock. ‘What did the bastard say, Sherlock?’ Lestrade asked.

‘Give her to me, Greg. We have to think of John and the judge’ Sherlock was pointing at the red dots all over John’s jacket.

‘Bloody hell’ Lestrade said rubbing his unshaven chin. ‘You can see the wires of the bomb underneath his jacket. The bomb squat is standing by but you have to get it off of him Sherlock and quickly!’

Sherlock walked over to Mary who looked at him with a smug look on her face. ‘Don’t talk to me’ Sherlock said to her. ‘Not a single word from your lying mouth, or the deal is off, understood?’ The look Sherlock gave her whipped the look away and she started to get frightened of him; ‘You can’t hurt me’ she whispered ‘not here anyway’

Sherlock stopped and wanted to walk back. ‘Oh don’t be dramatic’ Mary said sighing ‘I’ll be quiet’ She rolled her eyes at him and they walked over to John.

When they got there John glanced quickly at Sherlock, pushed the judge away and grabbed Mary out of Sherlock’s arms. He held his arm around her neck and his gun pointed at her head.  

Sherlock didn’t hesitate for one second. He jumped forward and grabbed the judge’s arm. Lestrade, who had watched it from a small distance, came running. But he came too late.

John cried out to Sherlock; ‘Sherlock look out!’ and Sherlock saw all the red dots pointed at him and the judge. He tried to shout at John, but a gun firing deafened him for a short while. John screamed; Lestrade came running and the judge collapsed. He had been shot in his shoulder from somewhere out of the buildings on opposite side of the street. Sherlock turned fast and saw those red dots on John’s jacket and under that jacket was a bomb. He started running back to John shouting at him to duck. John looked down at the dots on his jacket. He manoeuvred Mary in a way that she covered him. 

‘Stand back!’ he shouted across the street ‘Stand back or I’ll blow her up as well!’

Sherlock’s phone rang again. He looked at John. ‘No’ John said ‘He has to come himself this time. Let him safe her. If he wants her so badly, he has to come and get her’ He put the gun at Mary’s cheek; ‘Shout his name, go on! Let him come over here. Now Mary!’

Mary screamed at the top of her lungs; ‘Jim, please come help me, he is going to shoot me, please!’

They waited for Moriarty to come but it didn’t seem that he would. ‘Well Mary, goodbye’ John said pulling the trigger. Mary started screaming and pleading with John as they heard a voice coming up from behind them.

‘Well, here I am, let her go’ Jim Moriarty came from behind the statue and stood there with a grin on his face.

‘I’d rather shoot her’ John said ‘She’s no good and neither are you for that matter’

Moriarty shrugged his shoulders; ‘I really don’t care what you think, GIVE HER TO ME’ He pulled his own gun and pointed it at John. 

John slowly pulled the trigger of his gun which he had placed on Mary’s cheek; ‘I wouldn’t if I where you’

Sherlock tried to take a step closer to get to Moriarty. ‘Oh no little brother’ Moriarty said ‘Try something and that bullet goes straight into Johnny boy’

They were at a stalemate. Neither side could move without the other one pulling the trigger.

‘Oh give it up already Moriarty’ Lestrade shouted from a small distance ‘Don’t think for one minute you two are escaping from here!’

‘I swear’ John said looking at Moriarty ‘I’m taking her with me if you let those thugs take one shot at me’

Moriarty looked up at one of the buildings, nodded and all of a sudden the red dots disappeared. He slowly lowered his gun but then suddenly with a frustrated cry he fired and hit John’s leg.

Lestrade signalled and policemen came from everywhere to arrest a screaming Moriarty.

John was shocked at the sudden sharp pain in his leg just after he heard the sound of a gun firing at it. He let go off Mary who tried to run away but was arrested by Sergeant Donovan.

As John caved to the ground he felt Sherlock’s arms around him, freeing him of the bomb jacket and then holding him and he looked up at him and smiled before he closed his eyes in pain.

                                                               

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‘How are you feeling?’ Sherlock rearranged John’s pillows on the sofa and pulled up a chair.

‘Good good’ John smiled ‘A bit tired but otherwise just good. I’m glad to be home again’

‘Turns out Moriarty wasn’t such a good shot after all’ Sherlock smirked

‘It certainly doesn’t feel like that’ John sat more upright with a pain stricken face.

‘Can I help?’ Immediately Sherlock rose next to him.

‘I can get used to this you know’ John smiled up to him. ‘But before I forget; who was on the phone this morning?’

‘Ah, yes, I almost forgot. That was Greg Lestrade. I told him I knew who I thought the man in the Thames was.’

‘Well, don’t let me wait, it’s not that I’m going anywhere or anything’ John sighed

‘Sorry’ Sherlock sat down again. ‘The man found under Blackfriars Bridge was Mary’s lawyer as it turns out’

‘Really? Well, Moriarty doesn’t do things half way apparently’

‘Hm, no apparently not’ Sherlock seemed distracted.

‘Well case solved then?’ John turned and faced Sherlock. ‘Or not; you’re looking like you’re going to be sick or something. Are you alright?’

Sherlock fidgeted with his hands and scuffed his feet. He was nervous.
He knew he had to say something but he didn’t know how to start.

He didn’t have to. John put his hand on Sherlock’s. ‘It’s alright Sherlock I know. It would be lovely if you’d said it, but I know.
Of course I know! How could I not?’

Sherlock looked up at John. He could mean anything by saying that. But when his eyes met John’s all hesitation melted away;
‘John’ he whispered ‘I have been so alone before you came in my life. And ever since I met you, I… I just am not alone anymore.
I can’t explain it properly, I’m sorry’

‘It’s alright, like I said, I’m not going anywhere for a while. I can’t walk very well with that damn leg, so I’ll just lay here and wait till you’ll be ready, alright?’ John took his hand away and leaned back into his pillows. He sounded disappointed Sherlock thought.

Sherlock stood up and walked to the kitchen trying very hard not to cry. Damn you, he cursed himself. Now you have blown probably the only chance you’ll ever get! Sherlock got angry at himself for being that weak. He hated being weak. He leaned against the kitchen sink and felt the tears welling up in his eyes. ‘Caring is not an advantage, Sherlock’ he heard Mycroft’s voice saying in his head. His hands where clinging to the counter as he tried harder to push the tears away. He waited so long for this moment and now it had gone and passed. In the living room he heard John sighing. He couldn’t let this moment pass him by, he just couldn’t. It didn’t matter what the world would think, or even what John would think. He had to get it off of his chest. It was killing him. He had absolutely no idea what John would say or feel for that matter but he just had to try!

He turned around and rubbed over his face and whipped the tears out of his eyes. He straightened his back and walked back to the sofa back to John who was laying eyes closed on his pillows. He looked tired. From a small distance Sherlock looked at him. Then Sherlock bent down and carefully planted a soft very gentle kiss on John’s lips. John opened his eyes as Sherlock withdraw and smiled.

‘Finally’ he said ‘You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for that’

‘You have?’ Sherlock looked surprised.

‘Oh God yes!’ John sighed. ‘I didn’t want to make the first move; I didn’t want to scare you off. I knew you had to take your own time.
But I’ve seen you struggling Sherlock and I so wanted to let you know it wasn’t necessary!’

‘I wish I knew but you are probably right.’ Sherlock sat down in his chair again. ‘Everybody knew but me, even you! And I thought I was smart!’ Sherlock shook his head.

‘Well you are, only not when it comes to matters of the heart’ John smiled at him lovingly and took his hand again and squeezed it.

Sherlock looked at John and when he bent down to kiss him again he said; ‘I love you John Watson, I always have’

‘I love you too, Sherlock Holmes’ John said before Sherlock’s mouth touched his with a gentle long kiss. 

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