Chapter Text
‘Present, London - 2010‘
Sherlock wakes up and looks up at a familiar celling about his bed. He stays still and watches the early light of the morning fighting its way through the curtains. He had missed his bed with the fluffy blanket, the poster of the periodic system on the wall and the smell of this room. It was his, since a few years and he loves it. He had never thought he would miss a place but only now after returning he had realized that he had chosen this flat, for John and him. This was the first time he had chosen something he wants to call home, that he is in fact calling home. This is his home and he want to share it with John.
Today is the day everything will be decided. Did John want to move in with him, want him, the immortal? Does he take his blood because Sherlock would make sure that John would drink at least the amount he had gotten from Moriarty at the time. He wouldn’t risk losing John for something small like this. He wasn’t sure the capsule thing would really work but it was the only thing he had been able to do. He could at least tell himself he had tried something.
The immortal gets up, stretches his arms and legs and ignores the loud popping sound his joints did. He is getting old, not really but sometimes the illusion of change, grow and aging at his own body makes Sherlock feel more human, more part of the world around him. After a shower, Sherlock gets dressed and enters the kitchen for the first cup of tea of the day.
The cupboard is already stock up with John´s favorite tea branch and Sherlock had hesitated to open one pack. It was John´s at least in Sherlock´s mind but he didn’t want the flat to look too clean, cold or clinical so he had opened one to make his tea. Sherlock likes this tea and he imagine John and him sitting in their armchairs (yes John had already one) in front of the fire and drinking tea while enjoying each other’s company, telling stories or just sitting together in silence. When everything works out today as it should this could become reality, very soon.
With his tea Sherlock was sitting down in his chair, looking out of the window, the sun was rising and on the windowsill was his violin waiting for him to unpack, he didn’t have the chance to do so the evening before and Sherlock wasn’t feeling like playing right know. She was safe in her case, waiting for John to arrive, so they could play for him the first time, knowing who is who. Not the guy in the subway.
Thinking about it Sherlock has a lot explaining to do before something like a routine could start. A daily ritual would be nice, like waking up together, having tea (and breakfast) together, and then doing whatever they feel like they want to do. Maybe he could finally finish his concert he is writing on since a few years, he never had the motivation to do so. Many things had been left behind with time, time he couldn’t wait any longer. But this was over now. John would meet him, both at the same time line.
The small voice in his head that was still doubting his plan was calling out again, what when John didn’t want to stay with you, what when he had changed his mind and didn’t want to be immortal, it would only be a few decades before he would left, die like everyone else he had met in his long life. Or maybe John wants to become immortal but not living here with him. Ignoring the voice he returns to his other greatest fear, his blood, did it work on John? Maybe it doesn’t work when not directly given, John was sick, getting sicker every day. First thing he would do is let John drink it (of course after asking).
John eyes and the tears flooding them came to his mind again, the last time he had met him in the past, he remembers their promise, he had done everything John had ask him to do. The museum, the time travel agency, everything for this day.
Sherlock stands at the window to look out on the world before him and closes his eyes. He didn’t believe in god but a small prayer left his lips regardless, not really praying to God but to someone out there, listening and maybe, hopefully having a heart and give them a chance.
“Please let us finally meet.”
The forest around him was covered in shadowy paths and sun patches, the rock at the end of his way was guarded by a lonely person. Standing there, tall and mystical John closes the gap between them. The person guarding the rock looks sad and wasn’t talking just looking at the rock and the picture on it. The picture was familiar to John but he couldn’t say exactly where he had seen it before. The person was right beside him but he couldn’t recognize him or her, he only knows that this person was sad and lonely.
The person points on the picture and John looks again at every detail. The animals the campfire with a bunch of people around it and the lonely figure in the middle of it, surrounded by light.
Suddenly the forest disappears brick and stones grow out of nowhere and surround him, the rock and the person right next to him. John is no longer the grown man he had been but a child, eight years old and the person right next to him holds his face in his hand.
John notice the eyes, the first clear image he gets form the person, galaxy eyes … Sherlock. John´s mind put the missing pieces together and the love of his life was there, close to tears and asking him to do something.
Through the static stound John first notice now he can hear Sherlock talk. “Never stop looking for me.”
John jumps up in his bed as if something had pushed him out of his dream. He was breathing hart and it took him a while to slow it down to an exceptional level. Why had he dreamed about Sherlock and the museum? Thinking about it John had nearly forgotten how sad and lonely Sherlock had looked that day. With all the missions and 30 years between it he had forgotten, the man´s tear filled eyes.
Still sitting in his bed John was counting down the years, he had last seen Sherlock in Warschau 1970, the meeting in the museum was 1979, he thinks. Nine years, what did happen in this short time? Where had he been, he know he will meet Sherlock on today’s mission. Would it been more than nine, ten years after Warschau? Would his next mission take him place already in the next decade or worse centuries? Like … John was thinking, the first thing that happens after the year 2000. Of course there was 9/11 and other thinks that came to his mind but between 1970 and 1999 happened many important things too. With the rising of the surveillance time, there should be lots of images and videos showing Sherlock, he had to be on the videos from the day in the museum too. There were everywhere cameras, no chance to hide from it. Or maybe John did something on a mission shortly before the museum, something that hurt Sherlock. There had to be a mission before or Sherlock wouldn’t know when to be there.
John´s worries increase to the point he couldn’t think, so he got up to get ready. He takes his medicine (still doubting its use) and getting ready for work. John ignores the heaviness of his bones, the slightly blurry sight and had to concentrate to walk down the stairs without missing a step.
Maybe he should tell Sherlock about the museum today. Better not about his birth date, he didn’t want Sherlock to witness that. In the knowledge that there was at least one mission before the museum John steps into the subway and let himself be brought to the office.
On his phone arrives a mail form his blog, he hadn’t heard anything from his entry’s in days maybe weeks. It´s not that he isn’t interested in it anymore but with his work, the radiation poisoning, Sherlock and everything in between he didn’t have time to update and no one comment on his older entry.
Interested who it could be John enters his name and password and checks the page where his blog was on. Surprised he finds that the user Violinist_NumberB had written again. John opens the message.
Dear John.H.Watson
I just wanted to write and tell you that I will finally meet my loved one again today. I was a long time we hadn’t seen each other and I´m very nervous. I hope I don’t have to write to you again (I won’t have to when everything works out today). You don’t have to answer to this I just wanted to let you know, you as a person I could talk to when no one else was there. Thank you.
A short message and John had to smile. Maybe he will answer it later or wait until Violinist_NumberB writes again. He was happy for this person, he had sounded very lonely as they had contact and not very sure about the feelings of the other person, yet. He will check his block after work.
The subway arrives at his station and John gets out. Slowly he makes his way up on the street lever and walk the last remaining meters to the office. With slow steps he covers the distance. John doesn’t want to fall and have to explain his unsteady walk.
Due to the speed or better lack of speed on his way to work was John late and he hated it. He had been too distracted this morning about the dream, the message and everything around that he hadn’t really watched the time. Everyone was already waiting for him but no one questions why he was late. Deciding to not waste more time and get ready John walks over to Molly to get dressed.
An Arabic looking outfit was waiting for him, something that could be worn today. John´s fear about the length between the meeting returns for a second until he remembered that there was at least one before the museum. Less than ten years for Sherlock.
“So I´m visiting the dessert?” John needed to be right once with the place or time of the clothing, with the bad start (Greek, not Rome) he had. Molly who had watched him walking with concern in her eyes but hadn’t said anything and now she was smiling at him.
“You are completely right, Qatar. I knew you would get it right one time.” She turns around and pulls a huge folder out of her bag. “Would you like to look at some of my drawings? I … I want to create a mode label and I would really like to hear your opinion on my work.” Surprised but very honoured John takes the folder from the nervous looking Molly. He hadn’t known that she was planning on changing career.
The drawings were beautiful, very detailed and John could see where she got her inspiration. His time travel clothing. Many elements from different time periods had influent her work. He really likes it and he tells her that. “They are brilliant, Molly. Can’t wait to see them in a shop. You know you make the most beautiful clothes I have ever seen, you use old elements and make something new out of it.” Molly was blushing hard as he gave her the folder back.
“Thank you John, I will start right after our …” She didn’t finish the sentence and was only saved by Mycroft calling for him. She waved with one hand as he walks over, the other hand presses the folder with her dreams and future close to her body.
After sitting this long, walking brought the heaviness in his bones back. But he thinks he covered it up very well by pulling on his clothes as if they were the reason for his slightly of walking. He couldn’t risk Mycroft sending him home or worse to the hospital again. He needs to meet with Sherlock. He needs to tell him about their meeting, before it´s too late.
Mycroft was watching him with clear eyes and an intensive stare … yeah he probably didn’t fool him but you can´t blame a man for trying. “John did you take your medicine?”
“Yes, as instructed on the container.” Surprised that he isn’t questioned for his being late John takes it. After a short moment where John could clearly see that Mycroft was interpreting his words and looking for a lie, the man finally returns back to the daily basics of their job. Time travel.
“Your mission today is, like you already heard from Molly in Qatar, 1971 on the third of September to be exact.” Five days before his birth, things John. Enough time to tell Sherlock not to visit that and long before the meeting in the museum. “Sherlock is witnessing the day Qatar gets his independence from the United Kingdom. We found out he was working as consultant again for the UK during the negotiation.”
“Mission as usually?” John ask, he doesn’t need to get told every time the same.
“Yes, you are free to go, except there is a time limit this time. 1 hour, HOPE will return after the time ran out; please make sure you are inside the time machine.” Mycroft sends him over to HOPE and Greg that was already waiting for him.
“John, listen. I have a letter for you that you have open as soon as you arrive, before you even get out of HOPE. Do you understand?” John nods, strange but he was working for an agency doing time travel. He could deal with opening a letter as soon as he arrives in the past. “Promise me.”
“Yes Greg, I promise I will read it as soon as I arrive.” With that John sits down in his seat, glad he made it without an unpleasant meeting of his nose with the floor, he also gets ready to have a nice reunion with his breakfast as soon as he arrives. Yes the impact of time travel had gone away after the first few missions but the radiation poisoning with the combination of time travel was just bad for his stomach.
John looks at the display that shows him the time, better the date he will travel too, 1971 a very short time since their last meeting. Sherlock wouldn’t have much time to miss him. With the letter in his hand he presses the start bottom. And the journey begins.
Mycroft sighs as the last shade of HOPE disappears. He has to pick up a very inpatient immortal and he has to do it now, before something happened. He gets up and locks eyes with Greg, he knows about the letter, he even encouraged it but it had been Greg´s idea. Mycroft can’t wait for the end of the day. He and everyone else in this room is serious ready for a very long, paid vacation. “Greg, Molly I will be back in 40 minutes, get ready for … for everything. Not sure what exactly will happened but after this mission we will all get on a vacation. We earned it.” He offered them a smile. The last mission would mean their time working together was over. Yes Molly and Greg knew this, but it doesn’t mean they don’t have some bad feelings about.
Molly would be alright, she had already planned out her future, Greg and he would have to figure out what the mechanic wants to do next and how they will take the next step in their relationship.
A car is waiting for him outside and Mycroft closes the door behind him, that will be probably the most exhausting hours of his life.
Anthea enters shortly after Mycroft had left, Molly, worried about John asks her to call for a doctor, she isn’t sure the condition that John comes back would allowed any kind of happy ending. She had seen his walk and his unfocused eyes, the sweat on his forehead and the cold skin under her fingers as she helped him into his clothes. Anthea told her that it is already arranged for a doctor to be ready as soon as John comes back.
Greg had left the room and starts tiding his tools at his workplace, he wouldn’t need them anymore after today. All the times he had stayed late to fix the little flaws and scratches that come from time travel, HOPE was his work and now he questions what will follow. Greg´s mind return to the evening before as Mycroft had asked for a shared holiday at a quiet place to relax and finally being together when everything is over. Greg wants to go, really really badly but he hadn’t told it Mycroft, not yet. He wants to wait for the day to end. He needs to know that John would be alright whatever happens next.
The conversation had been a bit awkward and Greg smiles as he remembers it:
Greg could see his boyfriend´s nervousness; even a blind and deaf man would have seen and heard it. Okay, more felt it but seriously, if they had been together longer he would have suspected a wedding proposal or to get told he is pregnant. Greg had to roll his eyes by that thought and was waiting for Mycroft to finally get to the point where Greg knows why the man is walking a line into his carpet.
“Gregory would you … I mean do you want to …” Mycroft stops the second time.
“Hey, gorgeous. How about you tell me what you want to ask so I can answer your question. I won´t bite I promise.” Suddenly a thought came to Greg that wasn’t a nice thought. Mycroft could break it off, their relationship before it even started probably.
“Would you like to go on a vacation with me?” Greg still in his dark thoughts needed a second to understand the question. A vacation? That’s what made his boyfriend so nervous.
“Yes I would like to but we have to wait for the day tomorrow to end. I will not let John alone when something goes wrong okay?.” He might have sounded a bit … disinterested in the vacation but with all the thoughts in his head how he wants to write a message for John so he could do it right.
Yes he needs a vacation, a long one, far away from all this.
When Mycroft comes back, he will tell him that he really wants this vacation, together with him. Only the two of them. They still need to decide for the destination but Greg suspects that Mycroft has already planned the trip.
Mycroft could feel the nervous energy filling the living room from behind the door. He knocks and opens the door after a minute; Sherlock was pacing through the room, like himself as he asks Greg for the vacation. He let a small smile grow on his face as he steps right into Sherlock´s path. The immortal looks up as if he hadn’t notice the man before.
“Mycroft?” Sherlock looks around, finds the clock and notice the time. “Is it time?”
“Yes. Are you ready? I will take you to the office so you can finally meet your beloved.” Sherlock was looking at the table by the couch. A tray with tea and toast brought by his landlady was brought up and he hadn’t even notice. “Mrs. Hudson is out shopping you can thank her later for the breakfast.”
Sherlock gets his coat and ties his scarf around his neck as he stops mid-movement. “What when he doesn’t want to stay with me or become immortal or he changes his mind in hundreds of years and hates me for making him immortal or-“
“Little brother, everything will be alright. Don’t panic.” Mycroft had stopped Sherlock and hold him at his upper arms. “Let go meet him alright.” He smiled and takes the immortal out of the flat and back into the car that had brought him to this house.
The car ride was silence. Both man caught up in their thoughts. About their beloved ones and the dark shadow, none of them could forget. Moriarty was still gone and the man could become a danger for them. But that had time. First of all is the meeting. And nothing could Sherlock stop to get back to John.
‘~03. Sep. 1971 AD, Qatar‘
John could feel that HOPE had arrived but he needed a minute to calm down his rebelling stomach. He is still holding the piece of paper Greg had given to him before the journey begins. So he opens it.
John,
This is your last mission, whatever you want to tell Sherlock do it now. This is your last change, because you can´t journey back in time in your own time line. This is also the reason for the one hour limit for today’s mission.
Find Sherlock tell him what he needs to know and come back. You won´t be able to stay longer, don’t forget your baby-self will be born in a few days. You can´t stay!
Tell Sherlock about the museum and the rock and everything but come back to us or something very bad will happen.
Greg
John stares at the letter and panics, the last mission is today. He needs to find Sherlock. John checks the countdown; he had only 56 minutes left. He jumps out of HOPE and runs through the streets of this city. Passing celebrating people who have the greatest days of their live, they got their independence for their country. John ignores them all, he knows the place Sherlock will be and he needs to reach it before it´s too late.
It took John over twenty minutes to reach the right place, Sherlock was standing there waiting patiently, not knowing that this would be the last meeting in the past, a long time until they would meet again. If they meet at all in John´s present.
Greg´s warning that he has to return is still on his mind. John doesn’t understand every part of time travel but this part is clear. Two identical beings can´t be at the same time and place. He needs to go back or this whole journey could get erased from time itself.
John reaches Sherlock, who was around important looking people but he didn’t care and grips tight at his arm. “You need to follow me, now. We don’t have time.” Sherlock, feeling the urgent and let himself be pulled back to the small alley where John had landed. They both ignored the members of the Parliament that shouted behind them.
“John what´s wrong?” The immortal could see that his boyfriend wasn’t feeling good, but it wasn’t his body that was at fault, not that the radiation poisoning wasn’t still playing war with John´s body but it was something else today.
“I have to go back to HOPE, it will launch in a few minutes and you have to listen to a few things I need to tell you. So listen and remember it. Do you understand?” Sherlock just nods and waits for John to continue. They cross another road and take the right at the next. “This is my last mission. I won´t come back to the past. I will be born in five days and I can´t come back. You have to find my present-self.”
Sherlock swallowed, he had known that this day will come, the day when it is the last meeting but he hadn’t thought that the moment was now. He had just fought for the independence of this country by consulting for the British government. They had got out a win today. No war, no one hurt and a country celebration for their independent. Why now, can’t he have this one day at peace?
They reach HOPE and John checks the clock, 8 minutes. “Okay I have eight minutes left. Listen, the most important thing is that you find me. The first time we meet is 1979 in the British Museum of History. There will be a Stone Age theme exhibition and you need to be there and meet me. They will bring in the rock we both painted on. We meet the first time in front of it. You need to be there, promise me that you talk to me. Tell me to start looking for you. Please Sherlock.” Sherlock can see the first tears appearing in John´s eyes. Eight years, alone again and then only to meet a child that won´t remember him.
“John, I promise I will be there.” Sherlock takes John´s hand, feels how cold they got.
“You also have to find Mycroft Holmes, he is the one that is responsible for the whole time travel thing and he was at the museum the day we met. Not sure if he had his hands in all of this. Maybe you also need to find the rock and bring it to the museum, I don’t know.” John bites his lips. “If I had known that this will be the last time I would have come prepared but I was only told after I arrived here. I´m sorry, Sherlock. But please make this all happen, please.”
John now full on tears let himself be taken into Sherlock´s warm arms. He holds the shaking agent. “I promise John I will find you and when we meet again we will be the same. We will finally able to stay together. Don’t worry I will do everything to get to you. I promise.”
A warning signal calls the last minute of John´s time in the past. “Sherlock, please do nothing stupid, I … want to get my boyfriend as he is now.” They share a long kiss, John already sitting in the capsule and Sherlock lending in. The last 10 seconds count down. “Promise me Sherlock, that you will find me.”
“I promise.” Sherlock pushes John back into HOPE as the door starts to close.
“I will be there and take your hand Sherlock, just be there, please.” The last word was swallowed by the closed door and John´s tears. As he felts the familiar pull of the time machine that brings him back to his presents and let Sherlock alone in the past, with nearly 40 years of loneliness.
‘Present, London - 2010 ‘
As he arrives back John doesn’t feel like moving at all, his body feels tired. More exhausted as ever before in his life. The running and the panic in his body on today´s mission had taken a lot out of him. Worst was that he couldn’t be sure everything had worked out. Okay, he could remember Sherlock and the day at the museum but did it really happen? Or did he get something wrong. Will he get out of HOPE and be in the office or had he surprise members of the gentleman club during their lunch break. The tears were still running down his cheeks and he doesn’t care. As long as he stays inside the time machine noting bad can happen. Sherlock will still be his.
Sadly someone on the outside was against his plan as the door was open from the other side. To John´s surprise it wasn’t a worried Greg or Molly. Not even Mycroft, no right there in front of him was Sherlock and John notice the difference between the two already.
The Sherlock he had left behind, had a bit darker skin color form his time in the sun of Qatar, had dressed in the fashion, like John. This Sherlock looks different, pale skin, dark rings under his eyes, a nice coat with a blue scarf, the hair had changed, it was curlier and looks wilder. This Sherlock was looking at him like he hadn’t seen him for a long time (40 years are a long time, even for an immortal).
Before one of them could say something John offers his hand. The hand he had offered the galaxy-eyed man in the museum, the same hand that had hold on to the immortal and had to let go every time because he had to return. But no longer would they be separated by time.
Sherlock takes the hand, they feel the warmth of the other and Sherlock pulls John out of time into his arms. John had been in this arms a few minutes ago but the hug in Qatar seems suddenly a long time ago. Both men were crying and the world around them doesn’t exist anymore.
It takes a long time for them both to stop crying and letting go so they became aware of something else. John could feel something hart under the shirt Sherlock is wearing and knows exactly what is under the layers of clothes. The dog tags were still in place. It made him smile and John looks up to meet Sherlock´s eyes. “Welcome back, my time travel agent.” Sherlock smiled.
“Glad to be here.” Both start laughing and became aware the other people in the room. Mycroft and Greg were at the wall, standing close and watching them. Molly stands by her changing area and Anthea was close to the door with a doctor and two nurses. John blushes a bit, they had all witness what just happen but somehow John was alright with it.
Just in the moment John wanted to say something to them something hit him. The noise of the shot didn’t even reach his ears as John loses the short battle with his body and the bullet. Darkness swallows him.
Sherlock hadn’t notice another person entering the room, as he hears the shot he can see John sinking to the ground. He catches John before he can hit the ground. What he sees and feels was like his worst nightmares. The bullet had hit John right through the heart. The blood was leaking out and covering the clothes and floor before they had reached the ground. Sherlock tries to press his hand onto the wound but he had seen enough death to recognize it.
John Watson was death, died in his arms without Sherlock being able to do something. The immortal looks down onto the dead body his beloved one. They had finally met, they could have been together. They would be able to share their life but why was one of them dead?
Sherlock´s mind got clouded; he didn’t hear the shouts from Mycroft, or Greg tackling Moriarty to the ground, Moriarty who had shot John and is brought away. But this had no meaning for him anymore. John was dead and he would be alone again. The world can burn if you ask him and he doesn’t care for it anymore. Had long forgotten how to care for it. Only John had been important, to safe this world for him.
Sherlock presses the blood covered body of the love of his life against his chest and cries and screams his pain out like never before in his immortal life.
Darkness was there and that was all John could feel, he hadn’t known that you can feel darkness but this how it felt. He remembers what had happen. Sherlock, the shot and then he was dead. But why is he feeling something.
A drop of water fell down into his darkness and hit the ground. Silver blue rings appear and grow.
Another drop hits the ground, than another. It looks like rain but why would it rain?
Suddenly John hears someone scream, not anyone but Sherlock, it were the same screams he had hears so often before, the one of endless sadness and desperation combined with hate for the world that is hurting him constantly by taking away what he loves.
John pulls himself out of the darkness. It was surprisingly easy and even when it would have been the hardest task he had ever to do he would achieve his destination. How could he not when he knows that Sherlock is at the other end.
His body was heavy but John managed to open his eyes. Sherlock was holding him and crying. The newly awaken immortal get his hand to move and touches Sherlock´s head.
“Hey baby, I´m back, no need for tears.” John´s needed a second to sink in and suddenly Sherlock´s head lifts up. Shock and sorrow floated the beautiful eyes that contain the stars. As Sherlock looks down at him with red rimmed eyes.
“John?” Sherlock searched his body, finds the place where the bullet hat hit him and taken John´s life. The whole was gone, only the blood soaked clothes remind. “John you are back.” Pure happiness broke a smile and John finds himself back in a crushing hug.
“Sherlock, I … breathing.” Sherlock relaxes a bit but didn’t let go.
“Sorry. Before you ask, I … I gave Mycroft the capsules with my blood to make you immortal, you know just in case something get wrong. Couldn’t be sure it worked in such a small dosage.” Sherlock stopped talking as John lays his finger on his lips.
“Shut up and kiss me.” And he does, their lips meet and it is the best ´welcome home´ John had ever got. They had many things to talk over, like moving in at Baker Street and such things but right now that wasn’t important. They didn’t notice that the room was empty, that their friends had left them alone for some privacy and it would take them a few hours before they were ready to leave but they have each other and none of them will ever be alone again.