The Soldier's Husband

5. "Baskerville"

Six months had passed. John and Sherlock were still in love; Mycroft and Lestrade were getting married in two day's time.
John had come up with the insane idea of a group date. Him and Sherlock, and Mary and Molly.
Sherlock still couldn't believe that Molly- Molly Hooper, Jim Moriarty's ex-girlfriend, the one with the lipstick, one of his best friends- was dating John's ex-wife. John couldn't believe it either- Sherlock thought that maybe that was why he'd done this stupid group date.
"Sherlock," John said, snapping him out of his daze. Sherlock blinked and saw that they were all staring at him.
"Sorry?" Sherlock said, looking towards them.
"I asked if you were excited for the wedding," Mary said with a small smile.
"Oh! Yes, I'm very excited. I'm proud of Mycroft, and Gary." They stared at him, confused.
"Greg," John whispered. "His name is Greg."
"Don't be ridiculous," Sherlock whispered back. "Didn't we decide that that was a fake name? When he was undercover in Baskerville?"
"Sherlock, for the last time, he wasn't undercover, he was on holiday!" John snapped quietly. Sherlock shook his head.
"Whatever you say, John, whatever you say," he said quietly, knowing for certain that there was only one way to prove he was right.
Go back to Baskerville. Trigger his memory.

Sherlock left John sleeping at 221B that night, and snuck out to catch the first train to Baskerville.
Sitting alone in a carriage an hour later, Sherlock stared out the window, wondering whether John had been right, whether there was something wrong with him. He realised then, why he was bothering with this stupid idea. He wanted to prove that he could still get things right, even though he was in love. He'd always thought love would slow him down- now he was in love, and he needed to prove that his machine brain was still working.
He arrived in Baskerville at 6am. Was John awake yet? He felt guilty for worrying him. He should have left a note. Hadn't he promised John he would always leave a note?
Pushing down his thoughts, Sherlock went back to the pub where he'd seen Lestrade. He looked over at the corner where he'd sat with John, and remembered how kind, how caring, John had been. He smiled slightly- how could he have been so blind?
Still, it didn't matter now. He had his John.
Sherlock sat down and tried to go into his mind palace. However, he kept being interrupted by thoughts of John. With a sigh, he pulled out some of his drugs and took them quickly. Falling back in a daze, he found the mind palace door at last.
"Lestrade!" Sherlock exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm on holiday!" Lestrade said.
"No you're not, you're undercover."
"I'm on holiday!"
"Then why are you pretending your name is Greg?"
"Sherlock," John said. "That's his name."
Sherlock knew he couldn't stay in his mind palace. God, look at what had happened the last time he'd overdosed to get there. John had nearly killed him. But being there was a relief. He wasn't in love, back then in Baskerville. He could function so much better...
Sherlock relieved the events of Baskerville, marvelling at the flawless workings of his loveless brain. No thoughts of John occupied it; he worried for John, sure, but as a friend. He didn't love him in Baskerville, and it was a relief.
A terrifying thought gripped him, and if he hadn't overdosed, he would have woken up. Would it be better if he didn't love John? If he left his blogger? He missed his old mind, his machine mind, but would he give up John for that?

John woke up at half past six and felt that the bed was cold.
"Sherlock?" he mumbled. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. Slipping on a dressing gown, he wandered through the flat, looking everywhere for him. He didn't worry too much when he didn't find him. Sherlock had gone out before. He came back within a few hours.
John wanted to call Lestrade, to see if his Sherlock was on a case. He didn't, though- it was the day before Lestrade's wedding, he didn't want him to panic.
John sat alone in Baker Street until 10am, when the panic finally set in. Throwing on some clothes, he hurried up to Mrs Hudson's flat.
"Mrs Hudson?" he knocked. She opened the door.
"Yes, John?" she said, confused.
"Do you know where Sherlock is?" he asked quickly.
"Sorry, dear, I don't. But Mrs Adler across the street, she's always up early. She might have seen something," Mrs Hudson offered. John thanked her and hurried across to see this "Mrs Adler", whoever she was.
John knocked on the door urgently. After a moment, it was opened by none other than Irene Adler- thankfully wearing clothes.
John's eyes widened.
"You?" he said. "You're dead!" Irene laughed.
"Heavens, no, John. Sherlock never told you? He saved me," she said simply. John blinked a few times, confused.
"Well, why are you here? I'm assuming you have a reason, since you didn't even know I was alive," Irene said.
"Oh! Well, um, it's about Sherlock. I don't know where he is. Mrs Hudson said you might have seen something?" John asked.
"I did. Come on in," Irene invited.
A moment later they were sitting on the couch in her living room. A picture of Irene and another woman was on the coffee table. She looked vaguely familiar...
"My wife," she said, noticing where John was looking. "Sally Donovan." Oh. That's why she looks familiar, brainless. Sergeant Sally Donovan.
"Right. Well. What did you see this morning?" John asked.
"Sherlock got into a cab late last night. He looked like he was in a hurry. Not a case, a personal thing." She stopped, looking at John's worried face. "I think he's trying to prove a point to someone. He gets like that sometimes. Did you two have a fight or something?" John shook his head, and then stopped. "His name is Greg." "Don't be ridiculous."

And there was only one place Sherlock would go to prove John wrong.
Baskerville.

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AHHH IM SO SORRY EVERYONE IM SO MEAN TO JOHN AND SHERLOCK.
I think I'm including/creating a ship for everyone in Sherlock, I mean there's John and Sherlock, Mycroft and Lestrade, Mary and Molly and Irene and Sally? What am I doing 😂
- johnlockwatson