Hounds Experiments & Relationships (A BBC Sherlock Fan-fiction)

8. Brown As A Nut

Later, Sherlock is walking back through the village but stops when he sees John in the church graveyard, sitting on the steps of a war memorial and looking through the notes in his notebook. Sherlock goes through a gate and walks along the path towards John, who looks up as he hears him approach. John's expression becomes uncomfortable as he tucks his notebook into his pocket. Grimacing briefly, Sherlock stops in front of him, also looking awkward.

"Did you, er, get anywhere with that Morse code?" Asks Sherlock.

"No." Says John, stepping down and starting to walk away.

"U, M, Q, R, A, wasn't it?" Asks Sherlock

John keeps walking and Sherlock follows along behind him. He voices the initials as a word.

"UMQRA."

"Nothing." Replies John.

In Sherlock's mind, he puts full stops in between the letters but still voices it as a word.

"U.M.Q..." He trails off.

"Look, forget it. It's ... I thought I was on to something. I wasn't." Says John.

"Sure?" Asks Sherlock.

"Yeah."

"How about Louise Mortimer? Did you get anywhere with her?"

"No."

"Too bad. Did you get any information?"

John smiles briefly and glances over his shoulder but still keeps walking.

"You being funny now?" Asks John.

"Thought it might break the ice a bit." Replies Sherlock.

"Funny doesn't suit you. I'd stick to ice."

Sherlock looks at John's retreating back, his face full of pain.

"John ..." He Starts.

"It's fine." Says John.

"No, wait. What happened last night ... Something happened to me; something I've not really experienced before ..."

"Yes, you said: fear. Sherlock Holmes got scared. You said."

Sherlock catches him up, takes hold of his arm and pulls him round to face him.

"No-no-no, it was more than that, John. It was doubt. I felt doubt. I've always been able to trust my senses, the evidence of my own eyes, until last night."

"You can't actually believe that you saw some kind of monster."

"No, I can't believe that."

Sherlock grins bitterly for a moment.

"But I did see it, so the question is: how? How?"

"Yes. Yeah, right, good. So you've got something to go on, then? Good luck with that."

He turns and starts to walk away again. Sherlock turns and calls after him.

"Listen, what I said before, John. I meant it."

John stops and turns back to face him.

"I don't have friends. I've just got one."

John looks away as he takes in that statement for a moment, then he nods briefly and glances back at Sherlock.

"Right." He says.

He turns and walks away again. Sherlock looks down, then instantly raises his head again and his eyes begin to flicker in realisation of something.