Fic Rec: Not Yet Dead
Title: Not Yet Dead
Author: castiron
Pairing: Gen
Length: 105,297 words
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Canon character death
Verse: ACD Books / BBC Sherlock
Author's summary: Sherlock Holmes has long been fascinated with (and haunted by) the tragic story of his namesake cousin. When his nightmares about it grow unbearable and he starts seeing hypnotherapist Jim Moriarty, however, Sherlock begins to wonder whether he himself is his cousin's reincarnation. Have Sherlock and the modern John Watson known each other before this life? Can Sherlock solve a nineteenth-century murder and prove the historic Dr. Watson innocent, and also solve the current string of oddly-posed unidentified corpses?
Reccer's comments: The cases and the reincarnation bits are interesting, but for me, this is all about the plot twists. Just when I thought I saw where things were going, but author did a one-eighty and completely shook up all of the theories I'd developed. Not that there were any WTF moments; everything is perfectly consistent, and a small incident may turn out to be the key to events that happen tens of thousands of words later. Suffice it to say, nothing is straightforward and no one is who they seem to be, sometimes not even to themselves.
This is an AU, both of the ACD books and the BBC series. The plot diverges from the BBC series after The Blind Banker, and from the original canon at the scene at the Reichenbach Falls. A knowledge of the original stories is helpful, especially the events in The Final Problem. The main story line takes place in the modern era, interspersed with frequent flashbacks/memories of the late nineteenth century. There is no time travel involved. The plot relies heavily on the theory of past life regression through hypnotism and takes reincarnation as a fact, so if that kind of thing rubs you the wrong way, be ready to check your scepticism at the door in order to enjoy the story.
Excerpt:
It had been pleasant-irrational, but pleasant-to think that he and John had lived here before: Holmes and Watson, solving crimes, sharing companionship, dashing about London. As if this thing between them was immortal, occasionally shaded for a time but always springing up again. He looked over at John's laptop and felt a strange twisting behind his sternum.
Why did John keep insisting that he hadn't been Watson? Sherlock suspected he knew, now: denial. But John was right; it had been another life, and it should not matter now even if John had killed him then. Maybe if John regressed too, he'd finally believe. Sherlock couldn't fault him for doubt; he would not have believed himself, before the regressions, before finding the secret niche in Irene Adler's house, before seeing Professor Moriarty, before, before.
And it would explain why John fitted so easily into his life, why John had gone from "flatmate" to "essential" in a matter of weeks: they were not starting from nothing; they were starting from ten years of close friendship.
Or rather, ten years of close friendship cut off by one murder.
There are several cases during the course of the story, both in the past and present. At first, it appears that they are unconnected, but of course it turns out that there are greater forces at work, and everything is related. One fun thing about the story is that the reader who is familiar with the ACD stories is in the unique position of putting at least some of the pieces together before Sherlock and John do.
On the personal side, there isn't any romance, but there are epic friendships, including John and Sherlock, of course, but also John and Sally (which makes more sense than it sounds like). At first, it might seem that the friendships and explorations of the various relationships are just little character-building exercises, bits of human interest to keep things from being too dry, but it turns out that the relationships are vital to the plot, and in fact to the ultimate resolution of the mystery.
This was just a really well planned and executed fic that made good use of an interesting premise. I came away impressed and satisfied, and with the feeling that all was finally right again at 221B Baker Street.