Fic for mildred_bobbin : And Things Will Change (Part 2 of 4)
Title: And Things Will Change
Author: Ragna (scandalbaby)
Recipient: mildred_bobbin
Fandom: Sherlock
Rating: PG
Word Count: 6,158
Characters/Pairings: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Warnings: None
Summary: Sherlock upsets the wrong woman and wakes up one morning a female. It’s quite the learning experience, especially when John starts acting strangely. What exactly is his friend hiding?
Notes: swissmarg is a godsend of a beta. One of the things my recipient wanted was a genderswap story, and I had never written that before. I still think my beta deserves a co-writing credit for all the work but swissmarg says no, so I offer up my heartiest thanks instead and the opinion that the story is a million times better with the help. mildred_bobbin, enjoy!
Part 1
It took far longer to get clothes than Sherlock expected. How did women ever find anything that fit properly? He refused skirts and dresses, instead thrusting his arm imperiously out from the dressing room curtain and ordering John to bring shirts and trousers similar to what he already wore. The bras and shoes were their own form of torture and he found himself feeling sorry for every woman he knew at the end of the experience. He would never belittle a woman's choice in dress again now that he knew how uncomfortable they must be at times. As soon as he had an outfit that looked at least presentable, they took a taxi directly back to the flat. John made some tea while Sherlock flopped down on the couch, massaging his feet. He hadn’t even taken a pair of shoes with much of a heel at all, but the balls of his feet were sore from bearing the greater portion of his weight.
John placed a cup of tea in front of Sherlock and settled back in the opposite corner of the couch with his own cup. “All right. Tell me everything you know about the case, everything about who could have done this to you.”
“I already know who it must have been,” Sherlock said, leaning forward. He knew sitting the way he was sitting, with his legs spread apart slightly and his elbows on his thighs, was very unladylike, but it was comfortable even in this new body. “It was the McManus matriarch. She was the one rumoured to practice magical arts.”
“But why would she turn you into a woman?” John asked.
Sherlock shut his eyes and thought back to their encounter. He had gone to ask questions about her son, there had been a slight argument, he had made a threat to come back with a policeman...oh. “I threatened to bring a policeman with me the next time I talked to her. I didn’t say ‘police officer,’ I said ‘policeman.’ I was thinking of Lestrade but she couldn’t have known that. She asked me what I thought a policeman could do, and I told her he could bring her errant son to justice. She said a man couldn’t do anything a woman couldn’t do. I said he very well could, since she’d obviously had little success reining in her son.”
“Yeah, that might have done it,” John said, wincing slightly.
“I know women who are extremely capable and intelligent,” Sherlock said defensively. “Just look at Molly, or even Sally Donovan. I have nothing against women. But when I get irritated I don't always think clearly.”
“I can see that,” John said. “All right. So all you need to do is apologise to her, ask her to lift the spell or curse or whatever this is.”
“Why should I apologise when she’s the one who misunderstood?” Sherlock asked, his eyes wide.
“You’re going to apologise and mean it, or else you're going to be stuck as a woman for the rest of your life.” John glared pointedly at his friend. “I don't want you as a woman any longer than I can help it.”
“Why?” Sherlock asked, looking at John intently.
John looked away. “It's not important,” he said gruffly.
“I think it is,” Sherlock replied, narrowing his eyes.
“No. It's not,” John said insistently. “Can we get back to the matter at hand?”
Sherlock did not like the rebuff. Something was weighing on his friend's mind, and it was something substantial. But he would let it go for now and focus on the case. “Fine. As you’re the expert in all things feminine, what do you propose we do next? Because I do not believe an apology will be sufficient.”
“Oh?” John asked looking back at Sherlock. “Why not?”
“I believe this is a punishment. I believe she intends me to live as a woman for some time. Hopefully not too long, but long enough to understand.”
“Then what do you propose you do?”
“Go out in the world and be a woman, I suppose. But I would need help. I don’t know how to behave as a woman.”
“You really don't know how to behave as a man, either,” John pointed out with a slight chuckle.
Sherlock glared at him. “That is not funny.”
“I'm sorry. But it's true. Your social skills are rather stunted, even you have to admit that.”
“I suppose so,” Sherlock conceded. “Very well. I will need a guide. You know women well enough, I suppose. And if I am out with you men will most likely leave me alone.”
“Then you won't really get the full experience,” John said. “Women get treated very differently than men. If you have a man around you won't get the full brunt of how much of an arsehole most men are. And if this is a punishment, I think you need that. I think you need to experience the whole thing.”
Sherlock frowned. John might have some very valid points. “I’d best get started, then.” He stood up and eased the shoes back on. He had the feeling this was definitely going to be a tribulation, but he hoped if he bore it well this punishment of being trapped in a woman's body would end soon. But before it was over, he wanted to solve the mystery of why John wanted him to be back to normal so badly. Something was going on there, and he wanted to know what. He got the feeling it was something that would be very important to know when this was all over.
Part 3
Author: Ragna (scandalbaby)
Recipient: mildred_bobbin
Fandom: Sherlock
Rating: PG
Word Count: 6,158
Characters/Pairings: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Warnings: None
Summary: Sherlock upsets the wrong woman and wakes up one morning a female. It’s quite the learning experience, especially when John starts acting strangely. What exactly is his friend hiding?
Notes: swissmarg is a godsend of a beta. One of the things my recipient wanted was a genderswap story, and I had never written that before. I still think my beta deserves a co-writing credit for all the work but swissmarg says no, so I offer up my heartiest thanks instead and the opinion that the story is a million times better with the help. mildred_bobbin, enjoy!
Part 1
It took far longer to get clothes than Sherlock expected. How did women ever find anything that fit properly? He refused skirts and dresses, instead thrusting his arm imperiously out from the dressing room curtain and ordering John to bring shirts and trousers similar to what he already wore. The bras and shoes were their own form of torture and he found himself feeling sorry for every woman he knew at the end of the experience. He would never belittle a woman's choice in dress again now that he knew how uncomfortable they must be at times. As soon as he had an outfit that looked at least presentable, they took a taxi directly back to the flat. John made some tea while Sherlock flopped down on the couch, massaging his feet. He hadn’t even taken a pair of shoes with much of a heel at all, but the balls of his feet were sore from bearing the greater portion of his weight.
John placed a cup of tea in front of Sherlock and settled back in the opposite corner of the couch with his own cup. “All right. Tell me everything you know about the case, everything about who could have done this to you.”
“I already know who it must have been,” Sherlock said, leaning forward. He knew sitting the way he was sitting, with his legs spread apart slightly and his elbows on his thighs, was very unladylike, but it was comfortable even in this new body. “It was the McManus matriarch. She was the one rumoured to practice magical arts.”
“But why would she turn you into a woman?” John asked.
Sherlock shut his eyes and thought back to their encounter. He had gone to ask questions about her son, there had been a slight argument, he had made a threat to come back with a policeman...oh. “I threatened to bring a policeman with me the next time I talked to her. I didn’t say ‘police officer,’ I said ‘policeman.’ I was thinking of Lestrade but she couldn’t have known that. She asked me what I thought a policeman could do, and I told her he could bring her errant son to justice. She said a man couldn’t do anything a woman couldn’t do. I said he very well could, since she’d obviously had little success reining in her son.”
“Yeah, that might have done it,” John said, wincing slightly.
“I know women who are extremely capable and intelligent,” Sherlock said defensively. “Just look at Molly, or even Sally Donovan. I have nothing against women. But when I get irritated I don't always think clearly.”
“I can see that,” John said. “All right. So all you need to do is apologise to her, ask her to lift the spell or curse or whatever this is.”
“Why should I apologise when she’s the one who misunderstood?” Sherlock asked, his eyes wide.
“You’re going to apologise and mean it, or else you're going to be stuck as a woman for the rest of your life.” John glared pointedly at his friend. “I don't want you as a woman any longer than I can help it.”
“Why?” Sherlock asked, looking at John intently.
John looked away. “It's not important,” he said gruffly.
“I think it is,” Sherlock replied, narrowing his eyes.
“No. It's not,” John said insistently. “Can we get back to the matter at hand?”
Sherlock did not like the rebuff. Something was weighing on his friend's mind, and it was something substantial. But he would let it go for now and focus on the case. “Fine. As you’re the expert in all things feminine, what do you propose we do next? Because I do not believe an apology will be sufficient.”
“Oh?” John asked looking back at Sherlock. “Why not?”
“I believe this is a punishment. I believe she intends me to live as a woman for some time. Hopefully not too long, but long enough to understand.”
“Then what do you propose you do?”
“Go out in the world and be a woman, I suppose. But I would need help. I don’t know how to behave as a woman.”
“You really don't know how to behave as a man, either,” John pointed out with a slight chuckle.
Sherlock glared at him. “That is not funny.”
“I'm sorry. But it's true. Your social skills are rather stunted, even you have to admit that.”
“I suppose so,” Sherlock conceded. “Very well. I will need a guide. You know women well enough, I suppose. And if I am out with you men will most likely leave me alone.”
“Then you won't really get the full experience,” John said. “Women get treated very differently than men. If you have a man around you won't get the full brunt of how much of an arsehole most men are. And if this is a punishment, I think you need that. I think you need to experience the whole thing.”
Sherlock frowned. John might have some very valid points. “I’d best get started, then.” He stood up and eased the shoes back on. He had the feeling this was definitely going to be a tribulation, but he hoped if he bore it well this punishment of being trapped in a woman's body would end soon. But before it was over, he wanted to solve the mystery of why John wanted him to be back to normal so badly. Something was going on there, and he wanted to know what. He got the feeling it was something that would be very important to know when this was all over.
Part 3