New Fic: A Study in Doubles 15/16
Title: A Study in Doubles
Author: jupiter_ash
Rating: NC17
Beta: trillsabells
Word Count: 5k this part. 93k so far.
Pairings: Sherlock/John
Disclaimer: Sherlock Holmes created by ACD, Sherlock owned by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss.
Summary: Sequel to A Study in Winning. Because winning Wimbledon is one thing; maintaining a relationship is something else entirely.
Warnings: Graphic sex, swearing, (bad) French.
Spoilers: Some for S2; mainly throwaway lines and some character appearances. No spoilers for S2 episode plots.
Big thanks to everyone who has helped to get this out, even if you didn't know it.
*
A Study in Doubles
Part Fifteen
*
There was nothing else in the world quite like walking out onto a court before the start of a big game: the restless energy coursing through the limbs, the churning in the stomach, the possibility of what could happen, the crowd waiting and watching, the anticipation, the noise, the nerves, the prayers, the hope, the fears, the roar of emotions.
Today was no different.
He put his bags down beside his courtside chair, taking a moment to sit and collect his thoughts. A Masters 1000 men’s doubles final. There were twelve and a half thousand people sitting encircling and rising above them on the terraces, watching and waiting. It was warm, but not too hot, and for the moment the rain was holding off. All in all, not bad. Not bad at all.
The Bryan brothers were just as imposingly tall and identical up close as they had appeared from a distance. At six foot three and six foot four, with sturdy frames and a solid build, they made Sherlock look slight in comparison. That didn’t bode well for John. It was true that he was one of the shortest men on the professional tour but against these two he felt decidedly dwarfish.
“The bigger they are-”
He turned to find Sherlock seated beside him, his head tilted down and inwards so his lips weren’t too far away from John’s ear.
John smiled. “The harder they fall,” he finished for Sherlock. “Should I be disturbed that you know exactly what I’m thinking?”
Sherlock’s lips twitched. “Only if you think it would help.”
His smile widened as he reached for the first of his drink bottles. “We’re going to have our work cut out for us.”
Sherlock made a disparaging sound as he pulled out his racket. “Negativity doesn’t suit you.”
“Sorry. Positive. Right.” He placed his bottle carefully by his chair leg. “Still, doesn’t change the fact.”
“True,” Sherlock said, pulling a sweat band on over his curls. “But things have been against us from the very start. What’s one more?”
What was one more, indeed? Shaking his head with a fond smile, he went through the last stages of his preparation and then it was onto the court for the coin toss and the final warm-up.
They won the toss. The warm-up went well. His shoulder felt okay. The weather was holding well enough. And this was a final. The final. Then suddenly - far too soon - it was time, they were in position, the crowd was hushed in anticipation, and Sherlock was opening the serving.
*
The ball shot past him, beyond his reach, beyond his skill and beyond his hope.
“Game Bryan and Bryan. Two games all.”
Dammit.
If he had thought the previous matches had been tough, this was like a baptism of fire.
Their game plan had been simple. Their only chance at winning was to take the match to the Bryan brothers, go on the offensive and attack everything. They couldn’t afford to sit back and nor could they play a game of their favoured groundstrokes. Net play was going to be the key. Whoever controlled the net controlled the point. Whoever won the most points would win the match. They were going to have to be fast, hard and aggressive.
Their opponents, it seemed, had had the same idea.
Four games in, the warm-up was over and the balls were being powered all over the place. He was also starting to see a trend in their opponent’s game.
“They’re going for you.”
Sherlock grunted as he tossed down his towel and grabbed a water bottle.
For all the tactics and game plans that doubles had, one of the most basic principles was to play to your opponent’s weaknesses. That was closely followed by playing to your weakest opponent. There could be no doubt in anyone’s mind that he was the weak link in their pairing. The Bryan brothers, however, had taken a slightly different view.
“Astute of them,” Sherlock said before swigging at the water.
“They know you’re tired.”
“It’s an unpreventable advantage,” Sherlock said. There was a frown between his eyes, and not just from the sunlight.
All their other opponents had taken John as the weak link. All of their other opponents had lost.
“So, what do we do?” he asked.
Sherlock’s frown cleared up, the bottle of water tossed back down now finished with. “Nothing. There’s little we can do,” Sherlock said in a matter of fact way. “We stick to our game plan. We take the match to them. We play, we fight.”
“And if we lose?”
Sherlock turned to face him directly, the sun bright on his face.
“Then we lose.”
*
“We’re back with Holmes on serve. We all know he’s by far the best singles player out there, but today he’s looking the weakest on that court in terms of doubles play.”
“That’s certainly true. But singles and doubles are completely different types of games. He’s an excellent all-round, all-court player, but his strengths definitely lie with his groundstrokes. At the back of the court there are few who can touch him let alone match him, but that’s not the match out there today.”
“It’s Holmes to serve again. He discards one ball before being satisfied and settles himself into position. He serves. Bob Bryan returns, Holmes, volley by Mike and Holmes didn’t have a chance.”
“Love - fifteen.”
“Perfectly placed volley from Mike Bryan there, aiming it at Holmes’ feet even as Holmes was moving forward to the net. Lovely bit of play from the American.”
“Holmes collects his next ball and shares a brief word with Watson, who nods before turning to take his place by the net. Holmes then takes his place to serve, pauses for a moment to let the crowd fully setting and then... a lovely serve it is too. Sharp, fast, precise, Mike Bryan just manages to get a racket to it, but it’s wild and goes nowhere.”
“Fifteen - all.”
“Solid serve from Holmes. He’ll know that if they’re to have any chance in this match then his serving has to be top rate. They can’t do what he did in the opening match against Kohlschreiber and Monfils where Holmes’ serving was, by his standards at least, incredibly sub-par. They can’t afford to give the Bryan brothers even the glimpse of an opening.”
“Holmes seems satisfied by that serve. Can he pull it off again? He bounces the ball and then serves again… but it clips the net and bounces back.”
“He’s got to be careful not to overdo it. His serve is good, yes, anyone who’s faced it could tell you that, but he has a tendency to try too hard with it, especially when he feels under pressure, which leads to errors, increased pressure and double faults.”
“Holmes composes himself, second serve. Bob Bryan returns, Watson volley, Bob backhand, and a fabulous backhand volley from Holmes for the point.”
“Thirty - fifteen.”
“He knew exactly where that one was going. Centre of his racket, middle of the tramlines, perfect play from Holmes.”
“Listen to that applause. The crowd certainly appreciated that one for what it was and Watson gives him a nod of recognition. Holmes returns to the baseline for his next serve.”
“Excellent short play there. Holmes and Watson need that. The longer this match goes on for, the longer the points are, the more tired they’ll get. They need to keep the number of shots per point down and not be pulled into long drawn-out rallies. The problem with that is that groundstroke, back of the court rallying is what they do best.”
“Holmes to serve. Mike Bryan forehand, down the line.”
“Thirty - all.”
“Wow. That came back as quickly as it went. Beautifully done. Blink of an eye. Watson would have barely seen it. They was no way was he getting to that.”
“Another brief word between Holmes and Watson and then Holmes collects the balls for his next serve. Everyone settles back into place and Holmes serves, but it’s long. Recomposes himself, bounces the ball, and again serves. Bob Bryan, Holmes forehand, Mike volley, Watson, Mike, Holmes with the lob and a lovely smash from Bob down the centre, out of the reach of Holmes’ racket.”
“Thirty - forty.”
“And here’s the chance for the break. Just listen to the crowd.”
“Holmes doesn’t look too happy with himself, but if there’s a player who’s experienced with playing under pressure, it’s him.”
“Yeah, but there’s pressure and there’s pressure. Last thing he needs is for this to turn into another French Open final.”
“That was some collapse he had there, but since then it’s as if we’ve seen another side of Holmes. You could even say a more mature side to him. He might not have beaten Moriarty in a grand slam yet, but he wasn’t a walkover at Wimbledon.”
“That’s true, it went to five sets at Wimbledon, but he’s still only one point away from being broken here. Can he pull it back?”
“We’re about to find out. Holmes lines up once more for the serve. He serves, Mike Bryan, Holmes backhand coming in, Mike down the line, Watson backhand, Bob volley, Holmes, Bob again, and that’s the break.”
“Game, Bryan and Bryan. Bryan and Bryan lead three games to two.”
“Terrific game and the Bryan brothers celebrate with their trademark chest bump.”
“They’ve been piling on the pressure all match and it’s finally paid off. The Bryan brothers saw their chance and they’ve grabbed it with both hands.”
“Watson crosses over to Holmes who is stood staring at where the ball bounced past him and in. Holmes doesn’t look happy, but it’s going to be his play not the call that he’s unhappy with. Now he’s returning to his seat. He and Watson certainly have their work cut out for them now.”
*
“It’s okay, you know.”
“I know it’s okay.” Sherlock’s tone was terse and his body tense, but then his shoulders slumped and his voice softened. “It’s just frustrating. I should have seen that, should have known where he was going to put it, I should have….”
“Stop.” John pitched his voice sharp and firm. “Just stop it.”
Sherlock stopped, his mouth closing with a click, his lips pursing tightly together.
It was, John realised, the first time they had really been in this situation since their opening match of this tournament, and a hell of a lot had changed since then, even if on the surface everything looked completely the same. They were different, their relationship was different, for the better of course, but that didn’t change the fact they were losing again and losing wasn’t something they had really done yet. Certainly not like this. And of course Sherlock was blaming himself. The world rested solely on his shoulders or something equally egomaniacal.
“Look,” he said firmly, “it’s alright. It’s fine. It happens. It was going to happen. Come on, we both know they’re better than us. It’s no biggy. Remember what you said, if we lose, we lose. Let’s just enjoy it. Alright?”
For a moment he though Sherlock was going to argue, but then Sherlock took a deep breath, held it for a good few seconds and then breathed out.
“Not the end of the world,” he muttered.
“God no,” John said with a slight laugh. “And trust me, as someone with plenty of experience of losing, for once I might know better than you do.”
Sherlock’s half smile gave him an almost impish look. “Is that so?”
“It bloody well is,” John said as time was called for them to continue the set. “Come on. If we’re going to go down, let’s give them something to remember.”
*
“… Watson forehand, Bob volley, Holmes volley and a lovely finish from Mike to take the point and close out the set.”
“Game and set, Bryan and Bryan, six game to four. Bryan and Bryan lead one set to love.”
“So the Bryan brothers take the first set after some excellent play by both pairs. The Bryan brothers have been the better pair though overall. Do you think Holmes and Watson can come back from this, or is this the beginning of the end?”
“That’s a tough one. They could come back from this, yes. Will they though? This time I don’t think so.”
“You said earlier that if the Bryan brothers took the first set then Holmes and Watson wouldn’t be able to find a way back.”
“And I still stand by that. The Bryan brothers found holes in Holmes and Watson’s game that they’ve managed to take advantage of, and that’s something that’s only going to continue. Holmes isn’t playing as well as we know he can, but that’s pretty much to be expected. He’s tired and doubles isn’t his strong suit. It doesn’t change the fact, though, that at this level, in this final, playing at anything but his best just isn’t going to be good enough.”
“What about Watson? Lots of people, myself included, would have tipped him to be the weak link in this match, but he appears to be holding his own.”
“Watson has a good all-round game. He proved that at Wimbledon when he suddenly started to remember that he could in fact win. He’s very competent at the net, and he’s certainly playing as well as we’ve seen him play this tournament, but the Bryan brothers are a very solid intimidating pair on the other side of that net. At times they can be like a brick wall; every shot you play shoots right back at you with interest.”
“Well it’s certainly making for an entertaining game of tennis. One set up for the Bryan brothers in this dramatic men’s doubles final. After this of course we’ll be bringing you the men’s singles final between Jim Moriarty and Rafael Nadal, a game you will not want to miss, two big hitters both with something to prove, but first we’ll be returning here for the second set; Bob and Mike Byran verses Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Don’t go away.”
*
They were a set down. This wasn’t a surprise. They had known it was coming. They had to lose sometime. It was fine. Really, it was fine.
“How’s the shoulder?”
He flexed it automatically before rolling his arm round twice just to check.
“Okay,” he said, his reassuring small smile giving way when he caught Sherlock’s ‘don’t even bother lying to me’ expression. “Alright, a bit sore,” he said with a small shrug, “but it’s been worse. How about you?”
“I’m fine.”
He raised an eyebrow as Sherlock took a drink. “Alright,” Sherlock said almost as if it pained him. “I’m not at my best, clearly.”
Clearly.
“But I’m far from finished.”
“Didn’t think it for a moment.” He let his lips twitch. “God knows I’ve seen enough of your pig-headed stubbornness to be certain of that.”
Apparently that warranted a patented Sherlock sideways glance, eyebrow twitch of uncertainty and then small smile of genuine amusement. He responded with his own grin, confirming the tease and sharing the humour. The way he saw it, if they were going to lose they should go down laughing.
“One set down, best of three,” he said, “any chance we could do the impossible and come back from this?”
“I think we can damn well try.” There was firmness to Sherlock’s tone.
John took a swig of his drink, savouring it as Sherlock’s words and tone raced around his mind and collided with a vague nagging thought that had taken refuge there. He frowned, glancing across at his partner as the new thought finally crystallised into a coherent shape. There was a reason they had got this far in the competition and that certainly wasn’t by losing.
“Sherlock, promise me something.”
“Mmmm?”
Closing his drink, he leaned closer, lowering his voice slightly. “Look, promise me you won’t do anything stupid. Don’t over push yourself. Not for this. Not with the Open coming up. You need to be your best for New York and we’ve got Cincinnati before that. Just don’t do anything that might be, you know, stupid.”
Because they didn’t need to win that much.
“It was never about winning, John.”
Sherlock’s gaze was honest and direct and John saw everything in it with almost perfect clarity; them, their relationship, this tournament, everything.
“No. No, it was about us, wasn’t it?” John said softly. It was about them working together as a pair, a couple, a team. “But this is about you now. So just promise me.”
Sherlock’s gaze was steady. “Alright. I promise.”
“Nothing stupid.”
Sherlock’s lips twitched. “I swear.”
John sat back, the tension easing.
“But only if you promise the same,” Sherlock said. “Your shoulder. Nothing… stupid. You’ve got a retirement to come back from, remember.”
Yeah, he remembered.
He turned his head again and met the gaze. “I promise,” he said.
“Good,” Sherlock said standing up as time was called on their between-sets break. “Now, what do you say we show them what we’re made of?”
*
“Watson serves, Mike Bryan stretches, Holmes at the net, Bob volley, Watson deep centre backhand, Mike with the lob, Holmes smashes, Bob reaches and Holmes with another smash down the centre to take the point.”
“Game, Holmes and Watson. Holmes and Watson lead, two games to one.”
“Excellent example of teamwork there in that last point from Watson and Holmes, crossing the court to cover the gaps, Watson ducking but moving forward, trusting Holmes to get the smash.”
“And a lovely smash it was from Holmes as well.”
“It was. Perfectly timed with a lovely follow through. You can see the way his whole body twists into the shot.”
“They’re still throwing everything into it, taking the match to the Bryan brothers.”
“Without a doubt and whatever happens here, whatever the final outcome, that should be recognised. After the battering they got in the first set, the majority of pairings would have limped back out here jaded and wounded, but not Holmes and Watson. Their heads are high, their shoulders are back and they’re not giving this one up without a fight.”
“Watson holds his serve. Can Mike Bryan now do the same?”
*
“Game, Bryan and Bryan. Two games all.”
They were holding their own. They were still in it and giving as good as they were getting.
He wiped his forehead and neck. His shoulder was starting to ache. Hardly surprising considering everything, but he had hoped to have avoided it for a little while longer. If they were going to win this then he was going to need to remain on top form.
“You’re doing fine.”
He almost jumped at the sound of Sherlock’s voice directly behind him. He hadn’t even heard him approach.
“You’re not bad yourself,” he said. “That last over the shoulder shot; skill or showboating?”
“How about both?”
They shared a smile. It turned out they were more than capable of teasing each other in the middle of an important final, even when a set down.
“When you said show them what we’re made of, I didn’t think you meant quite like that.”
“Why not?” Sherlock said. “If we’re going to lose, why not do it in style?”
“Style,” he said with a small shake of the head. “Alright, but remember your promise. You don’t want to injure yourself. So no diving across the court just because it’ll look good.”
“Of course not,” Sherlock said as if that was a ridiculous suggestion. “I would never dive across the court just because it would look good. I’d have to make sure I’d get to the ball as well.”
Right.
*
“Deuce.”
“Holmes takes his time bouncing the ball.”
“This has been a whirlwind of a game, but this is a very important point now. He really needs to pull out a good serve here, the type we know he is more than capable of.”
“The crowd has hushed. Holmes serves… returned, and a lovely volley from Holmes on the stretch.”
“Beautifully timed and placed.”
“Advantage Holmes and Watson.”
“Write Holmes off at your peril. He’s certainly talented enough to pull something new out of his hat to dazzle you with.”
“He’s certainly proved that time and again. Now he settles himself for the next serve… and it’s an ace.”
“Game, Holmes and Watson. Holmes and Watson lead five games to four.”
“A crucial hold of serve there from Holmes and he and Watson know it. For a brief moment it looked as if we would be about to see the Bryan brothers serving for the match, but not this time.”
“Holmes and Watson are taking it to the wire, but they are still very much in this match, battling for every point. They have the lead in this set, but it’s still on serve and the Bryan brothers took the first set. What this does mean though is unless Holmes and Watson break Bob Bryan’s serve we’re going to be seeing a tie-break.”
*
“… Watson forehand, Mike volley, Holmes backhand, another volley, Watson, and then the volley into Holmes’ feet to take the point and the game.”
“Game, Bryan and Bryan. Six games all.”
“We’re going to a tie-break.”
“It is still so close between these two pairs. The Bryan brothers have perhaps been the better pair, but Holmes and Watson have clung in there. Never say die. At times pulling one outrageous shot after another out of the hat. And just look at the score. After the first set I would never have predicted we would go to a tie-break in the second set, especially considering how the Bryan brothers had found Holmes and Watson’s weaknesses in the first.”
“Could Holmes and Watson do what most before this match would have considered the impossible? Could they actually win?”
“They will have to win this tie-break of course, but one thing’s for certain, the crowd just loves it. That mini volley game at the net between Watson and Mike Bryan for the second point in that last game had them laughing and cheering in equal measure. ”
“There’s been some top-class doubles tennis played here so far.”
“Forget doubles, there’s been some world-class tennis played here, and the crowd recognise and respect that. Grit, determination, skill, precision, power, and the odd trick shot, it’s all here and the crowd quite rightly don’t want it to end.”
“It’s Holmes to start us off in the tie-break. He’ll be serving from the deuce court, just the once and then the service will of course rotate between the players as it has been with each player after that serving twice each. The first pair to reach seven points with two clear points wins the set, otherwise play continues past seven until one pair is two points ahead.”
“Here we go then.”
“Holmes to serve from the deuce court. He serves, a good return back, volley from Watson, forehand Mike, and another excellent volley from Watson for the point.”
“One - love.”
“They’ve certainly started as they mean to go on, and that was again excellent close net play from Watson. Two well taken, well placed volleys. He really has been a revelation in the past few months.”
“He has indeed, and he’s been playing this tournament with the same confidence and passion he showed at Wimbledon.”
“Bob Bryan retrieves the balls and is now ready to serve, but it clips the net and goes long. Settles himself, serves, Watson forehand, Mike volley, Holmes stretches, but it’s an easy put away for Mike Bryan.”
“One - all.”
“Watson and Holmes share a brief word with each other and now it’s Holmes’ turn to receive. Bob Bryan with the serve. It’s good. Holmes hammers it back, Bob volley, Holmes forehand, Bob volley, Watson firm backhand, net volley, Holmes volley, Bob… but it bounces long.”
“Two - one.”
“And it’s Holmes and Watson who get the first mini break.”
“Good play from all of them there, great reflexes. Holmes and Watson were certainly going for power there though. They were going to make their opponents work for it.”
“It’s now Watson’s turn to serve. He and Holmes share another brief word. What do you suppose they’re saying?”
“More of the same, I’d think. That’s what I’d be saying to my partner if I was in their position. Whatever their game plan in this second set it appears to be working.”
“Watson takes his position. He serves. It’s pounded back, Holmes at the net, Mike with the volley, Holmes, Mike, Holmes, Bob and a lovely finish there from Watson. He saw the gap and blasted the ball down it.”
“Three - one.”
“Watson’s had a good game so far. He’s certainly held his own close to the net, despite being the shortest player out there, but not for once the oldest. I think I’m right in saying that he’s a few months younger than the Bryan bros.”
“September to their April, I believe.”
“That means that Holmes is by far the youngest out there.”
“Not often the case, to be sure.”
“Watson lines himself up to serve but it’s called wide. Second serve. It’s good. Bryan forehand, Holmes volley, Mike backhand volley, Watson on the high bounce, Bob gets there, Holmes and Mike Bryan with a lovely finish and they’ve broken back.”
“Three - two.”
“This tie-break has all the hallmarks of being just as close as the set itself. For the neutral it’s a thrilling match, for their fans, well, I wonder how many nails they’ll have after this.”
“It’s Mike Bryan’s turn to serve this time. As a reminder, if the Bryan brothers win this tie-break then the match, the tournament and the trophy is theirs. If not, then we’ll be going into a third and deciding set.”
“Listen to that, I think we know what the crowd want.”
“Mike Bryan to serve. Holmes. And what a return by Holmes. He really put everything into that one, a powerful forehand, right down the centre between the two brothers, and Holmes and Watson have another mini break.”
“Four - two.”
“He knew exactly where that ball was going and then made sure it got there with all the power and precision he’s known for.”
“The proficiency of Holmes’ forehand has never been in doubt, he just hasn’t had much of a chance to use it in this match.”
“A brief pause in the game now as the players switch ends and the Bryan brothers take a moment to confer. What do you suppose they’re thinking now?”
“Holmes and Watson will want to capitalise on that previous point, while the Bryan brothers won’t want to lose another point on their serve. The pressure is on them here to keep this point.”
“They all take their places, Bob by the net, Mike on the baseline. Mike Bryan to serve. Good return by Watson, Bob volley, Holmes on the stretch, Mike volley coming into the net, Watson volley, Mike gets there, Holmes, good idea but it just bounces wide.”
“Four - three.”
“That would have been such a beauty if it had bounced in. Holmes looks disappointed, but then he has such high standards for himself. I don’t think there’s a player out on the tour who doesn’t know just how good his ground strokes are, but they can’t all go in.”
“Watson goes over to talk to Holmes, says something that has the Frenchman smiling and now we’re back to Holmes’ serve. Can they press forward their advantage and keep their mini break? Holmes takes his position. Bounces the ball. Good serve by Holmes, and yes they can. The return goes long and Holmes and Watson go within two points of winning the set.”
“Five - three.”
“Who would have guessed that having lost the first set Holmes and Watson would still be in the match enough to challenge for the second?”
“Not us, that’s for sure.”
“Good thing I’m not the betting type.”
“We could still have a long way to go yet. Holmes and Watson aren’t giving this game up without a fight and we’re still with Holmes on the serve. Holmes bounces the ball, serves, but it’s called out. He pulls another ball out of his pocket, bounces it, pauses and serves. This time it’s good. Returned down the centre, Watson gets it, Bob Bryan running back, over the shoulder lob which sets up an easy smash for Watson.”
“Six - three.”
“Watson gives a small fist punch and looks delighted with that one. Well timed, well placed and they are on the cusp of taking this second set. A mini break up and Holmes and Watson are about it receive serve.”
“Bob Bryan to serve to stay in this set.”
“No pressure or anything.”
“Bob takes his place, serves… and what a shot there from Watson. He hit it with everything he had and somehow managed to squeeze it through the gap between the brothers.”
“Game and set, Holmes and Watson, seven games to six.”
“Who would have seen that one coming?”
“One set all. Third and final set.”
“The crowd are cheering and clapping, some of them are on their feet.”
“They don’t want to see this match end.”
“And who can blame them?”
“Well I certainly don’t.”
“Holmes and Watson turn to each other and just look at their faces. They have clinched this tie-break and with it the second set. We’re going to three.”
*
End Part Fifteen
Author’s Note:
Yep, me again.
Good news, I’m still here and I’m still writing. Even better news is that my depression is gradually getting better and I am significantly better than I was when I posted the last part, but it’s still a journey and I’m plodding on. There have been a number of ups and downs and the general direction is up. Even better, better news is that I’m writing more regularly again, which is a relief for me and good news for you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to anyone who has left a comment, a kudos, a flyby hug on twitter or tumblr or anything at all. Words can’t express it really. There have been so moments when I’ve just stared at my computer screen on the edge of tears, happy tears, and other times when at my lowest I’ve gone back through to read the comments to remind myself that life isn’t all that bad and things get better. So big, big thank you. I have felt so much love. Big hugs back to you all.
As for this story, well the end is near. One part to go after this to draw it all together. But, fear not, that will not be the end of the story. There will be more from this universe, but you’ll have to wait and see.
I’m sure there are other things I was going to say here, but while I sitting here not thinking what it is I’m not posting the story, and I’m sure you actually want me to post it. So I’ll leave it for now.
Big fandom hugs.
~Jupiter A.
ps- I've remembered what it is now. If you've enjoyed this sporting AU and don't mind WIPs and not already reading it, check out earlgreytea68's brilliant baseball AU The Bang and the Clatter. No, seriously, it's brilliant and I don't even know anything about baseball. :)
Author: jupiter_ash
Rating: NC17
Beta: trillsabells
Word Count: 5k this part. 93k so far.
Pairings: Sherlock/John
Disclaimer: Sherlock Holmes created by ACD, Sherlock owned by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss.
Summary: Sequel to A Study in Winning. Because winning Wimbledon is one thing; maintaining a relationship is something else entirely.
Warnings: Graphic sex, swearing, (bad) French.
Spoilers: Some for S2; mainly throwaway lines and some character appearances. No spoilers for S2 episode plots.
Big thanks to everyone who has helped to get this out, even if you didn't know it.
*
A Study in Doubles
Part Fifteen
*
There was nothing else in the world quite like walking out onto a court before the start of a big game: the restless energy coursing through the limbs, the churning in the stomach, the possibility of what could happen, the crowd waiting and watching, the anticipation, the noise, the nerves, the prayers, the hope, the fears, the roar of emotions.
Today was no different.
He put his bags down beside his courtside chair, taking a moment to sit and collect his thoughts. A Masters 1000 men’s doubles final. There were twelve and a half thousand people sitting encircling and rising above them on the terraces, watching and waiting. It was warm, but not too hot, and for the moment the rain was holding off. All in all, not bad. Not bad at all.
The Bryan brothers were just as imposingly tall and identical up close as they had appeared from a distance. At six foot three and six foot four, with sturdy frames and a solid build, they made Sherlock look slight in comparison. That didn’t bode well for John. It was true that he was one of the shortest men on the professional tour but against these two he felt decidedly dwarfish.
“The bigger they are-”
He turned to find Sherlock seated beside him, his head tilted down and inwards so his lips weren’t too far away from John’s ear.
John smiled. “The harder they fall,” he finished for Sherlock. “Should I be disturbed that you know exactly what I’m thinking?”
Sherlock’s lips twitched. “Only if you think it would help.”
His smile widened as he reached for the first of his drink bottles. “We’re going to have our work cut out for us.”
Sherlock made a disparaging sound as he pulled out his racket. “Negativity doesn’t suit you.”
“Sorry. Positive. Right.” He placed his bottle carefully by his chair leg. “Still, doesn’t change the fact.”
“True,” Sherlock said, pulling a sweat band on over his curls. “But things have been against us from the very start. What’s one more?”
What was one more, indeed? Shaking his head with a fond smile, he went through the last stages of his preparation and then it was onto the court for the coin toss and the final warm-up.
They won the toss. The warm-up went well. His shoulder felt okay. The weather was holding well enough. And this was a final. The final. Then suddenly - far too soon - it was time, they were in position, the crowd was hushed in anticipation, and Sherlock was opening the serving.
*
The ball shot past him, beyond his reach, beyond his skill and beyond his hope.
“Game Bryan and Bryan. Two games all.”
Dammit.
If he had thought the previous matches had been tough, this was like a baptism of fire.
Their game plan had been simple. Their only chance at winning was to take the match to the Bryan brothers, go on the offensive and attack everything. They couldn’t afford to sit back and nor could they play a game of their favoured groundstrokes. Net play was going to be the key. Whoever controlled the net controlled the point. Whoever won the most points would win the match. They were going to have to be fast, hard and aggressive.
Their opponents, it seemed, had had the same idea.
Four games in, the warm-up was over and the balls were being powered all over the place. He was also starting to see a trend in their opponent’s game.
“They’re going for you.”
Sherlock grunted as he tossed down his towel and grabbed a water bottle.
For all the tactics and game plans that doubles had, one of the most basic principles was to play to your opponent’s weaknesses. That was closely followed by playing to your weakest opponent. There could be no doubt in anyone’s mind that he was the weak link in their pairing. The Bryan brothers, however, had taken a slightly different view.
“Astute of them,” Sherlock said before swigging at the water.
“They know you’re tired.”
“It’s an unpreventable advantage,” Sherlock said. There was a frown between his eyes, and not just from the sunlight.
All their other opponents had taken John as the weak link. All of their other opponents had lost.
“So, what do we do?” he asked.
Sherlock’s frown cleared up, the bottle of water tossed back down now finished with. “Nothing. There’s little we can do,” Sherlock said in a matter of fact way. “We stick to our game plan. We take the match to them. We play, we fight.”
“And if we lose?”
Sherlock turned to face him directly, the sun bright on his face.
“Then we lose.”
*
“We’re back with Holmes on serve. We all know he’s by far the best singles player out there, but today he’s looking the weakest on that court in terms of doubles play.”
“That’s certainly true. But singles and doubles are completely different types of games. He’s an excellent all-round, all-court player, but his strengths definitely lie with his groundstrokes. At the back of the court there are few who can touch him let alone match him, but that’s not the match out there today.”
“It’s Holmes to serve again. He discards one ball before being satisfied and settles himself into position. He serves. Bob Bryan returns, Holmes, volley by Mike and Holmes didn’t have a chance.”
“Love - fifteen.”
“Perfectly placed volley from Mike Bryan there, aiming it at Holmes’ feet even as Holmes was moving forward to the net. Lovely bit of play from the American.”
“Holmes collects his next ball and shares a brief word with Watson, who nods before turning to take his place by the net. Holmes then takes his place to serve, pauses for a moment to let the crowd fully setting and then... a lovely serve it is too. Sharp, fast, precise, Mike Bryan just manages to get a racket to it, but it’s wild and goes nowhere.”
“Fifteen - all.”
“Solid serve from Holmes. He’ll know that if they’re to have any chance in this match then his serving has to be top rate. They can’t do what he did in the opening match against Kohlschreiber and Monfils where Holmes’ serving was, by his standards at least, incredibly sub-par. They can’t afford to give the Bryan brothers even the glimpse of an opening.”
“Holmes seems satisfied by that serve. Can he pull it off again? He bounces the ball and then serves again… but it clips the net and bounces back.”
“He’s got to be careful not to overdo it. His serve is good, yes, anyone who’s faced it could tell you that, but he has a tendency to try too hard with it, especially when he feels under pressure, which leads to errors, increased pressure and double faults.”
“Holmes composes himself, second serve. Bob Bryan returns, Watson volley, Bob backhand, and a fabulous backhand volley from Holmes for the point.”
“Thirty - fifteen.”
“He knew exactly where that one was going. Centre of his racket, middle of the tramlines, perfect play from Holmes.”
“Listen to that applause. The crowd certainly appreciated that one for what it was and Watson gives him a nod of recognition. Holmes returns to the baseline for his next serve.”
“Excellent short play there. Holmes and Watson need that. The longer this match goes on for, the longer the points are, the more tired they’ll get. They need to keep the number of shots per point down and not be pulled into long drawn-out rallies. The problem with that is that groundstroke, back of the court rallying is what they do best.”
“Holmes to serve. Mike Bryan forehand, down the line.”
“Thirty - all.”
“Wow. That came back as quickly as it went. Beautifully done. Blink of an eye. Watson would have barely seen it. They was no way was he getting to that.”
“Another brief word between Holmes and Watson and then Holmes collects the balls for his next serve. Everyone settles back into place and Holmes serves, but it’s long. Recomposes himself, bounces the ball, and again serves. Bob Bryan, Holmes forehand, Mike volley, Watson, Mike, Holmes with the lob and a lovely smash from Bob down the centre, out of the reach of Holmes’ racket.”
“Thirty - forty.”
“And here’s the chance for the break. Just listen to the crowd.”
“Holmes doesn’t look too happy with himself, but if there’s a player who’s experienced with playing under pressure, it’s him.”
“Yeah, but there’s pressure and there’s pressure. Last thing he needs is for this to turn into another French Open final.”
“That was some collapse he had there, but since then it’s as if we’ve seen another side of Holmes. You could even say a more mature side to him. He might not have beaten Moriarty in a grand slam yet, but he wasn’t a walkover at Wimbledon.”
“That’s true, it went to five sets at Wimbledon, but he’s still only one point away from being broken here. Can he pull it back?”
“We’re about to find out. Holmes lines up once more for the serve. He serves, Mike Bryan, Holmes backhand coming in, Mike down the line, Watson backhand, Bob volley, Holmes, Bob again, and that’s the break.”
“Game, Bryan and Bryan. Bryan and Bryan lead three games to two.”
“Terrific game and the Bryan brothers celebrate with their trademark chest bump.”
“They’ve been piling on the pressure all match and it’s finally paid off. The Bryan brothers saw their chance and they’ve grabbed it with both hands.”
“Watson crosses over to Holmes who is stood staring at where the ball bounced past him and in. Holmes doesn’t look happy, but it’s going to be his play not the call that he’s unhappy with. Now he’s returning to his seat. He and Watson certainly have their work cut out for them now.”
*
“It’s okay, you know.”
“I know it’s okay.” Sherlock’s tone was terse and his body tense, but then his shoulders slumped and his voice softened. “It’s just frustrating. I should have seen that, should have known where he was going to put it, I should have….”
“Stop.” John pitched his voice sharp and firm. “Just stop it.”
Sherlock stopped, his mouth closing with a click, his lips pursing tightly together.
It was, John realised, the first time they had really been in this situation since their opening match of this tournament, and a hell of a lot had changed since then, even if on the surface everything looked completely the same. They were different, their relationship was different, for the better of course, but that didn’t change the fact they were losing again and losing wasn’t something they had really done yet. Certainly not like this. And of course Sherlock was blaming himself. The world rested solely on his shoulders or something equally egomaniacal.
“Look,” he said firmly, “it’s alright. It’s fine. It happens. It was going to happen. Come on, we both know they’re better than us. It’s no biggy. Remember what you said, if we lose, we lose. Let’s just enjoy it. Alright?”
For a moment he though Sherlock was going to argue, but then Sherlock took a deep breath, held it for a good few seconds and then breathed out.
“Not the end of the world,” he muttered.
“God no,” John said with a slight laugh. “And trust me, as someone with plenty of experience of losing, for once I might know better than you do.”
Sherlock’s half smile gave him an almost impish look. “Is that so?”
“It bloody well is,” John said as time was called for them to continue the set. “Come on. If we’re going to go down, let’s give them something to remember.”
*
“… Watson forehand, Bob volley, Holmes volley and a lovely finish from Mike to take the point and close out the set.”
“Game and set, Bryan and Bryan, six game to four. Bryan and Bryan lead one set to love.”
“So the Bryan brothers take the first set after some excellent play by both pairs. The Bryan brothers have been the better pair though overall. Do you think Holmes and Watson can come back from this, or is this the beginning of the end?”
“That’s a tough one. They could come back from this, yes. Will they though? This time I don’t think so.”
“You said earlier that if the Bryan brothers took the first set then Holmes and Watson wouldn’t be able to find a way back.”
“And I still stand by that. The Bryan brothers found holes in Holmes and Watson’s game that they’ve managed to take advantage of, and that’s something that’s only going to continue. Holmes isn’t playing as well as we know he can, but that’s pretty much to be expected. He’s tired and doubles isn’t his strong suit. It doesn’t change the fact, though, that at this level, in this final, playing at anything but his best just isn’t going to be good enough.”
“What about Watson? Lots of people, myself included, would have tipped him to be the weak link in this match, but he appears to be holding his own.”
“Watson has a good all-round game. He proved that at Wimbledon when he suddenly started to remember that he could in fact win. He’s very competent at the net, and he’s certainly playing as well as we’ve seen him play this tournament, but the Bryan brothers are a very solid intimidating pair on the other side of that net. At times they can be like a brick wall; every shot you play shoots right back at you with interest.”
“Well it’s certainly making for an entertaining game of tennis. One set up for the Bryan brothers in this dramatic men’s doubles final. After this of course we’ll be bringing you the men’s singles final between Jim Moriarty and Rafael Nadal, a game you will not want to miss, two big hitters both with something to prove, but first we’ll be returning here for the second set; Bob and Mike Byran verses Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Don’t go away.”
*
They were a set down. This wasn’t a surprise. They had known it was coming. They had to lose sometime. It was fine. Really, it was fine.
“How’s the shoulder?”
He flexed it automatically before rolling his arm round twice just to check.
“Okay,” he said, his reassuring small smile giving way when he caught Sherlock’s ‘don’t even bother lying to me’ expression. “Alright, a bit sore,” he said with a small shrug, “but it’s been worse. How about you?”
“I’m fine.”
He raised an eyebrow as Sherlock took a drink. “Alright,” Sherlock said almost as if it pained him. “I’m not at my best, clearly.”
Clearly.
“But I’m far from finished.”
“Didn’t think it for a moment.” He let his lips twitch. “God knows I’ve seen enough of your pig-headed stubbornness to be certain of that.”
Apparently that warranted a patented Sherlock sideways glance, eyebrow twitch of uncertainty and then small smile of genuine amusement. He responded with his own grin, confirming the tease and sharing the humour. The way he saw it, if they were going to lose they should go down laughing.
“One set down, best of three,” he said, “any chance we could do the impossible and come back from this?”
“I think we can damn well try.” There was firmness to Sherlock’s tone.
John took a swig of his drink, savouring it as Sherlock’s words and tone raced around his mind and collided with a vague nagging thought that had taken refuge there. He frowned, glancing across at his partner as the new thought finally crystallised into a coherent shape. There was a reason they had got this far in the competition and that certainly wasn’t by losing.
“Sherlock, promise me something.”
“Mmmm?”
Closing his drink, he leaned closer, lowering his voice slightly. “Look, promise me you won’t do anything stupid. Don’t over push yourself. Not for this. Not with the Open coming up. You need to be your best for New York and we’ve got Cincinnati before that. Just don’t do anything that might be, you know, stupid.”
Because they didn’t need to win that much.
“It was never about winning, John.”
Sherlock’s gaze was honest and direct and John saw everything in it with almost perfect clarity; them, their relationship, this tournament, everything.
“No. No, it was about us, wasn’t it?” John said softly. It was about them working together as a pair, a couple, a team. “But this is about you now. So just promise me.”
Sherlock’s gaze was steady. “Alright. I promise.”
“Nothing stupid.”
Sherlock’s lips twitched. “I swear.”
John sat back, the tension easing.
“But only if you promise the same,” Sherlock said. “Your shoulder. Nothing… stupid. You’ve got a retirement to come back from, remember.”
Yeah, he remembered.
He turned his head again and met the gaze. “I promise,” he said.
“Good,” Sherlock said standing up as time was called on their between-sets break. “Now, what do you say we show them what we’re made of?”
*
“Watson serves, Mike Bryan stretches, Holmes at the net, Bob volley, Watson deep centre backhand, Mike with the lob, Holmes smashes, Bob reaches and Holmes with another smash down the centre to take the point.”
“Game, Holmes and Watson. Holmes and Watson lead, two games to one.”
“Excellent example of teamwork there in that last point from Watson and Holmes, crossing the court to cover the gaps, Watson ducking but moving forward, trusting Holmes to get the smash.”
“And a lovely smash it was from Holmes as well.”
“It was. Perfectly timed with a lovely follow through. You can see the way his whole body twists into the shot.”
“They’re still throwing everything into it, taking the match to the Bryan brothers.”
“Without a doubt and whatever happens here, whatever the final outcome, that should be recognised. After the battering they got in the first set, the majority of pairings would have limped back out here jaded and wounded, but not Holmes and Watson. Their heads are high, their shoulders are back and they’re not giving this one up without a fight.”
“Watson holds his serve. Can Mike Bryan now do the same?”
*
“Game, Bryan and Bryan. Two games all.”
They were holding their own. They were still in it and giving as good as they were getting.
He wiped his forehead and neck. His shoulder was starting to ache. Hardly surprising considering everything, but he had hoped to have avoided it for a little while longer. If they were going to win this then he was going to need to remain on top form.
“You’re doing fine.”
He almost jumped at the sound of Sherlock’s voice directly behind him. He hadn’t even heard him approach.
“You’re not bad yourself,” he said. “That last over the shoulder shot; skill or showboating?”
“How about both?”
They shared a smile. It turned out they were more than capable of teasing each other in the middle of an important final, even when a set down.
“When you said show them what we’re made of, I didn’t think you meant quite like that.”
“Why not?” Sherlock said. “If we’re going to lose, why not do it in style?”
“Style,” he said with a small shake of the head. “Alright, but remember your promise. You don’t want to injure yourself. So no diving across the court just because it’ll look good.”
“Of course not,” Sherlock said as if that was a ridiculous suggestion. “I would never dive across the court just because it would look good. I’d have to make sure I’d get to the ball as well.”
Right.
*
“Deuce.”
“Holmes takes his time bouncing the ball.”
“This has been a whirlwind of a game, but this is a very important point now. He really needs to pull out a good serve here, the type we know he is more than capable of.”
“The crowd has hushed. Holmes serves… returned, and a lovely volley from Holmes on the stretch.”
“Beautifully timed and placed.”
“Advantage Holmes and Watson.”
“Write Holmes off at your peril. He’s certainly talented enough to pull something new out of his hat to dazzle you with.”
“He’s certainly proved that time and again. Now he settles himself for the next serve… and it’s an ace.”
“Game, Holmes and Watson. Holmes and Watson lead five games to four.”
“A crucial hold of serve there from Holmes and he and Watson know it. For a brief moment it looked as if we would be about to see the Bryan brothers serving for the match, but not this time.”
“Holmes and Watson are taking it to the wire, but they are still very much in this match, battling for every point. They have the lead in this set, but it’s still on serve and the Bryan brothers took the first set. What this does mean though is unless Holmes and Watson break Bob Bryan’s serve we’re going to be seeing a tie-break.”
*
“… Watson forehand, Mike volley, Holmes backhand, another volley, Watson, and then the volley into Holmes’ feet to take the point and the game.”
“Game, Bryan and Bryan. Six games all.”
“We’re going to a tie-break.”
“It is still so close between these two pairs. The Bryan brothers have perhaps been the better pair, but Holmes and Watson have clung in there. Never say die. At times pulling one outrageous shot after another out of the hat. And just look at the score. After the first set I would never have predicted we would go to a tie-break in the second set, especially considering how the Bryan brothers had found Holmes and Watson’s weaknesses in the first.”
“Could Holmes and Watson do what most before this match would have considered the impossible? Could they actually win?”
“They will have to win this tie-break of course, but one thing’s for certain, the crowd just loves it. That mini volley game at the net between Watson and Mike Bryan for the second point in that last game had them laughing and cheering in equal measure. ”
“There’s been some top-class doubles tennis played here so far.”
“Forget doubles, there’s been some world-class tennis played here, and the crowd recognise and respect that. Grit, determination, skill, precision, power, and the odd trick shot, it’s all here and the crowd quite rightly don’t want it to end.”
“It’s Holmes to start us off in the tie-break. He’ll be serving from the deuce court, just the once and then the service will of course rotate between the players as it has been with each player after that serving twice each. The first pair to reach seven points with two clear points wins the set, otherwise play continues past seven until one pair is two points ahead.”
“Here we go then.”
“Holmes to serve from the deuce court. He serves, a good return back, volley from Watson, forehand Mike, and another excellent volley from Watson for the point.”
“One - love.”
“They’ve certainly started as they mean to go on, and that was again excellent close net play from Watson. Two well taken, well placed volleys. He really has been a revelation in the past few months.”
“He has indeed, and he’s been playing this tournament with the same confidence and passion he showed at Wimbledon.”
“Bob Bryan retrieves the balls and is now ready to serve, but it clips the net and goes long. Settles himself, serves, Watson forehand, Mike volley, Holmes stretches, but it’s an easy put away for Mike Bryan.”
“One - all.”
“Watson and Holmes share a brief word with each other and now it’s Holmes’ turn to receive. Bob Bryan with the serve. It’s good. Holmes hammers it back, Bob volley, Holmes forehand, Bob volley, Watson firm backhand, net volley, Holmes volley, Bob… but it bounces long.”
“Two - one.”
“And it’s Holmes and Watson who get the first mini break.”
“Good play from all of them there, great reflexes. Holmes and Watson were certainly going for power there though. They were going to make their opponents work for it.”
“It’s now Watson’s turn to serve. He and Holmes share another brief word. What do you suppose they’re saying?”
“More of the same, I’d think. That’s what I’d be saying to my partner if I was in their position. Whatever their game plan in this second set it appears to be working.”
“Watson takes his position. He serves. It’s pounded back, Holmes at the net, Mike with the volley, Holmes, Mike, Holmes, Bob and a lovely finish there from Watson. He saw the gap and blasted the ball down it.”
“Three - one.”
“Watson’s had a good game so far. He’s certainly held his own close to the net, despite being the shortest player out there, but not for once the oldest. I think I’m right in saying that he’s a few months younger than the Bryan bros.”
“September to their April, I believe.”
“That means that Holmes is by far the youngest out there.”
“Not often the case, to be sure.”
“Watson lines himself up to serve but it’s called wide. Second serve. It’s good. Bryan forehand, Holmes volley, Mike backhand volley, Watson on the high bounce, Bob gets there, Holmes and Mike Bryan with a lovely finish and they’ve broken back.”
“Three - two.”
“This tie-break has all the hallmarks of being just as close as the set itself. For the neutral it’s a thrilling match, for their fans, well, I wonder how many nails they’ll have after this.”
“It’s Mike Bryan’s turn to serve this time. As a reminder, if the Bryan brothers win this tie-break then the match, the tournament and the trophy is theirs. If not, then we’ll be going into a third and deciding set.”
“Listen to that, I think we know what the crowd want.”
“Mike Bryan to serve. Holmes. And what a return by Holmes. He really put everything into that one, a powerful forehand, right down the centre between the two brothers, and Holmes and Watson have another mini break.”
“Four - two.”
“He knew exactly where that ball was going and then made sure it got there with all the power and precision he’s known for.”
“The proficiency of Holmes’ forehand has never been in doubt, he just hasn’t had much of a chance to use it in this match.”
“A brief pause in the game now as the players switch ends and the Bryan brothers take a moment to confer. What do you suppose they’re thinking now?”
“Holmes and Watson will want to capitalise on that previous point, while the Bryan brothers won’t want to lose another point on their serve. The pressure is on them here to keep this point.”
“They all take their places, Bob by the net, Mike on the baseline. Mike Bryan to serve. Good return by Watson, Bob volley, Holmes on the stretch, Mike volley coming into the net, Watson volley, Mike gets there, Holmes, good idea but it just bounces wide.”
“Four - three.”
“That would have been such a beauty if it had bounced in. Holmes looks disappointed, but then he has such high standards for himself. I don’t think there’s a player out on the tour who doesn’t know just how good his ground strokes are, but they can’t all go in.”
“Watson goes over to talk to Holmes, says something that has the Frenchman smiling and now we’re back to Holmes’ serve. Can they press forward their advantage and keep their mini break? Holmes takes his position. Bounces the ball. Good serve by Holmes, and yes they can. The return goes long and Holmes and Watson go within two points of winning the set.”
“Five - three.”
“Who would have guessed that having lost the first set Holmes and Watson would still be in the match enough to challenge for the second?”
“Not us, that’s for sure.”
“Good thing I’m not the betting type.”
“We could still have a long way to go yet. Holmes and Watson aren’t giving this game up without a fight and we’re still with Holmes on the serve. Holmes bounces the ball, serves, but it’s called out. He pulls another ball out of his pocket, bounces it, pauses and serves. This time it’s good. Returned down the centre, Watson gets it, Bob Bryan running back, over the shoulder lob which sets up an easy smash for Watson.”
“Six - three.”
“Watson gives a small fist punch and looks delighted with that one. Well timed, well placed and they are on the cusp of taking this second set. A mini break up and Holmes and Watson are about it receive serve.”
“Bob Bryan to serve to stay in this set.”
“No pressure or anything.”
“Bob takes his place, serves… and what a shot there from Watson. He hit it with everything he had and somehow managed to squeeze it through the gap between the brothers.”
“Game and set, Holmes and Watson, seven games to six.”
“Who would have seen that one coming?”
“One set all. Third and final set.”
“The crowd are cheering and clapping, some of them are on their feet.”
“They don’t want to see this match end.”
“And who can blame them?”
“Well I certainly don’t.”
“Holmes and Watson turn to each other and just look at their faces. They have clinched this tie-break and with it the second set. We’re going to three.”
*
End Part Fifteen
Author’s Note:
Yep, me again.
Good news, I’m still here and I’m still writing. Even better news is that my depression is gradually getting better and I am significantly better than I was when I posted the last part, but it’s still a journey and I’m plodding on. There have been a number of ups and downs and the general direction is up. Even better, better news is that I’m writing more regularly again, which is a relief for me and good news for you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to anyone who has left a comment, a kudos, a flyby hug on twitter or tumblr or anything at all. Words can’t express it really. There have been so moments when I’ve just stared at my computer screen on the edge of tears, happy tears, and other times when at my lowest I’ve gone back through to read the comments to remind myself that life isn’t all that bad and things get better. So big, big thank you. I have felt so much love. Big hugs back to you all.
As for this story, well the end is near. One part to go after this to draw it all together. But, fear not, that will not be the end of the story. There will be more from this universe, but you’ll have to wait and see.
I’m sure there are other things I was going to say here, but while I sitting here not thinking what it is I’m not posting the story, and I’m sure you actually want me to post it. So I’ll leave it for now.
Big fandom hugs.
~Jupiter A.
ps- I've remembered what it is now. If you've enjoyed this sporting AU and don't mind WIPs and not already reading it, check out earlgreytea68's brilliant baseball AU The Bang and the Clatter. No, seriously, it's brilliant and I don't even know anything about baseball. :)