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The Lockless Door (3a/4)
anonymous
June 29 2014, 06:08:20 UTC
AN: So, yeah. I know. It's been a while - no excuses. Hope there's still some interest. I should mention that this will not become Johnlock (I suppose you could read it as pre-slash if you choose to do so). Sorry if that disappoints anyone. Also this is a healing/comfort section (always harder for me to write) but more angst will be coming.
First line is taken for a 1980 publication of Gray's Anatomy
* * *
The laminae are two broad plates of bone which complete the neural arch…
He hears his name being called from downstairs. He looks at the closed door, annoyed at whatever has interrupted his reading.
Well, reading isn’t really quite the right term. The words are popping into his head before he has a chance to see them on the page. Recalling. Recalling would be the best way to describe it in English. He knows there’s a better term for it in German. But it doesn’t come to him immediately, and he’s too tired to bother searching for it.
The voice drifts through the door again.
“Mrs. Hudson brought some meatloaf if you want to come down and join us.”
No. He doesn’t want to join them, and he doesn’t want the meatloaf. But he can hear the hope in John’s voice. More importantly, he knows that if he doesn’t come down, John will come up with his sympathetic eyes and soft voice, and he especially doesn’t want that.
Sighing, he puts away his forty year old copy of Gray’s Anatomy and makes the slow trek towards the kitchen.
In the hallway, he hears the loud and seemingly aimless bustle of John moving around the kitchen. It becomes clear that John is setting out plates and cups with a frenzied and unnatural vigor. Worst of all, it does nothing to deter him from overhearing John’s rushed whisper. “He does better if we’re not staring”. The thought (reality) annoys him.
His eyes narrow as he enters. There’s no reason for John to be like this…like he may break at any moment. It’s irritating and absurd (and necessary). He’s fine, for Christ’s sake. And if he must prove it with a mind numbingly dull dinner of ground beef and cooked ketchup then so be it.
He barely glances at John as he enters, instead looking at…at…
“Oh, Sherlock, it’s so nice to see you.”
The voice high and has an amateur musical quality to it. Its familiarity fills him with comfort and warmth. The word ‘maternal’ floats through his mind before he chases it away. It’s true, but not quite. The Germans probably have a better word for that too.
“Come now, have a seat,” she says, ushering him into the closest chair. From her proximity and the lingering scent, he can tell she recently coloured her hair. L’Oreal Rich Honey, he would presume. He glances over her dated jewelry (clearly sentimental) and purple frock, though she would have an absurd name for it, like eggplant or palatinate.
He briefly closes his eyes and a baritone voice fills his thoughts.
Mrs. Hudson leave Baker Street? England would fall.
Ah, yes. Mrs. Hudson.
See, John, he’s fine.
* * *
He hears John’s hushed whispers from the hallway. It’s clear by his tone John doesn’t want to be overheard. So, the conversation is about him and/or at least minutely interesting.
He leans closer against the wall.
“I just…I’m not sure if it’s a good idea.”
Intriguing.
“I know. You can never tell with him. Who knows what he needs.”
He scowls at that. He doesn’t need anything.
“Even if we did come, there’s no way he could possibly be of any help. He still hasn’t said a word since…” John pauses and trails off into an uncomfortable cough.
So John’s noticed. Well, of course he’s noticed. John’s not that dense. He had (foolishly) hoped it was explained away with his prior quirkiness. Sometimes I don’t talk for days on end.
No matter. There’s a case. Finally. Something to do before he jammed his violin bow into his brain to save himself from the monotony. He quickly walks back to his bedroom.
Within minutes, John’s remark is out of his head and he’s walking (strutting) past the living room. He hears John sigh as he descends the staircase.
“Nevermind. He’s already got his coat on. See you in a few.”
The Lockless Door (3b/4)
anonymous
October 24 2015, 21:00:37 UTC
I sincerely apologize for the delay....okay more than delay (1.5 years?!?!). Life threw me a curveball and I'm finally back on track (ish). At least enough to finish t his story. AND IT IS FINISHED!
* * *
He enters the crime scene feeling invigorated. Even the police sergeant’s (C?...S?...unimportant) half-hearted quip isn’t enough to get him down. He passes the forensics team as they’re setting up lights and marking the floor. If he was just five minutes earlier he could have avoided the contamination. How unbearably frustrating.
The moment he sees the corpse everything else drifts away. One simple cut to the left common carotid artery from behind. (Killer’s right handed.) It’s so clichéd he almost wants to strangle the killer himself.
Luckily, this criminal has something going for him. It’s a classic mystery: locked room murder. No sexual trauma. No weapon found. No possible escape. Not even a window to help the single, muted light bulb dangling from the ceiling.
And it’s the third case like this in the same number of weeks. There’s no apparent connection between the victims. The police are clearly eager to find a lead.
It all adds up to a worthwhile case.
He casually shoves forensics away as he approaches the corpse. The victim’s a younger man, in his early thirties. Recently married. Honeymoon in Greece. String of ex-girlfriends but hasn’t cheated…yet, or ever. Impossible to cheat as a corpse. Wouldn’t that be a far more interesting case?
Around him he can still here the scuttle of the Yard’s police force. He wishes he could tell them all to shut up and go away. He hopes a glare in their direction will do the trick.
As he turns, he hears a click and a bright industrial light flares on.
Within seconds he can no longer see the corpse or the incompetent bastards of Scotland Yard. All he sees, all he knows, is the piercing light burning through every neuron. He can feel the cold stone of his cell beneath his knees and hands. He can smell the off-brand cologne of a guard masking the coppery stench of blood and sweat. He’s back (they’re back) and he needs to warn them (warn John). He opens his mouth to shout something (anything) when another voice cuts through.
“For God’s sake, turn it off!”
As suddenly as it began, he’s thrown back into the muted light, casting soft halos around his despondent cell. He blinks the remnant flashes away, leaving an unassuming room and a very worried John in its wake.
“This was a bad idea. I shouldn’t have brought you here.” John’s so close, he practically whispers it.
He vehemently shakes his head. For the life of him he can’t remember why, but he wants to be here.
John slowly guides him to his feet. “We’ll try again later.”
He shakes his head again and attempts to push John away only to find his legs are suddenly unable to support his weight.
John simply wraps his arm around his shoulders and guides him towards the door. “Don’t worry, I’ll get the files from Greg later.”
He doesn’t bother to listen to John’s blathering. He’s far too busy loathing himself.
* * *
Time passes without much acknowledgement. If John’s stubble and mounting concern are any indication it’s been at least a week.
True to his word, John retrieves a stack of files. The pictures and words blur together until it’s nothing more than meaningless drabble. The few pictures that do stand out leave a tight ache in his chest and a sharp pain in his throat.
His deductions were left somewhere in the abyss of his cell and the feeling that’s left behind can only be described as ordinary. No matter how genuine John is, he has no way to understand the disgust that fills him. Ordinary.
Instead, John seems to only have one suggestion. “Maybe it would help if you talked about it…” he pauses and makes a grotesque noise with his throat “…or talked.”
He glares at John for a brief moment before walking out.
The Lockless Door (4a/4)
anonymous
October 24 2015, 21:04:31 UTC
He’s boiling a goat head when he hears John fumble with the lock on the door. It takes him three times longer than usual to open it…likely trying to balance the groceries. He goes to the living room to move the intestines off the table. The last thing he needs today is to listen to unrelenting scolding.
He hears an awkward gait below and wonders who John invited over. The thought is erased when he hears John argue between clenched teeth. “I…can’t…damn leg”.
John doesn’t have a limp. Hasn’t in years. And even when he had a limp he never walked as awkwardly as he is now, hands and feet tapping out an uneven pattern on the steps.
No man walks like that.
-U-N-G-U… Gun.
With one hand, he reaches into the end table drawer as he dials his phone with the other.
“Sherlock? What-”
“Shut up. Get here now…with backup.” His voice comes out dry and raspy. It’s in no way his own, but it can be understood.
He immediately ends the call and pulls out John’s service pistol, aiming it at the doorway. His eyes narrow as he smells diesel, gun oil, and burning hair. That scent belongs to only one man.
John rounds the corner, a 9mm pistol with a silencer pointed directly at the back of his head, revealing Sebastian Moran behind him.
Sebastian looks at the service weapon pointed at him and smirks. “Can’t say I’m surprised. I knew he’d tip you off somehow.”
He opens his mouth for the perfect retort but it is stuck somewhere between the thoughts of John, Jim, Sebastian, stop.
“Come now, Sherlock, Jim’s not greedy. I’m taking either him or you.”
He stares directly at Sebastian. He knows he can believe him. Sebastian has always been a man of his word. He raises the service pistol above his head, ignoring John’s pleads of “Sherlock! Don’t!”
“Fine,” he rasps, immediately silencing John. “Let go of John.”
Sebastian simply nods before violently swinging his pistol hand into the back of John’s head. Neither man flinch as John crumples to the floor. “Drop your weapon,” Sebastian calmly states, his pistol now pointed at the detective.
He is no longer sure if he is breathing as he lowers the pistol to the floor by John’s bleeding head. His heart is beating wildly in his ears. Moving forward, his vision is blurred with flashes of a dangerously similar event. The event that caused his madness. There’s live video feed of John, threats of immediate harm, images of Molly, Mrs. Hudson, and even Lestrade. He cannot count the number of times he has been here before and starts to wonder if his life is a never ending loop of despair and redemption.
The moment he is within arm’s reach of Sebastian, he feels a warm, thick hand gripping the back of his neck.
“Come now. The others are waiting outside.”
The words fade in and out as he is guided down the stairs. Slowly, he tries reconstructing the door to his mind palace, but the brick and mortar keep disintegrating through his fingers.
A loud bang echoes behind him. The hand falls from his neck as he crashes into the nearby wall.
Re: The Lockless Door (4b/4)
anonymous
October 24 2015, 21:05:04 UTC
He glances around, but he can’t make any sense of his surroundings. The overwhelming scents and sounds leave him breathless. He can still feel the coarse brick dust on his fingertips as he tries to shake out the smell of blood and gunpowder. He blinks out images of his cell and a bloody and dead John with little success.
There are far too many pieces to this puzzle and he needs to remove the ones that don’t exist.
Strong hands are gently shaking his shoulders. He looks up to see John kneeling in front of him. John. John is the key. John only exists in reality. He’s too genuine and whole to exist anywhere else. He glances to the side to see Sebastian laying face down, bullet hole in the back of his head.
A hand leaves his shoulder to turn his head away. John’s mouth is moving but no sound is coming out. A loud whirring noise is blocking any sound from filtering through.
Sherlock grabs John’s arms. “That was good. You did good.” John smiles in response. The pain of his grating voice is little compared to the relief of being heard.
“So did you,” John states as he pats his shoulder.
His mind now working double time, he quickly stands up. “There’s others… Where the bloody hell is Lestrade?!”
John looks at him with a combination of sarcasm and concern that only he can pull off. “He’s probably outside.”
Brow furrowing, he finally recognizes police sirens and the loud whirring of helicopter blades.
He rolls his eyes as Lestrade barges through the door, face hardened and gun drawn. “As always, five minutes late to the party,” he remarks.
“You’re okay?” Lestrade questions until he finally glances down at the body. “You’re okay.”
He’s no longer paying attention when John comments, “Chopper’s a nice touch.”
Lestrade shrugs as he lowers his gun. “You can thank his brother for that.”
Clearly by the sound of retreating sirens, the necessary people have been caught. There would only be a few. Jim Moriarty always takes pride in his ability to use the least number of people necessary. He’s resourceful like that.
John places a hand on his back, effectively snapping him out of his thoughts of the unhinged man with size nine shoes and lilting voice. “Let’s go upstairs,” John whispers.
He balks at the overly concerned tone, until he glances down and notices the minute shake in his left hand. What an annoyance. He quickly puts it his pocket. “And miss the glory?” Really, John, nothing has changed that much.
With that said, Sherlock shoves John aside and strides through the open door.
First line is taken for a 1980 publication of Gray's Anatomy
* * *
The laminae are two broad plates of bone which complete the neural arch…
He hears his name being called from downstairs. He looks at the closed door, annoyed at whatever has interrupted his reading.
Well, reading isn’t really quite the right term. The words are popping into his head before he has a chance to see them on the page. Recalling. Recalling would be the best way to describe it in English. He knows there’s a better term for it in German. But it doesn’t come to him immediately, and he’s too tired to bother searching for it.
The voice drifts through the door again.
“Mrs. Hudson brought some meatloaf if you want to come down and join us.”
No. He doesn’t want to join them, and he doesn’t want the meatloaf. But he can hear the hope in John’s voice. More importantly, he knows that if he doesn’t come down, John will come up with his sympathetic eyes and soft voice, and he especially doesn’t want that.
Sighing, he puts away his forty year old copy of Gray’s Anatomy and makes the slow trek towards the kitchen.
In the hallway, he hears the loud and seemingly aimless bustle of John moving around the kitchen. It becomes clear that John is setting out plates and cups with a frenzied and unnatural vigor. Worst of all, it does nothing to deter him from overhearing John’s rushed whisper. “He does better if we’re not staring”. The thought (reality) annoys him.
His eyes narrow as he enters. There’s no reason for John to be like this…like he may break at any moment. It’s irritating and absurd (and necessary). He’s fine, for Christ’s sake. And if he must prove it with a mind numbingly dull dinner of ground beef and cooked ketchup then so be it.
He barely glances at John as he enters, instead looking at…at…
“Oh, Sherlock, it’s so nice to see you.”
The voice high and has an amateur musical quality to it. Its familiarity fills him with comfort and warmth. The word ‘maternal’ floats through his mind before he chases it away. It’s true, but not quite. The Germans probably have a better word for that too.
“Come now, have a seat,” she says, ushering him into the closest chair. From her proximity and the lingering scent, he can tell she recently coloured her hair. L’Oreal Rich Honey, he would presume. He glances over her dated jewelry (clearly sentimental) and purple frock, though she would have an absurd name for it, like eggplant or palatinate.
He briefly closes his eyes and a baritone voice fills his thoughts.
Mrs. Hudson leave Baker Street? England would fall.
Ah, yes. Mrs. Hudson.
See, John, he’s fine.
* * *
He hears John’s hushed whispers from the hallway. It’s clear by his tone John doesn’t want to be overheard. So, the conversation is about him and/or at least minutely interesting.
He leans closer against the wall.
“I just…I’m not sure if it’s a good idea.”
Intriguing.
“I know. You can never tell with him. Who knows what he needs.”
He scowls at that. He doesn’t need anything.
“Even if we did come, there’s no way he could possibly be of any help. He still hasn’t said a word since…” John pauses and trails off into an uncomfortable cough.
So John’s noticed. Well, of course he’s noticed. John’s not that dense. He had (foolishly) hoped it was explained away with his prior quirkiness. Sometimes I don’t talk for days on end.
No matter. There’s a case. Finally. Something to do before he jammed his violin bow into his brain to save himself from the monotony. He quickly walks back to his bedroom.
Within minutes, John’s remark is out of his head and he’s walking (strutting) past the living room. He hears John sigh as he descends the staircase.
“Nevermind. He’s already got his coat on. See you in a few.”
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Of course I'm still interested in this <3
Also I love Sherlock constantly pretending he's fine, when he isn't really.
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* * *
He enters the crime scene feeling invigorated. Even the police sergeant’s (C?...S?...unimportant) half-hearted quip isn’t enough to get him down. He passes the forensics team as they’re setting up lights and marking the floor. If he was just five minutes earlier he could have avoided the contamination. How unbearably frustrating.
The moment he sees the corpse everything else drifts away. One simple cut to the left common carotid artery from behind. (Killer’s right handed.) It’s so clichéd he almost wants to strangle the killer himself.
Luckily, this criminal has something going for him. It’s a classic mystery: locked room murder. No sexual trauma. No weapon found. No possible escape. Not even a window to help the single, muted light bulb dangling from the ceiling.
And it’s the third case like this in the same number of weeks. There’s no apparent connection between the victims. The police are clearly eager to find a lead.
It all adds up to a worthwhile case.
He casually shoves forensics away as he approaches the corpse. The victim’s a younger man, in his early thirties. Recently married. Honeymoon in Greece. String of ex-girlfriends but hasn’t cheated…yet, or ever. Impossible to cheat as a corpse. Wouldn’t that be a far more interesting case?
Around him he can still here the scuttle of the Yard’s police force. He wishes he could tell them all to shut up and go away. He hopes a glare in their direction will do the trick.
As he turns, he hears a click and a bright industrial light flares on.
Within seconds he can no longer see the corpse or the incompetent bastards of Scotland Yard. All he sees, all he knows, is the piercing light burning through every neuron. He can feel the cold stone of his cell beneath his knees and hands. He can smell the off-brand cologne of a guard masking the coppery stench of blood and sweat. He’s back (they’re back) and he needs to warn them (warn John). He opens his mouth to shout something (anything) when another voice cuts through.
“For God’s sake, turn it off!”
As suddenly as it began, he’s thrown back into the muted light, casting soft halos around his despondent cell. He blinks the remnant flashes away, leaving an unassuming room and a very worried John in its wake.
“This was a bad idea. I shouldn’t have brought you here.” John’s so close, he practically whispers it.
He vehemently shakes his head. For the life of him he can’t remember why, but he wants to be here.
John slowly guides him to his feet. “We’ll try again later.”
He shakes his head again and attempts to push John away only to find his legs are suddenly unable to support his weight.
John simply wraps his arm around his shoulders and guides him towards the door. “Don’t worry, I’ll get the files from Greg later.”
He doesn’t bother to listen to John’s blathering. He’s far too busy loathing himself.
* * *
Time passes without much acknowledgement. If John’s stubble and mounting concern are any indication it’s been at least a week.
True to his word, John retrieves a stack of files. The pictures and words blur together until it’s nothing more than meaningless drabble. The few pictures that do stand out leave a tight ache in his chest and a sharp pain in his throat.
His deductions were left somewhere in the abyss of his cell and the feeling that’s left behind can only be described as ordinary. No matter how genuine John is, he has no way to understand the disgust that fills him. Ordinary.
Instead, John seems to only have one suggestion. “Maybe it would help if you talked about it…” he pauses and makes a grotesque noise with his throat “…or talked.”
He glares at John for a brief moment before walking out.
* * *
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He hears an awkward gait below and wonders who John invited over. The thought is erased when he hears John argue between clenched teeth. “I…can’t…damn leg”.
John doesn’t have a limp. Hasn’t in years. And even when he had a limp he never walked as awkwardly as he is now, hands and feet tapping out an uneven pattern on the steps.
No man walks like that.
-U-N-G-U… Gun.
With one hand, he reaches into the end table drawer as he dials his phone with the other.
“Sherlock? What-”
“Shut up. Get here now…with backup.” His voice comes out dry and raspy. It’s in no way his own, but it can be understood.
He immediately ends the call and pulls out John’s service pistol, aiming it at the doorway. His eyes narrow as he smells diesel, gun oil, and burning hair. That scent belongs to only one man.
John rounds the corner, a 9mm pistol with a silencer pointed directly at the back of his head, revealing Sebastian Moran behind him.
Sebastian looks at the service weapon pointed at him and smirks. “Can’t say I’m surprised. I knew he’d tip you off somehow.”
He opens his mouth for the perfect retort but it is stuck somewhere between the thoughts of John, Jim, Sebastian, stop.
“Come now, Sherlock, Jim’s not greedy. I’m taking either him or you.”
He stares directly at Sebastian. He knows he can believe him. Sebastian has always been a man of his word. He raises the service pistol above his head, ignoring John’s pleads of “Sherlock! Don’t!”
“Fine,” he rasps, immediately silencing John. “Let go of John.”
Sebastian simply nods before violently swinging his pistol hand into the back of John’s head. Neither man flinch as John crumples to the floor. “Drop your weapon,” Sebastian calmly states, his pistol now pointed at the detective.
He is no longer sure if he is breathing as he lowers the pistol to the floor by John’s bleeding head. His heart is beating wildly in his ears. Moving forward, his vision is blurred with flashes of a dangerously similar event. The event that caused his madness. There’s live video feed of John, threats of immediate harm, images of Molly, Mrs. Hudson, and even Lestrade. He cannot count the number of times he has been here before and starts to wonder if his life is a never ending loop of despair and redemption.
The moment he is within arm’s reach of Sebastian, he feels a warm, thick hand gripping the back of his neck.
“Come now. The others are waiting outside.”
The words fade in and out as he is guided down the stairs. Slowly, he tries reconstructing the door to his mind palace, but the brick and mortar keep disintegrating through his fingers.
A loud bang echoes behind him. The hand falls from his neck as he crashes into the nearby wall.
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There are far too many pieces to this puzzle and he needs to remove the ones that don’t exist.
Strong hands are gently shaking his shoulders. He looks up to see John kneeling in front of him. John. John is the key. John only exists in reality. He’s too genuine and whole to exist anywhere else. He glances to the side to see Sebastian laying face down, bullet hole in the back of his head.
A hand leaves his shoulder to turn his head away. John’s mouth is moving but no sound is coming out. A loud whirring noise is blocking any sound from filtering through.
Sherlock grabs John’s arms. “That was good. You did good.” John smiles in response. The pain of his grating voice is little compared to the relief of being heard.
“So did you,” John states as he pats his shoulder.
His mind now working double time, he quickly stands up. “There’s others… Where the bloody hell is Lestrade?!”
John looks at him with a combination of sarcasm and concern that only he can pull off. “He’s probably outside.”
Brow furrowing, he finally recognizes police sirens and the loud whirring of helicopter blades.
He rolls his eyes as Lestrade barges through the door, face hardened and gun drawn. “As always, five minutes late to the party,” he remarks.
“You’re okay?” Lestrade questions until he finally glances down at the body. “You’re okay.”
He’s no longer paying attention when John comments, “Chopper’s a nice touch.”
Lestrade shrugs as he lowers his gun. “You can thank his brother for that.”
Clearly by the sound of retreating sirens, the necessary people have been caught. There would only be a few. Jim Moriarty always takes pride in his ability to use the least number of people necessary. He’s resourceful like that.
John places a hand on his back, effectively snapping him out of his thoughts of the unhinged man with size nine shoes and lilting voice. “Let’s go upstairs,” John whispers.
He balks at the overly concerned tone, until he glances down and notices the minute shake in his left hand. What an annoyance. He quickly puts it his pocket. “And miss the glory?” Really, John, nothing has changed that much.
With that said, Sherlock shoves John aside and strides through the open door.
FIN
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I enjoyed it very much, and I'm glad to see it finished :)
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Below are links to the full work:
Ao3
FF.net
I just made a AO3 account and will be trying to post my other works there shortly :)
Thanks for the support! Wouldn't have ever happened without you!
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