Fic: Cracks in the In-Between Places, 1/21 (John/Sherlock, PG-13)

[swissmarg]

Title: Cracks in the In-Between Places
Author: swissmarg
Beta readers: ruth0007, billiethepoet
Rating: PG-13
Relationship: John/Sherlock
Other characters: Mycroft, Mummy Holmes, OCs
Warnings: Child endangerment, traumatic injury to a minor
Additional tags: Parentlock, Kids, Kid!fic, Meeting family, Casefic, Angst, Fanfic of a fanfic, Single parents, Slow burn, Slash, No actual smut, A bit of gore, Questionable parenting practices, Sherlock wouldn't know what was inappropriate if it bit him, John should really know better
Word count: ca. 93,500 when complete
Summary: AU set in the universe of nox_candida's Getting Better. John and Sherlock work together to flush out Mary's killers, and Tristram has to come to terms with what his father's new friend means for him. No series 3 spoilers (or series 1 or 2, for that matter).
Disclaimer: This is a transformative fanwork inspired by the BBC television series Sherlock, which was created by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat. The characters of Tristram Holmes and Emily Watson were created by nox_candida and are used with permission. This fic also contains some spoilers for the Harry Potter book series, written by JK Rowling.
Notes: Special thanks to thissalsify and ladyprydian for medi-picking the relevant scenes. In places where I had to choose between medical accuracy and story dramatics, the story won out, so the blame for any inaccuracies rests entirely on my head. Basically, don't take anything in this fic as an example for proper medical treatment, and don't try any of this at home. And finally, thanks once again to tryslora and all the participants at hd_writers word wars for helping me meet my self-imposed deadline for finishing this.

This is also being posted on AO3.

Introduction

I was so taken by the characters created by nox_candida in Getting Better that the story just kept going in my head and I had to write it down. I figured I'd probably never end up posting it, as, well, it felt more than a little cheeky to continue someone else's story. But I finally got about 35,000 words in and realized that I was either going to need to ask for permission to post it or stop writing. So I worked up the courage to ask nox_candida what she thought about it, and she was so kind and generous as to give me permission to post this as an AU set in the same universe.

It's not a definitive sequel of Getting Better, and does not take into account any of the other stories set in the same universe. However, this will probably make very little sense unless you read Getting Better. So, if you haven't yet, go and do so and leave some lovely comments for the author there before starting this. I have also provided a synopsis of Getting Better below in case you need a refresher.

Synopsis of nox_candida's Getting Better:

John and Sherlock are both single parents with the same professional backgrounds as in the BBC series. However, they do not know each other at the start of the story.

John's wife, Mary, was killed two years earlier in an apparent robbery, leaving him to raise their daughter, Emily, who is now 9. John and Emily are living with John's sister, Harry, and her wife, Clara, in order to save money and so they can help with child care.

Sherlock has a son, Tristram, who is 8. All we know of Tristram's mother is that she and Sherlock had a turbulent, on-again-off-again relationship, and that she left when Tristram was just a few days old and hasn't been heard from since. Sherlock and Tristram live at 221B, with Mrs Hudson helping out with minding Tristram when Sherlock is on a case. Mycroft is also an active participant in Tristram's life.

Tristram transfers to Emily's school following some difficulties at his previous school, and quickly makes friends with her. Emily tells him what happened to her mother, and that the culprit was never caught. Tristram asks his father to investigate, and that is how Sherlock and John meet. As they get to know each other better, there is an underlying attraction brewing between them. However, it is never acted upon.

Sherlock discovers that Mary's sister, Claire, had arranged for a hit on Mary because she was jealous and wanted John for herself. As the investigation heats up and Sherlock gets closer to finding out who was behind it, Claire kidnaps Tristram and Emily, apparently on the orders of whoever she'd gone to to have Mary killed. Tristram and Emily manage to get word to John and Sherlock by stealing Claire's mobile, but Tristram ends up tied to a chair with a bomb under it before help can reach them.

John and Sherlock finally arrive and free Tristram with seconds to spare. Strangely, the bomb ends up being filled with knockout gas, not explosives, leaving everyone puzzling over what the purpose of the kidnapping was after all.

Claire is arrested, but is found dead - murdered - in her cell a few days later. The only leads are her mention before her arrest of a mysterious 'bogeyman' that everyone at her workplace was afraid of, and a note left with her body that reads ‘Wasn’t that a fun game? Played to a draw, which is so boring. Next game will be better, I promise. XOXO.’

Chapter One

Tristram is surprised when his father tells him to finish his homework quickly that Friday afternoon. He usually wants him to double-check his answers and do the extra questions at the end of the chapter, but today he tells him just to complete the assignments given by his teachers. When Tristram asks why and is informed that they're going to the Watsons' again for dinner, though, he doesn't need to be told twice.

It's not only that he's looking forward to seeing Emily again (despite the fact that he just saw her at school an hour ago). It's that it looks like his father and Emily's father have patched up their differences, or at least are going to be cordial enough to let him and Emily go to each other's houses. It's been a week since Doctor Watson admitted that Tristram's father was right all along, but no one's said anything about their earlier plans to have Emily come over to see some of his father's experiments or for Tristram to go to Emily's house after school. Maybe after this, they can ask again.

And the best part is, Emily's awful Aunt Claire won't be there to spoil things this time. Tristram feels a twist of guilt as soon as he thinks that. Even though she was awful, she was murdered, and he wouldn't wish that to happen to anyone. He tries not to think about how it might have happened. He knows lots of ways people can die. His father always tries to keep his case files and laptop closed when he's not using them, especially when he's out of the house. Tristram is a curious little boy, though, and has snuck peeks from time to time when his father's been out. He stopped doing that after he saw the picture of the man with his neck gaping open, but not before he got plenty of ideas to fuel his imagination.

He opens his maths book and tries to concentrate on his sums. The sooner he finishes, the sooner they can go to Emily's.

In the taxi, Tristram's father doesn't say anything the entire way, instead staring out at the rainy, grey streets. This isn't unusual. Tristram supposes he's still thinking about the case. He got some pictures from Detective Inspector Lestrade yesterday. Tristram didn't even try to sneak a look at them, because he knew what they were of: Emily's Aunt Claire, dead in her jail cell.

What is unusual is that Tristram catches his father's eyes sliding over to him a few times, and once he even reaches down and squeezes his knee and leaves his hand there for a few seconds. Tristram could probably count on one hand the number of times his father has hugged him. He might need two hands soon, though. In the aftermath of Friday Afternoon (which has acquired a capital letter in his mind, and after which his father hugged him for an inordinately long time), Father has put his hand on Tristram's shoulder every morning when he leaves him at the gate to the schoolyard, admonishing him to be observant.

Tristram wonders if the generous hugs that Emily shares with her father have anything to do with it. Maybe Father simply didn't know that parents hugged and touched their children before they met the Watsons. He certainly never hangs around school after dropping Tristram off to see other dads and mums hugging their children good-bye.

As they wait for someone to answer the door at Emily's aunts' house, Tristram suddenly wonders if this was such a good idea after all. The last time they were here, things went so poorly. He wishes he could think of something he can do to make sure no one gets angry. Maybe Emily will have an idea.

When the door finally opens, the entrance area is crowded: in addition to Emily and her father, both of Emily's aunts are there, and they have their coats on.

"Hi Tris, Sherlock. Come in, sorry for the crush," Emily's father says good-naturedly, shuffling backwards to let them in. Emily smiles and waves at Tristram from behind him, although she is more subdued, less her usual effusive self.

"We're just off," Aunt Clara says. "Date night." She exchanges a look with her wife that Tristram doesn't quite get the significance of, although it looks like they think she's just made a joke.

Doctor Watson clears his throat. He glances at Tristram's father with a sheepish grin and shrugs helplessly.

Tristram's father arches his eyebrows, but doesn't look annoyed. Tristram breathes a sigh of relief. His father unwraps his scarf and refuses Doctor Watson's offer to take his coat, instead hanging it over one of the hooks on the wall himself.

As Tristram hands his own coat to Emily's father (he's too short to reach the hooks), he hears Emily's Aunt Harry say to his father in a low voice, "I just want you to know how incredibly grateful we all are to you, Sherlock. Not just for what you did last week, but for all of your help in uncovering what happened. I don't - Well, let's just say it's helped us all to find some closure."

His father inclines his head and says, "You're welcome," which surprises Tristram. His father rarely responds to thanks in that way. Usually he just sneers or grunts.

After that, Emily's aunts leave, amidst cries of 'have a nice time' and 'stay on as long as you like, we won't be back till late' and some smothered giggles.

"Well," Emily's father begins, once the four of them are alone, "I- that is, we're happy to see you - the two of you - again. I hope it's all right that it's just the four of us this time?" He seems nervous. Tristram can tell because he doesn't keep his eyes in the same place for very long and he keeps clenching and unclenching his hand.

"Quite," Tristram's father says, watching Emily's father intently. "I wouldn't want to be held responsible for my actions if I'd had to listen to them snickering behind my back all evening."

Doctor Watson snorts, and Tristram quite agrees. Emily's aunts are nice enough, but they giggle an awful lot and act like they have secrets, just like the 'silly goose group' (his own name for a group of four or five girls in his class who act very much like silly geese all the time).

Tristram's father smiles at Doctor Watson - a small, tentative smile - and Tristram sees his throat bob as he swallows. Is he nervous too? Well, it's understandable. Maybe he's also remembering what happened last time they were here, or he's anxious that Doctor Watson might blame him for what happened to his sister-in-law. (Even if she was an awful person, she still didn't deserve to be murdered.) It wouldn't be the first time that someone got angry at his father for catching a criminal. But Doctor Watson isn't angry at Tristram's father; at least, he smiles and nods and ducks his head and suggests they go to the kitchen, so he can finish dinner.

"Can we go up to my room?" Emily asks, stealing a conspiratorial look at Tristram. Tristram's both relieved and disappointed. He doesn't like being caught in a room with uncomfortable adult conversations going on, but on the other hand he thinks there's less chance his father and Doctor Watson will get angry at each other if Tristram and Emily are in the room with them.

He doesn't have a say in the matter, though, as Doctor Watson smiles at Emily and says in his gentle way, "Go on, we'll call you when it's ready." Tristram's father doesn't so much as spare them a glance, so intent is he on following Emily's father into the kitchen.

"Come on," Emily says, already halfway up the stairs. "Now I can finally show you the time machine box."

&&&&&&

"Can I offer you a glass of wine?" John asks as they enter the kitchen. "I already have a bottle open." He indicates a bottle on the counter with a half-full glass beside it.

"Yes, thank you," Sherlock says.

John reaches up into the cabinet for a second glass and pours some wine into it, then tops his own glass up. "Cheers."

The two men raise their glasses and their eyes to each other and take a drink. John looks away first, turning to assemble the salad. "I hope you and Tristram like spaghetti. It's Emily's favourite. She helped me with the menu."

"It's one of Tristram's favourites as well," Sherlock says stiffly, then adds, as if just now remembering it would be good manners to do so, "May I do something to help?"

"No, it's almost ready, I just..." John puts the salad tongs down and leans against the counter, his shoulders sagging. "I don't want this to be awkward, Sherlock. I'm glad you agreed to come tonight. After how I acted-"

"Oh, for God's sake, do stop being so tedious."

John smiles at him ruefully. "I know you don't like repetition."

"Precisely. You were blinded by emotion and by your basic good nature, which made you unable to believe that someone you knew could be capable of such a thing." Sherlock stares down into his glass. "I also know that my own nature is off-putting to many people. The clash was not something that either of us was prepared for." He tosses a mouthful down quickly.

"I don't think anything could have prepared me for you," John says, watching Sherlock with soft eyes. Unconsciously, his tongue darts out to lick his lower lip.

"I- No, I suppose not," Sherlock says, eying John warily. "You've also been something of a surprise to me," he admits. "What you did last week. Coming with me, helping to get Tristram out. That was- good. Not many would have put themselves in that position."

John's fists clench at his sides. "God, I still can't believe it. Her own sister, and then dragging kids into it. How-" His expression turns hard. "How could someone have so much hatred in them? Even in Afghanistan, the people there were fighting for an ideology. It was never so personal."

"In my experience, emotions are the single greatest source of conflict."

John shakes his head. "Yeah, you're probably right about that," he mutters.

Sherlock swirls the red liquid around in his glass, seemingly mesmerised. "It's also the area in which I'm... the least well-versed."

John lets the statement hang there, waiting to see if Sherlock will continue. When he doesn't, he prompts quietly, "Oh?"

"I generally find interactions with other people outside of criminal investigations messy and awkward. Within the scope of investigations as well, come to that." He smirks wryly, and John chuckles in sympathy. "What I'm trying to say, is-"

John interrupts gently, "It's all right, Sherlock. We're all on a learning curve here. I don't have any expectations. Ignore Harry and Clara. They like to pretend they live in a soap opera. I'd like it if we could be friends, at least, for Tris and Emily's sake. They've certainly hit it off like a house on fire."

"That they have," Sherlock agrees. He straightens his back and looks John in the eye. "I'd be honoured to count you as a friend, John."

John beams. "That's settled, then." He turns to the stove and fishes a piece of spaghetti out of the boiling pot to test it. "Looks like this is ready. I'll get the food on the table if you wouldn't mind going up and getting the kids?"

&&&&&&

"Do you think they're kissing?" Emily whispers, glancing up from where she's sitting on the floor drawing a blueprint of a flux capacitor.

Tristram, at her desk, looks at her blankly. He's been making a list of the things they'll need to run a proper experiment, starting with a lab book. He knows they can't really build a time machine. If it were possible, adults would have already done it, and they'd have seen time travelers visiting from the future. But it's still interesting to think about, and actually planning and building a model of what they imagine a time machine would look like - and especially doing it with a friend - is more than sufficient to maintain his enthusiasm.

But their plans have nothing to do with kissing, so Tristram asks Emily, "What?"

"Our dads," she says, as if Tristram's slow on the uptake.

His face puckers up in confusion. "Why would they be kissing? They're just getting dinner ready." And anyway, his father never kisses anyone. Other than, sometimes, exceptionally, Tristram, like he did on Friday Afternoon after they got out of the building with the chair and the bomb, or one time when Father was in hospital after getting shot chasing a bad guy, and Tristram was crying so hard. But Tristram had been little then, maybe five. He wouldn't cry like that today, and getting kidnapped and tied to a chair with a bomb was also an exceptional experience (he hopes, at any rate). So, no, in Tristram's estimation, there would be no reason for his father to kiss anyone, much less Doctor Watson.

"That's what grown-ups do when they fancy each other and they're alone." Emily leans closer to Tristram, close enough that he can see her individual, light brown eyelashes. Tristram supposes that might be true, for most adults. But he also knows that his father does not fall into any of the categories involving 'most' people. Which is fine, but Emily doesn't know that, and it's a bit difficult to explain.

He doesn't need to, though, because she has another question: "Do you know what would be brilliant?"

Tristram can think of lots of things that would be brilliant, but he just shakes his head because he wants to hear what Emily thinks.

"If we could cast a spell that would let us see right through the floor." She points down and grins mischievously. "Then we'd know what they're doing."

"That's eavesdropping," Tristram says uncomfortably. He's eavesdropped plenty of times, himself, but he knows it's wrong and he doesn't like it when Emily suggests it.

She doesn't seem bothered. "Eaveslooking maybe."

"Anyway, who cares," Tristram says. All this speculation about their fathers fancying each other is, to use one of his father's favourite words, 'dull'.

"Because if they get married, then you'd be my brother," Emily points out.

This is a new idea for Tristram, and an intriguing one. He's never actively wished to have a sibling; his father doesn't get on well with his own brother, Uncle Mycroft, and he's never interacted closely enough with another family to be able to judge what a home life with more than one child might be like. It does get lonely and boring sometimes, being all alone in the flat when his father's out working on a case (or even when he's at home and immersed in his own experiments or thoughts) and it's only Mrs Hudson puttering around downstairs. He's worldly enough to know that having a sibling wouldn't mean they'd always get along, though, or even be interested in doing things together. He likes playing with Emily, but maybe it would be different if they were around each other all the time. He decides to reserve judgment on the issue for the moment, although it's certainly an idea he'll be revisiting.

In response to Emily, for now, he just shrugs and says, "Maybe."

She doesn't seem to mind his less than enthusiastic response, because now she's finished with her drawing. "How's this?" Emily says, holding it up for his appraisal. It looks like a telly with a sort of Y shape inside. She's done a decent job with the three-dimensional representation of the box part.

"What's it do?" Tristram asks.

"It's like the engine for the time machine. It runs on plutonium. Do you think your dad could get us some?"

"I don't know. I'll ask." His father has lots of chemicals that he keeps in a locked cabinet in the kitchen. Maybe he has some plutonium in there and wouldn't mind if they borrowed a bit.

A sharp rap on the door frame has both children raising their heads to see Tristram's father standing in the open doorway.

"It's time to come downstairs for dinner," he says.

"Father, do you have any plutonium we could use?" Tristram asks as he gets up.

His father gives him a mildly curious look. "What do you need plutonium for?"

"It's for our time machine," Emily explains, holding out her drawing. "See, this is the flux capacitor. It runs on plutonium."

"Plutonium is a radioactive element whose use is tightly controlled by the government," Tristram's father says, studying the diagram with interest. "I doubt I would be able to lay my hands on any, or at least not without a great deal of trouble."

"Uncle Mycroft then?" Tristram asks hopefully. Uncle Mycroft can do just about anything, and he really doesn't want to disappoint Emily.

"You can ask him the next time you see him," his father says. "Honestly, I wouldn't hold out any great hope. In lieu of that, however, perhaps I can help you come up with an alternative power source."

"Exactly!" Emily's face lights up and she turns to Tristram. "When they come back from the future, they have an updated engine that runs on garbage. It's a much more advanced technology, of course, but I'll bet with your dad's help we could figure it out."

Tristram doesn't really follow what Emily's talking about, but at least she's not disappointed about the plutonium.

His father makes them stop off at the bathroom to wash their hands before proceeding downstairs. Tristram already feels better about this visit. Without Emily's aunts around, he doesn't worry so much about smudging the doors or knocking something off a shelf. And his father and Doctor Watson have managed to be alone together without getting into an argument.

When Tristram comes out of the bathroom, he surreptitiously looks at his father's face and mouth. Could he tell if he'd kissed Doctor Watson? He remembers seeing traces of Mrs Hudson's lipstick on Father's cheek one Christmas, after she'd thanked him for some present or other. Doctor Watson doesn't wear lipstick, though, so there's probably no way to tell.

Dinner goes much better than last time. Doctor Watson and Tristram's father sit on one side of the table, with Tristram and Emily on the opposite side. Tristram is very pleased with this arrangement, because it means he can talk to Emily easily, and he has a good view of both adults. They have spaghetti, which is brilliant, because he doesn't need to worry about cutting anything up. Nobody mentions the case, or Emily's aunt or mother.

Tristram's father talks about some of the experiments he's done (the one where his entire body turned purple and he had to stay inside for a week is always fun to revisit), and Tristram is prevailed upon to explain his soil experiment, which Doctor Watson says he's very keen on seeing. Doctor Watson relates some of the medical cases he's had. They're all, objectively speaking, pretty routine (mild poisonings, broken toes, beetles in ears), but the way he speaks, with his expressive face and soothing voice, makes Tristram want him to keep talking all night.

Tristram's father seems to feel the same way, judging by the encouraging sounds he makes at all the right junctures and the way his eyes never leave Doctor Watson's face. Tristram's never seen him this focused on a living person for this long. It's as if Emily's father is a new puzzle for him to crack.

And then, something amazing happens.

Doctor Watson's just told a story, something about a man and piles (Tristram's not sure of what) and an artillery shell. Tristram doesn't understand most of it, except that they had to call in the bomb squad to defuse the explosive. This reminds Tristram uncomfortably of last Friday, but by the end of the story, both their fathers are laughing so hard they have tears in their eyes.

Tristram is gobsmacked. He has never, ever seen his father laugh like this. Fake smiles for clients, yes (or for Emily's Aunt Claire, which he doesn't want to remember), as well as genuine smiles of pleasure, triumph, and pride. Chuckles at small amusements or his own cleverness, even cries of joy when he's solved something or got the better of Uncle Mycroft. But this: minutes of sustained, gasping laughter, his face stretched and his mouth open so that his chin doubles up and reminds him of Uncle Mycroft's. It's a revelation.

Even though Tristram has no idea what they're laughing about, he's so happy that he starts laughing too. He looks over at Emily, who has also collapsed in sympathetic giggles. It's a glorious moment.

Afterwards, they all bring their dishes to the kitchen, and Emily and Tristram are charged with going to the living room and putting on some music while their fathers tidy up.

&&&&&&

"You can pile everything up there," John says, indicating the sideboard next to the sink. "I'll wash up later. I just want to get this food put away." He sets about transferring the leftovers to plastic containers.

Sherlock leans back against the counter, following his movements attentively. "Emily seems to be doing well," he remarks.

"Yes?" John says, not sure what Sherlock's getting at.

"After what happened, I mean. Right back to normal."

John shakes his head. "Not exactly. I mean, yes, she's functioning. But it troubles her. Actually..." He leans into the fridge to move things around and make room for the leftovers.

Sherlock watches his back, letting his eye wander down his legs and back up. When John straightens up again and turns around, Sherlock's eyes snap back to his face. John doesn't appear to notice.

He continues, "I've made her an appointment with a therapist specialising in trauma in children. We'll see her next week."

Sherlock frowns. "Do you really think that necessary?"

"For Emily, yes. She and I both saw a grief counselor when Mary... when she was killed." John's jaw tightens for a moment, the corners of his mouth turned down. "It helped, I think. But this... It's brought everything back. She's worried about everything, constantly asking where I am, what I'm doing. She had a minor panic attack during school on Monday and wouldn't calm down until her teacher called me at work and let her talk to me. What about Tris?"

"Nightmares," Sherlock says curtly. "He's woken up every night and come down to find me. And when he does go back to bed, he leaves the light on all night."

"Would you like her number? The therapist, I mean."

Sherlock waves one hand dismissively. "I don't see what good that will do. It's all just talk. It doesn't change anything."

"Sherlock, this was a major trauma that these kids - our kids - endured!" John says, aghast. "Being kidnapped, thinking they were going to die. Especially Tristram. It's not something that will just go away."

Sherlock scowls. "Don't presume you can tell me what's best for my child, just because you're a doctor."

John holds his hands up. "I'm not an expert in this area. I'm a surgeon, not a psychologist. You'll obviously do what you want and what you think is best, no matter what I say. And you've done a fantastic job with Tristram, raising him on your own. He's a wonderful kid. I won't pretend I'm better at being a single parent than you. I don't know if I could have done what you did. I had the support of a wonderful woman for most of Emily's life, and Harry and Clara have been an absolute godsend for me.

"But for this- this is something I know from the other side. When I-" John leans back against the table, gripping the edge behind him, and looks down. "You know I saw action," he says in a low voice.

"Yes," Sherlock agrees.

"It was-" John looks up to catch Sherlock's eye. "Sherlock, people died. People I knew. Christ, I thought I was going to die. Especially that last time, with the IED- That's not something you just get over. I was in therapy-"

"Which obviously helped with your leg," Sherlock scoffs.

John's jaw clenches again. "That was a small price to pay for my sanity. For the ability to function at a bare minimum."

"Tristram's functioning. At higher than minimum. It's just these nightmares-"

"Like I said, I'm sure you'll do what you think best," John says tightly. "The offer stands. But even if you don't take it up, I just-" John's stance relaxes slightly and his voice becomes softer. "Talk to him. Or let him talk to you. The two of you, you're all that you have."

"Dad?" Emily's voice is accompanied by a tentative knock on the door, followed by her face peeking in.

"Yeah, we'll be right out," John says, smiling at her kindly and stepping away from the table. "Did you pick something good?"

Emily beams. "Yellow Submarine."

"That's my girl," John says and gives her a one-armed hug. "Scoot back in, we'll be out in two shakes." She retreats, and John holds the door for Sherlock. "Ready?" he asks, his voice strained with false cheer. "Let's make it good for them, okay?"

Sherlock walks over and stops next to John, raising one arm to lean against the door. "I'm not upset. I- This entire situation is new to me. You, and..." He lets his gaze roam over John's face, the folds at the corners of his eyes, the furrows in his forehead, the soft outline of his mouth. "I've tried so hard to keep my work and Tristram separate, for exactly this reason. I knew, someday, someone would find out about him, and use him to get to me. I wasn't prepared for it to be so soon."

John's attitude softens. "Maybe I can help," he offers. "I mean, I don't know what threats you're looking at, but I do have tactical experience."

Sherlock nods. "Maybe. It's-" He glances toward the sitting room, where the children's voices can be heard singing along to the refrain of 'Yellow Submarine'. He leans in a bit closer, his head bending toward John. "I don't want you and your daughter to get more deeply involved. But I'd like it if we could meet sometime - where we could talk more freely. Without the children."

John's face opens into a broad smile. "Absolutely. Do you have something in mind?"

"I'll text you," Sherlock says, straightening up.

"Any time," John says, leading the way back through the dining room into the sitting room.

&&&&&&

By the time they leave, Tristram is yawning and Emily's leaning against her father, her head tilting to the side.

"Well, it's been a pleasure," John says as they all gather in the entrance hall. "We've had a great time, haven't we, Ems?"

Emily makes an agreeable sound and smiles sleepily at Tristram, although his attention is distracted by the zip on his coat, which has jammed.

"Here, need a hand, Tris?" Doctor Watson leans over to fiddle with the zip until it slides smoothly upward.

"Thanks," Tristram says. Beside him, his father is buttoning up his own coat. It swings out, brushing against Tristram's hand. The scratch of the wool and the smell that comes with the brief puff of air are reassuring in their familiarity. It's been an evening full of new experiences.

"Yes, thank you, John." Tristram's father holds out his hand, and Doctor Watson takes it. They hold on much longer than is usual for a polite good-bye. Or maybe Tristram's sense of time is distorted by the late hour.

"Maybe the two of you could come again sometime," Emily's father suggests. They are still holding hands.

Tristram hopes his father agrees. He's pretty sure he will, because he can tell his father had a good time too. Not just the laughing at dinner, but afterwards, in the living room, he and Doctor Watson sat together on the sofa and talked. Tristram didn't pay attention to what they were saying, because he and Emily were admiring the cover art on all of her father's Beatles CDs. He especially liked the Sgt Pepper and Yellow Submarine ones, and they had a grand time trying to make all the faces from the cover of Hard Day's Night. But even if he didn't hear what their fathers were talking about, he could tell that they were both happy. They sat turned toward each other, each with one leg bent up on the seat. Doctor Watson had one elbow on the back of the sofa, his head resting on his fist, listening intently and looking impressed, uttering small exclamations every now and then. Tristram imagines his father was telling him about some case or other.

But now, as they're about to go, Tristram's father doesn't agree to Doctor Watson's suggestion that they come over again for dinner; instead, he says something entirely unexpected: "Next time you come to ours."

Tristram is jolted into full wakefulness. In his entire conscious memory, they have never had guests for a meal at their flat, other than Mrs Hudson. She's not a guest, though; she lives there. Not even Uncle Mycroft has ever been invited to eat with them. Tristram is a bit unsettled by the idea of having other people in the space which is usually reserved only for him and Father. At the same time, he finds he wants to share it with Emily. And Doctor Watson and Father seem to be getting on famously now. Surely it will be fine.

Tristram's eyes are round, but Doctor Watson's crinkle in pleasure. "We'd like that. Wouldn't we, Emily?" But he doesn't even look down at Emily, although he does squeeze her shoulder with his free hand. Tristram wonders if they are they ever going to finish that handshake.

"Good. Good," Tristram's father says briskly, smiling, and now he squeezes Doctor Watson's hand one last time and lets go. "Good night, then."

"Good night, Tris," Emily's father says, holding his hand out to Tristram. Tristram lets his hand be enclosed in the warm, comforting envelope of Doctor Watson's. He reckons he wouldn't mind letting it linger there a little longer, either.

Tristram says good-bye to Doctor Watson, then to Emily, and then they are back outside, running through the rain to the kerb, where the cab his father rang for is already waiting.

The gentle sway of the car and the rhythmic passing of the street lamps lull him into a half-sleep by the time they pull up outside their flat. His mind is full of plans and questions and new ideas, and they carry him easily into bed. It ends up being the first time he sleeps through the night since his ordeal.

&&&&&&

Go to Chapter 2

Chapter note: You can read the hilarious (okay, maybe not for him) true story of the man with the piles and the artillery shell, as well as other not exactly safe-for-work tales here: http://www.mercuryserver.com/forums/showthread.php?35710-Emergency-Room-stories

Comments

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, new fic from you!! *excited* I am not sure if I read Getting Better, so will have to go and read that first. :)

[swissmarg]

Yes, I'm sorry, it's a bit of an investment (75K) but it's pretty necessary. The synopsis I gave will do in a pinch, but if you have time to read the story itself, it will be better.

Thanks for your enthusiasm, and I hope to see you back here! <3

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

Well, having to read a much-recced Johnlock can hardly be considered a chore - especially if it means getting to read your inset-fic afterwards. :)

I plan to be around on LJ a bit more and to focus on fic again - reading, commenting, reccing. RL has been very demanding in the last few months and with the current unhappiness caused by series 3 (and just today, Amanda's comments) I think I'll immerse myself far deeper in fanfic and the enjoyment therefore and stay clear of any RL points of contact with BBC Sherlock.

Anyway... :)

[swissmarg]

Uh, what Amanda's comments? I don't spend much time on tumblr - find it too chaotic and difficult to navigate - so I haven't heard anything. I follow her Twitter but there wasn't anything there that I saw...

[swissmarg]

Oh okay, I found it. It's this article, yes? http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2014/01/sherlock-season-3-amanda-abbington-and-martin-freemans-not-wedding.html

I get her point. I don't know why fans should be upset that she said that. It's true.

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

Yup, that's the one.

Well, I think it's pretty upsetting that writing Johnlock or making Johnlock art makes you a "rabid fan" in her eyes - and someone you need to talk carefully to, because I guess she thinks we're all mental cases that are likely to explode at any time. I think it's quite hypocritial to say she wouldn't like her children googling their dad and finding Johnlock art, when she does not seem to be worried about say, them watching Love, Actually? (Especially when in the latter Martin plays a porn actor while Johnlock art, no matter how explicit, is about two characters in love and not about being part of the porn industry? So, gay sex is not okay for kids to see but het sex in a porn industry setting is okay?) And saying that it's not Johnlock but always Ben and Martin? I cannot agree with that at all.

I would have given her the benefit of the doubt because I know how interviews can skew the tone of what was said and make things sound differently from how they were meant but her defense of the interview on twitter shows that this must have been how she said and intended it to be understood.

[swissmarg]

Okay, I am officially hijacking the comments on my own fic because I want to discuss this. :) Anyone else feel free to chime in.

Yes, I think it's clear she's pretty fed up with the whole phenom, but tbf apparently one does have to watch what one says, if she's received backlash over it. It's complicated by the fact that she has very vocal and combative supporters who are unafraid to leap in with both feet and hands to shoot right back.

On the other hand, I don't agree with what she said, that it's Martin and Ben. Except in a very few instances, it's the characters. And there is plenty of explicit Ritchieverse and ACD slash fanart out there, again contrary to what she said. Obviously she has simply not gone looking for it, or no one has sent it to her ... although possibly they have now!

Your point about Love, Actually (and Nightwatching, not to mention the countless other films where he's got hot and heavy if not nekkid with women other than Amanda) is interesting, and I hadn't thought of that. It is a bit of a double standard.

I agree that there should be a divide between fandom and the actors. There's no need for anyone to be sending her - or any of the actors, producers, etc. - stuff, and I do wish that the talk show hosts, journalists, etc. would also stop confronting them with it. It's distressing for both sides.

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

I think the big problem for anyone in fandom right now is that the producers and everyone involved seems to have done a big u-turn on fandom and, in particular, slash. I think no one ever expected it and there's a lot of (justified) disappointment.

I mean, just look at the first two seasons of the series - it's not like we were reading strong emotions between the characters into the series - they may not have been homosexual, but they were there. And Martin Freeman himself said "this is the gayest show on TV". It's all there - and they were definitely courting the slash fans in their communications.

Even Amanda once tweeted in reply to the question "what will you do if you have Martin in your hotel room?" (this was after a longer separation due to filming): "Be the Holmes to his Watson". If that wasn't a slashy allusion, I don't know what is.

So, we've gone from slash-friendly and open about it to the point of almost encouraging it, to slash fiction publicly being made fun of at the BFI screening, to Moffat et al calling people who are into Johnlock deluded, to Amanda making the statements she made in that interview. And it doesn't help that we got a series 3 in which John seems to care little to nothing that Mary shot Sherlock, in which John isn't shown visiting him in hospital and in which John and Sherlock shake hands when they say goodbye ostensibly forever.

And, look at this post: this is from the Ali G film...
http://bbcjohn.tumblr.com/post/74715658439/more-original-tweet-original-tumblr-post

So why is that better and right and not bad for your children to see but depictions of fictional characters in a loving same-sex relationship bad? I don't get it.

All in all, it's a very depressing situation that fandom finds itself in right now I think.

[swissmarg]

Well, she did say in her comments to that Ali G post that she didn't agree with that either. But that she'd only been commenting on Sherlock in the interview (because that's what the interview was about). But obviously there's a lot more of the Sherlock stuff out there. You have to do a specific search to find fan art of Martin in other stuff.

I'm not really sure what she hopes to get out of continuing the discussion at this point and continuing to answer and defend herself. She made her point, which I understand to be that she's uncomfortable with depictions of her partner's likeness engaging in explicit sexual acts (whether homosexual or otherwise I will have to leave open, because she really was only asked about Sherlock), and that she doesn't want her children viewing them. All fine. But continuing to invite discussion (by responding to it) will only make people send her stuff like that Ali G still and rile her up further. She's not going to make anyone stop creating explicit material. I think she's off the mark with presuming that people are imagining it's really Martin and Benedict in those fanart pictures, but I can see that for her, it may be difficult to separate Martin's likeness from the man himself, and so she assumes it is for others as well.

I am not so sure that there is - or will be in future series - a backlash to the slash. The BFI thing didn't come from the series makers, it came from Caitlin Moran, and as I understand (I didn't watch it myself), there was general disapproval of what she did by putting them in that position and confronting them with it, not necessarily of the fan fic itself.

Going from my memory, Moffat has always said people will see what they want to, but that Sherlock and John are never going to be more than best friends. Benedict said before series 3 came out that he saw Sherlock as heterosexual but not interested in a relationship. None of those involved in the series have ever tried to play it up and say 'maybe, who knows?' I think they've always been pretty clear that they are depicting Sherlock and John as platonic best friends, and that's it.

As to what's actually put on screen... that wiggle room for interpretation is still there in series 3. The looks Sherlock gives John, particularly during the wedding scenes and the scene outside Magnussen's house, say a lot more than 'good friend' to me. And the way John looked at Sherlock on the dance floor, when he realized that Mary being pregnant really was going to change things between them, or in the train when he thought they were going to die. There were definite moments.

I think that the series makers know that the series lives and dies with Sherlock and John's chemistry. It's not just some crime drama. It's about the friendship between these two men. And if they want to keep that friendship solid, there is no way around people interpreting it with a romantic subtext. I think they were definitely playing with that in series 3 without ever sinking the ship.

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

*giggles* And there I was, grandly announcing I was not going to get involved in the debates... :D

Anyway, I feel I'm not making my point very well but I also don't want to spend hours now looking for the meta posts on this subject that I liked really well. So I'll leave it at this - oh, and I never meant that anyone could realistically expect Johnlock to happen in the show. But the subtext was always there and obviously so - I mean, they are even joking about it in the series the entire time.

Off to read fanfic and be happy! :D

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

Ha, me again! I checked out Getting Better and realized I had read it not too long ago (and really liked it - great story idea, the kids were well written and I loved Sherlock and John meeting that way and how they interacted, even if the fic remained pre-slash), so yay, I could dive right into your fic.

After reading this part I am sure I'm in for a world of torture... :P You say "slow burn" and arrrgh, already in the first chapter my internal chorus was "Kiss already" the entire time... :D

Anyway, I'm really excited about this - there are so many open questions still, and I love to see John and Sherlock get to know each other and being working together under different circumstances than in the series and to see how that will work out. :) Also am very eager to find out about who the bogeyman is.

I thought you wrote both Tristram and Emily really well (edit: forgot to say I loved to see Sherlock through the eyes of Tristram, especially the unusual behaviour he notices towards John, but also towards him - being more sociable and being more openly affectionate). And Sherlock and John even better. Can't wait for more!!!

Thank you!

[swissmarg]

No problem, I don't usually like to get embroiled in fandom wank either. And like I said before, I am actually happier when that fourth wall stays in place. Otherwise it can get... uncomfortable.

[swissmarg]

Oh good, I'm glad the fic was fairly fresh in your mind. Probably fresher than in mine at this point. So it's especially nice to hear that the characters are in line with how you saw them in the original fic. Thanks for the thoughtful and detailed comment!

[swissmarg]

... and she's apologized. :)

https://twitter.com/CHIMPSINSOCKS/statuses/428094415509651456

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

Thank you for letting me know! This is good. :)

[rifleman-s.livejournal.com]

I’ve finished reading Getting Better now, so here I am reading your story!

It was a lovely, lovely universe – very creative and Tristram really is the sort of child Sherlock would shape. Rather serious, devastatingly honest and extremely intelligent. It was in turn, sweet, gentle, funny, brave and loving and I’m thrilled you’ve decided to continue their story.

”Doctor Watson's just told a story, something about a man and piles (Tristram's not sure of what)…”

I laughed and laughed for a ages at that – those tear tracks Tris is always looking out for were definitely on my face!! (In the nicest possible way!).

”Tristram is gobsmacked. He has never, ever seen his father laugh like this.”

That was just my thought in the train carriage scene at the end of TEH – we’ve never really seen Sherlock actually laugh before . . . and despite the circumstances, it was a lovely sound!

”Not even Uncle Mycroft has ever been invited to eat with them.”

Well, then, John and Emily are very special guests!

And a new word . . . eaveslooked ha ha!!

Very much looking forward to sharing in their further adventures.

[swissmarg]

I forgot, I wanted to link to the actual story of the man with the piles... I will have to go back to my notes and see if I can find it. It was pretty funny, even more so as it's apparently true.

Yeah, I found the characters in the original story were generally very solemn and serious, and I thought that having fun together is something that really hallmarks John and Sherlock's relationship, so that is one of the first things that Tristram notices is different once the two of them really start becoming friends.

It's great to have you along again!