Childhood Memories

Chapter 16

John smiles painfully, "No. No, no, no, no, no, no. This is a trick."

Sherlock shakes his head, "No."

"You're just trying to make me say something nice." John shakes his head.

Sherlock lets out a chuckle. "Not this time." He sighs.

John looks around, "It's just to make you look good even though you behaved like..." He breaks out into tears. Getting up from beside Lily, he grips the handrail.

Sherlock goes to lean against a seat and Lily just curls into a ball. Play the part, she kept whispering to herself, just play your part.

"I wanted you not to be dead." John states.

"Yeah, well, be careful what you wish for." Sherlock replies. "If I hadn't come back, you wouldn't be standing there and..you'd still have a future with Mary. Lily would probably be with my brother learning how to act a part of society."

Lily nods with tears, "Yeah. We know."

A moment of silence fills the air, Lily begins to become annoyed. It shouldn't take a bomb for John to set his pride aside and forgive Sherlock.

"Look, I find it difficult." John begins, "This sort of stuff."

Sherlock looks at him, "I know."

John sighs, "You were the best and the wisest man that I have ever known." John pauses, "Yes, of course I forgive you."

-----

Back before this Lily was sitting with Sherlock in 221B. They were sitting down, Lily was reading, Sherlock was assessing a small case to clear his boredom.

"You know," Lily began, "You never did tell me how you faked your death."

Sherlock sighs, "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm curious."

 Sherlock sighs again,

"The criminal network Moriarty headed was vast. Its roots were everywhere like cancer, so we came up with a plan. Mycroft fed Moriarty information about me. Moriarty in turn gave us hints - just hints - as to the extent of the web. We let him go, because it was important to let him believe he had the upper hand. And then I sat back and watched."

"As he destroyed your reputation at the time." Lily interrupted.

"Yes." Sherlock nodded,

"I had to make him believe he'd defeated me, utterly defeated me, and then he'd show his hand. There were thirteen likely scenarios once we were up on that roof. Each was rigorously worked out and given a code name. It wasn't just my reputation that Moriarty needed to bury - I had to die."

"But he didn't expect you to go as far as you did, did he?" Lily asked.

Sherlock shook his head, "Other way around. I didn't anticipate just how far Moriarty was prepared to go. I suppose that was obvious, given our first meeting at a swimming pool - his death wish."

Lily put her book down, "But you knew you didn't have long so you contacted somebody."

"Yes, my brother. I set the wheels in motion and everyone got to work. However, it was vital that John stayed where he was that day. That way, his view was blocked by the ambulance station. I needed to hit the airbag there - which I did."

Lily nodded, "Speed was paramount. The airbag needed to be gotten out of the way just as John cleared the station."

"But he needed to see a body." Sherlock confirmed, "That's where Molly came in. Like figures on a weather clock, we went one way, John went the other. Then our well-timed cyclist put John briefly out of action, giving me time to switch places with the corpse on the pavement."

"And then the rest was just window dressing." Lily mumbled.

-----

 Lily watched as John realized the trick and finally she stood up brushing her dress off. "It took you long enough."

"You knew?" John asked.

"Of course," Sherlock nodded, "She helped."

Lily turned to the window as a walkie-talkie echoed through the dark corridor. "So you did call the police."

"Course I called the police." Sherlock smiled.

Lily shook her head, "I might kill you myself."

 "Oh please," Sherlock waved his hand dismissing it, "Killing me - that's so two years ago."

-----

"You know, I still think you're mean." Lily said. 

"I just explained my death to you and you still believe me to be a mean person?" Sherlock asked. 

"Well, according to you. Mycroft, Molly, all the people informed to make that operation successful and some hospital staff know. That sounds like at least thirty-five people, no?" Lily asks. 

"My parent's know as well." Sherlock whispered. 

"Okay so thirty-seven, plus me now, so thirty-eight. And John Watson can't know." Lily then asked. 

Sherlock pouted, "Don't make it sound like that." 

Lily shrugged, "Might as well ask for forgiveness. Because he knows that at least thirty-five people know. I don't think him knowing three others know will make it any better." 

"Whatever."