ELEMENTARY[✓]

𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞

Sherlock and Joan were sitting on the sofa of the brownstone. They were back home. Home? Sanctum sanctorum? Sherlock smiled at the thought that out of all the places he considered his "home" , Joan was in all means his only sanctum sanctorum. With this thought he clutched closer to Joan, who rested her head on his shoulder comfortably. He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arm around her. They were just sitting in a comforting silence.

"I am sorry Joan " he whispered not to break the soothing atmosphere.

"Why? What happened?" she asked raising her head from his shoulder. He held her tighter and kept her head back on his shoulder. Joan smiled. She stroked his fingers who were holding her hands tightly. "Sherlock?"

He sighed and rested his head on top of hers and said, "I had promised, Watson".

"What, Sherlock?"

"I had promised that I will never let any harm come to you" he whispered, moving closer to her. "and yet I was the one to break it. I...I could not even protect you. It needed that dunce and dolt of a person who is sadly enough my brother to find you. I couldn't even do that Watson. I couldn't protect you. I failed you, didn't I? I am very sorry Watson. Tremendously sorry" he ranted out the pain that was in his heart all these days without her. "I was feeling so alone. It was as if, my soul had left my body. I felt dead  Watson. I don't know Watson. I have become dependent on you. Not just for the work we do. But I depend on you for myself. I have surrendered completely to you. In ways, that even I cannot comprehend. You...you don't know what happened to me when you weren't there. I needed you. Your presence. I needed the constant support your being offers me. I needed your continuous nagging. I needed you to keep my heart beating Watson. I need you for everything and I know for a fact that my habit won't stop, ever."

Joan smiled and looked up from his shoulder to see him blinking his eyes to control his tears. "I know Sherlock. I know you needed me. I know that I needed you as much as you. I needed your presence to make me feel safe. I know Sherlock" she said and kissed his forehead fondly, wiping the tears that were threatening to fall. Sherlock moved away from her and put his legs on the sofa. Joan was confused. He then rested his head on her lap. Joan smiled affectionately at the baby that Sherlock seemed to have become today. Sherlock took one of her hands and held it tightly.

He chuckled and began," You know Watson?"

"Obviously it has to be something I don't know, so shoot" she said stroking his hair.

Sherlock grinned, "but you do know it this time"

Joan was confused and Sherlock turned in her lap facing her, "What?" she asked.

He looked into her eyes and said, "I love you Joan Watson. More than I ever loved anybody. Or more accurately put, you are the only person that I ever loved. Father always says that him and I both are not meant to make such connections and I knew that somewhere or the other it was the truth, but he ignored the fact that he was the one to send you to me. He had unknowingly tied our destiny, Watson. And that is the only thing I am grateful to him for. You changed me Watson. Not just regarding to my sobriety but also as a human. I have grown more, considerate to others' feelings, more compassionate to others' problems and the nature of our work has only enhanced that. Thanks to you, Detective Joan Watson, I am now able to live again."

Joan was stunned. Sherlock certainly had a way with words nobody had. He always chose his words carefully , analysing the reaction of the person in front of him. That was his habit. But today, she could feel that the words did not come from the brain of the detective, it came straight from the most wretched organ of the human body, his heart. The organ which he seldom used, saying that it was just meant to pump blood and nothing else. But the words that he said today were laced with love, care and affection, traits which were more common to the heart than the brain.