The Science Of Second Chances//Book Two

Chapter 18~ Present

Teddy's P.O.V

I hadn't celebrated Christmas in years, so when I woke up on the morning of December 25th I was excited and overjoyed at finding the present sitting at the end of my bed. It was wrapped delicately in black and silver wrapping with a gold ribbon tied around it. With a grin I chucked off my blankets and shuffled towards the present on my knees. I couldn't hear Mrs Hudson pottering around or John making his breakfast. I could faintly hear Sherlock's snores from upstairs. I was obviously the only one awake.

And the first one to open up a present, I thought as my hand reached out and pulled the ribbon off. It didn't take me long to find out what was inside and when I did I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. My hands felt the smooth material as if convincing me that this was real. Oh, God, it was real.

It was my trench coat. The one Jim had kept for nearly six months now. In one of the pockets there was a note. The paper was fine quality, one you wouldn't see or use everyday. In raven black ink Jim's familiar handwriting was scrawled across the paper.

Merry Christmas, my fantastic fox.

xoxo

J

My heart tensed and I put the trench coat and note down on my bed. Standing up I took a deep breath and stretched. I would not let him ruin my Christmas day. I would not let him scare me. Today I was going to laugh and get drunk and open presents and maybe, if I was brave enough, maybe I would think a little more about my future with John.

My future with John. I giggled to myself in the shower. It sounded so weird but really, really nice at the same time. For a long time now my future was never linked with someone else's. Now all that might be changing. Of course there were some obstacles I still had to get over, the main one being that he was still involved with what's her name, but I had seen from a distance that things between them were beginning to come to an end. Of course it was. He kissed me.

I think I'll wait a few days until I finally decide, I thought, hopping out of the shower and grabbing a towel. They would've broken up by then.

I smiled to myself, changing into a white button up shirt and dark short quickly before grabbing a small bag of presents and rushing upstairs.

The boy's flat was warm despite the fact that there looked like a blizzard was going on outside. I placed most of the presents beside the sofa except for one which I took with me into Sherlock's room. I didn't knock on his door, I just flung it open and threw myself onto his bed. His body jolted in surprise, his Blue-Grey eyes flashing open in shock as he sat up. I laughed at the way his curly hair stuck up all over the place like he had been electrocuted.

"Well, you're in a happy mood," Sherlock said with a yawn and smile.

"Well, duh," I replied, pulling the sheets up over my legs and making myself comfortable. "It's Christmas! I feel like celebrating!"

Sherlock chuckled then yawned once more, stretching his long arms out in front of him.

"You're never like this on your birthday. Remember when you turned ten and you cried and said that growing up is boring?" Sherlock grinned. I laughed, shaking my head at the memory.

"Yep, then I chucked a piece of cake at Mycroft because he thought I was joking and laughed."

"Father wasn't happy about that," Sherlock said.

"Yeah? Well Father was never happy. Now can we please stop talking about him? I want to give you your present!"

That made Sherlock shut up. Eyes closed he held out his hands expectantly. I placed the box his present was inside gently on the palms of his hands.