Fight for Me

Chapter 20

John showed up to the hospital about an hour after Lydia had woken, Sherlock still questioning her when he arrived. He knocked on the door before entering, surprised to hear Lydia's voice granting him access. But as he stepped inside, he was even more surprised to see her wiping tears from her eyes.

"Lydia, are you alright?" John asked quickly as he rushed to her bedside. Lydia was skilled at hiding her emotions so seeing her crying was a bit off-putting for him.

She gave him a small smile, "I'm fine, John. Sherlock's just being a bit of a prick, is all. But I'm sure that's no different than normal."

"Sherlock," John started, ready to scold his friend for pestering Lydia after all that she had gone through.

But Sherlock cut him off with a dramatic eye roll, "oh, do be quiet John. It's not like I'm actually hurting her, she refuses to tell me the truth of what happened last night. This is all just an act, surely you realise that."

John noticed how Lydia lowered her gaze and shook her head slightly, unaware that those movements were all a show for him. Sympathetically, he placed a hand on Lydia's arm and gave her a reassuring smile, before lifting his gaze to meet Sherlock's.

"Has it occurred to you-"

"Most likely," Sherlock interrupted, causing John to huff impatiently.

"Sherlock, this is serious, can you stop acting like a child for once in your life? Lydia has just gone through hell and you are convinced that every word that comes out of her mouth is a lie."

"That's because they probably are," Sherlock muttered under his breath and John pretended not to hear it, knowing that if he acknowledged Sherlock's words then he would probably not be able to hold himself back from attacking him.

So John continued, though a bit more harshly than he had been speaking before, "would it hurt to believe her just this once, acknowledging the fact that she might not want to tell you the truth because it's too traumatic? Must you connect this to some larger criminal network right at this moment when she is clearly still recovering?"

Sherlock was slightly taken aback by how defensive and vocal John was being, but quickly repressed those feelings. "This is Moriarty, John, there is no time to waste when he is involved. We don't want another old lady being blown up, do we?"

If there was one thing Sherlock knew how to do it was to play on a person's sympathy, turn their sentiment into a weapon against them. Which was why he was so careful about letting himself care about others. John was his weakness, he knew that, and he would certainly do all in his power to protect Mrs. Hudson. But he wasn't going to let Lydia become another exception, especially knowing that she was already swept up in this elaborate game Moriarty was setting.

John's face had hardened with Sherlock's words and he looked every part the soldier. He wanted to tear Sherlock's head off, but he controlled himself by channeling his anger into his clenched fists.

"I don't care who is behind this, Lydia is a human being and if it is not too much trouble for you, it would be great if you could treat her as such!" John then turned to Lydia, who had been watching this interaction transpire silently, not wanting to get dragged into their feud. "Lydia, I'm sorry for Sherlock, his behavior has been unacceptable and you don't have to answer anymore questions about last night until you feel ready. Your injuries, though severe, are mostly superficial and probably won't keep you in the hospital for long and I know that you don't really have a great place to stay or much money, so if you would like to stay at 221B until you fully recover, we would be happy to host you."

"Would we?" Sherlock piped up, though in reality the thought of her living with them excited him. Living under his watchful gaze, Lydia would have so many more opportunities to slip up and show him her real self behind the perfectly architected facade she constantly wore.

John immediately snapped at him, "yes, we would. And don't you dare argue, Sherlock, not after everything you've put her through."

"She's a criminal!"

"She's still human!" John cried out incredulously. "Besides, it's not like she's going around killing people. You claim she's just a smuggler and, if you are actually correct, you also claim she didn't have a choice in the matter."

"That's sentiment talking, John. She's not the little girl that you used to know, surely you can see that."

This finally made Lydia sigh and enter the conversation, "yes, and she would also like you to acknowledge that she is laying right here and can hear you. But John, if Sherlock really does not want me staying, I don't mind finding a hotel or some place else to sleep."

Sherlock panicked for a moment, wondering if he had gone too far. He couldn't backtrack now, it would make Lydia too suspicious. But if she could think he was annoyed by the prospect of her moving in, perhaps he would have a better chance of investigating her without her realising and shutting him out. For now he would have to rely on John's sentiment and moral code.

And that is what John did. "No, Lydia, 221B will always be available to you if you need a place to stay for a bit. Sherlock can suck it up or convince Mrs. Hudson to let you occupy 221C for a while free of charge. But that will be Sherlock's choice to make, not yours."

Lydia gave John a smile as he defended her despite the wishes of his friend. And it wasn't part of any act, she wasn't trying to gain sympathy or play him in any way. It was genuine because this man, despite having an idea of what she was, was still showing her kindness. She wasn't used to people offering her anything without expecting something in return and John's generosity filled her with a pleasant warmth.

-

(A/N): Lydia's moving in! I apologise for the slightly shorter chapter today, but I hope it was still enjoyable!