Sherlock and John spent a peaceful night together but were more than ready to leave the next morning. Once getting the clearance from Dr. Hawthorne, Sherlock couldn't get John out of there fast enough.
Sherlock wheeled John downstairs, predictably impatient. What neither of them could predict, however, was what was waiting for them as they walked through St. Bart's main entrance.
A large black limousine.
Sherlock thought that it was probably just Mycroft wanting them to be as comfortable as possible on the way back to their flat. John looked up at Sherlock in surprise, and was even more surprised when he saw a smile on Sherlock's face instead of the usual grimace he had when faced with anything that had to do with his brother. 'I must still be drugged up.. .' John thought to himself.
Sherlock wheeled John towards the car slowly knowing that the driver would any minute exit the vehicle and open the doors for them. But he never did. Instead, the back door swung open on its own, and a bright looking young woman popped out.
"Mr. Holmes? Dr. Watson?" she asked politely. Sherlock and John exchanged looks again, not sure what to make of this. She noticed and laughed lightly. "I promise you, I have no ill designs towards the two of you, unless you count hugging you until you can't breathe." She held her hand out towards Sherlock. "I'm Brianna."
The name instantly registered in Sherlock's mind and he quickly grasped her hand with a smile. "Brianna! Of course! I'm pleased to finally meet you." John stared up at him with a look that said 'Mind filling me in?' Sherlock stepped back and clasped his hands behind his back. "Dr. John Watson, may I introduce to you Brianna, Ms. Edie's only daughter."
John whipped his head around in shock, then immediately smiled. He struggled for a moment to gather his bearings, the stood up from the wheelchair. "Well then, I'd like to take you up on that offer of a hug!" he said. He opened his arms, and Brianna walked into his embrace. They separated after a moment, and John asked her, "How is your mom doing? She's feeling alright?"
Brianna's smile grew wider. "She's right inside. Why don't you ask her yourself?"
They approached the large car and climbed inside. As promised, there sat Edie. She had her ankle in a small but brightly colored cast and a set of crutches leaning against the seat next to her, but the smile on her face was genuine.
"Dr. Watson! You have no idea how pleased I am to see you!" she gushed. John slid over to her and allowed himself to be enveloped in another embrace, while Brianna and Sherlock looked on amusedly. Sherlock moved so that he was sitting next to John while Brianna closed the door with a slam, signaling to the driver that they were ready. Within moments, the car whisked them away.
"Not as happy as I am to see you!" he answered. "How are you doing?"
"I've been a lot worse honestly, but I suppose I can ask the same thing of you." she retorted.
John looked down for a moment, not sure how to put into words what he wanted to say. "I could be a lot worse off. And from what I've been told, I believe that I owe you my life." He leaned over and gave Edie a light peck on her cheek. "I don't think I know the proper words to thank you for what you did for me." He turned and glanced at Sherlock and took his hand. "For us. I'm just sorry that we didn't figure out everything sooner."
Edie waved it off, trying not to let her emotions cloud her words. "In the end, it all worked out ok. I just want to put all that nasty business behind us and enjoy the trip! I'm so excited!"
A look of confusion settled on the boy's faces. "Trip?" Sherlock asked then looked at Brianna. "What trip?"
"We've all been given a holiday!" she explained, her excitement mirroring her mother's. "A woman named Anthea knocked on our door this morning and told us that we were going away for a week's holiday but wouldn't tell us where, just to pack our bags and be downstairs within the hour. Naturally I was skeptical, given what had just happened to my mother. But then she informed us that we were to be picking you two up along the way to join us, so we packed as quickly as possible and here we are!"
'Mycroft' Sherlock wondered to himself. 'What does he have up his sleeve this time?' It was true that their relationship was in the very early stages of reconciliation, but this was a leap of faith even for him. John, for his part, started to look slightly panicked.
"If this is Mycroft's doing, I'll string him up myself! Kidnapping me when it suits him is one thing, but there is absolutely no reason for him to bring these good people into this!"
As if on cue, Sherlock's mobile pinged in response. He dug it out his pocket and looked at the notification of a text from Mycroft. Seeing it, John leaned over as Sherlock unlocked the screen and read the message along with him.
Not to worry. There is no imminent case that requires either of your presence in London at the moment so I have seen to it that you and your doctor will get some well deserved time away. Consider it a congratulatory gift, dear brother, on finding someone who gives you that which you have sought for so long. Enjoy your holiday, and give my best regards to everyone. – MH
"Well I'll be damned. But he still didn't say where we were headed." John said.
Sherlock looked out the window at the scenery and saw a sign that gave him a clue. "Wherever it is, it's going to be an interesting trip." he said, pointing. The three other passengers followed his finger and happened to catch a glimpse of the sign before it was out of sight.
London Heathrow Airport - 5 km
"The airport!" Brianna squealed. "Now this is really getting exciting!"
...............................................................................
They pulled into Heathrow but instead of parking in the usual lane for vehicles dropping off passengers, it made a shift into another lane and drove them straight onto a private runway. A small jet sat waiting for them, reflecting the sunlight. Its door was opened and the stairs were placed on small red carpet.
"Would you just look at that?!" Edie breathed in awe. "I feel like a proper celebrity! What on earth did we do to deserve such treatment?"
Sherlock sighed. "This is my brother's doing. Given the recent situation, he felt we all deserved a holiday. But he may live to regret that." When John, Edie, and Brianna stared at him in askance he just smirked. "I still have a copy of his credit cards."
Everyone laughed as the limousine came to a halt near the stairs. Brianna and Sherlock were the first to climb out, and they took turns helping the rest of the passengers out. The driver then made his appearance known, coming around to retrieve Edie and Brianna's bags from the boot. Seeing the bags reminded John that they didn't have anything packed for themselves. Before he could say anything about it, Sherlock made a show of patting his back pocket. "It's a holiday, remember. Trust me; we will get everything we need." John just grinned.
They walked over and joined the ladies as they continued to stare in awe of the jet. "I wonder what kind of plane this is." Brianna quietly murmured to her mother.
"It's an Embraer Legacy 600. It can cover over 3700 miles in one fueling and can reach speeds of 834 kph. Built by Embraer-Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica with a Rolls-Royce AE 3007 engine." Sherlock explained, his pronunciation flawless. The women just stared at him while John just shook his head.
"Show-off!" he said.
"You wouldn't have me any other way." Sherlock retorted. Clapping his hands together once, he continued, "All right then. Enough show-and-tell. Let's climb aboard."
The quickly did so, allowing the small flight crew to handle the luggage. They each took their seats and admired the interior. Everything was in a soft cream color, which was highlighted by warm wooden accents. The chairs were upholstered in matching cream leather that was deceptively soft. Large flat screens were situated on the front walls adjacent to the stewardess' cabin. They took their seats, with Edie and Brianna chattering away excitedly on one side while John and Sherlock took seats on the other side of the narrow aisle.
Just then, a tall statuesque woman appeared from behind the small curtain and graced them all with a smile. "Hello there! My name is Greta and I will be servicing you on our flight today. If there is absolutely anything you need, just let me know. We will be taking off shortly so please fasten your seat belt and make sure your seat back and folding trays are in their full upright position. At this time, we request that all mobile phones be turned off for the full duration of the flight, as these items might interfere with the navigational and communication equipment on this aircraft. We request that all other electronic devices be turned off until we fly above 10,000 feet. We will notify you when it is safe to use such devices." The passengers all reached to follow her instructions as she continued on. "If you have any questions about our flight today, please don't hesitate to ask. Thank you."
When she was finished, she walked over to the open door and pulled it shut, then turned the lock to seal it completely. With another smile, she disappeared through the curtain. Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began to vibrate as the engines roared to life. John couldn't help feeling excited and it easily showed on his face. Sherlock noticed.
"Have you never been on a flight before?" he asked.
"Only when I was in the Army, but it was nothing as posh as this." He glanced at Sherlock and lowered his voice. "I guess having a brother with his kind of connections can have its advantages."
"Yes, I suppose so."
"You know, if you two keep this up I'm going to become rather spoiled." John joked.
Sherlock grasped John's hand, and then leaned over to gently kiss him on the lips. "John, I've never had anyone in my life that I've ever wanted to 'spoil', as you put it. But now that I've got you, I think I may become rather fond of the practice."
John was touched by Sherlock's words. He gently squeezed the hand that held his. "Sherlock I was only joking. I don't need all this in my life. As long as I've got you, I'll be satisfied." They shared a look for a moment, and then leaned in to share another kiss. Before they could lose themselves completely, they were reminded that they weren't exactly alone when the quiet sound of 'Awww' could be heard. They both looked over and saw that they indeed had an audience. Brianna and Edie were both watching them, their faces wreathed in joy.
"You were right Mom." Brianna stated, making sure she was just loud enough to be heard. "They are absolutely adorable together!" Sherlock just groaned to himself as John turned an interesting shade of scarlet.
Soon after, they heard the announcement over the loudspeaker overhead.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Colin Berkimshire and I'll be your Captain today. On behalf of myself and the entire crew, welcome aboard. Our flight is nonstop from London Heathrow Airport to Dublin Airport in Dublin Ireland. Our flight time is estimated to be approximately one hour and 20 minutes and we will be traveling at an altitude of 16,000 feet. Cabin crew, please prepare for Gate Departure. Enjoy your flight!"
Edie squealed in delight. "Dublin! We're going to Dublin! It's been ages since I've been able to visit home!" Sherlock leaned towards John once again.
"It seems that Mycroft chose our destination well."
"I've never been to Ireland before but I've always wanted to go! I believe I just may be more excited than she is!" John said. "Have you been there before?"
"Once or twice." Sherlock responded nonchalantly. "There's always a case where travel is necessary."
"Well then, I expect you to play tour guide. I want to see everything!"
"As you wish."
The plane began to taxi down the runway, picking up speed. Soon, they felt the nose of the plane angle upwards as they were all pushed slightly into their chairs while making their ascent. Eventually it leveled off and they were flying high above the clouds. Once again, a voice was heard over the loudspeaker.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned off the Fasten Seat Belt sign, and you may now move around the cabin. However we always recommend you keep your seat belt fastened while you're seated. In a few moments, the cabin crew will be passing around the cabin to offer you hot or cold drinks, as well as a light meal. Alcoholic drinks are also available with our compliments. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight. Thank you."
On cue, Greta appeared and did just that. John and Sherlock each accepted a small glass of Whiskey over ice. Brianna chose a glass of white wine. Edie was satisfied with a cup of tea.
"If this is the sort of perks that you get solving crimes Mr. Holmes, I think I may be in the wrong line of work!" Edie said pleasantly. Sherlock scoffed good-naturedly.
"Believe me, it isn't always like this. John and I were lucky this time. Most of our victims don't get the ending you were fortunate to have." He watched as Brianna looked at her mother wistfully, as she knew the truth of what he spoke. "But I must say Edie, you were absolutely remarkable. How on earth did you manage to escape Gillian?"
Brianna looked startled. "So you actually know the person responsible for kidnapping my mother?" Before Sherlock could say a word, Edie answered the question for her.
"He knew her for quite a while actually." Her response earned shocked looks from all three of them.
"And how on earth did you know that?" John asked. "Sherlock only just told me yesterday who she was."
The passengers sat quietly and listened as Edie told them everything she had learned and done during her capture. Sherlock could see John's jaw tighten with anger with each passing minute. He knew that he was possessive of John, and was secretly thrilled to see that John shared the same feeling. His thoughts were interrupted when John spoke.
"Well I for one am glad you managed to give that psychotic bitch what she had coming to her. Almost killing me was bad enough, but doing it because she wanted to get closer to Sherlock? I would have enjoyed putting a bullet into her!"
"A man in love, if I've ever heard one." Brianna remarked with a smile.
They spent the remainder of their flight engrossed in conversation. John went on to relate some of their adventures together and the women listened with rapt attention. Then Edie began telling them of some of the local lore from her hometown and made several suggestions of places that they absolutely must visit. Apparently it was also the time of the year when a large festival was held in Wicklow, so they all agreed to attend together.
Sherlock watched out the window next to his seat, actually feeling content with the conversations swirling around him. He still couldn't get it out of his head just how close he had come to losing John. It had been his biggest fear and it almost came to pass. He had refrained from turning into a complete mess when he was finally reunited with John in hospital but he still wanted to find a way to express to John just how thankful he was that he was still with him. Even more, he wanted to show John that he truly was in it for as long as John could put up with him. An idea slowly formed in his head and he couldn't help but smile to himself as he constructed the details in his mind. He would need a little help though. He silently assured himself that as soon as they landed, he would find a moment alone to contact Mycroft.
His brother had offered his help should he ever need it, and he was going to take him up on his offer. After all, he wanted it to be absolutely perfect. John didn't deserve anything less.