AN: Happy New Year! This is my first Sherlock fic. Please read and leave me a review. Enjoy!
7:41 PM
John looks himself over in the mirror. He runs his hand over his shirt, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles. He's incredibly nervous about his date tonight. A part of him wants to just forget the whole thing and resign himself in to a quiet New Year's Eve in with Mrs. Hudson.
"New Year's Eve," John gives himself a pep talk. "A time of new beginnings. You're dating a beautiful girl who invited YOU to a party. Rebecca is interested in you, for some reason. You can make this work. It doesn't have to end the way it ended with Sarah."
He winces at the memory. Their fledgling relationship had crashed and burned after he was kidnapped by Moriarty. Sarah couldn't deal with all the danger in John's life. She'd broken up with him a few days after his release from hospital. He couldn't blame her for wanting out but that didn't stop it from hurting.
"But it won't be like that this year," he promised himself. "This year will be different."
8:20 PM
"I'm going out, Sherlock," John informs his flat mate as his makes his way out the door. "I'll be back tomorrow." John might as well be talking to the skull on the mantel for all the response that he gets from Sherlock. The consulting detective is deep in thought with his knees folded up to his chest. He is contemplating the murder of a man named Charles McCarthy. It's a case of apparent patricide that had been submitted to Sherlock's website that afternoon. Sherlock is convinced that the son isn't guilty. John rolls his eyes and heads toward the street to catch a cab.
9:37 PM
"So you're Rebecca's friend?" a partier asks John for the 8th time. Like most of the people at the party, he's several years younger than John. Also, like most of the other party goers, he's well on his way to becoming intoxicated.
"No, he can't be," a tipsy girl interrupts before John can respond. "Rebecca's friend is from Afghanistan."
"I thought Rebecca was dating a doctor," another girl comments.
"There are doctors in Afghanistan," someone else points out. The conversation devolves into an argument about Middle East culture and the ongoing war, completely forgetting about the question originally asked to John.
John takes this chance to break away from the group of partiers. He searches the crowd for Rebecca. She left him alone 20 minutes ago, saying that there was an old friend that she wanted to catch up with. He hadn't seen her since. The party is too crowded for him to catch sight of her. For a moment he thinks sees her before he's distracted by his phone vibrating.
He has a text message from Holmes.
The son isn't guilty. I know who is. I just need to prove it. I could use your assistance.
John sighs and types out an answer.
I'm at a party with Rebecca.
In seconds he has a reply from Sherlock.
Dull. This will be exciting and possibly dangerous.
John grimaces. His roommate knows exactly the right words to tempt him.
I can't just abandon Rebecca.
Sherlock quickly responds.
You'll be back before she even notices.
John can't help but give into his roommate's temptation. He sends a quick text to Rebecca (Going out for a cigarette. BRB) and exits the party. Sherlock pulls up in a cab a few minutes later.
10:45 PM
Sherlock and John head to the home of the murdered man's neighbor, Mr. John Turner. He invites them into his living room.
"Would you like some tea?" Mr. Turner asks in an effort to be polite.
"We're not here for a social visit," Sherlock explains. "We're here about the murder investigation."
"I thought Charles' son was guilty?" Mr. Turner wonders.
"I don't believe so," the detective disagrees. "I am convinced that someone else is responsible."
"And who might that be?" Mr. Tuner asks.
"You," Sherlock reveals. With a sudden violent movement the accused man flips over the table separating him from the detective. Glass and bits of china go flying as the murder runs out the door. Sherlock chases the murder out into the street with John right at his heels.
11:05 PM
John Watson laughs aloud as he and Sherlock chase Mr. John Turner down the streets of London. The adrenalin and excitement make him forget all about Rebecca and the party.
11:51 PM
They finally corner Mr. Turner at a dead end. He admits to the murder just as Lestrade arrives, summoned by a text message from Sherlock, to arrest him.
Only after both Mr. Tuner and Lestrade are gone does John realize that he missed 6 texts from Rebecca. They begin innocently enough (Where are you?)but become more and more angry, (what the hell John? Where the fuck did you go?)the final the worst of all. (Fuck off wanker. We're done.)
John just stares at his phone. There's no way he can make it back to the party before Midnight. He tries calling Rebecca but she doesn't pick up.
"Fuck," he abruptly shouts. "Damn it."
"Is something wrong John?" Sherlock wonders, oblivious.
"No nothing," John replies sarcastically. "Just Rebecca dumping me. It's 2 minutes to midnight and I've just been dumped. What a way to start the New Year. No kiss at midnight just heartbreak. Can't even get a kiss without messing it up?"
"Why is being kissed so important?" Sherlock asks. John can hear people in the flats around them beginning their New Year's Eve countdown. '10…9…8…'
"It's a tradition," John explains. "It means good luck in the New Year. I really could use some luck after the year I've had. But…" John is cut off by Sherlock pulling John into a kiss. John is just barely aware of the people yelling and the fireworks going off as people around him celebrate the beginning of 2011. Sherlock pulls away.
"There," he states smugly. "You got your kiss. Let's return to Baker Street. I could do with a cup of tea." He begins walking in the vague direction of home as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
For several moments John is frozen in place with shock. Sherlock is half-way down the block before he snaps out of it.
"Sherlock!" John calls, chasing after his flat mate. "What was that?"
AN: I hope you enjoyed that. Please leave a review. The mystery Sherlock is investigating is based on the short story "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Thanks for reading. : )