All men are liable to error; and most men are, in many points, by passion or interest, under temptation to it.

~John Locke

Sherlock Holmes wouldn't say he never made mistakes—but would argue that they were rare indeed. It gave John the greatest satisfaction to catch him in an error—to observe what the great mind somehow missed. The fact that Sherlock's oversights were so rare only made it sweeter on those rare occasions when they occurred.

John Watson would be the first to admit that he made mistakes. It was part of being human. Unfortunately, living with a mind like Sherlock's did little for self esteem. It was lucky that he wasn't inclined to have a low opinion of himself. After a bit, he stopped hearing Sherlock's "stupids" and "idiots." It was like living with a noisy appliance—at first, it drives you crazy, but soon it fades into the background.

But no one would ever convince them that their friendship was a mistake, no matter how little sense it made to outside observation.

A/N: John Locke (29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704) was an English philosopher and physician. He had a great influence on much of history, including the US Declaration of Independence.