You picked me

a Sherlock fanfiction

by Molly Rob

Like an apple on a tree,

hiding out behind the leaves.

I was difficult to reach,

but you picked me.

~ You Picked Me, by A Fine Frenzy

Dear John,

Firstly, let me apologise for being sentimental in this letter. I know that none of us are comfortable with expressing something as trivial and awkward as human emotions.

That being said, there is something I want to tell you.

As you can observe, I have never been good at making friends. My obnoxious personality and my aloof, cold vibe, which I had failed to acknowledge or correct when I was young, cause people to avoid me like a plaque. Back then, this had never concerned me, because I had got used to it. Not having friends. I decided that since I had managed for so long, I could manage being alone my entire life.

However, the moment you unexpectedly appeared in my life changed all my perspective. For the first time, I realised what having a friend mean. It means having an actual living, thinking human to talk to, someone to laugh with, and someone who, despite all my flaws, understands me, and I still feel incredulous when I say this, loves me for who I am.

And it felt amazing.

Everyone wondered why I picked you. 'The confirmed bachelor John Watson'. And it had led to some rather absurd theories. This, however, is not the truth. I didn't pick you, you picked me. You came into my life. You saw me for who I am - someone constantly hungry for the most grotesque crime scenes and thirsty for the most intriguing problems. Someone rude, insensitive, and ignorant to basically everything. You saw me, and you chose to stay.

Let me say that no one had ever stayed before, and I cannot thank you enough for being my friend. My best friend. You sheltered me from the fact that I will never be worthy enough to be loved, and protected me from the thought that I am just the one person in the world who don't have the reason or the right to be here.

You are the kindest, most long-suffering, most understanding and the wisest man I have ever known, and I am deeply honoured to be able to call you my friend. And even more honoured when I knew that you considered me your best friend also. So thank you, John, and believe me when I say that you mean more to me than anyone else.

But now, my friend, it is time for me to protect you, and your loved ones, because I know you will not be happy without them. You, Mary, and your baby. There are signs that obstacles are lying ahead, and I very much hope that I am mistaken. But I will be there. I will protect you. Whatever the costs, whatever it takes.

Because friends protect people.

Very sincerely yours,

Sherlock Holmes

Note: This is very emotional for me to write. Actually, I was crying as I wrote it. I was listening to You Picked Me and thought about how thankful Sherlock must be to John for being his friend, and then this just happened. Like Sherlock, it is difficult for me to make friends, and even now, I still wonder sometimes if something is wrong with me. However, I have my friends, and I want to dedicate this story to them, because they mean much more to me than they probably think. John saved Sherlock, they saved me. So thank you.

~Mol