Amazing story! Please continue writing stories like this one! Enjoyed the relationship between Holmes and Watson immensely! :)

Great story! Thanks for sharing it.

A truly wonderful story! It fills in a gap of reasoning in the canon.

However, I am left thinking that the future was not so gracious to Holmes and Watson. We know from small glimpses in the canon's end that Holmes did some very, very dangerous stuff indeed, especially Irish and German related in the years after retirement. It's worse when you consider his age... late fifties and into his sixties. Considering the average life span of the period, this was quite old indeed: way too old to be playing at international intrigue, or continental cops and robbers...

I recently found myself back in a mindset to visit this fandom, and came across this in my favorites. However it came to be that I failed to comment when I read it the first time nearly three years ago, I cannot imagine.

This was a fantastic story! It's brilliantly creative, eloquently written, and incredibly detailed in so many ways. It was a joy (and heartbreak) to read. The insights and changes to perspective were utterly consuming (yes, I even briefly ignored work to continue reading). Thank you so much for all the time, effort, and amazing detail you put into this piece. I greatly look forward to more, as I rediscover my favorites all over again.

Very nicely written tale of friendship.

I love the imagery in this story! The description of the weather, and how Holmes and Watson are feeling is so poignant. Thank you for sharing this story!

That was a beautiful story. Doyle has left millions of readers longing for more, you never feel that the canon is complete because you desperately want more... and you have supplied it. You have also supplied Doyle himself has not. It is my opinion that the relation between Holmes and Watson reflects the one between Dr. Joseph Bell and Doyle himself. Since Doyle hero-worshipped his teacher, he longed to be closer to him, to grow in his regard as Bell had grown in his. And the relation between these legendary heroes too leaves a lot to be desired which the story never does. Doyle wanted more than anything for Bell to reciprocate his affections but since he never did, not to the degree Doyle expected, Holmes never expressed his feelings to Watson either, though the Adventure of the Three Garridebs came closer to it than anything ever has. And you have filled this void through this great story of yours. Thank you so much for this lovely work of fiction again!

Very nicely done! You conveyed just the right air of tension and I like you idea that Holmes didn't really retire, just went undercover.

I hope you realize that you just broke my heart. I cried almost throughout the whole story and it usually takes a lot to make me cry like that. Holmes' feelings are so hard to capture, yet you managed to do so in the most realistic way. He's so well in character, that I can see the whole thing clearly in front of my eyes.
And Watson's loyalty and devotion is so stunning to see. You captured their friendship so well.

Luckily, you also managed to mend my poor heart again with the end, I really was terrified that Watson might die, as I don't think Holmes could live with that.
Brilliant story!

How I've missed this fic until now I will never know, but I am certainly glad I chanced upon it.

I can describe this as nothing other than a rare gem - the portrayals were nothing short of incredible, despite how you dealt with the emotions of a character who did his best to suppress them at every turn. Yet nothing about it felt contrived or overdone, just heartrendingly beautiful. The way you showed that deep love and affection between those two left me speechless and if truth be told, a bit teary eyed, as well.

I read this about a month ago, and the internet wasn't working right, and I didn't end up leaving a review. *Gasp*

I will now.

WOW. I made the mistake of reading this at school lunch (yes, I am that antisocial) not too long after rereading Vows Made in Storms, and I was almost in tears and saying, "He poisoned the wine!" over and over. (My friends are now absolutely sure that I'm mental, but that's beside the point.)

This was very well written, and I liked the reasons for Holmes's retirement and Watson's second marriage.

And now my Culverton Smith fear/hatred has been rekindled. And I am suffering from, to use the tumblr phrase, extreme 'feels'.

Wow. i am amazed. this is rivitingly wonderful!

why didn't culverton smith get hanged for killing his nephew?

Though it's been nearly a decade since this was posted, that was quite possibly one of the best Canon!Holmes fanfictions I have ever read. I'm so glad I found it. It was really beautiful and your writing is just amazing. (And I will shamelessly admit that I teared up once or twice...)

Again, wonderful fic.

- Justine

Phew! For a moment there when Holmes started narrating I was convinced there would be a heartbreaking ending! Very well-written and characterized, loved it!

:D