Many thanks to MLC for looking through this for me. :-)

John Watson made his way to the sofa. Thanks to Sherlock tracking down his captors, the good doctor had finally returned home after a trip to the A & E where it was confirmed he had three broken ribs and a sprained wrist. Exhausted from his time away, and the climb up the steps to their flat, John wanted to do nothing more than sleep.

Close behind, Sherlock went into the kitchen for a glass of water to help wash down the painkillers John needed. By the time he entered the living room, he saw John had managed to sit down on his own. After handing his friend the medicine and full glass, Sherlock rushed to his room to grab one of his pillows and duvet.

While he was gone, two small figures resting on the mantle gazed down upon the patient. Since he was in the room they could not move but that did not stop the desire each of them had to jump onto the nearby chairs and make their way over to him. Just the evening before they had spent most of the night snuggled against the side of his companion. Then it had been easy. They knew Sherlock believed Mrs. Hudson responsible. Now, they would have to simply watch.

John had drunk all of the water before Sherlock returned and his eyelids were losing the fight against remaining open. Sherlock set the glass to the side, dropped the pillow on one end of the sofa and then helped John lie down without harming himself further. Once he was certain all was okay, Sherlock laid the duvet over the smaller frame. He was about to head into the kitchen to do run some harmless experiments, it would keep him busy and near to John at the same time, when the bears caught his eye.

He had been surprised to find both of them sharing his chair when he had woken up in the early hours. Despite the knowledge he had slept better due to the cuddles, Sherlock had been too embarrassed to thank Mrs. Hudson for moving them. One had to keep up appearances after all.

Yet now he found himself standing in front of them, reaching up for their fabric bodies. If they had been of help to him, might they also be a positive thing for John as he recovered?

Making his way back to the sofa, hands full, Sherlock prayed he wasn't about to make a fool of himself. Very gently, he placed the detective bear on John's right, between the man and the back of the sofa. As he tried to figure out what to do with the doctor bear, John's eyes opened. Sherlock froze, uncertain how to explain his behavior. Not saying a word, John arranged the first bear so he was under the covers, wrapped in John's arm. He then reached for the second bear. Sherlock shook his head and then gave him the animal, watching as it was given the same treatment.

A few moments later, the tenants of 221B together again, John slipped into sleep, two bears sighed in happiness and Sherlock hummed as he set up his lab equipment.

The bears in my icon were actually made by the hubby and I and the one these story bears are based on. We were lucky enough, with the help of a good friend, to gift the pair to a certain actor last week. I won't say any names but his birthday is today. ;-)