When Sherlock woke a short time later he still looked pale and tired. His head was spinning and the need he felt for that high was unbearable. "Are you OK?" he heard John ask.

Sherlock sat up slightly. John could see him shaking. "No John I don't think I am." he whimpered.

John was by his side in an instant. "What is it Sherlock? What can I do?"

"Nothing." Sherlock told him sadly "I just need it so badly."

John could see tears in his friend's eyes and he wanted nothing more than to take his pain away. "Oh Sherlock." he muttered "I wish there was something I could do."

"You're doing it." Sherlock told him. "You're here."

John sat on the sofa beside his friend and put his arm around his shoulder. He switched on the TV. There was nothing much on but he figured anything that might distract their minds for a little while was better than nothing.

Sherlock leant against John, grateful for the support. They sat together, staring at the TV screen. Neither of them really taking anything in. Sherlock drifted in and out of sleep. He felt sick and tired but was too agitated to get any proper sleep.

The rest of the afternoon and into the evening was spent the same way. John offered Sherlock food but he wasn't interested and after the incident that morning John decided he wasn't going to push his luck. He was pleased that Sherlock was drinking though so at least he didn't have to worry about him dehydrating.

Eventually, in the early hours of the morning Sherlock finally fell into a slightly more restful sleep and John hoped he would get some proper rest. He lay Sherlock down and tucked him under the duvet to keep him warm. He went into the kitchen and grabbed himself a sandwich and a cup of tea before settling into his armchair to try and sleep himself. It didn't really work. The chair was uncomfortable and after a few hours Sherlock was awake again.

The next twenty four hours followed a very similar pattern. When Sherlock was awake he was agitated and when he was asleep he was restless. John was starting to look and feel exhausted. Mrs Hudson kept them supplied with tea and John supplied with food. She was really beginning to worry about him.

The day turned into night and John could feel exhaustion getting the better of him. As Sherlock fell asleep John looked at the clock. 1am. He yawned. He wanted to keep an eye on Sherlock but he was struggling to keep his eyes open. Finally he fell into a deep sleep. A long overdue sleep.

The next morning John woke with a start. He looked over to the sofa, no Sherlock. "Sherlock!" he shouted as he got to his feet. He looked around. He wasn't in the kitchen. He ran down the hallway shouting "Sherlock!" He looked in the bathroom, he wasn't there. The bedroom? No. Oh my god, he thought, he's gone.

There was only one explanation, that Sherlock had gone to find something to satisfy his cravings. John was distraught. He couldn't believe he'd fallen asleep like that. He knew Sherlock was struggling. He knew he had cravings and now he'd let him relapse. How could he be so stupid? Sherlock had trusted him to help and he'd let him down.

John staggered back to the living room. Panic was taking over in his head. He sat down heavily in his chair. He needed to think. He needed to calm down and think. How was he going to find Sherlock? He had no idea where he might have gone. Then another awful thought struck him. How was he going to tell Mycroft what he'd done? He took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair, he was no good to anyone like this. He needed to get a grip.

Just then he heard footsteps on the stairs. He leapt from his chair and raced across the room. He threw the door open not sure what he would find. "Sherlock?" he asked desperately.

Sherlock nearly jumped out of his skin when John threw open the door and barked his name. "Yes what is it?" he stammered.

John looked Sherlock up and down. He looked OK. He didn't look high but then would he really be able to tell? Mind you he was still in his pyjamas. Would he really go round London looking for drugs like that? All these thoughts flashed through John's head as he said "I was worried when I woke and you weren't there. Are you alright?"

Sherlock stared back at him. "I was hungry and I didn't want to wake you so I went to see Mrs Hudson." A suspicious frown spread over Sherlock's face. "You thought I'd gone to get high."

John immediately felt ashamed and embarrassed. He dropped his head. "Sorry Sherlock." He muttered as he turned and walked back into the flat.

Sherlock felt annoyed even though he knew it was a perfectly logical thing to think. He was still stood on the stairs when he heard a voice behind him. He looked over his shoulder, it was Mrs Hudson a tray in her hand "Don't be angry Sherlock, you know he cares. He hadn't slept for days because he was so worried."

Sherlock felt the anger fall away, he knew she was right. He walked into the flat to see John sat in his chair with his head in his hands. This man had done so much he couldn't blame him for thinking what he did. "John, I asked Mrs Hudson to make your favourite." he told him "To say thank you for staying with me, even after... well, you know."

John looked up to see Sherlock looking slightly embarrassed after remembering the plate incident. He smiled. "You're welcome Sherlock and I really am sorry for thinking what I did."

"It's alright. It was the logical assumption after all."

Mrs Hudson handed a tray to John with a full cooked breakfast on it. "Here you go, eat that. You deserve it." she told him kissing him on top of the head. "I'll go and make some tea to go with it."

John smiled. "Thanks Mrs Hudson. I've got to admit I'm starving." He looked at Sherlock. "And thanks for organising it." As John tucked into his breakfast he was pleased to see Sherlock was looking a bit more like his old self. He still looked tired but he definitely looked a lot better. It felt good to have him sat in his usual chair, fingers steepled under his nose like he always did when he was thinking. "So what are you thinking about?" John asked as he ate.

"How lucky I am to have a friend like you." Sherlock answered.

John almost dropped his fork in shock. He'd never thought Sherlock would say something like that. "Sorry what?"

Sherlock looked at John embarrassed as he realised he'd actually said out loud what he was thinking. "You heard me." he muttered. "I won't be repeating it." John laughed and as Sherlock looked at his friend he couldn't help but laugh a little too.

Mrs Hudson brought them in some tea. It was such a relief to see her boys looking more like their normal selves and with smiles on their faces. She couldn't help but feel proud of both of them.

John noticed the look in her eyes. "You know what. If Sherlock is finally getting his appetite back I think we should go out for dinner tonight to celebrate. Do you want to come with us?" he asked her.

"Really?" she asked surprised.

"Yes. Don't you think Sherlock?"

Sherlock frowned at John, confused. He saw John nod at him slightly and knew what his answer was expected to be. "Um yes." he said, still unsure why.

"Oh thank you boys. I'd love to." And with that Mrs Hudson left the flat humming to herself.

John gave a slight laugh as he looked at Sherlock's confusion. "She's helped me a lot over the last few days Sherlock. I'm not sure I could have done it without her. And she cares. It's just a little way of saying thank you."

"Oh." he nodded.

The next week was definitely easier. With each day Sherlock became more his old self and John felt more confident that they would make it. They took walks, ate out and even took on the odd simple case to occupy Sherlock's mind.

It was a few weeks before John felt comfortable enough to sleep in his own bed at night rather than on the sofa or to leave Sherlock alone in case he felt cravings he couldn't resist. Sherlock was frustrated by John's insistence that he went everywhere with him but he did understand his worries so tried not to show it.

But as things got back to normal there was one thing they both knew. They might not have caught Moriarty yet, but in this battle they had most definitely beaten him.