Well guys this is the end :(

I want to thank everyone so much for all their wonderful support with this story! You have all been amazing and I have received so much positive feedback with this story I have been overwhelmed!

A shout out to Krisdahwolf0 and FourCornerHolmes for your wonderful and truly uplifting support! Thank you so much to the both of you!

I know this chapter isn't as long as the others but I felt it really didn't need to be.

Thank you all again and apologies for any mistakes!

Part 7

"SHERLOCK!" John cried but the detective didn't hear him. John leveled his gun. He didn't want to take another man's life but he couldn't lose Sherlock, not now.

He pushed opened the window and he raised his gun.

BANG

He watched with grim satisfaction as the man fell, Sherlock leaping quickly to the falling cabbie. John tucked the gun into the waste band of his jeans and turned on his heel, quickly vacating the room. As much as he desperately wanted to go to Sherlock he knew he had to get out of the area if he didn't want to be caught by the police which John knew were on their way.

He exited the wrong building by the back and quickly circled around. It was a type of torture waiting to hear the sirens of the police cars come blaring past and John waited another ten minutes before he walked towards the mess of police cars and went to stand by the tape that had already been strung up.

"Haven't found a hobby yet?" Sally asked as she approached John.

"Excuse me?" John frowned.

Sally shook her head. "He doesn't have friends. I told you to stay away. He does this. He gets off on this."

John's jaw clenched and he shot Sally an unimpressed look.

"Do yourself a favor and find a new hobby," Sally said. "Because following the freak will only cause you pain."

"You're wrong," John said simply.

Sally shook her head.

"He killed a man, did you know that?" Sally said.

John said nothing because he knew what Sally wasn't true but he could say nothing for that would give away his involvement and possibly end with his arrest.

Sally started to smirk and John was thankful that Greg took this moment to interrupt them.

"John."

"Find him did you?" John asked. "Is Sherlock okay?"

"He's fine," Greg said. "You can come see him." Greg lifted the police tape for John to duck under and led him to the back of an ambulance where Sherlock was sitting.

John suppressed a snort as a paramedic draped an orange shock blanket over Sherlock's shoulder, making the taller man's face twist with confusion.

"Why do they keep putting this blanket on me?" Sherlock frowned, directing the question to Greg.

"It's for shock," Greg said cheerfully.

"I'm not in shock," Sherlock said.

"Yeah, but some of the guys want to get photos," Greg smiled.

Sherlock rolled his eyes and focused on John.

"You okay?" John asked. "Ah, what happened, exactly?"

"Mysterious shooter," Greg said. "Of course the guy would have to enemies. Not much to go on though. Area was clean and no sign of the killer."

"Oh I wouldn't say not much to go on," Sherlock drawled. "Clearly a professional. That was a crack shot. The person would have had to have a steady hand, nerves of steel. Military background no doubt."

John not so gently kicked Sherlock's shoes and glared at him.

"Oh," Sherlock eyes widened. "Um, yes, no, ignore me. I'm rambling. In shock. Look, I have blanket and everything."

Greg groaned and started shaking his head almost violently. "No! I didn't hear anything. Nothing. Christ Sherlock." And he stalked away still muttering under his breath.

"Bit not good?" Sherlock asked.

"Yeah, bit not good," John agreed.

"You cleaned the powder from under your finger nails," Sherlock said. "You won't be convicted and I'm sure we can avoid the court case."

"You were going to take that bloody pill, weren't you?" John frowned.

"Course not. Biding my time. New you'd be there," Sherlock said.

"No you didn't," John huffed out a choked laugh. He looked around and lowered his voice. "Don't run off again."

Sherlock swallowed and looked down at his lap. "You must understand, John. My work is all I have ever had. I must keep my mind occupied otherwise it will start to rot. I will get caught up in the game." He was startled when two fingers tilted his chin up and he blinked dumbly at John.

"I don't care about you getting caught up in the game," John said. "I care if you get hurt. The work isn't the only thing you have, Sherlock. You have me too. We have each other and I'll be damned if I let yourself get killed."

"You want this," Sherlock stated because he could see it in the small smile that John had, the way his eyes were sparking with adventure and the way his pulse almost vibrated through the two fingers still under his chin. Or maybe that was his own pulse, he couldn't be sure.

"Yes, I do," John said giving Sherlock a quick smile before drawing back.

Sherlock dropped the blanket from his shoulders and stood. "Dinner?"

"Starving," John said and the two automatically fell into step.

They didn't get far before Sherlock was groaning at John's side and it was easy to pick the source of his annoyance.

"What are you doing here, Mycroft?" Sherlock demanded.

John caught Greg rolling his eyes and wondered if he and Greg would be disappearing to the pub in the future whenever the two Holmes brothers were together.

"I came to check on you, Sherlock. You did just face off with a serial killer. I was…concerned," Mycroft said.

"Sticking your nose where it doesn't belong," Sherlock corrected.

"Oh Sherlock, must we have these petty fights. You know how much they upset mummy," Mycroft sighed.

"I upset mummy?" Sherlock scoffed.

"Alright you two," Greg stepped in. "Maybe not here, yeah?"

"Yes. Sherlock I do have something to discuss with you," Mycroft said.

"What?" Sherlock scowled.

"The matter of our wager," Mycroft said.

Sherlock blinked. "You want to do this now?"

"While I have you full attention," Mycroft said. He gestured with his hand. "Follow me."

Sherlock scowled and with a huff and followed his brother several paces away, out of the earshot of John and Greg.

"What, Mycroft?" Sherlock growled.

"At ease, brother," Mycroft said. "I'm not being unreasonable."

"What tedious task have you assigned for me?" Sherlock asked. "And do hurry."

"I doubt you will find my favor tedious," Mycroft said. "I do think you will thoroughly enjoy it if you don't self sabotage yourself."

Sherlock frowned.

"Embrace John," Mycroft said. "In the emotional sense, I don't need to know about the physical side of your relationship as you don't need to know mine with Greg."

Sherlock rolled his eyes.

"Allow yourself, Sherlock, to be with John. There are not many who would do what he did for you tonight. You are remarkable together. My favor is that allow yourself to fully succumb to whatever John gives you. Allow your relationship to blossom into whatever it may be. Don't overthink it."

Sherlock glanced at John and felt a small flutter when he saw that John was looking at him. He looked back at his brother and frowned. "Why do you want this?"

Mycroft shifted. "I do worry about you, Sherlock. I only want to see the best for you and I believe John can give you that. He is your soul mate for a reason. I don't want to see you throw that away."

"I thought caring was a disadvantage?" Sherlock said.

Mycroft nodded. "But it also has its benefits. Greg showed me that."

"Okay."

Mycroft nodded and without a word the two Homes brother's walked back to their soul mates.

"Everything okay?" Greg asked, looking between the two.

"Fine," Mycroft smiled at his partner. "Can I steal you away?"

Greg scratched the back of his head and looked over to his team. "Give me a minute."

"I'll be in the car," Mycroft nodded and watched as Greg jogged over to Sally. He turned back to John and Sherlock, giving them a small nod. "Evening."

"Try not to start a war on the way home," Sherlock drawled. "You know what it does to the traffic."

Mycroft rolled his eyes and slid into his car, the door thumping shut a clear dismissal.

"Dinner?" Sherlock tried again. The two started walking away, leaving the mess behind them.

"The wager?" John asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Sherlock hummed. "Nothing to worry about."

John nodded and didn't press the issue. Instead he said, "How about Angelo's?"

"Yes alright," Sherlock agreed.

"With a candle," John said.

Sherlock gave him a sidelong glance, a small smile twisting up his lips. "A candle would be romantic."

"Yes, it would, wouldn't it," John smirked.

Sherlock chuckled. He rather though Mycroft had wasted their wager because he already had every intention of letting himself fall for John Watson.

Thank you again everyone!

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