AN: Finally I have begun to type out this set of fics :D Yes, they were originally sort of separate, but they all lead on from each other, so I'm putting them all into one fic. The title is a painfully cheesy pun which I only just came up with so forgive me :P x

Each chapter is inspired by a different song :) As I always do, I've put the quote at the top.

Also, Johnlock is a main feature... The first two or three chapters aren't really centred around it, but the hint is always there. You've been warned x

Enjoy!

A Key to fit the Lock

AU- teenlock. A new transfer student comes to John's school. He tries to befriend them.

Chapter 1 - I Can't Help

"There's a sadness that they don't see… You made a cage that you cannot break. I tried but I can't help at all… You don't have nothing but pride, to keep you alive." – Beautiful Lie, Amy Studt

"Hey, John. You have a nice half-term?" Mike Stamford asked.

"Meh, it could've been better." John shrugged. Mike just laughed, a little insensitively, but John was used to it.

"Ah well." Mike said, still smiling. "Hey, I hear there's a new transfer student." He changed the subject.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I heard he got kicked out of his last school for doing illegal experiments in the chemistry lab." Mike laughed again, but John frowned.

"Seriously?" he asked, a little shocked that someone their age could do that. Mike just nodded, because at that moment, their tutor entered. With him was a rather tall, pale boy, with dark curly hair, which only served to make his skin seem even paler. The girls of the class gasped and giggled, chattering among themselves excitedly, while the boys groaned; more competition. But John just stared. Underneath the boy's bored expression, ice-cold eyes and folded arms, John could see a silent sadness…

"This is Sherlock Holmes." Their teacher announced. "Now, I want you all to be nice to him, okay?" and John swore he could hear Sherlock mutter something snide under his breath. "Does anyone want to volunteer to show him around?" All the girls clamoured for the honour of taking this beautiful creature to see the school, clearly hoping that more would follow if they did. But John just stared.

Suddenly, Sherlock Holmes looked up, meeting his gaze, and John received the most vehement scowl of his entire life. He cast his eyes to the table, and didn't look at the new boy for the rest of the day.

Within a week, everyone avoided him. Even the girls, who had turned to admiring his looks from a distance. Sherlock Holmes already had a notorious reputation. Those who had tried to get close to him had experienced such a dark around around the boy that they were driven away by threat of insanity.

But John was still intrigued by the enigmatic young boy. He was in John's class for everything, but John was surprised he hadn't been boosted straight to A-level. The boy was a genius! He was always correcting the teachers, though… And nobody really knew what to think of him.

After a month, nobody really talked about him. He'd become 'old news' and was just a shadow in the corridors now. Admittedly, a shadow that stood out … John had never seen him without his big, grey coat, and blue scarf. He'd refused to take them off, and the teachers could hardly punish him, it wasn't illegal after all. Maybe he was just cold, it was winter. But John wondered if he'd still wear them in the summer. He wouldn't be surprised.

John couldn't comprehend what made him do it… but he did, and he could never bring himself to regret it.

It was early December. The school was beginning to buzz with the promise of Christmas. Period 4 was English. That day, John Watson turned to the seat behind him, and spoke to Sherlock Holmes…

"Hey." He said simply. Sherlock moved his head up a little to stare at him. "Um…" those eyes were piercing, completely disabling the link between John's brain and mouth for a moment. "So… What are you doing for Christmas?" it was all he could think to say.

"Family." Sherlock said dully.

"Oh. Cool." John was at a loss for words at the dryness such a young boy could enlace his words with.

"Why are you talking to me?" Sherlock snapped, making John flinch. "Nobody else does." It was still harsh, but under the dark aura others had felt, the aura that had pushed them away... John still saw the sadness, felt it wash over him. But before he could say anything about it, the bell went and Sherlock Holmes was out the door.

For a long while, John stayed quiet. Very quiet. He was silent at lunch, and during lessons, he would just sit quietly and do his work. He couldn't forget the look in Sherlock Holmes' eyes… A look of hope, destroyed by a sadness that he seemed to have been expecting.

It was the last week of term when they spoke again…

"Hey." John said, turning around to look at Sherlock.

"Yes? Did you want something?" he replied sharply. John flinched a little, but battled through it.

"No. Just wanted to say hi…" he muttered.

"Oh." Sherlock looked sheepish.

"Just 'cause someone says hi, it doesn't mean they want something." John explained, brightly. Sherlock looked embarrassed for a split second, before his expression turned steely and cold again. A wall, a barricade, a mask…

"So… when are you going?" John asked, trying to break the awkward silence that had fallen between them.

"Hm?" Sherlock looked at him, confusion etched on his face.

"To see your family." John clarified. "Sorry, should've put that in context…"

"Oh." Sherlock murmured, realising what John had meant. "No, I meant my family will force me to spend time with them."

"Oh." John breathed.

"They don't like me either."

"Huh? Who?"

"My family."

John was stunned. Whose family didn't like them?

"Surely they love you though?"

"What is love?" Sherlock asked. John thought he was kidding at first, and laughed. But he stopped when Sherlock spoke again; "Is it funny?" he asked. He really didn't know…

"You… don't know what love is?"

"No… should I?" he suddenly seemed so vulnerable. John felt a pang of guilt for laughing. "What is it?"

"Well, it's… It's hard to explain…"

"John Hamish Watson!" cried the teacher, snapping John's head back to the front. The class burst into raucous laughter, and John blushed. He hated his middle name. John turned his head back a little. Sherlock Holmes was the only person not laughing… "Quiet!" and the class stopped. "John, please pay attention, instead of trying to talk to the freak." Mrs Donovan snarled. The class began to laugh again, this time at Sherlock. John turned to look at him. He had turned to stare out of the window, with his head resting on his hand. He looked unaffected, but John was sure he saw a single tear slip down his cheek.

The bell rang for the end of the day, and Sherlock was gone again.

"Homework done for the first day back please!" Mrs Donovan called to the class. She hadn't even cared Sherlock wasn't there. John hurried from the room, ignoring Mike's insistent calls.

He saw the grey coat, and ran over to Sherlock, who was stuffing various books into his locker, not caring if they got damaged.

"Hey!" John called.

"Leave me alone." Sherlock snapped.

"I just thought you should know the homework is due on the first day back." John continued, ignoring the way Sherlock was trying to shut him out.

"I already did it."

"Oh, was that what you were doing while she was talking?"

Sherlock just nodded. He began to walk away, and John followed.

"Um… Are you walking home?" John asked. Sherlock nodded again. "Mind if I walk with you?" Sherlock shook his head. John smiled- perhaps the wall could be cracked. "So where do you live?"

"Out of town."

"But… You have to walk?" John asked, not bothering to hide his shock. No wonder this guy was so thin… Sherlock nodded quickly. "What about your parents?"

"They say it's good for me."

"How… How long is the walk?"

"Two hours." He replied as though it was perfectly normal.

"Wh-what about the bus?"

"No money."

"Are you poor?" he couldn't imagine some like Sherlock, posh to the point of ridiculousness, being poor… But if he couldn't afford the bus and therefore had to walk…

"No." well that shot that idea.

"They can't spare a couple of quid!?"

"They don't want to."

"But-"

"It all goes to Mycroft." A moment of silence.

"Who?"

"My brother." Sherlock explained, and the hint of sadness that had underpinned everything he'd said so far was suddenly obvious. They walked in silence for a while, as John digested the information.

"Are they expecting you home for dinner?" he suddenly asked. Sherlock shook his head.

"I make my own."

"Oh…" go on, John. Ask… "Well… would you like to come to my house?"

"I-" Sherlock's face seemed to light up for a short moment, but it faded just as quickly. "I shouldn't." he said, looking down at the pavement.

"I bet my mum wouldn't mind… Please?"

"Why would you want me there?" Sherlock asked.

"You can have dinner at ours. Besides… I get lonely at mine. My sister's always out partying now-a-days… We always used to hang out…" he sighed, sadly. He shook his head, returning to his bubbly self. "Come on. It'll be good for you." He said, with a wink. Sherlock seemed to think for a moment.

"I… alright." He muttered. John smiled.

"Great! This way." He said. "We're about fifteen minutes away. I'll just call Mum to let her know you're coming." He pulled out his phone, and scrolled through his contacts until he found 'home'. After a moment, his mother picked up. "Hi, Mum. Yeah, it's me. No, I haven't seen Harry… Anyway, Mum is it alright if my friend comes over for dinner?"

Sherlock looked up suddenly from the pavement, eyes wide. Friend? John considered him a… friend? Sherlock had never had a friend…

"Great! What? Really!? How come you're suggesting- oh Mum… Thanks! Yeah, 'course. See you soon, love you!" and he hung up. Sherlock looked at him expectantly.

"You can come over." John was beaming; did he have more to say? "Also… If you can get permission from your parents, you can stay over!"

"Huh?" John was learning fast that there were a lot of things Sherlock Holmes didn't understand… It seemed he had found another one.

"Stay over? You can stay the night." John explained, with a smile and a light chuckle.

"Oh." Sherlock smiled sheepishly.

"Wanna call your parents then?"

"O-okay." Sherlock muttered, pulling out a phone that wasn't exactly new… Sherlock saw John's puzzled expression. "Hand-me-down." He said simply, before pressing the 'call; button. "Hello, Mother. It's Sherlock." His voice was suddenly posh – correction, his voice was more posh… And a strangely mechanical tone took him over.

John could tell the phone was broken… It seemed to be stuck on speaker-phone.

"What do you want?" came a sharp, female voice.

"I was simply curious as to whether I would be allowed, that is, would it be acceptable for me to stay over at a… friend's…" – he had trouble with the word- "…house tonight?"

"Do whatever you wish, Sherlock." Came a curt reply, and she hung up. Sherlock looked at John and nodded. John smiled, and they continued towards his house.

"Your Mum always like that?" John asked. Sherlock nodded. "Oh…" he could hear how much she cared about Sherlock; very little, if at all. Poor Sherlock. No wonder he didn't understand love. John hoped her could at least crack the shell that seemed to have surrounded Sherlock's heart. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was going to try…

:) There we go, first chapter uploaded :P x Hope you liked it!