Word count: 53,393
Chapters: 12/12
Fandom: Sherlock (TV)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Rosamund Mary "Rosie" Watson, Greg Lestrade, James Sholto (Sherlock), Original Male Character(s), Original Female Character(s), Mrs. Hudson (Sherlock Holmes), Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock Holmes' Father, Sherlock Holmes' Mother
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Post-Episode: s04e03 The Final Problem, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, POV John Watson, Mutual Pining, X-Files Inspired Case Fic, Case Fic, Christmas, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Minor Character Death, minor character illness, Idiots in Love, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Psychological Trauma, Divorce, Estrangement, Family Issues, Medical Conditions, Johnlock - Freeform, mentions of dementia, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Summary:
Sherlock’s father falls ill, leaving the surviving family members broken and rudderless. James Sholto shows up in London unexpectedly, his intentions unclear. John has to navigate the consequences of crime, illness and death and their impact on his frayed relationship with Sherlock.
Rec: I gobbled this fic up in a single afternoon, hooked from the get-go by the solid writing, perfect pacing, and juicy hints at sordid secrets. Reader, I was not disappointed. This is a beautifully written story that combines an original case with family drama, ghosts of the past, and emotional confrontations coming to a head over end-of-life medical drama. Although the prologue is from James Sholto’s POV, the rest is from John’s, and centers on him and Sherlock as they investigate a case involving Sholto - and by association, John. Complicating matters are the approach of Christmas, an unhappy reunion that dredges up issues in both the Holmes and Watson families, and the state of suspended limbo that characterizes John and Sherlock’s relationship in the wake of all that happened in series 4. All of these plots are tightly interwoven and coalesce into a highly rewarding and satisfactory tapestry of emotion, excitement, tension, and fulfillment.
The author says this was inspired by an X-Files episode, but there is nothing supernatural or spooky. Other than that, see warnings in the tags.