(Sherlock’s POV: )

In my cab, I watched two drops slide down the window, and began reminiscing.

“You know, John. When I was young I always watched two drops of rain sliding down and pretended they were racing.” Alice said fondly, standing at my composing window and watching the rain beat against it. John smiled at her from his chair by the fire. I scoffed from mine. John shot a look at me.

“Have some imagination, Sherlock. I doubt that you didn’t. I did.” He scolded.

“For the record, I didn’t. I calculated how much water molecules were in each drop, therefore which weighed more, determining the outcome before they were even halfway down.” I retorted snappily.

“So basically you had them race in a rigged competition.” Alice said, smiling softly and running her fingers lightly on my violins strings. John sniggered and I huffed, looking back down to my newspaper and pretending to read it as they continued their meaningless conversation.

I snapped out of the memory and wiped my nose on my sleeve quickly. I didn’t particularly enjoy not having tissues, but I didn’t grab any before I left Molly’s this morning.

As we turned the corner, a familiar umbrella caught my eye. It was Mycrofts, but Mycroft was still at the Diogenes Club. As we turned again, bright red hair caught my eye. Alice. I immediately looked away from the window until we were two blocks down. I sighed and sat back, rubbing my face in exasperation. Nervousness began to gnaw at my stomach… something that hadn’t happened in three years. I knew that tonight was going to be hard, not only on me, but on my friends too.

A few minutes later the cabby stopped and I paid him, stepping out once again into the cold rain. I quickly moved into the unknown café where I had been going to a lot recently. I entered and flipped my hood back, smelling the air. The man behind the counter waved and grinned at me eagerly. I smiled back and sat at my usual booth, scooting the ‘Reserved’ sign to the side and leaning over the table. The man who was at the counter came over and smiled friendlily.

“'Ello sir! The usual?” He asked cheerfully.

“Yes please.” I said, maintaining the character I used when I was here and smiling in the same way he was at me. He nodded and walked away. As soon as he was gone, I rolled my eyes in disgust. I felt bad then, because he had done much for me. He had given me my own booth that was out of view from security cameras, and that was always reserved for me and me alone. The many times I had come in drunk, he took me to his home and cared for me until I was better again. My thoughts wandered to my absent three years. I had seen John almost every day in one way or another. Sometimes he was with Alice, but not often. He rarely left the flat, only to go shopping or out to a pub. Alice and Mycroft visited occasionally. Alice more than Mycroft but still not much. The owner came with my coffee and I thanked him. He left again and I took a drink, feeling the heat travel down my body. I sighed happily. Today they would know. No more depressed drinking. No more depression cycles, lasting weeks, sometimes months at a time. We would all prosper from that. I smiled and pulled out my mobile, looking at the texts from John and Alice.

“You lied. You have had to. You can’t be dead.

-AW”

“Sherlock.

-JW”

“Come back. If not for me then for John. Please, Sherlock.

-AW”

“Sherlock, don’t be dead. Please.

-JW”

“Yu bludy twst! Seldish!

=AW”

“Alice got drunk last night… pretty bad. She said some things she didn’t mean. Forgive her.

-JW”

“Sherlock, I’m sorry. Just come back. Please.

-AW”

“My leg is hurting… I think it’s in my head. I wish you were here to help me figure it out.

-JW”

“John has a limp now. He says he’s had it before. What’s he talking about?

-AW”

"Alice took up smoking. She says it's in your honour. I don't believe her.

-JW" The list went on and on, many drunk texts mixed in. I smirked and deleted them all. That was all behind me now. I was going to fix my lie.