7. Year 3000 - Busted

Just a heads up: WHOLOCK!

-

"I.. I don't understand" Sherlock utters the words with a frown.

The man claiming to be a 'Timelord' sighs and straitens his bowtie before running a hand through his hair. "Just tell me, Mr Holmes, have you met a man who goes by James Moriarty?"

"I don't see how that's any of your concern, 'Doctor'"

"Oh, Sherlock. Don't be difficult!" The man bounces up onto the balls of his feet. "I'll be back tomorrow, give you some time to think about helping me. Time is running low- Well. Sort of"

Sherlock raises an eyebrow at his newest client. "You still haven't told me what it is you want my help with"

"We must save James Moriarty" The Doctor sighs.

"I don't know anyone called Moriarty!"

"Not yet" The Doctor nods then. "Good day, Sherlock"

With that the strange man leaves the flat. Sherlock stands and goes to his window, looking for the man but he'd disappeared.

*

"You should have seen the client today, John. Laughable. He claimed to be something called a 'time-lord' and told me he had a police box that could travel through time. He wanted me to help save someone who I don't even know"

John chuckles. "Sounds like a bit of a quack to me, Sherlock"

"Agreed" Sherlock laughs along.

*

The Doctor didn't return the next day like he'd said. Sherlock didn't give the matter much thought, assuming the man needed to be locked away in a padded cell, or at the very least medicated.

Then two months later, Sherlock bumps into someone as he's strolling down the street. Sherlock goes to snap at the man before he gets a glimpse of him.

His black hair was completely ruffled and his clothes weren't in a much better state. He was shaking too. The moment his eyes focus on Sherlock, he launches forward and grips the lapels of Sherlock's suit.

"Sherlock!"

"Yes?" Sherlock raises a quizzical eyebrow, not reacting to the sudden grip the clearly distressed man had on him.

"Where's the Doctor? I need to find him. Help me. Please"

Sherlock's blank expression turns into a confused frown as he studied the man before him. He couldn't be talking about the quack that came to visit him some months ago, could he?

No. Sherlock almost shakes his head at the thought. He likely meant John when he said doctor.

"John's at ho--"

"Not John, Sherly. The Doctor. Wears a bowtie and doesn't make much sense at times, talks about timey whimey and fish fingers in custard"

Sherlock was about to shove the man away when he had another thought.

"..Moriarty?" He asks, voice unsure.

"Yes, Sherlock!" The man was losing patience now. "Stop playing dumb, we need to find the Doctor. I saw him here a month ago, but not the him that we know. An older him. He told me to find you"

Sherlock does push the shorter man away this time, straightening his suit after.

"I don't know who you are or how you know me but I suggest you go for a CAT scan" with that Sherlock begins to walk away.

Before he knows what's happening, his wrist is encircled by a hand and he's spun around, lips colliding with his before he has the chance to blink. Sherlock remains as still as a statue as the man kisses him. After a few seconds Moriarty pulls back.

"Do not walk away from me, Sherlock. You agreed to help. Forget what happened to John--"

"What the hell happened to John?" Sherlock asks, suddenly worried for his friend.

Moriarty blinks, realisation dawning on his features. 

"Shit. You're not messing with me, are you? You don't know me, yet"

"Yet?" Sherlock asks.

"What's the year?"

"2014"

James nods before pushing up on his tiptoes and pressing a kiss to Sherlock's temple. "See you very soon, in July, Sherly"

Before Sherlock can stop him, the man has disappeared, leaving Sherlock confused and with tingling lips.

*

Before Sherlock realises it, it's nearing the end of July. Once again, he's brushed off all the strange accounts as men that need serious mental help.

Sherlock was working in the lab when he walked in, looking like a much healthier and younger version of the mentally unstable man he'd bumped into on the street nearly a month ago. The events would have been deleted, had Sherlock not been strangely intrigued.

"Wow" Sherlock smirks at the man, getting a confused smile in return. "Come to kiss me again?" He asks, a tad bitter.

The man's brown eyes run down Sherlock's body and back up again, smile turning into a flirtatious smirk.

"I'm sure I'd remember if I had kissed you, darling" He winks.

Sherlock goes to protest but is interrupted by Molly entering the lab.

"Oh, Jim! Did you not get my text? Sherlock and I are working here late. I can't go out for drinks tonight.."

Before Jim can reply, Sherlock speaks.

"Drinks?" If sounds very much like an accusation from a jealous boyfriend, even to Sherlock's own ears.

"Calm down, hun, you need to take me to dinner before you start having excuses to get possessive and jealous" Jim chuckles as Molly turns red, muttering something about Jim being gay.

Sherlock raises an eyebrow at the whole situation.

"Do you have a brother, one called James perhaps?"

"Nope. I'm James. Jim is just a nickname. Jim Moriarty, hi" He steps closer to shake Sherlock's hand.

Sherlock ignores it and surges forward, pressing his lips to the others. Jim seems shocked for a moment before he starts to kiss back, hands sliding around Sherlock's waist to pull him closer.

Sherlock pulls away after a moment, ignoring the blushing Molly stood on the sidelines.

"It's definitely you..." Sherlock trails off, studying the other man. "But you look much younger. Years, in fact"

The look of realisation dawning on the man's face was the same expression as last month.

"The Doctor?" Jim questions, tilting his head to the side.

It was hits Sherlock then.

Everything he'd been told was true.

Timelords. Time travel. Custard and fish fingers...

Sherlock tries to step back as he nods. Jim pulls him back into the embrace each time he tries to escape and eventually Sherlock gives up and allows himself to be help by this mysterious stranger.

"Would you like to see the Tardis?"

"You mean the police box?" Sherlock asks, perking up.

Jim nods before he spins Sherlock out of his arms. He does keep hold of Sherlock's hand, however. Sherlock doesn't protest, liking the way their hands seemed to fit together as well as puzzle pieces.

"Let's go" Sherlock nods, smiling.

"Let's"

As they leave the lab, they faintly here Molly mutter something along the lines of 'what the hell was that?' before they both fell into a heap of laughter.

Sherlock decides he'll just have to wait to find out the answers to all the questions he had about the future. He hoped, for some odd reason he couldn't yet explain, that the hand in his remained there for a long long while.