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An Attempt at an Olive Branch	By : LadyLaran Category: S through Z > Sherlock (BBC) > Sherlock (BBC) Views: 1441 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Sherlock or make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 1-An Attempt at an Olive Branch
- 1
Author’s Notes – The idea for this story came, oddly enough, while I was riding with my father in a charity motorcycle event for wounded veterans. I have veterans in my family, past and present, and this kind of fundraiser is very close to our hearts. I don’t drive the motorcycle though, I’m not coordinated enough for a standard transmission and I’ve yet to find one in an automatic (provided there’s automatic motorcycles in existence). So I was riding behind Dad, lost in thought, and this little wombat spawned on me. I thought it’d be a great idea for the second story in this series and wrote this tale about six months or so before I put this online. I hope everyone enjoys it.
This is the second story in the “Redefining” series. If you haven’t read the first one yet, go read “A Study in Partnership.” This way things will make more sense to you when you read this story.
Disclaimer – I do not own “Sherlock” nor do I make any money from this tale. I just enjoy playing with the characters.
Chapter One – An Attempt at an Olive Branch
Sherlock looked up when the silence of the living room was disturbed by a familiar sounding tread upon the stairs that led up to his flat. It was too heavy to be the footsteps of his flatmate, yet not heavy enough to be Lestrade’s, and he sighed. The consulting detective had hoped to have a day without the presence of his sibling, and it seemed that hope was not going to come to pass.
“Go away,” the curly haired male called out, closing his eyes as he settled a bit more comfortably in his chair.
“I have business here to attend to, Sherlock, so please refrain from being tiresome,” the older brother informed his brother, taking a seat in the chair that Johanna had claimed as her own. “I see your flatmate is not home?”
“She had an appointment this morning,” he replied, shrugging slightly. Johanna had told him that she had wanted to make sure that the events of last night had not damaged her ankle, which had been sore this morning, but she had not returned to using the cane. The detective had agreed, knowing this was the first time she’d been that active since sustaining the injuries that had caused her to be invalided out of the military.
“Nothing serious, I trust,” Mycroft asked, reaching for his briefcase.
“A check up, nothing more,” he replied, waving a hand to show that it should be mostly routine. “What business is it that requires you to inflict your presence upon me?”
“There are details regarding your flatmate that you should be aware of since you are amenable to her presence,” the eldest shared, handing a file to his brother. “Do not ignore or delete any of this information, Sherlock, it could mean life or death for her so I highly recommend that you read and memorize this.”
Sherlock, who had been in the process of refusing the file, sat up straighter and tugged the folder from his brother. His eyes skimmed over the documents inside of the container, and he frowned at the other Holmes.
“You are going to anger her if she finds out you have her complete medical history,” he warned. “Johanna is strict about her privacy and as much as I enjoyed seeing you defeated by a woman much smaller than you, I do not want the headache of dealing with the Yard again this soon after having them all over the flat yesterday.”
“This is necessary,” Mycroft said. “I trust you’ll find a pertinent excuse for your knowledge. I am aware of your propensity for experimenting on others and would very much like to ensure that I do not have to worry about you accidentally killing your flatmate.”
As he read over the list of allergens, Sherlock hid his appreciation of his brother’s actions. Johanna’s allergies were severe in nature, and he would have to ensure she did not come across the items on the list. A variety of nuts, one kind of grain, several types of medications, several plants, including the lavender she had mentioned, and shellfish comprised the list, and he committed it to memory.
The file also contained information regarding the extent of her injuries and the subsequent issues that followed. His eyes narrowed, reading through the notes and charts that accompanied the folder. Her ankle had been repaired with the use of metal rods and pins, and her shoulder had been a mess by the time she’d made it to the nearest base with a surgical unit attached. The illnesses and infections that had followed would have killed her had she not been as strong willed as she was. However, it was the next note written in the file that allowed him to understand the look she’d given him last night when Lestrade and his gang of idiots showed up at the flat for their fake drugs bust.
The sheer amount of pain medication Johanna had been given to combat the agony she’d been in had forced a dependency on them. Her health had suffered a mild setback during the time she’d battled the addiction, and he could only wonder at how hard the fight had been for her. That was when he realized something that made his mind palace shift somewhat due to the power of the revelation.
Johanna understood addiction.
For the first time in his life, he had someone that he trusted who understood the battles he had fought to become sober and the ongoing war he waged to continue to remain that way. Sherlock was no longer alone in this fight, and he breathed out slowly before handing his brother the file.
“I will ensure that Johanna is not exposed to the allergens,” he told him, leaning back in his seat.
Mycroft nodded, setting a small package and envelope on the coffee table. Both items had Johanna’s name inscribed on the wrapping paper.
“Excellent,” he murmured. “Please ensure that she receives these items when she returns home. These are vitally important now that she is your partner.”
“What are they,” the detective asked, eyes narrow as they watched his brother. He didn’t even question the fact that the older Holmes knew that he’d asked Johanna to work with him.
“An olive branch,” Mycroft answered, rising to his feet and heading to the door. “Have a good day, Sherlock, and please refrain from opening them.”
He gave an idle wave in response and then reached for his violin, knowing his brother would be quicker to leave the flat. The sounds of doors opening and closing were soon heard, and he smirked while putting bow to strings.
Johanna returned home by the time he had finished playing two of Debussy’s pieces, tweaking them for his own amusement. When she entered the living room, Sherlock laid the violin aside and sat down in his chair.
“That appointment took longer than I expected,” she told him, heading into the kitchen to switch the kettle on. “Tea?”
“Yes,” he called back, listening to the sounds of her bustling around the kitchen. His eyes watched her as she set up things to make tea, noticing the windblown appearance. Obviously she’d had no money for her to take a taxi yet as everything had gone into moving into Baker Street two nights ago so she’d taken the tube and then walked to the physician’s office.
“I see the doctor found that our exercise last night during the case did not injure your ankle,” he observed, making her smile.
“You’re right,” Johanna called back. “The ankle brace did its job and kept my ankle and foot steady during the chase last night; I will never fuss about having to wear it again. Dr. Matheson was pleased to find that I’m off the cane but advised that I keep it handy for days where the weather or doing too much could cause the limp to come back.”
That was certainly good news, Sherlock mused to himself. The ankle brace was a necessary evil she would have to tolerate for the rest of her life but at least the cane was gone. He was very pleased about that, knowing she would be an invaluable asset to the Work.
A mug of tea was offered to him, fixed the way he enjoyed it. She’d remembered that from the first time she’d made him a cup of tea, and he was pleased by that as well.
“So what have you been up to today,” she asked, settling herself in her chair with her own mug of tea.
“Outside of updating my website, I was designing a few experiments to try tomorrow. Mycroft decided to torment me with his presence.”
“What did he want,” she asked, nose wrinkling for a moment to show her displeasure. Johanna had hoped he would stay away.
“He had the list of your known allergens, which I looked over to ensure that you are not exposed to any of them during cases or any experiments I run. I will make sure to inform you if any of my experiments contain the items you are allergic to,” he informed her.
Another breach of privacy but this time, Johanna was a tad thankful for it. She’d forgotten to tell him yesterday, and this would ensure that her flatmate knew what it was that could cause her so many health issues.
“I despise the fact that he thinks it’s perfectly fine to share information he shouldn’t have access to,” she said, sipping her tea. “However, this is possibly the only instance where I can’t quarrel with what he’s done. You needed to know.”
“That was the only reason I looked over it. Also, Mycroft left those for you,” he informed her, gesturing at the envelope and package on the coffee table.
“I’m almost afraid to open them,” Johanna said, staring at the items before setting her mug down. She picked both the envelope and package up.
The package opened to reveal a functional but beautiful wristwatch that held the symbols for MedicAlert on the face of it. Her record number, phone number for the company to access her records, an allergy warning, as well as her epi-pen’s location were inscribed on the back of the watch. Her allergy list was too long to inscribe, but she knew her records would have everything.
Sherlock took it from her when she handed it to him to look over. His unusually colored blue-gray-green eyes noted every detail of the wristwatch.
“This has been made of titanium,” he told her. “Water proof and nearly indestructible, my brother chose well. Having this with you should come in useful especially if we are separated and I am unable to be there to explain your health issues to the medics.”
“I had given thought to joining the company, but I couldn’t since money has been so tight lately,” she replied, taking the watch back from him.
Blue eyes skimmed over the document that the envelope had contained, a look of surprise crossing her face as she read the letter Mycroft had left behind. That expression fired Sherlock’s curiosity, and she unknowingly indulged it by reading it aloud.
“Dr. Watson, I regret that our initial meeting turned out as it did. I am concerned for my brother’s happiness and health, and a new flatmate can mean good or bad things for Sherlock. However, the events of last night has put my concerns to rest. You put your freedom at risk by protecting him and for that, I am eternally grateful.
“Since I am aware that the pair of you mean to work together to solve the cases brought to my brother’s attention, I wish to provide you with the means to protect Sherlock and yourself without fear of legal repercussion. The first is a license to carry your sidearm at any time you deem necessary. The second is a government issued ID which names you as a specialist for the British Government; it gives you ties to both MI5 and MI6. Both branches will be of use as Sherlock’s cases rarely remain within England’s borders. This identification means that the use of the weapon upon a suspect has been authorized by the government. I trust your discretion in regards as to when this needs to be utilized.
“If, at any time, you should accompany Sherlock on the cases he takes on for the government, your time will be reimbursed as a specialist.”
She drew in a shaky breath, then continued reading the note to her flatmate.
“In regards to the package accompanying this letter, I wished to ensure that your recovery will not be hindered nor your health jeopardized once you receive a clean bill from your physicians. I took the liberty of signing you up for MedicAlert, ordering a watch to contain the information regarding your records and allergies. The wristwatch should be able to hold up to your increasingly active lifestyle. I shall, of course, continue the monthly payments to the company as this is my way of apologizing for the invasion of privacy as well as your home. Until you wish for it to change, my brother has been listed as your emergency contact. Sincerely, Mycroft Holmes.”
“For once, I can say that my brother’s attempt at extending an olive branch has not been excessive,” Sherlock told her. “Both items will be useful to you as well as to the Work.”
“He’s also given me something I cannot refuse because my health and our safety are important,” Johanna sighed. “What is his mobile number?”
The consulting detective rattled it off, watching her as she added the number to her own mobile and then typed something into it.
~To M.H., olive branch received and accepted. J.W.~
The response came not a few moments after she sent the text off, and she read it over with a wry shake of her head.
~Thank you, doctor. M.H.~
“Well, this should mean that there’ll be peace between him and me for the moment,” Johanna told her friend.
“Until he angers you enough to force you to put him in his place again,” he answered, giving her a wry smirk and chuckling when she began to laugh.
“Well, I do need to stay in practice for self-defense,” she told him, giggling. “He’ll make a good sparring partner when he will inevitably cross the line again.”
Author’s End Note - In the U.S., we have bracelets we wear for emergencies that can label health issues, allergies, etc. I was doing some research to see what options were available in the U.K. and found MedicAlert. From what I understand, a watch or other piece of jewelry has a symbol that medics are trained to look for. On the jewelry is a phone number and a file number and the medic or doctor calls it to get the information they need. I figured this would be something Mycroft would set Johanna up for given her allergy issues and the like. I think it’s an amazing service. I hope everyone enjoyed this installment of the “Redefining” series. Let me know what you thought of it, please. ~ Laran
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An Attempt at an Olive Branch