Fic: 221B - An exchange of fire

[anarion]

Title: An exchange of fire
Words: a 221B has 221 words and ends with a b-word
Rating: PG-13
Pairings : Sherlock/John
Warnings: none
Disclaimer: Not mine.

Summary: ‘365 days of 221Bs’ challenge: a prompt a day, given by atlinmerrick.






Previous 221b: Sealed with a kiss


Today's prompt: midnight

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An exchange of fire


* Forty minutes to midnight *

Please let him be ok.

“John.” The voice cut through his frantic pacing. Lestrade was looking at him. “Mr Holmes just called. Everybody is in position. He said we shouldn’t be worried.”

John snorted and resumed his pacing.

“You don’t have to talk to me. I get that you hate me right now. I’m not going to say it is for your own protection, but it is for Sherlock’s. You are emotionally compromised and that is never a good premise for working a case. Especially a delicate one like this kidnapping.”

“I can’t believe he made you lock me up.”



* Twenty minutes to midnight *

“Fuck this!” Lestrade grabbed the keys and opened the door to John’s cell. “Let’s go. I’ll drive.”



* Midnight *

Gunfire. Someone shouted ‘down’ and Sherlock threw himself to the ground. John’s voice.



* Twenty minutes past midnight *

“I’m taking him home now, Mycroft. Everything else can wait until tomorrow.”

“John...”

“I understand why you thought that you needed to do it, but it doesn’t make it ok.”

“I know.”



* Forty minutes past midnight *

“Let’s get you under the shower and then into bed.”

“Don’t watch. I look like I was in a train accident. I am a wreck.”

“These will heal. All that counts is that you are safe and I got you back.”




Next 221b: Show and tell (1/?)


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AN:
Today's prompt was 'midnight'.

This is the conclusion of Face your fears.

Title is from a movie that I loved when I was younger. I don't remember much, but there was a kidnapping and they got the wrong girl and I think the 'right' girl made an exchange with the kidnappers so that the other one could go free. I remember that I was totally impressed by her.






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Comments

[atlinmerrick.livejournal.com]

I had a long comment praising you here and the stupid LJ ate it. Basically I said reading these wonderfully convoluted tales it feels like you're this brand new, better Moffat being born. We have to read carefully to understand, but you're not mean, you love this as much as we do.

I really hope you do these, um, forever.

[chocolamousse.livejournal.com]

“I can’t believe he made you lock me up.”
Greg put John in a cell? Greg-"I don’t just do what your brother tells me"-Lestrade? Boo! I very much like how you tell us about that, in an almost casual way.

“Fuck this!” Lestrade grabbed the keys and opened the door to John’s cell. “Let’s go. I’ll drive.”
Yay for BAMF!Lestrade!

Well, it was intense. First Trouble shared ...is trouble halved, now that... You have a gift for building tension and writing action scenes. The countdown and the alternation of dialogue and action are very effective. I like that you don't tell us everything, we have to imagine a lot. I also like the quiet scenes at the end and the way they contrast with the beginning. And I love when Sherlock asks John not to watch because he's not a pretty sight. As if John cared! :-)

[verityburns.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's really powerful! I think I'll have to echo a line from your A.N.:

'I was totally impressed by her.

But substitute 'am' for 'was' and 'you' for 'her'

xxx

[arianedevere.livejournal.com]

Yay Greg! Yay John! And definitely yay you!

[tracionn.livejournal.com]

Aaaww, all the feels again. Having John locked up! Mycroft, really!! They belong together, in this as well as in the boring days.
Fave for sure!!!

[purrculier1.livejournal.com]

*Blinks*
Just how the "Sam Hill" are you real missy?

Again, and really I'm stunned nearly stupid by it, AGAIN you've crammed a summer beach book worth of action and suspense in an itty-bitty amount of words.
Plot , pacing, penultimate sentence. Perfect.

Just going to stare a while,'cause really, stunned. stupid.
Thank you.

[rox712.livejournal.com]

This is a 221b, right? How can it have so many parts and suspense and... are you cheating on the word count? It just seems so much more... incredible.

[anarion.livejournal.com]

are you cheating on the word count?
Damn, someone noticed. This has actually 4000 words, but I asked the Doctor for his sonic screwdriver and now it's um... smaller on the outside? *lol*

[rox712.livejournal.com]

And now a Doctor reply? Everytime I think that I can't possibly love you more you go and do this things!