I was planning to maybe make this an art series someday I am a fanartist not a writer (alas), but I'd love to see it as a fic so I'm sharing my bunny here.
After the Fall John starts to notice things going missing first Sherlock's coat, maybe his scarf or microscope, then his violin. He wants to believe it means something, but everyone tells him its crazy fans and Mycroft will admit to nothing.
Feeling desperate John "borrows more like snatches" a surveillance camera from the yard and places it inside the skull on the mantel in hopes to get some answers, What he doesn't expect is to come home and the skull is gone. When he opens his laptop to retrieve the downloaded footage, he is faced with his supposed to be dead former flatmate staring directly into the eyes of the skull/camera and then leaving with it.
The footage continues to record as Sherlock traverses the globe dismantling Moriarty's network, getting injured, and carrying on lonely conversations with the skull. He doesn't know that John sees him, or that John has left London and is trying to deduce where Sherlock is by what he is viewing on his laptop. John follows the trail, watching as Sherlock returns to his various temporary lodgings sometimes exhausted, others angry or desperate, and at heart stopping times broken and bleeding. He also sees Sherlock continuously viewing a worn photograph of himself (John) and it makes his heart swell.
John is frantic when Sherlock vanishes the skull remaining unmoved for a while, the detective never returning to the flat/hotel. This ends up being when Sherlock was captured in Serbia. When someone does show up it's Mycroft and he's scowling at the skull as his minions seem to be retrieving Sherlock's things. When John does see Sherlock again its a few hours later and Sherlock is recovering from obvious torture.
Sometime later when John finally gets the clues he needs for an exact location, he's almost to late. He watches from a livestream on his phone as Sebastian Moran finds Sherlock's place and they are in a fight for life. John finally arrives and joins in on the action.
This story gives plenty of opportunity for John to see Sherlock when Sherlock believes no one is watching, maybe seeing sentimental habits, and tears from a man who usually hides them. Not to mention the slow deterioration as Sherlock wears down through the months.
Also, if anyone wants them to be reunited earlier, John could be the one to save Sherlock in Serbia and then he and Sherlock go after Moran together. Anyway, yep that was long >.> plot bunnies are evil~
Post fall Sherlock/John - John finds out and goes after Sherlock
After the Fall John starts to notice things going missing first Sherlock's coat, maybe his scarf or microscope, then his violin. He wants to believe it means something, but everyone tells him its crazy fans and Mycroft will admit to nothing.
Feeling desperate John "borrows more like snatches" a surveillance camera from the yard and places it inside the skull on the mantel in hopes to get some answers, What he doesn't expect is to come home and the skull is gone. When he opens his laptop to retrieve the downloaded footage, he is faced with his supposed to be dead former flatmate staring directly into the eyes of the skull/camera and then leaving with it.
The footage continues to record as Sherlock traverses the globe dismantling Moriarty's network, getting injured, and carrying on lonely conversations with the skull. He doesn't know that John sees him, or that John has left London and is trying to deduce where Sherlock is by what he is viewing on his laptop. John follows the trail, watching as Sherlock returns to his various temporary lodgings sometimes exhausted, others angry or desperate, and at heart stopping times broken and bleeding. He also sees Sherlock continuously viewing a worn photograph of himself (John) and it makes his heart swell.
John is frantic when Sherlock vanishes the skull remaining unmoved for a while, the detective never returning to the flat/hotel. This ends up being when Sherlock was captured in Serbia. When someone does show up it's Mycroft and he's scowling at the skull as his minions seem to be retrieving Sherlock's things. When John does see Sherlock again its a few hours later and Sherlock is recovering from obvious torture.
Sometime later when John finally gets the clues he needs for an exact location, he's almost to late. He watches from a livestream on his phone as Sebastian Moran finds Sherlock's place and they are in a fight for life. John finally arrives and joins in on the action.
This story gives plenty of opportunity for John to see Sherlock when Sherlock believes no one is watching, maybe seeing sentimental habits, and tears from a man who usually hides them. Not to mention the slow deterioration as Sherlock wears down through the months.
Also, if anyone wants them to be reunited earlier, John could be the one to save Sherlock in Serbia and then he and Sherlock go after Moran together. Anyway, yep that was long >.> plot bunnies are evil~