The Iceman's Baker (Mycroft Holmes)

*Chapter Eleven: Back to the Cemetery

Surrounded by various puffy pillows, Mycroft sat in his hotel room, now that he had time to actually pick up Bella's book he couldn't let it go. John had been right and so had Anthea. How Bella had managed to make him read it, they'll wonder. Mycroft smiled. She was wonderful, no matter how afraid he felt when he thought about what people would say.

As his eyes went over the words, his thoughts couldn't help but wander back to their date. How painfully cheesy it must have been for her yet she still wanted to see him when he came back.

They had exchanged some texts throughout the week. Though the conversations were short, Mycroft would feel light on his feet as he worked with the government of Canada. Of course that is none of our business.

As for Bella, she had finished Treasure Island in only three days though Sherlock deemed it important to mention how childish she was for reading it but continued to ask for more pie.

Though the boys from 221B kept her good company, Bella's eyes would wander to the busy street outside. She visited the secret library many times during the long week when she wasn't keeping busy at the bakery. Trying to figure out as much as she could about Mycroft, she only found that she missed the mysterious man even more.

Leaving the shop after lunch, Bella decided she would drop in with the lovesick doctor and his roommate. As she started her way up, yelling can be heard yelling, most of which she could catch.

"...because you are an IDIOT with absolutely no understanding of anything important! And you're argh-"

Bella hurried up the stairs, used to the arguing but wanting to stop John from saying something he would later regret. Because she had been running faster than her hands were moving, her face met the door full force, causing heads to snap in her direction. A low chuckle escaped Sherlock when he realized it had been the baker.

"Idiot."

"Sherlock!" John and Mrs. Hudson yelled in unison.

"Oh dear, I am so glad you're here, there was nothing I could do to stop them." Mrs. Hudson left quietly, John following behind her, hastily grabbing his coat and apologizing to Bella on his way out.

Sherlock called after him only to be ignored, Bella turned to the detective ready to scold him only to be taken back by the look he wore on his face. She could see the fear etched on there, a look she had never seen before.

Without taking his eyes off of where John had been standing, he spoke nervously.

"He said, he...he'd leave. Please Bella, please don't let him."

Bella didn't need a second to think about it and was running down the stairs after John, almost missing his blonde head past a crowd at the end of the block.

She yelled after him, "John! John STOP! John!"

People didn't seem to give her a second look, almost as if the neighborhood had become accustomed to running lunatics but Bella didn't give herself the chance to be amused by it. It seemed as if her luck had run out when she managed to make Sherlock chuckle back at their flat, because at that moment, Bella clumsiness was not getting her closer to John. She had lost him.

The worried baker picked up her pace and when she no longer knew which way to turn, ending up in front of her shop she stopped to catch her breath. Glancing up and down the street, trying to think. Bella glanced in and noticed Rachel trying to catch her attention by pointing in a direction she had seen John walk many times. It made sense that John would go straight there, it was where he went if he ever had nightmares.

Bella didn't bother to run, knowing John would need time to cool down before he would want to talk. As she walked to sit next to her friend, her heart almost broke. There was a feeling that hung around John, the same one that hung around him those two years ago.

"I suppose I am a bit silly for thinking that anything would be different."

"No you aren't. Sherlock is for not realizing what he's got." Bella spoke softly as she rubbed his back.

He scoffed as he wiped his face with his sleeve.

"That he's got what? Someone who will chase after him like a puppy all the time?"

"C'mon John how many times do I have to say it? You are a hedgehog. No doubt about it."

John let out a chuckle that slowly turned bitter, "No, I'm still just a goldfish."

"John, I-"

"No it's alright, I guess I should've known better. Won't happen again." He said, looking down at his hands.

"You can't leave him, he'll be lost without you John."

"Greg can keep him busy for a while then it'll just go back to before, he won't notice and I can go back to...I can...I'll-" John began muttering to himself softly as tears fell from his face. Bella tried to snap him out of his trance, repeating his name but it only seemed to push him deeper. Tears filled her eyes as she sat helpless as her friend spiraled into a void.

"John."

The doctors head snapped up, catching a shadow casted upon the black tombstone.

"John I-"

Sherlock's eyes darted to Bella and then fell down to his feet. The baker's hand squeezed John's shoulder before standing up to leave. Her eyes caught Sherlock's and she worried that this could either break or make them. She hoped for the latter.

The day had not gone as planned. She wondered what Mycroft would've done in that situation but when she realized how he was with emotions, she worried. Would Mycroft had stopped Sherlock from going after her friend?