ihadabadday | In Plain Sight - AU - Locked to seaweed

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In Plain Sight - AU - Locked to seaweed_writes

No one knew how long Gods had walked among the mortals. They just knew they had. Some remained in their country of origin, some branched out and traveled. Others started business or charities. Some just went through existence simply being. Belief didn't have much to do with how the Gods chose to lead their lives.

This tale though, it focuses on the Greek Gods of old and Mount Olympus (which is a real place and traditionally is where Zeus is said to live with Hera).

John Watson didn't care for the politics of the Gods that surrounded them every day. He had other things to focus on, to pay attention to. Like medical school, and then the military. It wasn't until he was shot and laying in the desert, bleeding, did he whisper things to the God of Death, to Hades. To a god he didn't believe in. Blood whispers they were often called. And gods hardly paid attention to them, most believed they were the whispers of dying men.

But John Watson survived when others with the same injury had died. What was different about him?

He returned to London on an army pension and a cane. He shuffled through his life, a constant ache in his chest, like there was something missing. Though he had little to no idea of what was missing. He helped others where he could, donating his time and what little money. A homeless veteran (it boiled him so to see those who helped their country be left behind) once called him a beacon of light.

A beacon of light huh?

Most days he didn't feel like one. Most days his mood was dark and everything was shit.

One night when he was limping slowly back to his dismal bedsit, something caught his attention. He glanced down an alley and saw a tall man dressed in black, being mugged by some ratty youth. The man was far too posh for this neighborhood. So why was he here? But that didn't matter. John, on two strong legs, charged into the alley and used his cane to knock the criminal away. He didn't notice, but there seemed to be a light around him, an otherworldy aura to him.

He held the cane like a sword and pointed it at the would be thief. "You need to leave here." John commanded. It had been easy for some to forget that he had been Captain John Watson of the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers in Her Majesty's Army.

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John was miserable. He felt as if his heart had been ripped from his chest. It was unusual to not feel Hades. He refused to let go of the orb.

He shrank it and fashioned it into a necklace on a chain.

John did his job, ushering in the winters and carrying out the curses. For years he did this, a shell of a man.

Demeter never asked about the orb. She figured that it had something to do with Hades, but she never pried. Eventually, John got back on his own two feet, and went back to his work- 3 months in London, three months with her, then three months in Sydney, and another three months on her farm while she was in Mount Olympus.

She only saw him 3 months out of the year, and even then they hardly talked. He stayed to himself, doing his job and little else.

Days turned into months. Months turned into years. And still the pattern continued.

Until the day that John- Persephone- was called to speak with Zeus. He was ordered by Hermes, the Messenger God to come to Mount Olympus immediately with him.

John did so. He had long ago lost the fire that lived in him. That had gone when Hades was taken from him.

He fingered the stone and he stepped into the audience chamber. He let out a breath.

There wasn't a day when he didn't mourn Sherlock and hate the person that took him. It was a rage that burned in him. Deep and hot, of Ares.

Zeus knew that John had been mourning. He had been mourning for his brother as well, though he could never show that weakness. He hated Thanatos, but even as the King of the Gods, he couldn't just ruthlessly strike him down for no reason.

But now.. there was a reason.

"Come." He told John, beckoning him closer, until they were both looking at a large scrying stone, 10 feet tall and half as wide, its side smooth, like 4 flat screens, where Zeus could watch the cosmos.

"Look." He said, and then the crystal came to life. There was a child, only just born, mewling and crying, waving its tiny little hands and feet in the air, and a mother cooing at it, trying to hold it tight to her bosom. The child was pink and bloody still, but there was a slick mop of dark hair already on its head.

After a few moments, the crystal faded, and Zeus looked at John. He was silent, waiting for his reaction, wanting the man to speak first.

Upon seeing that new babe... There was something and his heart lurched, his power reaching.

"Is it him?"

Now he knew how Sherlock felt all those years ago. He swallowed, fingering the pendant at his throat.

His Hades.

Zeus frowned at him, like he had just asked the stupidest question in the world.

Instead of answering him, he said "This child will grow up with no knowledge of what he once was, the power that lay dormant inside of him. As Hades watched you grow, and mature, so will you watch him. You are not a god, so you do not have your own scrying crystal, nor the knowledge of how to use it, but Demeter will allow you to see him through her eyes, her crystal."

John would only be able to see this child when he was with Demeter, 6 months out of every year, unlike Hades who had watched John grow almost every day, but it was more than he would have had as a mere demigod, and Zeus knew that the man should be grateful that he was given even this chance.

He will be untouchable, no contact until the end of his 25th birthday. Only then may you contact him. He will have no recollection of who you are, so plan your first visit very carefully. I will will no counsel, nor assistance. This is between you and him." Of course Zeus wanted his brother back, but this was beyond him. Hades had to get his power back, and overthrown Thanatos on his own. The Fates had seen this.

He knew the outcome but John couldn't know, or even know that he knew.

"I suggest you throw yourself into your work, and prepare well for your encounter in exactly 25 years time." Zeus said. "Now, begone from my site."

John just nodded. He heard. He understood. And in that moment he hated his status, his inability with things.

"Thank you for telling me."

He said nothing further before he took his leave.

John swallowed as he returned to Sydney. His heartwas pounding. He swallowed. Twenty five years. He could wait. He had to wait.

So wait he did. Wait and hone his powers. Build them and strengthen them. He wanted to help Sherlock when he remembered.

Hermes had delivered the information from Zeus to Demeter. So in those short months that her and John could be together, she let him use the scrying crystal as much as she could, between the work that they both had to do.

They watched the young man crawl, walk, talk, start school. They watched and fretted as he battled a terrible disease, was on the brink of death, and then came back. They watched bruised knees and broken arms, black eyes and high school and university diplomas.

They watched him cheat death again as he was struck by a car while walking in the London traffic. He was gravely injured, but once again, he survived, and thrived, becoming a renowned chemist with his own company, and all of this before the age of 25.

His 25th birthday loomed, coming up in a very short time. Of course the thought nothing of it. He wasn't a fan of birthdays really. His mum had died on his 8th birthday, as he was busy fighting a disease that ravaged his body. His father found a new wife quickly, and he was relegated to the background, so he took care of himself from a young age.

Age was nothing to him. He had few friends, and fewer love prospects. He had The Work, and that was good enough for him.

John was fretting. It was a few days before he took to London. He could feel the looming winter pressing in his bones, rattling.

"What do I do to get him to talk to me? Or even like me?" He tugged his hair and sat down.

Demeter was usually at Mount Olympus by now, but she had stayed behind until it was time for John to go to London, she had even arranged an instant transport, via Hermes.

She knew John had been talking to himself, sitting on the porch of her farmhouse, the wheat now brittle and brown.

"Be yourself." She whispered, so he wouldn't startle that she was there."He had to do the same for you, and he had the distinct disadvantage of never having been mortal before. Now you will both know how it feels to be mortal. It will be a much more even playing field this time." She smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Be his friend first., I know you want to have your Hades back, but you have to learn to like the man that he is now first. Be patient, it may take a bit more time, but it will be worth it. I promise."

"What if I don't get him back?" He asked finally looking at her. Twenty four years of waiting and hoping.

If he didn't get Hades back... He just might take a poison.

I don't know what will happen. Fates has not revealed to me the future, nor have I asked." She replied. "But know this. I knew of the John before you. And I knew of the Hades, and the Persephone before them. I am one of the Old Gods, as is Zeus, as is the Fates. We have seen the comings and goings of lesser gods. And Hades and Persephone have always been linked. Sometimes there are times when they are not together. Your Hades had no Persephone for a very long time, eons, more time than you could imagine, but eventually, like planets aligning, you came together., And now, I suspect that you will come together again."

She was quiet for a moment, letting it all settle in.

"Worry not, little one." It was a term of endearment that she used on him sometimes. "Hades and Persephone will be together again, I need not the Fates to tell me this. I can feel it."

John smiled at Molly and then hugged her. "Thank you Molly. I... I will still come see you. Do not worry." He kissed her cheek and then stepped back. He let out a breath, letting his magic take him. Take him to London. To a place he had hated so much in the past.

He stepped into his flat at Baker Street, hearing banging and shouting from the flat above him. He lived in 221C, someone knew must have moved into 221B. With a chuckle he went to knock on the door of the landlady's flat."Mrs. Hudson, I'm back!"

"I look forward to it." Molly smiled, touching the spot on her cheek where she kissed him. She cared for him deeply, mot the way John cared for Hades, but in a more protective, matronly way.

"Be good to him, John. And you will be together forever" She waved as he faded away.

Mrs. Hudson came out, still drying a dish in her hand. There were all sorts of automatic dish washers and dryers, but she still insisted on doing it by hand.

"Oh, John! Has it been 9 months already? I miss you when you are gone. I know, your... work keeps you busy." She winked. She knew who he was and what he did, but it was a bit of a joke between them to pretend to not talk about it.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek and put her dish down so she could hug him tight. "You look like you are in a good mood, and eating better. You've been down for so long. I hope whatever it is that has put you in a good mood stays!" Mrs. Hudson didn't know about Hades, not yet at least.

She looked up the stairs. "We just got a new tenant. I guess you can hear him. Makes such a racket, but a nice boy. Plays the violin, quite beautifully. It almost makes up for his boisterousness!"

She patted his hand. "We should all have tea one day, when you are settled in. He's busy and is gone a lot, so we'll have to see when we can coordinate your schedules. I know you are busy a lot as well. Go settle back in love. It's so nice to have you back."

He smiled at her. "It has. I.... Remember how I told you I lost someone so many years ago?" She had been younger than. It hurt him to see her age so, but it was the way of mortals.

"He's been reborn." John chuckled, "Now I need to find him among all the people here in London."

"Yes, tea would be lovely. I'm going to go settle into the flat and rest a bit." He kissed her cheek and then vanished back to his own flat.

Mrs. Hudson's old eyes clouded over with moisture. "Oh, that's lovely, dear. It's a big city, but I know you will find them!" She pat his hand. "Go on, you silly goose." She smile and watched him leave, wiping the tear away from her eye.

"Now, if I could only find someone for that new boy of mine, maybe a nice girl.. or guy.. would settle him down a bit." She smiled and went back into her flat to finish her dishes, humming a song softly.

John had ushered in winter, feeling in a much better mood than he had in ages. It was mild, temperate, at least in London. What some would describe as the perfect winter. Just cold enough, but not too cold. The first winter after he lost Hades... It had been a terrible winter for all involved.

He was coming back into the building when he was stopped by Mrs. Hudson. Tea, with the upstairs tenant.

"Come in, John. I finally wrangled him downstairs for tea!" She took John's arm, not taking no for an answer She almost pushed him into the living room, where there was already a pot of tea and three cups and saucers waiting.

And the upstairs tenant.

He had been biting into a ginger nut biscuit when they walked in. He had a guilty look on his face, as he knew that he had been told to wait.

Mrs. Hudson just smiled and shook her head at him.

"John this is the new upstairs tenant, Sherlock Holmes."

John's world stopped short and for a moment he forgot he was supposed to breathe. Like a human. He stood stock still.

Sherlock.

His Hades.

The wind outside blew up in a gust and rattled the windows. In all it was ten seconds. John stepped forward and offered his hand to Sherlock. "Hello, John Watson. I travel a lot for my job and am here only three months out of the year."

Sherlock heard the rattle and looked out the windows, then back to the man in front of him. He took a moment to look the man over. It felt like.. he had seen this man before but he knew for sure that he hadn't. It was a strange feeling.

He took the man's hand and shook it. It was unusually cold which made him draw his hand back quickly. "It must be an interesting job, to keep you on the road for 9 months of the year." He finally said, in his deep, rumbling baritone.

All the while, Mrs. Hudson was pouring tea quietly, letting them meet. She took her seat and took a sip, watching them size each other up. she very much hoped that they would get along, but Sherlock could rub people the wrong way. She had already seen that.

"It really is. I spent time here, Sydney, the States..." He couldn't go home though. He couldn't. Not without... He swallowed and took the cup of tea from Mrs. Hudson. He smiled at her.

John sipped his tea, wondering how to approach this. Was this how his Sherlock had felt all those years ago? Now they would both know how it felt. But when Hades awoke, he would still have to dispose of the one who sat on his throne.

He let his mind wander as he heard Sherlock and Martha talk.

"Hmmm.." Sherlock made a non committal noise while he listened to John. It did indeed sound like an interesting job. He did some traveling to chemistry conventions and such, but mostly he stayed here in London. It kept him busy enough.

When it looked like John wasn't going to say any more, he looked over to Mrs. Hudson and talked with her for a bit, about a convention he had just attended and how everyone there was a moron for not knowing about the new chemical polymer that was being used to create better artificial hearts. He wasn't a doctor, but he understood the importance of what this scientific breakthrough could mean.

Eventually, the tea ran cold, and Sherlock was telling Mrs. Hudson that he needed to get back to his flat. He had an important paper to write. He stood up, giving this new man at the table a once over, one more time.

John looked up when he felt eyes on him. He smiled at Sherlock. "The chemical polymer you were discussing sounds fascinating. I used to be a doctor. You can save lives with that." He said before standing. He held out his hand for Sherlock once more. As was proper.

And he was nothing if proper when around mortals. Most of the time.

Sherlock raised an eyebrow. There was something about this man. Something... familiar.. almost... comforting? No, he couldn't quite put a finger on what it was, it was hard to define.

"You were a doctor?" He asked, a bit surprised. The man looked like anything but a doctor. He was small and compact, but there was power behind him. He seemed more like a.. construction worked or a soldier or something more physical than a doctor.

"Do you... understand chemical polymers? I could.. try to explain my paper to you sometime." Something about John Watson set his hairs on end, both a warning and... a comfort. He just couldn't decipher this man, and it was frustrating.

Sherlock shook his hand, holding just a moment longer than was probably deemed proper.

John didn't mind the prolonged contact. He recalled the last time he held Hades, touched him. The love he felt for the God of the Underworld. It was odd some whispered. But he loved him so. And he knew his Hades loved him as well.

"I was. I stopped for my current job. But I am always fascinated in the advancements they make with medicine." Advancements that use to make Hades swear and shout. That memory brought a smile to his face. "I would love to hear about your paper. Wh... Why don't you come down for dinner tomorrow?" He offered.

"I'll cook and you can talk my ear off about the polymers."

In Plain Sight - AU - Locked to seaweed_writes

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