I'm sorry it took so long for the next chapter! You guys seriously keep me going on this, you're all amazing (have I told you that?). Well, here it is! Hope you like it and please, reviews are totally appreciated and read over and over and over again :P

When they awoke on the couch the next morning, it was because of the sound of loudly thumping footsteps on the stairs.

John woke up with a start, the shock waking Sherlock as well as the door to their apartment suddenly slammed open.

"Good morning to the both of you." Mycroft smiled. He had two muscly men on either side of him wearing sunglasses and sharp looking suits.

John sat up and rubbed his eyes as Sherlock stood angrily in front of Mycroft. "You couldn't knock? There's someone out there trying to murder us and you storm in like that?"

Mycroft's smiled faded. "Apologies, dear brother. I had no intention of frightening you or Doctor Watson."

John sighed and shrugged. "It's fine. You're doing us a big favour in having your people stand guard for us."

"Ah." Mycroft's eyes widened. "Yes, speaking of that, this here to my right is Samuel and this to my left is Ted." The man on the right, who had short blonde hair, nodded and the man on the left looked at his watch. He was bald and had a scar on his neck, which made John a little nervous.

John stood and held out his hand to shake theirs, but neither made a move to reciprocate. "Right." John said quizzically.

Sherlock's stature changed suddenly, his back straightening and his chest pushed out. "Although you are here to protect us, I also require human decency from you both. Or do you take after my brother?"

"Orders sir." The man on the left said.

"Unless it is absolutely necessary, they are not permitted to touch either of you under any circumstances. I thought it best with the killer murdering anyone within close proximity." Mycroft said, turning left and then right. "You may shake Doctor Watson's hand if you like, but my brother is off limits if you both want to live."

Sherlock rolled his eyes and sat down on the couch.

"Yes sir." They both said in unison, holding out their hands. John shook them both and sat back down next to Sherlock.

"Wait, am I not allowed to touch you either?" John whispered to Sherlock.

Sherlock sighed, his eyes softening as he glanced over at John. "Of course you can, love. Like I said, we'll never leave each other's sight. Besides, we've been touching way before the murders began."

John could feel his cheeks getting warm, and he could tell he must have been blushing going by the look Sherlock was giving him.

"Right." Mycroft said, interrupting their private moment, "I must go. Any problems at all, just let me know."

"Thank you Mycroft." John smiled. Sherlock's jaw tightened. He didn't like John thanking his brother. It was partially his fault for being in this position in the first place.

"You are welcome. Well, cheerio." He waved, leaving the flat in an instant. John and Sherlock sat there looking up at both of the men before them in a silence that seemed to last forever.

"Orders." The bald man, Ted, whispered to John.

"I'm sorry?" John asked.

"We need your orders." He replied.

"Ah! Umm…" John thought for a moment. "Sherlock?"

Sherlock stood and nodded to both of them. "You may wait outside the flat, or just outside the door, whichever you prefer. When you see Mrs Hudson from downstairs leave the flat, go with her. She is not to be touched either, do you understand?"

"Yes sir." They nodded, leaving the flat and closing the door behind them.

"Well…" John spoke after a while, scratching his head. "This is going to be a long few weeks."

"I'm not so sure about that." Sherlock smiled, wrapping his arms around John. "I'm sure I can make them go faster."

John chuckled as Sherlock was leaving a light trail of kisses down his neck. "Alright, let's have breakfast."

It took another 24 hours before Lestrade called. When Sherlock hung up the phone, he glanced over at John who understood immediately.

"But you haven't left…" John sat, thinking.

Sherlock sighed. "Come on then."

They both met Ted outside, who had already called the car. "Samuel is sleeping sir. He had night watch."

"Thank you Ted." John smiled, entering the car as Sherlock opened the door for him. They got to Scotland Yard and were ushered into an interrogation room on the first floor, a precaution they also had to make.

Sherlock looked around and frowned. "Oh look John, we have an enclosure!" He remarked sarcastically.

"We're doing everything we can to keep people safe, Sherlock." Lestrade sighed, exasperated.

"I see. Why don't you bring Anderson in here? Haven't seen him in a while."

John tried very hard to suppress his laughter. One look at Lestrade's face and they both chuckled quietly.

"Alright, who is it?" Sherlock asked, opening the file on the table.

"Leonard Cable. Owner of London Letter Newspaper."

"He's rather old. I can't imagine how he and Sherlock would have crossed ways." John pondered.

Sherlock examined the autopsy photograph closely. "I'm not sure I've…" But before he could finish his sentence, Lestrade held out an evidence bag with the photo found on the body. It was of Sherlock walking down a beautiful mahogany room and the elderly man looking up at him from his chair with disgust.

"The Diogenes Club." Sherlock sighed. "Of course."

Lestrade looked back with confusion. "The… what?"

"The Diogenes Club. Club for elderly rich men to sit in silence." John explained.

They both looked at Sherlock, the gears ticking over in his head, when suddenly he had a realisation. "The book."

"What? What book?" John asked.

Sherlock took the photo from Lestrade and showed him. "Where would you say this photo was taken?"

"Um, I've only been there once or twice but… the hallway?"

"Precisely." Sherlock urged. "Nobody is allowed to enter the club without signing in."

"But surely he wouldn't be stupid enough to write his name down."

"Or brilliant enough. Either way we'll have his handwriting and someone would have seen the person who came in!" Sherlock beamed.

"Alright, let's go." John turned, but was held back by Sherlock.

"I can't."

"Oh." John realised. "But…"

"But you can." Lestrade offered.

"No." Sherlock growled. "Absolutely not. I will not leave him alone."

John was filled with a strange mixture of fear and lust after hearing Sherlock so overprotective. Still, Sherlock was right.

"I'll go with John and you wait here. Sound fair?"

Sherlock and John shared a glance and understood each other. "Alright." Sherlock gave in. "A moment?"

Lestrade nodded and left the room, leaving Sherlock and John staring at each other.

Sherlock moved closer, holding John's face in his hands and glancing between his eyes and his mouth. John shuddered at their proximity which set off Sherlock, making him push John against the wall and kiss him, biting his bottom lip gently. John moaned and threaded his fingers through Sherlock's curls, pulling him closer, puffing heavily.

When they finally stopped, Sherlock rested his forehead against John's and sighed. "Be very very careful. If something happens to you…"

"Stop. I'll be back as soon as I can." John smiled, stroking Sherlock's cheek.

They both moved back as the door to the interrogation room opened, but they would not lose eye contact.

Lestrade entered with Howard. "Look, I've been called to another scene, so you can either wait or let Howard take you."

"Another one?" John asked.

"I'm not sure." Lestrade shrugged. "But if it is, I need to be there."

Sherlock looked over at Howard and his eyes squinted in anger. "No."

"Sherlock, it'll be fine. The quicker we do this, the quicker I get back." John smiled, kissing his cheek. Sherlock didn't lose eye contact with Howard.

"I'll take good care of him Mr Holmes, I promise." Howard smiled half-heartedly, and who blamed him with the death stare Sherlock was giving him.

"John…" Sherlock turned, giving him a pleading look.

John sighed and gave him a quick peck on the lips before nudging his head towards the door. "Let's go." He urged Howard.

Sherlock watched them leave, sitting down as the door closed behind them. He glanced over the evidence and sighed.

"I just need to see the book…"

"And I have told you sir, that is impossible."

"Do you at least remember the man who came in after Sherlock Holmes?"

The old man frowned in thought and confusion. "No sir."

"But…if I could just see the book..." John growled angrily, his arms waving in the air.

"Perhaps we should go back to the yard and get a warrant?" Howard suggested. "Might take a while though…"

"No, I have a faster way." John frowned, taking his phone from his pocket and sending a message. It only took 2 minutes for Mycroft to appear.

"Ah, Doctor Watson, I understand you are in need of assistance." Mycroft smiled.

"Yes. There's been another murder, a member of your Diogenes club…"

"It's hardly my club Doctor, although I am flattered you think so. This murder, it was of Mr Cable, was it not?"

John raised an eyebrow in confusion. "How did…"

Howard took a step forward. "Look sir, I don't know who you are, but knowing of the victim's demise, without us mentioning it, makes you a suspect."

John turned to Howard. "Don't be ridiculous. This is Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's brother and a member of the British government. He probably deduced it."

"Actually," Mycroft began, interrupting the annoyed look they were giving each other, "I only guessed because he arrives precisely at 9 every morning. Except today."

"See?" John smiled. Howard seemed to calm down and he gave a brief nod.

"As I was saying, the photo on the body was taken from inside the Diogenes club…"

"So you need to see the sign-in book. I see." Mycroft nodded. "Frank, please show Doctor Watson here and his police friend the previous book."

The tired old man reached underneath his desk and pulled it out, placing it in front of John. He scanned through the last page and saw Sherlock's name written beautifully in cursive and directly below it scribbled 'James Moran'.

"Can I take a picture, please?" He asked the old man. He frowned, but nodded in agreement.

Howard glanced at the book from over John's shoulder. "James Moran?" He asked.

Mycroft glanced between the two men.

As John put his phone away, he turned to Mycroft and noticed he looked uncomfortable. "Are you alright?"

Mycroft nodded. "Yes doctor. I believe so, but this is a harder case than I am capable of solving. You should return to my brother at once."

John looked puzzled for a moment but tapped Howards arm and left the building, giving Mycroft a smile of thanks.

"That bloke's rather creepy." Howard said, putting on his seat belt.

John chuckled. "Yeah, he has that effect on people."

Howard laughed along and drove them both back to the Yard.

With one hand under his chin and the other tapping on the table, Sherlock waited anxiously for John to come back.
When the door opened, he stood quickly, the chair scraping along the floor loudly.

"What's wrong with you?" Lestrade asked, closing the door behind him. Sherlock sighed and slumped back in his chair.

"Nothing." He grumbled, threading a hand through his hair.

"I'm sure John's fine. Howard's with him." Lestrade tried, sitting opposite Sherlock, but he rolled his eyes and sighed deeply.

"So, was it?" Sherlock asked.

"What? Oh right, the murder, no. Normal, everyday murder."

"Do you need assistance?" Sherlock asked, trying to hold back his smirk.

"No. Open and shut. His wife even confessed." Lestrade smiled.

"Hmm." Sherlock hummed, losing interest already.

The sound of distant laughter became increasingly louder, confusing Sherlock as John and Howard entered the room.

"…and then I said, 'you have the right to remain silent'! Oh man, he never called me again!" Howard laughed. John laughed along with him, but after turning to Sherlock he stopped suddenly.

"Sherlock?" He asked.

Sherlock frowned. "We're on a case! Do you really think it's the time to be telling jokes?" He turned to Howard. "Do you?"

Howard shrunk in shame. "No. I suppose not."

"Sherlock, give him a break." John said.

"Did you at least see the book?"

"Yes, here." John pushed the phone to Sherlock's chest and moved back, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

Sherlock looked at the screen and took a deep breath. "Coincidence." He mumbled to himself.

"Lestrade, search your records for a James Moran, anything you can find, and e-mail it to us. John." Sherlock said, holding out John's phone to him.

John looked up at him, then the phone, and snatched it, walking away. "Howard. Greg." He nodded to both of them, then walked towards the rear entrance. Ted was waiting for them by the car.

As they drove back home, John stared out the window as Sherlock stared at John.

"Have I done something to upset you?" Sherlock asked.

John sighed and shook his head. "Not now."

Sherlock turned away and stared at John through the window instead.

Wow, there's been like hardly any sexy times. I'll have to change that...