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holmesticeTitle: And Things Will Change
Author: Ragna (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
scandalbaby)
Recipient:mildred_bobbin
Fandom: Sherlock
Rating: PG
Word Count: 6,158
Characters/Pairings: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Warnings: None
Summary: Sherlock upsets the wrong woman and wakes up one morning a female. It’s quite the learning experience, especially when John starts acting strangely. What exactly is his friend hiding?
Notes:swissmarg is a godsend of a beta. One of the things my recipient wanted was a genderswap story, and I had never written that before. I still think my beta deserves a co-writing credit for all the work but swissmarg says no, so I offer up my heartiest thanks instead and the opinion that the story is a million times better with the help. mildred_bobbin, enjoy!
PART 1
PART 2
PART 3
There was a lot of talking done until late in the night about how to move forward with things after the kiss. Eventually the effects of the alcohol began to wear off and sleep overtook them.
When Sherlock woke up the next morning he was still a woman. He hadn’t expected the curse to be shortlived, because he felt there was still much he had to learn from this punishment, but it was definitely causing problems that needed to be deal with in the meantime.
He and John went and bought more clothes after breakfast, enough to last a week. When they returned, John made tea and Sherlock sat in the sitting room, lost in thought. He was not unsure about being in a relationship with John, but he was unsure how to proceed. This was entirely new territory for him, and there was so much he had to learn. He had the feeling John would continue to be patient with him, just as he had been when they were merely friends. It helped that John didn’t push for anything, telling him the night before he would let things unfold at the pace Sherlock set. He was grateful for that.
One of the things they hadn’t discussed yet was the option of Sherlock remaining a woman. Sherlock very much wanted to go back to being male, but he thought that perhaps John might not want that, as dating a female version of him would be more socially acceptable. He decided he should bring it up before they went any further with trying to reverse the curse.
“What would you say if I told you we should do nothing about the curse?” he asked as John brought the tea out to the sitting room.
John went quiet for a bit, and Sherlock was about to say something to prompt him out of his silence when he finally spoke. “Do you want to be a woman for the rest of your life?” he asked, looking at Sherlock intently.
“It would make things easier for you,” Sherlock said.
“It doesn’t matter if things are easier for me. It matters what’s easier for you because it’s your body. I’ll still care for you and want to pursue a relationship with you whether you’re a man or a woman.” He grinned a bit. “Remember, I was attracted to you when you were a man.”
“What would you like?” Sherlock asked.
“I’d like you to do whatever’s best for you. If you think living as a woman day after day for however long you’re alive is better than going back, then that’s fine. I’ll support that. If you want to go back to being a man, I’ll help you however I can.”
“I would like to go back to being a man,” Sherlock admitted. “It is interesting being a woman, and I have the feeling my views on them will change greatly after this experience, but it is rather strange and I don’t think I would ever be completely comfortable as a woman.” He took a sip of his tea. “And since I don’t want anyone who knows me to see me like this – other than you, of course - I am more or less in hiding. I want my freedom back.”
John smiled a bit more. “Having you cooped up in the flat any longer could be dangerous to everyone’s health.”
“Precisely.” Sherlock looked over at John, giving him a faint smile. He had never been one to smile, but he would always try for John, even if it felt unnatural on his face. Perhaps with time he would get more accustomed to it, because he had the feeling John could make him happy in their new relationship. He hoped he could, at any rate. “So, we need to track Mrs. McManus down, see if I’ve fulfilled the terms of her punishment.”
“Do you think you have?” John asked before sipping his own tea.
“I have certainly gained an appreciation for a woman’s point of view,” he said. “And while I don’t think it was inaccurate to suggest that Lestrade would have a better chance of stopping her son than she did, I never intended it to be a slight on her as a woman. She is simply too emotionally involved. However, I take her point that the way it came out could be construed as misogynistic, and I do regret that. If only because it lead to such a catastrophic outcome.”
“Stop before that last bit and she might let you off the hook,” John replied with a sigh. “All right. Let’s get to tracking her down. Trying to get you back to rights.”
“After tea,” Sherlock said.
“All right. After tea,” John said with a nod.
--
It was hard to find her, harder than Sherlock thought it would be. He had to spend three more days as a woman before he finally managed to track her down. Her son had finally been caught by the police, and she went to visit him. John had asked to be alerted of such a circumstance, and they waited outside the detention facility and followed her when she left. She did not go to the home where Sherlock had met her initially, instead going to a flat in a different part of town.
As they approached the flat it was pouring down rain, but they found her waiting for them outside, standing under an umbrella with large pink flowers. She went to the door of the flat, and then turned in their direction. “I felt you following me,” she said when they came within speaking distance.
“You couldn’t have possibly felt our presence,” Sherlock said disparagingly. “You saw us, perhaps, or expected we might try and trace you through your son.”
“Haven’t you learned not to underestimate me yet? I cast the spell. You didn’t think I that I might include a way to track you?” she asked with a smug smile. “I know you’ve been trying to find me. Today I let you.”
“Sherlock…” John nudged him in the side with his elbow.
“Yes, all right, point taken,” Sherlock said grudgingly.
“That’s better. Now, you want your life back, Mr. Holmes…or should I say Miss Holmes?” She pursed her lips and looked him over from head to foot.
“I very much want my life back,” Sherlock said, flipping up the collar of his greatcoat against the rain that wasn’t being stopped by the umbrella John was holding over him.
“The real question is, have you learned your lesson?” she asked, shifting her hold on her own umbrella. “Do you still believe men are better than women?”
“I would like to state for the record that I never thought that at all. However , over the past few days I’ve experienced how such off-hand comments can perpetuate a societal imbalance. It is actually quite difficult to be a woman, harder than I had thought. There may be some things men can do physically that women can’t, but in all other ways men are not better than women.” Sherlock looked at her. “I think that is the lesson you wanted me to learn.”
“It appears you have,” she said with a nod. “I just hope it sticks. The world needs fewer men like you were before all this. Women have had to fight for everything. We should be treated better.”
“Yes, you should,” Sherlock replied.
Mrs. McManus put her hand on the door and opened it, but paused before going inside. “I’ll remove the curse tonight. When you wake up tomorrow you’ll be a man again. Hopefully a better one.” She slipped inside, leaving Sherlock and John standing in the rain.
John turned to Sherlock. “Not bad, Holmes,” he said.
“It’s certainly not an experience I wish to repeat,” Sherlock replied with a grimace. “It will be very nice not to be a woman anymore.”
“You know, I think I would have enjoyed seeing you in a dress,” John said with a smirk as they went to the curb to hail a cab.
“That is bloody well never going to happen,” Sherlock said with a scowl.
“I know,” John said, chuckling. “Would have been interesting, though.”
Even as a woman Sherlock had the magic touch hailing them a cab, and one stopped for them in a matter of moments. They got in and talked about other things until they were safely back at home.
Once inside and out of their wet clothes they met back in the sitting room. “Tomorrow you’ll be back to being you. It’ll be nice to have the old you back,” John remarked.
“Are you more attracted to me as a man or as a woman?” Sherlock asked, curious.
John tilted his head slightly as he thought about it. “A man, I think. Not that you aren’t an unattractive woman, but I think I prefer you as a man. I’m more used to it.”
“Do you think you could have got used to me if I had had to remain a woman for the rest of my life?”
“I think I could have,” John said with a nod. “It would have taken some time, but I care for you regardless of how you look. I would have been fine eventually.”
“It is good to know that,” Sherlock said with a faint smile.
“Well, it’s the truth.” John stood up. “I think we should have a cuppa and warm up. It was bloody freezing out there.”
“Yes, it was quite cold. I never realised how thin women’s trousers were before today”
“Just another reason it will be good for you to be a man again,” John said with a grin as he made his way into the kitchen.
Sherlock settled into his seat, agreeing with John wholeheartedly. Yes, it would be very good to be a man again. He just hoped he could actually go to sleep that evening so it would feel as though the change came faster.
--
He was a bit groggy when he woke up the next morning. He had started to get used to being a woman, so it was quite noticeable when he realised he did indeed have his old body back. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and made his way to the mirror. It took a moment for him to remember how to walk as a man, but he made it there with less trouble than he had thought he might have. He took a good look at himself. Yes, the breasts were gone, and when he pulled his pyjama trousers out slightly he saw the other important parts were there.
The smell of coffee coming from the kitchen lured him out. John was already there, pouring himself a cup. He glanced up when Sherlock came in and grinned. “You’re back to yourself now. Good.” He handed the cup to Sherlock and pulled another one down. “It must be nice.”
“It is,” Sherlock replied, thankful his voice was back to its normal baritone state. It was good to hear. “I’m pleased you’re happy about the old state of affairs as well.”
“Well, I wasn’t looking forward to finding out if you were a woman inside and out,” John said with a chuckle. “It would have been a nightmare if you had had a monthly, I think.”
“We will never know,” Sherlock said ominously as he fixed his coffee. Then he took a sip. “So. It’s back to business as usual then.”
“Aside from our relationship, yeah,” John said as he began to fix his own coffee. “You do still want that, right?”
“I do,” Sherlock said with a nod. “That has not changed.”
“Good.” John sipped his coffee. “I guess maybe we can go out on a date, if you want.”
“I think I would like that.” He gave John a wider grin than he normally gave him, and got a wide one in return. Yes, it was good to be back to normal, and he had learned from the experience and be a better man. And he had found something new and surprising and good with John, and that pleased him. His life was arguably better than it had been before, and for that, he was surprisingly thankful.
Author: Ragna (
scandalbaby)Recipient:
mildred_bobbinFandom: Sherlock
Rating: PG
Word Count: 6,158
Characters/Pairings: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Warnings: None
Summary: Sherlock upsets the wrong woman and wakes up one morning a female. It’s quite the learning experience, especially when John starts acting strangely. What exactly is his friend hiding?
Notes:
swissmarg is a godsend of a beta. One of the things my recipient wanted was a genderswap story, and I had never written that before. I still think my beta deserves a co-writing credit for all the work but swissmarg says no, so I offer up my heartiest thanks instead and the opinion that the story is a million times better with the help. mildred_bobbin, enjoy!PART 1
PART 2
PART 3
There was a lot of talking done until late in the night about how to move forward with things after the kiss. Eventually the effects of the alcohol began to wear off and sleep overtook them.
When Sherlock woke up the next morning he was still a woman. He hadn’t expected the curse to be shortlived, because he felt there was still much he had to learn from this punishment, but it was definitely causing problems that needed to be deal with in the meantime.
He and John went and bought more clothes after breakfast, enough to last a week. When they returned, John made tea and Sherlock sat in the sitting room, lost in thought. He was not unsure about being in a relationship with John, but he was unsure how to proceed. This was entirely new territory for him, and there was so much he had to learn. He had the feeling John would continue to be patient with him, just as he had been when they were merely friends. It helped that John didn’t push for anything, telling him the night before he would let things unfold at the pace Sherlock set. He was grateful for that.
One of the things they hadn’t discussed yet was the option of Sherlock remaining a woman. Sherlock very much wanted to go back to being male, but he thought that perhaps John might not want that, as dating a female version of him would be more socially acceptable. He decided he should bring it up before they went any further with trying to reverse the curse.
“What would you say if I told you we should do nothing about the curse?” he asked as John brought the tea out to the sitting room.
John went quiet for a bit, and Sherlock was about to say something to prompt him out of his silence when he finally spoke. “Do you want to be a woman for the rest of your life?” he asked, looking at Sherlock intently.
“It would make things easier for you,” Sherlock said.
“It doesn’t matter if things are easier for me. It matters what’s easier for you because it’s your body. I’ll still care for you and want to pursue a relationship with you whether you’re a man or a woman.” He grinned a bit. “Remember, I was attracted to you when you were a man.”
“What would you like?” Sherlock asked.
“I’d like you to do whatever’s best for you. If you think living as a woman day after day for however long you’re alive is better than going back, then that’s fine. I’ll support that. If you want to go back to being a man, I’ll help you however I can.”
“I would like to go back to being a man,” Sherlock admitted. “It is interesting being a woman, and I have the feeling my views on them will change greatly after this experience, but it is rather strange and I don’t think I would ever be completely comfortable as a woman.” He took a sip of his tea. “And since I don’t want anyone who knows me to see me like this – other than you, of course - I am more or less in hiding. I want my freedom back.”
John smiled a bit more. “Having you cooped up in the flat any longer could be dangerous to everyone’s health.”
“Precisely.” Sherlock looked over at John, giving him a faint smile. He had never been one to smile, but he would always try for John, even if it felt unnatural on his face. Perhaps with time he would get more accustomed to it, because he had the feeling John could make him happy in their new relationship. He hoped he could, at any rate. “So, we need to track Mrs. McManus down, see if I’ve fulfilled the terms of her punishment.”
“Do you think you have?” John asked before sipping his own tea.
“I have certainly gained an appreciation for a woman’s point of view,” he said. “And while I don’t think it was inaccurate to suggest that Lestrade would have a better chance of stopping her son than she did, I never intended it to be a slight on her as a woman. She is simply too emotionally involved. However, I take her point that the way it came out could be construed as misogynistic, and I do regret that. If only because it lead to such a catastrophic outcome.”
“Stop before that last bit and she might let you off the hook,” John replied with a sigh. “All right. Let’s get to tracking her down. Trying to get you back to rights.”
“After tea,” Sherlock said.
“All right. After tea,” John said with a nod.
--
It was hard to find her, harder than Sherlock thought it would be. He had to spend three more days as a woman before he finally managed to track her down. Her son had finally been caught by the police, and she went to visit him. John had asked to be alerted of such a circumstance, and they waited outside the detention facility and followed her when she left. She did not go to the home where Sherlock had met her initially, instead going to a flat in a different part of town.
As they approached the flat it was pouring down rain, but they found her waiting for them outside, standing under an umbrella with large pink flowers. She went to the door of the flat, and then turned in their direction. “I felt you following me,” she said when they came within speaking distance.
“You couldn’t have possibly felt our presence,” Sherlock said disparagingly. “You saw us, perhaps, or expected we might try and trace you through your son.”
“Haven’t you learned not to underestimate me yet? I cast the spell. You didn’t think I that I might include a way to track you?” she asked with a smug smile. “I know you’ve been trying to find me. Today I let you.”
“Sherlock…” John nudged him in the side with his elbow.
“Yes, all right, point taken,” Sherlock said grudgingly.
“That’s better. Now, you want your life back, Mr. Holmes…or should I say Miss Holmes?” She pursed her lips and looked him over from head to foot.
“I very much want my life back,” Sherlock said, flipping up the collar of his greatcoat against the rain that wasn’t being stopped by the umbrella John was holding over him.
“The real question is, have you learned your lesson?” she asked, shifting her hold on her own umbrella. “Do you still believe men are better than women?”
“I would like to state for the record that I never thought that at all. However , over the past few days I’ve experienced how such off-hand comments can perpetuate a societal imbalance. It is actually quite difficult to be a woman, harder than I had thought. There may be some things men can do physically that women can’t, but in all other ways men are not better than women.” Sherlock looked at her. “I think that is the lesson you wanted me to learn.”
“It appears you have,” she said with a nod. “I just hope it sticks. The world needs fewer men like you were before all this. Women have had to fight for everything. We should be treated better.”
“Yes, you should,” Sherlock replied.
Mrs. McManus put her hand on the door and opened it, but paused before going inside. “I’ll remove the curse tonight. When you wake up tomorrow you’ll be a man again. Hopefully a better one.” She slipped inside, leaving Sherlock and John standing in the rain.
John turned to Sherlock. “Not bad, Holmes,” he said.
“It’s certainly not an experience I wish to repeat,” Sherlock replied with a grimace. “It will be very nice not to be a woman anymore.”
“You know, I think I would have enjoyed seeing you in a dress,” John said with a smirk as they went to the curb to hail a cab.
“That is bloody well never going to happen,” Sherlock said with a scowl.
“I know,” John said, chuckling. “Would have been interesting, though.”
Even as a woman Sherlock had the magic touch hailing them a cab, and one stopped for them in a matter of moments. They got in and talked about other things until they were safely back at home.
Once inside and out of their wet clothes they met back in the sitting room. “Tomorrow you’ll be back to being you. It’ll be nice to have the old you back,” John remarked.
“Are you more attracted to me as a man or as a woman?” Sherlock asked, curious.
John tilted his head slightly as he thought about it. “A man, I think. Not that you aren’t an unattractive woman, but I think I prefer you as a man. I’m more used to it.”
“Do you think you could have got used to me if I had had to remain a woman for the rest of my life?”
“I think I could have,” John said with a nod. “It would have taken some time, but I care for you regardless of how you look. I would have been fine eventually.”
“It is good to know that,” Sherlock said with a faint smile.
“Well, it’s the truth.” John stood up. “I think we should have a cuppa and warm up. It was bloody freezing out there.”
“Yes, it was quite cold. I never realised how thin women’s trousers were before today”
“Just another reason it will be good for you to be a man again,” John said with a grin as he made his way into the kitchen.
Sherlock settled into his seat, agreeing with John wholeheartedly. Yes, it would be very good to be a man again. He just hoped he could actually go to sleep that evening so it would feel as though the change came faster.
--
He was a bit groggy when he woke up the next morning. He had started to get used to being a woman, so it was quite noticeable when he realised he did indeed have his old body back. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and made his way to the mirror. It took a moment for him to remember how to walk as a man, but he made it there with less trouble than he had thought he might have. He took a good look at himself. Yes, the breasts were gone, and when he pulled his pyjama trousers out slightly he saw the other important parts were there.
The smell of coffee coming from the kitchen lured him out. John was already there, pouring himself a cup. He glanced up when Sherlock came in and grinned. “You’re back to yourself now. Good.” He handed the cup to Sherlock and pulled another one down. “It must be nice.”
“It is,” Sherlock replied, thankful his voice was back to its normal baritone state. It was good to hear. “I’m pleased you’re happy about the old state of affairs as well.”
“Well, I wasn’t looking forward to finding out if you were a woman inside and out,” John said with a chuckle. “It would have been a nightmare if you had had a monthly, I think.”
“We will never know,” Sherlock said ominously as he fixed his coffee. Then he took a sip. “So. It’s back to business as usual then.”
“Aside from our relationship, yeah,” John said as he began to fix his own coffee. “You do still want that, right?”
“I do,” Sherlock said with a nod. “That has not changed.”
“Good.” John sipped his coffee. “I guess maybe we can go out on a date, if you want.”
“I think I would like that.” He gave John a wider grin than he normally gave him, and got a wide one in return. Yes, it was good to be back to normal, and he had learned from the experience and be a better man. And he had found something new and surprising and good with John, and that pleased him. His life was arguably better than it had been before, and for that, he was surprisingly thankful.
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Date: 2013-12-18 08:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-19 12:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-16 10:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-19 05:28 am (UTC)Sherlock learned a lesson and worked out a relationship with John. Not bad for a day's work. :)
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Date: 2014-01-16 10:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-27 05:53 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2014-01-16 10:07 pm (UTC)I'm fairly sure you have an AO3 account because I think I've gifted stuff to you before over at