Sunnydale AU: An Illicit Visit (no, not that kind)

[americas_son]

There is some definite disapproval going on in the Chandler compound over Cal's refusing to go along with the implicit decision that the Starks (especially Sherlock) are not the best company for him. It's not the first time he's pushed such a ruling - far from it - but this is something of a special case. Whether it's the shooting or the fact that Sherlock and his identity issues are generally glossed over in proper society with "He just couldn't handle his parents' death, the poor thing, at least his brother is made of sterner stuff" that causes greater concern . . .

Well. Cal has the feeling his knows the answer to that.

His own accidental death could at least be used to the Chandlers' advantage, after all.

The obvious response to all of this is, of course, to invite Sherlock over to visit.

"We'll have to sneak if we don't want to spend twenty minutes listening to Mother, though."

Comments

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

That - clears things up and confuses them further all at once.

Well played, Bar.

Cal picks up the DVD case and studies it, glancing at the Sherlock who he is now pretty sure is not, in fact, messing with him.

"You're from one of the movies," he concludes. (Aren't you supposed to not say shit like that in Milliways? Oh well, too late.)

[noshitgreg.livejournal.com]

"Apparently so," Holmes agrees.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

This is going to make an interesting "guess who I ran into in the bar just now" story when he gets back. But for the moment Cal is still trying to sort through everything.

"I have a friend who's you. Thinks he's you. I don't know. It's kind of complicated. But he looks like you."

As an afterthought,

"And so's his brother." Since they're twins and all.

[noshitgreg.livejournal.com]

"His brother."

Holmes knows by now that this place has a sense of humour, and it expresses itself in more than just Bar's taste in media.

"Not Tony Stark, by any chance?"

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal's okay, what expression makes the answer crystal clear long before it comes out of his mouth.

". . . yes."

[noshitgreg.livejournal.com]

He flashes a grin—a gesture he and Sherlock have very much in common.

"Fantastic."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's a grin Cal has gotten fairly familiar with as of late. Which doesn't help the current sense of disorientation much.

"- what?"

[noshitgreg.livejournal.com]

"Time travel."

Does he need more than that?

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Oh."

Oddly enough, that does help. To an extent. In Milliways, where believing in a world with time travel is a matter of course.

"So - you're not brothers?"

[noshitgreg.livejournal.com]

"No, although the resemblance is remarkable."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Under the circumstances, it would almost be weirder if this other Sherlock and Tony didn't look alike.

Almost.

"Huh." There is a second's pause, then Cal asks,

"Does your world have vampires?"

[noshitgreg.livejournal.com]

"Not to my knowledge," he answers, "which means no."

It goes equally well for his or Tony's.

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

Cal nods slowly.

"I thought for a second you were him from the future," he says. "Sherlock, I mean." Just to clarify.

". . . we have vampires."

Just to clarify further.

[noshitgreg.livejournal.com]

"Ah, yes, of course. A very good exclusionary criterion, I imagine."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"It helps rule things out," Cal says, introducing a second Holmes to the shortcomings in his vocabulary.

"I mean. So does the time travel." It seems to him that would have come up by now otherwise.

[noshitgreg.livejournal.com]

Poor fellow.

"Don't be so sure. As it stands, I know of only one time travel experiment that worked, and I do not predict that number will increase anytime soon. Stark hardly intended to produce me."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Well," Cal says. "Sherlock's never said anything about it. I'd think it'd be easier to say you travelled in time than to say, 'I'm gonna be the guy from the book.'"

Even in a world where the books exist, it's a kind of crazy that would make more sense. People would understand it better.

[noshitgreg.livejournal.com]

"Your Sherlock must be a remarkable fellow."

(Sherlock Holmes has never been terribly interested in having people understand him.)

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"He's good at it."

As far as Cal can tell, anyway.

"I don't know. It's weird, but it works for him."

Cal is not in disagreement with this Sherlock's assessment.

[noshitgreg.livejournal.com]

"Has he told you that your family knows about your drug habit?"

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

There's a long pause before Cal asks,

"Are you sure you're not him from the future?"

[noshitgreg.livejournal.com]

"Very."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Because if I brought this back and showed you, you'd remember when this happened . . ."

Okay, he's not too committed to the theory, but he just had this conversation.

(Is the smell really that bad? They're not even in his room.)

[noshitgreg.livejournal.com]

"Oh, dear. Has my sense of humour, too, does he? But no, I am not your young friend."

[americas-son.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I'm starting to think he's nailed it even better than he thinks he has," Cal says, a bit darkly.

And that would really, really be saying something.