#jupiter ash

The title's wonky but ultimately I am pleased.

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Sherlock (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Greg Lestrade, Jim Moriarty Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Tennis, Sequel, Trilogy, Yes it has been a while, But I did promise! Series: Part 5 of Tennis Summary:

Sequel to A Study in Winning and A Study in Doubles.

Sometimes life, like with the serve, gives you a second chance. Semi-prequel to A Study in Winning. Wimbledon wasn’t the first time Sherlock and John had met, but it was the first that either of them remembered. This is why.

If you haven't read "A Study in Winning" by Jupiter_Ash, then I must politely request that you drop everything you're doing and read it now (along with pretty much everything she's ever written). This fic is the prequel to that, and it tells the story of how John and Sherlock met years before Wimbledon, when Sherlock was just an up-and-coming gawky teen with more confidence than actual skill (though that wasn't true for long). You really can't read this as a stand alone, however, since it has two timelines, one of which is from the other fic and Sherlock's perspective. If you need any further incentive for reading ASiW, however, let me just say that on top of being incredibly well-written with an excellent plot and great build up, Sherlock slips into French while being thoroughly shagged by John. 'Nuff sed.

Now, onto this fic, I have to say it got off to a rough start for me. There are some fan fic cliches, like Sherlock noticing that John is attractive and then immediately thinking, "But why would I notice that? It's not relevant." STOP IT, WE ALL KNOW WHY WE NOTICE THAT, OKAY. After the initial awkwardness, however, the fic really takes off. The match between Sherlock and John was quite well done and easy to understand, even for people who don't know much about tennis (like me). It was the aftermath, however, that really sold this fic to me. When Sherlock has his image of John shattered, it really broke my heart. And then later, when the fic is from older Sherlock's perspective, and Mycroft ties in the title of the fic... I got actual chills. Really, I've never had a fic make me change my opinion of it so thoroughly before. Jupiter hits her stride and then starts sprinting. I really, really recommend the entirety of this series to tennis fans and non-tennis fans alike.

Pairings: John/Sherlock, John/Female OCs, Mycroft/Lestrade

Rating: Teen and Up

My Rating: A

Warnings: angst, infidelity, mentions of sex, fat hate

Word Count: 9,541

My Favourite Quote: 

You told me once,” Mycroft said softly and deliberately, “never to mention that year in Rotterdam to you ever again.  Until this week I did what you asked.  Nor did I ever ask why I wasn’t ever to speak of it and naturally you didn’t tell me, but then you didn’t have to.  It was as clear as day, written across every cell of your body, even if you weren’t aware of it at the time.”

Rotterdam?  What was Mycroft going on about?

“This isn’t the first time you’ve fallen for John Watson.”

Wimbledon starts today, so in keeping with the theme and to get you in a tennising mood, may I recommend the classic A Study In Winning, a tennis AU in which John and Sherlock are professional tennis players battling it out at Wimbledon. John is at the end of his career and Sherlock is the next big thing. It's basically Performance In A Leading Role for the sports world. 

It's a monster of a fic, not exactly a quick read, but worth it. It is a classic for a very good reason.