"Well hello there! Small world, isn't it?"

John watched from several feet away as Sherlock sauntered up to the table, a big, fake grin plastered on his face. This was going to be interesting, John thought as he watched from his seat. Sherlock had told him to stay put in case the waiter came by so he could grab the check. Sherlock turned and pointed to John, who raised his hand in greeting when all eyes were focused on him. The woman waved back, then looked back at Sherlock. John remained seated and kept his eyes on Sherlock. He had one large hand splayed out on the table, leaning casually on the table and facing the young woman from the plane. She was smiling up at him, and speaking animatedly, gesturing wildly with her hands.

Sherlock leaned in close to the woman and seemed to whisper something in her ear. Her face flushed, and she looked up at Sherlock, an impish grin on her face. She nodded her head, then stood from her seat and began to follow Sherlock. John was about to get up and go after them, but Sherlock glanced over his shoulder and gave him an affirming smile, letting him know everything was okay. John nodded his head, and Sherlock turned back around, following the woman out of the main dining area of the restaurant.

They returned several moments later, the woman trailing behind Sherlock with a dreamy expression on her face. Concerned, John looked to Sherlock and he noticed the slight change in his disposition. He only carried himself that way when he was on a case, more specifically when he was about to wrap up a case. His eyes were bright and he was radiating energy. To any stranger his face would have looked blank, but John saw the elation bubbling just beneath the surface. He shifted in his seat and waited to see what was about to unfold.

Sherlock approached the table once more, and the woman sat back down in her seat. She began talking to the man across from her, a smile on her face, obviously oblivious to what it was she had just done. After several moments Sherlock turned waved John over. He raised an eyebrow, but stood from his seat and made his way to the table.

"John, you know Joceline." John nodded his head and smiled at the woman, thinking that the name suited her quite nicely. Sherlock gestured to the man seated across from her. "This is Lieutenant Jim Laurent. Jim, meet my husband, John. He's an army man like yourself." John nodded at the man, who began to stand. Joceline reached out towards him, her face slightly worried as he gripped the table for support.

"Oh, Jimmy, you don't have to-"

"Nonsense, Joceline," he said, his voice gruff and slightly strained. John watched with wide eyes as the man stood to his full height, taller than Sherlock, and raised his hand in a salute. John stood at attention and saluted back, his body moving without his mind telling it to. Laurent began to sit again, and something caught John's eye. He looked down and saw that the man's trouser leg had lifted a bit, and instead of seeing part of an ankle or a calf, John saw a flash of metal.

"Prosthetic leg," Sherlock whispered into John's ear. John turned to look at him, but he was looking down at his phone.

"I'm terribly sorry for having interrupted your dinner, but I couldn't help myself from popping over. You were such lovely company on the plane ride over here. And what a coincidence that we'd all end up here!"

"It must be fate," John contributed, earning a pleased look from Sherlock. Joceline watched them with a smile on her face and nodded.

"Yes, it must be. Do tell me, what are your plans for tomorrow? Perhaps we could meet up somewhere!" Laurent narrowed his eyes at her, but she didn't see because she was still beaming up at Sherlock. "Maybe you could show off that trick of yours again." Now she turned to her boyfriend. "It's amazing, this thing he does."

"That does sound lovely," Sherlock said, glancing down at his phone with a smile. "But I think Jimmy here will be otherwise occupied."

"What?" John, Joceline, and Lieutenant Laurent all turned to stare at him with confused expressions.

"What do you mean?" Laurent bellowed. John noticed his fists clenching, and the murderous look he was giving Sherlock, and bristled. Sherlock simply turned and looked over his shoulder, then gestured to someone John couldn't see.

"Over here!"

The next thing John knew, there was a swarm of police officers around them, and Laurent was being put into handcuffs.

"What the hell is going on?" He was shouting, trying to wrench himself free. He set himself off balance and toppled over, taking several officers with him. There was a lot of shouting, and a lot of movement, and all John could do was look on in amazement, his mind struggling to comprehend what was happening. He looked to Sherlock, who was watching the scene unfold with a blank face, his hands clasped behind his back. John noticed he was no longer holding his mobile phone.

"Sherlock?"

"He killed his wife." Sherlock turned towards him, though his eyes were fixed on Joceline's heartbroken face. She stared back at him, dumbfounded, then looked down at her lover with tears in her eyes.

"What do you mean? How can you say that?"

"His leg."

"What about it?" Joceline shouted, her eyes wild and blazing. John took a cautionary step backwards, towards Sherlock, and felt a hand resting on his shoulder.

"You said there were footprints at the site. One paw? Honestly you can't be that daft." John turned around to stare at him for a moment, and when Sherlock's eyes met his he finally understood.

"One leg, one paw." Sherlock's face lit up and he nodded before pressing a quick kiss to John's temple.

"Brilliant, you are," he murmured. "Granted nowhere near as brilliant as me but you're getting there John."

"Gee, thanks."

"Sorry to interrupt such a tender moment for you two, but how can you possibly believe that my Jimmy is a murderer?" Sherlock used the hand that wasn't resting on John's shoulder to gesture to the man being helped back up by police officers.

"His leg."

"What about his damn leg?" Sherlock sucked in a breath and John readied himself for the string of deductions about to be spun.

"He lost his leg in battle. He was invalidated and sent home, forced to live on an army pension. I've got an invalidated army man of my own so I know how much that can hurt a man. I could see it in his eyes, the pain that so often comes with a forced discharge." Sherlock looked down at John then and squeezed his shoulder. John covered Sherlock's hand with his own and smiled up at him. Sherlock smiled back before turning his attention back onto the distraught woman in front of them.

"But he said he was okay," she said, her voice shaking. "He had Laura."

"She provided him with financial stability, the one thing he was unable to provide for himself after his return. She took over as the head of the household and she never let him forget about it. Isn't that right, Jimmy?"

All eyes turned to the man currently in handcuffs, who was staring daggers at Sherlock. He was completely unfazed by the death glare however, and continued speaking at rapid fire speed.

"He got tired of it. He's a man. He was supposed to be the head of the household. The breadwinner. He wasn't, and it plagued him to the very core of his being that he wasn't. You told me yourself he likes to be in charge. I assume the late Mrs. Laurent was not as submissive as you. I found an article on her from several years prior to her death and I could tell she was not the type of woman to simply back down to any man, not even her husband." John was still struggling to figure out how Sherlock had put this all together. Though he knew it would all be explained eventually he still couldn't help but try and get some more information for himself to see if he could put the pieces together.

"How long did you say it was between the time he came back and the time she met her unfortunate end?"

"Three months," Lieutenant Laurent answered, shocking everyone. Even Sherlock looked a little startled as he continued speaking.

"Three months for you to get fed up. But you couldn't divorce her, no, because then you'd lose the money. So you did the next beat thing and killed her, carefully constructing the scene to look like an animal attack, and wearing a paw print shoe to try and really sell it. You thought the police would be too dense to notice it was only one paw, and though they weren't they weren't smart enough to make the connection. I, however, am quite smart, and so off to jail you go."

"Fuck you, Sherlock Holmes," the lieutenant spat, lunging towards him. He was immediately restrained by several police officers and Sherlock smirked at him.

"No thank you. Seeing as how I'm currently on my honeymoon, I think that's my husband's job."

"Sherlock-" John pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to ignore the whispers surrounding them and the strange look Joceline was giving Sherlock. He sighed and reached for Sherlock's hand. "Come on, let's get to the hotel." Sherlock laced his fingers though John's and raised an eyebrow at the lieutenant.

"See?" Sherlock was obviously trying to keep a smile off his face as he looked down at Joceline, who was had yet to move an inch since the police had arrived. "So sorry. Perhaps you should have listened to your friends and family." John gave a harsh tug and practically dragged Sherlock out of the restaurant. They walked in silence for almost an entire block before Sherlock spoke. "Is everything alright John? You seem tense."

"I'm fine." And he really was. John was a bit embarassed at what Sherlock had said, but he was used to Sherlock's openness with their relationship by now. After he thought about it, he realized it was actually quite funny, what Sherlock had said, and he allowed himself to chuckle at the memory. He gave Sherlock's hand a squeeze and turned to look at him. "How'd you figure it out?"

"It was simple, really. I talked to Joceline a bit more on the plane and gathered more information on the late wife while you were sleeping. Then I did some more research while you were napping in the hotel."

"I was never asleep on the plane."

"Yes you were. You fell asleep reading that book of yours. It was only for a short while though. I can assure you you didn't miss anything of importance." John frowned as he turned away from Sherlock.

"I don't think I'll ever understand how your mind works."

"You know how I-"

"Your mind palace, yes, mixed with pure genius." Sherlock chuckled at John's comment and tightened his hold on John's hand. They walked in comfortable silence for several blocks, and it wasn't until they reached the street their hotel was on that John spoke again.

"How much information did you get out of Joceline?"

"Quite a bit. It was easy too. I could tell she found me attractive, and from there all I had to do was her the right smile, let my hand linger just a bit and she was an open book."

"Hold on a minute," John said, stopping and turning to face Sherlock. "Do you mean you flirted with her to get information?" Sherlock have a half-hearted shrug and averted his eyes, looking like an ashamed puppy.

"I suppose you could say that." John sighed and let go of Sherlock's hands to cover his own face.

"That explains why she was looking at you like that."

"Pardon?"

"Sherlock, you can't do that. Here you've been acting like a bloody Casanova with Joceline and you're a married man!" John let his hands fall away from his face and schooled his features into an expressionless mask. "You're married to me." Sherlock's eyes widened and his brow furrowed, but rather than look apologetic or even a bit remorseful he only looked confused, as if he didn't see what the problem was. John supposed he might not have; As brilliant as Sherlock was he was far from being an expert on what was socially acceptable behaviour. John reached out and took his hand, and they continued their journey to the hotel in silence.

Sherlock stood back while John swiped the keycard and the two of them shuffled inside, then set about getting undressed for the night.

"I'm sorry, John."

John looked up from removing his shoes and watched Sherlock fiddle nervously with the shirt he'd just taken off. He let his eyes roam over Sherlock's bare torso, drinking in the sight of his beautiful milky skin and defined abdominal muscles. He looked up into Sherlock's eyes, now bright and apologetic, and his heart clenched in his chest.

"Come here," he said, holding out a hand. Sherlock took a tentative step forward, cool eyes gauging John's for any sign of anger. John just smiled and wiggled his fingers, and soon Sherlock was standing between his legs with his hands on John's shoulders. John leaned forward and pressed his cheek against Sherlock's stomach, and felt his hands twitch.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?"

"Of course. Just, no more flirting ... unless it's with me."

"Alright. I'm sure I can manage to get information through other methods." John laughed and wrapped his arms around Sherlock's torso, and they remained still for several moments. John felt Sherlock take in a breath,obviously about to ask another question. "Does my momentary lapse of judgment mean there will be no sex tonight?" John couldn't keep the smile off of his face as he leaned back and looked up at Sherlock.

"We're in Paris, we're on our honeymoon, and ignoring the unsavoury methods you used you've just solved a case brilliantly, and you know what that does to me. Of course there will be sex." Sherlock's eyes lit up and he appeared to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Alright then," he said, reaching down to brush his knuckles gently across John's cheek, "Shall we begin?"

____________________________________________________________

The next morning began with breakfast in bed courtesy of the hotel staff and an anonymous Sherlock Holmes fan and well-wisher. John tried not to think too hard about who this 'well-wisher' might be and enjoyed the food that had been brought up to them. After breakfast Sherlock surprised John with an engraved padlock, so as soon as they showered and dressed for the day they went off in search of a bridge to place it on. After a series of several cab rides they found themselves standing on the Pont des Arts, each with a hand on the padlock as they searched for a place to attach it. After a moment they were able to find a place for their lock, and then Sherlock held the key out towards John.

"Care to do the honours?" he asked with a smile on his face. John smiled back and took the key from Sherlock's grasp, allowing his fingers to linger on Sherlock's skin far longer than necessary. Sherlock stepped forward and wrapped his arms around John, as he held his arm out, and with a flick of the wrist the key was tossed into the water below. He rocked onto the balls of his feet and tilted his chin up, searching for Sherlock's lips.

John lost track of how much time they stood there kissing, but honestly he didn't care. He felt Sherlock's tongue swipe along his bottom lip and John willingly allowed him in. Something reminded him that it probably wasn't very appropriate to snog in public like they were. John quickly squashed the part of his brain telling him to step away from Sherlock, and embraced the one telling him to move his hands from where they were resting at his sides. He lifted a hand to Sherlock's hair and began massaging his scalp, and Sherlock hummed in response.

When they finally separated John continued to hold onto Sherlock for fear that his knees would give out, and Sherlock remained still and allowed John to cling to him, gently stroking his back with his hand. John felt Sherlock press his lips to the top of his head, and he smiled.

"You find this incredibly romantic, don't you?" Sherlock murmured against John's hair. John nodded in response, and felt Sherlock breathe out a puff of air that most likely puffed his hair up. "You do know this whole lock business is the equivalent of carving our initials into a tree in your backyard." John laughed then, and stepped away from Sherlock.

"Says the man who bought the lock. And had it engraved."

"Only the best for my husband," Sherlock said, draping a long arm over John's shoulders and pulling him close. John looped a finger through Sherlock's belt loop and they walked along the rest of the bridge together.

They ended up heading to le Fumoir for a quick snack before they went to the Louvre, where they ended up spending several hours. A good thirty minutes of that time was spent with Sherlock staring at the Mona Lisa, eyebrows furrowed and hand held up to his chin. It wasn't until they'd returned to the hotel that John decided to inquire as to why Sherlock had spent so much time with one painting.

"I just don't understand the ... the hype about that painting. She's not even that attractive."

"Sherlock! It's a beautiful work of art and ... and ... " John sat down on the bed and began to remove his shoes. Sherlock sat down beside him and rested his head on John's shoulder.

"Yes, it's art. I get that. I just think it's a bit overrated."

"Just like the love lock bridge?" Sherlock shrugged, and John sighed. "God, you're such a romantic." Sherlock laughed and sat up, allowing John to fully remove his shoes and coat. Sherlock flopped down onto the bed and spread out his limbs, nearly encompassing the entire mattress. John stared at him from where he was seated. His shirt had risen up slightly, and John reached up to stroke the soft skin above Sherlock's waistline.

"So, what are we to do now? Our reservation at l'Astrance isn't for another few hours." Sherlock rolled onto his side and curled up beside John, resting his head in his lap.

"I'm sure we could find a way to occupy ourselves." John felt a hand fiddling with the button of his trousers and grinned, leaning forward to kiss Sherlock's forehead.

"What did you have in mind?" Sherlock sat up and grinned wickedly at John.

"I have a few experiments I've been wanting to try." He began lightly stroking John's thigh with one finger. "We might have time for a few depending on what your refractory period is." John caught Sherlock's hand with his own and pressed a kiss to his open palm.

"Well then," he said, "I suppose we should get started, Mr. Watson-Holmes."

____________________________________________________________

I just want to say that I have no negative feelings towards the Mona Lisa. I think it's a great work of art and I hope to be able to see it in person one day. :)