Friend of My Heart

Friend of My Heart is a slash Sherlock Holmes anthology.
A fan described its contents as "quite honeyed characterizations." HOLMES/WATSON SLASH LINKS 
==Age Statement==
"This zine contains explicit same-sex scenes and will not knowingly be sold to anyone under the age of eighteen. An age statement is required with all orders/inquiries. Please do not order if you object to the premise."
==Issue 1==
Friend of My Heart 1 was published in 1993 and has 130 pages. 
Part One
* Capitulation	by	Escott		(1)
* Where the Heart Is	by	Boswell		(11)
* A Study in Restraint	by	One of the Particularly Warm Lot		(22)
* Summerhouse Blues	by	Boswell		("'Merely that this person who." he consulted the card again, "cares only for you' must be prepared to weather your whims, and humour your moods; indulge your spells of laziness as well as your great energy; they must understand your need to pursue your interests passionately, and sometimes to excess, they must be forgiving when you disappear totally for days on end, or fail to utter a civil word for a week or more." "Well, of course!" Holmes cut in sharply.") (24)
* A Tale of Christmas Past	by	U.L. Tied	("Wherein Stiff Upper Lips. War Wounds. Spate Chests. Repression. Restraint and Cold Baths suffer very short shrift...!") 	(33)
* Presenses (i)	by	Chronicler		(34) (poem)	
* The Nature of Love -- A Trilogy	by	Buggles		(""You must not love me. Watson." he asserted, trying to recapture his command of the situation. "I cannot be fettered by it. Emotion clouds logic, and I must be clear, nothing must interfere with my deductive reasoning. You understand that, don't you. Watson?" There was a curious note to his voice, one that took me a few moments to recognise. He was pleading with mt. Pleading....!") (35)
* The Strange Adventures of the Mickledown Silver	by	Escott		(51)
* A Cornish Interlude	by	Natasha		("'All this time I had remained silent; I had kept my true feelings for him firmly buried and continued in my role as trusted friend and biographer. Now. however, with the events of the afternoon still fresh in my mind. I felt the time had come to break that silence, to reveal my true feelings for this man before it was too late") (55)
* Precipice	by	Chronicler		(59) (poem)	
* New Horizons	by	Natasha		("'He had never felt as close as this to anyone before - not even his brother. Mycroft - and Watson inspired in him feelings which he never thought he would experience. The previous evening, it had been Watson who had opened hish eart to Holmes: perhaps now was the time for Holmes to do likewise.") (60)
Part Two
* A Study in Private	by	Boswell		(68)
* Dirty Ditty	by	The Victorians		(75)
* The Case of the Dedicated Craftsman	by	Ophelia		(set during "Charles Augustus Milverton") (""Evening, sir. I's come to take a look at your pipes." Holmes spoke with a soft West Country drawl and Watson could not help bursting out laughing... "Well then, my good man, pray don't let me stop you." He continued to watch Holmes as the latter came forward to kneel by the bath and rested his arms on the edge.") (76)
* Bestowal		by Vernet		(84) (poem)	
* The Strange Case of the Visitor in the Night	by	Chronicler		(85)
* Lullaby	by	Ophelia		(88)
* Revelation	by	Chronicler		(90) (poem)	
* Denouement		by Escott	(After "The Sign of Four") ("Watson was sure he fully understood the reason for the often thinly veiled cruelty of Holmes observations. He was sure he understood all too well the almost unfathomable complexities of the two sides of Holmes' warring nature, for Holmes spent his life battling against his emotions, and it was inevitable Watson should fall victim along the way ...'") 	(91)
* An Ordinary Man	by	Chronicler		(97) (poem)	
* Private Practice	by	Lestrade		("'Upstairs in my bedroom I steadied myself by trying to recall the rules we had made for that first encounter of 'Doctor and Patient', but my mind kept sliding away to the object of my desire, who was divesting himself of his clothing in the small dressing room next door ...") (98)
* Bah! Humbug!	by	Ophelia		("'I tried hard to remain calm but my heartbeat was already quickening. But then I felt his lips on my cheek, kissing and caressing. Suddenly his hand came up and turned my face towards his and my lips parted involuntarily, in readiness for him. He paused then, his mouth mere inches from mine. Ah, sweetheart, you would not deny me little treat would you? Holmes' smile was mischievous and his tone teasing.") (103)
* Worth Many Wounds	by	Chronicler		("(After "The Adventure of the Three Garridebs") 'Watson could well understand Holmes' reaction after today's events. They had come under fire before, but a bullet finding its target was not a common occurrence. He himself could recall no moments in his life more terrible than those at the Reichenbach Falls when he first believed Holmes was dead ... !") (111)
* Career Choice	by	Chronicler		(115) (poem)	
* High Hopes		by Escott	("I must confess straightaway that Holmes' nature is in fact not entirely as I have portrayed it in my memoirs. He is neither quite so unemotional nor so austere as I have painted him in my accounts of his cases. But for delicacy's sake, and in order to protect our privacy, it would be indiscreet to do otherwise. And how gratifying to know that here I can be totally free, and say what I will how I will, without inhibition!") 	(117)
* Last Prelude	by	Chronicler		(""Because honour and duty demand... And of course you know that I will do it. I sometimes think that I would have fared better if 1 had been a little less honourable and a little more selfish!" "Then you might not be the man that you are. And I might not have loved you so deeply as I have done...as I do...Which is why I know I can make such a request of you ..."") (125)
* Presences (ii)	 by	Chronicler		(126) (poem)
==Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1==
==Issue 2==
Friend of My Heart 2 contains 130 pages and was published in 1994. Cover by Sidney Carton.
* Cape Noctem	by	J.H. Watson		("My heart was beating like a trip hammer as I led the way upstairs, nor would it return to normal until we had gained the safety of my room. I now brought into play my experience, gathered over three Continents. It was invaluable.") (1)
* Communication	by	Chronicler		(7)
* A Chance for Love	by	Mary Rose Watson		(8)
* Monologue	by	Ophelia		(20)
* Echoes of Your Heart	by	Natasha		(23)
* The Progress of Love	by	Mary Rose Watson	(missing scenes from "The Musgrave Ritual", ""Why ever should you be concerned about me, Watson?" interrupted Holmes with somewhat forced brightness, "as you can see, I am perfectly well." Watson sighed deeply. "Please Holmes, please don't pretend, not with me Surely you must know you need hide nothing from me, my friend."") 	(26)
* The Resident Doctor	by	J.H. Watson		("He turned to face me for the first time and there was no disguising a curious bruise on his left cheek. 'You should treat the ladies with greater respect. I looks as if one of them has at last hit back.' To my astonishment, Holmes coloured and winced.") (32)
* The Glory of Love	by	Ophelia		(""Where are you going, Watson" he asked quietly, his voice expressing neither curiosity or irritation. "Out for a walk and a breath of air," I replied evenly "Will you not even sit with me today."") (41)
* Stay With Me 'Til Morn	by	Natasha		("Some how tonight was different, and Watson had the distinct impression that on several had been going to say something and then had changed his mind Watson had waited, and his patience had been rewarded, for Holmes had made the first move after all occasions Holmes.") (46)
* A Better Restorative	by	Escott		(""I confess I had not expected quite such an enthusiastic response to my, suggestion," Watson's muffled, uneven voice murmured at last from Holmes' shoulder, where he lay comfortably cushioned, breathing in the sweet, uniquely scent that was Holmes.") (52)
* Captivity and Freedom	by	Chronicler		(60)
* A Time to Heal	by	Natasha		(76)
* Valediction	by	Gloria Lancaster		(80)
* Losses	by	Mary Rose Watson		(81)
* What the Landlady Saw	by	Sydney Carton		(""Ever since they first took up lodgings here they have been a strange pair - nothing I don't object to, mind you - it is mainly them keeping so irregular hours, Mr Holmes' cases always called them away at strange times of the day and night, and Dr Watson being called out by his practice. But of late things have been different..."" (89)
* The Evening of a Long Day	 by	Gloria Lancaster	("That very first time, so long ago now. I knew even then that I was in danger from this. I had deceived myself then, and for quite a long while afterwards; no deceit so great as the one we practice upon ourselves But that first time I had blinded myself wilfully, so that I experienced only joy.") 	(92)
* Lyonnesse	by	Gloria Lancaster	("Before I could frame a sentence, he came and stood right before me and, quite casually lputting his hand against my cheek, he drew my face up so my eyes met his. He looked pale, as always, and determined somehow, patient; worse than all this, he looked kind.") (97)
* A Cause for Rejoicing	by	Escott		(""Their love is outwardly acceptable - a cause for rejoicing, as ours can never be," I elaborated. "But this is unlike you, John!" he protested softly, "you are plagued by demons tonight. What has brought it about?") (103)
* Turkish Delight	by	Ophelia		("Holmes gazed thoughtfully at it a few moments before turning to face Watson, his eyes sparkling he drew his companion towards him, and with gentle but insistent hands lugged off his towel") (106)
* Changes	by	Natasha		("It was with a very heavy heart that I folded up my newspaper and rose slowly to my feet. "I love you, Holmes - I always will, and above all else I want our relationship to work: I believe you do, too. All I ask is that you think about what I have said ..."") (110)
* Out of Step	by	Escott		("Our relationship was certainly a strange one, and ifwe had not been so discreet, one which society would have condemned. And, characteristically, like so much about Holmes, it seemed to me an erratic and unstable affair.") (115)
* Chess-mate	by	Sydney Carton		("When the dark head lifted there was a hard glint in Holmes eye and he pounced on the board with a vengeance, making a swift kill of one of Watson's Rooks and smiling in delight at the shocked expression on the doctor's face.") (120)
* Someone to Watch Over Me	by	Chronicler	("All the colour drained from Holmes' face. When he spoke, it was in a tight whisper "I explained the reasons for those actions. I thought you understood them." "The only thing that is clear to me," Watson said, the emotions within him warring but the sense of grievance still proving the victor, "is that today you have seen fit to disregard my support, my advice, my feelings ..."") 	(124)
==Reactions and Reviews: Issue 2==
==References==
 
Category:Sherlock Holmes Zines
Category:1993 ZinesCategory:1994 Zines
Category:Slash Zines