The tip of Y/N Holmes' ink pen scratched furiously against the paper. Black streaks crossed out yet another unsatisfactory paragraph. He sighed through his nose, tapping the nib against the edge of his journal in frustration.
"This just won't do!" he muttered aloud, pushing the half-filled page away.
Before he could start again, a knock sounded at his office door, followed by the cautious entrance of his editor. The older man held a folded newspaper in his hands, his expression grave.
"I have a new headline for you, Mr. Holmes."
Y/N raised an eyebrow and took the paper without a word. As he read the bold black print across the front page, his eyes widened.
DETECTIVE CHARGED FOR MURDER ON THE RUN. DETECTIVE SHERLOCK HOLMES.
Y/N exhaled heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't visit him for just a few days... and now he's a murder suspect and a fugitive."
His editor frowned. "Your reaction is... surprisingly calm."
"I'm confident my brother will find a way out of this," Y/N said, folding the paper neatly and setting it aside. "What surprises me more is that someone's actually bold enough to frame him."
He leaned back in his chair, eyes flicking upward as thoughts raced. "Or maybe... they're testing him."
"Mr. Holmes?" his editor asked, concern evident.
Y/N shook his head and smiled. "Don't mind me. I'll begin working on the article right away."
"You can take the day off if needed," the editor offered, voice softening.
"That won't be necessary, sir."
His editor gave a doubtful nod and left the room. Y/N, now alone again, leaned forward and placed his fingers on the keys of his typewriter.
"You better make the right choice, Sherly," he whispered.
***
The clicking of metal keys filled the quiet room.
The following morning, the editor-in-chief burst into Y/N's office with a newspaper gripped in his hand.
"I have good—" He halted mid-sentence.
The chair was empty. The desk, however, was not.
He stepped forward, eyes narrowing as he caught sight of a stack of fresh pages. At the top: the title of the morning's leading article.
He blinked in astonishment. "He already wrote today's headline..."
Beside it, a note:
Good Day, Sir! I would like to take a day off tomorrow. This is already tomorrow's headline so you can just read over it and publish it. Thank you!
Warmest Regards,
Y/N Holmes
The editor stared between the letter and the finished article. The headline told the real story—the unraveling of the truth, the identity of the real killer, the motive, the confession, everything... written in elegant, persuasive prose.
"He wrote all of this before the police even released a statement..."
The man let out a low chuckle of disbelief.
"The Holmes family really is something else."
***
Y/N adjusted the collar of his trench coat and glanced at the modest fruit basket in his arms before knocking on the door of a familiar flat.
YOU ARE READING
The Third Holmes (𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘁 𝘅 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗬/𝗡)
FanfictionY/N Holmes, the youngest brother of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, has carved his own path as a talented journalist. When not uncovering stories, he assists Mycroft at MI6 and helps Sherlock solve complex cases. Y/N's life takes an unexpected turn whe...
