Hello Detective

The Great Game Part 2

I woke up the next morning in bed... Sherlock's bed. It was probably 6 o'clock. John's voice running up the stairs had been the sound that woke me up. I walked out, barefoot into the hall to track the sound.

"I saw it on the telly, are you okay?" John asked Sherlock.

"Me? What? Oh fine. Gas leak apparently. This one hit her head." Sherlock said, sitting in his chair, his violin in his hands. He pointed the bow towards me. John turned to me, reaching to inspect my head. He was a doctor after all.

"I'm fine, really. Could have been worse." I said, pushing his hand away. I did have a killer headache though. I looked beyond John and saw Mycroft sitting in John's chair. I moved and sat down on the arm of Sherlock's large chair. Mycroft looked at me questioningly, and I knew he was silently asking about what he asked me to look for earlier. I looked down and nodded sadly. He looked disappointed, but not surprised.

"I can't." Sherlock said to Mycroft, clearly continuing whatever conversation they were having earlier.

"Can't?" Mycroft asked.

"Stuff I've got on is just too big. I can't spare the time." Sherlock lied.

"Never mind your usual trivia. This is of national importance." Mycroft scolded.

"How's the diet?" Sherlock asked, annoyingly stroking his violin with his long fingers.

"Fine." Mycroft asked, equally annoyed.

"Perhaps you can get through to him, Adelaide." Mycroft said to me. I saw John awkwardly walk around the room, inspecting the damage from the gas leak.

"If you're so keen, why don't you investigate it?" Sherlock said before I had a chance to speak.

"No, I can't possibly be away from the office for any length of time. Not with the Korean elections so..." He cut himself off as we all looked at him curiously.

"Well, you don't need to know about that, do you? Besides, a case like this, it requires... legwork." Mycroft said.

"How's Sarah, John? How was the lilo?" Sherlock said, after rolling his eyes to Mycroft.

"Sofa. It was the sofa." I corrected.

"She's quite right you know." Mycroft said.

"Oh, yes, of course." Sherlock said, dragging his attention back to his violin.

"How... oh never mind." John said, sitting down on the couch.

"Sherlock's business seems to be booming since you three became... pals. What's he like to live with? Hellish, I imagine." Mycroft said, directing his question towards John.

"I'm never bored." John answered.

"Good. That's good, isn't it?" Mycroft said, standing. He tried to hand a file to Sherlock but he wouldn't take it. Instead Mycroft turned to me and I took it out of his hands, still sitting on the arm of Sherlock's chair.

"Andrew West, known as Westie to his friends. Civil servant. Found dead on the tracks at Battersea Station this morning with his head smashed in." Mycroft explained.

"Jumped in front of a train?" John asked.

"Seems the logical assumption." Mycroft said.

"But?" I asked.

"But?" Mycroft asked back.

"Well, you wouldn't be here if it was just an accident." I said. Sherlock half laughs.

"The MOD is working on a new missile defense system. The Bruce-Partington program it's called. The plans for it were on a memory stick." Mycroft continued to explain.

"That wasn't very clever." John chuckled.

"It's not the only copy. But it is secret, and missing." Mycroft said annoyed. I could see the delight on Sherlock's face that his friend was as rude to his brother as he was.

"Top secret?" John asked.

"Very. We think West must have taken the memory stick. We can't possibly risk it falling into the wrong hands. You've got to find those plans, Sherlock." Mycroft said.

"Don't make me order you." Mycroft threatened lightly.

"I'd like to see you try." Sherlock smirked, and Mycroft turned to me.

"I hope you haven't forgotten my offer." Mycroft said to me.

"Of course not." I answered as Sherlock began to play his violin loudly, in order to get Mycroft out of the flat.

"Why'd you lie? You've got nothing on. Not a single case. That's why the wall took a pounding. You did you tell your brother you were busy?" John asked Sherlock.

"Why shouldn't I?" Sherlock said.

"Sibling rivalry." I said, looking down to him and shaking my head. I smirked and his phone rang.

"Sherlock Holmes." He answered after digging it out of his interior coat pocket.

"Of course. How could I refuse. Yes, she's here. She's fine, just hit her head." Sherlock talked into the phone.

"Lestrade. We've been summoned. Coming?" Sherlock asked John.

"If you want me to." John said.

"Of course. I'd be lost without my blogger." Sherlock smiled, clearly they were both over whatever fight they had.