Sherlock: The Next Generation

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

"I can't wait to go to the theatre! I'm so excited... This is going to be so fun!" Molly practically beamed, skipping beside her dad. Sherlock just sighed lightly, rolling his eyes. Somehow John had managed to convince him that it would be fun to have a family trip to the theatre to see some kind of pantomime. He hadn't wanted to but supposedly the kids would enjoy it. Molly was certainly excited, as was Martin who had invited along Karina and was chatting animatedly to her. After all the two hadn't seen each other since the summer holidays. Hamish was walking grumpily beside John. Not looking happy. No even slightly.

"Why do we have to go to this stupid thing?" Hamish grumbled, glaring at the ground as he walked.

"Because it will be fun, Hamish," John glanced at his son with a slight smile. "A nice thing to do as a family."

"Couldn't we just go solve a crime or something?!"

"I wouldn't call that a nice thing to do as a family."

"Hmph. I think it is."

"I agree with Hamish," Sherlock shot back, earning a glare from his parent.

"You two are a right old pair." John sighed, running a hand through his greying hair. He earned identical smirks from the both of them. Like father like son, John guessed. Though none of the three had turned out almost exactly like him. He guessed things just didn't happen that way.

"So how is the new school?" Karina put forward the question that Martin was sure she had wished to ask for ages while they were standing in the queue waiting to enter the theatre.

"Great, actually," Martin replied with a grin, pulling his coat tighter around him as  bitter breeze whistled through the air. It wasn't quite as cold as it had been back down in Scotland at school, but it was still pretty cold.

"Really?" Karina tilted her head with a smile. "That's good. Glad you're enjoying it. School isn't the same without you."

"I'm sure it's no different," Martin shrugged.

"It really is? Have you made any new friends?"

"Yes, surprisingly. I'm friends with all four of the other boys. Especially one of them, Max. He's a musician and an artist as well."

"Cool..." Karina blinked her grey-blue eyes. She didn't sound that convinced.

Luckily Martin didn't need to carry on the conversation as they had entered the theatre, Sherlock and John ushering them through the throngs of people queuing to buy food and through the doors that led to their seats. A silence had fallen over all of them, only occasionally being broken by Molly's excited blabbering.

Then it started, the lights dimming and the curtains drawing open. Martin fixed his attention on the show and didn't think about anything else.

"Martin? Pst, Martin! You still awake?"

"Yeh," Martin mumbled groggily, turning around in his bed to face Hamish. His twin was sitting up cross legged opposite him, at least that was what he could make out. It was all a bit blurry what with his short sightedness and the fact that there was pretty much no light. "Why?"

"Can't sleep."

"You can never sleep, Mish."

"You're one to talk!"

"Actually I've been going to sleep normally when I was at school."

"But not at home? I'm offended."

"Well the light when your reading doesn't help. Nor does the sighing. Or the experiments."

"Small things. You would think you prefer school," Hamish pouted, tugging at his dark curls.

"I don't. Maybe if you were there, but you're not. I enjoy it but I miss you."

"I miss you too, Marti. I don't like you not being here."

"I know... And I'm sorry."

"Not your fault. Anyway, I'll be leaving home for university when I'm sixteen and have finished my A levels. Which is in... Three and a half years."

"Still three and a half years more away from each other. Though... I wouldn't have liked to go to a normal senior school."

"You would hate it. I do too, but that is beside the point." Hamish shrugged with a coy grin.

"Yeh. And you're seriously going to university in three and a half years?"

"Of course. I want to leave school as soon as possible. You know how boring I find it."

"I do."

"Also, the sooner I can become a consulting detective. Like dad."

"And force him into retirement," Martin laughed lightly. It was probably true, though. Two consulting detectives may be a bit much for the world. And their Daddy and Papa were actually quite old, being in their late thirties and early forties when they had Martin and Hamish.

"Not necessarily. Anyway... We went off on a bit of a tangent. There was a reason I asked if your were awake."

"Well no," Martin replied sarcastically.

"Wait, were you just sarcastic? You really have changed, Marti."

"Not that much."

"You really have."

"Blame Max and my other friends."

"I will. Now... Here." Martin blinked as Hamish shot off his bed, handing Martin something. He turned it in his hands carefully, narrowing his eyes. It was smooth and cold, a combination of plastic and metal. Black. Had an antenna.

"A walkie talkie? Why?"

"It's long distance. I have the one it is connected to. So we can communicate with each other without it being against your schools stupid no mobiles and only one phone call a week policy. Consider it an early birthday present. Cause, you know, you'll be back in Scotland when it's our birthday..."

"Thanks, Mish," Martin hugged his twin tightly, blinking his eyes. He felt a bit tearful thinking about it. It would be his first birthday alone. Without his twin.

"No problem, Marti. Just remember to talk to me on the day."

"I will. There is no way I could forget."