I am not lonely [Mystrade]

CHAPTER 3 : Brother mine.

       

A few days after Mycroft and Greg had this conversation about kids, the auburn was sat at his desk, in his office of the Diogene club, a cup of tea in his hands-again he was not offered any sugar with it, but he started to like it in this way-. He had been engaged stifleling a case involving the Prince Harry all morning and was starting to feel hungry, and even if there was no joy for him in grilled fish and steamed vegetables, he picked up his phone to ring Anthea for lunch.
Ten minutes later the PA entered her boss's office, with two paper bags in her lefthand, her phone in the other one. She displayed the cardboard boxes on the coffee table beside which Mycroft was already sat. With a little nod, he bade her to join him around the table. With a small smile she accepted. She was often offer to stay over for lunch but had never really understood why did her boss preferred having lunch withher in his office better than joining the other high-ranking officials in the dinning room of the club and she never had dared ask him.
The tall man open the cardboard box in front of him and wince. He envied his brother, who was able to eat as much as he wants without putting up a pound and who even have the arrogance of eating so few. Mycroft, despite running every day for half-an-hour before his shower and restricting himself from sweets and chips, was on a very strict diet at least a six months a year to stay fit. It always has been like this, since they were children. The auburn was a fat kid even if his mother forbid him from sweets and cakes, and was mocked by the other kids in school, while Sherlock was a thin as it was possible to be without being sick.
They ate in silence for a few minutes before Mycroft ask his PA the question he had in mind for a couple of days without asking it.
"Do you have kids Anthea?"
As weird as it could seem, the official knew only very few about his assistant's private life despite the fact they worked together for a bit more than 7 years now. He never really had been curious about it, considering that her life apart from the work doesn't matter as long as she was available when he needed her and that she does the job efficiently.
Surprised, the young woman took a few seconds before answering, raising an eyebrow " No sir. Why?".
"I don't know, I just thought I'd asked ... Isn't what normal people do, conversation ?" he replied in a hurry, blushing discreetly.
"Well, I didn't knew you were interested in being normal sir" she said with a small smile. "I do not have children,no time for this. But I got a niece, a lovely 3-years-old girl."
"Oh... All right ... Do you see her often ?" he continued, thinking that it would be weird, if not even rude to end the conversation now that he had started it. He wasn't that of a social man, he hated parties and all that kind of social events, far more pleased with a comfy evening at home, but he was well-educated and knew enough about social conveniences not to seem rude when he had social interactions.
" I try to visit my brother at least once a week but it's not always easy with ... all this" she gestured toward her boss's office.
Even if she wasn't as clever as Mycroft could be, she had understood that he wasn't only asking her about her kid and niece only to make conversation but she didn't dared asking him questions about his real motivations, not willing to be impolite. She had great respect for her superior and didn't want to put him in discomfort in any way.
They stared at each other oddly during a few seconds before going back to their food and finishing their meal in silence.

Mycroft opened the 221B front door with his own keys without even knocking on it and was greeted by a scared Mrs Hudson in the hallway.
"Oh Mr Holmes ! Please do something ! He is going to ruin the entire flat if you don't stop him" she begged him. At this exact moment there was a loud 'Bang', like a gun shot. Without answering the landlady back, the auburn rushed upstairs to find his brother standing in the middle of his living room, a gun in his hand,staring to a rather bad picture of an oil-magnate, meanwhile Doctor Watson and Lestrade where half-hiding behind the kitchen door, as if they were scared Sherlock would turn to them at a point and shoot them both.
"Sherlock !" the official shouted. "What the hell are you doing !". His brother turn to him, his fingers still on the trigger of the gun, and with wild and rather dangerous gestures he began explaining what was happening.
"You see this man" he said, some hysteria in his voice. "He got everything, money,business, wife, a bunch of lovers". The oldest nodded.
"Of course I know who he is ! It's Phillip Mitchell, third wealth of this country !"
"Is that his name ?" asked the black-haired,rather surprised. " Well whatever, he is responsible for at least 7 brutal executions and never was worried about it because nobody ever investigated the cases !"
"Nobody except you I suppose ..."replied Mycroft, annoyed and bored. "Sherlock. What have you took today ?"
"Tea. And biscuits" replied the younger, indicating the cup he apparently had shot, for whatever reasons.
"Sherlock.Have you made a list." the auburn asked, not amused at all by his brother comportment. The consulting detective gestured toward the desk between the two windows. The elder brother reached it in two steps and grabbed what looks like a sticky note on which the most famous Holmes had written a list of what he had took since the morning.
Suddenly, the two brothers heard John's voice and turned to him like if they had forgotten that there were other people in the room. "Sorry, but what is that list about ?" the doctor asked.
"Nothing Watson. Nothing you should ask about at least."the auburn answered in a rather threatening voice. Then turning toward Lestrade he added "Gregory, could you please give me your handcuffs and ask Anthea and my driver to join me here please ? The car is just in front of the door.".
The policeman did as he was asked, not fully understanding what was going on and during the time he was bringing back Mycroft's PA and driver, the government official had taken away the gun from the hands of his brother who didn't eventried to resist and look rather apathetic and put the handcuffs on his wrists.
When Lestrade had been back, the auburn nodded to histwo employees who crossed the room and grabbed the younger Holmes and brought him to the car.
"I'll meet you two at Barts in a coupleof hours." the other Holmes said before following his brother downstairs.

Sherlock was lying on a bed in a hospital room. The door was opened and he could see his brother talking with Molly Hooper in the corridor but couldn't hear what they were saying. He could have tried to read on their lips to find out but he didn't see the point of doing so and just closed his eyes again.
He heard Mycroft coming back in the room and closing the door behind him but didn't bother looking at him.
"You are not sleeping brother mine." snapped his eldest. "That's childish, you know that."
"Piss off." was the only answer the black-hairedman gave.
With a little mocking smile the auburn sat himself in an armchair in the corner of the room and looked at his phone. It wasn't the first time the two Holmes where in this exact situation.Actually, according to Mycroft's diary, it was exactly the 268th occasion in the last 24 years and surprisingly the first time this year, despite the fact that it was already the end of February . This John Watson was definitely doing his brother some good.
Half an hour later the two brothers were joined by John and Greg, quickly followed by Molly. The room was now crowded but Sherlock doesn'tbother stopping faking being asleep.

The government official raised to his feet and pocketed his phone.
"Watson, Hooper, I let my brother to your care." Hesaid sharply. "Sherlock, please try to behave yourself for once ..."he added in an exhausted voice. He knew that would have absolutely no effect on his sibling's behaviour but at least he looks like a responsible brother in the eyes of the other people standing in theroom. He turned to Lestrade and took his hand, leading him outside.

As they were exiting Barts building, the detective checked his watch and told his partner that it was too late for him to go back to Scotland Yard. They split in front of the building where Mycroft's driver was waiting for him while Greg join his BMW to drive backhome.
The auburn would have preferred to join his partner to havea nice night home with him, but all that stupid story about his brother had interrupted him in the middle of his work and he really needed to catch up with the HongKong elections before the next morning.

Mycroft loved working at the Diogene Club at night because it was even more peaceful than during the day, if that was actually possible. So despite the fact that he would have liked to behome with the DI, he was quite in a great mood when he sat done athis desk and started wondering about the elections. He had some tea poured for him by an employee and a nice and warm fire was burning in the fireplace in the opposite corner of his office.
When he looked up from the reports, it was already two and a half in the morning and he decided to go back home. He was done with what really needed to be done and could do with a little bit of sleep, as, unlike his brother,he does need sleep to have his brain fully functioning.

He closed his office's door,put his long blue coat matching his suit on and a light grey scarf and decided to walk back home instead of taking his car. It was only a 20 minutes walk he felt like he needed a bit of fresh air after today's events.