Heir to His Crown

Peace, Son of the Dark Man

Chapter 2

John decided to take the lead, as Sherlock was busy in his own mind, the gears in his head turning faster than before as he stared at nothing in particular. He knew there was no chance of getting Sherlock back to reality until he was ready for it.

"I'm sorry, what?" John asked Mycroft, his utter confusion clear in his tone.

"Paxton Colis Moriarty, born Dante Wyatt Alder." Mycroft repeated before continuing. "He is thirteen years of age, born in 2007. However, he had first been exposed to his father, Jim Moriarty, in 2010. His name was changed abruptly after that."

"Adler... As in Irene Adler?" John questioned the elder Holmes, hoping he had heard that wrong or that it was some sort of a coincidence. A child of both The Woman and the consulting criminal...

"The very same." Mycroft confirmed.

"Peace. Son of the dark man." Sherlock piped up, causing John to look at his flatmate.

"What?" John inquired, knowing it had to mean something to the situation at hand.

"Paxton Colis. Pax, peace. Colis, son of the dark man." Sherlock elaborated. To many other people, that may not seem like an explanation, but to John and Mycroft, it made perfect sense.

"Moriarty certainly had an odd sense of humor when it came to renaming his child." Mycroft agreed.

"Why didn't we know about him sooner?" Sherlock asked his brother, eyes now fixed on the boy's still form on the couch.

"Because they didn't want you to." Mycroft replied simply.

"Who?"

"Sherrinford." The word hit almost as hard as the boy's surname had. Sherrinford. The supposedly impenetrable prison with a faulty lock, letting the smartest and most demented of their inmates out. All you need to escape is the power of suggestion and a false window. Sherlock thought back to his last visit to his sister, Eurus. The security had looked much stronger. Clearly, that couldn't be the case.

"Why was a child locked up in Sherrinford?" John asked incredulously. Sherlock had to agree. The boy was small and scrawny, coming in at 98 pounds and 4'10. He really didn't seem like he could harm anyone. However, neither did Jim Moriarty.

"We were concerned about what Paxton might do, given his lineage." Mycroft responded. "However, in light of recent events, it has become unsafe to house him at Sherrinford."

"And why's that?" John inquired.

"He visited Eurus." John's eyes flicked to Sherlock, who looked marginally surprised.

"Like father, like son." Sherlock answered, his tone thoughtful yet concerned. John could understand why. They had both seen what alone time with Eurus could do to people... Everyone who went in, save the Holmes brothers left a brainwashed shell of their former selves. They would do whatever she had told them, they were her puppets. And to think that this child had become exposed to that... He would never be the same. Not to mention what would happen to anyone else involved with him.

"More so than you know." Mycroft agreed dryly.

"So you've brought us a brainwashed child?" John raised an eyebrow, not understanding the elder Holmes' logic. Why wouldn't he keep Paxton at Sherrinford if he was so clearly dangerous?

"No." Mycroft corrected, but offering no more explanation.

"No?" Sherlock shot back, irritated with his brother's vagueness. He could never handle information being kept from him, especially in uncharted territory such as this. However, the picture was starting to clear in Sherlock's mind, bringing to light some startling ideas.

"Paxton Moriarty's mental state has not been changed by Eurus. He resisted any and all control she tried to exert over him." Mycroft said, clarifying everything for Sherlock, who instantly launched into the end of the story.

"He's completely the same as he was before he went in. No matter how much you checked and rechecked, he was fine! Oh, Mycroft, that must have gotten to you, finding out you're on the same playing field as a thirteen year old child." John looked over to see a smug smirk spread over his flatmate's face. He snorted a small laugh, shaking his head. There was nothing quite like insulting his Mycroft Holmes to cheer Sherlock up. "So then you decided it was just too much trouble, too much risk, to keep a child with access to our sister running around the most secure facility in the world. So, you planned to bring him over to us. But Paxton didn't really want to cooperate and he could have hurt your guards.... no, wait, he did... so you had to drug him. You oversaw the transfer personally, leading the men into the house and telling them to leave him on the couch in our sitting room to find when we returned home. That means..." Sherlock trailed off, head swinging all around the room before pointing to the skull on the mantel place. "There's a camera there, John." John crossed the room, picking up the object to examine. Sure enough, nestled in the eye of the skull was a small camera, ready to alert Mycroft to their arrival home and discovery of the child. Plucking it from the eye and replacing the skull on the mantel, he turned to see Sherlock retrieving a similar device from one of the bullet holes in the wall. "Really, Mycroft? Only two? I would expect more from the British government."

"Always had a flair for the dramatic." John muttered to himself, completely unsurprised by Mycroft bugging the flat. It's not like it would be the first time.

"The cameras are irrelevant, Sherlock," Mycroft interjected, clearly changing the subject, "What matters is Paxton and his future. We cannot keep him at Sherrinford, not now. But a simple orphanage would not be suitable either. Even with our supervision, he can be extremely volatile. He needs a place where he will be watched. After extensive debate with my colleagues, they have allowed me to extend the offer to you."

"What makes you think we'd accept this offer?" John questioned, thoroughly confused as to what the elder Holmes brother's plan was. Mycroft always had a plan, usually a fool-proof one. But this idea was a stretch.

"Because the alternative options for him are horrific. Prisons that destroy adults, government programs meant for the worst of the worst, nightmares no child is meant to endure." Mycroft explained. Sherlock tilted his head slightly as he listened to his brother. Was that a shred of emotion he heard in the Iceman's voice? Sherlock was intrigued. "Taking him in would save his life."

John felt his heart squeeze at the thought. He thought of Rosie, how he would feel if his little girl was caught in such a horrible state. "Is Paxton innocent?" John asked, his tone making it clear that he needed a real answer from Mycroft, not a cryptic statement.

"Innocent?" Mycroft replied curiously.

"Yes, innocent. Has he done anything? Has he harmed anyone?"

"Only out of survival and self defense."

"No deaths?" Sherlock joined in, seeing what his flatmate wanted to know. They were truly considering this.

"No deaths." Mycroft confirmed.

John nodded and gave a look to Sherlock understood instantly. He wanted to do this. Sherlock was willing to take Paxton in as well, if not just for John's peace of mind, but he did have a question of his own.

"What's the catch?" he inquired.

Mycroft had known that was coming. His little brother always suspected that he had something up his sleeve. In Sherlock's defense, however, he wasn't wrong. "You would provide me with weekly updates on his well being and behaviors. My colleagues and I still need to keep a close eye on him, in case he were to show behaviors similar to his father. The project has been named Operation Pax Anglia. English peace."

Sherlock nodded, mulling over all of the information in his head. He looked to John, who seemed to be thinking as well.

"A small price to pay." John commented, his mind made up. Paxton would stay.

Sherlock nodded his agreement. "Alright, Mycroft. We'll take the case." And with that, Sherlock hung up the phone before his brother could say another word.