I am not lonely [Mystrade]

CHAPTER 39 : None of your business.

Mycroft was putting the last touch to his statement when Anthea entered the room, carrying a new stack of papers, articles of online newspaper that were all questioning themselves about the Daily Mail allegation, some clearly believing it without questions, other trying to be more moderate and to separate the private story of the two men romance with the fact that it could had had an influence on their work, the Government more or less accused of puppettering Scotland Yard. She handled the papers to Gregory who was sat in a corner of the room, answering his texts.
"Anthea, could you give me your opinion on this ?" asked the official, giving her the draft of his statement. He was still looking a little ashamed of his attitude earlier and, combined to his state of panic, it was making him strangely kind and unsure of himself.
The young woman took a seat and started reading, her eyebrows frowned but she was interrupted a few seconds later by the ringing of the auburn's phone. The three of them looked at the phone as if they weren't completely sure what it was and what to do with it before Mycroft brought together enough bravery to pick it up.
"Mycroft Holmes speaking." he introduced himself, his voice clearly showing his state of tension. During half a minute, the official listened to his interlocutor, the two other unable to understand who it was or what was going one."Yes, certainly sir. I'll be there." finally resumed the auburn,all his usual arrogance and confidence pulled away, giving him the tone of a student in front of a teacher lecturing him. He nodded a few time more, still listening to the man before putting down the phone. The two others were looking at him in wonder, waiting for him to explain what had just happened.
"It was Ryan Jackson, the Minister for Cabinet Office." he indicated to Greg for whom the name rang no bell. "He wants to see me in an hour in his office.". The PA nodded, writing something down on a little notebook.
"Shall we release the statement before or after you encounter the Minister?" she asked to her boss.
"We probably should wait. I'm not sure he would be that grateful if I short-cut him. Power play ..."replied the official in a sigh. "Could you please gather all the proofs I need to deny the article in a file ?" he added. Anthea stood up and nodded before disappearing, letting the statement drafton the edge of her superior's desk. "I knew I should have been a lawyer ..." he whispered to himself.

Mycroft placed a last kiss on his partner's cheek before exiting the car, closely followed by his assistant and entered the White Hall building. He would have wished the detective to stay at the Diogene Club's office but he had insisted, not tolerating staying by his own in this windows-less room, not having any news about what was going on, and the auburn,still slightly ashamed of his comportment toward him earlier and knowing that, despite the fact he was trying to keep himself together, was probably even more anxious about his work and life that the elder Holmes was himself, hadn't got the fortitude of forbidding the yarder to follow him.
As he was walking past the corridors to the Minister's office on the fifth floor, he could catch the glanced of other employees looking at him as a sort of curious animal and whispering one to another in the least discreet manner. Trying to control his will to smile exaggeratedly to them to make them know he had noticed their gossiping, he tried to focus on the meeting that was to take place. He had always considered Ryan Jackson as a dumb, not unlike most of the politician he had met before, but he was a greatly surrounded idiot, having some of the greatest minds in the country as his private advisors. Mycroft sighed, glancing a look at his PA who nodded to him before knocking on the office door.
"Come in." an impetuous voice exclaimed from the inside.
The official entered, pulling himself together and arboring his usual formal and slightly uncaring mask. "Minister."
"Mr Holmes." greeted him the other man with a fake smile. "Please take aseat."
Cautiously, the auburn sat down, his eyes fixed on the younger, dark-haired and slightly overweighted man on the other sideof the desk. "You wanted to see me ?"
"I think you know why, we don't no need to play this little game do we ?" replied the Minister. "Those are serious allegation that, if they are true could be absolutely devastating for this institution." continued the man, giving his interlocutor the impression he was addressing a five-years-old. "So, my question is simple, is it true you are sleeping with a member of the force ?"
"The person with who I sleep is, with all due respect, none of your business." replied the official, his voice steady.
"Mr Holmes, I strongly advise you to tell me the truth." warned the younger man. "I repeat my self, do you sleep with a member of the force ?"
"And I repeat myself, it's none of your business." snapped Mycroft. "At the question have I interfered in Scotland Yard's cases, however, the answer is no."
"I am the one who ask the questions here !" crowed theJackson. "I am not the one accused of interference, you are."
"By the Daily Mail. I thought you would have more reliable sources." retorted the official, decided not to let the other man to take the advantage on him.
"And how can I be sure of what you are claiming if you don't answer my questions ? For your own sake and the sake of your career Mr Holmes, you'd better give me the answers I'm asking for. For the third time, are you sleeping with a member of the force ?" insisted the Minister, not appreciating at all the attitude of the elder Holmes.
"It's an obsession ! As much as I'm aware, I have no obligation to advise my employer of whom I'm dating or not dating, do I ?" exclaimed the auburn making the othersigh furiously. "My personal life had been searched when I entered the house and is regularly checked, that should content you. And even if I was banging this Detective Inspector, what kind of interference proof would that be ?". He was defined not to answer to any question on his partner, not wanting to give the young man the pleasure of breaking his principles.

"What would it change ? You are seriously asking me what would it change ?" choked Jackson."You know what it would change ! How could we deny the accusations if you actually spend your night with this cop ? How could I defend my management of the Cabinet Office if something like this happen!"
"That's it. You don't care if I or anyone else actually is in trouble, the only thing that have importance to your eyes is your pathetic career ..." chuckled the auburn. "How bad would it be, five days before you are to be replaced to have this last scandal?"
"I won't tolerate your impertinence Holmes !" warned him the Minister, looking seriously furious at the turn the conversation was taking.
"And I won't tolerate that you try to make of me guilty of this lie !" retorted Mycroft, rising his voice. "You want proofs that all that is lies ? I've got all the proofs you need but don't you dare making my private life a relevant subject !".
"As far as I know Holmes, you haven't been appointed Prime Minister which means I'm still your superior and you have to answer me and obey my order !" outbursted the dark-haired.
"In case you haven't read my file, I've seen 6 of your PMs going by and countless little conceited man like you since I joined the Cabinet Office and I'm still here." replied the official
"Is that a threat ?" yelled Jackson, unconsciously half standing in order to dominate the man in front of him.
"No, it's a fact sir." answered the auburn, calmly. "Now you shall understand that I'm not going to answer any question about my private life because that is definitely nothing of your concern. If these are the only questions you are to ask, I'd better be off solving this mess by myself not caring at all if the blame came on you at the end. If you are ready to have a real conversation to find a way of sorting the things out together and save your ass as well as mine, I'll stay."
The Minister stayed silent during a few seconds, looking furiously at his interlocutor. "Right. What is your proofs." he finally asked in a rather bitterly voice.
Mycroft handled him the file he had asked his PA to put together earlier and allowed the other man a little time to take a look at it. "Here, you have all you need to understand that if it's a cock which is running Scotland Yard, it's certainly not mine."
"What shall I say to Scotland Yard's Commissioner ? Heis furious at the idea of being controlled by someone from ours. He's been calling me every 10 minutes since this morning !" demanded the Minister, who seemed to had understood that he couldn't win against the elder Holmes.
"Well you, you are doing nothing. For myself, I'll go and sort that out in person." replied the latter, standing up to his feet.
"I can't let you play by yourself ! I am the one in charge !" protested the Minister, in a final attempt to try to enforce his authority.

" But I'm the only one who hold the proofs of this lie." retorted the auburn, collecting his file that was laying on the desk and exiting the office in a last fake smile. Anthea was waiting for him behind the door and he handled her the papers before sighing heavily and running a hand in his hair. He had assumed a dangerous tactic and despite the positive result of the conversation, he was still nervous, not being able of slowing down his heartbeat.

"Are you alright sir ?" wondered the young woman, noticing the odd behaving of her boss.
"Yes. Yes, let's go." replied the official bitting his tongue to focus back on reality.
"Where are we going sir ?" asked the PA while they were making their way quickly to theentrance of the building.
"Scotland Yard." retorted Mycroft in mid voice.