I am not lonely [Mystrade]

CHAPTER 70 : Green plushy frame

Greg was drumming his fingers impatiently against the steering wheel,  stuck in the traffic for more than half an hour after having spend an  already rather frustrating day. His team had finally caught one of the  man who was believed to be the head of a local housebreaking gang but  after six hours of interview they had to let him walk out free as they  had been unable to collect enough formal proof to send him to court. It  wasn't the first time that such a thing happen but it was always making  the team feel quite down as they knew that they had the culprit and that  he deserved to serve a long prison sentence but that he was completely  free to go back to his activities as soon as he will go through the  Yard's door with a mocking smile plastered on his face.
"Hello,  hello, hello / With the lights out, it's less dangerous / Here we are  now, entertain us / I feel stupid and contagious / Here we are now,  entertain us / A mulatto, an Albino / A mosquito, my libido, yeah" the  detective sang along the radio before sighing and glancing at his watch.  He was supposed to pick up Alden from school but he would most probably  be late as the traffic was still not moving and the little boy was  supposed to be out in less than five minutes. He resisted the temptation  of switching the blue lights on, knowing that it could owe him a  disciplinary measure if his superior happen to know about it. "Come on,  move your ass out of the way ..." he muttered to the others drivers,  knowing that it would have no effect whatsoever but still trying to find  a way to let his anger out.
He finally arrived in front of the  school nearly 10 minutes late but, from the group of children still  waiting in front of it, he could say that the state of the London  traffic had caught many parents like him. He advised his son waiting  with other kid of his age, grouped around their teacher who was  apparently showing them a magic trick or such a thing and he walked  toward them.
"Papa !" exclaimed the toddler when he advised his father before running to him.
"Hello  little man." the policeman hugged him, placing a gentle kiss on his  forehead before turning to the teacher. "Sorry for being late, traffic ...  You know that ..."
"All to well ..." chuckled the young man. "So does many parents apparently !"
"I'm used to traffic  in central London, but to that extent I must admit that it's pretty  rare ..." nodded the older man. "Alden, you say goodbye to everyone ?"
"Bye bye !" smiled the little boy earning himself a bunch of huge smile from his friends and teacher.
Gregory  grabbed his son's bag and they made their way back to the grey BMW. He  strapped Alden to his booster on the back seat and climbed back in front  of the weal, already sighing at the idea of going back to the packed  traffic. He had no idea what had happened but the last time he had seen  such a thing, half of the streets of central London were closed for a  Royal parade, not something that was happening today as much as he was  aware.
"Why were you late ? You are never late." wondered the toddler in the back.
"Because  there are lots of people using their cars today so I can't go as fast  as I usually go." explained the detective, asking himself if it was a  normal conversation to have with such a young child before remembering  that his son was a Holmes and that he could probably talk of quantum  physics without it being odd.
"You should have use the blue lights. You always go faster with the blue lights Daddy says." remarked the little boy.
"Yes,  but I can't switch on the blue lights whenever I want darling. I can  only use it when I'm working and for good reason or I would be  punished." the policeman smiled.
"But why does Daddy sometime use it just to go quicker than ?" questioned his son, looking rather confused.
"Because  your Daddy is a silly boy and he doesn't have a boss to tell him off.  But he shouldn't use it like this..." chuckled Greg turning right.
"Oh ... So he is never punished ? That's not fair ..." pouted Alden, frowning.
"No. It's not fair ... But your Daddy got a lot of things to do that are not really fun so he can some time have a little bit of fun with his blue lights." smiled the detective.
"What  is Daddy's work. He never told me." wondered the kid to his father  greater discomfort. It was not easy to explain to a child the elder  Holmes very secret job without him repeating it to everyone he knows.  Hopefully he was saved from answering the question by finally arriving  in Kensington Palace Garden and parked his car in the alley.
"Come  on, out of here ! I can smell waffles !" the policeman winked to his  son, unstrapping him from his booster and bringing him inside. Michael  greeted them in the living room with a mug of hot chocolate and a couple  of perfectly cooked Belgian waffles with Nutella.  Preoccupied about his snack, Alden completely forgot his last question  and was smiling genuinely, chocolate all over his face but Gregory was  no fool and knew the question would come back sooner than he could tell  and decided that he and Mycroft should discuss the answer to give as  soon as possible.
"So, what have you done at school today ?" asked the yarder after eating his first waffle.
"It's a surprise." retorted the little boy with a mischievous look.
"A surprise ? For who ?" enquire his father, curious.
"For  you and Daddy. Aidan said it was the best in the class." replied Alden,  proud of himself. "But we have to wait for Daddy to be here."
"I'm sure it's the best, honey." winked the policeman, running a hand in his son's ginger hair.

Mycroft  placed carefully the green plushy frame on the left corner of his desk,  beside another framed picture of Greg and Alden and sat down on his  leather chair, smiling contently at his son's present. The handcrafted  object was looking bit odd in the middle of his luxury furnished and  slightly unpersonnal  office but the elder Holmes couldn't care less. It was the first time  the little boy present him something he had crafted himself and he was  really proud of the toddler's talent. Anthea entered the office, closely followed by one of the club employee carrying a tray of tea and the official focused on his PA.
"Good  morning sir." smiled the young woman, having noticed the new frame and  the look her boss was glancing at it when she entered but having enough  tact not to mention it. "Lady Smallwood is willing to see you, shall I  let her in ?"
"Good morning Anthea." nodded the auburn. "Has she said why she is willing to interrupt me ?"
"I'm afraid she doesn't sir." apologized his assistant. "Shall I ask her before introducing her in ?"
"No,  don't worry. Even if I don't want to let her in she won't go away  before she had a talk with me, so just let her in." sighed Mycroft with a  bored smile while the employee was pouring him tea.
"Will you need a second cup for your guest sir ?" the old man requested.
"No. I don't really want her to feel welcome and hang around. You may leave." answered the official, a little bitter.
The  employee nodded and stepped out, closely followed by Anthea before Lady  Smallwood was introduced in the room a few seconds later. She was  wearing a tweed tailor that make her look older than she really was and  her perfume was leaving its smell in the room even several minutes after  she had left. Repressing a sight, Mycroft showed her a seat and took a  slip of his tea.
"Elizabeth. What owe me the pleasure of your visit ?" he wondered, politely. He never had liked her very much and didn't knew  many things about her but he always had kept cordial relation with the  woman for the sake of his work and of the nation security.
"You shall  sometime step out of this closet Mycroft, you are looking pale as hell,  you know that ?" remarked his colleague willing to converse a little  when the only thing the auburn wished was going straight to business.
"I'll  have a talk with the Prime Minister to ask him to stop screwing things  up. That might allow me more holidays." he answered with a fake smile.
"But  I see you are redecorating apparently." she continued, nodding toward  the green frame. "That's really ...maudlin of you ..."
"Are we here  only to discuss about my furniture or have you something to tell me ?"  the elder Holmes snapped, his fake smile vanishing.
"I'm just  remarking that yo are melting family and job Mycroft." retorted the old  lady, calmly, a nearly invisible smirk on her face.
"And you are not paid for this." replied the official, ice-cold.
"May I remember you what happened last time you melt family and work ?" flouted the woman.
"If  you haven't brought my brother into your husband personal mistakes I  wouldn't have had to intervene." retorted the auburn, furious.
"You've done many mistakes Mycroft and you can't blame me for each and every of it." denied Lady Smallwood.
"At  least I know how to recruit my staff, Elizabeth." snapped the man.  "Now, if you would excuse me, I have work to do. There is no need for e  to show you to the door, is it ?"
With a last befooling look,  the woman exited the room and the elder Holmes leaned down against his  chair's back. He looked once more at the green frame and smiled weakly.  Of course, Lady Smallwood was right, he had made mistakes when melting  family and work and, of course, he shouldn't use the government power to sort of his family issues, but displaying a frame on his desk was nothing more than decoration.
Chuckling to himself about the bitterness and jealousy  of the old woman, Mycroft grabbed one of the files that his PA had  placed on the desk before he arrived in the morning and started reading  it through, finding this story about the Royal Family much more  entertaining than the bitterness of his colleague. It had been a long  time since he hadn't heard about a new scandal at the Palace and he was  looking forward to the visit to the Queen he would surely have to pay  according to what he could read.