The Mystery of Jayden Holmes (A Greg Lestrade fanfic)

Chapter Two

I felt Jim shifting around then listened to his muffled exchange of words that came from the other side of the door. I heard him walk back in and get dressed, but continued to let him think I was asleep. After he walked out I laid there for a while before getting up and slipping on one of his shirts and going to the living room. I padded downstairs barefoot and froze when I rounded the corner into the living room.

“Sleep well, honey?” Jim asked, not looking at me, but at my twin instead. “Come, have a seat.”

I took his outstretched hand and took a seat on his lap. He placed one hand on the small of my back and let the other draw patterns on my bare thigh. I knew he was doing it out of spite toward my brother.

“Isn’t she gorgeous, Sherlock?” Jim taunted as I brushed aside my black curls.

“Nice bruising,” my twin said suddenly, causing my body to tense. I forgot about the incident from the night before and the inevitable bruising that would occur. I quickly moved my hair back into place and looked to Jim who was obviously irritated. I started to stand up to leave, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back to his lap. He slapped me hard in front of my brother and his flatmate, making any dignity I had left disappear.

Without skipping a beat, Sherlock lunged forward from his seat and ripped me from Jim’s grasp. I looked up at my brother in total surprise. I hadn’t expected him to really care, at least not after I left him on the terms I had. He actually reminded me of the protective ‘older’ brother he used to be when we were younger.

“You’re showing your hand, Sherlock,” Jim said in a sing song voice as a smirk grew on his face. I frowned and tried to push away from my brother, but his grip only tightened. “Me, hurting your sister in front of you; you, playing the hero. It’s all very cliché, don’t you think? You’re becoming very sentimental lately and I blame John for that. But this makes it fun. I have multiple ways to burn you now. Go ahead and take her, Sherlock, but it’ll only make me hurt her more.

“And you!” Jim’s dark eyes seemed black as he stared at me. “I will break you. And don’t look at me like that; you know you were going to go with him as soon as he offered it. Go pack while the big boys talk.”

Sherlock let go of me and I dashed upstairs to grab my things. I hadn’t realized how bad I was shaking until I collapsed on the floor and saw my trembling hands. Once I managed to regain composure, I found a bag and stuffed everything I had into it.

I shrugged Jim’s shirt off and got dressed in a long sleeve, red shirt with lace on the shoulders, jeans, and black boots. I looked around the room to check for anything I missed and slowly made my way back down to the others. I stopped in the doorway and all eyes averted to me. Jim cleared his throat and the attention was his again.

“The ring,” he said simply. “Don’t think I’m going to stay engaged to you after all of this.”

“You...were engaged to Moriarty?” John asked dubiously.

“Don’t ask such stupid questions, John. She had the ring on yesterday when she was at our flat,” Sherlock half growled.

I ignored the conversation as I slipped the ring from my finger and walked to my ex-fiancé. He reached for my hand, but swiftly grabbed my wrist instead and snapped it like a twig. I let out a yelp of pain and Sherlock pointed a gun at Jim, Jim to John, and John rushed to my side to tend to my wrist. I’d have to remember to thank him later.

“We’re leaving, and you get to live for a little while longer,” Sherlock said as John started to lead me out of the room.

“Have fun, Sherlock,” Jim turned to walk away, then called over his shoulder, “Take care of her will you?”