I am not lonely [Mystrade]

CHAPTER 116 : The man in charge

"Lestrade, when you'll be finish with your current report may I see  you for a couple of minutes ?" the Chief SuperIntendant requested as he  was passing before Greg's office.
The detective nodded, focusing on  the forensics report he was trying to understand. They had spent the  previous week investigating a quite frankly appealing double murder, a  case that Sherlock had found not worth his time but that had ended up  being quite tricky to understand and  he was now left with the redaction of the summary of the investigation  so it could be use in a trial, a task that he loathed more than  anything. When he thought that the case was over and  he could move on to something else, he had to go back to the beginning  of the investigation and just copy his notes in the right order on his  computer.
He sighed and ran his fingers through his eyebrows. He had no idea what Jameson was going to tell him but he just hoped it wouldn't take to long because he had promised Mycroft to be home early so they could go to the new James Bond premiere and he wouldn't have missed that for the world.
He  took a quick look at the report he had typed out to make sure he  haven't done obvious mistakes and clicked on 'print' and assemble the  papers going out of the printer with one of Donovan's fancy paper-clip  she had forgotten on his desk last time she had submitted him one of her  own report to sign. He got to the last page and filled up the date before signing and putting the stack of paper away in the 'urgent' basket.
The  yarder stood up, grabbed his car keys, cigarettes and lighter, put his  jacket on and made his way to his superior's office at the other end of  the corridor. He knocked on the door and instantly got called in.  Jameson was on the phone but gestured to him to take a seat and the  inspector did so while his boss was trying to end up his conversation.
"Sorry,  apparently it looks like we've blown up our annual forensics budget  already. And we are not even six months in the year." the man sighed a  few minutes later after hanging up.
"I might be to blame." Greg smiled.
"Oh, it's the same every year. But they can't cut our budgets or  we won't solve any new case so they just have to make up for it."  replied Jameson. "But I haven't summoned you to talk about budget cuts  actually. I have something, a police operation to entrust you with."
"Uh ?" wondered the policeman, a little anxious about what he was going to be asked to do.
"Yes. I would like you to organise the police response strategy for this year GayPride parade." nodded the SuperIntendant.
"You know that I am not a planner, I am a detective specialized in crimes and murder." retorted the DI.
"Oh,  don't be that modest, you are a good planner you've already shown it a  few times." denied his boss. "And you are the best man for the job."
"And why that ?" questioned the detective, pretty sure that he hadn't been chosen only for his commanding capacity.
"I  know what you are thinking and I would be lying if I was to tell you  that finally having someone part of the LGBT community leading the  police response on this event wasn't something that could be seen  positively, but it wasn't our first criteria when choosing you." replied  Jameson, a little embarrass, knowing that his interlocutor would  probably not like his private life to have anything to do with the  responsibility he was untrusted with at work.
"Really ? So what is it ?" Greg ask, suspiciously and already half angry at the man in front of him.
"Well,  I shouldn't be saying you that but if I don't I have the sense that you  will refuse the offer I just made you so just don't tell anyone I've  told you that, but we are considering you to be appointed Detective  Chief Inspector next autumn when Spencer take his retirement. But for  that we need to test your commanding and planning capacity on this kind  of parades or big events." the SuperIntendant explained with a little  smile.
"So it's not entirely due to the fact I am married to a man ?" wondered the inspector, still suspicious.
"No." confirmed his superior, shaking his head. "At first we wanted to put you in charge for Nottinghill Carnival  as the policing of this event is usually much trickier than the one  from the Pride but Spencer insisted on doing it a last time so the only  big event that was to come this summer that was interesting to test you  was indeed the Pride parade."
"Hmm ..." replied Greg. "And who would fill up for me if I take Spencer's position."
"I'd  favour someone from your team as they know their subject, the most  senior probably." Jameson retorted, raising his shoulders.
"Donovan. If you at least propose the position to Sally Donovan, we have a deal." proposed the policeman.
"She is not the most senior. That's Donougher, isn't it." retorted the other man.
"He will be out of my team in a month and  he is absolutely not able to manage a team." refused the detective.  "Sally is the best for the job, you can trust me. And she deserves to be  given the chance at least. If I am to go away, I want to at least know  that my department will be managed efficiently so I can rely on it."
"Ok,  I'll push her name through if you insist. But she will have to go  through the same assessments than anyone else. Deal ?" nodded Jameson,  taking notes on a small notebook.
"Alright." agreed Greg, internally smiling.
"Perfect.  You'll report to Spencer on Monday morning so he will update you with  what is to be done and who to contact." the SuperIntendant grinned  before shaking his adjunct's hand and let the man go.
The inspector  exited the office and made his way to the car park. He was quite happy  to have been considered for a promotion and rather excited at the idea  of having more responsabilities and some change in his everyday routine  but in the same time, he quite sad at the idea of quitting the  department he had been working in for the last fifteen years. He was  still considering his mixed feelings when he climbed in his car and  noticed he was already a little late on his schedule.

"Here you are !" smiled Mycroft when his partner entered the house twenty minutes later. "Good evening honey."
"Hmm ... I'm late I know." replied the detective, placing a chast kiss on the auburn's lips.
"I've prepared you a bath and picked out your favourite tuxedo from your closet." the official informed him. "Would you like something to eat ?"
"Too much good intention for me, I might get use to it ..." the yarder chuckled lightly. "I'd love to, I'm starving."
"Consider  that done." winked the elder Holmes before pushing his boyfriend to the  stairs and entering in the kitchen, asking to Michael to prepare a  couple of ham and cheese sandwiches for the policeman.

"Jameson  asked me to lead the forces's response for this year's Pride parade."  Greg informed his partner when the latter entered the bathroom, carrying the plate with the sandwiches and two cups of tea.
"Isn't that a little prejudice, to ask your  only openly gay Inspector to monitor the Gay Pride ?" wondered the  auburn, eyebrow frowned but a little smile breaking through his lips.
"Hey, I'm not gay. Not everyone can be such a pansy like you are." chuckled his husband.
"Sorry." retorted the official with an exaggerate bow. "Isn't it a little prejudice to ask your only openly bisexual-married-to-a-man Inspector to monitor the Gay Pride? Better like this ?"
"Hmm ... It's alright, you've redeemed yourself." the detective winked. "I thought it was too and I wanted to refuse but apparently Jameson is considering me for becoming DCI and they need to have me in charge of a response to a major parade before promoting me."
"And a way of trying to show themselves as allies to the gay community ?" continued the elder Holmes.
"Jameson didn't even bothered denying it." the policeman nodded before biting into one of the sandwiches.
"I hope you've accepted ?" questioned Mycroft before spreading a little shampoo in his partner's hair and starting to massage his scalp.
"Of course. It's been 8 years I'm waiting for a promotion, I couldn't say no. Tho  I'm a little upset of going away from my team I suppose." Gregory  remarked, letting out a moan of ease at the sensation of the long and  thin fingers of his lover through his hair.
"They still will be only  one floor below you. And I suppose you will still be focused on crimes  and murder no ?" the official reassured him.
"Yes, but still, it will  be a little different." agreed the yarder. "I'm trying to have Sally to  take my position but I don't know if I will succeed. Jameson would like  the most senior officer to fill in for me but there is no way I go away  if it's for Donougher to take the lead after me."
"Wasn't he suppose to go away at the end of June ?" demanded the auburn, surprised.
"He was supposed to go in December but no one want him." snorted his boyfriend.
"I'm  sure you will find a way to have Sally in charge. They need to be  assessed before being offered the position anyway, no ? Donougher would  never go through the tests, would he ?" the elder Holmes raised his  shoulders.
"Exactly." confirmed the detective before immersing his head in the water to get rid of the shampoo. "And I forbid you of wandering your nose around this subject, am I clear ?"
"I would never do that." denied Mycroft before letting out a chuckle.
"Never. That's so not like you." added Greg, stepping out of the bathtub and grabbing a heavy white towel.
"However,  we will need new business card now. 'Detective Chief Inspector Gregory  Lestrade and Sir Mycroft Holmes, KBE'." grinned the other man.
"That's seems right to me." giggled the policeman, starting to pull on his tuxedo shirt.
"And  who knows, one day it might maybe be 'Chief Super Intendant Sir Gregory  Lestrade, KBE' or even 'Commisionner Sir Gregory Lestrade, KBE' ...  Everything is achievable ..." suggested the auburn.
"As much as I would like it, we will keep it to DCI for the moment darling ..." Greg laughed.
"Man of little ambition ..." the elder Holmes mocked him.