Sophia Holmes and the Sign of Three (Sherlock's Daughter Fanfic) *Completed*

Chapter Two - The Bloody Guardsman Part II

We arrive at the barracks towards the end of a parade, and I watch through the gate as the guardsmen march into position and wait to be dismissed.

"Company, halt!" the parade sergeant calls. "Right turn!"

As we reach the entrance, John hands his military ID over to the duty sergeant. "We're here to see Private Stephen Bainbridge," he says, as the sergeant studies it.

"He's on duty right now, sir," he replies, handing back John's wallet, "but I'll certainly let him know when he's free."

"And when will that be?" dad asks.

"Another hour."

Dad nods, and heads off towards the park opposite the barracks. John and I follow after him and sit down beside him on a bench overlooking the parade ground.

"Do you think they give them classes?" dad asks after a moment of silence.

"Classes?" John replies with a frown.

"How to resist the temptation to scratch their behinds?" he continues, and I laugh in disbelief.

"Afferent neurons in the peripheral nervous system," John replies. Dad turns his head slightly in John's direction. "Bum itch."

"Oh!" Dad waits a few seconds before speaking again. "So why don't you see him any more?"

"Who?"

Your previous commander, Sholto."

"'Previous commander'?" John repeats.

I raise my eyebrows in amusement as dad briefly closes his eyes, feeling awkward. "I meant 'ex'."

"'Previous' suggests that I currently have a commander," John points out, with a tight-lipped smile.

"Which you don't."

"Which I don't."

"Unless you want to include Mary," I say, smiling. We all know who wears the trousers in that relationship. Dad and John laugh.

"He was decorated, wasn't he?" dad says after a moment, bringing us back to Sholto. "A war hero."

"Not to everyone," John replies. "He led a team of crows into battle."

"'Crows'?" I repeat.

"New recruits. It's standard procedure; break the new boys in - but it went wrong. They all died; he was the only survivor. The press and the families gave him hell." He turns to dad. "He gets more death threats than you."

"Oh, I wouldn't count on that."

"Why have you suddenly taken an interest in another human being?"

"I'm ... chatting." John raises his eyebrows and we share a look. Dad half-turns his head and looks at him out of the corner of his eye before turning back. "Won't be trying that again."

"Changing the subject completely..." John says, pulling in a breath through his nose, then looking to dad, "you know it won't alter anything, right, me and Mary, getting married? We'll still be doing all this."

"Oh, good," dad replies.

"If you were worrying."

"Wasn't worried." Well that's a lie.

John looks down and chuckles thoughtfully. "See, the thing about Mary - she has completely turned my life around." Dad rolls his eyes and stands up quietly, starting to walk away. I follow him as John continues to talk, unaware that we're now halfway down the hill.