Hold the Umbrella (Mycroft Holmes Fanfic)

The Carriage

"You are not required to take me out to buy me a new coat for the wedding, Father. I work for Her Majesty, I'm sure I can spend a shilling of my own.  Although I appreciate your kindness, you must admit it is better that you stay home and relax in your old age."

"You are a stupid boy, Mycroft. I don't care how intelligent your professors and governesses said you were, because in this moment you appear dafter than a street urchin. I've called you today not only to buy you a new coat but offer you my fatherly advice. It is without a doubt the proper thing to do, as I recall......" 

Mycroft's father continued to ramble. Mycroft looked out the window at the pedestrians walking along the streets and began to mentally drift. 

How could have Mycroft been so blind to his father's true reason for their current and poorly planned excursion? Mycroft was no longer a boy, he was a man, and everything his father could teach him, he already knew.

But honestly, every since his new thought, Anne, was introduced he had noticed that his mind had become jumbled.

Last week, he was unable to tell the birthplace of a man in the street by the type of pipe he was smoking, and that is undoubtedly one of the easiest tricks in the book. At least for Mycroft Holmes it is. 

And there's another thing. Mycroft doesn't understand why he keeps disappearing within himself. People go on talking, and the world keeps on spinning, and lately everything around Mycroft goes in one ear and out the other. He couldn't focus on any singular thing except Anne and frankly, it was pissing him off.

"Mycroft, are you listening?"

Mycroft looked at his father. "No, but do tell me again. Wedding business, I presume?"

Sir Holmes scrunched his face in irritation, but was quick to forgive his son's mishap.  

"No, I was speaking more on the lines of honeymoon business. What are your plans, Mycroft? Do you plan on leaving or staying within the country?"

Mycroft hadn't though about that. He tried to churn up an answer.

"Leaving. I was thinking along the lines of...Paris..Paris, France."

Sir Holmes chuckled a little bit.

"I never took you for the romantic type. There is no better place than Paris to ravish a woman and give into one's carnal desires."

Mycroft let out an awkward cough.

"Well, Paris or not, there will be no ravishing and giving into one's carnal desires."

"I beg your pardon?" Sir Holmes asked in confusion.

"I shall not consummate Anne and I's marriage."

Sir Holmes was worried. 

"What do you mean by that, Mycroft? Is she not to your liking, has her chastity already been broken, explain to me why you will refuse your own desires?"

"I do not want to be bogged down by a family, and I have seen what a physical, a sexual attraction can do to a person. It completely ruins them."

Again, Sir Holmes attitude changed. However, it was for the worst.

Yelling he commanded, "Driver, I wish you to stop this carriage!"

The carriage came to a stop and the driver hopped down from his post to open the door for Sir Holmes to exit. Mycroft realized what he said had caused his father to become enraged, yet he was still dead set on expressing his feelings on the situation.

"Father, it is my life! I can do as I wish!"

As Sir Holmes stepped out he turned to his son, filled with a fervor Mycroft had only seen once or twice in his life.

"I never said you couldn't, Mycroft! In fact, that is how you've always lived your life. Doing as you wish! The reason I accepted this marriage was to continue our name, and our fortune. I could care less if Chapman became destitute, and his daughter had to whore herself out making piss poor pennies on street corners! I only wanted the best for our family, for my sons. I am old, and I cannot deny it! I have so little time left. The only thing I want is stability. Sherlock cannot give our name that. He slanders himself with his detective fancies, and his insane behavior. You are the only one that is capable of giving a relatively sane Holmes' heir. One that when we both leave this earth, can continue our path of greatness."

Mycroft snapped back at his father.

"I understand completely! You mean to say that my marriage is all for your benefit. You're using the last name Holmes to sell the idea, but it's really just for you. For you to have grandsons that will continue your path of exploiting workers and making dirty money. Grandsons that will hold you're same low morals, and yet your high class! Well, I won't have it! I will go to Chapman and end this marriage. I will not be pulled into you're scheme!" 

"I thought you better than that, Mycroft. When you end it, you will turn a knight into a beggar, a girl into a whore! Do you really want to do that? Or is it that you are too good, too proper to give you're wife a real honeymoon! Better yet, are you an Oscar Wilde type? Is that it, Mycroft? Did you never truly take a liking to women, and we've been deceived this entire time?!"

"NO!! In fact, I want to make love to my future bride! That's what's got me all in knots! I have feelings I can't contain, or describe, and it's making me lose my touch with reality! It's driving me mad!"

"Well, of course it's driving you mad, Mycroft. YOU'RE IN LOVE!!"

And at that Sir Holmes slammed the carriage door shut and left Mycroft alone. Mycroft was in a frenzy and coming to terms with everything that had just happened. He thought to get out of the carriage and follow his father, but that may only make matters worse. 

Then, he did the only thing he could think of.

"Driver, please take to the nearest pub."