Glass: Reader Requests

The Human Side • One

Requested on FFN: 'pls do a chapter on the kids getting a crush and how the parents deal with it/how the other kids are affected. Or being older (teenagers) and solving their own case.'

Author's Note: I received another request quite similar to this one. So I've decided to pair them up and make a part 1 & 2. Part 2 coming in the future.

Part One

"I'll take it!"

"No, Vaughan, you won't."

Sherlock had been having the same argument with his son since he was a child. He would be going through clients, choosing his next case, and whenever he came across one that wasn't 'interesting enough', the boy would beg to let him try and and solve it.

Vaughan had taken after his father in almost every way; tall and slender with thick, dark hair just long enough to tuck behind his ears. His face was sharp and handsome, with piercing blue eyes that could make a heart stop with one look. He was eighteen, in his second year of A Levels, and like any child of Sherlock Holmes, completely and utterly bored. He would turn up late to class and spend his lessons questioning the teachers, amusing the other students with his ability to turn even the most simple tasks into hour-long debates.

"You have an exam tomorrow," said Sherlock, sitting in his armchair in 221B. "Shouldn't you be... revising or whatever it is you're supposed to do?"

"It's a multiple choice test. I've already worked out what the answers will be. A, C, B, B, C, A, C-"

"How have you done that?"

"Studied previous test papers and identified an algorithm." He shrugged.

"And to think, in that time you could've just studied the material."

"Where's the fun in that?"

They shared a smirk. Sherlock returned to the stack of letters in his hand, throwing aside his rejected cases. Vaughan walked over to them and picked up the first envelope, slipping out the paper and skimming over it.

"Go on, dad, please? It's so simple, I'll have it solved by tea time."

"Oh let the lad help, Sherlock," said Mrs Hudson as she walked in with a tray of tea.

"Mrs Hudson has spoken..." said Vaughan as he raised his eyebrows hopefully.

Sherlock rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine. Meet with the girl and assess the case. Don't do anything stupid."

He grinned and grabbed his coat. "I won't."

"If it gets too complicated then you call me. Do you understand?"

"Have a bit of faith, old man."

"Oi!" Mrs Hudson put her hands on her hips. "We'll have less of that. If he's an 'old man' then what does that make me?"

"An antique?" said Sherlock.

She hit him hard on the arm. Vaughan laughed as he hurried towards the stairs.

*

He walked across the university campus looking around at the tall buildings and imagining himself studying there. He'd started to feel the pressure of choosing his future; what degree he would pick, what institution he would attend. Would he go on to do a PhD like his mother? Or follow in his father's footsteps and create a job of his own?