A/N: Another translation of my story. This time it's about Lestrade. Enjoy and please review :)

Disclaimer:I do not own any characters and I don't make any profit from writing.


The rules

The rules always existed and they were more or less useful. Detective Inspector Lestrade knew for a long time that some of these rules could, or even had to be broken to achieve a success. He wasn't doing it all for his own fame, to shine in front of his superiors. Lestrade just liked his job, even if it had ruined his marriage. He was good at what he did, but at the same time he knew when to admit that he needed help from someone better than him. That was why he was breaking rules for six years and why he let a civil to most secret details of the cases that were too difficult for him. That was why he invited Sherlock Holmes on the crime scenes and let him examine the bodies, though his inferiors didn't like him.

Maybe he was doing it too often, maybe he closed his eyes at the young detective's behavior too many times. He wanted too much to have these cases solved, not for applaud, but for his sense of justice. That had probably been his mistake. He himself usually let Sherlock's mocking go by and he must have not seen that his coworkers' aversion was growing, cumulating and finally found an excellent opportunity.

You can't kill an idea, once it's placed in here. That was what Sherlock told him when he touched his forehead. He was right, this damn genius was almost always right. Lestrade didn't believe he had been lied to for so many years, he just couldn't believe. He couldn't, but sergeant Donovan thought that her suspicions were confirmed and Anderson agreed with her. Whether he wanted or not, Lestrade had to consider every option in the investigation, he had to check every trail. He knew that if he won't do anything, Sally would go straight to the Superintendent and tell him everything. Considering these two options, he preferred to do it himself. He wanted to have even the slightest illusion that he was controlling he situation, though he knew he could do nothing else but follow his orders. If he wanted to keep his badge, he had to lower himself to be a bureaucrat like Anderson. He did it only because, having an access to all the documents, he might be able to help Sherlock.

Nevertheless, he felt like a traitor when he was putting handcuffs on Sherlock's hands and saying 'I'm arresting you under suspicion of abduction and kidnapping'. He could hardly look into John's eyes, when he pointed out that the whole play wasn't necessary as Sherlock wasn't resisting. Of course it wasn't, but when the Superintendent fatigued himself to take part in this arresting, everything had to look bookish. Lestrade should have been grateful that no one threw Sherlock on the ground and immobilized him as a dangerous criminal. He feared John could react nervously and it was the last thing they needed now. He warned the doctor not to anything stupid, but apparently this time rage had won with reason, because John did exactly what Lestrade wanted to do.

He didn't think, though, that Sherlock could really act so stupidly, that he would take a pistol from a policeman and terrorize them all. 'Sherlock, you idiot, don't do that!', he wanted to scream, but instead he ordered his people to obey Holmes. He had counted silently that Sherlock would go with then to Scotland Yard and use the influence of his brother to explain everything, but no, Sherlock had to do it in his own way, ruining all the hopes Lestrade had had. Right now there was no way he could help him, not after Sherlock escaped with the gun in his hand and John as his 'hostage'. Doing this, he confirmed in the eyes of Sally, Superintendent and all the policemen Sherlock had ever annoyed, that he was an unpredictable, ready for everything psychopath. And in all this mess the fact, that Lestrade's career had just ended, was the least important. Greg ordered to go after the fugitives, because that as what he was expected to do, and then called Mycroft Holmes. If anyone could find Sherlock and save him from all this troubles, it was definitely him.

The morning newspaper was a shock to him. If not for the fact that he decided to take a walk and he passed by the newsstand, he probably wouldn't even know; he didn't read tabloids. But right now it was difficult to miss a photo of Sherlock Holmes on the front page, when the police was looking for him around London. He didn't even have a chance to finish reading, when the phone called. Sally. Lestrade cursed seeing her number. He didn't want to talk to her, not when she had forced him to betray a friend and play a role in the play he didn't know the scenario. He picked up the third call and immediately regretted it. 'We've got Freak', said Sally with a strangely apologizing voice. 'He jumped off the roof'. After these words Lestrade broke the call and went back to his car. And an hour later, when he saw John in the hospital, the body in the morgue and crying Molly Hooper, he threw his business phone and went back home.

Until the funeral he didn't bother if he still had a job, or if he was already fired. He picked up only one call, from John. The doctor asked him to come to the cemetery. Greg appreciated the fact that he was considered by John as Sherlock's friend despite this arresting, he appreciated the fact he could come and say farewell. He appeared on the funeral and when he watched these few people who attended the ceremony, he felt he should also appreciate the fact that he belonged to them, that he had a chance to meet Sherlock. He didn't believe the newspapers, he also didn't believe in what John had told him. The doctor himself commented that Sherlock had lied to him during their last conversation. Apart from them, there were only Molly and Mrs. Hudson. There was, of course, Mycroft with his secretary, but he gave them to understanding that he didn't want to be disturbed. Lestrade said goodbye right after the ceremony; he felt a bit like an intruder. He was surprised, when Mycroft Holmes stopped him and told him that he was expected at work. Lestrade only shrugged his shoulders and walked away. The work was no pleasure anymore.

And despite this all, when the Superintendent visited him a week later and reminded him of his duties, Inspector put his badge into his pocket and wet back to Scotland Yard. Greg Lestrade had broken many rules, but he had some rules in his life he wasn't going to break. A sense of duty was one of them.