I saw that she could tell something was bothering me, but I waited until she asked me instead of telling her. I had weighed it back and forth so much, wondering if perhaps it'd be a horrendous idea to give him responsibility for another living being or not. The problem was mostly that I was worried, scared and worried about him. Last time we didn't hear from him in a while, I found him in a bloody crack-house filled with junkies. Two weeks wasn't that long, not at all, last time was a month, but two weeks was enough for him to do something brilliantly stupid. Why we didn't talk that much was still bit of a mystery to me, he was deeply concentrated on the case about Moriarty I guess… Him being occupied with a case wasn't the worst thing, it would keep him away from everything else, but that included food and sleep too. I should've probably gone over to 221B, just checking up on him, I still doubted his ability to take care of himself. It wasn't until I had gone around and thought about it for a good week or so that Mary finally asked me what was on my mind, I could feel my own brows easing from a deep frown when she woke me from my thoughts.

"It's just… Do you think… Wouldn't it be nice for Sherlock to get some sort of company, you know, when I'm not there anymore and all…" I didn't exactly know how to bring up the subject, but hey, let's face it… him getting a new flat mate? Not gonna happen.

"Do you really think someone would share a flat with Sherlock, John?" Mary sent me an excusing look. Well, if I didn't dare to say it out straight, at least she did.

"Not necessarily another human being, but… er… maybe some sort of a pet?" There was somewhat an uncertainty in my voice, saying it out loud suddenly made me understand what I had suggested. Horrible, HORRIBLE idea.

"What, forcing a poor animal to live with him without it having any say in it? Doesn't sound like such a good idea to me." Mary cocked an eyebrow and returned to her morning paper.

And suddenly, it didn't to me either, absolutely not. The poor animal would probably just rot in a corner and eventually become one of Sherlock's experiments. I shuddered at the thought, I did not want to see that happen. Still, there was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind, and it wouldn't disappear even if I concentrated on not thinking about it. Sherlock couldn't live alone.

I was ashamed, absolutely one hundred percent ashamed at what I was going to do. Lestrade and his whole team had been working on the Moriarty case together with Sherlock and, surprisingly enough, the one and only Mycroft Holmes. I didn't talk that much with Greg anymore, it had been some nights where we had gone out for a pint or two, but that was before everything scrambled together; before the shooting, before the whole 'Mary is an assassin' thing, before Sherlock left and came back and before Moriarty. We hadn't talked together once since, and I hadn't seen Sherlock since the airport. It was wistful, actually, it was the two people whom I had used most of my time together with before, and now it all seemed like something that had never happened. Marriage really did change one… It didn't seem like Lestrade though it weird when I texted him though, I even got to know that right at that moment, Mycroft sat in his office and apparently tried to destroy the whole computer system at the yard. I sighed hopelessly, but smiled a knowing smile as I got the text and hailed a cab.

I had to really pull myself together before I walked inside the building which contained Greg's office, just so that I wouldn't go completely red when I asked the question. Walking into the DI's department, I could only see papers, sheets, pictures and files flying everywhere and people halfway running back and forth in the office. Even Donovan and Anderson were above the moon it seemed. As if a queen ant looking down at her little squadron, sat Mycroft in Greg's office, seemingly very concentrated at something on the Mac in front of him. I knocked on the doorframe, just to announce my arrival, of course he didn't look up. A slight rise of his right eyebrow was everything I got as an indication that he had noticed my presence. I stepped just inside and cleared my throat, ready to just go straight forward with my question when suddenly I felt a strong hand on my shoulder and I jumped slightly.

"Hi, John, it's been a long time now!" Greg's grin was smeared over his whole face, obviously happy about managing to scare me.

"Oh, hello! Yeah… I could use a pint soon though, you know, just to get out of the house for a couple of hours." My grin was just as broad as Greg's, I suddenly felt a great relief at talking with him again. Just someone else than Mary and the work all the time, I didn't exactly like admitting it, but it was bloody wonderful.

"We just had a breakthrough in the case. One step closer, could've never done it without the two masterminds." He whispered and nodded his head towards Mycroft. "Don't tell them I said so." It served me a wink and another clasp on the shoulder before he left out into the mess again.

I stood left in there with no idea what to do, how to proceed. I didn't want to seem uncertain, but not as a stupid idiot with no brain either, which of both were inevitable due to the cause I was there of. I sat down in the chair opposite of Mycroft, he didn't do much out of, as always consumed by his work. We sat there in an uncomfortable silence for a few beats, I was just waiting for him to at least acknowledge me sitting right over him, and of course the only thing I got was a snarky comment.

"Please do shut the door, I do not understand how people can work with all of these cackling hens." I sighed loudly and went to shut the door. "The mastermind has to have perfect conditions for his brain to function one hundred percent." I rolled my eyes as I saw the amusement on the elder Holmes brothers face. "Why are you here again?"

I honestly did not know if I was going to reply to that or just assume he asked because I thought it was embarrassing to ask him. He probably knew what I was about to ask him already, based on how I was walking, my posture, choose of clothing… Irritating, that was the word for Mycroft's deductions, utterly irritating. He was actually looking straight at me now though, as if he did indeed wait for me to answer his question. Could it be that he sincerely didn't know? The British Government was waiting for his answer, eyebrows raised and his whole body language oozing of impatience.

"Err… I was thinking of giving Sherlock a dog…?"

A/N: Okay, trying something new then! There is one thing I sooooooo absolutely want to happen in season 4 or 5, and that's Gladstone! I absolutely loved Redbeard, so why not? Sherlock needs a little baby too now that John and Mary gets one...
One QUESTION for you btw, what breed would you like for him to be?
R&R