The Baby

As the bell decorating 221B rang Mrs. Hudson opened the door. To her surprise all she found was a little baby wrapped inside a white cotton blanket. It was November, just below zero degrees and few snowflakes were falling. There was no soul to be seen.

"Ooh, who are you Sweety?"

Mrs. Hudson lifted the baby up, laid it in her arms and went upstairs. "Boys, I think there is someone who needs to be taken care of" she said. Both Sherlock and John Watson had no idea how to react to Mrs. Hudson´s request. Sherlock stood up, moved some steps towards her and grabbed the baby. He turned it around analyzing the hints.

"About 13 pounds heavy, probably 3 month old, dark eyes and hair. The skin color is slightly caramel, most likely Asian origin. There is also an embroidering written in Chinese characters "

Sherlock looking into the baby´s dippers continued

"…could be his name. There is not another single clue on the blanket itself. Oh, this is great. I love it the game is on. John we need to go"

"Sherlock! This is not a game. Do you realize that you´re dealing with an actual living and breathing baby?"

"I know this is so much fun. It´s the best case I had in weeks."

Leaving the flat the detective texted Molly Hooper to meet them in the Lab. She was really surprised to see Sherlock with the little boy in his hands. It was not what Molly had expected and she had known him for many years.

"So this is … for your case?"

"Of course is it for my case. What do you think? However we came here to have his DNA analyzed in order to find out whom he belongs to"

The police may not be allowed to investigate the family circle after an almost match but such restrictions could not bother Sherlock less. While Molly started sequencing the boys gens Sherlock hacked the national DNA database. That left John nurturing the baby. He had to organize dippers and baby-milk to keep the little guy feed at least. Astonishingly enough he was not crying all the time. After access to the database was established Sherlock looked the characters written on the blanket up. It reads Toshihiro meaning wise or clever. However his searching the internet for a 3 month old Toshihiro brought little but no success. The only hope left of finding his parents was a DNA match. Hours of waiting passed by as the program finally found something. But closest relative they got was definitely not what anyone would have guessed. The three of them were really shocked as they looked at the results. Seemingly Sherlock himself was next of kin. Molly was completely puzzled and overwhelmed. She couldn´t figure out whether it was jealousy or just the insane situation of Sherlock having a little baby boy in his close family. She was hungry for an answer. John on the other hand was determent to follow the ideas the detective was playing with in his mind-palace. So he kept asking about it. But as the genius found the clue he has been looking he left the lab in a rush without serious attempts of explaining. Like always John had to follow him. The two men and baby Toshihiro took a cab to no other place than the strange and mysterious Diogenes Club. Once the impossible has been eliminated, whatever remains, however irrational, must therefore be the truth.

The men were heading straight for the strange room were Mycroft sat reading the Sun.

"My dear brother, is business so slow? Since you have to babysit?"

"It is a present for you" Sherlock answered handing Toshihiro to Mycroft. The government turned his head disgusted away and his facial expression displayed his worries about the integrity of his attire.

"I´m not lonely, Sherlock and I have absolutely no use for a baby."

"He is named Toshihiro"

"How interesting. Why don´t you get yourself a real job so you could stop playing with that."

"I had his DNA tested and got some rather astonishing results back"

"And you need me to fill out the gaps."

"In a manner of speaking…"

"So what is it you need me to tell you, brother mine"

"Apparently is baby Toshihiro closely related to me and I wonder how he came to be"

Mycroft´s face fell. He was thinking for a second and answered his brother sharply as usual.

"I hope there is no need in explaining the bio-mechanism involved to you"

"As far as I´m aware are at least two people required."

"Toshihiro means wise and clever, a rather interesting choice of name don't you think?"

John, being at the end of his patience, interrupted the brothers´ play.

"Boys please. This is a real baby not a game and not leverage. So could you please take this

seriously?"

Both Mycroft and Sherlock looked at John in way that made him feel like he had said something weird. John hated it. Being the only ordinary person besides of Toshihiro – there was still hope for him - in this room and feeling like was the one who is crazy for something so human as carrying for a little baby.

"Dr. Watson, your baseless concern is inappropriate in this very moment especially since you are programmed to care about everything with big eyes and an enormous head."

"Mycroft! Could you please bother enlightening me?"

"Don´t be alarmed, Sherlock. I may not be found of legwork but there are certain scenarios when I do have to go undercover myself. And this particular assignment was rather … pleasant"

Neither John nor Sherlock knew how to react to this properly. Their chins dropped wide open and they stared at the government. Mycroft himself was pretty untouched by the whole affair. The tension built up made this situation nearly unbearable. John made the attempt to break the silence.

"So… so you are saying… there actually IS a certain probability of Toshihiro being your SON?"

"I fail to see the problem"

"The problem? The problem is that you have a child and you know it and you are not capable of seeing the problem with it. How the bloody hell can you be so … cold?"

Sherlock throw the still to be answered question of the boy´s mother back in the argument.

"She was a brilliant nuclear engineer and I needed someone to complete my nuclear missile plans. Unfortunately are most people not eager to work military appliances out, particularly not for foreign governments. But in my experience does oxitocin sheer wonders to women."

"That is all you can to say to that?"

"Yes"

"John, we´re done here"

Sherlock added leaving Toshihiro with Mycroft while heading out. John still worried and trying to comprehend the situation followed him since he could not find fitting words to protest.

In the cab John asked Sherlock .

"What´s he gonna do with him?"

"I have absolutely no idea"