All of my Mystrade fans, I hope you enjoy!

This is primarily from Mycroft's view, though there will be lots of Greg to!

Any parts from the shows transcript have been lovingly gotten from Ariane DeVere's live journal because she was awesome enough to make a complete set.

Oh yeah, "speaking", -texting-, telepathy-human form, telepathy-animal or mixed form, "commanding", everything else

Disclaimer: Sherlock does not belong to me, it belongs to BBC and Doyle.

Chapter one lines up with chapters 82 and 83 of Seeking

Mycroft's POV
His mind comes back online long before his eyes open, it takes him a few moments to identify where he is be scent and feeling, and when he does, he forces his eyes open to check because he has a very hard time believing that he is in the flat at 221B Baker Street. Yet as he glances around, he finds he is indeed in his brother's flat, in what had been the doctors room, yet looking around it shows signs of disuse that are far older than the one-hundred six days and twenty-one hours that his brother has been dead. Closing his again he falls back under the urge to sleep that he has been trying to fight off.

The next time he awakens, it is feeling far better than he has in a long time, years even, at least physically. Mentally he feels as if he is still drowning in emotion, for all of his claims not to care, there are at least three people in this world he cares deeply for, his mother and his brothers. Well there were three people, now there is only two. The other had killed himself rather than trusting him to help.

Eyes snap open again as he fully awakens from the overly deep sleep. The first thing he spots is Doctor Watson hovering just outside of his clear line of sight until he tilts his head the slightest.

The doctor quickly greets him and suggests a shower before leaving him on his own. He also suggests that he join them when he is ready which makes him question who else is there.

After the doctor leaves he frowns at the door as he swings himself into a seated position, wondering what type of drug the shifter had used on him for him to feel the way he currently does. He has not felt this physically healthy since before he took his first job working in the field in order to build up to the position he currently held. Why was he here exactly?

The last thing he can recall completely clear was standing up at the end of a thirty-four hour stretch to leave his desk and retreat to the small bedroom attached to the back of the office, hidden from sight. Only he never made it to his hidden room, somewhere between his desk and the door he can remember the massive amounts of pain lancing through his body, the way his legs gave out, Amber's soft cry of alarm as she appeared at his side without her phone, and the medical personal that had silently rushed into the room. After that his memory was in and out but he can clearly recall being taken to the medical facility where all agents are treated. He can even vaguely recall being treated though the last thing he remembers was the doctor swearing as his heart stopped and a set of alarms went off.

So how had he ended up here? Amber must have come here. Though why would she come here? If his, doctors could not save him he should be dead. Besides it's not like anyone would really miss him. The family member he has the most connection with is gone, dead by his own hand.

Shaking his head, he stands and realizes that he is wearing a hospital gown and one of his house suits for days he has off is laid out on the dresser. Getting to his feet he also notices the fact his skin feels grimy, a feeling he has never appreciated, and decides to accept the doctors offer to use the shower. He is not as picky as his brother for the type of products he uses. Collecting up the clothing he silently pads out of the room and downstairs to the bathroom to shower.

Stepping into the small room, the scent of it calls forth images of his brother after one of his binges, sleeping in the tub because the smell of his conditioner was relaxing. That bathroom had been a lot like this one. Closing the door, he shakes his head, pushing the memories away. Those memories will do him no good. He is mildly shocked when he turns on the shower to warm and discovers that his brother's products are still in the washing stall. Studying them for a moment he realizes that they have been moved several times, but they are always put back in nearly the same place.

As he climbs into the water, realization strikes with dark clarity. The reason that the doctor refused to let him take his brothers things, they were in a relationship. It was probably the reason that his brother had been brought into the pack and its protections. But his brother had been accepted into the pack soon after they had moved in together, yet his brother had not shown any signs of being in a relationship, of the changes that a relationship would cause according to his previous behavior when he tried that brief but horrible time with the Trevor boy in uni.

He still clearly recalls his brother ending that relationship when he had walked in on Trevor with another bloke, telling the outsider how the only reason he put up with Sherlock was he wanted to be the one to fuck him first. It had been crude and his brother's reaction had been quick and violent, throwing the outsider through the window, with Trevor following close behind along with every article of his that his brother could reach. After that his brother had closed himself off the rest of the way, his already distant brother had finished becoming the Sherlock that the doctor would meet just a few years later. That was the same year he had finally stopped taking drugs regularly. He had only started using them because that's what his partner had done, and then he got addicted. With Trevor gone and the discovery that he could get onto the crime scenes as long as he was sober and he willingly got himself cleaned up. Though there had been some very rough nights as he was doing so.

With the water streaming over him, he debates about using his brother's products and decides in the long run to use his products because he cannot stand the idea of having his brother's scent right now. Today was already shaping up to be a stressful day, no reason to add to it by having a constant reminder of his loss, his mind did that enough. When he is done bathing he dresses quickly. Not surprised at the fact that his assistant had included everything he would need.

Before he leaves the bathroom there is a slight brush against his mind before he hears, Leave the dirty items in the hamper by the door. The voice is both familiar and not, taking him a moment to recognize it as the cobra who had visited him several times in the past to be threatening and intimidating.

Understanding the directive, he does so before heading to the living room area, not exactly sure what he is going to find there. Head up, he strides into the room, his eyes taking in the fact that it seems to be as clean as it was before his brother left, nearly all of his brother's things are still where they had been the last time he was here except for the science equipment. The doctor is seated in his chair with a small plate of food, the cobra is seated nearly in the fireplace with a fire burning in it, and there is a plate of fresh food that appears to have been just made seated by the sofa.

There is something off but he cannot figure it out, very annoying, it does not help that he is still expecting the pain to return though it has not yet done so. "Good morning Doctor Watson," he greets the holder of the house before turning his attention to the cobra, he can feel his eyebrows draw together as he recalls which of the titles is proper to call the cobra and tries to determine why the cobra is here, "Tech, I believe." He eventually murmurs, recalling that Amber had said his title of Venomous was for hunting. Though she had never specified what he hunted.

The teenage looking cobra inclines his head once but shifts over so his back is against the wall next to the fireplace, absorbing the warmth into himself. A part of him wonders if the other man's cobra form affects his human one, cobras love heat since they are technically a tropical and subtropical animal.

Motioning to the sofa, the doctor states, "Have a seat, Mycroft, the plates for you, all high in energy foods that will help with recovery," in between bites of his breakfast.

Trying for dignity he settles onto the sofa, carefully glancing at the plate before as he considers whether he is hungry or not. He gets the impression this conversation will not continue until he eats. Besides, according to the feeling in his stomach it has been several days since he has last eaten and it is time.

There is very little chance that the doctor was going to poison him after taking the time to help with whatever the situation had been.

He is surprised that breakfast continues smoothly, just as he is when the cobra collects everyone's dishes and heads into the kitchen to make something to drink, tea and something else according to the sounds.

Finally he decides to begin speaking, "I was in the office when I collapsed due to sharp pains in my chest, stomach, and legs. Last thing I recall is Amber, forgive me, Anthea, calling for an ambulance." He pauses for a moment, frowning before stating, "I cannot understand why I am here rather than a hospital or having my private physician seeing to me."

Answering his unspoken question, the doctor comments, "Anthea brought you to me, after the human medical system failed to determine why your body was shutting down."

"Why?" he queries softly. Not understanding why his assistant would bring him here, why his doctors were unable to assist, why he was saved when he really did not wish to be.

The doctor gives a slight shrug before responding, "As you are not pack, I cannot answer," he pauses for a moment tilting his head to the side before continuing, "What I can do is offer you a place within the pack, but you have to understand that our kind live by a rather strict set of laws regarding humans and our interactions with them."

He controls his reaction, trying to not give away his emotions and shock. His brother was dead, why was the wolf offering him a place within the pack? It is not logical, there is nothing tying him to the pack any longer. Even when he had a reason to be accepted into the pack he had not been. Instead of asking about that, he inclines his head slightly inquiring, "Why is he hovering in the kitchen?" He had heard the taller man finish the drinks several minutes prior so he was not sure why he was waiting, besides, wasn't the drinks going to be cold if he waited too long?

Chuckling, the wolf replies, "He's attempting to be polite. It's a new skill, one he prefers to ignore normally."

From the door to the kitchen he hears, "I can be polite, it's rare but I do know how. Unfortunately, when I decide to be polite I tend to fall back on custom and you dislike a great deal of the customs." A moment later the taller man is placing a steaming hot chocolate in front of him.

He is startled by the fact that words were spoken aloud, and now that he has heard his vocalizations it is easy to tell that every other time that they have communicated has been with the cobra using telepathy because there is a hissing quality to his spoken word that his telepathic voice lacks. The fact that the hot chocolate is still perfectly hot is startling as well, for as long as the cobra had stood between the kitchen and the living room it should have cooled down.

A slight smile curves the doctors lips as he asks, "Oh yeah, he can speak aloud, doesn't do it often, but he can do so. You've really only ever heard him mindspeak right?"

"Correct," he replies slightly stiffly as he tries to reign in his emotions. There seems to be something affecting his emotions, they are not as controllable as normal which concerns him since he rarely loses control of his emotions. Focusing internally he gets them back under control in order to turn his attention back to the situation at hand.

He was just offered a place within the pack. Why? That is what he keeps circling back to, is the question of why. Why is he here? Why is he not dead or at the hospital? Why had the wolf who as far as he has ever noticed hates him offered him a place among his group? Why now? The second thing his mind keeps circling back to is what does the doctor get out of this? What does it affect for him to offer? He needs more data but this is one part of life that has been frustratingly difficult to get data on.

It was impossible to tell shifters from humans unless they do something obvious like the cobra with his scales. They are all rather secretive about their kind. Until the first time he had a shifter appear in his office he had not even realized his assistant was not human. Shifter matters were dealt with by Layard, and he was intentionally kept out of them, it was one of the only areas he did not have access to besides some very highly classified documents. Though after his discovery that Layard was a shifter or at least came from a shifter family he had understood why the older man was the one with access to the shifter information.

This almost feels like he should be in one of his formal suits and that he is dealing with a diplomatic situation that could have wide reaching affects, so a bit formally, as if talking to a prime minister of one of their neutral almost allies, "I would like to accept your offer, Doctor Watson, however I know all things have a price."

For a moment the doctor stares at him before a dry chuckle escapes him as a smile tugs at the shifters lips, "It is simple enough, do not break pack law if you accept. That's it. Of course, you do realize that within a pack the alpha has the right to complete stop any actions whether they are pack related or not." He shrugs, "I am not telling you this because I am controlling, just that it is a part of our lives."

Our laws are simple, do not involve shifters in human affairs as much as possible, do not reveal our existence to those who are unaware. In matters of law alphas, trackers, and lambda are the ones who deal with them. In our pack that would be John, myself, Nathan, Konrad-though he is in training, and Gregory. Snorting aloud the cobra comments, "It's a right that John forgets until there is a clear threat to the pack or the member in question is doing something very foolish." or someone is threatening the pack.

Why are you commenting like this? He thinks pointedly, not sure that the cobra will hear him.

The impression of a smirk reaches him along with an answer, Because he's the one officially speaking, I am just making sarcastic comments, that just happens to have points. He can feel me mindspeaking, and is merely ignoring it at the moment because I am not being actually rude.

He nods once, eyes narrow as he considers that.

The doctor must take his nod for something else because he remarks, "Don't worry about national secrets, neither of us really care about human politics. Past that, I have clearance equal to yours though I next to never use it, and he has clearance above yours since it is just easier than trying to keep him from learning things." Again the wolf shrugs, "In case you hadn't realized after Baskerville."

Smirking slightly because he had realized and even looked into it he replies, "I had looked into how you were able to walk onto a highly classified base and turn it on its collective ear. Those that vanished and never made it to the trial have not been seen since."

It was one of those things that made him curious how they could have just disappeared yet it was one of those things he had figured that he would never have an answer for because it was something Layard had told him to forget.

The answer out of doctor is not one he expects, "Well you know, it's never good to piss off a vengeance goddess and they did just that."

Startled he comments, "Doctor Watson, I thought you above such beliefs."

As a Tracker sworn to three of the Old Gods I can tell you they are quite real, the cobra snaps.

At the same time the wolf gives a small shake of his head commenting, "I do not know if human gods are real or not, but our seven Old Gods are very real and very active in our world," smiling lightly he continues, "something you should be very thankful for or you would be dead."

"Oh," is the only thing he can think of as he tries to figure out why he should be thank for it. Finally, deciding he will get no answers without accepting, he gives a small shake of his head before stating, "I would like to accept your offer, if it remains."

Unfasten or pull up your dominate arm's sleeve, the bond is wrist to wrist, pulse to pulse. The cobra informs him.

So he does so, watching as the doctor does the same.

"It does indeed, mind you, this is the informal pack acceptance," the doctor remarks with a small smile as the other man notices he has already moved his sleeve.

Moving to stand before him the smaller man offers his arm, it takes him a moment to process before he accepts, pressing his wrist to the other man's arm. Distantly he can hear the wolf state, "Welcome to the Watson pack, Mycroft," but the majority of his brain power is focus on the feelings coursing through him.

Emotions and feelings of acceptance fill him. While a sense of belonging unlike anything he has ever felt courses through him. He can feel the link within his mind. When he focuses on it he can feel each of the people in the link, his mind accidently brushing against them, so of which he recognizes as he feels them. John's link and Tech's are the most familiar, however he also recognizes the feel of Gregory and his girls, and Mouse as well. It's an amazing feeling. No one his brother had not wanted to share this, it was better than any drug. The overall feeling is that of warmth and home.

A part of his mind realizes when the wolf and cobra leave the room but he is too focused inwards to pay much attention to their actions past noting that they have not left the flat.

"Mycroft?" he hears the wolf query a few minutes later and he realizes that he has another hot chocolate in his hands.

"How?" he asks as he comes back to the present.

A slight smile curves the smaller mans lips as he answers simply, "Eric." Moving to his chair he settles into it as he begins to speak, "In answer to your question of why you are here and not at any sort of formal medical facility, I am a healer as well as an alpha." The wolf pauses to sip his tea, "actually, I am probably one of the strongest healers in this country, I once said telepathy was not my gift, I was not lying, my gift is healing, the ability to heal at a cellular level to be exact. How I heal is something very few have ever discovered and is not something any non-pack member knows. Your assistant knows I am a shifter healer, and shifter healers are stronger better than human doctors or gifted healers, so she asked a favor, one that is technically illegal but let's over look that note."

The wolf falls silent while he considers that. The ability to heal at a cellular level is amazing. It is something not even the world's best doctors can do. No wonder they like to keep to themselves, that kind of power is remarkable and in the wrong hands it could be a very deadly weapon. Part of him wonders what other types of gifts their kind have. There is the invisibility he has seen, the mind control, the telepathy, and now the healing. If he had not seen those exact gifts with his own eyes he would think that someone believing in them was delusional.

He can understand why it was illegal for them to reveal their gifts to humans but it makes him curious so he asks, "Why did you do it if it is technically illegal and you have already stated your kind are very law oriented?"

Still smiling the wolf explains, "Its illegal for her, not me, she is gifted and not related to you in any way. I on the other hand am by all rights and technicalities your brother-in-law." Pausing, the doctor shrugs once, his hair seeming to change textures before his eyes, "You once asked why I accepted Sherlock into the pack," he holds up his left wrist showing the spiral fern on it, "because I knew even then that we could be bondmates. Wolves only ever bond once, and I bonded your brother. Even if he is no longer here, you are still his brother, and thus mine through the bond."

He can feel his eyes widening as he recalls seeing the exact same mark on his brothers arm, "The tattoo I did not understand," it was a bondmark? Did that mean his brother was married?

By our kind's standards, yes, the cobra answers his unspoken question.

Now that he is linked with them, he can feel the fact that the cobra is trying to be nice, it is not his normal behavior style.

The doctor nods once, "Indeed, only it's not a tattoo, a tattoo is done by human hands, these are created by the gods themselves. In our case, it was the Mistress of Shadow who determined we would make a good bond couple, and I accepted it. As did he or the mark never would have appeared on his wrist. When you picked on him about being a virgin he considered telling you about it to prove you wrong but decided against it. After all, it was a pack matter, and a personal matter, and you were neither pack nor close."

Through the new link he can feel that the doctor is trying to spare his feelings, that he trying not to overload him. He had realized there were problems between him and his brother but he had not realized quite how bad they were. Maybe he wasn't as smart as he thought he was. "He didn't trust me," he mutters, sorrow filling him over the idea that the brother he would have done anything for didn't think that he cared enough to know it would have been something he would have encouraged.

Frowning, he only partly pays attention as the wolf continues to speak. He is trying to figure out why he is being so emotional again when emotions are not something he does very often.

Side effect of the den bonding, your brother was in shock for nearly two hours after his, John is trying to make sure that does not happen to you as well. Once more the cobra answers his unspoken question.

Blinking, he answers the question that the wolf had placed before him, "It occurred while I was still doing field work, actually that was my last mission prior to getting promoted into the position my assistant now holds." He tilts his head a bit, "That was fourteen years ago, I was twenty-two at the time."

The doctor nods, commenting, "Well whoever else they had stabbed with that knife had the beginning stages of multiple myeloma, it spent years dormant in your system, or maybe suppressed by your system before it started to spread. Only it is an illness that is hard to detect at the best of times, and I would say that it was not the best of times for you."

His mind whirls at that statement, calling up facts and information he knows of multiple myeloma, it is form of cancer that is dangerous because of the fact it attacks the bone marrow which helps make antibodies to fight infection. It is deadly if not caught soon enough, surely the doctor is not trying to tell him that he has been cured of cancer? "So you are saying I am dying?"

"No," the wolf replies as shakes his head, "you were dying. It's gone now. Like I said, I can heal on a cellular level, it's gone." Shrugging he continues, "I also dealt with the beginning stages of the aneurism that you were developing, ironically enough it was almost in the same spot as your mothers. Oh yes, I know you must have noticed the change in behavior. I knocked her out and healed her, only she was still functioning with it, so I didn't say what I did, merely passed off why they fell asleep on my sofa as tired from the emotional events and fact that cobra fetched them to London which they had not been expecting."

When the wolf is done speaking he nods, recalling the changes in his mother's behavior that had started right after Sherlock's memorial. It explained a lot. If she had an aneurism it explained why she had changed after the car accident shortly after Aragorn's birth. Aragorn, does he know about the pack and shifter world? He would have to find out but how to ask without giving it away? It is something to consider later, when he is not processing with too much emotion.

Eventually the doctor suggests, "Now then, Mycroft, you might want to get a hold of your assistant because I am moderately certain that she is still concern about you and I would give her a big bonus if I was you, because walking into a shifter household to ask a favor is something gifted folks majorly hate doing." He shrugs continuing, "Old feud problems between the two species." Pausing, he smiles as he changes subjects, "There are twice monthly pack meeting, held on the new moon and full moon each month, the full moon meeting is always more important one. If you want, I can have Mouse find time in your mutual schedules in order to get lessons on our history, it's not required."

He nods, considering it and deciding to accept the assistance since they are willingly offering it. However he still plans to talk to Gregory about a lot of this, because he can read Gregory's behavior and tells far better than he can Mouse's. While he is considering the offer and all of the information, the wolf fetches his wallet and phone which had been carefully placed inside his brother's desk.

A moment later the smaller man hands him his phone and he smiles gratefully before standing and heading to the landing between this floor and the above as he calls to speak with Amber. He quickly updates her on his health, including thanking her for bringing him here. He is beginning to understand the risks that she had taken in doing so. Once he has finished updating her, he has her update him on how everything is going today.

At the end of the conversation she bids him, "Please spend today relaxing, I can handle it for one day, I would not be able to handle it permanently."

He smiles, responding, "I have been accepted into the Watson pack, it is my hope that I can get information out of them today, please bring my laptop to Doctor Watson's flat."

"Yes sir," she replies and he can just about hear her smile, "I'm happy for you. Perhaps now you can pursue a more meaningful relationship with the DI."

He just shakes his head, disconnecting the call before going back into the living room. Sitting by his spot on the divan is a new hot chocolate. Really, this visit was not going well for his diet.

As he moves to sit back down, the wolf comments, "Well, as a healer and a doctor I must suggest that you take a day in order for your body to finish adapting to being healed, otherwise you can undo some of the work I did," pausing, he shrugs, "you're welcome to stay here if you want, I realize it's probably not as nice as your own place but it has its merits. Including top of the line security," the end is said with a somewhat sarcastic smile.

Glancing around he is trying to figure out what security when he realizes they the doctor is referring to the cobra. Settling into the spot he gazes around the room with a new understanding of both his brother and the man whom his brother lived with. He is deep in thought when Amber arrives and delivers his laptop, quickly reiterating how pleased she is to see that he is feeling better and that she is happy for him belonging to the pack now before she leaves again and he returns to his spot to check his files.

There is more to learn, but first, first to catch up on work.