AN:Finally the sequel for Life and Death, this one followes Mycroft, growing up with his gift and searching for a way to get his brother back.
This work is not betaed, like the prequel, if anyone is interested in being my beta, just write I would be happy.
Blue numbers
(Part 2 of Death is their gift)
Mycroft Holmes was an odd child, very intelligent but a bit strange, at least his father thought so. His father had married a gifted, he loved her and accepted every part that came with a gift, that includes having a child that could be gifted too.
His mother takes him often for walks, at places where no other people were. She told her child at the young age of four about her gift. Seeing the circumstance of someone's dead. She never knew when it happens but how was clearly shown in her eyes when she touches a person. After a family tragedy, his mother takes him for another walk. "Mycroft, do you know what happened with your cousin?" The child shakes his head. "His gift was dangerous and people from a facility took him."
"Why?" The child can't imagine his cousin doing something that would course danger.
"His gift is his voice and the power behind his words. When he tells someone to die, this person will die. He did it by accident you understand. Your cousin didn't mean to hurt someone, he didn't know but now they have taken his voice away." His mother looked sad. Mycroft takes her gloved hand and tights his grip.
"Mycroft if you have a gift, don't ever tell a soul about it. They will hurt you or use you, it won't be a gift anymore, promise me." The boy feels the fear in his mother's voice and promised her to never tell anyone. Even when he doesn't know if he has one.
Blue, this was Mycroft's favorite color, most likely because he sees it everywhere. He always liked the blue numbers that where floating around people head, one reason for his fascination for them. People, he liked to watch them and their number counting backwards. He learned them easy and fast and notices only months later that they go backwards. Not like a watch or during math tables. His father explained to him that when numbers go backwards it's called a countdown. Mycroft also as why people have a countdown over their head. His father didn't understand the question. His parents couldn't give him answers so Mycroft tries to find them himself.
His mother couldn't help him ether but she tried to understand. "Tell me about the numbers." She was pregnant with his little brother or sister and was resting in the living room.
"They are blue, the most beautiful color in the world and they are all different. Some are very long others are really short and father says because they getting smaller it's a countdown."
His mother lays a hand on her belly. It had grown in the last month. "Have you ever met someone with a zero?" Mycroft had to think about it and shakes his head. He hadn't. "At what rate get the number down?" That was an easy question to answer.
"They go one per second, yours is one of the smallest I have seen in a long time." His mother lifts her hand from her belly. She has a feeling about Mycroft´s numbers, more like she understands the gift her son has and the ability behind it. But she couldn't help it, she wouldn't tell her son that it was probably the life time left from everyone.
The day his sibling was born should have been a happy one. Mycroft was excited and he really wanted to go to the hospital with his parents but he had to stay at home as Father drove Mummy to the nearest hospital.
It took hours and Mycroft had read every book on his book list for this week, including the really boring one, the ones that count as basic knowledge in children literature. He wasn't sure what children find interesting in fairy tales they, where all the same, princess in destress or a witch does something evil or some magical creature. Nothing real, nothing educational.
Mycroft looked out of the window as a car drove up the road, he watches how the black vehicle stopped and his father got out. The second Mycroft wanted to run down he notice something odd. His father was alone, no Mummy, no baby sibling. His father looked sad and angry at the same time. Slowly seven year old Mycroft climbs down the stairs and was greeted by his father.
"Father, where is Mummy?" Mycroft questioned and was suddenly pulled into a crushing hug. His father was shaking and the child tries to comfort him without knowing the reason.
As his father had collected himself he kneed next in front of him. Teary eyes try to find the right words. "Son, your mother won't come home anymore. Your little brother ether."
"A brother? Did Mummy call him Sherlock like she wanted to and why are they not coming home?" Mycroft tries to push away the thought of the meaning behind his father's word.
"Your brother killed your mother as she touched him, he is one of the gifted that is dangerous, they took him and we won't see him again." His father's words were harsh and suddenly Mycroft understood something he had always known deep down in his soul, the meaning of the numbers. His mother's countdown was nearly zero as they left and the feeling he won't see her again was ignored by him in favor of his anticipation for his sibling.
Mycroft was also gifted but no one was supposed to know or they would take him away like his cousin and his baby brother.
… His baby brother who hadn't done anything except being born. In this moment Mycroft decided that he will never talk about the numbers again and that he will find a way to get his baby brother back.