Chapter One-Cluedo Night
"Bruno what is wrong with your father?" John asks the young boy who is sat by a set-up Cluedo game. The man in question is lying on the settee.
"Leave me alone, John." He moans.
"Dad's upset because I beat him at Cluedo." The little boy smiles at him.
"Bruno, go to your room!" The man on the settee shouts.
"Sherlock don't be such a bad loser." John tells him.
"You cheated." Sherlock bolts up-right. "You Cheated!" He exclaims.
"Sherlock stop being mean!" John shouts.
"Don't you see, John?! Bruno. Cheated. How could he possibly know the right combination first time?!"
"I guessed, Daddy!" Bruno protests. "I swear!"
"No. No. No. You dirty little cheater." Sherlock is now in Bruno's face.
"SHERLOCK! That is enough!" John stands up and pushes Sherlock away from the little child. "He's only a child for goodness sake!"
"He's a little liar!"
"It's only a game of bloody Cluedo!" John raises his eyebrow at Sherlock. "And your still convinced the victim did it."
"It's perfectly probable!"
"It isn't in the rules." Bruno tells Sherlock.
"Well it should be." Sherlock huffs. "John, contact the company, tell them to change the rules."
"I am not doing that." John retakes his seat.
"Well contact Mycroft then!"
"That seems a bit silly, contacting Uncle Mycroft just so the rules of a game can be changed." Bruno tells him.
"I suppose your right, good boy Bruno, let's shake hands." Sherlock smiles. Bruno shakes his father's hand and smiles back at him.
"Sherlock no!" John shouts as Sherlock pulls up the sleeve of his son to reveal a yellow envelope.
"Aha!" He exclaims. "I knew it! I knew it! You little cheat!"
"Dad!" Bruno cries out for John. "Daddy let go of me!" He tries to shake off Sherlock but he refuses to let go. "Dad!"
"Sherlock let him go." John picks up the paper and starts to read it, this isn't new, it happens every time they play Cluedo. In fact, John was starting to think of getting rid of the game.
"Now off to your room!" Sherlock tells the little boy.
"But Daddy." Bruno moans. "Is it because I cheated, I'm sorry?"
"No, it's past your bedtime." John interrupts, not taking his eyes from the paper. "Off you go."
"Brush your teeth." Sherlock reminds him. Bruno shakes his head and starts for the stairs.
"I'll come to check if you have!" John threatens. Bruno runs the rest of the way and John can hear him run into the bathroom. He feels Sherlock's arms around his chest.
"We handled that well, didn't we?" Sherlock whispers into his ear.
"Yep." John replies. "Why did we have to have such an intelligent child, Sherlock?"
"Because of me, sorry." Sherlock smiles at John and John smiles back at him. He sets down his paper and leans in to kiss Sherlock.
"DAD!" Bruno whines from the top of the stairs. "Come read me a bed time story, please." John sighs and untangles himself from Sherlock.
"You won't be too long, he's tired already." Sherlock says as he gives John a quick kiss on the cheek. John nods and walks towards the stairs.
"C'mon then." He tells Bruno and follows him to his room. Bruno settles into his bed and pulls his male rag doll beside him. "Have you got Loki?" John asks, referring to the little rag doll, Bruno nods. "Which one will it be tonight then?" Bruno pulls a book from under his pillow. "The tale of Thor and Loki. Didn't we read this last night?"
"Yes but I like this story and you do the voices so well, Dad."
John sighs. "Okay then. Thor and Loki were brothers; and kings to be, of a far, distant land named Asgard..." John reads for about half-an-hour before Bruno falls asleep. John smiles at the sleeping child, clambers off the bed and tucks him into the Doctor Who bed sheets gently.
Sherlock is stood at the open door, smiling at them both. "He didn't brush his teeth, John." He says.
"Oh we'll let him off, considering its Cluedo night."
"He's been getting bullied at school." Sherlock says, walking with John out of Bruno's room.
"What for? Has he been calling them Peasants again? He got that from you."
"No it's not that. It's us John; they've been making fun of him because he has two Dads."
"But there isn't anything wrong with that, Sarah has two Mums."
"I don't care what Sarah has. Bruno is getting bullied and we have to put a stop to it."
"I'll tell the headmaster tomorrow morning." John promises Sherlock. "Now, c'mon, you haven't slept in a week." John leads Sherlock into their bedroom and the pair, once clothed in pyjamas, snuggle into bed.
"Why didn't Bruno tell us?" Sherlock asks John at one in the morning. "Why would he hide a thing like that, is he ashamed?"
"What? Sherlock...go back to sleep. It's one in the morning."
"I can't sleep, why would he keep something like this from us?"
"You mean you haven't been asleep at all?"
"No, how can you sleep? All I can think about is what they've said to him!" Sherlock takes his pillow and repeatedly hits John on the back.
"Sherlock put the pillow down and go to sleep. I'll get this all sorted out tomorrow."
"But what if he doesn't do anything, John, it might get worse. Why didn't he just come to us?!"
"Because you almost broke his wrist today, okay?! You've been cracking down on him too hard, Sherlock. He's only a child!" As soon as John says the words he regrets it from the look on Sherlock's face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."
"No, your right, John. I have been too harsh on him. Goodnight." Sherlock turns over and switches the lamp off.
"I'm sorry Sherlock." Sherlock doesn't reply so John turns over as well. "Night." He says.