The 5 Times Greg Caught Mycroft & the 1 Time Mycroft Caught Greg
by: Ismira Daugene
Chapter 3
Mycroft sat at his desk the next day fiddling with a fountain pen. He couldn't seem to concentrate on the reports in front of him. He couldn't seem to concentrate at all, actually, which was why it was a good thing that he had no meetings that day. He'd gone into the office early that morning with the intention of slipping out early in order to check-in on Sherlock. His brother had woken overnight and had demanded to be let out of the hospital despite how much the doctors advised against it. This had led Mycroft to pay a visit to St. Bart's at around 2:30AM. It had taken nearly an hour, but the elder Holmes convinced his brother to stay at least for the night. He could leave at mid-day the next day.
Aside from Sherlock, Mycroft also had a certain Detective Inspector occupying his thoughts. The silver haired man had indicated that he was interested in the politician the previous night. How deep that interest went was still a mystery though. It was obvious that some sort of physicality would be involved in the relationship, which Mycroft still found surprising. There weren't many who had wanted a physical relationship with him. For the most part, others had only been interested in his mind. As a result he'd become suspicious of anyone trying to get close to him from a young age. It also didn't help that he wasn't interested in the intimate side of a relationship.
Sure, he'd enjoyed hugs and holding hands and the occasional kiss. However when it came to the act of sex, Mycroft simply was not interested. The idea of placing that much trust in someone and subjecting himself to their approval was not something that appealed to him. Nor was the mess (both physical and emotional) appealing. He would never admit it to anyone, but the idea of sex (whether with a stranger or someone he knew) made him extremely uncomfortable. The few times in university when he'd gotten close to having intimate relations had ended with him being called a bastard (among other unsavory names) and the other person marching out. Eventually he'd just given up on any sort of relationship and began rebuffing any who tried to start one. This had earned him the nickname Ice Man rather quickly.
Gregory Sébastien Lestrade was different though. For one thing, Gregory had no need for Mycroft's status or intellect. He was already a Detective Inspector with Scotland Yard and seemed content to remain so. He was not seeking a promotion through their acquaintance. As for intelligence, Gregory had Sherlock for that. The DI, while annoyed with Sherlock quite often, was happy to work with the younger Holmes for insight on cases. Therefore the only logical conclusion Mycroft could come to was that Gregory Lestrade truly wanted a relationship with him just for him. However Mycroft was reluctant to accept because of his previous experiences with those who discovered his lack of a desire towards coitus.
Mycroft let out a sigh and placed the pen he'd been playing with down on the desk. He could read these reports later at his home office. For now it was nearly midday and Sherlock would be getting released from the hospital soon. He wanted to be there on the slim chance that Sherlock would listen to him and go rest for the day at his flat on Montague Street. He was just getting in his vehicle when his personal mobile rang. Glancing at the caller ID, he felt a nervous flutter run through his abdomen upon seeing Gregory's name, but he swallowed his nervousness and answered calmly. "Detective Inspector," he greeted. "What can I do for you?"
"First off, you can tell Sherlock to stop texting me for information on the case. I told him that I'm not giving him anything else until he can keep down more than a cuppa tea."
"I thank you for that, Gregory, and I shall try my best, but I think we both know how much joy Sherlock derives from doing the opposite of what I ask."
Greg sighed. "Ain't that the truth?" he chuckled. "But no really I could use your help so that Sherlock stays put and recovers a bit."
"Of course, whatever will assist in speeding my brother's recovery."
"Great! If you wouldn't mind coming down to Clapham, I could use a consultant. This guy is getting desperate if he's willing to poison your brother, but he's not making any mistakes! Normally they start messing up when they get desperate."
"Text me the address and I shall be there promptly." They hung up and a few seconds later a text message came through with the address. Mycroft directed Lewiston to their new destination then called Anthea to attend to Sherlock's release from the hospital. She would make sure he got home safely if nothing else.
The butterflies in Mycroft's stomach fluttered anxiously the entire drive to Clapham, but once they pulled up in front of the house marked off with police tape, he took in a deep breath and pulled on a blank visage. "Gregory," he addressed the DI as they met at the tape line.
"Thanks for coming, Myc," he grinned. Mycroft raised a brow at the shortening of his name, but didn't comment. "It's a locked door double homicide," Greg explained as he led the way. "As far as we can figure, the target was old Mr. Whitmoore, but his butler happened to walk in at the wrong time and got a bullet in the chest for his troubles. A patrol car happened to be in the neighborhood and heard a gunshot, so they came to check it out only to find two bodies locked inside the house and no evidence of forced entry."
They walked into Mr. Whitmoore's study then and Mycroft could see the old man sprawled on an expensive looking carpet. Blood had soaked into the rug and pooled around his head where he'd been shot at point blank range. The butler on the other hand lay near the door as though he'd only walked in when the killer shot him. Mycroft studied the room and walked closer to the bodies. Upon crouching to examine the butler a little closer, he made a startling discovery. "Gregory," he called the DI over as he stood. "I believe if you examine the chemical makeup of the supposed blood on the butler's clothing you will find it to be fake."
"What?" Greg asked incredulously at the same time the supposedly dead butler jumped agilely to his feet, pushed Mycroft into Greg, and dashed out the door! Greg caught Mycroft's weight, but couldn't keep them both upright. They toppled to the floor hard, Mycroft landing between Greg's legs. "Damnit!" Greg cursed and quickly shouted into his radio. "Suspect making a run out the front door! Butler isn't dead! Repeat, Butler isn't dead!"
There was a flurry of activity out in the hall and in a short amount of time they heard a loud thump as one of the other police officers tackled the man. Mycroft and Greg had a bit of a time getting untangled and back on their feet, but with some effort they were soon out in the hall watching the man being cuffed and led away to a patrol car. Greg rubbed at his backside as they watched. "Gotta feeling I'm gonna have a bruise tomorrow," he grumbled. "You okay?" he turned his attention to Mycroft.
"Yes, I'm fine. You broke my fall, thank you."
Greg grinned. "Like I said, I don't mind you falling into my arms."
Mycroft felt his cheeks burn and cursed his pale complexion. "Yes, you've said." He was rather proud of how even and bland he kept his voice.
"How about we do something that has little chance of my needing to catch you?" Greg suggested turning to face the politician fully.
"Such as?"
"Coffee? There's this great café I go to sometimes. Has the best baklavas in London."
Mycroft let his surprise show for just an instant before hiding it again. "That… would be nice," he replied.
"Great! How does Wednesday sound?"
"I believe I'll be able to manage it."
Greg rolled his eyes. "Wouldn't want to interrupt your busy schedule of political dueling."
Sergeant Donovan poked her head in the front door just then and spotted Lestrade. "Sir, we need you outside."
"Be right there, Sally," Greg called back. Sally nodded and went back out. "Right, I'll message you the address. Thanks for the help today!"
"It was nothing."
"See ya, Wednesday morning!"
Mycroft nodded in agreement as the Detective Inspector walked off.
Author's Note: The chapters are getting longer from here on out! Also, the next chapter is probably my favorite! I can't wait for you guys to read it! It will be out this Friday!
