John returned home with a baffled mind, still disbelieving that Sherlock, his best friend, had a third brother and didn't even tell him. Sherrinford seemed to be a very interesting character, but there was something about him that the doctor couldn't quite place. The two other brothers seemed like the middle was an outcast, who seemed to have a history of being on not the right side. Sounded like they didn't even trust him, but he is still a brother and seemed like that he, too, wanted Moriarty to be stopped. Either way, John was going to get some answers from Sherlock tomorrow… Hopefully.
When he opened the door to his flat, Mary walked out from the bedroom to him with a smile. "Hi," she greeted with a kiss. "How's Sherlock?"
"Hi." He closed the door and admired his pregnant wife with love, then lightly shook his head, returning to her question. "Um… Sherlock has a third brother."
"What?" She crossed her arms as she took a step back, slightly tilting her head to the side with wondrous smile. "Really? What's he like?" There was humor and amusement in her brown eyes.
"His name is Sherrinford and he is…" His raised his arms then dropped them to his sides. "I don't know. All I know is that he works with Moriarty and is the middle child. That is all I know." He began to remove his coat and hang it on the rack beside the door. There was a reason why Sherlock didn't mention him at all. He knew there was.
"He works for Moriarty?"
"Double-agent." He took a breath as he looked at his wife. "I guess he works for Mycroft as well." He then muttered as he looked away, "But I think more for the enemy."
"What do you mean?" She asked as seriousness was in her tone, wanting to know exactly what was going on. She always was interested in the boys' cases and was really fond of Sherlock. It always made John feel… Happy in a way that his wife understood their cases and the lives of the detective and his blogger.
John looked at his wife in the eyes. "I really don't know. He is different. He's like the opposite of Sherlock. He seems like he can't be trusted and even Sherlock and Mycroft don't seem to trust him either." He then smirked, "I mean, they haven't seen each other for ten yeas."
Mary crossed her arms as her gaze looked away. "That is a bit weird," she murmured in agreement. Then she smiled and looked at him with a more uplifting gaze. "Sherlock will tell you more soon. I know he will"
He took a heavy sigh. "I hope so." He knew that his friend was secretive and didn't know how much Sherlock will tell about Sherrinford Holmes, but he knew that his friend would tell him anything if it was very important or if he felt like it was the right thing to do because he'll be hounded if he didn't. John then kissed his wife. "Never mind that now." He wrapped his arms around her as he walked behind her and placed a hand on her large belly. "A week left," he whispered softly with a smile at the thought.
"Thank God," she chuckled. "I'm tried of carrying extra weight around." She then smiled with love in her eyes as she placed a hand over her husband's. "But yeah," she gently said. "A week left and we'll hold our little one."
John kissed her neck lovingly and lightly rested his head on her lean shoulder, just savoring her love as always. Even though she was an ex-assassin and shot his best friend, he loved her. He loved her and Sherlock killed to protect them both.
"We still have to name her," his wife softly stated with a smile.
John chuckled as he raised his head in a tired manner. "I really have no idea. How many names did we go through? A hundred?"
"We'll know it when we see her," she soothed with a smile as she leaned into her beloved. "I love you, John."
"I love you, too." He kissed her head and continued to hold her for another moment.
It was ten in the morning when John went over to Baker Street and sure enough, Sherrinford was sitting in front of Sherlock, who was leaning back in his favorite chair, staring at his brother with his fingertips together. The doctor was puzzled to see the older brother again, but got over it off as he closed the door.
"Hello, John," the brother acknowledged without looking at him as if the two brothers were studying one another.
Getting caught off guard from seeing the other brother so soon, all he could say was, "Um… Hi."
Sherrinford looked over at him with an amused smile. "Surprised to see another brother?"
"You could say that," he commented as his glanced at his friend, who began to stand.
"Well," the detective began. "My brother was telling me that Moriarty is indeed planning something, but can't say what it is yet."
"I don't know myself," the older Holmes brother added as he stood up, looking at the two of them. "My little brother and I were merely catching up on things." He smiled at his young brother, who rolled his eyes.
"Please. You act as if you missed out a lot," he stated dryly.
"I did. I'm actually surprised that John managed to get you off the drugs."
John looked at his friend as the dark cloud of the memories washed over him and saw that Sherlock looked away at his brother's words.
"I thought for sure you would overdose."
"Well," the detective gave his brother a cold gaze, "I hate to disappoint you, but I obviously didn't. I'm actually surprised to see that you are still alive yourself considering you didn't get gunned down by the cops or the enemy."
John looked at Sherrinford, who just smirked. "I came close, but obviously I wasn't."
"Sorry for changing the light subject," John began as he looked at the two Holmes' brothers, wanting to get to the serious subject, "but when we are we going to find out what Moriarty is planning?"
"Whenever I can," the second brother answered, earning his attention. "I'll keep in touch with my dear brother of mine." He gave a false grin at Sherlock, but it wasn't the grin that Mycroft would use. It was more of a sly grin. A grin that raised the doctor's suspicions.
Sherlock just looked at him with narrowed, unamused eyes.
"Well, I better be going," the older brother sighed. "Got work to do."
"Meaning work for Moriarty?" Sherlock asked as John stepped aside to allow the brother to pass and watched the sly brother.
Sherrinford stopped at the door and gave his little brother a smirk. "Don't you trust me, Sherlock?"
"Mycroft dones't trust you. Only with that agreement you two made."
He smiled with reassurance. "Don't worry, dear brother. I won't send you and your companion to your deaths."
John cleared his throat and muttered, "Cheers."
He gave them a final smirk, opened the door, walked out, then closed the door behind.
"What did he mean by that?" John suddenly asked as he stared at his friend, waiting for an answer. He wanted to know more about this third brother and fast before something bad happens. There definitely something off about him and he wanted to know what exactly happened between the three brothers.
Sherlock sighed as he walked to his chair and waved him off. "He's just being Sherrinford."
"No," he snapped as he turned to his friend. "There obviously is something going on between the three of you and I want to know why you never told me that you had a third brother." There was no way he was going to let this go unexplained and Sherlock knew that.
The detective sat down with a deep breath and leaned back in causal manner, then leaned forward with his elbows on his knees as John continued to stare at him, waiting for an explanation. "Ten years ago, Sherrinford got tangled with the wrong people. Criminals to be exact. He went to prison for a year due to good behavior and Mycroft did some interfering. Otherwise he'd be there longer. Then there were fears that he was going turn against his own brothers which Mother did not want at all. Sherrinford didn't want to be a disgrace nor anger Mother, but didn't want to stop living his life of crime either."
"So he made a deal with Mycroft," John quietly stated as he was putting things together.
"Exactly. Seeing that there was money from both ways, Sherrinford decided to help both sides, but in the end would be loyal to his word to Mycroft."
"Now he's tangled with Moriarty," John said heavily.
"Yes, but so far he still seems to be true to his word." He looked at the doctor with reassuring eyes.
"How did he get with Moriarty anyway?" He looked at his friend in a pondering manner.
"He said he wouldn't want Moriarty taking down England, so he began to play on his side to learn more."
"How long was he-"
"Only recently. He knew that he faked his death, but was sworn into secrecy." His pale eyes looked away as if disappointed, but understood the situation. "He's going under a fake name with Moriarty, but won't tell me what. Afraid that his boss will find out."
"And if he does…" John's voice faded as he knew what was going to happen.
"He'll kill him." Sherlock placed his fingers to his mouth as if he dreaded that to happen, which he would, of course. That was his brother after all.
John took a breath. "Another thing… You act like he tried to kill you or something," he smirked, trying to lighten the comment as he didn't want to offend his friend.
"Not me, but he did threaten to kill."
"Mycroft?"
"God, no. Just people when he was an amateur criminal."
"What is he now?"
"A masterminded, double-agent." He looked up at him with eyes that were stating fact.
John sighed as he understood. "For his own use."
"Money and amusement." He looked back ahead of himself as he began to ponder and John just stood there, slowly nodding his head as he was getting a better understanding of Sherrinford Holmes.