Doctor Holmes checked his mobile and the time, he arrived at noon on a Friday. Checking the information in his phone he didn't have very long to find John. Stepping out from the alley Sherlock was caught off guard when two very strong men in black suits grabbed hold of his arms and forced him into the back of sleek black car.
"Hey! Unhand me!" Sherlock struggled but it was no use, he was already sprawled in the back seat.
"Mr. Holmes please calm yourself, we are going to visit your brother."
"Mycroft?" Sherlock sat up quickly.
"That would be the one." The driver replied coolly, "Please buckle up." The car's tires squealed and then slammed on its breaks causing the Doctor to hit the seat in front of him. The driver honked at a man in a cane crossing the road, the man only shook his fist and his blond head. Sherlock tried to get a better view but the car was already speeding off.
"Wait! There's been a mix up, I'm not Sherlock Holmes-I mean I am but I'm not. Dammit, let me out you fool I have work to do! It's important! I don't have much time! It's a small window of opportunity that's rapidly closing."
"Sir, I suggest you sit back and buckle up." Doctor Holmes glared at the driver through the rear view mirror.
He needed to get out of here, but apparently in this reality Mycroft was still the British Government and kidnapped his brother at will.
The car came to a stop outside of the Diogenes club, Sherlock didn't hold back the eye roll. Somethings no matter what the dimension or parallel universe just didn't change.
The driver opened the door for him, Sherlock sneered at the offered hand, but followed obediently.
Mycroft was sitting at his desk, surrounded by idiot agents all vying for his signature or attention. Again, this wasn't so much an unfamiliar sight, however the rediculious mustache that Mycroft wore was another story.
Sherlock attempted to keep himself from laughing at the ginger strip that curved around Mycroft's pursed lips.
"What's this?" Mycroft growled standing he waved his people away.
"Sir, as you wished we found your brother. He gave us a bit of a chase but we found him" the driver was stuttering and nervous.
"Well that's great but where the bloody hell is he?" Sherlock raised an eyebrow, his brother never swore.
"Sir? He's right here."
"That's not my brother." Mycroft came around the desk, "Everyone in the room out."
Just like that the handful of Mycroft's minions scattered like rats off a sinking ship. Well this Mycroft was a bit of a change, Dr. Holmes wondered if it were for the better or worse. Cold grey eyes scanned him from head to toe.
"You have made an interesting attempt to look like Sherlock but you are not him. A close second but still not the real thing."
"I assure you I am not your brother, I was just an innocent bystander on my way to visit an old friend when-"
"Why would you feel the need to lie to me? And how would you know that Sherlock was my brother." Mycroft narrowed his eyes, "Oh, I believe half of what your saying. Still you are here, a few blocks from where my brother was last seen and wearing a face so close-"
"I assure you Mycroft it's a coincidence I am not your brother and I would like to be on my way. If you'll excuse me."
"Make a move towards that door and before you can step out into the corridor one of my men will have put a bullet in your head-"
"Mycroft this is an interesting side of you. And your mustache is rather amusing." The British Government continued to silently scrutinize the Doctor Holmes. After ten minutes of uncomfortable silence Sherlock threw his hands up in the air and sunk down into one of Mycroft's leather chairs.
"Alright fine. Have it your way, what do you want? You want to know why I look so much like whatever your brother looks like. Well because I am him. Next question, is this a trap? No, it's not. I could careless about whatever back room deals you have boiling. Could care less about politics. Next, what do I want from you? Nothing, absolutely nothing. I never want anything from you, it always comes with attachments. I wonder brother do you manage to keep your hands clean just as clean here, as my brother does where I am from?"
"And you are from?"
"London."
"I believe you and at the same time disbelieve you."
"Ah, well at least we still have that."
Mycroft shook his head, "There is something-"
"Yeah, yeah, blah blah. Always so overly paranoid. Listen you fat idiot, I'm not here for you or your brother. I'm here for myself. And you are wasting my time!"
"Who are you, you say you're my brother but you aren't? My brother is a drug addict, who I've been trying to save and put in rehab. If you are with Moriarty and Moran-"
"Moran? As in Sebastian Moran?" There it was again, Moran's name, interesting how some things remained true.
"Yes, the Colonel, the one who is in league with Moriarty, the sniper that's out to kill my brother!" Mycroft growled starting forward, his face blotchy. Sherlock was amazed at the fury and emotion that registered on his brother's usually stoic face.
"Why?"
"To hurt me." Mycroft ran a hand over his face, his hair was ruffled and tie askew, Sherlock could see the tension of the past couple years. This Mycroft had seen too much, had worried and searched for his brother. Would his Mycroft had done the same? No, Mycroft Holmes did not worry, he cared about the game he was playing, the power plays the behind the scenes puppetry.
"I assure you I am not with your enemies. I'm here looking for someone. Look, believe me or not brother mine I could careless. My name is Doctor Sherlock Holmes, I come from a parallel universe and I am searching for a man, a friend."
"This friend? What is his name?" Mycroft didn't blink hearing the parallel universe part, he was instead pouring himself some scotch.
"You don't doubt me?"
"The evidence is clear. Obviously you're my brother from another timeline or universe. I know of a Doctor Faraday that has been working at Baskerville trying to construct a machine to do just as you say. Open doors, or portals. And leave it to a Holmes to be the first to succeed in unlocking the mysteries of such a device before any other. What I want to know is why you have made the decision to come here?"
"Like I said. A friend." Mycroft's eyebrow rose and Sherlock could hear John's voice in the back of his head sigh irritably.
"We aren't a couple." Sherlock snapped.
"And I assume that I already know about this little experiment?"
"You funded it." Sherlock snapped. "It was the least you could do."
"You blame me for losing this friend."
"I don't have the time to discuss this with you-"
"Whats the importance of time? How does it factor in with such a machine at your beck and call?"
"I just have a small window of opportunity. One that allows for me to move freely and recover what I've lost."
"You've lost this friend. So you are here to take him from our universe to yours? That sounds illogical what use is he?"
"He is my friend. I owe him. He saved my life."
"At the risk of his own?" Mycroft glanced over this version of his brother, this stranger and yet not. "Sounds like an idiot."
"Don't you dare speak ill of John Watson!" Sherlock was on his feet. "He was an honorable man!"
"He's friends with a drug addict, how honorable can he be?" Sherlock felt his fists ball at his side, Mycroft only continued to search the Doctor's face for something.
"I am no longer an addict, though other versions of me cant say the same. This one you see before you did not go down that path."
"Because of this friend?"
"Yes, I don't understand it, so I don't expect you to either. John and I met in UNI, he found me in the bathroom at a party and took me to the hospital. He must have thought I was some dumb kid and felt sorry for me. At least that's what I thought at first but-"
"But?" Mycroft took a small drink from his tumbler.
"But he's always been there. After that first week no matter how annoying I found him how mean I spoke to him he just never gave up. After UNI he joined the army, went to work for you and then I was kidnapped-" Mycroft's eyes narrowed his jaw clinched.
"By who?"
"Some terrorist group."
"He found you though?"
"Yes, he worked for you after leaving the army, he worked for you and you manipulated him into looking for me. He saved me at the risk of his own." Sherlock refused to let this Mycroft see his emotion, he turned away checking his watch.
"He died to save you? Then he was your friend? Or a fool." This wasn't meant for an answer, Mycroft was thinking out loud another unfamiliar quirk. "You can't have him."
"What?"
"If you say this John Watson-" Mycroft was tapping into his phone's keys, an odd thing to see. Mycroft after all hated texting, this one was comfortable texting quickly his eyes not meeting the Doctor's. "Formally of the RAMC injured in the line of duty, ah, a soldier's bravery. Just another word for stupid-"
Sherlock moved towards his brother with ever intention of punching him but this Mycroft was an experienced fighter, he caught the fist that swung in his direction, caught it and continued to read the information off of his touch screen phone, unfazed he pushed the tall thin Doctor from him.
"as I was saying before you had your little tantrum. Doctor John H. Watson a Captain in the RAMC. Currently residing at the Invalid home you were found in front of. "
"What the hell are you doing?" Sherlock straightened his suit.
"If you say this man is your savior, perhaps the savior in other parallel timelines, then-"
"You're hoping he'll save your brother? They don't even meet in this one, the man will never meet your brother. He wasn't meant to." Sherlock growled, starting to pace in frustration. He refused to fail again, not this time.
"Ah, yes, well sentiment isn't my strongest point but what can I say. Such a man would be a great choice of companion, a soldier and a doctor, he would come in handy."
"Sentiment Mycroft? It doesn't suit you."
"And I can tell from your expression you are just as ill suited for it as well. You've allowed it to blur your vision and cloud your goal. Had you been thinking you would have never given away your plans to someone like me."
Sherlock hated when his brother was right, this Mycroft wanted a way to save his brother. Sherlock could see the concern in Mycroft's gray eyes, in his pursed lips,and a sad smile creased Sherlock's own mouth as he dealt the game winning blow.
"Your brother is dead already. It's too late. That meeting is impossible." Mycroft examined the younger Holmes' face for any sign of deceit.
"How?" Sherlock had researched his counterpart out of curiosity mostly but mainly he wanted to know what kind of friend he was to John, no matter what the incarnation. "It doesn't matter Mycroft you and I cant stop it. No one can."