Sherlock was in pain. There was no denying it. But he continued walking along the long row of London town houses until he stopped at number at seventy three and rang the doorbell, waiting for an answer. As he stood on the step, he felt his phone vibrate in his jacket pocket and he didn't even have to take a look at the caller to know who was trying to get hold of him. And he knew that when she did get hold of him it would be by around his neck as she throttled him for leaving her. But Scarlett Jenson was the least of his concerns as he saw his brother appear at the front door and raised a simple brow in the direction of his younger sibling.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he requested and Sherlock simply just pulled his head back and his eyes widened in disbelief as he mocked a look of hurt on his features.
"Can one brother not simply come and visit the other?" he asked and Mycroft chuckled lightly.
"Yes. But when it concerns you and I Sherlock we both know that sibling love is not something we share," Mycroft informed his little brother. "Especially when you persist in going on with that little secretary."
"She is called Scarlett," Sherlock drawled. "And she has been speaking with your little rogue agent."
"Miss Adler?" Mycroft asked. "Why on earth would she talk to Miss Jenson?"
"I don't know," Sherlock replied, looking in the hallway of Mycroft's home before narrowing his eyes into his brothers. "Why would Miss Adler tell Scarlett to talk to you?"
"Why would Miss Adler do a lot of things?" Mycroft responded and Sherlock simply just leant against the wall of his brother's hall and looked him in the eye, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he did so.
"I'm not in the mood for your boring and idle questions Mycroft," Sherlock spat out. "Why would Miss Adler tell us that you know something about the shooting?"
"Shooting?" Mycroft sounded slightly shocked. "I wondered if I had heard right when my secretary called...apparently I did. Terrible," he shook his head and Sherlock rolled his eyes.
"What do you know about the person who Miss Adler is working for Mycroft? It seems he has it in his head that he wants to kill me and I have no idea what I have done to upset him," Sherlock responded.
"You upset many people Sherlock. Tell me, can your genius mind not work out who wants you dead by using that list?"
"No," Sherlock replied quickly. "My extremely highly functioning brain will not tell me who wants me dead. It also won't give me a simple reason as to why my brother may know who wants me dead."
"Think about it Sherlock," Mycroft hissed. "Who has Miss Adler previously worked for?"
"I don't have her CV on me at the moment."
"Moriarty," Mycroft said simply.
"And he happens to be dead. Does he not?" Sherlock replied. "I'd say it impossible for him to return from the grave twice, wouldn't you?"
"You know Sherlock," Mycroft responded. "There are some people who believe the word 'brother' to mean something."
Sherlock remained still for a moment and then ran a hand through his dark curly hair and shook his head.
"He has a brother?"
"Yes," Moriarty drawled.
"So how do you know of this?" Sherlock asked and then clicked his fingers and didn't give him time to answer as he spoke quickly again; "Of course, you're the British Government. You know where every mastermind's family is."
"He has been under the watch for some time," Mycroft nodded. "He was Miss Adler's next assignment...but...well...she didn't see it that way."
"And what is he known for? Clearly he is not as big as his brother was," Sherlock replied.
"George Moriarty is trying to follow in his brother's footsteps. Unlike our relationship," Mycroft replied.
"Being the government holds no interest for me," Sherlock said as fast as he could. "So he is trying to be a consulting criminal."
"Apparently so," Mycroft said lowly. "Although no one can know of this Sherlock. Mr Moriarty is seeking you out for revenge for his brother. Little does he know that you're not the one who killed him."
"Miss Adler informed you of what Scarlett did then?" Sherlock checked and Mycroft nodded.
"And why did you not tell me of Moriarty Junior earlier?" Sherlock continued to quiz his brother who shrugged.
"It was not of your importance to know. I'm trying to keep you out of government business...you're reckless habits are becoming quite a nuisance," Mycroft replied.
"And yet you want me to find Miss Adler..." Sherlock said and then something ticked in his mind. "Of course! If Miss Adler is watching me for Moriarty then you know I shall be in contact with her and so if I manage to find her then you can get her to tell you where Moriarty is and so that would mean bringing down two criminals and stopping Miss Adler from speaking poorly of the government. Very sly Mycroft."
"I suppose we share some traits."
...
"Do you expect me not to yell at you?" Scarlett asked calmly when Sherlock re-entered 221B Baker Street later at night and just looked at her. She was sat in the armchair watching the TV in her large and oversized pyjamas whilst Sherlock winced and moved out his coat.
"My expectation is that you will yell regardless of the fact that there is no need to do so."
"No need?" she spat and jumped from the chair. "You've been shot less than seventy hours ago and have been told to rest and then you go and run off and leave me worrying after you!"
"You didn't look too worried," he pointed out.
"That's because I knew where you were going...and John followed you."
"So you've got him spying on me now, have you?" Sherlock asked and Scarlett rolled her eyes.
"He was taking Sarah out and I asked him detour past your brother's house where he saw you. I knew that by the time I got there then you would have dealt with him," Scarlett replied.
"There is also the fact that I have managed to solve the reason as to why Miss Adler told us to talk to him," Sherlock told her.
"Go on," she urged.
"Moriarty is back."
...
"I didn't see that one coming," Scarlett admitted once Sherlock had told her the full story. "A brother...this is madness..."
"Well brothers are common Scarlett. Not a sign of madness," he informed her.
"You know what I mean."
"Many don't. But that's good...I know who is out for me..."
"I don't think it makes the situation any better," Scarlett replied dryly and she sneezed loudly before coughing, earning a look of annoyance from Sherlock.
"I think I'm coming down with a cold," she said.
"Well don't pass it on to me," he told her and she grabbed another tissue from her pocket.
"I shall try not to," she replied. "So...do you have a plan?"
"No," Sherlock replied. "Not really...but I shall do soon. Worry not. And it's beautiful, isn't it?"
"What?" Scarlett asked as they sat on a make shift wooden box in the dark night on top of 221B Baker Street, huddled together, wanting fresh air. Sherlock wrapped his coat tighter around his body as Scarlett nestled her head onto his shoulder and he went tense for a moment before relaxing around her. She had placed on her thick wooly cardigan over her pyjamas and her large fluffy slippers were on her feet.
"The stars...they're really something. Don't you think?"
"Of course," Scarlett agreed. "It's odd though. To know that they are so far away in time and one of them may have died but we can still see it."
"I didn't know you were the expert on the solar system," Sherlock informed her and she locked her arm into his as he took both her hands into his leather clad ones and rested his chin on her head.
"Well you're obviously not," she joked and he nudged her gently and she giggled.
"I read up about it as soon as John mocked me," he told her. "I didn't like the idea of being mocked for not knowing such trivial knowledge."
"No," she whispered. "I know you don't."
"And Moriarty...the second one...I'll manage to find out how to stop him."
"I know," Scarlett said and kissed him on the cheek. "You're Sherlock Holmes."
"And I'd like you to keep contact to a minimal amount...I don't want your germs from your mouth."
...
Thank you to Che and CaptainCrash for reviewing! Glad to hear from you both again! Please review and let me know what you think! Another update soon because it is almost the weekend which means some free time!