A short one.

Enjoy!

Chapter 10 .

The meeting place Mycroft suggested was a quaint little café. He was waiting outside with a cup of tea and a slice of cake. Sherlock, Watson and Veronica arrived a little late, well maybe the right word was very late, Mycroft was checking his watch for the third time as they rounded the corner into view. He cocked his head to the side taking in every detail, and spying the affectionate glances that his brother was giving the doctor and hoping no-one was noticing ,convinced him that something had happened.

"You...are late." He stated as his younger sibling pulled out a chair for Veronica.

"Well, sorry." Sherlock replied with the right amount of sarcasm. "I didn't know I was being timed." He sat down next to Watson, who flinched slightly when their knees bumped together by accident, and slapped the case-file onto the table. " Here's the file. Let's see you do any better. Apart from the fact that most of the girls being snatched are between the ages of ten and twenty and the rock solid discriptions of a man with the gimpy right leg seen wondering around workhouses and orphanages, I've found nothing useful."

"Well, I'm very pleased that you came." Watson turned red and started spluttering, he tried to cover it by faking a coughing fit. Sherlock flushed a pale pink and shot his brother a death glare. Veronica, who was reading the menu, gave Mycroft a half-smile. "A poor choice of words, Sherlock? Well, I have no desire to know what goes on behind the closed doors of 221B. That's your business, this is mine." Mycroft picked up the file and pulled out the papers, laying them flat on the tables' top and looked expectantly at his sibling. "Shall we? In your line of work two heads are better than one, right? I'm pretty sure we'll find something if we work together. Doctor, would you care to take Veronica inside? I hear this shop has a wide selection of delicious pastries."

"Yeah, well you would know." Sherlock muttered under his breath. His brother narrowed his eyes at him and he smirked teasingly. "What?"

Mycroft waited until Watson and Veronica had entered the shop before leaning forward on his fore-arms. " What are you playing at, Sherlock?"

He feigned innocence, "I don't know what you mean."

"Don't play that card with me, little brother. I saw you."

Sherlock's air of smugness faultered. The pinkness returned to his cheeks and he slouched down in his seat. " Your powers of observation are as sharp as always, Mycroft. Obviously the diet isn't affecting your brain." Mycroft snorted into his tea. "Or maybe..."

"The doctor is happily married."

"I know."

"You can't expect him to run off with you on cases anymore."

"I know."

"Maybe it's time to let him go."

"I know!" Sherlock sighed in exasperation, rubbing his hands over his face. " I don't know what to do, Mycroft." he mumbled.

"Your buisness, not mine." Mycroft repeated, flicking through the police papers. He glanced up and was startled to see the helpless expression on Sherlock's face. "My, dear boy. What's wrong?"

"Oh, Mycroft," Sherlock sniffed, " I think I-"

"Are you sure they'll like them?" Veronica emerged from the shop carrying a side plate stacked high with sponge slices. Watson was close behind her with a tea tray. Veronica placed the plate on the table and grinned at the Holmes brothers. " You'll have a cherry slice won't you, Mr Mycroft?"

"He'll have to let his trousers out." Sherlock muttered. Again his brother shot him at dark look before reaching for a cake. Sherlock nodded his thanks, took a slice from Veronica and with one bite bit it clean in half. Watson nudged his arm and placed a steaming cup of tea in front him. He looked up and spotted Watson's eyes widen and narrowed his own when the doctor leaned forward and gently brush the corner of his mouth. Without thinking, his tongue flicked out to timidly lick his finger-tip. Watson flushed an alarming shade of red and withdrew his hand sharpishly. As the doctor took his seat Sherlock sat back in his chair with a predatory glint in his brown eyes. " Thank-you,Watson."

"Uh..."

"Gentlemen, please. We need to grasp the situation with both hands." Watson's cheek's darkened a deeper shade of red, Veronica smiled around her slice and Sherlock's smirk widened. The elder Holmes choose to ignore their childish behaviour. " I think I've found a weak link in the chain of command." Mycroft flipped over a sheet and pointed to a blurry photograph, "This man here, a Mr York, your friend with the gimpy leg, once was a proud fighter. He used to fight at country fêtes for a penny a round, and according to the records...He never lost."

"Until his accident with a horse and cart." Watson said, remembering the brief medical notes that were included in the file.

"Ah, but that didn't stop him." Grinned Mycroft. "I've heard from my sources that he stills fights, but only in seedy competitions. If only we had a lead on just such an occasion."

The foursome were quiet for a good few minutes until Veronica suddenly let out a loud gasp, "I know one! There's a big boxing contest at the Punch-Bowl this weekend. You could enter it, Mr Sherlock."

Sherlock arched a brow as he searched about his person for his pipe and lit it. He took a slow drag and released it. "And where did you hear this,then?" He asked her,slightly surprised.

The youngster blushed as red as her hair, " From your boys, sir." Sherlock silently went ah and nodded at her to continue. "Well, we were standing around outside when the owner tacked a sign on the door. Wiggin's smiled and said that you'd win it hands down. They've got a book or something."

Sherlock chewed on the pipe's spout, and then said after a while, "Well, then. I best not dissappoint them."

Mycroft sighed deeply, "It goes against my better judgement to send you to do something so ghastly,but it's the only lead we have." He reached over and gave his brother's hand a pat," I'll sent some of my best people, under-cover of course, to help should things get ugly."

"I appreciate your help, brother. Father would be so..." He sniffed, looking away. He gathered his thoughts. "Right. Can't waste time with idle chit-chat, I've got a contest to win."

"You cannot be serious, Holmes!" Watson finally spoke up. " This man has already beaten you to a pulp once. Who's going to stop him from doing it again?"

Sherlock looked at him, "I thought that was obvious,dear boy." There was the smallest hint of a genuine smile on his lips and an odd warmth in his eyes. Watson couldn't look away. "You, Watson."

I am going to try and solve one of the biggest mysteries known to human-kind. Ready?

The meaning of life : " a period between birth and death or between birth and the present time."

HA! Got ya!

Thank-you OED for that.

Sorry for mistakes.

Until next time!

M.x