Mycroft had seen John passing from Sherlock's grave the day they put 'him' in the ground. He had been cold, still bitter about the elder Holmes letting everything Sherlock related slip to Moriarty, effectively causing his brother's ruin. It was a completely justified reaction, but it was still annoying. John just nodded deferentially as he passed. Mycroft didn't know what to say. What could be said. Even if Sherlock wasn't dead, he wasn't, the idea of Sherlock Holmes was. And it was essentially his fault. What could he say?
It's two months till Mycroft sees John again. He calls John on his mobile instead of just randomly picking him up. He asks John when he'll be free? Is dinner tonight alright?
The doctor didn't have plans. And he's pretty sure that Mycroft knew that. And just to spite him, John was of half a mind to say he couldn't go, because the man was almost as much to blame for Sherlock's death as Moriarty, if not more. But then this was Mycroft making an attempt at being polite, he supposed. And John would much rather know when he'll be whisked away to some undisclosed location than be caught off guard as per usual. He'd always figured it had something to do with security. But if Sherlock's daily habits were of national importance...he thought mildly.
"I thought you always kidnapped me to keep secret matters of national importance," John said by way of greeting, as he was ushered into the study of Mycroft's flat.
"My brother is only of national importance because there is very little I would not do to get him back," he paused as if hesitating to follow such a statement with his next words. "Well, that and the fact that he could probably be on the world's most dangerous criminals list if he wanted. Please sit," Mycroft indicated vaguely in the direction of the two chairs as he tinkered around the liquor trolly. "Can I get you anything?"
"Scotch, please," John seated himself in the chair that gave him a view of Mycroft fixing the drinks.
The elder Holmes knows that John has no idea that Moriarty is still alive. He knows that John hopes, and only hopes, that Sherlock is still alive. He knows that John would never think that Sherlock would go with Moriarty freely, not without significant coercion on the criminal's part, and then that would certainly no longer be freely. So, he knows that John would never suspect that the current instability in Southeast Asia is actually brother dearest and his lover- well, as far as Mycroft is concerned the intellectual stimulation they receive off of one another, would be the equivalent of sexual stimulation for a normal person, so they are lovers. Whether they consummate this relationship physically or not, is completely irrelevant.
He knows that John is quite astute, even if he doesn't get the level of connection between Sherlock and James Moriarty. Jim, ha.
It had been a long eight weeks. First there was the whispers, that Moriarty was dead, not dead, more of a ghost than he was before. Mycroft eventually sifted through enough back noise to determine that Jim Moriarty was indeed alive and killing. That was easy compared to what he went through searching for Sherlock, assuming Sherlock was still alive. In fact, the only reason it took him as long as it did to know whether the consulting criminal was still consulting was because he was distracted with trying to get information about Sherlock. It was all terribly unprofessional but... But when he found out that Sherlock and Jim Moriarty were working together, well he should have been less surprised than he was. He would always be a bit irritated with himself for not seeing it sooner. It was so simple. He would have admired it, had it not been for the fact that they were toppling government sanctioned dictatorships; authoritarian and 'democratic' alike. And that was when they wanted to be predictable, there was the Chilean ambassador incident, the apparent 'earthquake' in New Zealand- he was still wondering exactly how they pulled that one off-, there was the passing of that one U.S. bill that allowed... well, it would be best to not talk about that... And a multitude of creative deaths for rather boring people. Regardless, every odd crime or so would have their stamp of approval on it. He could only imagine how much 'fun' Sherlock was having, trailing along after the most dangerous criminal mastermind the world had ever seen, to be melodramatic. An absolute ball, no doubt. Either way it was a comfort to know that his brother was alive. That a simple thing like a fall didn't break the man.
The real question he had to consider, was if John could handle this information without making a mess of everything. Being told that not only had your best friend faked his suicide and not said a word to you about it; but for that best friend to now be off desecrating things with the very man who caused the ruination of his reputation; it might be a bit much. He could always lie.
"So, why did you want to see me?" John asked, as Mycroft handed him the tumbler of amber liquid.
"To see how you are." John scoffed. As Mycroft took the seat opposite. "I heard from a little bird that you thought that Sherlock was not dead."
"Who told you that?"
"A little bird."
"Oh, right of course, and you've called me here to make fun of me, is that right?"
"Don't be silly, doctor. I think that you are right."
"Sorry?"
"I have reliable sources that tell me that theres a man in the United States causing quite a stir."
"How reliable?"
"Only the best." Mycroft said with a small smile. He lets John process this. Sips his scotch. Watches the man muddle this through.
"Well, are you going to do anything about it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Are you going to go and get him or-?"
"If he wanted my help, he would have come to me." Mycroft paused. "Likewise, he would have come to you."
John scoffed.
"Why did you tell me he was still alive, if you weren't going to let me do anything about it?"
"Let you?"
"I bet if I tried to leave the country, right now I'd find I'm on the government's travel watch."
"I suppose you would." Mycroft conceded.
"So, why did you feel the need to tell me?"
"What if I said that Jim Moriarty was still alive?"
"I'd say you were bluffing. He shot his brains clean out on the hospital roof."
"And Sherlock Holmes jumped to his death, off of that same roof."
"Okay, so what if he faked it too? What are you trying to say here?"
"Moriarty is also in the States."
"So?"
"Moriarty is also in the States, where there have been sightings of Sherlock."
Mycroft paused. John stared. John didn't know what to say to that. As if there would be some immediate connection between the two. Like just because they both pretended to be dead, Sherlock would be hanging out with Moriarty, whilst John was... It was ridiculous. But then Mycroft was mentioning it...
"There have been sightings of Sherlock and Moriarty together."
"Sorry? Why would they be together? What-?"
This was taking too long.
"Because he switched sides." John didn't say anything. He just stared. Mycroft hammered on. "He's partnered up with Moriarty and they are beginning to wreck havoc all over the Pacific."
John bit back a protest. No...Sherlock wouldn't do that. That wasn't right. But then that was exactly right, because John knew that he could. And apparently had, with Moriarty. Of course, with his life's work in the bin and he goes gallivanting off with the man who put it there. For fun. Because he can't stand boredom, because normal people don't count, because Jim Moriarty offered him a chance to eradicate the monotony of day to day life. Which was more than John could ever do...clearly.
"So what?"
Mycroft looked at John quizzically.
"What?"
"Yes, what?"
"Oh, I see." Mycroft smiled thinly, as if he were just getting a poorly made joke. "You're still upset that he left you."
"Left me?" John stuttered. "No, no, that he jumped off the building in the first place. That he gave up everything he ever worked for to satisfy the demands of a psychopath...Leaving me, that doesn't even come into what I-You're the British government. You could just send a team to locate and retrieve them. Or work with the American government." He paused, taking a breath but clearly not finished. "So, again, what do you want me to do? This is Moriarty, the man hailed to be the most dangerous man in London. And Sherlock- the only one who could take him down. Teamed up? What do you expect I could do? "
"Solve the crimes like you would with Sherlock. You worked on all of his most recent cases. You know how he thinks. I just need you to approach the cases like Sherlock would if he were detectiving them and not the perpetrator."
John saw that the logic here was rather flimsy. Mycroft didn't really need him at all. He knew his brother well enough. There was some other reason Mycroft wanted him here. But, this was the only way for John to see what Sherlock was up to. And so:
"What was the first crime committed?"