Diner that evening was another formal affair Mycroft and Mummy sat at either end of the table Katherine to Mycroft's right and Sherlock to his left. Lucy sat to his left with Simon opposite and Junior next to her. Sherrinford sat opposite Junior and Mrs Hudson and John took the last two seats, Mrs Hudson to Violets right and John to her left.

The meal was as normal as a Holmes family meal ever gets, Junior and Simon sing and smile brightly, Mrs Hudson chatters on about her soaps, and Sherrinford gets slowly sloshed. The food is delicious and Katherine is explaining to Lucy and Sherlock about the plans she and the cook had made for New Year's Eve. Neither is listening, because both are aware of 3 pairs of eyes on them.

John their beloved John hadn't managed to catch 2 words with either of them since breakfast, and he couldn't help but stare at them. They were beautiful and ethereal, with intelligence far beyond anything John had come across before. They sat away from him, on the opposite side of the table and his eyes were transfixed, they seemed not to notice him, smiling at some in joke between them, and he was glad of the time to study them silently. Neither had touched the wine offered with the meal, instead had sat sipping water from crystal tumblers. He realised while he sat musing, savouring the game pie in front of his, they were both eating, both eating a lot.

Violet, The Dowager Lady Holmes, could see her youngest son and his wife clearly from her position. She had noticed there was something different about them when she and Mycroft had spotted them walking into the garden from the woodland path. They had both watched the couple walk arm and arm, and their planning meeting regarding an ex-Soviet missile silo in Kazakhstan, had been placed on hold. Violet had spotted their gait first of all, and had informed Mycroft that they had just engaged in intercourse, a fact he could have done without. They were happy and joking with each other, and as Mycroft stared he realised the last time he'd seen them like this together was while they were still at University.

Mycroft had watched them and looked at his Matriarch in confusion.

"Well, what's your deduction?" she asked him

"If I hadn't watched them marry 10 years ago via CCTV, I'd say newlyweds?" He told her, his voice intrigued.

When they had sat down to dinner, their matching wedding bands worn obviously on the third fingers on their left hands, Mycroft and Violet had shared a look. It was obvious to them that the rest of the family hadn't noticed. There was a silent question that passed between them, of what was going on?

After dessert but before coffee, Mycroft made his move.

"I wonder if I could as for your assistance for moment?" He asked Sherlock, and the staff cleared the table for coffee. Sherlock looked across the table towards John, but Mycroft interrupted again. "This really is something I think Lucy and yourself would be best suited to help me with. It won't take long" His tone was measured but his eyes showed Sherlock a flash of warning. However it was Lucy who replied.

"Of course Mycroft dear, we'll be happy to help you" she smiled, at him, and with a brief wave to John, and kiss for each of her boys. She followed the brothers Holmes out of the dining room and through the maze of corridors to Sherlock's study.

He showed them through, and carefully locked the door behind them taking the key and placing it in the desk draw. He then went and rested against the desk facing them.

"I'm sure I don't need to tell you why I've asked you here" Mycroft started, "So I will come straight out with it, what happened this morning?"

Lucy and Sherlock exchanged a look, and then burst out laughing.

"Well, Fatcroft, when a Mummy and Daddy love each other very much" Sherlock started

"Not the mechanics" Mycroft interrupted

"I don't think it's of any concern of yours, or your bloody mother." Lucy snapped but realised too late she'd gone too far. Mycroft stepped forward and as fast as a snake strike, grabbed her left wrist and painfully yanked her towards him.

Sherlock made a noise of protest his eyes raking up Lucy's flushed and pained face. "You're hurting her?"

"I'm assured she likes it" Mycroft countered, examining Lucy's wedding ring as if it wasn't attached to the arm or person he was currently holding. "Our great-grandmothers wedding ring." He commented

"You knew she had it" Sherlock countered "that can't be a surprise"

"No" he studied his brother "But to my knowledge neither of you have worn you're rings on any occasion apart from the odd case, yet here you are sporting them proudly" he shook Lucy slightly and she mewed "I would like to know the reason behind it".

"I….I…" Lucy started, but there was a popping sound and she stifled a cry as her wrist came out of joint.

"Enough Mycroft" Sherlock snapped "There is nothing wrong, we decided we needed a symbol of our relationship, and as it happens we have one"

"And Doctor Watson?"

"If John agrees, we will have a ring made for him when we return to London" Sherlock breathed out in a rush as Mycroft pulled Lucy to him.

He liked that she didn't snivel he hated that so many people under duress snivelled like little children. He carefully smoothed out her wrist like expert in torture he was, then ran his hands down the joint like sensualist he denied himself to be.

"Why does it bother you so much Myc?" Sherlock asked him "What I do? What we do? Why do you feel you need to intrude?"

"I worry about you constantly, brother" Mycroft explained gently pushing Lucy back towards her husband, "You seem to engineer your life in a way to cause maximum harm to those around you, I will never stop being bothered by the things you do."

"But he's fine" Lucy gasped "we're fine, we're happy."

Sherlock looked at her "Are you?"

She smiled and kissed him "Yes, yes I really am."

Hey MyriadProBold, Diva, whadda you think? Slightly happier?

LOL

Jas xx