It snows in London, and what else could our beloved Baker Street bunch do but have a most epic snowball fight?
John and Mary Watson walked calmly into Hyde Park, tilting their heads back to smile up at the bright blue sky. It was a rare, beautiful, sunny day in the middle of a snowy winter. All around them the ground was covered with fresh snow, as yet untouched by the denizens of London. Except, of course, for one little girl with bright blue eyes and a long blonde braid.
"Mummy! Poppa! Come help me and Gladstone build a snowman!" Ellie called excitedly to her parents who were going much too slowly for her liking. Her loyal Tornjak, Gladstone (who stood nearly shoulder to shoulder with her) pranced forward in the snow, yipping excitedly as his mistress spun and twirled through the frosty flakes.
"All right, all right Ellie we're coming!" Mary called, laughing at her young daughter's antics.
"Uncle Strade! Uncle 'Lock!" Ellie cheered, dashing through the snow
"What are you lot doing here?" John called to his friends.
"Mycroft," Greg Lestrade said in way of answer while Sherlock leaned down to scoop Ellie up into his arms, Gladstone prancing happily in the snow next to them.
"Mycroft?" Mary frowned in confusion. "What does Mycroft have to do with it?"
"Your guess is as good as ours," Lestrade chuckled. "I was just enjoying a nice day off at home when this lout showed up banging on my door informing me that I was needed at Hyde Park."
"Because Mycroft requested it," Sherlock shrugged.
"Since when do you do what your big brother orders?" John chuckled.
"When his big brother offers an arrangement," Mycroft spoke up from the other end of the park, appearing with a swish of his brolly.
"I believe that the term you used was 'a wager'," Sherlock corrected.
"That's what he told me," Lestrade added.
"What kind of a wager?" Mary frowned disapprovingly. "We're just here to let Ellie play in the snow."
"It is nothing to concern yourself over Mary. Simply a bet between the uncles," Mycroft smiled wolfishly.
"And the rest of the family!" another voice called out from the other end of the park. The family turned to see Dr. Molly Hooper approaching with Anthea, both of them assisting Mrs. Hudson over the new fallen snow.
"Ah excellent Anthea, you succeeded in locating Miss Hooper," Mycroft smiled.
"Doctor Hooper," the rest of the family corrected, even Ellie turning in Uncle Sherlock's arms to correct Uncle Mycroft.
"My apologies," Mycroft had the good graces to at least appear chastised. "Regardless, I happened to notice that the weather today was quite exceptional and deduced that it would be clear enough for Lady Eleanor to be out playing. Since she has been most desirous of visiting the park, I further deduced that of course the Doctors Watson would concede to her wish and allow Gladstone to accompany them," Mycroft smiled thinly as he petted the head of the dog that he had bought for his niece.
"It seemed the perfect opportunity to…how do they call it? Cut loose for a bit?"
"Did Mycroft Holmes just say 'cut loose'?" Mary muttered to John.
"Yes dear."
"Okay, just checking that my hearing was still working," Mary smirked teasingly.
"You and me both love," John chuckled back.
"Are you two listening?" Mycroft demanded, frowning at the Watson couple.
"Sorry Mycroft, what were you saying?"
"He was saying that as it was exceptional weather out, he believed that it was the perfect time to have a family snowball fight," Sherlock said sardonically. "Sentiment," he scoffed.
"Says the man holding the prize," Lestrade snorted.
"I beg your pardon," Mary snapped, instantly turning on the three uncles, Sherlock still having Ellie safely in his grasp.
"Not like that or anything, just a little bet for motivation to win the snowball fight," Lestrade explained. "The uncle –"
"Or aunt," Molly chimed in.
"Right," Lestrade smiled in a placating manner. "That wins the snowball fight gets a whole day with Ellie. You two get a day to yourself, Mrs. Hudson gets a rest, and we get a chance to spend the day with our favorite niece. A win-win situation all around."
"I'm your only niece," Ellie piped up.
"A fact that is utterly superfluous my dear," Sherlock chuckled before bending down to set Ellie safely on the ground.
"Uncle 'Lock?"
"Yes Ellen?" Sherlock remained bent over to better hear her.
"Can I play on Mummy and Poppa's team?"
"We're not really – hey!" Sherlock growled as a snowball hit him from behind. The Great Winter War had begun.
With a shriek of delight, Ellie dove out of the way, sending up a wave of small flurries as she trundled through the snow and back to her parents. Mary scooped her up immediately while John dove into the battle with a great roar, hurtling snowballs as he went.
Any person walking by that area of Hyde Park on that day who knew the family more than likely would have stopped to stare. Why on Earth were Drs. John and Mary Watson trying to shove the World's Only Consulting Detective Sherlock Holmes into a mound of snow? Why was Detective Inspector Gregory Lestrade hiding behind a tree while Mycroft Holmes, a 'minor' member of the British government, bombarded him with snowballs? And what in the world had caused sweet and innocent Dr. Molly Hooper to turn into a snowball assassin, dashing back and forth between the two battles that had somehow separated and driving them back together while utterly decimating both groups?
Thankfully, however, no one who knew the Baker Street family was walking by at that particular time, so there were no witnesses of the family's playtime. Likewise there was no one to witness Anthea entrusting Mrs. Hudson with her precious mobile and dropping down to the ground in order to instruct little Eleanor Watson in the proper way to make a snow angel.
With a growl, Sherlock spun on his heel and focused on pelting John back with snowballs, causing the war veteran to make a tactical retreat while his wife provided cover-fire. Unfortunately for Captain Dr. John Watson his escape was impaired by a rather slick patch of ice.
"Wah-haaa-oh!" John yelped comically as he slid across the ice, his arms pin-wheeling as he tried desperately to keep his balance.
"Careful dear!" Mary called belatedly as her husband careened into a snow bank, thankfully gaining a soft landing from the fresh fallen snow. Mary pelted Sherlock with an extra large snowball in retaliation before calling out to her daughter.
"Ellie! I need reinforcements!"
"Coming Mummy!" Ellie called quickly, leaping up from the snow.
"Come on Miss 'Thea!" Ellie cheered, taking a hold of Anthea's hand and tugging her with all her might into the fray.
"Oh wait, no, Ellie!" Anthea yelped as she ducked to the ground, taking cover when sniper Molly Hooper sent a snowball careening her way.
"Oy, watch it Hooper!" Anthea called back.
"Come on Anthea, give me a hand taking these boys out and I'll split the day with Ellie with you," Molly offered, appearing at Anthea's side with a bright grin and red cheeks. Anthea briefly considered the offer before nodding once.
"You take care of Lestrade. I've got job security so I'll handle Mycroft," Anthea strategized. Molly's grin could almost be described as feral if it didn't appear as though she had just stepped out of a commercial for a winter special.
"Excellent strategy! Go Team Aunts!" Molly whooped childishly before singling out Gregory Lestrade, who unfortunately was completely unsuspecting of the doom that was about to bear down upon him. Lestrade's only warning came when he glanced over his shoulder and was met face-first with a frigid snowball. It was more merciful than what had happened to Mycroft, who inexplicably found himself barraged by snowballs and losing his grip on his brolly as he fell into a snow bank. With a happy woof, Gladstone raced forward and snatched up the umbrella, shaking it in his mouth like a giant stick.
"Wait! Gladstone, no! Drop the brolly now, boy!" Anthea shouted, panicking. Mycroft emerged from the snow and watched as his PA stumbled through the snow after the Tornjak, attempting desperately to reclaim her boss's beloved umbrella. Abandoning the snowball war, Mycroft joined the chase, trying to catch the gleeful dog who began to weave in and out between John, Mary, Ellie, Sherlock, Molly, and Lestrade who were still waging war with handfuls of compressed snow. The dog was fast and agile though, and heartily refused to release his prize, no matter that he was carrying what was more than your average umbrella (not that anyone other than Mycroft and Anthea knew that for certain, of course).
Ellie laughed gleefully as Lestrade caught her up in his arms, tossing her up into the air. He had been thoroughly pummeled by Molly and had finally called it quits, leaving the pathologist and consulting detective alone in the battle for a day with Ellie, Mycroft and Anthea having defaulted when they dropped the game to chase Gladstone. Mary and John jumped into the war as they chose, but mostly they enjoyed standing back and watching the show. Dr. Hooper was showing a surprisingly stubborn streak and actually giving Sherlock a run for his money, causing him to employ several maneuvers that he and John usually only used when on cases.
Those maneuvers didn't do him any good though when Mrs. Hudson decided to take up Molly's cause.
"Mrs. Hudson!" Sherlock yelped in shock, sounding very much like the three-year-old that he still on occasion acted like. He turned to glare at her, betrayal clear in his eyes. Mrs. Hudson only smiled sweetly as she dusted her mittens off after having dropped a snowball down the back of one unsuspecting consulting detective.
"Hah! I win!" Molly cheered.
"I have not conceded defeat," Sherlock countered stubbornly.
"Oh really?" Molly asked, smiling sweetly. She threw her snowball wide over Sherlock's head, causing the consulting detective to smirk with amusement.
"Really Molly you should keep to the mor –" Sherlock's voice was cut off as a small avalanche of snow fell on top of him, burying him up to his chest.
"What was that Sherlock?" Molly asked sweetly.
"Fine. I live with Ellen regardless. I suppose it is not so much to begrudge you a day with your niece."
"If you ask nicely, I might even let you join us," Molly smiled warmly at Sherlock. He quirked his lips up, eyes shining.
"Help me out?" he requested.
"Of course," Molly nodded, the two of them smiling at each other. Mrs. Hudson chuckled behind them and turned away, smiling as Ellie approached her with Gladstone beside her.
At his mistress's request, the dog had finally dropped the umbrella that may or may not contain state secrets and enough technology to blow up the entire park. Mycroft had snatched the umbrella up instantly, Anthea collapsing into the snow without a care as she struggled to catch her breath back.
"Ellie, darling, your lips are practically blue with cold," Mrs. Hudson fretted, looking closer at her granddaughter. "Mary!"
"Hmm?" Mrs. Watson turned away from the snowman that she and John had begun to construct. "Oh Ellie!" The parents immediately abandoned the snowman to go to their daughter.
"Looks like it's time to head in," John chuckled, raising a gloved hand to Ellie's cheek fondly.
"How does some hot chocolate sound to you lot? I'm sure I have plenty back in my flat," Mrs. Hudson proposed with a kind smile.
"If you don't, I'm sure we have plenty at our flat," Mary offered. Molly and Sherlock approached, each sweating profusely in spite of the cold.
"With lots of marshmallows for everyone!" Ellie cheered jubilantly.
"Sounds good to me," Lestrade grinned before groaning softly. "I think I'm starting to get too old for antics like this."
"I've got the rest of the day off," Molly shrugged. "Why not?"
"Excellent, you can assist me with my experiments," Sherlock addressed Molly.
"After the hot chocolate and biscuits," Mary corrected Sherlock before Molly could. "You both need a chance to warm up after all of this."
"I am perfectly warm, and Molly is flushed from her activity. We are not in need of –"
"You may not be, but I certainly am," Molly interrupted with a small smirk. "Hot chocolate sounds lovely, thank you Mary."
"I am afraid that Anthea and I must decline," Mycroft smiled regretfully, attempting to appear dignified with snow liberally coating his usually pristine coat with what little remained of his hair in complete disarray while Anthea struggled behind him to straighten out his slightly damaged umbrella. "Pressing business at the palace."
"Oh, are you going to see George?" Lady Eleanor asked as she wrapped her cold hands into those of her parents.
"No Lady Eleanor, it is not my intention to see His Highness on this particular visit," Mycroft's wince was only barely noticeable to Sherlock, John, and Mary, but was unnoticed by Ellie. Even after three years of friendship, it still nearly sent Mycroft into conniptions to hear his niece speaking of the royal family in such familiar terms.
"Okay. Could you tell him I said hello next time you see him?" Lady Eleanor requested. "It's been ages since I've seen him or Miss Lizzy."
"It's…never mind," Mycroft sighed heavily, glancing down at his watch impatiently. "John, Mary, if you would be so good as to explain the proper deference due to one's sovereign I would be most appreciative. Good day everyone."
"Bye Uncle Myc! Bye Miss 'Thea!" Lady Eleanor waved cheerfully while everyone else bid Mycroft and Anthea farewell. The group swept out of the park and back to Baker Street, Ellie snuggled against her father as Molly and Mary chatted happily, Sherlock assisting Mrs. Hudson and Lestrade doing his level best to not be pulled over by Gladstone tugging on his leash.
Meanwhile on the other side of London, a rather wet Mycroft Holmes was walking into a royal counsel.
"Mr. Holmes, what on Earth happened to you?" Her Majesty sniffed, eyeing the puddle of water that was developing at Mycroft Holmes's feet.
"I apologize Your Majesty, but I had a prior meeting with my niece in Hyde Park," Mycroft replied stiffly as a bit of slush that he had missed earlier fell from his suit.
"Oh Lady Eleanor? How is the little darling?"
"Quite well Madam. Her aim is much improved," Mycroft admitted, a hint of pride entering his voice.
"A snowball fight? Oh Mr. Holmes you should have told me! Georgie and I would have loved to join!"
"My apologies, Your Majesty. I shall keep it in mind for next time," Mycroft promised.
"See that you do. Now then, moving on…"