A/N:

Thanks to all you lovelies who stayed with us for this story! This is only the first part of Brothers Consulted! The 221B crew will return in many more shenanigans in the future, of that we promise!

Special thanks to those that left the wonderful reviews for us- Icy Icee, goldacharmed, ANerdWhoWrites, mermagic8, PotterB2utyElf, Shadowpletlove, EuKnighted, appletopine, Christine, stargazer100, Owllover555, mckydstarlight, Happyritas, Kai Alison Flame, jennytork, LatteCat, ColorlessRainbow, ThatTumblrPerson, Avalon, onlyjoking, Slythergriff221b, itsmuffintimesir and of course, we can't forget Dean with his B!

Sherlock sat slowly back in his chair while Dean admonished him, recognizing an error in his approach and knowing better than to cut Dean off. They both knew Sherlock's voice could easily overpower the smaller man's, and exercising that advantage would only prove Dean right.

The detective blinked when Sam interrupted his brother. If he didn't know any better, he'd say the younger Winchester was standing up for him. Dismissing that idea, Sherlock glanced at John, who was caught between shooting a flat look at Sherlock and meaningful glances at the brothers. He felt like he was missing something important, but he also got the sense from his colleague that he was on his own in amending his phrasing.

"It wasn't my intention to imply that you are to be taken care of, and certainly not that John and I own you."

"Damn right," John couldn't help but mutter.

"Rather, I was pointing out that what's ours is yours. But that's not the important bit." Sherlock laced his fingers and leaned slightly forward. "What I'm trying to explain is that we are all assets to each other. Respectively, we make excellent partners. But if we combined our resources and got better at using them, we could all be… spectacular."

John gaped at Sherlock. His flatmate was hardly one for flashy language, or passion for anything besides murder, and while the detective had kept an even tone throughout his spiel, it was hard to ignore the excitement leaking through.

Dean stared at Sherlock, trying to pierce through his intense gaze. He was good at reading people, but the detective had always come off as an enigma. The size difference should help him see any tells, yet with Sherlock it didn't work.

Before answering, he glanced over at Sam to see if they were on the same page. The distance between them didn't harm their silent communication. Years of living and working together meant that the brothers, despite any dispute or argument they might have, could understand a lot with a single look.

Turning away from Sam and John, Dean craned his neck back to be able to meet Sherlock in the eye. "You're proposing we work together? Like a team? Not just me and Sam or you and John, but all four of us?"

Sherlock shrugged. "Why not? We live together, we may as well work together." He looked to his colleague, hoping for support. "John? Thoughts?"

John's mouth opened and shut a few times as he floundered, glancing between the brothers and Sherlock. Admittedly, the idea of working alongside Sam and Dean, even just from the safety of the flat, appealed to him greatly, but he didn't want them to feel pressured into anything if they disagreed.

"Whatever you two decide, I'm all for it," said John, offering an encouraging smile to the Winchesters.

Dean's jaw firmed as he thought it over. He had Sam's support in whatever he chose. Sam knew he would do what was best for them, no matter how reckless he might look to an outsider. Then there was the fact that Sam was still a little uncomfortable dealing with Sherlock, despite his headstrong rampage to flay Dean with words after running off. Dean couldn't let him down.

This was going beyond 'No traps or we're gone.' This was actually agreeing to work alongside the humans. Today's case could be seen as a trial run, and it had been fun. Dean not only helped, but he'd gone out to finish the case with Sherlock. For Sam to have the chance to leave the walls and see the world they lived in would mean the world to Dean. His little brother wasn't meant to spend his life wasting away, out of sight, out of mind. Dean could see the screen of Sherlock's phone from the ride to the waterfront, the letters as tall as Dean's hand spelling out a message.

Maybe he will one day.

But only if this worked.

Dean was still cautious as he talked. "If you want to make a go of it, we're up for trying. Just a few ground rules need to be laid out. No grabbing either of us, unless it's an emergency. And I'm not talkin' you're in a hurry emergency- life and death here. After what we've been through, grabbing is not cool. No mousetraps in the flat, either. If pests get in, we'll take care of them. I'm not going to be the one consoling Sam when his favorite mouse gets hit."

"Hey!" Sam protested, turning red at the mention of one of the few animals he'd ever tried to raise in his life. They'd had to take his pup back to her mom when she tried to take over Dean's nest as her own, but she liked to visit her old friend from time to time as she aged.

Dean gestured for quiet, sending Sam an understanding look. "And we'll earn our keep. We're not charity or pity cases. We worked hard to make it this far on our own." He paused, thinking through what he'd said. "If that suits, I think we can make this work." He held out a hand.

There was a sparkle in Sherlock's eyes as he stared down at the offered hand. While he'd hoped his suggestion would work out, a part of him had doubted. The detective was more than eager to accept Dean's conditions, but he glanced at John first. He had an equal part in the decision.

John blinked rapidly, not quite believing this was happening. The shock and awe of the entire situation had finally caught up with him, and he realized this was a rare opportunity. Two humans and two tiny brothers who used to be human, negotiating a professional relationship. Numbly registering the expectant look Sherlock was giving him, John nodded in agreement with Dean's terms.

A smirk bloomed across Sherlock's features, and he turned back to Dean. "Deal," he declared, lightly pinching the smaller man's hand and shaking it once, more carefully than he'd done anything in his life.

John let out a long breath, feeling a weight lift off of his chest. This was the last place he'd expected this conversation to go, but he could sense this was the start of something… different.

"Right then," he grinned, leaning forward slightly in his chair. "I look forward to our, ah, partnership."

Sam shook his head, barely able to believe everything that had happened himself. Just that morning he never would have thought he'd find Dean and Sherlock working together so smoothly, and he was planning on dragging the story out of Dean for exactly how it happened later that night. For now…

"Should we do a toast?" Sam asked, trying to remember what he knew of closing deals from childhood. Really, most of what he knew now was vicariously learned from watching other humans live and peeking at the television when he got the chance, leaving gaping holes in his experience. "We could grab some water for it…"

Dean brightened at that, the mention of drinks reminding him of something else. "Dude," he said to Sherlock, "this means coffee in the mornings if I'm helping, right? I haven't had coffee in ages."

Sherlock sniggered at Dean's sudden excitement. Whatever happened to 'absolutely no handouts?'

"Only if you're good," he jested, giving Dean's shoulder a faint nudge with his knuckle. Dean batted at the hand with a predictable glare on his face, but he didn't move for his knife like he would have not long ago.

John ran a hand down his face, completely floored by what he was watching. What he was actively participating in. Distantly, he pondered over where he'd be without Sherlock Holmes. Still limping, miserable, alone, and certainly not in such an amicable position with a pair of individuals shorter than a finger.

"I don't think a toast will be necessary, Sam," answered the doctor. "Tell you what, though, I'd say it's high time for lunch. Mrs. Hudson picked us up some groceries earlier, betcha we could scrape up something decent."

"I guess we could celebrate them finishing the case…" Sam said hesitantly, always worried about taking food he'd done nothing to earn himself.

"Don't worry so much," Dean said dismissively. He dug out his hook so he could get down from the armchair on his own. "We were running low on supplies anyway."

Sam followed suit, unhooking his rope from his arm. "We'll meet you in the kitchen?" he offered John shyly.

John smiled and nodded, glad that Dean was helping Sam begin to accept his innocuous invitation to a meal. Though he would never view it as feeding the brothers, John took comfort in the notion that he could help improve their diets over time, supply fresh fruit, veg, and proteins that the miniature men hadn't had easy access to before.

"Sounds good," John agreed. "See you there, I guess. Um, safe travels?" He trailed off uncertainly, not entirely sure how to leave off since they'd be seeing each other again momentarily.

Sam glanced across the gap to see Dean hook himself to the side and begin his slow climb down, extra halting and hesitant in case Sherlock moved and threatened to jar his grip. Nodding to himself that Dean would be fine until Sam got his hands on him, Sam took his three pronged hook and leaned off the edge of the arm to assess the height to the ground.

Then he jumped, twisted, and caught the edge of the chair with the hook, falling smoothly into his normal rhythm and beating Dean to the ground by a half minute.

John's heart jumped into his throat in reaction to Sam's leap and he froze, eyes wide, afraid to breathe as he waited for some sign of the lad's grievous impact on the floor. It never came, and soon enough the hook was jostled from its spot and disappeared as well. Heaving a relieved sigh, John clutched at his chest, willing his pounding pulse to slow.

Those Winchesters were gonna be the death of him, he just knew it.

Contrariwise, Sherlock was sitting straight and tall in his chair, peering over the edge of the arm to gauge Dean's descent. His frozen stance came from calculated concentration rather than stress like John's had.

John had to admit, watching Dean climb down more slowly from a short distance, that he really shouldn't worry. This was clearly a mode of transportation the brothers were accustomed to, as normal for them as taking a cab was for John and Sherlock.

"Dude!" Dean griped at Sam as he walked over, ignoring the humans watching them overhead. "I told you not to do that if it wasn't an emergency, remember?"

As soon as Dean was within reach, Sam punched him in the shoulder, sending him reeling into the side of the fireplace. "And you just left me here on my own without telling me ahead of time!" Sam snapped back, "so don't be complaining just because you can't keep up with my climbing."

He held out a hand and helped pick Dean up off the ground. Dean rubbed his arm, giving Sam a suspicious look in case he was going to strike again, but Sam figured one surprise attack was enough. He let Dean lead the way towards the wall.

Once Sam and Dean were gone, the doctor and the detective exchanged glances. "So, groceries?" Sherlock queried, hopping up and heading to the kitchen with long strides as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

"Yeah," John chuckled, carefully getting up to join him. At this rate, he'd be walking on eggshells for weeks. "You know Mrs. Hudson. She does love to dote on us."

"And she says she's not our housekeeper," smirked Sherlock, methodically removing items from the plastic bag.

John shook his head, reviewing the options laid out. Between Mrs. Hudson's kindness and the fridge, there was plenty for sandwiches. Then again, they also had sausage and bacon, which John remembered Dean had a distinct appreciation for. Perhaps he'd leave that option open. In any case, bacon was still good on a sandwich.

Even passage through the walls was much easier for Sam and Dean than it had been a month ago.

After the confrontation with Sherlock over his missing shoelaces, Dean had kept every inch of twine he'd taken, carefully hoarded and rolled up to the side of their storage room and almost covering the shelves he'd designed. The last pair of shoelaces remained pushed to the side of the supply room, a trophy of his triumph he wasn't likely to let go. The twine, on the other hand, was quickly used.

Throughout the walls, there was now twine at every point they used to need their hooks for. It was tied and strung up so as to make steady climbing, and Dean was toying with the idea of making a small lift for them to have an easier time getting the water up to their home from the ground. He had extra materials left over for the first time.

And maybe, the promise of more if Sherlock's offer of a partnership held fast.

Sam shook his head in shock. "Did that really just happen?" he asked, partially convinced he'd dreamt it all up.

Dean grinned. "You know it," he boasted, still on the high from completing the case. Sam's angry scolding was not enough to dampen the thrill of success and watching it all come together.

"So what was it really like?" Sam asked as he held out the twine for Dean to take. "You didn't get to say earlier what being outside was like."

Dean stuck his lip out thoughtfully. "Fast," he admitted, "and high. I stayed pretty far back in the scarf."

"Was the vertigo bad?" Sam asked understandingly.

"Nah. Not like I thought it would be. Once we got past the first trip down the stairs, there was too much going on to focus on it." Dean shook his head slowly, then started his climb up the twine. "It was all worth it, too. We found the girl that was missing and told her to let her new husband know what happened. She wanted to run off with her old husband and leave him hanging."

"People," Sam sighed. Since the twine was strongly anchored at the top, he started on his way up once Dean reached the halfway point.

"Crazier than monsters."

They both reached the top, Sam closing in on Dean swiftly. Their lives had changed, and as they set out for the kitchen, it was hard to tell how much everything else would change on them. But at least they'd face it together.

FIN

A/N

Aaa, the end is here! But it's not over forever... This AU will continue on in the future with plenty of shenanigans between Sherlock, Dean, John and Sam! The second story is already planned and plotted and needs editing!

This will be a partnership to remember!

Leave us a review to let us know what you think! We love to hear!

Next Brothers Consulted: Coming soon!

On May 21st, the next story of Brothers Found, Bothering Bowman, will begin posting