Chapter 20

Holmes Senior

Mycroft leaves his office intending to make his way back to Greg's house after enduring several hours of meetings and tedious paperwork. A woman blocks his way to the outer doors. Mycroft nearly brushes into her as he walks out of the office lost in his thoughts. 'Mycroft.' Mycroft brings himself back to the present instead of memories of Sherlock's original childhood. He looks at the woman.

'Mummy.'

'Care to explain why Sherlock agreed to come to the manor yesterday and didn't turn up?'

'Ah.'

'Well?' Mycroft scratches his head and gestures to his office.

'Come in Mother, I'll explain what I can.' He leads his mother into his office. 'Have a seat in the armchairs.' He gestures to the said bits of furniture. She ignores him and makes a beeline to the only picture on his desk.

'You don't do personal Mycroft.'

'I know, Mummy.' she picks it up and looks at it. Dom, Mary, Greg, him and toddler john and Sherlock.

'Mycroft. Who is this?' She points to Greg.

'DI Gregory Lestrade. One of the few police officers who can deal with Sherlock.'

'Why is Sherlock a toddler in this photo?'

'I asked him and John, the other toddler, to investigate a theft case. The recipe to a new chemical was stolen and that chemical was split onto the two of them. They turned into toddlers.'

'You knew that would happen?'

'Not absorbed through the skin. We knew that if it was consumed then the consumer would regress.'

'Sherlock is a live experiment?'

'Not intentionally.'

'Will he change back?'

'I hope so. As much as I love having the toddlers around, I want the adults back.'

'Missing the comments already?' Mycroft shifts in his chair. The silence speaks volumes.

'Well, yes.' He answers finally. 'No doubt I will miss the toddlers when they are back.' Mrs Holmes bursts out laughing.

'Did you know I had invited him?'

'Yes. He told me.' Mycroft adds in answer to the look on his mother's face. 'He asked if I knew why you had invited him.' she looks out of the window.

'Your father is not his.' She says after a pause.

'I have entertained that thought briefly.' Mycroft says carefully. 'But he takes after you in physique and well both Father and he are tall.' His brow creases. 'What are you saying mummy? Why did you ask who Greg is?'

'I knew him. I introduced he and his wife.'

'He and Mary?' Mycroft asks confused

'Diane.' He understands.

'He divorced Diane a few years ago. He's married to Mary now.' Mrs Holmes is surprised.

'Why?'

'Diane wanted kids and blamed Gregory for them not coming. She divorced him and he met and married Mary. The pair of them are perfectly matched.'

'Children?'

'It's complicated.'

'How?'

'It's not my place to explain.' Mycroft hesitates not sure whether to carry on

'But?' his mother presses.

'No. I can't betray confidences.' Mycroft can tell that she wants him to tell her but before she can ask again his mobile rings. 'Mycroft Holmes…Yes…I'm on my way…I'll be there in twenty minutes, maybe thirty.' Mycroft glances over to his mother. 'May I bring a guest? You know her.' He laughs. 'I'll leave that as a surprise.' He hangs up

'Don't you want to know who Sherlock's father is?'

'I think I already know.'

'Maybe I can confirm it.'

'Would you like to accompany me to the Lestrade household, Mother of Mine?'

'Why, yes I would love to.' She plays along.

Thirty-five minutes later, the car carrying Mycroft and his mother pulls up in the drive outside the Lestrade household. Mycroft opens his door and steps out. Almost as if they had planned it Greg steps through the front door. 'You are five minutes late.' He deadpans.

'And?'

'Shock is not happy.' Greg fights to keep the smirk off his face.

'Shock horror, what am I going to do?' Mycroft pretends to gasp. The two of them fall about laughing. Mycroft regains control of himself. 'He count the minutes?'

'Did he heck? "How long till Mycwoft comes?" over and over again.' Greg glances at the closed door. 'He's right behind it now trying to reach the lock.'

'I can more than make up for it. I believe you know my mother?' Mycroft extends a hand to help his mother out of the car. Greg's jaw drops. He manages to regain some semblance of professional control.

'Yes, we do know each other.'

'Gregory, how are you?'

'I'm fine, thank you Scarlett. And you?'

'I'm good, thank you.'

'You know about?'

'Sherlock yes.' Greg nods.

'Right. Let's see if he remembers you.' Greg taps on the window. Moments later the door opens and a dark blur streaks past Greg and stops just short of Mycroft and Scarlett.

'MUMMY!' he launches himself into her arms. Greg smiles and nods his head towards the house. Scarlett carries her regressed son into the house.

'Shock, show mummy the playroom.' Sherlock nods seriously and wriggles down once he's been carried over the threshold. He grabs her hand and pulls her towards the playroom. Greg and Mycroft watch them. As soon as the playroom door closes.

'How many kids do you have?'

'One maybe two.'

'Sherlock and John.'

'Yeah. Disgusted?'

'Why would I be?' Greg gives Mycroft a look. 'No, I'm not.'

'Why?'

'For a short time you made her happy. She adored Shock as a kid… not so much as a teenager. He rebelled against everything.'

'Now surprised me.'

'He's a couple of years younger than John.'

'Twenty eight.' Greg walks towards the kitchen

'Go and join them Mycroft. I've got dinner to cook.' Mycroft reads between the lines. He just wants to be alone. Mycroft watches him close the kitchen door and hears him slump at the kitchen table. He opens the playroom door and enters, stopping Sophia as she heads to the kitchen.

'Gregory needs to be alone to sort through things in his mind.' She nods and retakes her seat on the floor.

'Stwade?' John asks Mycroft hopefully.

'Cooking dinner.' Mycroft tells him. John's face falls. 'Do you want a story?'

'Tweasure.' Sherlock cries from his mother's lap.

'Treasure Island John?' John nods and crawls into Mycroft's legs. Mycroft pulls him closer so the toddler's back is against his chest. Donovan finds the book and passes it over. Mycroft opens it and begins to read out loud.

Greg opens the door twenty minutes later and Mycroft has re-read the first chapter. He leans on the doorframe and listens. Mycroft glances up and Greg indicates for him to keep reading. John scrambles off Mycroft's lap and clings to Greg. He hoists the boy onto his hip and enters the room fully. 'Another couple of minutes Soph.' He sits on the sofa and positions John in his lap.

'Stwade sad.' Sherlock comments.

'No Shock, just thinking.' John snuggles back into Greg's chest and sucks his thumb. John looks up at Greg.

'What dinner?' He asks around his thumb.

'Chicken nuggets and chips.' Greg answers, nuzzling the sandy-coloured hair. A quiet beeping comes from the kitchen. 'Go to Sally.' Greg nudges the boy off his lap, towards Donovan. She accepts him on her lap and cuddles him close. 'Soph.' Greg and Sophia head to the kitchen to plate up.