I don't own BBC Sherlock, they are the creative works of Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss and of course the wonderful Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Back from Alcon, two fics wont be updated this week as I haven't had time to write them.

Science of Youth

Chapter Twenty-Five

Mycroft held the phone to his ear as he spoke, "All right then Greg, see you soon." He then hung up and returned his mobile to his jeans pocket, he then looked to the two boys sitting patiently on the sofa in his office.

"Well?" Sherlock asked as he and John looked to his brother.

"That was Greg, he has the rest of the afternoon off, since they caught the killer from yesterday, and was able to get a full confession out of him," Mycroft told them both, "Also, we're now going to go to the park."

"Good, it was beginning to get a little boring here." Sherlock said, smiling happily at the thought of going outside and burning some of the energy he had in excess.

John nodded with a smile, "Yeah."

"Right, let's go and get your coats on." Mycroft said with a smile as he got up from his desk.

The two boys followed him and they soon had their coats on and were walking towards the play park that they had gone to a number of times before. John was held safely in Mycroft's' arms, while he held a hand of Sherlock's, considering that he was almost bouncing down the street as he was walking. They walked along the streets in silence. Mycroft's mind was on Peter once again, going through the 'what ifs', wondering if there was anything he could have done to save him.

Mycroft's sleep had been as disturbed by the incident as much as he thought it would be. Both Sherlock and John could sense that there was something wrong with the older male. John wrapped his arms that little more tightly around Mycroft's neck as he tried to offer him some comfort. Mycroft gave a gentle smile as he looked to John, he frowned when Sherlock had let go of his hand. He was about to say something when he saw that Sherlock had spotted Greg and was running towards him. The man was walking to the entrance to the large park.

"Hey sport," Greg said as he ruffled Sherlock's curly dark locks, causing the other to chuckle a little.

"Shall we?" Mycroft said as he gestured to actually entering the park.

They quickly entered the park and made their way to the playground. As soon as they neared it, Sherlock turned to his brother and waited for him to let John down. Mycroft obliged and Sherlock quickly took up John's hand.

"Be careful," Mycroft called after them as they ran to the climbing frame once again, it was obviously their favorite playground equipment.

Greg shook his head as he and Mycroft went over to one of the few empty benches that were around the play park area and sat down, "They look like they have a lot of energy today?"

Mycroft nodded, "They do, though I think they have always had an abundance of energy. They do run around roof tops often."

Greg chuckled slightly as he looked o his friend, he could see the stress as well as other things swirling in cool grey blue eyes, "Still thinking about yesterday?" he asked softly.

Mycroft was a little startled at the question, but sighed as he answered, "Yes, I can't help it. I've had agents under my command die before in the line of duty, but no one that I have been so close to." He paused for a moment, "Teresa called me this morning, his wife, arrangements have already been made for his funeral. It will be on the second. Melinda is also asking to see me, she and Teresa will be coming over either tomorrow or the next day for a small visit, he added softly.

"Do you want me to take Alex and Marty out for a bit so you can spend a little time with them?" Greg asked him, glancing over to the two kids, to check on them.

The man thought for a moment before he shook his head, "No it's all right for them to stay. I would refer that they were at home." He finally replied.

Greg nodded in understanding, he could see that at that moment in time the two kids were a comfort to the man as he went though his grief at losing a good friend, "All right, I'll try and get the time off to be there as well. With three kids in the house and one of them being Alex, you may need it."

Mycroft gave him a grateful smile as he spoke softly, "Thank you. I think the last few weeks have brought out another side of me that very few see."

Greg shook his head, "I don't think you've hid that away at all. Most of the people you are around are those from work. When you've been around us, right from the start you've been really relaxed."

"Hmmm," he hummed not knowing what to say to that.

"How old is Melinda?" Greg then asked, a little curious about Mycroft's Goddaughter.

"She turned six in October. She is a little smarter than most children her age. Nowhere in Sherlock's range when he was that age. Closer to John's level, but not quite, if you known what I mean," He smiled thinking about the curious child that would often come to him with questions.

"Wonder what those two will make of her and what she'll make of them." He chuckled, he couldn't help but imagine a staring contest between the three of them.

"Well, we may end up finding out soon enough," he smiled, watching the two kids climbing once again, Sherlock was again hovering near John, making sure that he wouldn't fall and get hurt.

Sherlock and John were climbing down from the climbing framer and were beginning to head towards the swings. AS they ran, they got near them and John came to an abrupt stop. He was almost pulled off his feet, as Sherlock had a hold of his hand and was still running. The young child turned to his younger friend as John pulled his hand from him so he could look around them.

Mycroft and Greg frowned as they watched what was going on. John turned and looked all around him, spinning around once more, but this time he tripped over himself. Sherlock tried to grab him, but John panicked as the hands came towards him and flayed his arms a little to keep them away. Mycroft and Greg jumped up as soon as they saw John begin to fall. Mycroft quickly picked John up as soon as he had fallen and settled him into his arms as the young child began to cry.

"Shush…" Mycroft tried too sooth him so he could find out what was wrong.

"Alex," Greg said getting he other childs attention as Sherlock was focused solely on John.

"What?" the word was sharp and unforgiving as someone had taken his attention away from his best friend.

"What happened?" he asked as he knelt down in front of the young genius.

Sherlock calmed a little as Greg placed his hands on his shoulders and turned him towards him, "He just stopped and began to look around. He looked so scared and frightened. I tried to get him to listen…" he broke off.

"All right," Greg said softly, "Did he say anything at all?" he then asked.

Sherlock shook his head, "I couldn't get him to answer me at all."

"Okay," he then said as the two looked towards Mycroft, who had finally gotten John to calm down.

John was leaning tiredly against Mycroft's shoulder, he was sniffling occasionally, and sucking his thumb for comfort. Mycroft was looking slightly worried as he looked towards the other two.

"What's going on then?" Greg asked softly as he stood up and ran a soothing hand through John's hair as he hiccupped again.

"He's shaken as you can see," Mycroft began to answer, "I was able to find out that he had felt someone watching him and Sherlock."

Greg frowned as he listened, "Again, was he able to see anything at all this time?" he asked, hoping that he would be able to get something that he could use.

"He thought he saw someone watching," he answered quietly so he wouldn't draw any attention, "by the grove of trees over there," he finished, nodding his head in the direction where John had thought he had seen a shadowy figure.

Sherlock had been listening and as soon as he gathered enough information he turned and began to run towards the area Mycroft had directed them to. He was stopped before he could make it more than a couple of steps, when strong hands grabbed him. He turned and glared at Greg, "Why did you stop me? We need to go and investigate." He told the man, glaring at him in anger.

"I know, and I will be the one to go and do so," Greg told him, a serious look on his face.

"But…" Sherlock began to protest.

"Alex," he began softly, "I know you want to help, but this time I need you to remain here. If I don't get back you need to call Donovan, it could mean that someone is after Mycroft, or someone is after the kids here, which is more likely." Greg said softly, trying to make sure Sherlock understood his reasons for going alone.

"Myc…" he then started.

"Alex, I have no time. Mycroft is dealing with Marty, who is shaking like a leaf still, I need you to remain with them, they need you to pay attention to what is going on in case something happens." He said, giving Sherlock's shoulders a squeeze before standing and running off.

It was a moment after Greg left them that one of the mothers came over, looking worried, "I'm sorry to ask, but is there something wrong?"

Mycroft looked to her as he answered, "My nephew, Marty, felt as though someone was watching him. He did see something and my friend has gone to check it out."

"Someone was watching. It might be something innocent, I know a lot of fathers who come to watch their kids since they can't approached them." She suggested a reason, though all three of them could hear the doubt in her voice.

"Iths wass a bad man," John murmured around his thumb and through his remaining hiccups.

The woman looked to the young child and asked aloud, "And how would you know something like that?"

John looked to her and mumbled, "Felths bad, really bad."

It was Mycroft that then spoke as he stood up for John, "Marty has excellent instincts about people, he hasn't been wrong yet," he paused for a moment as he added, "That's why Greg has gone to check things out."

The mother shook her head a little. Her dark brown hair falling a little more out of her bun as she told him, "you should have called the police, if what the child says is true, they would be able to deal with it better."

"I know…" Mycroft began to say as he was quickly; interrupted.

"Uncle Greg is a Detective Inspector with New Scotland Yard. He knows what he is doing." Sherlock told the woman, as John nodded adamantly.

"There were some prints left behind, fresh ones as well as a few deep ones. So the guy must have been there for a while before I went over to have a look," Greg said, slightly out of breath from the running over there and back to the three, "Who ever it was is long gone now."

"I'm going to inform the other parents I think they should be warmed." The woman said as she then walked off.

"I think we should go home as well," Mycroft said as Greg nodded in agreement.

They left the play park quickly and went to the nearby car park where Greg had parked his car. By the time they were almost home John was mostly back to his normal self. John looked over to his friend and could see that Sherlock wasn't happy about leaving the park and going home, he hoped that he would be able to find something for the two of them to do.

Thank you all for the brilliant reviews, you are awesome. I do hope that you have enjoyed this chapter as well!