Much like the smut, the vote was unanimous. All want Christmas Johnlock goodness. I planned just one chapter, but as my chapters are between 1,000 and 2,000 words, that was going to be really rushed, so I decided to make it several. And this is more of leading up to it than the actual night anyway. There might be two more Christmas ones, or even three. Depending one what you guys seem to want. If you'd rather just have one, let me know at the end of this. This does give me extra time to actually consider how I will end this story though...

I also realised this was a chance for more Mystrade, as one reviewer suggested. So I am making it happen.

Anywho, enjoy!

John was sitting on his bed, relaxing. Finals were done. In celebration, Sherlock had allowed him to keep their door open. John was feeling so good about the semester being over he wanted to be social, and Sherlock must've been happy too, to not have a complaint about the door being wide open. John was done packing his things for break. His mum was going to pick him up soon. Sherlock said that Mycroft was going to have to pick him up too. Mostly, John was hoping mum and Mycroft wouldn't show up at the same time. Her meeting Sherlock would be strange enough, but meeting both Holmeses at once sounded nothing short of petrifying.

At the moment, Greg was sitting in the room with them and John had just asked if he was packed and ready for holidays.

"I have to stay an extra week," he told them. "Part of being sub-warden. Plus, I have my car, so I'm not getting picked up. What're you two doing for Christmas?"

"An awkward dinner with mum and Harry, like always," John said. John didn't mention that sometimes, when John was in high school, they would have friends over. He didn't plan to breach the 'mum and Sherlock getting to know each other much' thing quite yet. He didn't like the sound of it. In fact, he was rather hoping Sherlock would be gone before his mother arrived.

"You?" Greg asked.

"Christmas," Sherlock scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Do I seem like the type to celebrate such things? In fact, does Mycroft?" He brought his brother up mockingly, to bother Greg, and it did. They'd gone on that coffee date and Greg never divulged how it went because he refused to say anything in front of Sherlock and Sherlock wouldn't leave John be long enough to hear about it, but John was painfully curious. Mycroft on a date was stranger than the thought of Sherlock on one had been to John in the beginning.

Greg talked past his blush though. "If there's something I learned about Myc, it's that he's much more fond of such things than he pretends to be."

"Has he fooled you into thinking he's fond of anything?" Sherlock asked dryly.

"Yes, the same way you've fooled me into thinking the same about you."

"You know, you really shouldn't talk about me like I'm not here."

All three of them looked around and saw Mycroft was suddenly in the doorway.

"Oh, Myc, hey," Greg muttered, carding his fingers through his hair nervously.

John watched Mycroft carefully, trying to be deductive like Sherlock, but his face hardly changed at all. There was a little smile. "Gregory," he said with a nod. "Sherlock," he said, "Are you ready?"

"Yes, but I thought I was meeting John's mother."

John's stomach sank into his toes. "You are?" John asked, two octaves higher than he meant to.

Sherlock looked amused. "You don't want to introduce your boyfriend to her?"

John gulped. John actually planned to follow his sister's lead and stay firmly in the closet on this one. Partially because of being with a guy being a little embarrassing for him still, but also because that guy was Sherlock. Not the type you wanted to take home to meet the parents.

"Erm, no, not really," John said. John thought Sherlock might actually get insulted, for a moment, until he remembered who he was talking about. Sherlock wasn't easily insulted.

Sherlock just looked more amused than before, like he knew that was coming. Probably, he'd noticed John'd been kind of nervous ever since he started waiting for his mum to arrive and had guessed why ages ago.

"I get it," Sherlock said. "I can be out of here before she arrives, if you prefer."

And John should've been happy at the suggestion, should've started pushing Sherlock out the door, but now that Sherlock was offering, he felt bad. It sounded like he was ashamed of Sherlock, which of course he wasn't. He thought Sherlock was amazing. But the question was, would mum feel the same?

Unlikely.

But then, John's mind was made up for him, because he heard down the hall, "I'm looking for John Watson!"

John groaned. "Ugh, mum!" He stood up and was not surprised Greg was trying not to laugh, but was in fact a little at the fact that both Sherlock and Mycroft were donning smirks about it as well. John walked over to the door, waving his arm. "Mum, here! No need to ask around!" She was asking Anderson, of all people, Harry tailing behind her. Harry'd cut her hair really short since last time John saw her, making her look more butch than ever before. How mum didn't notice the truth by now was kind of beyond John. Maybe mum was oblivious enough that she wouldn't notice anything between John and Sherlock either.

Mum stood in the door and looked excited that the room was so full.

And then John witnessed a strange thing. Something Sherlock had told him about, but John didn't really believe until he saw it.

He watched Mycroft be perfectly pleasant. Not creepy or cold or anything like that. He looked over to John's mum and said, "Mrs. Watson! What a pleasure! I'm Mycroft, Sherlock's elder brother." They shook hands and mum looked so thrilled at his manners. Sherlock'd said that Mycroft was capable of being charming, if he so chose, but John never thought he'd see it. Maybe this was what Greg's coffee date had been like with him.

Mum and he chatted for a moment, and then Greg introduced himself as well.

Then her eyes moved around the room. "And you must be Sherlock!" she said, meeting eyes with him. "John said you were tall and wore a big coat. One of the many things he said about you!"

"Mum…"

"What, you did," Mum hissed.

And then John witnessed another strange thing. Something Sherlock had not told him about, and John still didn't really believe even after he saw it.

He watched Sherlock be perfectly pleasant. Not grudgingly or sarcastically like he had one day to get Sally, Anderson, and Greg to go away. Like, actually nice. He stood up, real smile in place, and also shook hands with mum. "Correct, that's me," Sherlock said. "It's really great to meet you. Hope John didn't say anything too horrible about me."

John and Greg were both gaping. Mum didn't notice.

"Oh no, not at all! Though I am curious about these deductive skills he's mentioned."

John was petrified at the thought, but then Sherlock amazed him again. "Maybe another time," Sherlock said.

Wow. He had a chance to brag and didn't. It seemed impossible. So Sherlock was literally good at everything—even pretending not to be himself, if he had to be.

"Another time like over the holidays?" Mum asked.

"What?" John enquired sharply.

"Well, Harry's having her friend Clara over on Christmas. And I was thinking, I've heard so much about your friends, why don't you have them over? Sherlock and Greg. Unless you have other plans?"

Oh no, was all John could think at first.

Greg spoke first. "My pop always works on Christmas. It's never an ordeal. I'm free."

John and Sherlock looked at each other for a moment. Sherlock and John, now that they didn't get in a row every time Moriarty was mentioned, had discussed what Sherlock would do over the break about the whole thing. John was so scared that Sherlock was going to disappear over the holidays and John'd never see him again, and wanted to be with him as much as he could manage. Sherlock was worried that if he was around John too much, meaning at John's house, John's family might get caught in the crossfire. They'd never come to a complete agreement, but they'd both agreed—Sherlock very grudgingly—that Sherlock'd stay near Mycroft. Though John wasn't sure yet if he liked Mycroft, he thought his obvious power and nosiness would keep Sherlock safe—as much as he could be from a force like Moriarty. So John really wanted to discuss this before agreeing to anything, but he didn't know how to without it seeming weird.

Sherlock was the first to speak. "It's only me and Mycroft together at Christmas. I'd feel bad leaving him alone."

Mum turned to Mycroft. "You can come too, dear. I love guests."

"She really does love guests," John muttered, not knowing what else to say, or even think. Harry and Clara, John and Sherlock, and Greg and Mycroft. A few very strong personalities. More than one sibling rivalry. All at the same dining table, all closeted. And one—yes, oblivious, but not stupid—mother. This was all just a recipe for disaster.

Now Sherlock and Mycroft looked to each other, obviously having a communication only they could understand. They hadn't discussed with Mycroft their plan to keep Sherlock near him, but surely Mycroft knew. He knew everything. But, unlike Sherlock, who always deduced, Mycroft did that and completely spied on people. They might've had a camera in their room, for all John knew. He shuddered at the thought.

John looked to Greg, who actually looked a little terrified now. How nervous Greg got about Mycroft never ceased to be amusing.

"I don't have anything else planned," Mycroft said. "That sounds delightful."

Mum looked about ready to jump for joy. "I haven't had a dinner this big in ages! This'll be wonderful, won't it John?"

John wanted to throw up at the thought, but he managed to say, "Yeah," weakly.

Then Mycroft, Greg, and Sherlock helped John get all his stuff packed into the car, and then Greg, John, and Harry helped Sherlock get his, and the whole time, John was just keeping himself from having a heart attack.

John and Sherlock managed to get a moment alone.

"You were good with my mum. Thanks," John said.

"I was going to say 'no problem', except it was rather a hassle. And so boring. I could write an essay about all I saw about her in less than five seconds!"

"Why do I even like you?" John said, feeling nauseous again.

"Oh, calm down, will you?" Sherlock said. "You're turning green. And you all call me dramatic."

"If you were thinking about hosting you and Mycroft for your mother, you'd be green too."

"I can behave."

John nodded. It'd be fine, he kept telling himself. Sherlock was showing he knew how to behave right now, so he couldn't even say it wasn't true.

He'd behave on Christmas too and it'd all go perfectly.

But somehow, John had little hope that was true.

I feel bad for John. I'd be having heart failure too.

Okay, so this story just today got to 100 reviews and I was so excited! None of my stories have gotten that high (though one of my Merthurs is up in the eighties). Thank you all so so so so soooo much for all the love! I am also at over 100 followers on this story, and again, thank you! You guys are all awesome and I am so grateful that you're reading this. As I am in the process of publishing my original novels, knowing people like my writing style is important, since my books may well be out there soon! It's why I started FanFiction in the first place, so I know people will like my books if I publish them. If people like something I write for fun and put very little effort in, then maybe people will like the books I've put hundreds of hours into! Anywho, I love you all. A lot.

As a reward, I'm going to stop counting all the review requests at the end of each chapter. Also because I lose count every time now, but still. I still will request reviews, however, because I love them. Plus, I want you to tell me if I should just do one Christmas or if two or three is acceptable. I might even add a teensy bit of Holiday Smut...

Wow, that was long. That is all. :]