"I hate to say this..." John began.

"But you're going to say it anyway?" Sherlock's ears were still throbbing from Mycroft's shouting.

"Mycroft was a lot easier to handle when he was with Tony."

"Yes. He's a completely different kind of bastard when he's in love."

"He's more predictable anyway." John rubbed a soothing hand across Sherlock's chest. He had never seen his flatmate/ colleague/partner/ boyfriend so upset by. It was probably more to do with the threats upon the person of Huggins. Sherlock had moved towards the utensil rack shouting something about Mycroft's arse and a potato masher and at that point John had firmly asked Mycroft to leave. Huggins was still a little upset. It had taken ten minutes of soothing noises, a very theatrical demonstration that the vacuum cleaner was safely in the cupboard and a large piece of banana to coax him back out of John's pocket. He was now in his cage on Sherlock's bedside table, being comforted by Hardwicke, who was asleep but with one eye open. Huggins was curled up beside his tweedy friend, a tiny little scrap of blond fur, just visible, and still shaking a little.

"Mycroft is a git. He has always been a git, and he will die a git. A fat, unloved, friendless git. Him and Tony deserved one another."

"Tony's not so bad. He's a bit of a tart but he's actually a nice bloke underneath it all. And if I looked liked Tony, I'd probably be that much of a whore as well."

"Well I'm very glad you don't look like him. You are perfect as you are." And for extra emphasis Sherlock turned over and hugged John very tightly.

Xxx

"Morning Sir!" Jason Silver said brightly. Greg looked up from his pile of paperwork at his dishy Detective Sergeant who was holding a mug of tea and some Jaffa cakes.

"Morning Jason." Greg took the offered refreshments. "Excellent work by the way. The brother in law cracked under interrogation. Confessed to the whole thing."

"Thank you Sir."

"It's traditional that we go out for a celebratory pint."

"It's 9 o'clock in the morning."

"Perhaps later then?"

"Yes. That would be great." Jason was beginning to see the hand of Tony LeStrade at work. And was also rather glad he had worn his best suit. In fact it had been at Hare's insistence, as she had squeaked at him with intense disapproval until he had taken his best suit out of the wardrobe and put the navy blue one back. And Burke had chosen his tie. Burke seemed to have excellent taste in accessories. Although Jason was not about to let on that his Hamsters had dressed him. He had a feeling that might not get him the promotion he was hoping for.