Author's note: Thanks again, mrspencil. You do have such wonderful ideas.
"Johhny, I swear, if you don't behave yourself the big policeman next door is going to come and take you away to jail!"
Bradstreet's first reaction was to freeze. His second was to duck around the corner, out of sight, and wonder if he had really heard his neighbor correctly.
He knew he had. His hearing was pretty good. His listening skills were also well developed. He had really heard what he had just heard.
Bradstreet had been neighbors with Jeremy Michaels for nearly seven years. They had been wishing each other good day, discussing the weather, and comparing bad days at work for nearly at long.
Jeremy's wife, Clarice, gossiped, giggled, and plotted with Missy, Bradstreet's wife, every day. Jeremy's son, Johnny, played in Bradstreet's yard as much as he played in his own.
All in all, the two had been the best example of good neighbors a person could ask for, Jeremy and Bradstreet.
So what the devil was Jeremy's problem now?
Bradstreet took a breath and wondered if he were overreacting. Maybe he was being too sensitive.
The words echoed again in his brain, taunting him.
It was one of the lesser known nightmares among members of the police force.
Bradstreet was taken aback.
Nobody likes being the bad guy. They were supposed to be the good guys, even if it didn't always seem that way to the general public.
They did their best to keep the streets safe, to protect people. Occasionally they had to look like the bad guys. That was okay. They dealt with it.
But this-
This definitely didn't help.
It was depressing, on the occasions that it happened, to have a child take one look at you and run and hid behind his parents, whimpering all the while that they would be good, just please don't take them away.
Bradstreet was still standing in the same place when Jeremy came around the corner. "Roger." He greeted Bradstreet cheerfully, unaware that the other man had overheard him.
"Jeremy." He managed. He debated on whether or not he should say anything.
Johnny came around the corner just behind his father. He saw Bradstreet, gulped, and declared, "I'll be good! Honest!"
Jeremy winced, and Bradstreet gave him a hard look. "I am not someone to threaten your child with." He informed the other man coolly.
Jeremy had the decency to look embarrassed. "Er…" He fumbled for something to say. "Sorry." He finally managed. "I didn't think-"
"Exactly." Bradstreet cut him off. "You didn't think. We're supposed to be good, not terrifying to small children. What happens if he gets lost? Do you know how hard it is to get a lost child home when he won't tell us where he lives or who his parents are because he's too worried that we're going to drag him off to jail for not minding?" He sighed. "I'll see you later, Jeremy, I have to get to work. Have a nice day."
"You too." Jeremy called after Bradstreet uncertainly. The Inspector simply shook his head.
It had been a nice day, until now.
Disclaimer: Sherlock and the boys do not belong to me.
