Affirmation

Genre: Family

Pairings: Greg and Molly

Main characters: Greg, Sherlock, special appearance by Eurus Holmes

Eurus Holmes sat in her cell at the remote island facility known as Sherrinford. It was known, in layman's terms, as a place in which to contain the "uncontainables."

In that regard, then, for decades the youngest sibling of Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes had been "contained" within its walls.

When she had escaped to wreak havoc on her brothers, and most notably Sherlock, she had subjected them to unmerciful games - "vivisection" as Sherlock had coined it after a particularly shattering "experiment" involving Molly - until Sherlock, with John's life in the balance, had finally managed to get through to her.

When Greg Lestrade had attended the scene at Musgrave Hall, he had by Sherlock's request looked after Eurus in as gentle and delicate manner as possible, as well as ensuring that Mycroft was taken care of and safely returned from her old cell at Sherrinford. It was the first time that Sherlock would make a point to properly remember Greg's first name, and the point at which Greg would judge that the "great man" Sherlock Holmes had finally become "a good one."

It had been Greg's first encounter with Eurus Holmes, but instead of anger at what she had done to his friends, he felt pity. He understood that she was a broken little girl who had grown into a broken young woman, and she needed careful handling if her pieces were ever to be in fit condition to be put back together again.

Several years after those events, Eurus sat silently, with her violin resting idly in her lap. She looked at it curiously, wondering when Sherlock would visit next. She had heard that he had a new playmate, and it was that curiously nice Detective Inspector who had taken her into custody at her old childhood home. He had accompanied Sherlock once before, a few years ago, for a visit of some kind.

Sherlock had mentioned him since then, had said that this man, this Detective Inspector Lestrade – Sherlock always called him Greg – played the guitar, and that they had teamed up with John to play together as a trio.

Eurus couldn't decide if she was jealous or not. Jealousy was a human emotion, one that she realized she experienced and knew well, but at the same time, hardly understood any better than she understood any other human emotion.

She only knew that she felt a strange and overwhelming compulsion to see Greg Lestrade again. She wanted to study him, play with him, to see what Sherlock saw in him… to see if she had anything to worry about.

She worried that she might lose her brother again.

She had lost him to Victor Trevor all those years ago. She had nearly – or so she merely thought – lost him to John Watson. But now she and Sherlock connected through their music, and that was special. Music was their bonding point. She wasn't sure if she wanted to share that with anyone or not, nor did she want to think that she may lose her beloved older brother again.

"Your sister wants to see me? Why the hell does Eurus want to see me?"

Greg was perplexed. An otherwise ordinary day, beginning with Greer's morning ritual of waking up with him – no longer on his chest, but her newly modified habit of being snuggled up to his side as tightly as she could manage – and helping him to prepare breakfast in the kitchen. The ordinary day then progressing in a normal fashion - meeting up with Sally in the ground floor landing of 221 Baker Street, departing for the Yard together. The usual routines, the usual coffee breaks, the usual briefings and debriefings, wrapping up a minor case quickly and dealing with the paperwork.

Then coming home to the chaos that was his family. Sweeping Greer up in his arms, a token protest that she was getting too big for this but willingly doing it anyway. Casual roughhousing with John and Scott, then choosing a book to read with them after dinner. Sauntering into the kitchen to greet Molly with a kiss that had waited all day with its usual patience – but showing no signs of that patience now that it had finally arrived. Molly warming up the meal he had prepared the night before as it was his turn to cook.

And then, in the midst of a particularly exciting chapter in the book his boys had chosen to read with their dad, Sherlock had texted him.

"Eurus wants to see you. Bring your guitar. ~SH"

Sherlock hadn't had much of a response when Greg had demanded to know why Eurus wanted to see him.

He had merely shrugged his shoulders, saying simply, "Your guess is as good as mine."

When they had arrived and made their way through the various security checkpoints en route to her cell, Greg found himself standing next to Sherlock in front of Eurus, the glass wall, and several feet of clearance, separating them.

In his hand, he held his guitar case. Next to him, Sherlock stood holding his violin.

Eurus knew nothing of the ritual of niceties, and so she cut straight to the chase. "Why does my brother like to play with you? I had thought he only liked to play with me. I'm not sure I like you anymore, Inspector." Her face suddenly morphed, a concerned and worried little girl gazing back at Greg, rather than a determined woman.

Greg thought carefully on this. He knew from experience that the wrong way to respond to Eurus Holmes was with uncertainty, or any indication that she may have the upper hand.

She responded best to a challenge.

"Play with me and I'll tell you," he finally said, with a slight turning of his head. With a single look from Sherlock, Greg set down his guitar case. Opening it up, he extracted the instrument and brought the strap up around his neck. He plucked at the strings for a few brief moments, adjusting the tension until he was happy with the tuning, and then advance a few feet towards her cell.

Sherlock looked on curiously. Eurus looked to him for some sort of cue, but only received an expression of reassurance.

"Trust me little sister," it said. "You've nothing to fear."

Eurus took a deep breath, then locked her eyes with Greg's steady unyielding gaze.

"What would you like to play?" she asked, as she brought her violin up to position.

Greg smiled at her warmly. Sherlock had already given him a heads up to what she may most likely request, and he had practiced with him. The overwhelming consensus at 221 Baker Street was that it was a most enjoyable performance… however, the ears of Eurus Holmes were much more discerning than those of the friends and family at home.

"I think you already know, Eurus," Greg said. He held his smile, letting it settle into something more indicative of confident serenity than anything else. This seemed to calm the younger woman in front of him.

"Indeed," she said simply. "On your mark then," she prompted.

As Greg nodded, he began to play, Eurus joining him. Sherlock stood back and listened, appreciating, understanding what was happening.

He smiled at his sister playing with one of his dearest friends, knowing that this was something that Eurus needed badly to experience, to understand, and to accept.

When they had finished and the notes from their instruments had faded into the still air of the cell, Eurus looked at Greg curiously.

"Do you understand?" Greg asked, bringing his hands to rest casually on the guitar he kept positioned in front of him, strapped to his shoulders.

"I'm not sure," Eurus admitted. "I think… perhaps. Explain."

Sherlock raised a stern eyebrow as Eurus looked to him, and she hastily added, "Please."

"Your brother likes to play with me because he loves you. He misses you a great deal and he wishes that he could play with you more often than he can. So he plays with me until he can come to you." Greg's expression was neutral as he employed his usual poker face.

"He… loves… me?" Eurus asked. "Nobody loves me. I am unlovable. I cannot return that."

Greg glanced at Sherlock, who finally stepped forward to break his silence.

"But I DO love you, Sister. Very much. How could I not? You're family, my baby sister. I wish I had remembered sooner about you, but nothing can change the past. We can only move forward with open eyes into the future. Do you wish to have a future as my sister?"

Eurus stood gazing at him, her eyes shifting back and forth between the two men.

There it was. The affirmation she so badly needed and had sought.

"Yes," she finally said. "I've only wanted a sense of belonging. I believe I have that now." She allowed a small smile to play on her lips, to the amazement of the two men. "Yes," she said to Greg, turning her eyes upon him. "You'll do quite fine. Thank you… Greg."

Greg nodded serenely. "You're most welcome Eurus."

"Now," she said suddenly. "Shall we all play together? I'm SO bored only playing with you Sherlock. No offence brother but this place is such drudgery. As I said, Greg will do quite fine. I hope you've been clever enough to come prepared with an arrangement for a string trio?"

Sherlock took a deep breath, looking to Greg, who grinned at him in return. The two men turned to Eurus at the same time.

"We thought you'd never ask, Sister," Sherlock said with a small relieved chuckle.