During the long night which Sherlock stayed awake, something occurred to him about this incident that ended up with his doctor being injured. It was rather unusual, because there was never any gang activity in this area. He's very careful in choosing his places to live afterall, and while it may not be the safest of areas, there were never any drive by shootings or anything before. So the first one ever just happened to occur when John had gone outside the house.

This was too much of a coincidence for the detective to ignore, and so to keep himself occupied and to satiate his more immediate curiosity and concern, Sherlock sits down at his computer to start his research, hacking into the CCTV cameras and anything else that he can think of in order to find out what happened. Unfortunately what he finds out is something that deeply disturbs him.

The ambulance was on its way before the first shots were fired, before the SUV had even pulled onto Baker Street. The other man who was killed, he was waiting down the block, seemingly waiting until John came out of the building in order to head down the street. It all seemed to point to a setup, an assassination attempt.

The biggest question that now remained was who wanted to kill an army doctor? He seemed rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but he must have made someone angry. Someone who was angry with John for something he had said or done. But who would know he was coming back to London, much less where he was staying? Unless it wasn't about John, if it was about the detective himself. Which would be even worse because it still raised the question of how many people knew who John was, that he would be coming to London and staying with Sherlock. As it approached dawn, there was only one name that came into his head and that bothered him more than anything else because it doesn't make any sense to him.

By now it's rather obvious that John is just fine, so leaving him alone seems like safe enough thing to do. This confrontation is something that really needs to be done in person. He does have enough presence of mind to leave the doctor a note, taping it to the kettle so that it will be seen easily when the older man gets up. Finally, he heads out, frowning a little to himself as he looks around outside the flat, examining the area for any evidence left behind. They made the decision rather quickly that it was gang activity, afterall. There is no lingering police presence, no taped off area, no further investigation. Suspicious.

Even in the early hours it's not hard to hail down a cab, nor does it take him long to figure out where the subject of his search is. Nor is it hard to get into the building, where he pushes open the double doors to the study and frowns. "Mycroft." he says in a cold tone as he approaches the desk where his brother is sitting in his dress shirt, loosened tie and slacks, his suit jacket laying over a chair not too far away.

"Sherlock. This is a surprise. What brings you here? I would say this early, but we both know your visits are so rare it doesn't quite matter what time of day." Mycroft says calmly as he sits back in his chair, folding his hands together in front of him while his elbows rested on the arms of the chair.

Sherlock glances around the room for a moment before he looks back at his brother. "I have seen you disapprove of my chosen friends before, Mycroft, but trying to have them assassinated is a little extreme, don't you think?" He starts off calmly as he watches the older man, his voice cold in his disapproval.

Mycroft sighs a little, reaching forward to pick up tea he had sitting on his desk, taking a small drink. "I believe you'll have to be a little more specific, I haven't a clue what you're talking about." he says innocently as he looks at Sherlock for a moment.

"John." Sherlock states simply. "I have not had a single drive-by shooting remotely close to my flat before, in fact I made very sure to choose a neighborhood where such an incident would be remote. CCTV cameras show both the victim and your SUV waiting down the block for John to exit the building. Whether the target was meant to threaten me or to injure John, there are very few people who know that he is here in London visiting me for the holidays, and among them only you have the resources to orchestrate something like this." He points out in a cold tone. "Do not treat me like a simpleton, Mycroft. It's surprising that you thought I wouldn't figure it out."

Not looking fazed by any of his brother's accusations, Mycroft just sighs a little and tugs at the sleeves of his shirt as he leans forward on his desk. "You have a very active imagination, Sherlock. I think you are reading into things too much, seeking an answer for something truly random." He says as he watches his younger brother. "Though I can't say I'm surprised. I warned you when you moved that that was not a pleasant neighborhood. That you could get hurt. As always you ignored my warnings, and now that you are responsible for someone getting hurt you feel guilty over it." He says calmly as he looks at Sherlock.

"Don't play your games with me, Mycroft. I know you too well. I know how you operate." Sherlock says as he places his hands on the desk and leans toward Mycroft. "Stop interfering in my life. The next time I see your boys around my flat, they will leave in an ambulance." He says in a cold tone as he watches Mycroft. "It seems you'll get your wish, I had already planned on moving, my current landlord is not fond f my presence. Do not go near John again." he says before he straightens and adjusts his jacket a little, turning and walking out of the office the same way he came in.

After Sherlock is gone, Mycroft sits back in his chair as Anthea comes in from a side door behind him, carrying an organizer and looking at her boss with a slightly arched eyebrow. Mycroft glances at her and he sighs a little. "Perhaps it was a little heavy handed of me, I do so hate being obvious, but you know how stubborn Sherlock can be, Anthea." He says as he looks back at the door his brother disappeared through. "He needs to get himself on track if his relationship with Dr. Watson is going to continue. And that starts with getting himself a better place. It's obvious how much the man means to my dear brother, even if they haven't realized it yet. I'm just giving them a bit of a nudge."

Like any good assistant, Anthea doesn't offer her opinions, doesn't scold him or go off on a tangent about the things he's doing. Instead she merely nods her head and holds out a piece of paper to him. "Of course, sir. Here is the day's schedule." In her usual polite, refined tone.

Oh, Mycroft. Now that was just a step too far. Whether he intended to get John hurt or not, that was just too dangerous! Scummy. Booo. At least John is going to be alright. Thank you to everyone for sticking with me, I can't believe I have over 50 chapters, and there's still so much to do! Enjoy!

Reviews/Comments welcome!