Sherlock had noticed the sedan the moment he'd climbed out of Molly's car. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew Molly was asking him something, and he responded with a delayed, "That won't be necessary."
Molly continued talking as Sherlock walked toward the sedan. There was no point in making a scene; Sherlock knew he'd have to have this conversation eventually. He just hadn't thought it'd take place quite so soon after his arrival in London. He opened the door of the sedan and climbed in.
"What are you doing here?" he asked angrily.
"Now, now, Sherlock, is that any way to talk to your brother? It's been two years, after all. You could at least say hello before biting my head off," drawled Mycroft.
Sherlock sighed. "Hello, brother," he said grudgingly. "Now why are you here? How did you know I'd be here?"
Mycroft smiled smugly. "I don't know if you're aware, but in the time you've been away, we've added facial recognition software to the CCTV system. The program registered a possible match for Sherlock Holmes in the Heathrow airport, so I investigated. Imagine my surprise when that possible match got into a car with none other than Molly Hooper, one of Sherlock Holmes' known associates." Mycroft turned his head toward Sherlock. "Big Brother is always watching."
"Don't justify your privacy violations with clever puns," Sherlock spat venomously. "Why was I even in the database if you put in the program after everyone thought I was dead?"
Mycroft chuckled quietly and flexed his fingers, resting them on the handle of his ever-present umbrella. "Well, you see, about a week after you jumped, two thousand pounds went missing from my personal bank account. Call it a hunch, but I thought to myself, who would possibly have the nerve to steal money from under the nose of her majesty's right-hand man?" Mycroft met Sherlock's eyes with a triumphant wink. "You might as well have autographed the bank statement. I always knew you'd be coming back; it was just a question of when."
Sherlock pouted. He hated it when his brother was right. "Surely you intend to do something with this conversation aside from gloat?"
Just like that, Mycroft's cheeky smile faded and his face was all business. "Yes," he hedged. "You understand that your return poses several…problems."
"Such as?"
"Well, you became somewhat of a public figure after your involvement in the Reichenbach case, so your 'death' received an inordinate amount of news coverage. Every station, every newspaper, every magazine. They all had stories about how the fraud detective had killed himself rather than deal with his shame. There's not a person in Britain who doesn't know the story."
"I assume you're going somewhere with this."
"Yes, hush. As I was saying, everyone knows you're dead, so it might come as a shock when word gets out that you're well…not. And word will get out. But this needs to be handled rather…" Mycroft pursed his lips as he searched for the right word, "delicately."
"And let me guess, you're looking for a solution?"
"Yes. And as much as it pains me to say this…I need your help."
Sherlock smiled widely and chuckled. "You're so lucky I'm a genius."
"Yes, yes, don't get all high and mighty. Just tell me what to—"
"You need to find a woman called Kitty Riley, a reporter."
Mycroft blinked in confusion. "You mean the reporter who told everyone you were a fake, the woman who hates you? That Kitty Riley?"
"Yes."
"Why on earth would we want her?"
Sherlock sighed. "Honestly, for someone who thinks he's so smart, you can be a downright simpleton."
"Don't call me a—"
"She started the rumour that I was a fake. Everyone else was simply following suit. The only way anyone will be receptive to me not just being alive, but to Moriarty being real, is if the news comes from her."
"But she's been very vocal about you. She'd never write a word painting you in a decent li—"
"I have every confidence that her majesty's government will be very persuasive. Now if you'll excuse me," Sherlock said, pushing open the car door, "I've got a friend waiting for me."
Author's Note: Once more, PLEASE REVIEW! Your feedback is greatly appreciated.