A/N: hello my darlings! Thank you so much for the feedback on this story so far :) This is the last chapter for Mycroft standing up for Sherlock and it also kind of sets up the next chapter when Sherlock will stand up for Mycroft. Thank you for the suggestions so far regarding that story, if you have any more they are appreciated! I know you're probably bored of me saying this but I really do think there is some OOCness here so apologises XD I hope you enjoy!

Please leave a review if you can spare a moment :) xxx

Against the Police

Mycroft was annoyingly familiar with the notion of someone calling him in the middle of the night to discuss his little brother. Usually it was the hospital telling him Sherlock had been found in some godforsaken alley nowhere near where he lived, high as a kite and near death. Mycroft had found that there was no point in worrying himself anymore; him having sleepless nights was not going to stop Sherlock being stubborn and so now Mycroft decided to take a more Indifferent approach.

However, that particular evening when the phone rang to wake Mycroft from his much needed slumber he was surprised to not be greeted with the steady professional tone of a nurse, but the erratic and somewhat slurred one of his little brother.

"Um...hello?" Sherlock said uncertainly as if he had never used a phone before.

"What is it, Sherlock?" Mycroft asked with as little interest as possible; it was clear merely from the sound of Sherlock's voice that he was on some kind of toxic binge again.

"I erm..." He sighed and Mycroft could almost see the indignant eye roll which went with it; Sherlock obviously did not want to say whatever he was about to. "I've been arrested"

Mycroft, unfortunately, could not say he was surprised and so he replied with a simple "Oh"

"Can you...I mean would you..." Sherlock stumbled over his words; partly because of the drugs, but Mycroft also assumed partly because he was embarrassed and annoyed about having to ask for his big brother's help.

"You want me to bail you out?" Mycroft finished for him as he tiredly massaged his eyes. "And why should I do that?" He asked more to wind Sherlock up than anything else.

"Because I'm your brother!" Sherlock exclaimed and then realised he was probably being far too desperate and so then took a much quieter tone before adding "these officers are idiots, I can't stand being around idiots!"

"Well then maybe you shouldn't have got caught" Mycroft berated his brother "or better yet, not taken the drugs in the first place! I honestly don't know if I can defend you about this anymore, Sherlock"

And there must have been some sort of weariness and hurt in his voice which Mycroft had not meant to convey, because Sherlock replied almost guiltily "this one last time, I promise"

Mycroft sighed; he knew he was going to regret this. "Alright, I'll get there when I get there" he said as one last jibe despite the fact he was already changed and heading out the door.

Mycroft entered the police station to the sound of raised voices coming from the holding cells. The elder Holmes rolled his eyes with distain as he recognised one of the voices belonged to Sherlock - so much for not being a humiliation any more. Mycroft went to wait patiently at the desk anyway and resisted the urge just leave.

"Hello, sir" an officer finally appeared looking rather annoyed and flustered; Sherlock seemed to have that effect on a lot of people. "How can I help you?" He enquired after straightening his tie.

"I'm here to pay parole for Sherlock Holmes" Mycroft said as he dug around his inside pocket for his wallet.

"I'm sorry but we've decided to revoke Mr Holmes' bail for now, he's given us a lot of trouble" the officer said as he glanced back to where the noise had finally gone down.

"I have had to put up with that sort of trouble all my life, Mr Lestrade" Mycroft spotted the officers name on his ID badge.

"He's always this much of a pain?" Lestrade said somewhat amusedly.

"Unfortunately, yes" Mycroft said "even when he is not on some chemical high, which is what I assume you brought him in for?"

"Yeah I found him stumbling around the front of a restaurant yelling at this couple; apparently she was having an affair"

"Yes, well, the length of her dress and the colour lipstick she was wearing would tell you that" Mycroft said absentmindedly as he looked around the station, missing Lestrade's bemused frown.

"Okay um... Well I'm afraid at this moment in time I don't feel obliged to let Sherlock go" Lestrade said and Mycroft raised an eyebrow; though the people Mycroft worked with knew this was a dangerous gesture, the police officer seemed completely unfazed. "In fact, judging by the track marks on his arms he is a frequent user and I probably should take him to court or suggest a further investigation to make sure he isn't dealing too"

Mycroft smirked "Detective, my brother is many things, but a drug dealer he is not. Yes, i agree he should be punished for his misconduct, but I assure you, this is not the way. Sherlock will continue to be a hassle and I need to be there when withdrawal kicks in because... And please do not tell him this... Although I hate what he does to himself I cannot stand to see him suffer. Call it the natural instinct of a big brother, I suppose"

"We won't let him suffer, Mr Holmes" Lestrade replied gently "I'm sure your brother is a good kid but..."

"Although he might act like a child most of the time, he is most certainly not one" Mycroft interrupted "in fact, he is probably the most intelligent man you will ever meet, aside from me of course"

"Ah...right" Lestrade folded his arms across his chest and studied the man in front of him pensively.

On first appearance the older Holmes brother seemed to look like any other posh git Lestrade had come across with his three piece suit and air of arrogance. However, the more Lestrade studied the man the more did he see a worried older brother in denial of his own feelings and the true extent of his younger brother's actions.

"You look tired" Lestrade commented somewhat off-handed, but also hoping to evoke some kind of response.

Mycroft looked down at his umbrella which he was twisting into the ground. There was a moment of silence before the elder Holmes replied "I worry about him." another pause "Constantly."

Lestrade felt sort of bad for the clearly exhausted man as he twitched his lips thoughtfully; he was torn between his duty as an officer and his understanding as an elder brother himself. Eventually, he sighed.

"Look, Mr Holmes, I empathise with you, okay, I really do. My younger twin sisters have not exactly been role models of society, but... Your brother has acted unjustly and it wouldn't be right to..."

"Then don't punish him" Mycroft interrupted, but there was something almost pleading in his eyes "let him do something more productive and that could benefit you both"

"Like what?" Lestrade asked.

"Like I said, my brother is very smart. He can walk into a room and tell you the history of any object in there, he can glance at a stranger for mere seconds and tell you who they're dating and what they drive. You must have some cold cases he could help you solve? Anything? Without pay of course, and it would be a good distraction from the drugs"

Although Lestrade did not doubt that to be true concerning Sherlock's deduction skills -Sherlock had already worked out he was unhappily married much to the detective's annoyance- he was still dubious.

"I don't know, I'd be breaking the rules if I let an amateur in on that kind of thing"

"Well it's a good job he's not an amateur" Mycroft said confidently "but again, don't tell him I said that" Lestrade smirked at this, and then Mycroft added "Please?"

Again, Lestrade smiled lightly. "You're not use to saying please, are you?"

Mycroft looked towards the holding cells where there was now silence. "Only for him" he said quietly.

"I'm really going to regret this, aren't I?" Lestrade sighed.

"I'm not saying anything" Mycroft replied.

"Fine, your brother can go" Lestrade resigned.

"Thank you" Mycroft said, seeming very relieved.

"Not use to that either" Lestrade quipped as he led Mycroft to his younger brother.

When they reached the cell there was a haughty looking officer standing guard who had clearly become victim to Sherlock's skills of deduction. Sherlock himself lay on the concrete bed of the cell, facing away from the door, body trembling lightly.

"The withdrawal is already kicking in" Mycroft said and Lestrade almost detected the pain in his voice; the man clearly cared but was not prone to saying it aloud.

"You're free to go, Mr Holmes" Lestrade announced as he entered the cell with Mycroft. "But there are some conditions"

Sherlock rolled over to face them. "I reject them all" he mumbled.

"Sherlock..." Mycroft said with a tone of warning "Detective Lestrade has kindly offered to let you go on the basis that you will help him with some more difficult cases"

Sherlock sniffed. "I don't work with Idiots"

"Why you little..." The officer outside the cell started angrily as he moved towards them.

"No!" Mycroft snapped "stay away from him! "The elder Holmes was not at all sure where that sudden bout of protectiveness came from but he needed to let his angst at the situation out somehow.

"Sherlock..." Lestrade stepped in to defuse the situation. "Your brother had to really persuade me to do this and he's just worried about you" there was no comment from either Holmes "plus, I suppose I could really use someone with your brains" he added a little reluctantly. "My division is actually homicide so you'll see some...interesting stuff"

Sherlock lifted his head at this. "You want me to consult on gory murder cases?"

"Er...sure, we can call it that" Lestrade said uncertainly. "But if anything like this happens again you get put back in here, you understand?"

"Alright" Sherlock said as he sat up, and then stood "but they better be interesting"

"Sure" Lestrade replied.

"Okay, let's go, Mycroft" Sherlock said and strode out of the cell, passing the glaring eyes of the other officer.

"He means thank you" Mycroft said to Lestrade.

The detective gave a lopsided smile "it's okay"

Mycroft and Lestrade shared a handshake that possibly only long suffering older brothers would understand before Mycroft followed Sherlock out of the building.

"Never again, Sherlock, never again, I swear to God!" Mycroft exclaimed angrily as soon as they were outside "this is the last time I come and rescue you from your own stupidity!"

"You did not rescue me, don't be so dramatic" Sherlock snapped back "and as for not looking out for me anymore, we both know that's not true. You enjoy it, even though it annoys the hell out of me"

"Do you think I enjoy seeing you like this?" Mycroft retorted "I use to think it was my fault you know, well not anymore, if you cannot even help yourself Sherlock then how can I?"

"So you're just giving up?" Sherlock said as he folded his arms firmly across his chest.

"Well you gave up a long time ago" Mycroft said coldly as they reached the car. "Get in" he ordered.

Sherlock paused and frowned. "You can drive?" He asked apprehensively and Mycroft just looked back in disbelief "I thought you'd always had people drive you everywhere"

"Yes Sherlock, I can drive and I have been able to since I was seventeen" Mycroft affirmed with great annoyance before getting into the driver's seat, Sherlock following into the passenger's a moment later.

"Why are you being so emotional?" Sherlock asked as he looked absentmindedly out the window as Mycroft drove them away.

The elder Holmes sighed "because for once in my life I feel like I don't know what to do, and I hate that"

"I'm not your responsibility" Sherlock said bluntly as he turned to his brother "why do you always fight for me if it despairs you so much?"

"Because I'm your big brother, Sherlock" was the simple reply; to Mycroft that was a good enough explanation, but apparently not for Sherlock. "And maybe I'd like to think you'd do the same for me if I ever needed you" the elder Holmes added.

Sherlock frowned with confusion "why would you need me?"

Mycroft sighed again and that was when Sherlock realised his brother really was giving up "I don't know, Sherlock, but you didn't even know I could drive. That shows how much you regard me and my life"

"I regard you plenty" Sherlock responded " I greatly regard the fact you like to interfere with my life"

"What's my job?" Mycroft asked out of the blue.

"What?" Sherlock frowned slightly taken aback.

"What's my job?" Mycroft repeated.

"I... Well you're a...you... I mean it obviously pays well" Sherlock stuttered but then had to close his eyes and search his mind palace. "I don't know you've never told me" he huffed.

"I have"

"Haven't"

"You deleted it because it's not important to you" Mycroft stated; I'm not important to you.

"Perhaps" Sherlock conceded "but just because I don't know what you do for a living doesn't mean that if you were in trouble I wouldn't..." He slumped back in his seat sulkily "you know" he mumbled.

"Do I?" Mycroft asked amusedly.

"Don't push it, Mycroft" Sherlock warned and the elder Holmes just smirked to himself in triumph.

"You're staying with me tonight" Mycroft said as an order than a suggestion "I suspect the withdrawal is about to get rough" he noted as Sherlock's shaking intensified.

"Yes, I think so" Sherlock replied as he closed his eyes momentarily before looking out the window again. "Thank you" he said, and although it lacked his usual snide edge but there was a hint of embarrassment there.

"The last time" Mycroft said again.

"Yes, yes" Sherlock said frivolously to clearly indicate he did not believe his brother. There were a few minutes of silence before Sherlock spoke up again. "Mycroft?"

"Yes"

"What do you do for a living?"

Mycroft smiled to himself "I think I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions on that one