A/N: hello lovelies! So sorry about the delay but I've just had my exams at school which unfortunately had to take priority. Anyway, here is the last chapter with protective! Sherlock (love it!) I have been quite interested by the concept of 'the other one' and who better to make Mycroft doubt himself than a mean big brother. I hope you have enjoyed these stories, and I apologise deeply for OOCness in the chapter. I hope you like it!

Against 'The Other One'

His long slender fingers tapped rhythmically and hurriedly across the keys of John's laptop as he tried to track the source of the impossible broadcast. Since Moriarty's face had appeared on every screen in London just 2 hours ago, Sherlock had already become relentless in his mission. John had gone home to make sure Mary and the baby were safe but promised to return soon.

For once Sherlock felt almost unable to comprehend the situation. Yes, he had avoided his own death through extravagant means, but surely shooting yourself in the head was a little more difficult to fake. However, Sherlock supposed he should no longer be surprised about the destruction James Moriarty was capable of and he just had to focus on finally bringing the spider to rest.

Sherlock did not look up from his computer screen when he heard John's footsteps behind him signalling the doctor's return.

"Your wife is trained in marksmanship you know, I'm sure she and the baby will be fine" Sherlock said, not one to often offer words of comfort but John was always the exception.

The footsteps stopped right behind Sherlock and John did not reply, and that's when Sherlock realised, because it's not John. He was so caught up in his work that he initially missed the fact these steps were far too well placed to be that of his bloggers - and you think I'm slipping he heard Mycroft say in his head.

Sherlock whipped around intending to wind the man with a sharp dig at his lungs, but the man was too fast as he clasped a leather gloved hand over Sherlock's head and wrapped his arm around his throat.

"Hush, hush little brother" a voice just above a whisper said as Sherlock desperately tried to claw his way free.

He stopped at that last comment; little brother? The man above him was not Mycroft, though he does have an air of the elder Holmes, similar features, and similar suit. And again, Sherlock realised almost too late, he had not seen this man since he was 5 years old, barely remembered a thing about him.

Sherrinford.

"Now, let's get Myc down here, shall we? Have a little family reunion" Sherrinford smirked as he took Sherlock's phone from his jacket pocket and typed out a text. "What do you think?" He said as he showed the message to Sherlock which simply read:

I need you.

Sherlock knew that was all it would take. Mycroft would call for a car immediately and come down to Baker Street no matter what he was doing, and then he too would become caught up in their estranged brother's plan, but Sherlock knew Mycroft was in much more danger of Sherrinford than he was. For once it was his turn to protect Mycroft.

So Sherlock continued to struggle, for Mycroft's sake because no matter what he said about his brother or even to Mycroft, he was not willing to see him suffer in the hands of the true elder Holmes brother.

"And now we wait" Sherrinford said as he sent the message "Mycroft and I have some scores to settle, but it just wouldn't be right without you, little brother"

He finally relinquished his grip on Sherlock and the detective fell forward off the chair, his cheek pushing against the floor as he breathed heavily.

"If...you...hurt...him..." Sherlock gasped as he struggled to pick himself up, but found the world was already going black.

"Oh come now, have faith in me, little brother" Sherrinford said in his own slimly way. "Now, you sleep for a while" he said, and although he did not want to comply Sherlock found himself being sucked into the black abyss.

Mycroft was walking up the stairs to 221B just 20 minutes after he received the text. In a strange way he was somewhat relieved about Moriarty's supposed return because it meant Sherlock could stay and not be sent on a mission were his death. However, Mycroft was not a stupid man.

"Sherlock has never said he needs me in all his life" Mycroft spoke as he approached the door of the flat "So I can only assume..."

And for once he was stumped at the sight before him. Sherlock was sat on the sofa with his hands tied behind his back, looking a little pale and shell-shocked but no apparent injury, and their elder brother, Sherrinford, stood pointing a gun at Sherlock like he was any common victim and not their little brother at all.

"What are you...?" Mycroft stumbled, but he was almost too shocked to talk. Sherrinford and Sherlock had not been in contact for almost 30 years, with good reason, and this is how they met again?

"Hello, Myc" Sherrinford said with mock cheer, and Mycroft flinched at the use of the name, which does not go unnoticed by Sherlock. "Did you like my little Moriarty trick? Turns out you're not the only smart one after all"

"It was mediocre at best" Sherlock scoffed.

"Ah, ah" Sherrinford warned when Mycroft tried to take a step toward Sherlock and the eldest Holmes took the safety off the gun. "I was worried when you stopped visiting me in the institute"

"I had nothing else to say" Mycroft spoke calmly but his eyes were anything but, wide and in-comprehensible.

"Well if it's your fault I'm in there in the first place you could at least have the decency"

"It was your own fault" Sherlock spoke up, much more put together than Mycroft "I know I was only young when they put you away but I remember things, and our parents have ensured I know everything you were, everything you are. Mycroft was not the cause of you being put in that place for lunatics; it was you and your own psychopathic needs"

"Maybe if the brat had just behaved I wouldn't have had to hurt him so!" Sherrinford yelled as he glared with venom at Mycroft who all of a sudden seemed pale.

"You'd hurt me, Sherrinford" Mycroft finally spoke "you'd hurt me without reason, and if mother and father hadn't sent you away you'd have started doing it to Sherlock too"

"Everything was fine, just me mother and father, until you came along." Sherrinford said as he continued to stare Mycroft down "then it was all precious little Mycroft and his amazing mind, Mycroft can already speak Greek and he's nine what are you doing with your life Sherrinford?!"

"You're pathetic" Sherlock snapped "you can't punish Mycroft because he's better than you. You're still a petty, jealous child who wants to be centre of attention"

Sherrinford laughed then, hysterically, manically. Sherlock and Mycroft shared a look. It was obvious the middle brother was finding it hard to cope, but Sherlock for once understood that. Sherrinford had been Mycroft's tormenter as a child, and Sherlock had never really been able to suppress the sound of Mycroft crying after Sherrinford had beat him once more just for the hell of it.

"I'm the petty jealous one?" Sherrinford finally said to Sherlock "you were always the apple of mother and father's eye since you were born. It bothered Myc too, I know it did, he just never had the courage to do anything about it, and I would have if he hadn't stopped me"

"It's nothing to do with courage!" Sherlock retorted. "I know that Mycroft would never raise a hand to me no matter how annoying I've been because he can control himself, he actually cares and I take that for granted" he looked over to Mycroft then who seemed torn between smiling and the need to be sick "although sometimes it can be a bit much" Sherlock added, because it would be so unlike him to pay complement without some distain.

"You're a brat" Sherrinford seethed as he stepped closer to Sherlock with the gun; the detective didn't even flinch "always have been, always will be"

"Sherrinford, please" Mycroft finally spoke up "you're not well, they shouldn't have let you out..."

He sounded so unlike his usual smug and confident self that it actually worried Sherlock a little. He supposed that every time Mycroft saw Sherrinford he was reverted to that scared little boy whose brother treated him like the scum of the earth.

Sherlock knew since Sherrinford had been in hospital for the mentally unstable and that Mycroft had visited him, whether it was in the hope having some questions answered or maybe even guilt (Sherlock didn't think Mycroft had anything to be sorry for regarding this particular situation) he was not sure. Sherlock himself had never visited. He had not seen Sherrinford since he was 5 years old and would never forgive his oldest brother for the way he treated Mycroft.

"I'm not a prisoner!" Sherrinford yelled.

"You should be" Sherlock mumbled.

"Sherlock..." Mycroft said with warning. The youngest Holmes didn't know Sherrinford like he did, didn't know just how dangerous and volatile the eldest brother could be.

"I have had enough!" Sherrinford yelled as he turned the gun around on Mycroft now.

"So have I" another voice suddenly spoke, and that was when John stepped in from the kitchen after sneaking in the side door. He was wielding a gun of his own which he had firmly trained on Sherrinford. "The police are already on their way"

"No, I'm not done; I'm not done with you, Mycroft! You betrayed me, you're own brother, you betrayed me!" Sherrinford roared.

"He did no such thing, you brought this on yourself!" Sherlock asserted "as for being done, we're the ones who are done with you"

With that, Sherlock revealed he had managed to escape the binds on his hands, lunging forward he managed to elbow Sherrinford in the chest. Winded, the eldest Holmes dropped the gun and it scattered across the floor. Mycroft watched with wide eyes as Sherlock managed to get around Sherrinford and grab the fallen gun, John stepped forward to intervene if he had to.

"Now you just stay there" Sherlock growled as now both he and John had their firearms pointed at the eldest Holmes.

"You're making a mistake" Sherrinford said, suddenly a lot quieter in the face of defeat.

"I really don't think I am" Sherlock asserted. "You should have known, I'd choose Mycroft every time"

The middle Holmes still had not broken out of his stupor when he felt the police officers brushing past him to take Sherrinford away. He was humiliated by the way he was frozen, yet he could not stop the memories of hours of torment from his older brother from plaguing him.

"Mycroft?" A concerned tone broke into Mycroft's thoughts and Sherlock's stern but somewhat nervous face came into focus and he realised the police had gone with Sherrinford. John had gone to see them off.

"Sherlock I..." Mycroft stammered "I'm so sorry"

"It's alright" Sherlock spoke gently and then to Mycroft's surprise Sherlock placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"No, no it's not" Mycroft shook his head "I should have... I can't believe I just..."

"Mycroft" Sherlock said vehemently as he gripped both of his brother's shoulders now. "I know I was only five and I don't remember a lot but... I saw the bruises and I heard things..." He looked away then and took a deep breath "I know he terrorised you and our parents wouldn't have sent him away if they didn't think it was best. Don't listen to him. As far as I am concerned you are the only big brother I have and... Well perhaps you haven't been that terrible"

Mycroft felt his lips twitch into a rare smile. Suddenly, his mind was not filled of fearful images of his oldest brother razing his fists, but instead of running around the garden after his youngest brother, indulging in one of his pirate games. Those were the memories that made Mycroft happy, and the happiness they had brought Sherlock too meant that maybe he wasn't an awful big brother after all. He could not let Sherrinford over cloud the good times he had had with Sherlock.

"Thank you" Mycroft said.

Sherlock smiled back and the said "don't be soft, it's unfitting of you" he clapped Mycroft's shoulder before going back to his laptop like nothing had happened.

"Anyone want to tell me what that was all about?" John said as he came back into the flat.

"Maybe later, right now, I think Mycroft needs to sit down with a nice cup of tea" Sherlock said. It was his turn to take care of Mycroft today...just for today, mind.

Thank you so, so much for everyone who has followed, reviewed favourited and read this story, your support means so much to me, and thank you again to 'a genius says' for the prompt. I have had a boom in ideas for more Holmes brothers stories, but I do love getting prompts, so if you have any ideas then please let me know!

Please feel free to leave feedback or ideas :)

Love ya! Xx