As the watery morning sunshine leaked through the curtains, John groaned and rolled over to find the other half of the bed still neatly made. John was sure he heard Sherlock shuffling around in the room late last night, and assumed that he would pull back the covers and lie next to John. But when John blinked and sat up, Sherlock was nowhere to be seen. He pulled back the covers, slipped his feet into his slippers and trudged over to the bathroom to freshen up. Sherlock would be on the sofa again.
Mid way through brushing his teeth, John heard the doorbell ring.
'Sherlock, can you get that!' John yelled through his toothbrush.
He didn't expect Sherlock to answer, or get up and go get the door, but it was worth a shot. John rinsed his face, walked downstairs to open front door. He thought it was odd that Mrs Hudson hadn't thought to get it, but she was normally out by this time in the morning.
'10 o'clock' John muttered to himself. He really shouldn't let himself sleep in this late.
He got to the living room and gave Sherlock a disapproving glare for his laziness. Or, he would have, if Sherlock had been in his normal position on the tiny sofa. But the sofa looked large and bare and empty without Sherlock's presence filling it, and as John hurled round to find him not in the kitchen either, so did the entire flat.
The doorbell rang again, and despite his sudden anxiety, he wrenched open the door to Mycroft standing in the doorway, thoroughly snow covered and looking as anxious as John felt.
'May I come in , John?'
'Ugh, well, yes, of course, come in Mycroft, in.'
John stumbled out of the way as Mycroft strode into the small corridor, placed his umbrella against the wall and turned to John.
'Shall we go up? I have matters of great importance to discuss with you.'
Sensing John's confusion, and worry, he added
'I too am concerned about the whereabouts of my brother.'
The silence, once again, entered the flat like an unwanted draft.
'You better follow me' John replied quietly as he ascended the stairs to his room.