Chapter 1

July 1986

Mycroft walks down the stairs in the Holmes family home. As he reaches the bottom he hears loud voices coming from the kitchen. He sits down on the bottom step and listens to his parents arguing. He leans his head on the bannisters before hearing two pairs of footsteps at the top of the stairs. 'Myc?' He stands and turns to look up at the twins. 'What's going on?' Jim asks nervously. Mycroft smiles nervously and climbs the stairs. He takes the twins' hands and leads them back to their bedroom. As they pass one door the three of them hear six-month-old child start crying. Mycroft lets go of their hands and pushes them towards their room. He pushes open the door and enters the master bedroom. He lowers a wall of Sherlock's crib and picks the baby up. As Mycroft carries the baby out of the room and towards the twin's room. He gently wipes the tears from Sherlock's cheeks as opens the door. He set Sherlock on the floor and kneels down himself. Irene takes out a set of building blocks and gives them to her baby brother. Mycroft helps Sherlock play with the block. Jim and Irene play with other toys from their toy box.

Half an hour later, the door to the twin's bedroom opens and Violet Holmes stands framed in the doorway. She smiles at the sight of her four children playing quietly on the floor. 'Mycroft, thank you for soothing Sherlock.'

'It's okay Mummy, I don't like it when my siblings cry.' She steps forward and picks up her youngest and extends her hand to her daughter. 'I'm sure all four of you are starving.' Irene scrambles up and grabs her mother's hand. Jim stands up and attempts to pull his big brother up. Mycroft giggles as Jim tries again and again. 'Mycroft. Stop being awkward.'

'Sorry Mummy, Jimmy.' He lets Jim pull him to his feet and lead him to the kitchen.

An hour later all four children are sitting around the table and have finished eating their breakfast. Violet picks her youngest out of his high chair and set him down on a play mat in the corner of the kitchen. Mycroft starts to get down from the table. Violet stops him. 'Croft, I need you to stay at the table sweetheart.' Mycroft nods bemused but stays in his seat. Violet clears the breakfast items from the table before sitting down and looking at her three older children.

'Mummy, is this about your row with Daddy?' Mycroft asks apprehensively. Violet looks intensely at her eldest before sighing heavily.

'Yes. Mycroft it is.' She pauses 'What did you hear?'

'Only that you think that Daddy is lying to you. I didn't hear much.'

'Mycroft, Irene, James you need to listen very carefully to me.' All three of the children watch her. She looks down to the table before looking at her children. 'Daddy and I… our relationship has become very strained. We aren't getting along very well anymore.'

'Is Daddy leaving us?' Jim asks. Violet smiles sadly.

'Mummy?' Irene stares at her mother with tears starting to run down her face.

'Yes James, Daddy is leaving me.'

'Why Mummy?'

'What do you mean Mycroft?'

'Why is he leaving you not us?'

'He wants to take you all with him.'

'He wants to take us away from you?' Violet nods sadly. 'Is that what the row was about?'

'Yes Mycroft.'

'What are you going to do Mummy?'

'We managed to come to an agreement.' Mycroft and Jim glance at each other. Irene just stares at her mother with tears streaming down her cheeks. Jim puts his arm around his twin and cuddles her.

'Two of us are going with Daddy and two are staying with you.' Jim states bluntly. Violent flinches at the words.

'Who's going with who?' Mycroft tentatively asks.

'That is up to you three.' Violet look at each of her three children sat around the table before glancing at Sherlock playing on the floor unaware of the tension in his siblings and mother. Mycroft follows her gaze towards his baby brother. He looks at Sherlock before looking back at his twin siblings. He swallows before slipping off his chair and moving across the kitchen to kneel next to Sherlock. He looks back at Jim and Irene.

'I'll stay with Sherlock. It's not fair to split you two up.' Irene climbs down off her chair and runs to Mycroft and clings to him.

'No. I want to stay with you Myc.'

'And me.' Jim demands from his seat. He crosses his arms and frowns at his three siblings. Mycroft looks at his mother.

'Mummy, can I take Sherlock to the sitting room? I don't want him to become distressed.'

'Put him in his swing and put his favourite music on.' Mycroft nods, releases his leg from Irene's grip. He picks up Sherlock and carries him out of the kitchen. 'Mycroft stay with him for ten minutes.' Mycroft nods and closes the door behind him. Violet holds her hands out to her three-year-old daughter. Irene walks over to her mother who picks her up and settles her on her lap. 'Listen you two. What your big brother says is sensible. Twins have a bond that is different from any other bonds siblings have. You have the option to stay together. Mycroft loves both of you dearly and it will break his heart to lose the pair of you. The two of you would really struggle if one of you stays with while the other goes with your father.' She looks down at Irene. 'Rene, if you really had to choose only one brother to stay with you would you choose?'

'Jim.' Irene answers promptly.

'Jim?'

'Rene.' The twins chew their lips. Jim looks at Irene who looks back at him. Simultaneously, they nod. 'Me and Rene will go with Daddy. Sherlock still needs you Mummy.' Jim slips down from his chair and goes to hug his mother.

'Jimmy, go and get your big brother.' Jim leaves the kitchen and returns moments later with his big brother in tow.

'What's been decided Mummy?' Mycroft asks.

'Rene and Jim have decided to go with your father.'

'When are they going?' Violet sighs as a tear slips down her cheek. 'Mummy?'

'The weekend.'

'This weekend?' the three of them chorused.

'But that's in three days time.' Mycroft states.

'I know. He wanted to take you today or as soon as we had decided who was going.'

Three days later

Mycroft and his mother stand on the front porch of their house as a car pulls out of their drive. Violet holds the baby Sherlock in her arms. Tears stream down her cheeks as she clutches Sherlock in one arm and Mycroft to her leg in the other. Mycroft waves to his younger brother and sister. 'Good bye brother, sister.' He mutters. He silently vows that one day he will find his brother and sister.

In the back of the car Irene and Jim stare out of the back and side windows waving goodbye to their brothers and mother. Tears stream down their cheeks. When the two of them couldn't see Mycroft, Sherlock or Violet any more they twist in their seat to face forward and wipe the tears from their cheeks. They hold hands and subconsciously vow never to be apart from each other and to one day find their brothers.