It happened again two days later. Ian stayed longer, today, though. Sherlock didn't get a call until almost 11 AM. He said of course and picked Ian up from school. His teacher was waiting for Sherlock when he got there.

"It's the oddest thing, Mister Holmes, he was fine yesterday."

"Oh, you know children. On and off like a switch."

"You ought to take him to a doctor."

"Don't worry, my husband is a physician. If it gets serious, he'll know." Sherlock reached his arms out to Ian, "Come along, my ill child."

John, again, just so happened to go home that day for lunch. The door to the flat was closed, which was actually kind of abnormal. When John opened the door, he saw why. The door, and the rest of the flat, was covered in blankets and sheets hanging from everywhere in the form of a makeshift fort. The main area was in the center, there was a "hallway" from the door to the center, and another "hallway" from the center to the kitchen.

"Sherlock!" John called, obviously angry.

"In here!" Sherlock clicked a flashlight twice at the ceiling indicating their location. John huffed, got to his knees, and crawled to the center of the fort. "Damnit, Sherlock, I told you-" he got to the center and spotted Ian, "Hello, Ian."

"Hi, Dad!" Ian shouted.

"Ssshh, they might find us." Sherlock whispered to Ian.

"Who?" John asked.

"Captain Hook!" Ian whisper shouted.

"Ian, could you go to the kitchen to give Daddy and I a minute?"

"What if they get me?"

"They won't get you, I promise."

"All right, but I'm taking my sword just in case." Ian picked up a card board sword and crawled out of the fort.

When he was out of ear shot, John whisper yelled at Sherlock, "Sherlock! What did I tell you!"

"It's fine. Although his teacher seems to think he needs to see a doctor, so, you know."

"No, I don't know! He's not really sick! I don't fake diagnose patients for fake stomach aches!"

"Well, technically you're not supposed to diagnose your son-"

"He's not sick!"

Sherlock thought for a moment and looked around at his and Ian's fort, "Can't I just keep him here forever? My mother didn't make Mycroft or myself go to school after my father left. She said if she couldn't teach something to us, it wasn't worth us knowing."

"Your mother obviously wasn't an astronomer, then." John mumbled.

"Poke fun, John, but I'm perfectly fine-"

"Oh, god no. You lack people skills, to the max. Do you want Ian to lack people skills?"

"I got you, didn't I? You're all I've needed, he'll find someone out there that he needs, too."

"He's going to school, Sherlock. You can't turn this into a game of you and I, not this time."

"Fine, John. But if he keeps calling with a stomach ache, I can't leave him there. I can't look like a father that can't take care of his son."

"I'll talk to him, then, because you obviously won't."

"Of course I won't. I want him to stay here. You're the one that wants to send him to school."

"Society wants him to go to school, Sherlock. I'm not a horrible father because I want him to go to school." Sherlock looked up at John with pathetic eyes, "And no, you're not a horrible father because you want him to stay here, that's not what I meant." Sherlock smiled and John kissed him lightly, "I know you miss him, but this is one of the stages you need to get over. He needs to grow up."

"Oh, John, I don't want him to. Let's just keep him this way forever."

"So you can make forts and watch Peter Pan three times a day?"

"We only watched it twice today."

"Oh, new record low."

They were silent for a few minutes when they heard their son's tiny voice from the kitchen tunnel, "Can I come back, now? Captain Hook's coming!"

"Hurry, hurry!" John called, "He's coming, quick!" Ian ran through the tunnel and tackled John into Sherlock.

John had a serious talk with Ian that night about abusing the fake stomach ache act. Ian nodded and said, "Ok." but he was very sad. John felt bad, but he explained to Ian that it was important to go to school and meet new people.

"I don't want to meet new people. I know you and Daddy and Mrs. Hudson and Uncle Mycroft and Mr. Lestrade and Miss Sally and Mr. Dimmock that likes Daddy and-"

"Wait, what?"

"I'm just naming people I know, Dad."

"No, what about Mr. Dimmock?"

"He likes Daddy?"

"How do you know that?"

"He looks at Daddy like you look at Daddy."

"Uh-huh," John made a mental note to punch Dimmock in the face next week.

"I guess I won't say I have a stomach ache anymore."

"Good boy."

"Can I have some hot chocolate?"

"Of course. Go ask Daddy to make you some."

"Can you do it?"

John chuckled, "Why?"

"Daddy doesn't make it right."

John laughed and patted Ian's head.

Well, Ian didn't use the stomach ache card anymore. The next week, when he was tired of being at school, he called Sherlock with an ear ache. The next week he called with a head ache. The next week he called with an odd chest pain. And Sherlock picked him up each day.

"Seriously, Ian," John said to Ian as he pulled a pajama shirt over his son's head, "You have to stop calling Daddy."

"I don't like school, Dad. The kids are stupid."

John stopped and looked Ian in the face, "What did I tell you about that word?"

"Sorry. They're imbeciles!" Ian dramatically threw his arms in the air.

John chuckled, "That's not very nice, either."

"Daddy said it's only mean if it's not true. Like when he says it about you."

"Does Daddy call me an imbecile often?"

"He did earlier."

"And why is that?"

"Because you're making me go to school."

"Now, Ian, come on. It's not that bad. You and Daddy can play all you want when you get home, but during the day you need to go to school." Ian made a pouting face, making his bottom lip stick out and quiver. John watched him and sighed, "All right. One more day. That's it. After tomorrow, no more coming home. Got it?"

Ian jumped off the bed and into John's arms, "Thank you, Dad!"

"Maybe you can ask Daddy to take you to Grandma's tomorrow."

"Good idea, Dad!" Ian squirmed out of John's arms, "I'm going to go ask him now!" Ian ran out of the room and John tossed his dirty clothes into the hamper.

Ian didn't call home after that until two months later. This time it was for real, and Ian was sick with stomach flu for three days. Sherlock claimed that he wasn't going back to school for this reason, but John claimed it was a part of life and that he was fine. Sherlock finally let go and accepted Ian's aging.