A small snort from the detective at that, as if John suggesting he make tea is completely ridiculous. "Preparing it is much different than making it. All I did was put it from the pot into that mug and add the proper amount of sugar." The detective points out as he looks at the doctor, though he's pleased that he seems to have gotten it right.

The doctor smirks a little, and nudges Sherlock a little. "It's alright. I've gotten used to making tea for two now. I don't mind, though you could say 'thank you' once in a while." he muses with a slight smirk as he looks at the taller man, watching as more people enter the room. It seems that Ford and James are the last stragglers, and John hides a slight grin behind his cup as he takes another small sip. "I'm proud of you, Sherlock. You've been here almost 24 hours, and you haven't started pouting about being bored or anything like that. Come to think of it, it's been a few days since you threw any sort of tantrum about being bored." He says as he looks at Sherlock curiously.

"Why would I be bored?" Sherlock asks in surprise. "First I was occupied with how Christmas might go. And I was preoccupied with your behavior. You've been different lately an I couldn't figure it out, I didn't know that it was because you had unconscious feelings for me." He says thoughtfully as he looks at the older man, reaching out to put an arm around him, leaning down to kiss the side of his head lightly. Surely the doctor can't object to something so simple. "As for today and yesterday, don't be an idiot, John. Of course I haven't been bored. You've occupied me quite thoroughly since we arrived, if you recall. Honestly, are you finally becoming senile in your old age?" He asks with a skeptically raised eyebrow.

John can't help it, he laughs when Sherlock calls him an idiot. "Ah, there's my detective, I was worried he might have got lost under sentiment somewhere." he says with a happy smile up at the other man.

Rolling his eyes a little, Sherlock gives John a look that tells the doctor just how much of an idiot the younger man thinks he is. "Really, John. Do try and use your brain. I refuse to believe caring about someone can change your entire personality. I've cared about you for years, yet you detected no change in my behavior for the last eight months." He reminds the doctor, shaking his head and sliding his hands into his jeans pockets.

Anything further is cut off by Victoria Holmes standing up, commanding the attention of the entire room. Her chair is closest to the fireplace, in a high-backed chair that somewhat resembles a throne, John thinks. Mycroft isn't standing too far from her, but closer to where John and Sherlock are, as well as where Q sits in another chair with James sitting on the arm, somewhat resembling a loyal guard dog. Especially with the way that Q seems so relaxed yet poised, with the same aristocratic air - albeit a little toned down - that Victoria displays.

"Merry Christmas to you all, and thank you all for making it here." 'Mummy' speaks calmly, folding her hands in front of her, smiling a little. There are some others that are not immediate family, a few close relatives as well as the three brothers and their significant others. "As you all know, this Christmas is special to me, because I have all three of my sons here for the first time in a very long time." She says as she looks at her sons, seeming to be in a better mood than the night before because she is smiling fondly at them, loosely arranged as they are on one side of the room.

"Before we start with the presents, I am going to ask for the only present I want from my sons. I want a performance, a Christmas song or two." Victoria says as she motions toward the piano. And by 'or two' she means two songs, minimum of course. "Surely you can give your mother that, boys?" She challenges with an arch of an eyebrow.

John blinks a few times as he looks at Victoria, then he looks up at Sherlock with a curious look. he knew that the man was musical, that much is obvious since he plays the violin so well, but he had no idea that the man could sing. The thought of Sherlock being able to sing sends a small shiver down John's spine as he imagines what that smooth baritone would sound turned toward song.

Making a small sound of displeasure in the back of his throat, Sherlock sighs a little, clasping his hands behind his back loosely before he looks down at John, a small twitch of his lips as close to a smirk as he's going to get, before he glances over at his mother. To anyone else he would look impassive, but to the doctor beside him, he can tell that Sherlock is less than pleased, having had to read the minute facial expressions for so long, and also having gone over them so much the two years Sherlock was presumed dead that he's gotten quite good at it.

Curious now, John looks over to where James and Q are sitting, wondering what the younger Holmes thinks of this command performance. It doesn't seem that Q is any happier than Sherlock about it, though his face remains just as impassive as his older brother's. With a glance at James, he waits for the older man to get out of the way before he gets up and slowly moves over to the piano in the corner of the room. He opens the piano and then turns, waiting for Sherlock and Mycroft to join him. Mycroft does so almost immediately, having no problems obeying Mummy's commands.

Sherlock lets out a silent sigh, looking at John for a moment before he moves over to join his brothers, starting to speak to them quietly about which songs they should perform.

John remains standing where he was off to the side, looking up as James moves from his spot by the chair to approach him. Looking at the slightly taller man - and really, why is everyone taller than him? - John takes a deep breath. "Did you know they could sing?" he asks quietly, sipping his tea as he looks back at his detective.

James shakes his head a little. "Nope. I didn't know Ford could play the piano either, but then we haven't really gotten around to discussing things like that. He's very close-lipped about his personal life when he's at work. I haven't really spent a lot of time with him outside of it." He says softly, sipping at his own coffee, his thoughts apparently on the youngest Holmes.

Considering that comment as he glances over at the man beside him, John wonders if this isn't the first time they've gotten to spend time out of work together. If that's the case, then they certainly were moving rather swiftly, but then again he has no idea what the other two are like at work. Finally, John merely nods. "I understand. I knew Sherlock was musical, he plays the violin. And he's bloody good, when he plays it properly, I love listening to him." He admits sheepishly, watching the three. Of course, Sherlock doesn't always play the violin properly, sometimes it sounds like he's killing a cat, other times it just sounds like odd tones when Sherlock plucks at it while he thinks. And of course John will never admit how much he longed for even that much when Sherlock was gone, how he took care of the violin, just in case, and how he laid on the couch sobbing, clinging to the case as if that alone could bring the detective back to him. Before it can get past a small pricking in the back of his eyes, John turns his attention back to the present. "But I had no idea he could sing." he muses, finishing his thought before he smirks as he gets an idea, pulling out his phone as he remembers something he found on the new model he had to get after throwing his last one at a wall angrily, glancing at James. "I'm not going to waste this opportunity though." he says as he loads up the app that will allow him to take a video. He's learned not to let things like this pass them by. This may never happen again, so just in case, he wants to have record of Sherlock singing.

The three seem to come to an agreement, and Q stretches his fingers for a few moments, glancing at James and John with a small sigh before he sits down at the piano, running a scale just to make sure the piano is in tune, though he knows it is, before he starts into 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen', and after a few moments the three start singing. Sherlock having the deepest tone, Q's the highest and Mycroft somewhere in between. But they all meld together into a seamless, beautiful tune, the piano merely an accent to their voices that carry throughout the room. Sherlock remains with his hands behind his back, standing to one side of Q as he starts with his part, a brief glance given to John, internally sighing as he figures out what the man is doing, and yet he can't help but smile faintly.

It would probably be comical if anyone paid attention to James and John's faces, because they probably both look rather surprised, and in John's case, rather flabbergasted. Despite the fact that his jaw is hanging open for a few moments, John has his camera up, taking a video of the three singing together. He listens to the smooth, velvety tones of Sherlock's voice, mentally shaking his head a little in awe. Is there anything that this brilliant, crazy man is not good at? A small smile is given as he continues to listen, tuning out some of the words to the song and just focusing on the voice as his mind drifts back over all the crazy adventures they've had, the frustrations, the injuries, the nights where Sherlock would play for John after he came downstairs after a nightmare. All the little things that John had learned to interpret as Sherlock actually caring about him, though to everyone else it would seem cold and unfeeling, there were moments of hidden warmth. And now he's seen that warmth turn into a flame. The cold facade is still there, and John knows it always will be, but moments like this, and like the last 24 hours, he gets to see another side of Sherlock, something he feels very privileged about.

Unfortunately it comes to an end as so many other things do, an James looks over at John in the lull during the applause. "I'd like to get a copy of that, if I could." He says with a nod toward John's phone.

"Yeah, of course. I'll email it to you if you tell me where, soon as the video is done." John says to James with a little smirk as he waits for the next song. He's not about to interrupt the video so he can take down the email address or phone number from James.

The wait isn't long, because the applause doesn't take long before the three brothers look at eachother again. Q gets ready to start in on another song while Sherlock clasps his hands behind his back. None of them need sheet music, and even though they haven't sung together for years, they can all remember their parts, their excellent memories aiding them in remembering words to songs they haven't sung for a long time. They start in on 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas', Q slowly turning his head a little to look at James as he sings, and likewise Sherlock turns his body and his head to look at John more as he sings, figuring that if John really wants a video of this so much, the least he can do is actually show his face to the camera.

James watches Q closely, taking a deep breath as he listens, finishing off his coffee and putting the mug aside before he slides his hands into his trouser pockets to continue watching. Surprisingly, the room is quiet as the three sing, couples leaning against eachother and smiling, arms around eachother or holding hands, even the children sitting nicely and listening, the male voices apparently soothing to them. It's all very idyllic for the moment though it's not going to last, everyone knows this. But for one moment it is the very spirit of Christmas.

When the song ends, there is a great deal of applause, Q standing to join his brothers as they all give a little bow to their audience. He makes sure that the piano is closed back up before he returns with Sherlock over to their significant others, Q picking up his tea from where it was sitting on the end table and finishing it off.

John turns off the video, emailing it to James after getting the information before he looks up when Sherlock joins him, reaching out to take his hand gently. "That was beautiful. I didn't know you could sing." he says as he looks at the taller man with a little smile.

Looking a little uncomfortable, Sherlock nods a little. "Thank you, John. Mummy insisted that we all learn an instrument and how to sing." he says simply with a little shrug, clearing his throat for a moment since he's not used to singing anymore. "If you show that video to anyone at Scotland Yard, I will be very cross with you." he says as he gives John a stern look.

"I won't, but I am going to show Mrs. Hudson." John says with a little shrug and a smirk, before he goes over to the nearby loveseat and sits down, happy when his detective settles down next to him.

"So you can sing and play piano.." James says with a little smirk, taking Q's hand gently in his and giving it a little squeeze.

"Apparently." Q says mysteriously with a slight smirk, but he returns the squeeze, before he goes back down to sit in his chair that is next to the loveseat that John and Sherlock have settled down on.

Once again James takes up his perch on the arm of the chair, not caring if anyone disapproves. It seems that Mummy Holmes needs a moment to compose herself, so John just leans back a little, stretching out his legs in front of him and crossing them at the ankle.

Looking at John curiously for a few moments, Sherlock smiles fondly and then shifts a little closer to John, moving his arm slowly to put it behind John's shoulders, knowing the doctor is startled by the movement but all he gets is a curious look. Still, he ignores the look as he puts his hand along the nape of John's neck, covering the bruise that he put there last night, and hiding the very edge of it that might be visible above his collar. With a light amount of pressure, he strokes along that spot gently, finger drawing a gentle circle along the outside of the bruise idly, quite pleased when he feels the small shiver from John.

"Sherlock.." John warns softly as he looks over at the detective, the touch sending a little thrill through him though because as Sherlock said, to anyone else it might seem a somewhat odd little caress, but they both know what's under the doctor's shirt, who put it there, and the memory of it raises goose bumps on John's skin. Still, this is not exactly the most appropriate place. But Sherlock doesn't remove his hand, he just stops the movement, instead resting his long fingers over that spot.

Finally finished blotting her eyes, Victoria smiles. "That was so beautiful, thank you." She says before she turns to the rest. "And now, on to the presents, which I'm sure is what everyone has been waiting for! Stephanie, why don't you and your boys pass them out, I'm sure you know who everyone is." She says before she sits back down in her chair which is separate and isolated from the rest, allowing her to view the entire room almost like a throne. Which is where Mycroft has taken up to standing, not too far away.

The gift-giving commences, as the presents are distributed, mostly to the younger cousins. James doesn't receive any presents except for a very expensive bottle of scotch from Mycroft, whereas Q, John and Sherlock seem to get quite a few presents.

John picks up one of the presents that's handed to him and he arches an eyebrow. "This is from Lestrade." he notes as he looks over at Sherlock questioningly.

"Mmm. Yes. Mycroft picked up our presents from Baker Street, it seems." Sherlock says with a little sigh, slightly annoyed that Mycroft once again invaded their home like that. Still, he's curious, leaning toward John a little. "That is a present for both of us?" he asks as he looks at the tag. "Open it." he urges, apparently eager for presents.

Laughing a little, John nods quietly and he smiles. "Alright, alright..." he says with a little smirk at the detective, opening the present quietly, and chuckling as he looks at the simple silver picture frame. The picture inside is of the two of them at some crime scene, standing close together, their bodies angled so they're not completely facing eachother but definitely turned toward eachother. They seem to be having some sort of conversation, John's arms across his chest, smiling up at Sherlock, who has his hands in the pockets of his long coat, his head turned toward the smaller doctor and apparently saying something, the way that his mouth is open. "Where did Lestrade even get this?" John asks in surprise as he stares at the picture.

Sherlock's eyebrows go up as he looks at the picture. "That's from our first case together." he says in surprise as he looks at John, "A Study In Pink, I believe you called it." he says before he glances it over. "From the look of it, it's from the end of the case, right after the cabbie was shot. Grainy picture, probably from a cellphone and enlarged." He deduces as he looks at the picture, them he slips a card out from underneath it, looking at it. "It seems it's a welcome back present, formally." He says before he shrugs a little, looking at the picture again.

A small smile is given from the doctor, and John nods quietly, brushing his thumb across the picture for a moment. "Well, I think it's a lovely Christmas present." he says with a nod of his head before he puts it aside. For a moment, he pauses, but since Sherlock doesn't make any move toward his own presents, John rolls his eyes and picks up another one, this a smaller one from Sherlock that makes him arch an eyebrow.

Of course, John gets no clues from the younger man, so he shakes his head, amused as he starts to open the small square package, looking at the CD case that is revealed. He looks at Sherlock questioningly, since it's homemade CD and has no label.

Looking a little embarrassed, Sherlock smiles at John. "It's a recording of myself, playing the violin." He says as he looks at the other man. "You seem to enjoy when I play certain songs over others, especially later at night. So I recorded them for you. I also have digital copies if you'd prefer to put them on your MP3 player." He says quietly as he looks at John uncertainly.

Very touched by this, John looks down at the CD, taking a deep breath and he smiles softly, blinking rapidly for a few moments. "Sherlock.. thank you. That's.. amazing.. Wonderful. It may be the most touching present I've ever gotten." he says quietly, reaching out to take Sherlock's hand to give it a squeeze.

Now feeling a bit more like a kid, John grins a little, putting the CD in his lap before he reaches out to pick up the other small present, tilting his head a little as he quickly opens it, opening the small white box to look inside. What's inside is a leather notebook, embossed in gold with 'Dr. J. H. Watson', and has some paper and a pen sleeve inside.

"I know you like to take notes during a case and your notebook is cracking on the spine. This one is also made specifically for left-handed people." Sherlock says as he motions to how it opens, taking a deep breath and holding it lightly as he waits to see how John likes this one. He actually put a lot of thought into these presents, having wanted to do something special for John, as a sort of penance.

"Bloody hell, Sherlock, you sure put a lot of thought into these.. this is perfect.. I'm not sure my presents will be as good.. between these and the jacket.."

Sherlock just smiles a little and he nods quietly, leaning into claim a quick kiss from his doctor, just a soft peck that is over in a second.

"I'm glad that I got something right for once."

I had to split this up, it was getting way too long. I would have had it up earlier, but Fanfiction was broken!

So yeah. Presents! Christmas! Mummy! I hope everyone had/has a wonderful Christmas, and I hope you enjoy!

Comments/Reviews welcome!