Chapter 5

"Shay you alright?" Sherlock asked and shifted Alex in his arms, clearly wanting to be held by John though his arm was still in bad shape, making quite a mess on his coat now.

Shay grabbed on to Sherlock's arms. "You bloody stubborn man. Do you know what your brother would have done to me if I had let you stay there?" Shay asked, shaking herself in fear still. She turned to John, looking at his arm. "Are you okay?" She asked.

John hissed in pain. "I'll be fine. I've had worse." Shay took out a small vial of disinfectant from the bullet-proof vest, gently smearing the goo on John's arm.

"To your brother's credit, he really thought of everything for this vest." She noted, noticing that with all the excitement, Alex was falling asleep, Shay gathering her child in her arms.

"I honestly couldn't thank you enough Sherlock, John." She whispered, stroking her child's hair.

As she was about to turn to see if they could get off the roof, a single shot rang out, Shay crying out as she felt a pain in her... buttocks. She quickly fell to the ground, crying out in pain. She hissed. Of course she was going to get shot. But in the bloody buttocks? Really? She reached her arm out to Sherlock, needing help to get up.

"Here," Sherlock picked up Alex and passed her to John, "You alright? Can you move, feel your legs?" Another warning shot went off before he had time for an answer, and the team ran past the dead patrol men to where their repelling rope still hung. The detective helped Shay into the harness and navigate down, hobbling across the lawn, figuring Moriarty deactivated it because no alarms blared. Past the fence, the van pulled up and they all scrambled inside.

"Sherlock! You ok?" Mycroft shouted as he turned round to see them and saw a bit of blood on everyone, "Did he-"

"No, not me My, just John and Shay really, so get us to the hospital now!" he snapped back when he saw John's head bob violently when the van ran over a pothole.

"I guess everyone became a bit of a casualty..." the government official sighed and winced. The younger brother opened his mouth to ask what else had happened but was met with a glaring eyes so he kept quiet. A grimness crept over him.

In a matter of minutes hospital staff was wheeling the two from the van and through the hospital doors, Alex fussed and cried to see her Mummy be taken from her.

"Alex, Alex, please your Mummy is going to be fine, Moriar- Daddy gave her a bit of a boo boo, though she'll be right as rain soon, promise," Sherlock smiled a little as he sat next to her on the waiting room chairs, Mycroft keeping to the hallway.

The whole ride to the hospital Shay and John had kept largely silent, Shay having lost a lot of blood, feeling very faint through the whole ride. In the hospital she lay face down as her pants were pulled off to take care of the wound.

"I could make so many jokes right now." John noted as his shirt was taken off.

"I'd rather you not." She said, feeling faint as she saw how much blood there was. She looked up at the Doctor. "Is everything okay?" She asked, not understanding why she was worried. She had been shot before, several times in fact. This shouldn't be any different.

"John, how are you feeling?" She asked, seeing that he was in a lot of pain.

"I'll be fine. It's just that I wish that I hadn't let myself get shot." He said, wincing at the stitches the doctor was putting in.

"You're not well? I'm the one who won't be able to sit for weeks." She said, biting her fist at the pain of the bullet being removed.

"But it is pretty funny. And you do have Alex back." John noted.

"But she's also five years old. Five years old are helpless to booty jokes. Knowing Sherlock he'll have a bunch of them," She noted.

"I'll encourage him to have a little more tact," John noted. Shay nodded, resting her head on her arms.

"I'm just glad you two are okay." She said. John nodded, just relieved Sherlock wasn't still trapped with Moriarty.

"Well, it was really you who saved Sherlock," He added. Shay waved him off.

"I didn't do anything. Sherlock would have gotten out some day."

The doctor on staff meanwhile went into the waiting room, studying at their charts.

"Mr. Holmes, Both Dr. Watson and the Woman are fine. Both bullet wounds are out and they expect to gain a full recovery," He reported calmly, "You can see them both if you want to."

"Excellent!" Sherlock hopped up and had to trot after Alex who ran after one of the doctors to the room.

"Wait a moment Sherlock," Mycroft pulled his arm back before entering the room, "For the next couple of days I would like to keep Hamish and Mrs. Hudson under lock down-"

"What? Why? Hamish. Tonight. Now."

"We were ambushed Sherlock. Somewhat."

"I do not understand, what happened," he protested then noticed Mycroft was ripping his own bicep and looking more disgruntled than ever.

"One of our men on the roof found one of Moriarty's men situated behind and with that we realize he had surrounded us, he expected it I believe. Gun fire and fighting broke out, three dead and five wounded, upstairs on the next floor."

"You were-"

"Knifed yes, I just thought you ought to know. Now let me go find a doctor and-... well go see John," Mycroft said hurriedly and walked off. Biting his lip, Sherlock wanted to go after him though if he waited outside for too long John might worry.

"So the Red Devil lives! How exciting!" he clapped his hands and walked inside.

"Don't even say it," Shay warned, by now sporting an ice pack tightly taped to her right butt cheek, covered by the blanket, Alex excitedly running to her mother.

"Mummy" She cheered, Shay leaning down to kiss her child.

"Hello darling. Mummy has a boo boo. Do you want to come up here?" She asked, scooping her child up so Alex could sit on the bed with her, wincing at every movement she made.

"Mummy has a boo boo on her booty." Alex said, giggling at her mother.

John only reached to Sherlock to hold his husband, tears coming to his eyes seeing Sherlock look so worried.

"Is Mycroft alright?" Shay asked, sensing there was something up.

"Oh, he's being stuck up and snobby as usual, do not worry about him. Though I will say I can make a movie reference right now. So. The Red Devil taken down by a Boo Boo to Booty. Might make an interesting headline in the papers. Then again that would be playing to Moriarty so maybe not," Sherlock answered as he wrapped one arm around John before pulling up a chair, "Damn... are you tired of being shot at, John? Now you have another interesting story to tell Hamish if you have another scar."

"Alex, please don't poke the ice pack." Shay said gently, pulling her child to lay down next to her, Alex's head going to rest on her mother's chest. "I'm going to beat you for that comment Sherlock." She whispered as John rested his head contently on his husband's chest. Alex was falling asleep again, moving to her favorite spot on her mother's chest, wrapping her little fingers around Shay's shirt. Shay reached down to kiss her child, thinking she should go to sleep soon herself but her butt hurt too much. But she wouldn't say it in the room. Sherlock would just make another joke.

"You two stop fighting," He said, kissing Sherlock's cheek, "I'd rather Hamish not know about his Daddy's fights. Speaking of, how is our baby?" He asked.

"Not fighting, merely making my observations is all. Our baby is safe and sound. But are you really going to be ok?"

John smiled at him, stroking Sherlock's curls. "Yes darling I'll be fine." He said, kissing Sherlock. Usually John wasn't for the PDA, but this time he really needed Sherlock's touch right now. Nearby Shay smiled at them, curling up as much as she could. God, she needed painkillers, now.

"We rescued my baby girl, so I suppose we ought to follow through on that playdate, no? And Mycroft, will he really let me go? I mean, what if he goes back on his word." She asked, trying not to think of how vulnerable he seemed to her for a second and the moment where she saw Mycroft as a human for once.

"You see the thing about being the brother of a government official... has it's perks..." Sherlock smirked and pulled out his phone scrolling through files, "If he goes back on his word and gets me upset- well. I have heard people say that sibling rivalry is petty but I beg to differ. I predict a get together will be adequate when everything is settled. You have a safe place. Job. Ajob working with us. All that tedious stuff. unless you have something better in mind."

"Mr. Holmes?" a nurse poked his head inside, "Doctor wishes to speak with you."

"Excuse me John," Sherlock whisked off and returned later, "I can... I can um, sleep here they said... go to sleep John, they already are," peering over to the mother and child, "Rest love."

Shay's head perked up at what Sherlock said. Something must be wrong. "Sherlock, what's wrong?" She asked, taking the blanket to wrap around her waist as she limped up, a pillow quickly put into Alex's arms to not wake her.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, holding on to Sherlock's jacket sleeve to help her lift herself up.

Stroking John's sandy hair, he left the sleeping man and moved a little closer to Shay, guiding her nearer the hallway to not wake up everyone.

"Really Shay, it'll be ok. Just Mycroft and his men were in a bit of trouble is all..."

"What kind of trouble Sherlock? He wasn't even near where we were? Why would they run into any trouble?" She asked in a hushed whisper so as not to disturb anyone. She questioned why she was getting so flustered, trying to brush it off to she didn't want to see anyone hurt.

"Jim was not lying. He had platoons of men surrounding Mycroft's teams and one spotted the other so some fighting broke out. Lost a few men. Mycroft-... he's upstairs with them now and he's stable. A stab wound."

Shay nodded. "It's all my fault." She said to herself. And it was her fault. Her fault that so many people had to be hurt to get her daughter back. It was her fault that her daughter would be plagued with sounds of gun shots in her dreams. She looked up at Sherlock.

"Could I see them? To apologize?" She asked.

"I suppose. I could um... wheel you up there if I snatch a gurney," Sherlock had to smirk and stepping out of the elevator, continuously rubbed his sore jaw from the punch while trying to ignore Shay's satisfaction that was stamped on her face.

"In here," he lead her near the door, "If he gives trouble you know where to find me." Inside Sherlock looked to his brother who blinked a little and perked his head, looking away when he saw Shay. A blood bag was attached to his arm with some IVs and the machines monitoring his vitals.

"Sherlock-"

"She just wanted to see you My. Thought might um, cheer you up," popping the 'p' at the end.

"Fine. Now out."

"All yours."

Shay limped up to Mycroft's bed side, trying to not look guilty at seeing such a powerful man so vulnerable. She must have looked silly with a blanket wrapped around her waist and not able to sit down.

"I-I'm just sorry this happened. I never meant for anyone to get hurt. I had hoped your crew wasn't needed," She said, looking down at the ground, ashamed to see this man so brought down by something she caused. If anything she was more than happy her daughter was back with her, but this didn't seem fair for anyone to be hurt to make it happen.

"Do not tell me my Brother is having an influence on you," Mycroft rolled his eyes when he saw the sheet and then chuckled at Shay's confusions, "Never mind me. Painkillers maybe. Really my wounds are not bad at all, it's just that one of Moriarty's men sliced open a large vein in my arm is all. Small really. Would not be a large concern only I barely eaten or slept in past days so the loss of blood was great and had major side effects." Chewing on his lip, feeling this news did not comfort Shay, Mycroft wrung his hands together and looked down in his lap. Unsure what to say, yet Mycroft Holmes had been in a room with the world's top leaders could carry on world defense for hours at a time, came up with-

"Are you ok? Recover well with the um- well... the glutious maximus..." his blushing intensified.

Shay blushed as well, looking down at her hands, which were holding up the blanket which was keeping her from flashing the man with the 'minor' position in the British government.

"Thank you. I'll be fine. I've been shot in worse places. Of course, it's just a little embarrassing of a spot." She admitted. She looked up at him. "I would rather think of my daughter's future. I was thinking of turning over a new leaf. Maybe contacting my birth mother to introduce her to Alex." She said, groping with something else to say to not blush as much as Mycroft was.

"I was also thinking of looking into some universities. Maybe I could try college some." She said, trying to start a conversation to distract him from the pain. She forgot herself for a moment, deciding to sit down on the chair on the side of the bed, giving a howl of pain that the shooting pains in her butt, jumping up in pain.

"Shay!" Mycroft stretched out his arm to her but yelped as well, forgetting the stitches were fresh and ten minutes later, following them being scolded by their doctors were alone again, both feeling awkwardly ridiculous.

"About before when you um... well you did startle me there, before we left for the mission, um," he babbled and held his hand up to his cheek and rubbed at the one spot. What? What was he even saying? Was there anything to say?

Shay blinked, still smarting from what she did. "I'm not following. I'm sorry." She said, trying not to blush again.

"No... no it was just... I was caught off guard is all."

"If this in fact my last night, I'll ask that Alex goes to Sherlock and John, if you don't mind. Due to my obvious bias I'd rather not have Alex in Foster care."

"I was predicting you would ask that, they have the experience and everything." Fiddling with the box of spare matches in his pocket, he light himself a cigarette and when Shay outstretched her hand for one, he swatted her away.

"No. Not if you are going to get Alex back, girl needs healthy lungs when she grows up," he said not exactly with a tone of authority, it was a similar voice he used when speaking of Hamish, only he did not hear himself at all.

She nodded. "I'm not mad for that at all. In fact, you were right." She said, thinking about that time more. She had been too sudden then. "I'm sorry for startling you is all." She said, looking down at her hands again. At that Shay remarked that Mycroft sounded fatherly and his body stiffened quite unnaturally.

"I have had my relationships though my country demands my time and the security of the country is the utmost, highest priority."

Half believing him, Shay had poked in his chest and asked more about his nephew, the little Hamish who resembled so much like his father.

"He's clever like one, brave like the other. Still I worry about Sherlock handling small children, still waiting for the call their flat burned down because they tried an experiment with paste and pasta art," Mycroft replied dryly. Giggling, Shay commented how sweet it was to see him sound both brotherly and fatherly concerned, still appreciating the idea he might let her live with Alex.

"I... I try..." reddening when Shay neared him.

"Good man Mister Holmes," she said quietly before kissing his cheek, the well suited man flailing back and falling into the bushes.

"Found my lighter..."

"Mycro-" Sherlock smirked over some minutes later, noticing the dirt on his cheek as the van roared to their destination.

"Do Not, Brother."

"But I want to know-"

"Like I said. Surprised," Mycroft repeated and dared to pick up his eyes to Shay.

Shay looked down, blushing up to the roots of her bright red hair. "Mister Holmes, I didn't mean to be so forward I really didn't. I just- I felt it was appropriate at the time. I-I didn't mean anything by it," She said, groping for the right words, "But if you deemed it inappropriate, I'm very sorry. It will never happen again, I promise.." She said, trying to forget how nice his cheek felt against her lips. She tried hard to feel sorry for it. But she honestly didn't. There was a reason why she was a sniper and not a spy. She was a terrible, terrible liar.

"No, no, it was far from inappropriate, absolutely appropriate. Your child has been essential kidnapped, kept away from you, and at the time there was a potential to help out. Your affection is just a sign that you are grateful... That is, I am not used to people kissing me like that, but you were not really kissing me, it was a peck on the cheek. People receive pecks everyday not that I do personally, but um, people do not normally fall into shrubbery anyway, I mean sometimes they can if, if unbalanced or uncoordinated not that I am I, as stated before, I was unprepared by your approach, that is I am not used to women approaching me. I am approached all the time, though not in that way, I do not go to down towns or red light districts. No need. No wait, I would never do that because I don't. But I am not homosexual either, I enjoy women I really do! Not that either! I find women very attractive, similar to characteristics like yours because of women and women are good. Yes. But that does not mean I do not go to red light districts. I mean I do, do not go, but I do. I don't! I-"

Shay waved her hands. "Wait, stop, please! I'm so confused. What are you trying to say?" She asked, baffled by this man. Was he really just acting like a teen age boy or did she hit her head a little too hard when she fell? Did he- Like her? She stepped closer to his bed. "Please, I'm all ears. What are you trying to tell me?" She asked.

"Uh..." the ant shrank away under the microscope and no matter where he would have scurried to, the eye through the glass would have continued to follow him. Clearing his throat and closing his eyes to give himself peace, Mycroft opened his eyes a moment later with his furrows browed, ready to address her as if addressing a senate. But, her head tilted as she searched for him curiously and his composure was slightly lost again. Just a simple girl in her t-shirt and some bed head. Red hair actually. Red Devil. Funny how easily the newspapers came up with the name- the man shook his head of the distraction to find her still there for answer.

"Maybe Sherlock would know what I am trying to say, clearly I do not."

She took a deep breath, trying to collect herself from what she was thinking was going to happen. She stepped back, limping towards the door. "Well, I'm sorry I disturbed you." She said, going to find Sherlock, just so confused about Mycroft's feeling and mainly about her own. Did she really feel that way about him? The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife but was it sexual? It couldn't be, could it?

Shay found Sherlock outside the door, just plain confused. "Sherlock, is something going on?" She asked, limping to him.

"No, no I didn't mean... damn..." Mycroft babbled after her, but she left before she could hear him. His brother meanwhile had raised a curious eyebrow and looked to her.

"I suppose the dead and wounded are a tad of concern, but other than that-... your pupils. Interesting," the corner of his mouth twitched.

"What's interesting, Sherlock? I really don't like being played around like this." She yelled at the consulting detective. She was beginning to get really annoyed by the Holmes Brothers beating around the bush over and over again, Shay tapping her foot in impatience.

"Here," he waved her in, Mycroft sitting up and about to yell at him, shushed as a finger was lifted, "Both of you, hush."

"Sher-"

"Sh!"

"..."

"Can you stand Mycroft?"

"..."

"Mycroft."

"You told me to hush so I am listening dear brother."

"Don't be lazy, get up," Sherlock sneered back and moved Shay's body a bit, forcing her to stand straight as best as possible, readjusting her sheet too.

"Stand here." Mycroft did. "Eyes closed."

"I swear, this is ridiculous..."

"Eyes!" his eyes closed, "Now you," tugging off his scarf he messily wrapped it around Shay's head, "Stand there... yep tilt your head back... right. Ok. just like that."

"Now just shuffle forward... right. Ok. Your head down, good."

Mycroft wrinkled his nose at the smell of, something, perfume? Yes perfume, something of a lilac maybe. Sweet and crisp for sure. Well thought, he concluded.

"Now!" Mycroft felt a hand behind his skull nudge forward, his face bumping into something.

"Sherlock, stop it." She said, trying to make him stop as he pushed her head. Shay's lips met Mycroft by force of her head being controlled by Sherlock's scarf, Shay not sure what to do. She had kissed many people in her past. But never had it been controlled by the brother of the person she was kissing like this. But she went along with it, gently kissing Mycroft as she could, the revelation all too clear. Mycroft liked her in a romantic way. It all made sense now. She stumbled, holding on to Mycroft's sleeve for support, suddenly relieved she figured it all out.

'Kill. I could kill him. Whatever he is doing I think there are at least a dozen ways I might be able to murder him. This is ludicrious.' There was a small cry from Mycroft's mouth, the pain in his arm where the stitches loosened a little. The weight of the sudden body on him made Mycroft grip the sides of her arms steadily and at the moment his lips made contact with hers, he kept them shut. Instead Mycroft drew it in, feel not look, softness against his as he breathed into her mouth. The vital signs attached to him began to make erratic noises without distinct pattern and that made him break away, finding his brother had disappeared and a scarf tied around Shay's head.

"I apologize for him, he is really a three year old," Mycroft said quietly as he lifted the accessory off her eyes and his fingers flexed a little as he held her.

The scarf lifted from her eyes showed Mycroft inches away from her face, the woman blushing to the roots of her hair again, feeling like a teenager, She was speechless, just holding on to his sides for stability. For a moment none of them spoke, Shay only reached over to kiss him one more time, this time not needing Sherlock's help. It seemed so right to touch Mycroft like this, holding on to him like this. She moved one hand to the back of his neck, suddenly putting more weight on him for support.

His left hand went to swift through her hair to support her head, but the heart monitor began to blare for a warning attack.

"Quiet," Mycroft growled and yanked the needles out of his arms, uncaring, not feeling a single flinch of pain. Attention immediately drawn to her, his left held her head and his right cradled her waist with her body hugging to his. Not years ago he was rolling his eyes at her when she was brought in for another bust or for theft or whatever crime it was and in realization, he was very willing to assist her if Alex had been rescued. Normally he would not make such an effort to help someone else, let alone a crook.

Maybe it was because he knew her so well, yes a criminal, though was that the attraction, someone who broke the rules... Shot people, theft, extortion- yet her behavior pattern matched with her story. The last time he saw her two years ago, the case was dismissed when there was little evidence, though she changed. Less aggressive with investigators, quieter and sadder. In that time Moriarty would have been influencing a three year old Alex, shutting Shay out for so long. That must have been the turn, change. How much time passed for Shay in her loneliness and how long was Mycroft in his?

She gently wrapped her arms around his waist, saying nothing for a while, letting her head rest against his shoulder. "Y-You, those moniters-" She was lost for words, just deciding to enjoy being in someone's arms. Someone who wasn't forcing her to do anything. Just someone who wanted to hold her just because she wanted him to and he wanted to touch her. "I just-I didn't know you felt that way." She said gently.

"I uh..." suddenly surprised at himself, "I did not know either."

'Hug him. I could hug him. Whatever he did there will not even close to a dozen different ways I could repay him. This is ludicrious,' Mycroft thought.

"Holmes please move there is an emergency!" the doctor scrambled down the hall but was blocked by the detective.

"No fear, the Mighty Mycroft is not having heart trouble believe me."

"His, his, his monitors say his heart is-"

"Erratic? No, no, just... aroused."

Mycroft stood with Shay a little longer and would have offered her to sit with him on the bed, then remembered she could not. Disappointed, Mycroft climbed back in bed and when Shay leaned down to say something, he pulled at her to him by the collar of her shirt and planted another kiss. It felt as if he jumped off a cliff, the rush with blood racing to his head, and causing him to feel dizzy.

Shay comfortably kissed him back, gently resting the upper part of her body against the bed to touch him, running her fingers gently through his hair, gently touching his chest as she did. She could lay down on her side on the bed but there wasn't very much room. Also the doctors would be even more angry if they saw them in bed together. After all the rule in the hospital was one patient per bed. She broke away from the kiss, resting her head on his shoulder.

"This would be so much easier if I could sit down." She admitted.

"Yes this situation is unfortunate," Mycroft glanced around to down behind her back and sheepishly grinned, caught looking, "Listen, Shay, I think it might be best if you leave. Alex might worry if she finds you not nearby. I can only imagine the nightmares she'll have soon after. Please, go to her I'll... I'll be fine," he pecked her again and had to forcefully swallow some air.

Shay nodded, suddenly elated. "I'm feeling a little sleepy anyway. Good night Mycroft." She said, figuring they were on first name basis at this point. She tucked the sheets around him gently, limping out of room reluctently. She went outside the room, seeing Sherlock still arguing. "I could kill you," She said, a smile on her face as she went down to her floor, still feeling sleepy as she limped down to her hospital room, seeing both John and Alex were peacefully sleeping.

She smiled at both of them, gently getting into bed, laying on her stomach next to her daughter. But no matter how tired she was, she couldn't sleep, thinking of Mycroft and how good it felt to be touched so lovingly by someone.