Chapter 6

"No, John I don't want to eat it," Sherlock wrinkled his nose at the hospital breakfast that had been brought to them and pushed it way to John's empty plate, "Not hungry."

John pushed the plate back, rolling his eyes. This was so much like getting Hamish to eat. "Don't make me do the choo- choo train, Sherlock," John said, forking a little bit of the eggs, "Open the tunnel for the train. Choo- choo," He said, trying to get past Sherlock's lip, "Please Sherlock, just eat it? For me?"

"Got to be fucking kidding me..." the detective glared but reluctantly opened his mouth and chewed carefully, "It's lowering my I.Q, I can feel it."

"Is there any day of the week that you will cooperate?"

Sherlock turned his head to the door as some egg still hung from his mouth, the British official scoffed and turned his head away uninterested. Still not daring to look at Shay, he straightened his jacket and stepped inside, Alex curled up next to her mother fast asleep. He could not look at her. Not after what he did, such an idiot.

"Seems the two of you are recovering slowly but surely, hopefully by the end of the day or in the next few hours I can get you out of the hospital and set up private gurneys elsewhere. Then we can give you better food, how's that Sherlock?"

"You should not be up and around yourself, still pale," Sherlock noted in concern but quickly cleared his throat, "So rest and eat your cake already."

Mycroft smirked at the comment. Sentiment. Could always see it flash out of his little sibling from time to time. Hidden in his smirk as always.

Shay was curled up in a cocoon of blankets, Alex curled up next to her. Shay had a smile on her face, just dreaming of last night and how nice it felt to be touched so tenderly. She didn't really get that growing up nor as an adult and it was reassuring to know she was worth it.

Alex meanwhile opened her eyes, seeing her mother lying next to her, her little hand tapping her mother's cheek. "Mummy? Mummy? Rise and shine!" She said, imitating what Shay often said to Alex. Shay squirmed in bed.

"Five more minutes baby," She murmured, Alex now slapping her mother's face.

"No, wake up Mummy." She ordered, Shay finally getting up.

"Okay, okay." She said, lifting herself up on her elbows, seeing everyone was up, smiling at everyone. She must have looked like a mess, her hair everywhere, her t-shirt rumpled from sleep. She just looked like a hot mess. She saw Mycroft, blushing at him, remembering last night.

"Good morning," She said, the tension in the room now terribly thick between her and Mycroft. John was the one who finally decided to speak.

"Morning Shay. are you hungry?" He asked, not knowing about what happened between them at all. She nodded, seeing the tray.

"Yes, very. But I really need a shower." She said, wincing as she got up, limping to set one of the tray's down on the table, Alex climbing on the chair to be served food by her mother, Shay smiled at her child, the little girl seeming so happy to have food. She turned to the three men, limping to the mobile table to eat her own food, lifting the tray cover up to see the food, wrinkling her nose at it.

"Do we really have to eat this?" She asked, trying not to meet Mycroft's eyes.

"Like I said I am trying to get you out of here and into more private rooms in a safe house, working as fast as we can," Mycroft snapped and looked to Shay out of the corner of his eye, "Excuse me, I have business elsewhere."

"Well isn't he acting like a bloody bastard... I suppose- well, never mind. John! Eat up, get the strength up loads to do, I must phone Lestrade and see if I can find myself a small one-a-day case. I think I might climb the walls soon if we do not leave soon. Be back love," kissing John's forehead, "I can get something for Alex if you like. Um, colouring book, a uh... stuffed cat. Or an actually plushy cat I think kids like those."

"I want coloring book." Alex shouted joyfully.

Chuckling for a moment, Shay finally looked over at Sherlock, her eyes asking him what was going on after all that. John looked at them both.

"Did something happen last night?" He asked.

"Oh nothing, just me teasing Mycroft too much and now he has no mummy to vent to because of it, yes. I apologize that he was rude Shay, I'll make sure his fangs no longer protrude next time," Sherlock smiled brightly after her and swiftly left before further questioning. Of course his brother was outside, attempting to light a cigarette.

"So you tossed it to the ground in a fit?" Sherlock said quietly after noticing the dent and scratch marks but Mycroft turned his back at him to walk away.

"Be quiet and go solve your riddles in the corner," his older brother sighed.

"No. You need to apologize to Shay, you were being a prick back there," Sherlock raised his tone warningly.

"Oh so I'm the prick? What goal were you seeking last night? What had you to gain from it? Just get a kick out of your pleasures and watch me make a fool of myself? I did not ask you to interfere with my life."

"I did not request you to interfere with mine either but you did. Numerous occasions."

"To foil the many plots of your enemies! Damn it Sherlock do you know how many times we went out of your way to protect this family? The man power and effort, this last mission! My men died!" Mycroft flustered and shouted back, cigarette ashes smoldering and dropping off. Sherlock did not say anything, he could not. Unfortunately all he could do was agree with his brother and know he was right, absolutely correct. Staring into the ground, he kicked a pebble and walked nearer to Mycroft, tugging on the end of his sleeve when he wanted his attention, just like when they were kids.

"I'm sorry My, just... I saw you had a chance to be happy and if you were not going to go for it then-... the idea was rubbish. Just, besides us, you have had no one for how many years? I grew up with you Mycroft, solved cases with you on occasion, and I understand that solitude. I lived with it for most of my life remember?"

"Sherlock... I know..." Mycroft replied quietly, "I just. I do not know what to do."

"But can't I just take a shower?" Shay asked the nurse, having been stopped from going into the bathroom.

"Sorry Sweetheart, but the wound is too fresh. You'll just have to wait." She said, Shay making a face.

"But I smell terrible." She said, hating to sound so vulnerable. John meanwhile looked over at her, watching the nurse talk to her then leave. He sat up in his bed, watching Shay lay on her side facing him while Alex was playing on the floor with her teddy bear.

"Did something happen last night?" John asked again, concern clear on his face. Shay only nodded, just more and more confused about last night. "Well, tell me what happened now."

"Sherlock, he-" She groped for a word. "Well, Mycroft and I kissed," She admitted, John sitting back in fascination.

"Really now?" he asked. "The Ice Man kissed you?" He said with interest.

"Yes, but he's acting like a right sod," Shay grumbled. John nodded, leaning back in his bed.

"Sometimes that's what happens with Mycroft." He admitted, seeing how upset Shay was. He reached a hand over, wincing as it was his injured hand, putting it down. "He's not mad at you I'm sure. He's just distracted. The poor man has a lot to worry about," John said simply.

Shay smiled at him. "I hope you're right." She admitted. "I do like him." She admitted, feeling relieved that she said it.

Signing the paper work, Mycroft had the team taken out in private ambulances a little outside of town, the Holmes secret estate and base, Sherlock remembering the old place immediately and hating it. All his life the city was just outside on their doorstep and his parents did not have the time to take them out often, his mother a firm believer the city would be a bad influence. Though not as large as the Moriarty estate, the property was still big enough to accommodate everyone comfortably, some of Mycroft's men, and other guests if needed.

"Charming. Back home. Right. Now tell me when we can go back to 221B?"

"Not soon. Not safe," Mycroft answered and watched John taken inside, a golden caged elevator taking them upstairs to Sherlock's old room, "thought you might be fine here, suitable?"

"Of course My I lived in here."

"Yes you set fire to the rugs... three times?"

"Six."

Now the only problem was Mycroft realized he should have situated his brother and husband last, now finding himself with Shay and Alex alone.

"This way..." he lead as a man wheeled her down the carpeted hallway and through a set of wooden doors. This room's furnishings were still covered with sheets, a little bit of dust sprinkled everywhere. The bed itself would set Shay and her daughter comfortably. The man left and Mycroft cleared his throat and rocked slightly on his toes.

"I will see it that a maid comes around to clean the place up. I think you and your mummy will be very comfortable here right?" the Ice Man tried to smile at the little girl.

Alex watched the man warily only keeping close to her mother's skirt, Shay standing up to face Mycroft, the skirt she was given the only clothing she could wear as a bottom that didn't hurt.

"Alex, be nice." Shay gently scolded her child, looking up at Mycroft. She smiled at him, noticing how he addressed Alex rather than her. It bothered her, letting Alex hide in her skirt.

"Mycroft, thank you for all of your help. We really appreciate it." She said, reaching over to touch him. Seeing nothing, she looked over at him. "Is, everything okay?" She asked, wondering if there was something she did wrong.

"I-... Shay- It's nothing."

"Mycroft!" the younger brother's head popped in and a wicked smile was stamped on his face, "Did you forget about the loose floor boards in your bed room? Magazines still there."

"Those were military catalogues and stay out of my room!" Mycroft nearly jumped out his skin and was beet red, Sherlock shaking his head.

"You are right. They did have nice guns the girls did-" the voice carried down the hall as Mycroft lunged after him and was panting at the top of the stairs to watch Sherlock ride the banister down.

"Br-br-brilliant..."

Shay limped after him, watching the brothers fighting as she tried to understand what was going on. Alex followed her mother, grabbing on to her hand.

"Mummy, are we going to live here?" Alex piped up, tugging on her mother's arm.

"I'm not sure darling. I think that's up to Mycroft really how long we stay here." she said, glancing at Mycroft. Truth be told, the future of her and her daughter was in Mycroft's hands totally, something that Shay feared as well as was relieved by, being that she had a very bleak future for both of them just a few days ago.

"What is the plan any way, Mycroft?" She asked, searching for some kind of answer from this man.

"Wha-? Shay!" forgetting she was there and scratched the back of his head hesitantly, "The Plan. Plan is keep all of you here under observation until completely recovered, make sure areas such as 221B are safe. All of that. I hope you recover Shay, really. I would... I would love to give Alex a tour of the grounds, though I am sure she would want to take Mummy on this adventure too."

Alex jumped up and down. "I wanna go." She said joyfully, jumping up and down, suddenly warming up to the Ice Man. Shay smiled at her daughter.

"I wouldn't mind a trip around the grounds," She said, wincing at her wound, "If you don't mind going a little slower than you would usually, I can walk just fine." She said, leaning against the stair railing, Alex yelling in happiness at the possibility of an adventure.

"Oh, uh, r-right now? I um. I cannot. I must see to everything and I would rather you rest more so maybe you can start wearing trousers again. Not that you have to wear them or anything, the skirt is fitting, I mean- we'll have dinner in a few hours, you should probably nap," Mycroft said and made an awkward bow before escaping the landing to go find himself an excuse to walk away.

Such. An. Idiot. Babbling like a school boy, she was just a girl. Not a girl though, a woman, another adult who had ideal means of communication just as he had. Yet whole sentences could not be formed and further syllables escaped his mind the more Mycroft remembered last night. The details. Shay's soft, pink lips, the taste and shape of her mouth with a delicate hand on his chest.

How do you speak to women? -MH [Sent to GL at 3pm]

Greg rolled over from his afternoon nap, on his rare day off, Molly on his chest sleeping with him. Greg rolled his eyes, gently moving his arm to text him back.

Like you talk to anyone. Is there someone of interest? -GL

Uncertain. -MH

Liar. {Deleted} Just imagine the woman as she is. Just imagine she's in her underwear or something. Maybe not actually. Just be forthright with it -GL

Forthright. So that's why your face was red on one cheek following your first date with Molly? -MH

Well...we all screw up at times. Just, be honest. Women can tell when you're lying -GL

Lying? Forthright. Sound completely plausible- No, no it doesn't! Such a silly idea!-MH

You'll be surprised. If you care for her enough, you'll do it. Now, stop texting me. I have my own woman to be with. -GL.

Greg turned off his phone, gently kissing Molly's head. He grinned, thinking of the Iceman and how his heart might finally be melting.

"Your smiling, I get suspicious when you smile like that," Molly chuckled and turned over so she was sitting on his lap, "A Holmes no doubt?"

Below her the man smiled, kissing her forehead, "It's better than that Molly. The iceman's heart might be melting." He said, his arms around her waist. "Let's just hope we meet the woman who made it so."

"Yes, but not right now. I really do not want to leave this bed, nope!" burying her head in the crook of his neck and the two laughed, losing themselves in a sea of blankets.