Author's Note:
No Johnlock interaction this chapter. Just Sherlock and Mycroft. However, this is the moment I have been waiting to reveal. It took a little longer to get there than I thought but...meh, what can you do? My sincerest thanks to everyone who is reviewing and subscribing to this story!
Mycroft got out of the car right away, watching Sherlock protectively. "Sherlock." He moved in front of his younger brother with a look that clearly conveyed his worries, his apology. "Come on, Sherlock." His head motioned toward the black car that was waiting. "We really need to talk." His eyes darted down to the silver ring hanging around Sherlock's neck before he turned back toward the car.
Sherlock was startled to see Mycroft, although, he shouldn't have been. John had said he was supposed to have dinner with his older brother. What the hell was going on? Something was obviously up. He eyed Mycroft skeptically but got into the car that was waiting. "What? What now? What could possibly be so bloody important right now?" He was clearly on edge and upset.
After getting into the car Mycroft glanced over at Sherlock and decided that a private car was much better than a public restaurant. "Five months ago John slept with Sarah." He pulled an envelope from a pocket on the inside of his jacket, giving it to Sherlock with a strong flick of his wrist. His gaze on Sherlock strong, upset, protective of his younger brother. "And this is for you, apparently, since she does not have the mailing address for John." He wouldn't say more because he hoped, prayed, that Sherlock would figure it out himself.
For a moment Sherlock was confused. Oh wait. Oh God no. No. He didn't need this right. He couldn't deal with it. He didn't want to open the envelope. He stared down at it for a long while, without speaking. Then suddenly he hissed out a single word, "Fuck."He was so emotionally charged right now, something he was unaccustomed to. He wasn't sure how his brain was capable of any kind of thought process at the moment. He tore into the envelope with anger and vengeance. He emptied the contents onto his lap.
Mycroft glanced into Sherlock's lap curiously, letting out a disappointed sigh as he spotted a sonogram and a note, clearly written and a bit shorter than he would have expected.
Sherlock,
I know that this is the last thing you and John need. I've spoken with Mycroft and he has informed me of your relationship and upcoming marriage. Congratulations. I don't know how else to explain this, or share the news with John either. He is going to be a father. It's a girl. I haven't picked out a name yet but since John will still be serving his tour overseas I will probably name her without John's input. This is the last thing I want to ask of you, Sherlock, but I have no way to contact John. Could you tell him? Just let him know. He doesn't have to be involved in her life. I just want him to know that she's there. And if he has any input on the names he is more than welcome to send them to me. My address is on the back of the sonogram.
Sarah
"Sherlock." Mycroft knew not to touch his brother, to let him do this on his own, but he couldn't handle it. "Is everything alright?"
Sherlock read the note, a snarl escaping from his lips. He was already pissed off and this did not help any. He tore the letter into shreds, screaming his rage. He didn't care if Mycroft saw him lose it. He was fucking pissed. After his chest heaved heavily, and the piece of paper that the note was written on was no longer able to be made into smaller pieces he glanced down at the sonogram. Finally his brain slowed down. A girl. John was going to be a father. Very belatedly, Mycroft's question registered. He lifted his gaze to his brother. He opened his mouth to speak and found he had made his throat raw from his screaming fit. He cleared his throat and tried once more, "Sarah is pregnant. It's John's. She wants me to tell him…" They had talked about kids briefly once before. Would John want to know? He had seemed so disinterested in having children. The army doctor had a right to know. He sighed. John had enough to worry about and now this? Would it be wise to say anything? It could distract him. His thoughts just kept racing nonstop, as he tried to decide if he should tell his fiancé this life altering news.
This wasn't how Sherlock had everything planned. It wasn't what Mycroft wanted for his younger brother. Finally, he had seen the younger man happy, eager to do things that he wouldn't have normally done. He had witnessed Sherlock opening up slightly, going to dinners with him back in London. And now Sherlock and John's marriage, their entire life, was starting to crumble because of John's mistake. Mycroft tensed slightly, holding his tongue so he wouldn't speak out against his brother's fiancé. He had known, of course, before delivering the news, but watching Sherlock find out had tugged at his heart and caused his stomach to twist uncomfortably. "We've got a choice to make, Sherlock." He glanced at the sonogram in Sherlock's hands. "It would be responsible to tell John, at least give him a chance to decide. You will have to wait until we are back in London because he is busy right now, obviously." He reached out and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, his thumb running across the shirt comfortingly.
It was all just too much. Sherlock became numb to all the emotions he was feeling and it left him feeling drained and tired. All he could do was stare down at the sonogram. He couldn't bring himself to tear it up, like he had the letter. It was a tiny John. A girl. John's offspring. He hadn't heard a thing Mycroft had said and the touch on his shoulder jolted him back to reality. He glanced back up to his older brother, a blank expression on his face. He wasn't capable of anything else right now. He was just so exhausted. Right now, he would rather feel nothing than anything he had felt within the last thirty minutes.
That look knocked the breath out of Mycroft. He had embraced his younger brother once before, when they were both children and their parents had gotten into a particularly nasty fight. Sherlock had given him the same look. "Sherlock..." He pulled his younger brother into a tight embrace, closing his eyes for a long moment. "It's going to be alright." At least he hoped because Sherlock deserved better than this. "Do you want me to tell him?"
Sherlock didn't return the hug but he didn't push Mycroft away either. He had heard words spoken to him but they took longer than usual for his brain to process. "Hm? What…? Oh…no…" He managed to speak, but his voice was hollow sounding. It surprised him because not only wasn't he feeling anything right now he wasn't thinking either. Blank. Everything was just blank for him. His body and brain couldn't cope with everything that had just transpired. His only defense was nothingness.
This wasn't good at all. Mycroft's first worry was Sherlock returning to drugs. He was so distracted right now and it would be like this for a while. "We can call John in a few hours, if you would like. You don't have to tell him but you can talk to him." Mycroft didn't pull his arms away from Sherlock and kept him in a tight embrace instead. "Talk to me, Sherlock. Maybe getting this out will help."
Again, Sherlock was slow to reply. "Call…John? No…not yet…later…later…" He felt so disconnected right now. He suddenly shook his head violently. No. He didn't want to talk about it. Talking about it would mean thinking about it. He couldn't. He wouldn't. He wasn't ready. Just contemplating, thinking about it made him sick. He shoved away from Mycroft and turned his head to the floor. The only thing he had eaten in over twenty-four hours, was that strawberry cheesecake topping. It all came out, some of it splattering on his shoes but he didn't care. When there was nothing left, he dry heaved convulsively.
Mycroft watched with a sense of helplessness. He couldn't do anything to change what had happened or to help calm his brother down. A hand moved to Sherlock's back soothingly, his hand moving to smoothly pull the sonogram from Sherlock's grasp just in case. "Deep breaths," he whispered, hoping Sherlock would hear him. When his phone went off he moved deftly to read the text.
Arrived. Safe. Call when I'm free. Tell Sherlock I love him. -JW
Mycroft slipped his phone back into his pocket. "John sends his love," he stated calmly.
When he finally got his breathing under control, Sherlock coughed and made a face from the taste in the back of his throat now, cherry flavored bile. "Sorry." He muttered to Mycroft. He was okay now. Well, not really but he was no longer shell shocked into oblivion. He had just had a mental and emotional breakdown in front of his older brother. Ugh. "Can we skip food? I'm not really hungry right now." He leaned his head against the head rest and closed his eyes. "John is okay then?"
"Of course we can skip food. I'll just have our flight moved forward." Mycroft pulled his cell phone out with a bit of a smile, making a quick call before he turned to Sherlock again. "Yes, John is fine. Arrived at the collapsed tunnel and should be going in any minute now. We will get word when he is back out which should be before our flight leaves." He turned his gaze to the window of the car. This was worrying because Sherlock had never been through this, had never experienced such strong emotions. "Is your house clean?"
Leave it to Mycroft to just be able to up and change a flight schedule. Sherlock frowned in thought. 'Was his house clean?' What the hell did that matter? He had more important things to think about. He had to plan the wedding, get money for the honeymoon. Would there be one now that John was going to be father? Would the wedding get pushed back? Forward? Trying to find the right words to tell his fiancé he was going to be a father. Trying not to worry about John. Would John go back to Sarah, for a shot at a normal family? Would John want anything to do with his daughter? Would Sherlock? He finally answered the question, although distractedly."Does it matter? I don't know. It had some semblance of order before I left. Doesn't mean Hamish hasn't torn everything up again."
Mycroft studied Sherlock for a long moment. "You know what I meant, Sherlock. Do I need to be worrying about any drugs?" It was the biggest worry right now. Despite John's future parenthood there was still a chance for their relationship to work. If Sherlock started doing drugs again then Mycroft figured John would leave. His phone went off again and he read the text message before replying to it. "No problem, Greg is doing a sweep for me." After a bit of a smile Mycroft held the sonogram back out to Sherlock. "So, what are we going to tell him?"
Oh right, he should have known that was what his older brother meant but he was too distracted by everything else going on. "No. I haven't done drugs in almost two years. I promised John I wouldn't while he was gone. Bloody hell, I haven't even had a cigarette since he's been away. I'm surprised you didn't know that given your proclivity to listen in on our conversations or spy on me in general. Which reminds me, the spying stops now. No more Mycroft, I'm serious." Sherlock said while staring out the window. He turned to look at his older brother finally. "I don't know what I'm going to tell him yet. Just don't say anything to him. I'll do it."
Mycroft nodded. "Fine, no more spying. And I hadn't planned on telling him. This is between you two and I wouldn't want to share such personal information with him." He shifted in his seat as the car came to a stop. This wasn't the most wonderful situation. "Would you want John to be involved in the child's life?" The question was asked softly, Mycroft's eyes studying Sherlock intently.
Sherlock nodded once and then thought about the question. He shrugged. "What I want doesn't really matter, does it? I had told John once, that he would make a good father. However, he said he didn't want kids. So, I'm not really sure how he going to react to the news. It could go either way." He was getting married. Whatever John decided on, he would support the army doctor. It would be easier to be selfish and want John to just walked away, sure. Was that what Sherlock wanted him to do though? He wasn't really sure. He was still trying to process everything.
It had been stated several times before and it was never more true than in the current situation. Sherlock Holmes was one of the smartest men alive but, really, he could be incredibly stupid. "Sherlock." Mycroft studied his brother with a long gaze. "It does matter what you want. Sure, this will be John's child, but he is marrying you. If he decides to be in his daughter's life than this is a decision for you as well." There was a heavy pause, Mycroft sending another text on his phone and letting the thought hang in the air before he spoke again. "You and I both know John won't back down from any responsibility. He is going to help raise the child and that means she is going to be in your life, as well, since you will be his husband. I think you need to understand that."
Sherlock nodded once more and merely said, "I guess you are right." He looked away from Mycroft and out the window once more. He really didn't want to talk about this anymore. He needed time to sort everything out. It had all happened so fast. Which, usually was fine. Things didn't happen fast enough most of the time. But this…this had snuck up on him and he was having trouble keeping up. He finally noticed the car had come to a stop, picked up his carry-on and even the sonogram and got out of the car. He looked down at the tiny form in the picture. It was like he was holding a small part of John in the palm of his hand. "Yes." He finally answered, although it was quiet and more to himself than to Mycroft.
"She wants to meet with you," Mycroft said softly as he passed Sherlock, stopping at the doors to the airport. "Sarah, I mean. I've got an appointment set up for tonight back in London. My flat, more of a neutral ground. If that is alright with you." He glanced at the sonogram in Sherlock's hand and smiled softly, missing the small statement from Sherlock. "It's probably a good time for you and Sarah to get to know each other a little better because she might be around a lot."
Tonight? Already? Sherlock needed more time to think, needed more time to prepare. He had never thought he would wish it, but he really wanted life to halt. Or at least slow down just enough so he could breath, to think clearly. Yet again, he nodded at Mycroft's words and then made his way into the airport. He went through customs and security without any hassle.
While a nod was a bit noncommittal Mycroft took it as a 'Yes' on his younger brother's part. As difficult as it would be he figured it would be he knew Sherlock was going to try and see what he could do and how he could help. He followed Sherlock through everything and sat down at their gate, pulling his cell phone out as he started to ring. "Yes?" He answered with a bit of a crease between his eyebrows. He glanced once at Sherlock before standing and walking away for a bit more privacy. He returned several minutes later, sitting next to Sherlock and studying the sonogram again. "Do you really think he'll make a good father?" He asked softly, worry clear on his face. The man was a soldier. John wasn't exactly what many people would called 'domesticated' which is why he was a perfect match for Sherlock.
Sherlock eyed Mycroft while he was on the phone. He was going to ask if everything was all right, when his older brother asked his own question. "Yes, of course. Although, I think he may be a bit lost with a having a daughter for awhile. He will probably worry about everything that does and doesn't happen to her. I imagine he will be bit over protective and even overbearing at times, but he'll do fine. John always manages to land on his feet."
"I've got a feeling that you might be a bit protective of her as well," Mycroft muttered with smile. "I can just imagine you cooing over her, deducing her future boyfriends the moment they walk in the door." He paused and let a small laugh escape from his chest. "You're going to have to learn to be a father as well, Sherlock. Assuming John wants to take care of her, which we both know he will. She is going to be in the flat a lot. Possibly sleeping in a crib in your room." Mycroft snorted at the thought. Sherlock Holmes caring for a child. The thought wouldn't have been ridiculous if the reality of the situation weren't hitting his younger brother so hard. "You might be able to feel the child move tonight while we are with Sarah. That will give you a bit of a personal connection. Maybe after that you will calm down a bit."
"Maybe…" It really hadn't occurred to Sherlock that he would have to help take care of the child too. God, just one thing after another. It hit him then. "John still has six months left on his tour, the baby will be here in four months, give or take a few days. I guess I will need to make the flat more baby friendly." He rubbed at his head, he wanted time to think but right now he was so sick of it as each new thought and worry popped into his brain.
Mycroft studied his brother intently before reaching into his jacket and pulling out several pictures. "Here, I have a distraction." He handed them to Sherlock with a weak smile. "Murder. Yesterday, right after you arrived at the hotel. She was found in plain sight in an alley. No blood at the scene and, oddly enough, no blood in her body. Second person to turn up like that, both females and both prosti- with less than prestigious occupations." His eyes scanned the area for a moment before glancing back at his younger brother. "Tell me what happened."
Sherlock took the pictures and studied them. He turned them around, sometimes staring at the photos upside down or some other strange angle. "Obviously, the body was dumped. Not the murder scene. The bodies aren't posed, just thrown out like trash. Killer has no remorse and clearly doesn't like prostitutes. No puncture marks on the neck or anywhere else. So, the only way to exsanguinate a body without leaving a mark would be to hang them upside down and do it through between their feet. In fact, there should be a little blood left over in the toes. There will be a small prick in between the two biggest toes, most likely. Easy to overlook if you don't know what you are looking for. Although it seems to me a thorough work over should have been done, if things are unclear. Molly is distracted, clearly. Probably because of Lestrade."
There he was, confident and cocky as ever. Mycroft smiled and moved his hand before Sherlock's final comment. His body tensed, his fingers curled into a fist, and his hand moved away to rest in his lap. "Quite." His gaze was locked outside the window now, rapidly trying to hide the hurt that the comment brought but, really, shouldn't have. He was over Lestrade, it was nothing more than a work arrangement. The other man was happy with his choices and Mycroft had cursed himself for too many nights for feeling more than he should have.
Sherlock eyed his brother and shook his head. "Oh for God's sake, just tell him." Probably wasn't the best thing to say but it was obvious his older brother still cared about Lestrade. The Detective Inspector got burned by his wife, who had cheated first. The other man was probably just too scared reciprocate so he started dating Molly. The girl will probably end up with her heart broken, if Lestrade kept on his current path. He really did need to punch the Detective Inspector in the face next time he saw him…
"Tell him what? There's nothing to tell him," Mycroft replied evenly. Anything he had to tell the Inspector would be too much information, too much emotion. Caring wasn't an option and the twist in his gut was just proof. "He has made a choice and he and Molly seem happy. I wouldn't ruin that. It was just... It wasn't anything, really." His lips pressed together in a thin line and he lowered his head, adjusting his tie as he cleared his throat. "It isn't important," he snapped as he stood up, shoving Sherlock's ticket against his chest as they called for first class to board.
Sherlock rolled his eyes. "You are both bloody idiots." He took the ticket and was about to board when a thought occurred to him. "You said John would call before we leave. He hasn't yet, has he? Or was that him on the phone earlier?"
"That was just information on him," Mycroft stated quickly, meeting Sherlock's gaze. He wouldn't give Sherlock more news, not after this. "One of his men called to update me on the situation." He nodded surely and started walking into the tunnel to reach the plane. The thought of having to tell Sherlock everything, to share with him what was going on as well as the fact that John was going to be a father, was almost too much for him.
Sherlock stopped just before handing over his ticket the flight attendant. "What's wrong? What happened? Tell me!" He wasn't boarding that plane if something had gone wrong. What if John needed his help? What if the tunnel had collapsed while John was still inside? He didn't wait for his older brother to answer and began to walk away, his breathing tight in his chest of all the worst possible case scenarios of a tunnel collapse ran through his mind.