Wow, busy few weeks. This chapter comes thanks to a nasty stomach bug that has laid me in bed all day and given me time to write.

Usually travelling on the underground with a toddler requires a lot of organisation. Today however everything went without a hitch. John packed up a bag with some snacks and little cartoons of milk with a straw, baby wipes, a spare t-shirt, bandages and anti septic and the usual phone and wallet. The he Sherlock and Hamish went to the Baker street underground station. When the train had came Hamish had climbed up on his lap and curled his fingers in his shirt. A true London baby the rush and cords of the underground did not bother him in the slightest. Sherlock was quiet for most of the journey looking over at him and Hamish. John had no idea what was going through his mind. Untill he looked over at the lightly dozing Hamish.

"How do I get him to like me?"

"What?"

"Hamish, how do I get him to like me? I've never been able to get people to like me, I've never really much cared, people are idiots. But children are different right? Simpler but better because they have the possibility to grow in to somebody who is not actually an idiot."

John was a little confused by the statement.

"Yes, Hamish has the possibility to grow into practically anything, anyone, he's still developing his personality and skills will come later. Are you saying you like children?"

Sherlock paused and thought.

"I've had little opportunity to form an opinion."

John hid a smile. Sherlock wanted to try; he cared about what his son thought of him.

"Sherlock, give it time. You can't learn everything overnight."

It was another minute before Sherlock answered.

"It has always seemed to me that to some people this sort of things come naturally. Dealing with other people has never come naturally to me."

"You want to get to know him?"

"Yes."

"You want him to like you?"

"Yes."

John couldn't hold back his smile this time. He looked down and stroked his hair through Hamish's curls. He looked up fully awake now and gave him a questioning little look.

"It'll come eventually."

They arrived at South Kensington Station and went down the long tunnel following the signs for the national history museum.

Hamish started to drag behind slightly and pull at John's hand. He smiled down at him.

"We're almost there Hamish."

"Where?"

"The place with the dinosaurs."

Hamish nodded and caught back up.

John looked over at Sherlock walling several paces in front of them with his usual long strides that weren't tailored to a toddlers pace.

"You're quiet today."

"I am merely taking in the changes to the city."

"Have you missed it?"

Sherlock turned and looked at it. John was half expecting him to say that would be illogical but instead he gave a little smile.

"Yes, but I am back now to state the obvious."

Sherlock stopped when they reached the stops. He looked down at Hamish.

"Shall we go up Hamish?" He said trying to give him a friendly smile that always looked a little manic on Sherlock's face.

Hamish stayed quiet and carefully with a lot of concentration climbed up the steps keeping hold of John's hand.

It was a slightly hung over day but not cold. It was the perfect day for spending in a museum. Not sunny and nice enough that you feel guilty for not being outside but there was not the threat of rain which meant they could go outside to find something to eat at lunch time.

"There it is, see that big building with the two tower like bits."

Hamish nodded.

"That's the museum, that's where the dinosaurs are."

"Hamish."

Sherlock said. Hamish turned and looked up at him.

"What do you like?"

Hamish popped his tongue between his teeth thinking hard for a second.

John was about to tell him that the question was too vague but Hamish managed it.

"I likes ice cream... and I likes ... doggies."

"Ah brilliant."

Sherlock said excitedly clapping his hands and looked around then started walking off in a different direction.

"Where are you going?"

"There's a big pet shop just off Hammersmith."

"No! Sherlock you are not buying him a dog."

"Why not?"

"Because the flat contact says we're not allowed dogs."

"Mrs. Hudson won't mind, I'll make it a small dog."

"And who is going to walk it? I can't look after a dog as well as a kid and you. I do have to work sometimes you know?"

"But he'll like me if I buy him a dog."

"How about starting with the museum and then ice-cream."

"Ice cream." Hamish shouted happily.

"Ice- cream is later, after we look at the dinosaurs and have lunch."

Sherlock paused and looked down at Hamish's excited face.

"Okay then, this may be easier than I thought it would be."

By now they had made there way to the side entrance of the Museum.

"The Earth galleries a good place to start learning about mineral compounds." Sherlock said happily walking through the glass doors.

It had been years since John had been to the natural history museum. Not since his days as a student. As he walked up the stairs slowly with Hamish he saw he was in a tall but narrow hall painted black and with star constellations on the wall. There was an escalator going up through the middle of the hall. Wrapped around it and made out of ragged metal fragments was a giant purple and blue globe. It made loud crashing noises as it spun slowly around.

The minute they reached the top of the stairs Hamish looked at the globe with wide blue eyes and then hid behind John's legs.

Hamish tried turning around to look at him but Hamish was clinging tightly to the back of his knees.

"What is it Hamish?"

"It's scary."

"There's nothing there that will hurt you. It's meant to be fun."

Sherlock looked annoyed.

"Why is the boy scared of that?" He said pointing.

"Because it's nosey and it looks frightening to him. Come on; well go into the other entrance."

Hamish nodded. John bent down to carry him out. The boy was almost crying.

As John carried Hamish out he looked over at Sherlock hoping to see him touch Hamish or speak softly to him or do any of those things family members do to children when they're scared. But Sherlock just walked off down the street towards the main entrance. John sighed. It was always two steps forwards one step back with Sherlock.

The main entrance hall with its tall light space and little side displays seemed a lot less threatening. And right in front of him was the tall stegosaurus skeleton.

Hamish was still hiding his face in John's shirt so John whispered lightly to him his soft baby hair tickling his cheek.

" Look Hamish it's a dinosaur."

Hamish turned around and looked at it.

"Isn't that cool? Do you want to go have a closer look at it?"

Hamish gave a small nod so John put him down on the floor. Hamish ran towards the large skeleton and John followed him glad to see him looking happy.

"Look, that's its backbone. It's made of lots of different parts. Do you see it, the long one running along the top?"

Hamish nodded.

"Backbone." He repeated.

"My backbone is made like that, with lots of different parts, and so is yours." John explained running his fingers up along Hamish back.

"It runs up like that."

Hamish squirmed slightly, he smiled. He didn't laugh though. He rarely ever laughed even though most people considered him a happy child. John looked up to see Sherlock watching them the minute John's eyes landed on him he looked away and focused instead on a small group of school children who were sketching a display containing the earliest found fossilised mammal.

"Why do they need to know about dinosaurs, they died millions of years ago what good are they to anybody now?" Sherlock said disgusted.

"Kids like things like dinosaurs and dolphins and trains.. " John explained and tried to think of other things that children generally liked. "And parks and football or princess if they're girls. They're pretty predictable at this age, lots of gender stereotyping."

"Well knowing the London tube map is of some use."

"He prefers the over ground trains, as you saw this morning the underground ones don't interest him because there's nothing to see outside the windows. Buts that something you could teach him about if you had the patience, make it into a game with his toy trains, he'd like that."

"I don't know how to make things into games... I'm not fun."

Sherlock said it with a note of disgust but John could tell he was annoyed at himself for this. Sherlock was always confident in himself and made few apologises for what others perceived as his rudeness and lack of concern for everybody. But he was concerned. He was concerned about the son he had only just met and if he liked him or not. Suddenly he was not happy with who he was, he wanted to be somebody who was okay with children.

"I don't know, I've certainly had some fun times with you."

John said not liking this side of Sherlock, he would be a good father, and once he knew what he was doing he would be. Sherlock raised his eyebrow at him and gave him a little smirk.

"I was not referring to that."

"Chasing taxi cabs and stealing ash trays from Buckingham palace?"

"Okay, yes, that is not the type of fun Hamish should be having. But Sherlock." John placed his hand on his arm. "I'm here to teach you these things."

John looked toward Hamish, or rather he looked towards where Hamish had been standing and now wasn't. He looked around the hall expecting to see the little boy a little way away looking at another of the exhibits. But he was no where to be seen. John felt that sudden rush of panic as if he had just had a bucket of cold water thrown over him. Why did he take his eyes of him? It had only been three minutes but John knew what could happen in three minutes, with a pretty little boy like Hamish, oh god.

He met Sherlock's eyes and saw the instant when Sherlock realized Hamish was missing. It was such a weird occasion to see Sherlock scared that it made John's heartbeat as if it was going to jump out of his chest. Sherlock began looking around trying to find Hamish.

"HAMISH!" John shouted ignoring the fact that lots of people were staring at him. "HAMISH! HAMISH!"

John spun around his hands clutching at his head. As he turned to the back of the hall he saw a familiar curly head walk out the doorway to the next room. He ran towards him relief flowing through him.

"Fish Unkie, big FISH!" Hamish said as he got near him and fell to his knees. John hugged him to him for a second feeling that soft heartbeat near his own and taking a deep breath of that smell of strawberry bubble bath and peppermint toothpaste. He pulled away and took Hamish by the shoulders.

"Hamish, don't ever wonder off again, okay? "

Hamish looked up at him with weird startled eyes, he had no idea about the panic he had just caused. He was confused by John's worried words and looked like he was about to cry again.

"It's alright. I just couldn't see you and I got scared. Stay where I can see you okay?" John said trying to speak though his heart was still pounding in his ears.

"Okay."

John hugged him again then looked up at Sherlock. There was relief in his eyes. He knelt down next to John and put a hand on Hamish's shoulder to get his attention and one on John's that he was sure was meant to be comforting.

"You do what Uncle John tells you to. You're special and we don't want to lose you. "