"Oh, am I disturbing something?"
John stretched and rubbed his eyes. When had he fallen asleep? He pushed himself up carefully trying not to disturb Sherlock, the man needed a good sleep after everything he had been through.
John rubbed a hand over his hair trying to smooth it down though he was sure Mrs Hudson had seen him with baby sick in his hair a couple of times when Hamish was a baby.
"No, not disturbing anything."
Mrs. Hudson let go of Hamish's hand and he confidently walked over to his spot on the rug and pulled his box of toys out. Mrs. Hudson walked out and looked down at Sherlock.
"I always preferred him when he was sleeping."
John gave a little chuckle.
"Yeah, shame it doesn't happen as often as it does for most people."
"They look so alike don't they?"
John turned to look at Hamish and back at Sherlock, they did look alike, more than just the hair and eyes John could see that under all the puppy fat Hamish's features were similar. In fact he had trouble seeing his mouther in him though John knew there must be some signs of her somewhere.
"Yes."
Hamish walked over to him holding one of his new science kits.
"Play?"
"Yes, but in your room because uncle Sherlock is sleeping now."
Hamish looked over at his father and tilted his head slightly. All of a sudden he was on his feet and running out of the room.
"Are you okay dear?" Mrs. Hudson asked looking at him with slight concern.
"I'm okay. I'm glad to have him back,really."
"I know you are." She shrugged. "But sometimes things are complicated."
"Tell me about it."
"Are you going to need me tonight? It's just I have Bingo."
"It's okay, you've done more than enough thank you Mrs. Hudson."
"It's okay, you two do need some alone time together." She said walking out the door.
John felt the desire to sigh and say 'we're not a couple' but it seemed that it may be heading in that direction. The sound of little feet soon disturbed him from that thought as Hamish ran back in with the dinosaur teddy he had brought the day before. He laid it down on the sofa next to Sherlock.
"Hamish, what are you doing?"
"Shirley can snuggle him."
"That's very nice of you, good boy." John said wondering how pissed off Sherlock would be if he took a picture of him with the teddy and sent it to Lestrade, once Lestrade knew he was alive of course.
"Unkie play!" Hamish whined.
"Shush." John said holding his finger up to his lips. "Go play in your room I'll be one minute." John said.
Hamish didn't;t listen and followed him into the kitchen. John was aching for a cup of coffee.
"Bicwick?"
"Biscuit, and no. I'm sure Mrs. Hudson gave you biscuits."
Hamish nodded his head, the good thing about having a toddler was that he had not quiet learnt the idea of lying yet.
John dumped coffee and sugar into a mug and turned on the kettle.
"Do you want some milk?"
"Yes!" Hamish said jumping up and down excitedly.
"Mrs. Hudson definitely gave you biscuits." John moaned.
"Milk!" Hamish commanded.
John sighed again and went to the fridge, bad point about toddlers they didn't;t understand patience. He poured milk into a plastic cup for Hamish and handed it to him telling him to be careful and finished making his coffee.
"Alright then." He said taking a sip. "Lets go do sciencey things."
"Yeah!"
Looking at the mess of dyes and plastic tubes on the floor. Hamish had got distracted from the experiment (and though John was good with the science equipment in his own right, he was a doctor, he had no idea what the point in mixing the three little dyes was) and was drawing on the box. John was able to get him to concentrate for a few minutes on a little plastic tube of metal filings and a magnet but really he doubted Sherlock would be turning Hamish into his science assistant for another for years. Talking of Sherlock he had just appeared at the door.
"How long was I asleep?"
"Um.." John looked down at his watch. "About four hours."
"He opened the science kit?"
"Yeah but I don't think he's all that interested. It does say four plus on the box."
"It looks useless and flimsy to begin with. I'll show him how to use my microscope later."
"He won't understand at least not for a couple of years. You have to be patient Sherlock, teach him things in order."
"The things most people teach children are trivial and useless."
"Reading and math isn't trivial and useless. He could start to learn how to read soon. I brought a book on how to teach phonics."
"Yes, he should learn how to read. Theres no point in swaddling him."
"Well, we agree on something then."
"Look!" Hamish said holding up the box lid with its squiggles; of blue and red pen on the plain inside.
"You, Unkie John, me, and the dinosaurs."
Sherlock looked down at the indeterminable lines and circles.
"Why are you taller than me?"
Hamish looked down at the picture.
"That you, that me." Hamish repeated pointing to the picture again.
"And I'm smiling."
"It's a lovely picture Hamish, shame we can't put that one on the fridge. It has too go back on the box so we don't lose any of these tubes." John picked up the scattered tubes and pieces putting them back in the box.
"Tubes." Hamish said picking one up and throwing it haphazardly into the box.
"Good..." John felt a vibration at his hip just before some infernal song started to play. John pulled his phone out and checked the I.D.
"Lestrade." He mouthed to Sherlock before going out the room and answering the phone.
"Hey Greg."
"Do you have any idea how much havoc that one box has caused? It's across apartments. Eighty percent of the Met is working on it."
"Lots of criminals to be put away, that's got to be a good thing though."
"Yeah, it's a good thing but this box has important information that can bring down criminal organizations across the globe. It's more work than our boys could put together in ten years. Another thing is that half the trails we've been following from these files are cold because the perps are already dead or missing. Half of them seem to have killed each other off, the ones still alive are the little or mid level criminals not the really bad guys and also we have to work out deals with the police forces in eighteen other countries."
"Eighteen, really?"
"It's a nightmare John. The least you could do is tell me where this information is coming from."
"You said you knew."
"Oh for gods sake John! How long have we known each other? this isn't Mycroft, he wouldn't bother with this sort of thing. He's queen and country and blurred morals, he wouldn't care about this sort of thing."
"And who do you think would care?"
"The only person I can think of is dead."
John took a deep breath. Was now the time? Maybe only Lestrade had to know, he could help clear Sherlock's name. Lestrade never really believed that Sherlock was a fake. On the few occasions when they had talked about Sherlock over beers Greg had told him about how much he actually respected Sherlock. How he had a grudging respect for the way that Sherlock didn't give a dam about other people or the rules of the police force. That was the way law should be, get the guy and forget about the paperwork and the politics.
But John knew it wasn't the time yet, Sherlock wasn't ready. And so he lied, to his friend to give his lover a little more time to adjust and to recover from his ordeal.
"That's a low blow Lestrade."
"Come on, you know I wish he was still around."
"Yeah, look how about some drinks. Chillout if works so stressful."
"You're not going to tell me are you? Honestly Greg, I could have you brought in."
"Then do that."
"Look, John, I get you being secretive about some matters. I mean, I never interfered or asked when Hamish turned up. That's your private life and if you don't want to talk about it I get it. But you can't expect to pull a stunt like this and just have me back down."
John sighed, obviously Lestrade was going to find out at some point soon and he wasn't able to protect Sherlock for ever. He could only buy him time.
"Look, I'll tell you, just give me time."
"How much time?"
"However much you can give me. Look Greg, I trust you but this... this is a bit of a fucked up situation and the longer you give me to sort things out on my end the easier he's going to be to deal with."
"He? John what are you on about?"
"Just promise me, more time, whatever you can give."
"There's a dozen people breathing down my backs right now John. I can only give you a day at most."
John made a quick decision, it might not be the one that Sherlock would make but he was good at thinking on his feet as well, the army had taught him that. Think fast or get blown up.
"Then come here tomorrow morning. Alone. You'll see for yourself what the situation is then."
"Situation? John are you in trouble, because you know I can help you John." The worry in his tone was pretty touching.
"No, I'm not in trouble."
"But is somebody else?"
Dam him Lestrade certainly did know what he was doing sometimes.
"Yes, but I can't tell you anything else right now."
"I'm coming over."
"No! Greg! Greg!"
He had already put the phone down. John swore and looked around. Best to get it over with quickly he told himself forcing himself to go back into Hamish's room where Sherlock was sat on the bed frowning at a couple of stuffed toys that Hamish was making dance across his lap.
His frown grew in intensity when he looked up and saw John stood in the doorway.
"What is it?"
John ignored him.
"Hamish, put your toys away. Uncle Greg's coming to visit."
"Greg?" Sherlock said as if he was wondering where he'd heard the name before.
"You mean Lestrade?"
"Yes."
"Danmit." Sherlock stood up immediately and headed for the door. There was an awkward moment when he reached the door frame and John spread out his hands to stop him.
"John move out of my way I've got to go hide in the cellar apartment."
"No. Look Sherlock, you told me to give Greg some kind of criminals Pandora's box and now he and the whole Met are demanding to know where the information came from. He's going to find out sooner than later and perhaps if it's sooner then he can help to put off others who might start looking for you."
Sherlock tilted his head to one side.
"John, I don't want to be drawn back into this. I've had two and a half years of dealing with these people I'm not going to let them force me back into hunting them down again."
"They won;t force you Sherlock."
"They'll force me by their general incompetence."
"That's more to do with you than them."
"I'm not incompetent."
"No." John sad closing his eyes for a moment. " That's not what I meant."
"And when did you start calling him Greg?" Sherlock said looking down at him with narrow eyes. John was a little surprised by the sudden change in conversation.
"Since you made me pull that all nighter in the lab on that funny case with the blonde woman and the spots."
"And Hamish calls him Uncle, really John, what's going on here?"
John looked down at Hamish who was curiously watching them as he hugged his blue teddy.
"There's no reason to be jealous Sherlock." John said stepping aside and following Sherlock as he walked quickly to the front door.
"Jealous, I'm not jealous."
"Actually I think you are."
"Well, yes I am. But don't I have a reason to be jealous, my sons calling another man uncle."
"He calls me uncle."
"That's different, you're his father."
"What? Sherlock, you're his father."
"Maybe biologically,but we both know you're really his the other way, the way that counts. Well to him at least."
"Sherlock.."
"No, I'm not jealous of that. It's better that way. I like it that way, it's how it should be. But you calling Lestrade Greg isn't."
John reached out and rested his hand against Sherlock's shoulder trying to get him to concentrate on what he was saying.
"Look, Lestrade is just my friend. He's got to know Hamish.."
"We were just friends."
"No." John said shaking his head. "Things were always different between us Sherlock. We were always something else, I don't know what but you and I were never going to be just friends."
There was silence for a moment as Sherlock looked at him in that odd way that made John feel as if he were looking at more than what most people could see when they looked at him.
"I thought you weren't gay." Sherlock said with his signature smile.
John laughed at the sudden end to their argument.
"Yeah, well.. Anyhow, meet Lestrade with me. Trust me, I won't let anything happen that you don't want to happen."
"Okay."