Sherlock was looking curiously excited at the pile of brightly coloured packages taking up most of his place at the table. Someone had hung balloons from the ceiling and made a banner that was pinned to the wall. Sherlock picked up a small parcel and shook it experimentally.
"Pyjamas!" He exclaimed. "Probably with cartoon animals on. And two sizes too small. From Auntie Cordelia. She doesn't remember how old I am." He shook the box again. "Or that I don't like Sherbet Fountains. But she does always remember it's my birthday."
"Just open them!" John Watson rolled his eyes.
"Where's the challenge in just opening them John?" Sherlock eyed John suspiciously, clearly wondering what he was talking about.
"Exactly. They're presents. They're not supposed to be challenging." Sherlock picked up a large box, wrapped in shiny silver paper and shook it carefully.
"Hmm. Something large. Quite heavy. And wrapped in bubbles. You can hear a slight pop as it moves about. Probably fragile."
"If you don't open them I will!" John reached for a long thin package.
"Oh all right. Be boring!" Sherlock picked carefully at the sellotape holding the package closed.
"Sherlock!" John held his head in his hands and sighed. Then Sherlock grinned at him and ripped off the wrapping paper. Both boys looked at the rather unpromising brown box in front of them.
"It could be a football. It moves like it might be round. But Uncle Ali and Uncle Teddy would never buy me a football." Sherlock lifted the lid on the box, removing a few handfuls of bubble wrap and packing and peering into the box.
"What is it? Let's see." John craned up to take a peek. Sherlock opened his mouth to speak and, finding he was unable to utter a sound, he simply held the box out to John. John looked inside and nearly dropped it.
"Is it real? Sherlock? It's someone's skull!" John lifted the skull out of the box and onto his plate where it grinned up at him. Sherlock stared at it for a moment. Green eyes locked on black sockets.
"Is everything all right boys?" Aloysius Holmes rumbled from the doorway he was currently filling.
"It is the best present ever!" Sherlock launched himself at the big man, wrapping his thin frame around his uncle's bulk. "I love you."
John continued to look at the skull. The skull seemed to have lost interest in John, but cheered up considerably when Mrs Hudson entered with a pot of tea.
"They got you a skull?" John poked the long thin parcel suspiciously. "What else did they get you?"
"It's all right John." Aloysius patted the small boy on the shoulder. "It's from a medical collection. We didn't chop any one's head off. Why don't you give Sherlock your present now?"
John indicated Sherlock should open a slightly lumpy, misshapen package. Sherlock gave it a deductive squeeze before ripping the paper of to reveal a soft toy panther, rather like John's tiger, but considerably cleaner. Sherlock stroked the panther's ears.
"You have to give him a name Sherlock."
"Can he not just be called Panther?"
"That will get confusing if he meets other panthers."
"Is that likely?" John shrugged. "What's your tiger called?"
"Nelson, 'cos he's only got one eye."
"Napoleon!" Sherlock exclaimed. "Napoleon Panther."
"Oh good grief!" Mycroft had joined his uncle in the doorway with Greg not far behind.
"Look what I've got. A skull and a panther!" Sherlock was clearly not able to believe his luck.
"Did you open mine yet Sherlock?" Mycroft looked a little disappointed his thunder had been stolen and indicated the long thin parcel.
"I suppose you got me something boring. Like an umbrella." Sherlock half heartedly tore the paper off. And then he paused. John looked over. From where he was sitting Mycroft's present did not look boring at all. In fact it actually looked rather exciting!
"Wicked! It's a stunt kite. My brother has one. They are so cool!" John enthused, Sherlock looked thoughtful as he removed the kite from its wrapper, revealing a large skull and crossbones pattern on it. Sherlock looked at his brother, questioning.
"I thought you and John might enjoy flying it."
"John will enjoy flying it. I will enjoy watching John fly it." Sherlock gave Mycroft the briefest of smiles before returning to his presents.
...
"I can't believe we have to go back to school today." Greg threw a pebble, which plopped into the ornamental pond. "Can't we just stay here?"
"I think your parents might have something to say about that." Mycroft was looking rather rakish in his thick Aran sweater.
"Yeah." Greg sighed. Somehow this place didn't quite seem real. Like it was all a lovely dream. In the distance he could hear John and Sherlock zooming about, trying to get the kite airborne.
"But school won't be forever."
"No. But next year you'll be at Cambridge. I won't. And then you'll meet someone else."
"I don't think I will. Meet anyone else. That I like as much as you. Why don't you apply to Cambridge?"
"Because I won't get in. I'm not clever like you. I'm not going to get six As or whatever it was you got.
"It was eight. But that's beside the point. They like people who are good at sports and things."
Greg leaned back against Mycroft.
"It's fine. Can't afford it anyways. I'm going to Hendon. It's all fine. "
"And when I'm Prime Minister, You can be my bodyguard."
"Cool. Does Your Uncle have a bodyguard?"
"He has a driver with a gun. Does that count? They both do."
"What does he do exactly?"
"Which one?"
"Either. Both."
"Erm, Ali works for the Home office. Teddy is on some kind of policy committee I think."
"So you don't know either?"
"No. Not a clue. Teddy works some strange hours. Sometimes he gets called out in the middle of the night. Ali, well, whatever he does, he always seems to be able to stop doing it if we need him."
"Or turn up at School and intimidate strangers?"
"Yeah. He did say he was sorry. You weren't really scared were you? I've never considered him to be all that intimidating."
"Well he is. I mean he's huge for a start. He could probably squash me flat with one hand."
"He never would." Mycroft knew his Uncle was the gentlest of men. Although there was something in his eyes, just sometimes...
"I suppose he has people to do that for him." Both boys laughed. Unaware of how close that was to the fact of the matter.