Chapter 2

John Watson had on been his way home when Mycroft´s call came. He had just sat down in the back of a cab and was about to tell the driver to go to 221b, but after the call he had to change directions. Sighing he braced himself for even more work. It was the day before Christmas for gods sake! He´d just flown in from a doctors conference in Brussels and all he really wanted to do was to go home and fall into bed. Preferably with Sherlock.

If he got the hyperactive git into it to sleep that is.

Nevertheless he was really looking forward to see his boyfriend again, although it was still a bit weird to think of him in these terms. But the last few months had changed a lot. Hell, back when he had booked this conference he hadn´t even know that the consulting detective was still alive. And then suddenly Donavan had been missing and after that everything had gotten all weird.

But he wasn´t complaining. The things how they were now with Sherlock being alive and starting to build a slow but steady relationship with him, the consulting detective being friends with Donavan of all people, who seemed to be falling in love with Mycroft: that was as happy as he could ever been. Something which he hadn't even dared to hope after Sherlock`s death.

So no, he wouldn´t complain about Mycroft calling them all in the afternoon before christmas. Well, and thing was, he knew the older Holmes brother probably didn't like it as well, as he had just arrived from a meeting in Italy, and was looking foward to taking Sally out to dinner.

So yep. No complaining, he reminded himself while he paid the driver and then walked into the plain looking building, which he now knew was home to a secret base of the MI6. Well, the perks of knowing Mycroft. You got to know things that you really didn't want to know.

But it also meant that there were useful things as well. Thanks to the endless resources of Mycroft and his government men they had news about Moriarty´s henchmen. Which was actually the reason he was here now.

Sherlock had believed that he had eliminated all of them. But according to Mycroft´s call he apparently had missed someone, which Mycroft had brought down in Italy. That had been the first reason, but the second and more important one, was that one of Mycroft`s bosses seemed to need his and Sherlock`s and the Yarder´s help. Them working as a team now actually led to even more cases being cleared and apparently even government officials had heard about that. That or Mycroft had offered them as a tip, John suspected.

Nevertheless he couldn´t help but feel a bit proud on how far they had come. Although the timing for this meeting was impeccable.

Arriving on the second floor where he was supposed to meet Mycroft and the others, he saw Anderson and Lestrade first. Both seemed to be as tired as he probably looked himself, as they clung to a cup of coffee like it was some kind of life line.

„Inspector, Anderson." he nodded at them and got a nod in return, while Lestrade pointed him to follow them.

„Long night?" John asked and Lestrade all but groaned.

„Yeah, you have no idea." the inspector admitted and opened the door to a room.

Inside a grumbling Donovan was the first thing John noticed. And of course he noticed the one she was grumbling at: Sherlock.

„You took evidence again. Damn it Sherlock!" Donovan was close to shouting now, but of course John´s flatmate was less than impressed. Not that this surprised John in the least. Ignoring the two quarrellers he went over to Mycroft, who had been joined by Greg and Anderson. Best to stay out of this when these two were having it on.

While Sherlock and Donovan argued John got himself a cup of coffee and waited with the others for Mycroft´s boss.

Just as Donovan and Sherlock had gotten so loud that probably the entire building could hear them, the door opened, and Simpson, one of the even higher ups as Mycroft had called them, came in. With him was one whom John assumed to be his assistant- a rather lanky, tall, dark haired guy in his thirties who immediately went over to the two quarrellers. Sherlock probably saw him coming and took off before he came to close but the man started to talk to Donovan, while Sherlock came over to John.

„So you two had enough of a quarrel?" He asked Sherlock, but didn't get an answer as the consulting detective seemed to be distracted, all but staring at the assistant and Donovan, who both now left the room. „Which evidence did you take this time? You know, Sally can loose her job about this. And... Sherlock?"

Only now he realized his friend wasn´t listening to him any longer and instead was watching the door. Something seemed off. He was sure of it. „Is everything all right?"

„What? Yes, of course!" Sherlock exclaimed and went over to the table where the others had sat down, making John even more uneasy. What the hell?

Just as he wanted to ask Sherlock again, Sally came back into the room, carrying a bunch of files. „Mr. Norman will be in a few minutes, he got a call just as we were in the corridor." With that she settled down as well and Mr. Simpson nodded.

„That´s okay. I believe we can start already without him. Most of you are wondering anyway why you have been called here. First off, I wanted to thank you for you cooperation last week. Given the dire circumstances I was glad we encountered such competent officers."

Now John understood. Of course! Last week Lestrade and the Yarders had been called to a rather grisly murder where the victim had been tortured to death in an abandoned house. They had gotten the call, just as they were about to head back from another case, where Lestrade had called Sherlock in and so they had tagged along.

In the end the victim had turned out to be one of Mycroft's men. As far as Sherlock could tell he had been tortured to death, probably someone wanted to get some information. But according to the detective, the victim had taken his secret to the grave, whatever it was

„Just look at the wounds. They get deeper and more sluggish, the newer they are. And the slash in his throat, the one which killed him, was done in deepest anger. Our killer was desperate."

John guessed the evidence had probably supported Sherlock`s theory, as the case had been taken over by Mycroft's men soon thereafter. Yet they were here, so they must have done something right.

Just as Mr. Simpson had stopped thanking them and was about to go on, the door opened and Mr. Norman, the assistant, entered again, looking rather excited.

„I´m sorry to intrude like that, Mr. Simpson, but there have been new developments." he said, out of breath and Mr. Simpson simply nodded at his subordinate to go on. „The DNA of the hair found in the throat wound has been identified." He turned, opening the door another time, revealing men clad in dark suites behind him, which immediately entered the room.

Then Mr. Norman turned to Sherlock. „Sherlock Holmes, you are under arrest for the murder of agent Arthur Schapely."

############

Thanks to everyone who commented, it really keeps me writing.

Also thanks again to Sevenpercent for beta reading!