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Thank you all for your support! Special thanks to SherlockChlo for following and to Benfan for reviews and support! =)

I'm sorry, this one is really short, still an interlude actually… I should have posted it earlier, but studies caught me off-guard and stole my time. I'll update this week-end with a more thrilling chapter.

Reviews and critics would be lovely =)

Thank you for reading and enjoy!


Chapter 11. Get ready.

It was morning, but they didn't get any sleep. After Mike took the young Hatherley to the hospital, John contacted the Scotland Yard. Lestrade was still at work, pulling an all-nighter on this murder-abduction case. Sherlock rushed out, and here they were, at 7 in the morning, discussing the ambush operation plan. Of course, Holmes had already determined the location. Disregarding John's shy attempts to play fair, he refused to tell the police about Rita being his sister.

At 7:12, Greg yawned and said bluntly: "That's enough. We won't prepare better than this. Both of you should get some sleep before the operation starts."

"I can't sleep!" Sherlock protested, but seeing John's absent look and tired face agreed for a pause. Yet he wouldn't stay still, and went walking in the corridor, mumbling for himself, while Watson was snoring in someone's chair. Only thirty minutes had passed when his phone rang.

"I'm busy" he said, seemingly irritated.

"What are you scheming, Sherlock?" Mycroft overlooked his younger brother's bad temper once again. "You should have contacted me first thing after getting Oliver's note!"

"Well, I didn't. Don't take it personal."

"Don't take it personal?! For Goodness sake, Sherlock! Would you ever understand that I genuinely worry about you?" Since Sherlock stayed silent, he kept going: "And you are not the one who would keep me away from this."

"Do not interfere, Mycroft. It's not about your pride anymore; it's about our sister's life."

"Jesus, do you think I'm that heartless?!" The elder Holmes sounded really exasperated and even hurt. That's a first.

It took few seconds to the Consulting Detective to feel that he crossed the line: "That's not what I meant." He hesitated before adding: "Still, don't meddle with this. It's my turn." He wasn't waiting for an answer - he said all he got in mind, plus there was no need for words when talking about serious things with Mycroft. As much as it was irritating to admit it, he acknowledged that they were greatly alike in their ways of thinking.

"Sherlock!" Lestrade popped out an open door. "We're heading to the location!"