17th July, 2005
Mycroft's POV
As soon as he wakes up he wonders if giving Sherlock the letters before he passed out was the best choice. What if the triggered something awful? He possibly should have warned Moriarty just in case.
Getting up, he quickly gets a shower and dressed before going to check on his brother. He's decided against wearing a suit for the next few days and selected a plain shirt and slacks, hoping that it will come across as less formal and more approachable. Not that he's sure it will work. He has no idea how to relate to Sherlock, or anyone else for that matter unless he is looking to manipulate them. Even then, it's not so much that he relates to them as he finds the weak points to press and use as weapons.
Maybe Moriarty was right to say he's the sociopath during that odd conversation they had.
He's unsurprised when he finds that Sherlock hasn't been in his room all night, however he is concerned over the slightly open window. Did his brother leave through the window and where is the teenager at now?
Eyes sliding over the room, every detail fitting itself into place, from the pacing and worry Sherlock experienced, to the panic and fear the letters invoked, to the confusion and eventual fleeing the house. The next room he checks is Moriarty's, finding it has been empty just as long although the agent leaves far less clues behind.
Hopefully the fact that the psychopath isn't here is a sign that Moriarty found his brother before Sherlock did something foolish.
What to do, he wonders as he closes the door and stands there thinking for a moment. He's missing something. Some detail that is throwing everything off in his equations and understanding. As much as he hates feeling weak, out of control, or foolish, he is currently having to admit there are times he's all three. Mostly in regards to Sherlock.
He'll go check the cameras using the secure line in his office to make sure his brother is safe. He'd call but he doesn't want to interfere if Moriarty is doing his job and finding Sherlock. Perhaps he should call Gray instead? The hacker tends to always know where Moriarty is at. Which is something he appreciates, since it gives an added layer of security for Sherlock. After all, Gray tends to be Moriarty's conscience.
Jasper Gray, he thinks as he slips in his office. Apparently they're related. While he remembers having a cousin with that name, his cousin vanished after his aunt and uncle died. Gray doesn't read like he's lying, but he has to admit that he has a very hard time getting an accurate read on both Gray and Moriarty, and as much as he hates to admit it, Sherlock. It is altogether possible that Gray is their cousin, which makes him curse at himself internally for missing the obvious, because there are several physical similarities between his brother and Gray that are explained by the blood relation.
Before he's even has a chance to finish logging in, a small black pop-up appears in the corner of his screen with a coded memo. Reading it twice, he quickly works through the message and smiles ruefully when it makes sense: your brother is with the doctor, wildcard and pike.
Well, that's at least reassuring. Glancing at the clock, he realizes it's still very early in the morning, but he knows he will not get back to sleep. Perhaps, yes, he'll make breakfast for himself and then plan to make lunch for the five of them. At this point it might be a good idea to include Moriarty and Gray in on the planning and discussion. They're connecting with his brother more than he is, much to his frustration. Yes, he needs to also have several private discussions with Sherlock with Doctor Watson there to mediate. For now, well, he wants his brother to feel comfortable, and if that means having a pair of agents that like to be sassy around, that's what he'll do.
What time do, what to do. Shutting everything down, he heads to the kitchen and glances around slowly, taking into account everything he can see and calculating what will be the best thing for them to have. He'll make himself oatmeal, then plan lunch. Perhaps they can make it an early dinner instead? The would give a wider variety of meal options. Actually, he'll set it up so they can eat while they discuss the situation with a bit of a buffet. That's a perfect idea.
Now what sort of things does Sherlock like to eat? He can easily remember what his brother doesn't like, but it seems harder to think of what he does. Most Asian foods seem to be easy on his brother's stomach and eaten absently, some American foods are devoured on the rare occasions they grace the table, Italian and Greek foods are well liked, not a lot of the stuff they grew up eating however. Hmmm. Does Sherlock have bad associations with them? That would explain why his brother doesn't like them. Well then, he'll make something Italian since he doesn't really know how to appropriately make most the Asian foods.
He spends several hours in the kitchen, first eating his breakfast while he looks through the options then, making sure he has everything needed for making the buffet he wants on the table, and finally for actually cooking. The things he doesn't have, he calls in an order for and they are delivered a little bit later, charged to his account with the grocer. He has Miranda get out the warmer bar so he can put the buffet food on it and keep it fresh while he cooks the rest and while they are taking their time eating and discussing things.
By the time the other four get there just before two pm, he is quite pleased with the layout and setup. Particularly since he did all of it on his own, despite the fact his cook looks a bit lost with him doing so. Still, he's hoping it will show Sherlock that he's trying to think of his brother, rather than letting it be someone else's problem.
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Authors Note: On the 28th of November I will be posting a complete 130 chapter fic over on AO3 called Different Paths that is a James Bond triad verse soulmate fic. The triad is James Bond/Alec Trevelyan/Q (Jon). If there is any interest, I'll also post it here for folks to read over the next few months.