Beta-ed by: TheRimmerConnection

Laughter and happiness were abundant when the Holmes family arrived at the playground. Children were sliding down the slides, playing on the monkey bars, and chasing each other. Sherlock eyed them all with disgust. He couldn't believe Irene had convinced him to let Hamish mingle with these petty children.

"Hamish, wake up sweetie," Irene crooned to the boy who was sleeping in his father's arms.

"Irene, let him sleep. He couldn't take his afternoon nap."

"Did you take away his phone?" she asked.

"Yes."

Hamish stirred awake and, realizing where he was, tightened his grip around his father's neck.

"I don't want to socialize with the other kids," he murmured into Sherlock's coat.

Sherlock sent Irene a pointed look.

I told you so.

Irene glared at her husband.

Sherlock adjusted Hamish in his arms, and the little boy increased his grip.

Sherlock sighed. "Hamish, your mother wants you to stop being anti-social like me. Go and make friends. Mummy and I will just be around the corner watching you."

Hamish shook his head, "I've changed my mind. I want to be friends with Anderson instead."

"Not only do I hate you to be friends with Anderson, but you have to socialize with people of your own age as well," Sherlock replied.

"I don't like dull people."

"Look at that girl on the swing, Hamish," his mother pointed out, "She's all alone with no one to talk to."

Hamish turned his head to look at the girl.

"She's all alone because she's a bully," he replied and rested his head on his father's shoulder again.

"Oh?" Sherlock smiled, "Why'd you say that?"

"The other children are avoiding her and she's got too many chocolate bars in her pockets. Her mummy wouldn't have given that many to her, because she would get a tummy-ache. And she's glaring at the other children passing by."

"Come on, sweetie, just talk to some other kids for once. You might find someone you can get along with." Irene rubbed her son's back.

Sherlock, feeling sorry for his son for being forced to talk to these boring people, whispered, "Go on. Just get it over with." And set him down.

Hamish looked at his mother's encouraging smile once more and made his way to the sandbox which was occupied by a girl and a boy.

Irene smiled at her husband and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"Thank you," she said.

"Come on. Let's go and sit down." He led her to the bench farthest away from the children.

"Sherlock!" a very familiar voice called.

He turned around to see John Watson jogging his way towards them.

"Hello John," Sherlock greeted. "Where's Mary's niece?"

"What?" John asked.

"Well I assume that you and Mary have not suddenly produced grown children. And you two have just had another fight, judging by the state of your unshaven face, unwashed hair, and those dark bags under your eyes. I also assume that, as usual, the fight was your fault, and in order to make it up to her, you volunteered to pick up her niece from school, since you two were going to babysit for her this weekend. Mary's still not home from work, so in order to save both of you from boredom you brought her here to make friends and pass the time until she comes home. So where's her niece?"

"Playing in the jungle gym." John said, a little irked by Sherlock's deduction. Was he really that easy to read?

"Irene," John nodded towards her, "What are you two doing here? I thought Hamish hated these kinds of places."

"He does," Sherlock answered "But Irene wanted him to learn how to socialize."

"He's in the sandbox, chatting with the other kids." Irene said.

"Oh, well, I'll go and say hi." John waved a goodbye to the couple and sauntered towards Hamish.

~o~

"I swear, Superman came to my birthday party and wished me a happy birthday! I have a picture to prove it," Hamish's new "friend", Billy, boasted.

A couple more children made their way to the sandbox to check out the silent newcomer and listen to Billy's story.

"Well my Mummy and Daddy took me to see Spiderman last summer. He said that I was his favoritest fan in the whole world," another boy, Edwin, said.

"My Mummy and Daddy took me and my sister to Disneyworld to visit Cinderella and the other princesses last summer. Cinderella said I have pretty hair," Judy chimed in.

Hamish let the other children tell their stories. He knew that superheroes and Disney princesses weren't real, nor did they mean what they said to the children. He looked at his Batman watch and tried to convince himself to stay another five minutes before going back in search of his parents and telling them that he was already sleepy, which he was. Being friends with Uncle John's dog was much more satisfying than listening to these children, at least the dog didn't talk.

"Hey there, buddy,"

He turned his head and saw Uncle John kneeling down.

"Uncle John!" Save me from these people. I take that back, they are NOT people...just like Anderson.

Hamish hugged him and told his "friends" that he had to go. The others barely noticed him leaving, too engrossed in their debate on who was cooler, Captain America or Ironman.

John carried Hamish away from the sandbox, much to the latter's relief, and they made their way to his parents.

"Did you make any new friends, Mish?"

Only Mum, Dad, and Uncle John were allowed to call him Mish. He'd have the others' guts if they ever even thought of calling him that.

"No."

"You should meet Aunt Mary's niece, Claudia, she's really pretty."

"You only think that because she's Aunt Mary's niece. Of course she must look pretty to you, because if you called her ugly, Aunt Mary would make you sleep on the couch."

"Since when did you know about things like sleeping on the couch?" John smiled.

"Hmm, I want to be friends with your dog instead." Hamish rested his head on John's shoulder and let his eyes droop.

Sherlock was sitting on the bench trying to tune out the lady beside him talking about her son's wonderful grades, and how athletic he was, and how he excelled in extracurricular activities. Irene rubbed Sherlock's arm reassuringly.

This will definitely be the last time we come to the playground. Hamish can be friends with a caterpillar for all I care.

John suddenly arrived with a drowsy Hamish in his arms.

"I thought you were going to say 'Hi', not smuggle him away from his friends. Give him here." Sherlock took Hamish from John's arms.

"I was, but he just came over and held on to me and fell asleep."

"He wasn't even gone five minutes." Sherlock tried to sound annoyed but was secretly grateful.

"Oh, my little Billy and I went to a new park just last week and..." the lady didn't seem to realize that she wasn't even being listened to anymore.

"How were your new friends, honey?" Irene rubbed his back.

"Dull."

"Did you make new friends?" Sherlock asked.

"Acquaintances."

"I guess that's better than having none at all." Irene smiled, "I'm so proud of you, Hamish."

Hamish opened one eye.

"Uncle John?"

"Yes, Hamish?"

"Does Claudia have long blonde hair and freckles on her nose?"

"Yes. How'd you know that?"

"She is pretty." He smiled, closing his eyes once more.

"I told you." John smiled back.

"Another boy thinks she's pretty, too."

"What? Who?"

"Billy."

John turned around and sure enough the young boy who had been with Hamish in the sandbox was now with Mary's niece, exchanging messy, childish kisses with her.

"Oh my goodness, I'd better get going." John left in a hurry.

The lady on the bench noticed John's hasty departure and her eyes followed his path. She noticed her boy kissing a girl, and would have continued boasting about him to the Holmeses for a few more minutes, but noticing John's stance and how he was charging at her son...

"Billy!" she screeched, "Say sorry to the nice man!"