A/N: As usual, thank you so much for reading and review. Glad you all are enjoying!

The next morning, Sherlock goes to school fully expecting to confront Brendan for the theft of Ashley's dog, but he's reminded of another detail. Ashley approaches him early and informs Sherlock of a new ransom note.

"This one was in the mailbox when I got home yesterday," Ashley says, handing the note over. "It's typed, unlike the others."

This note is threatening Ashley with letting the dog go loose if they don't get money before the end of tomorrow. They leave an address for a mailbox, but Sherlock knows there's no time to find who owns the mailbox.

"The other notes were handwritten?" Sherlock remembers. He takes them out of his locker and rushes down the hall to find Brendan.

He finally sees her at her locker, alone, so he goes right up to her. "Hey, Brendan!" he calls, too excited.

"Hey, Sherlock…"

Sherlock wants to see her handwriting, to make sure it matches up to the ransom notes, so he makes up a story. "Ashley wants your science notes from yesterday's class. I just saw him."

Brendan rolls her eyes, buying it. "That fucking—" she mutters under her breath. She pulls out a notebook and hands it to Sherlock. "Here."

Sherlock opens the book, excited to crack a case, but he's shocked to see that Brendan's handwriting doesn't match the ransom notes at all. It doesn't make sense to him. Surely Brendan typed the newest note because she was there when Ashley gave Sherlock the notes. Obviously, she knows they're on to her.

Sherlock shuts her notebook and hands it back. "On second thought, he can use mine. Cheers!" he turns around and rushes away.

He practically runs through the halls now, down to the class Olive's in, and rushes in.

Olive laughs when she sees him. "Holmes? What are you—"

"Who is Brendan's cousin? Or brother, or whatever?"

Olive chuckles. "Uhm, Tanner Butler. A first year. He's got long-ish brown hair, he's thin—"

Sherlock holds his hand up. "Thanks," he says, rushing out of the room.

He saw the kid in a photo in Brendan's locker. He knows exactly who he's looking for.

Unfortunately, the bell rings as he's exiting Olive's class, so he's late to his own class. The hall is empty, save for the one teacher who monitors the hall for tardy students.

"Holmes!" the teacher calls down the hall.

Sherlock pauses and the teacher approaches him.

Sherlock receives detention for the class period he's currently tardy for (a system Sherlock doesn't understand), so he goes to the detention room for the entire hour. Once he's let out, he runs around campus in the five minutes he has to find the kid. He spots him with two minutes left until class begins.

Sherlock runs up to Tanner and grabs him by the shirt collar. "Where's Yankee?!" Sherlock yells in the kid's face.

"I don't know!" Tanner cries.

Sherlock tightens the grip on his shirt. "What have you done with her?"

"Nothing, nothing! Brendan just told me to write the notes and deliver them to Ashley, that's all!"

Sherlock lets Tanner go and steps back. "Thank you," he says, turning to walk away.

He imagines he's left Tanner in a state of shock, but he can't be bothered to care. He slowly walks down the hall thinking. Of course, Avery's got the dog. That's a no-brainer. And Brendan did take the dog, and then paid off the dog-walker to keep her mouth shut. But why did Brendan take it?

"Holmes!" Sherlock hears again.

He pauses and realizes the bell had rung and the hall is now empty. "Damn," he mutters, turning towards the teacher.

He gets issued another detention, so he goes there and waits. Fortunately, he gets a chance to text Ashley to tell him the entire situation.

To Ashley Damien: Brendan stole your dog and Avery is keeping her. She paid off your dog-walker to let them have the dog and to stay quiet. Find Avery, she'll give the dog back quicker. She's allergic.

A second later, he gets a reply.

From Ashley Damien: Wow. Thanks, man. That's…a lot of information. But why?

To Ashley Damien: That's for you to talk to Brendan with. I'm pretty sure it's something to do with the way you treat her, judging by the way you were so quick to deny that she's your girlfriend and the hurt look on her face.

He doesn't get a reply, not that he expected to.

Sherlock finally gets to his third period class and tells John and Declan all about what's already happened this morning. They congratulate him on closing a new case, and John discreetly kisses his hand and beams at him all class.

Right before lunch, Sherlock, John, Declan, and Ellery are standing at Sherlock's locker and are about to leave for the cafeteria. Ashley arrives, so they wait to talk to him.

"Thanks again, Holmes," Ashley says. "Brendan admitted to stealing my dog because, like you said, the way I treat her."

"So, you're broken up then?" John asks.

"No," Ashley says, "We're going out tonight."

Sherlock rolls his eyes and closes his locker.

"Anyway, do you require payment, or—"

"No," Sherlock says. "This one was actually fun. It was…my pleasure."

Ashley flashes a bright smile and Sherlock minutely gasps. John glares at him.

"Alright then," Ashley says. "Until next time." He smiles again, this time at Ellery, then takes her hand and kisses it. "See you all later."

Ellery blushes and smiles.

Declan throws his hands in the air. "Oh for god's—" he turns to walk away, but Ellery grabs his arm.

"Declan!" she cries, then grasps his shoulder, steps up on her toes, and plants a quick peck on his lips.

Declan just pauses, and Sherlock and John both wonder if he had an aneurism. They know Ellery and Declan have never kissed on the lips before, so they can both imagine that Declan is just about brain dead.

"Uh…uh…" Declan babbles.

Ellery laughs, then turns and grabs his hand. "Come on."

Sherlock and John exchange an excited look, and then follow the other couple to lunch.

Sherlock goes to John's after school to copy notes from the two classes he'd missed that morning. Dawn is home, so they sit in the living room with her to visit. She asks for John to have dinner with her alone that evening, so Sherlock leaves as soon as he's finished with his homework.

When he gets home, he finds Declan and Ellery on the sofa. He expects to see them kissing, but they're talking about the current book the classes are reading in literature.

"Oh, hey dude," Declan calls. "Didn't hear you."

"I expect not," Sherlock says.

Declan's about to retort, but Sherlock just whirls away and rushes upstairs.

Clement makes them dinner, but announces he's going to meet a few friends after. "I'm meeting a few old friends at the pub," he says. "I'll be back later, ok?"

Sherlock frowns. "At the pub?"

"Don't worry," Clement kisses his head. "I'm not drinking. Remember Dave? It's his birthday. We're meeting, well, they're meeting for drinks."

Sherlock nods. "Okay."

"I'll be back later. If you two go anywhere, be home by ten, yeah?"

Sherlock and Declan nod.

Clement kisses them both, says goodbye to Ellery, then leaves.

"So…he's..." Declan starts as soon as Clement's gone.

"Shut up," Sherlock says, taking his plate upstairs to his bedroom.

Sherlock's up in his bedroom alone for a long time. He's listening to music with his headphones and doing homework, so he doesn't hear anyone enter his room. He jumps when Declan pats his shoulder.

"What the hell!" Sherlock yells.

Declan laughs. "I was knocking for, like, five minutes."

Sherlock takes many deep breaths and pauses his music. "What's up?"

"I'm taking Ellery home, then I have to go to Duke's to help him with anatomy. I'll be back later, ok?"

Sherlock nods.

Declan gets to the door, and Sherlock mutters, "If you need any help teaching Duke anatomy, let me know. I've become quite the expert at anatomy." He chuckles, laughing at his own innuendo.

"Oh, shove it."

He hears Declan leave, so he takes out his headphones and lets the music play loudly.

It's nearly eight and he knows Clement won't be home soon, so he changes his mind and takes his laptop downstairs to play the record player as loudly as he wants.

An hour passes and Declan still hasn't returned, and that's fine with Sherlock. What isn't fine is the tree outside Clement's office window keeps scraping against the window and startling him. He knows it's the tree, but that doesn't stop the sound from scaring him every few minutes.

Sherlock pauses the music when he thinks he hears a car door open and close. He assumes Clement is home, or that Declan got a cab, but when nobody comes to the door, he turns the music up again and lets it go.

A minute later, he thinks he hears it again, so he pauses the music and stands. Then, he hears the doorknob of the front door jiggle, so he grabs a fireplace poker and leaves the office.

He tiptoes to the door, and still hears someone messing with the doorknob. Clement changed the locks just that day, and he and Declan received a key, so whoever it is doesn't even know that Clement changed the lock.

He holds up the fireplace poker as if ready to swing. Whoever is on the other side of the door realizes they can't get in, so they move to the window at the side of the door. Sherlock pulls it back to swing, and the person gets the window open and starts to climb in.

"The least you could do is open the god damn door!"

Sherlock's jaw drops and he gasps. He drops the poker and rushes to Mycroft, who is currently climbing through the window. He helps Mycroft through and takes him in a tight hug.

"Oh," Mycroft gasps, surprised. But he hugs Sherlock back and digs his nose into Sherlock's hair.

"I thought you weren't coming in until Friday night," Sherlock says, his arms still wrapped around Mycroft.

"Are you surprised?" Mycroft asks, loosening his grip.

Sherlock finally lets him go. "Yes, of course. Why did you come early?"

"I missed you," Mycroft says. "I missed Dad. I took the next two days off and decided to fly home early."

Sherlock just smiles. "Well, that's great, then."

"Where's Dad?" Mycroft asks, picking up his suitcase to take it upstairs.

"He went out with his friends."

Mycroft looks at him, curious.

Sherlock shrugs. "Apparently, he's got friends."

Mycroft nods, and then starts up the stairs. "Dad's been sleeping in my bed?"Mycroft asks as they enter his bedroom.

"Yeah. He can't sleep in his own bed, apparently."

"Everything is just so apparent to you," Mycroft mutters.

"Apparently." Mycroft chuckles.

"Where am I to sleep then?"

"Dad's bed?"

Mycroft sighs.

Sherlock grins. "Lestrade's bed?"

Mycroft laughs. "I don't think so, Brother."

"Come on! Go see him!" Mycroft turns to Sherlock.

"I came to see you."

"But…but Lestrade!"

"I'll see him tomorrow then, alright?"

Sherlock nods.

They decide to make their dad sleep on the sofa, or in his own bed, and once Mycroft's unpacked, they go downstairs to watch television. Sherlock gets Mycroft dinner, and then they set up to watch a documentary on solving crimes. Sherlock tells Mycroft all about Ashley's case, then about many other things going on.

Declan arrives home around ten, just like Clement said to. "Hey, Sherlock, I'm—" he turns in to the sitting room and jumps. "Oh, hey Myc."

"Hello, Declan. How are you?"

Declan looks around, towards the kitchen. "Is Brook here?"

"Uh, no," Mycroft says. "Unfortunately, your brother couldn't make the trip this weekend."

"Ok…" Declan sighs, disappointed.

"Sherlock tells me you and Ellery are becoming quite the item," Mycroft says.

"Oh," Declan smiles as he sits next to Mycroft and Sherlock. "Yeah, I…I guess so. She kissed me today for the first time."

Sherlock cuts in. "Because you were so jealous that you were ready to call it off with her."

"He shouldn't have kissed her hand!" Declan cries.

Sherlock laughs.

Mycroft just smiles. "Well, congratulations, dear cousin. I wish you two well."

"Thank you," Declan says. "Well, I'm going to bed. See you guys later."

He goes to the stairs and starts up, then Sherlock calls, "How was Duke's anatomy?"

"Shut up!" Declan yells down the stairs.

Sherlock and Mycroft laugh.

Clement arrives home an hour later. Sherlock's slumped on the sofa, asleep next to Mycroft, and Mycroft's wide awake going over a few files he'd brought.

"Sherlock, I'm—" Clement rounds the corner to see Sherlock asleep. "Mycroft!"

Mycroft sets the files down and stands, and Clement grabs him and pulls him into a hug.

Sherlock stirs awake and blinks up at them. "Dad?"

Clement practically cries with joy. "Both of my boys under one roof!"

Sherlock rubs his eyes and sits up.

"Come on," Mycroft pulls at his arm. "Bed."

Mycroft drags Sherlock to his feet and up the stairs to his bedroom.

Sherlock sits on the bed and pulls his shoes off.

"I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" Mycroft asks. "What do you want to do?"

Sherlock shrugs. "I don't know. Just dinner, I guess."

"Really? I wasn't expecting you to want to go to school."

Sherlock looks at him. "I can stay home tomorrow?"

Mycroft nods. "If you'd like."

Sherlock smiles widely. "Can we go to a museum?"

"Yes," Mycroft says. "Sleep well. I'll wake you in the morning."

Sherlock nods. "Ok. Goodnight, Myc."

"Goodnight, Sherlock."