By the time John reached the crime scene, he was flustered and red in the face. He was puffing from the speed walk he had taken half the way across London. His grey eyes scanned the area for his child as he strode under the blue and white police tape.

Even police officers that he was fairly acquainted with gave him a wide berth when they saw the furious look plastered across his face. He had no family at all aside from his son and that detective dares to put him at risk like this?!

Somehow he knew exactly where the consulting detective would be so he strode straight towards where the corpse was lying. He spotted Lestrade first and sped up.

"Where is Hamish?!" He ground out through gritted teeth.

Greg didn't speak in the face of John's anger. Instead the policeman pointed a few meters away to where Sherlock was poking the Tarmac. Hamish was playing beside the sociopath obliviously. The boy giggled as he waved the toy giraffe in the air.

The ex-soldier aimed straight of the young boy, scooping him into his arms. He squeezed him tightly to reassure himself that he really was safe and not in danger. He hugged him to his chest.

"Papa?!" His high voice squeaked with joy.

"Are you okay?" The doctor rushed to say, brushing the hair out of his son's face.

"Yes, Papa!" The boy wriggled until John let him go and the Hamish ran back over to where his toy was. He continued playing like before.

John hadn't noticed Greg until the man spoke, "He's fine, John. I wouldn't say it is the best environment for a child but he's safe. I've been looking out for him." The man smiled gently. "Anyway, you really baby him."

The ex-soldier relaxed his shoulders slightly and rubbed at his forehead, "I know... I just can't help it." He blinked down at the floor as he thought back.

-/Memory\-

"What are you doing?! Stop!" John squealed as he watched Richard throw their son several feet above his head.

Hamish was crying out with pure joy as he felt the wind flying past him. Richard caught him securely before once again pushing his only son toward the skies. John watched on in absolute horror. His grey eyes were stuck to the child.

"Stop?" Laughed Richard, "He's loving it. Aren't you Hamish?" The boy was too young to properly respond but his joyful noises were enough of a confirmation.

"Please stop! He's only a baby!" The doctor pressed further. Hamish wasn't a baby but to John he would always be his baby boy.

The soldier sighed, rolled his eyes and this time, when his child came plummeting toward the ground, caught him tightly and placed him into the ground where he continued chewing a plastic block on the picnic blanket.

John had never been so relieved to see his son on solid ground. He kiss the top of the boy's head and gently touched his cheek. To have him safe was all he wanted.

John could tell that his partner wasn't completely okay with him raining on their parade. There was a limited time before Richard was due to be deployed again and it was obvious he was trying to form a strong bond with their son. He didn't want to be a stranger to the child they'd vowed to raise together.

With John being invalided home last year, the doctor always grew increasingly anxious about his partner heading back out to war. Everyday Richard was out there, the doctor had images of him being shot or caught in a bomb. He would often lie awake at night with these thoughts paralysing him. However, he refused to voice these concerns to Richard as he knew his partner would feel guilty.

"You have to stop babying him, Love. He's got to grow and experience everything himself." Richard spoke gently with the softest smile. He knew how to care for John and for their child.

-/\-

Sherlock turned around from where he was peering off and noticed the short man. A smile burst onto his face, "John!"

"Are you ready to go?" John said and as he did he realised that while lost in his memory his anger had evaporated.

The detective nodded and they set off together in the direction of home with Hamish securely in his father's arms. The walked side by side for several minutes before John finally spoke.

"I'm sorry I was so angry earlier. It was just because... Hamish is all I have. I have no family outside of him." He spoke quietly but Sherlock could hear him over the traffic on the road beside them.

The detective peered down at the man curiously, "No family? No mother or father?" He asked.

John shook his head and his lips turned down, "No, they couldn't accept me for what I am. On occasion I'd get a birthday card but when I officially got with Richard they stopped all contact. I tried writing but the letters got sent back unopened." He shrugged despite his voice cracking slightly.

The detective couldn't believe these people would do this to their own son just because he was homosexual. That did change who he was in the slightest.

"Well, they should be very proud of you and everything you've achieved. Not many people could do what you've done."

John didn't answer but he did wipe a tear away from his eye discretely.