Brother dearest; Chapter 5

You might be a big fish in a little pond

Doesn't mean you've won

'Cause along may come a bigger one

And you'll be lost

Every river that you tried to cross

Every gun you ever held went off

Oh and I'm just waiting 'til the firing's stopped

Oh and I'm just waiting 'til the shine wears off

(Coldplay-Lost)

Just as Sherlock and John were arriving at the cottage they could see the fire trucks driving away from it. John carefully parked his car somewhere remote so it wouldn’t be seen and they went nearer for a closer look.
It wasn’t all too bad. Of course Mycroft had been exaggerating over the phone.

‘You wait here’ John said ‘I will go and find Mycroft. This is absurd; he can’t blame this on you. I will find out what’s going on without you getting arrested.’ And before Sherlock could protest John walked away leaving Sherlock waiting by the car.

Mycroft was outside at the cottage talking to Lestrade when John approached. Lestrade saw him first. ‘For fuck’s sake John, where is Sherlock? Don’t you dare let him come here; I’d have no other choice than to arrest him.’

‘Don’t you worry’ John said ‘He isn’t here with me’ knowing very well Sherlock could hear everything that was being said.
‘Now, what is this nonsense of Sherlock being the culprit to all this? You all know very well it’s Moriarty and don’t you dare’ he said pointing at Mycroft ‘say otherwise’

Mycroft looked to the ground while speaking; ‘John, I promised Sherlock he’d be safe. And now this tape showing up; I… I failed him, I’m sorry’ Mycroft looked up at John and raised his voice; ‘It’s alright Sherlock, you won’t be arrested, the tape has somehow ‘disappeared’ and we are still looking in on that. You have my word’

‘I don’t really know what your word is worth anymore’ Sherlock’s voice came from behind the cottage. ‘You said John and I would be protected and safe after all’

Mycroft turned his head to where Sherlock’s voice was coming from; ‘You do have my word, Sherlock’

Lestrade was standing there with his hands in his pockets staring at Mycroft; ‘I’m not hearing this right am I?’

‘No inspector, you’re hearing is perfectly okay. You will find the tape missing if you look for it and there are no copies either. I know that if we’ll look at it eventually, we will see a glitch on it or something where it’s been tampered with. Moriarty has his tugs everywhere no doubt about that.
Oh don’t look shocked will you? We both know it was Moriarty all along. He is trying to hurt my brother, my whole family I might add, and he must be stopped. We must concentrate on getting our mother back, protecting my father and locking up Sherlock for something he did not do doesn’t help getting all that accomplished now does it?’ Mycroft looked at Greg Lestrade; ‘Besides; we knew he was going to do something to discredit Sherlock and that’s why the damage is minor. Because we were prepared, so stop it with all those nonsense and those idiotic rules’

Sherlock appeared from behind the cottage and stared at his brother ‘I never heard you bending any rules, ever!’

‘There’s a first for everything, little brother’ Mycroft smiled at Sherlock ‘Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go back to London. Oh Sherlock, I’m taking father with me, that seems the safest thing to do right now’

Sherlock nodded. He stepped forward and put his hand out to shake Mycroft’s. ‘Thank you Mycroft’ he simply said.

Mycroft nodded and went off to get his father.

‘Well, I’ll be damned’ Lestrade said shaking his head. ‘Seems like I just have nothing more to say’

‘Don’t you know Greg? He is the bloody government’ Sherlock smiled a weak smile.

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John and Sherlock drove back to London in silence. They decided it was no use staying near the cottage. Moriarty would have taken Mrs Holmes somewhere else by now. Maybe even back to London. Every now and then John looked at Sherlock. He felt uneasy with this silence between them. Of course he was very relieved that Sherlock wasn’t arrested, it would be such a stupid mistake if they had, but he knew there was something else bothering Sherlock, something other than Sherlock’s mother that is.

Back at Baker Street John wanted to ask Sherlock but as soon as they entered their home Sherlock said he was tired and went off to bed. It was late, or should he say early. It was probably the best thing to do, go to bed. He’d better ask Sherlock in the morning.

The next morning Sherlock was already up and pacing around when John got up. ‘Good morning Sherlock’ John said.

Sherlock didn’t even seem to notice him and kept on pacing. John walked to the kitchen and made some tea as Sherlock’s phone rang.

‘Sherlock how wonderful to hear your voice again’ Moriarty said ‘Slept well?’

‘Moriarty’ Sherlock growled.

John put the tea in front of Sherlock and sat down in his chair. Sherlock looked at him as if he only noticed him now.

‘Sherlock I’m surprised you’re not under lock and key. Maybe I have to be more careful next time’

‘There won’t be a next time. If you want me, take me. Leave everyone else out of it’ Sherlock grinded his teeth.

‘Don’t be like that. You’re always doing that. Let me have my fun. You’re always spoiling it for me… You’re such a BORE!’ Moriarty shouted that last word and Sherlock had to hold his phone further away from his ear.

‘Mummy doesn’t want me to shout. Well what about a trade for mummy. Mummy is a bore too, no fun at all. I don’t like her, she loves you more. What do you say? We’ll exchange John for mummy? You think about it, I’ll get back to you’

Before Sherlock could answer Moriarty hung up the phone.

‘What did he say? Sherlock, what did he say? John stood up and walked towards Sherlock.

‘He wants to make an exchange’ Sherlock whispered.

‘What kind of an exchange’ John asked.

Sherlock turned to look at John; ‘He wants to exchange my mother for you’

                 -----------------

‘No John you can argue with me until you see blue in the face I won’t let you go change places with my mother. Moriarty can’t be trusted’ Sherlock looked at John with a disturbed and worried face.

‘But Sherlock, at least your mother will be safe’ John tried to persuade Sherlock.

‘You know very well that Moriarty has no intention of letting either of you go. No John, I can’t have the two people I love most in this world put to risk’

John, who had opened his mouth to say something, slowly closed it again. He looked at Sherlock. Did he hear that right? Sherlock was pacing up and down, looking every now and again at his phone not knowing what an impact those words had made on John.

‘Sherlock, what did you say just now? John asked carefully.

‘Hm what?’ Sherlock was preoccupied and was now looking out the window to see if inspector Lestrade was coming already.

‘Sherlock look at me please! What did you say?’

Sherlock slowly turned around and looked at John; ‘You heard me John, I’m not in the habit of repeating myself’

Sherlock turned to the window and looked outside again. He could kick himself for letting those words come out of his mouth. If he had only said ‘care most about’ it would have been okay, no he had to say the L word. He didn’t dare turn around again and face John. He fiddled with his phone. Where was Lestrade when he needed him? Behind him he felt John walk towards him. Oh dear God what should he do now?

When he turned around his blood ran cold. John was standing in the middle of the room with Moriarty behind him holding a knife to his throat and his other hand over his mouth. The grin on Moriarty’s face was repulsive. Sherlock’s stomach turned in disgust.

‘Let… him… go…’ Sherlock growled.

Moriarty laughed ‘Why should I? You are so boring, Sherlock really, you are. And predictable too! ‘Oh don’t touch my precious John… Or I’ll hurt you!’ Well I would love to see you try, baby brother’

‘What do you want?’ Sherlock whispered ‘You clearly don’t want mother or John, you want to hurt me, and you want me. Take me then!’

‘Oh Sherlock, I can so easily hurt you. I will DISTROY you. If I kill mother and John, where will you be? You’ll be nothing. You’ll be lost’

‘Don’t forget I shall take my revenge if you do that’ Sherlock took a step closer to John and Moriarty.

‘Ah ah ah… don’t!’ Moriarty pressed the knife closer to John’s throat and Sherlock could see a drop of blood running down and John cringed.  ‘Any last words Capt. Watson?’ Moriarty laughed as he removed his hand from John’s mouth.

‘Sherlock’ John said with a hoarse voice ‘Don’t; let me exchange places with your mother, I’ll be alright’

‘See? That’s a brave little soldier’ Moriarty started to walk backwards out of the room. ‘Don’t try to follow or he’ll be dead before you can say; ‘I love you John!’

Sherlock felt shivers going up and down his spine as he could not do anything else but to watch John being dragged away by Moriarty, whose words were hanging in the room it seemed. Did everybody know? Was he that transparent?

‘Moriarty’ he called as he collected his thoughts together. ‘Don’t you dare change your rules again. I will hunt you down, you can count on that’

All he could hear was Moriarty’s giggle as the front door opened and closed again.