"They're saying it's lutramania," Anthea told John, as she handed him Mycroft's medical notes.
"Is that a diagnosis?" John replied, flicking through the file, "or a posh psychiatric way of saying 'there's something wrong but we don't know what'?"
"Some kind of fixation, they think. Mr Holmes' mind has become obsessed by a single idea."
"He was OK at Sherlock's funeral."
"That was before they found the CCTV footage from Barts," Anthea replied. "It was then that he finally seemed to realise that Sherlock was dead. He played the tape repeatedly. Then he started playing it backwards, so Sherlock would rise from the pavement and soar back up to the roof alive."
"Oh shit," John said. "That does sound bad."
"We were desperate to distract Mr Holmes," Anthea went on. "Sid Paget found something from a CCTV feed near Wapping, thought it might soothe him. Mr Holmes watched the clip forty-six times non-stop, and then demanded more footage. Said he had to find out what happened to the otter family, whether they were safe."
"Otters?"
"Otters. They've returned to a lot of rivers in England now. Including, apparently, the Thames."
"But why does Mycroft want to watch CCTV footage of otters?" John demanded.
"I asked him that," Anthea replied. "And all he said was that they reminded him of his brother."
BBC Sherlock
Rating 15 (swearing, implicit slash)
Summary: Greg's plan to win Mycroft is obviously illegal and stupid. Good job he's got some help...
Note: much of this chapter runs in parallel to the fic that inspired it (Second Skin's Persuasion), and may make more sense if read alongside it.
Betaed by the wonderful Small Hobbit.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6
BBC Sherlock
Rating 15 (swearing, implicit slash)
Summary: Greg finds out what's happened to Irene Adler. And to Jim Moriarty.
This was inspired by Second Skin's Persuasion, and started off as a prequel and remix of that. It has ended up much, much longer...
Note: The chronology of Series 2 is notoriously dodgy. This fic assumes that Scandal takes place in April 2010-Summer 2011, Hounds in Summer 2011 and Fall in Spring-Summer 2012. There are spoilers for Scandal and Hounds in later parts.
Betaed by the wonderful Small Hobbit.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
BBC Sherlock
Rating 15 (swearing, implicit slash)
Summary: It hasn't been Greg's day, his week, his month or even his year.
This was inspired by Second Skin's Persuasion, and started off as a prequel and remix of that. It has ended up much, much longer...
Note: The chronology of Series 2 is notoriously dodgy. This fic assumes that Scandal takes place in April 2010-Summer 2011, Hounds in Summer 2011 and Fall in Spring-Summer 2012. There are spoilers for Scandal and Hounds in later parts.
Betaed by the wonderful Small Hobbit.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
BBC Sherlock
Rating 15 (swearing, implicit slash)
Summary: Greg has Mycroft's number, but what will it take to make him phone it?
This was inspired by Second Skin's Persuasion, and started off as a prequel and remix of that. It has ended up much, much longer...
Note: The chronology of Series 2 is notoriously dodgy. This fic assumes that Scandal takes place in April 2010-Summer 2011, Hounds in Summer 2011 and Fall in Spring-Summer 2012. There are spoilers for Scandal and Hounds in later parts.
Betaed by the wonderful Small Hobbit.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
BBC Sherlock
Rating 15 (swearing, implicit slash)
Summary: Greg's off to the house of a suspected spy with Sherlock and Mycroft. The consequences are unexpected.
This was inspired by Second Skin's Persuasion, and started off as a prequel and remix of that. It has ended up much, much longer...
Note: The chronology of Series 2 is notoriously dodgy. This fic assumes that Scandal takes place in April 2010-Summer 2011, Hounds in Summer 2011 and Fall in Spring-Summer 2012.
Betaed by the wonderful Small Hobbit.
Part 1
BBC Sherlock
Rating 15 (swearing, implicit slash)
Summary: Greg Lestrade is a very patient man. Just as well, when it's so hard to get together with Mycroft Holmes.
This was inspired by Second Skin's Persuasion, and started off as a prequel and remix of that. It has ended up much, much longer...
Note: The chronology of Series 2 is notoriously dodgy. This fic assumes that Scandal takes place in April 2010-Summer 2011, Hounds in Summer 2011 and Fall in Spring-Summer 2012.
Betaed by the wonderful Small Hobbit.
John had expected the bees when they retired to Sussex. He hadn't expected the compost. Though Sherlock had always been fascinated by decomposition, and the scientific analysis of rotting vegetation was surely better than having disintegrating thumbs in the fridge.
Sherlock was out in the garden now, carefully sorting yesterday's leftovers. John knew better than to interfere; he still hadn't been forgiven for putting orange peel in the wormery. So when the door-bell rang, it was him faced with Mycroft.
He wished yet again that the Secret Service had let Mycroft go after William V's little accident, but no-one in the public sector was allowed to retire before eighty now. So here was Mycroft boring on about the latest defence disaster: someone had walked off with a vital part of Britain's latest submarine.
"It was a chip," Mycroft said. "They swallowed it." John's eyebrows rose. "A silicon chip. My experts assure me some information may be recoverable by the thief even after throughput."
"Sherlock won't take the case," John told him. "You know he's retired for good."
"I'm sure I can persuade him," Mycroft said smugly, heading out into the garden.
John watched and waited, smiling. A smile that turned into a grin as he saw Mycroft retreating shortly afterwards, beaten back by an accurately thrown volley of slightly-used tea bags.
BBC Sherlock
Rating PG
Spoilers: for A Scandal in Belgravia
Betaed by the wonderful et-cetera55.
BBC Sherlock
Rating: PG (preslash)
Spoilers: minor for Scandal in Belgravia
In Greg's view, the correct number of Valentine's Day cards for him to get was one. From his wife. He'd had too many horrendous rows with Jane over the years when other people had showed any interest. So by now the whole of New Scotland Yard knew that any cards received by him would be forensically examined and the culprits identified. After which, they would be reported to Personnel for creating a hostile working environment.
This year, though, he was expecting zero cards. Jane had left, but he hadn't told anyone yet. Though if you worked with a bunch of detectives, it was always hard to conceal things. He'd winced slightly at the envelope left on his desk on 14th February, and then noticed something. The handwriting on the outside was very familiar. Maybe because it was his own.
Written inside the card was one of Ronsard's sonnets. Someone with access to a forger and who knew he was fluent in French. Hadn't the British Government more important things to do? But it was oddly comforting finding someone he didn't have to explain things to. Below the poem was a single line: Is it too soon to express my appreciation?
He dug out a number kept for emergencies and texted: Not too soon. Jane's told me she's not coming back.
BBC Sherlock
Rating 12 (violence)
Spoilers: for The Reichenbach Fall
Betaed by the wonderful Small Hobbit
Pudupudu asked me at the SHAM2012 meetup to write Mycroft and Sherlock hurt/comfort. There may be slightly less comfort in this than she was hoping for, but that's Sherlock for you.
"I trust your brother is as good as you claim," Harry Pointdextre said, once he and Mycroft were alone. "Can't say he has much to recommend him otherwise."
"No?" Mycroft said, raising an eyebrow. "Which was doubtless why you were surreptitiously checking him out during our conversation? I thought Dr Watson would be more your type."
"Excellent chap, but far too short. You know my tastes, Mycroft. But I'm not sure it's quite the thing to tease your little brother if he is inexperienced in the bedroom department."
"I wanted to distract him from deducing your preferences. But Sherlock's not a virgin; he's simply given up sexual encounters."
"Can hardly be for lack of offers, I'm sure. From either side of the fence."
"He claims he prefers to focus on the life of the mind. I suspect it's more that he's hopeless at sex. No quicker passion-killer than someone realising that their partner's mind is currently focused on bloodstains. Multitasking is not advisable on those occasions."
"Well, let's hope he can still sort out Miss Adler and deal with those photos. Thanks for your help, as well, Mycroft. And, under the circumstances, if you'd like a quick tour of the palace's private rooms, I'd be happy to show you round now."
"I'd be delighted. Starting, one presumes – hopes – in your bedroom."
BBC Sherlock
Rating: 18 (swearing, drug-taking, explicit slash)
Spoilers: none for Series 2 and not compatible with it.
Written for a prompt (no 103) at the Mystrade Fanworks Festival and betaed by the amazing Blooms84.
BBC Sherlock
Rating 12+ (depending on your imagination)
Spoilers: Minor for Scandal in Belgravia. Inspired by a comment by Shoudboverthis.
"You're pick-pocketing Lestrade's phone now?" John said, when Sherlock gleefully produced it.
"He was being particularly irritating today."
"Well, maybe he's in a bad mood because his marriage has recently broken down, which would piss off anybody. And especially leave him feeling pissed-off with the person who's been providing a tactless running commentary on the disintegration of said marriage for months."
"But do you know why I pick-pocketed his phone now?"
"Because you're a git. A very clever git, but still a git." That was an easy deduction.
"To see what he's been saying to Mycroft."
John's jaw dropped. "Do I want to know?"
"Mycroft's been lusting after Lestrade for years. Now he's available, he'll try and make a move. I want to hear him being rebuffed." Sherlock opened the phone and started scrolling through the folders on it. Then his jaw dropped.
"I take it, then, Mycroft hasn't been rebuffed," John said eventually.
"There are photos of them together doing... things. I think my brain may be broken."
"Let's have a look," said John, and Sherlock handed the phone over. "Oh, that's not so bad, as long as you're careful. Done that sort of thing myself, actually."
"You have?" Sherlock demanded, in horror.
"Yeah, though you'd obviously have to be even more careful if you did it with another bloke."
BBC Sherlock
Rating 15 (swearing, slash)
Spoilers: None for series 2 (and not compatible with it).
Written for a prompt (no 69) at the Mystrade Fanworks Festival
Summary: Lestrade's jealousy about Mycroft has produced what it feared
Betaed by Thesmallhobbit - many thanks.
Part 1,Part 2,Part 3
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