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The day had gone well, not exactly a spectacular event but good. His father and Charlotte were now man and wife. He had a new step mother younger than him.
John had been surprised when both he and Harry had been invited. He had decided to decline the invitation, that is until he received a phone call from his Nan. John and Harry's grandmother was in her 80's, deaf and partially sighted and wasn't aware of her son's drinking or violent temper. They'd agreed they would keep it that way, not wanting to cause her any anguish, knowing that it would break her heart .
John took his Nan outside for a cigarette and talked to her about the wedding. His Nan hadn't been impressed with Charlotte from day one and didn't like the fact that the bride had gone to a charity shop to get the bridesmaid's gifts. John had smirked and disagreed until he saw the plastic bracelet on his cousins wrist. Then his aunt appeared and she took his Nan home, leaving him alone.
With all the formalities and introductions over and done with, John now found himself at a table in the beer garden drinking a glass of orange juice alone. Harry had long since ensconced herself in a seat near the bar and looked like she was going to drink herself into a stupor. A couple nearby chatted to him for a while, but their company grated on him. Leering at women walking past and shouting 'nice pair of tits' was never his forte. He made his excuses and grabbed a sandwich from the buffet.
John had always felt like the odd one out on his fathers side of the family. He'd often wondered why. Perhaps it was because he was happy on the side lines just listening. He watched as the party guests separated into cliques, and wondered if he should leave feeling like the proverbial 'spare prick at a wedding'. Guests filtered away the crowd rapidly thinning and he realised he should stay. Not for his father, but for Charlotte because it was her special day.
He watched as his father and Charlotte his new step mother had their first dance to 'Angry Anderson's - Suddenly'. John cringed and then grinned, thinking of Anderson trying to sing 'Sexual Healing' at the MET Christmas party. His thoughts turned to Sherlock, hopefully sitting at home blissfully unaware. He hadn't invited him knowing he would be even bored than John was. John looked down at his empty glass and decided to make his way to the bar for a pint.
Harry was happily chatting to a pretty girl at a table near the bar, and actually seemed reasonably sober. He waved to her and ordered himself a pint. When he returned to his table there was a surge of conversation.
"Oh he's so cute!" One woman said, another turned and looked at her.
"Mmmmm isn't he, and I'm not talking about the puppy."
John tried to look around them his suspitions growing by the second. Finally parting the crowd with 'oh' and 'ah's' Gladstone appeared wearing a bow tie.
"Gladstone!" John shouted laughing as his puppy hurtled toward him, his lead trailing behind him. "Where's uncle Sherlock?" John grabbed the end of Gladstone's lead. A second later Lestrade appeared pulling a somewhat shocked looking Sherlock behind him.
"There are a lot of desperate women here tonight John." Lestrade laughed.
"Are you ok Sherlock?" John asked taking Sherlock's hand. There was a brief silence as John pulled Sherlock forward and kissed him.
"I think your step mother pinched my behind John." Sherlock said wrapping his arms around John.
"Should have known. He's too pretty to be available." The woman to their right mumbled.
"John's boyfriend though! Who would have thought." Her friend replied.
"Well John is lovely inside and out." The woman to the right said smiling warmly as John looked at her. John snuggled into Sherlock's shoulder.
"How did you know?" John asked.
"Worlds only consulting detective." Sherlock smiled. John smoothed down Sherlock's lapels.
"Why did you bring Greg Sherlock?" John asked as Lestrade sat down and put the puppy on his knee.
"I can't dance with you properly when Gladstone's on his lead. I requested a song." 'Lets get it on.' started to play. Sherlock held out his hand. "May I have this dance?" John grinned and slipped into Sherlock's arms.