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Greg watched John, it was as if he just now realised what he had done. How hard he had beaten Sherlock, how many times he had kicked the man while he was down. They weren’t sure where they were really going with this interview. Were they there to figure out what was wrong with Sherlock, what crime Sherlock was really trying to solve or figuring out what they were going to do with the fact that john had done Sherlock serious bodily harm. Greg knew Sherlock wouldn’t want anything to happen to John. He also knew that when Sherlock went into something like this there was always something to it. Not necessarily what Sherlock thought, but always something. Greg’s phone vibrated with a text. The content worried Greg, even John could see that. “Between me and Sherlock, we’ll make this assault thing go away, but there are other charges against you, and I don’t know what that is about.” Mycroft would kill him for helping John out but it would probably be needed, people hurting Sherlock was his least favourite thing.
“Other charges?” John looked as confused as Greg felt.
"I have no idea what it is about, it doesn't sound like police business. I'm just told to make you go with two men waiting outside.” Greg read through the message again. “I'll contact Mycroft and see if he can help you. He has to know what is going on." Mycroft was the one both Sherlock and Greg could always count on, but he wasn’t sure about John.
“Thanks, I have no idea what this is. Could you let Molly know what is happening? She’s looking after Rosie.” John dragged his bruised hand across his face.
“Sure. I’ll just escort you out.” The two men waiting for John looked like goons from an action movie, in black suits. They looked like something Mycroft could deal with. Greg called Mycroft as he watched John leave with the men. Two rings and there he was.
"Hello, Gregory." Mycroft sounded worn. Greg stepped into a room where he knew no one would be listening.
“Something has happened.” A stupid thing to say, by now Mycroft knew everything. He had probably directed the case to Greg in the first place.
“A lot has happened, Sherlock is in bad shape.” Greg remembered this tone from years ago. Sherlock was in bad shape and Mycroft was scared he wouldn’t be able to bring him back. Memories of Mycroft’s shaking hands and closed eyes as they sat together in a hospital waiting room for news about Sherlock drifted to mind. This was the first time they were in this situation since John came into their lives.
“That’s not what I was thinking about right now, John had been taken away because…” Mycroft interrupted him. Greg had definitely said the wrong thing, the shift in his lover's voice made that very clear.
“The situation with John is under control.” Mycroft was cold, but his voice wasn’t steady.
“Sherlock, is he…” Could he be worse off then Greg and John knew?
"I haven't seen him like this in years. In addition to the damage the drugs made John left him with some internal damage and fractured ribs."
“Shit Love, is he going to be ok?”
“Well, we now know that if something is going to kill Sherlock Holmes it is going to be John Watson.” There was a strain on his voice that only Greg and probably Sherlock would hear. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around Mycroft, but that was not for now.
“Are you ok?” there was a pause before Mycroft answered.
“I haven’t checked.”
“Just, help fix this with John. Even if he just hurt Sherlock, Sherlock loves John.” This was one of those days where Mycroft could just leave John to his faith, but then Sherlock would be even madder at Mycroft. John was the world to Sherlock.
"I'm on my way to a meeting, I'll see what I can do." Mycroft was working very hard to be the British government right now instead of Greg’s lover and Sherlock’s brother.
“Will you call me when you end your day? Maybe we should go see Sherlock and get dinner?” They could do that or they would both drown them self in work.
“I’ll let you know how the day goes.” Mycroft sighed even if he didn’t mean to.
“Love? You know even when hi is this bad Sherlock wouldn’t be completely wrong, there has to be something to it. Put that brain of yours to it and you’ll find something.” There was a long pause. The two men had seen Sherlock through a lot, and even at his worst his work hadn’t been completely wrong.
“I have the John situation under control.”
“Thank you, I love you, and I’m sure Sherlock will be fine.” None of them were ever sure about that but Greg could pretend.
"I hope so. We'll see. And my guests are arriving." Mycroft ended the conversation without waiting for Greg to answer. Greg was too considerate of other people, sometimes Mycroft found it annoying. John was not on the short list of people that he should help today. Mycroft picked up his umbrella and stepped through a door and into a completely white brightly lit room. John sat in a chair, the two guards on eider side of him.
"Mycroft, what is happening?" For an instant John looked relieved, until he saw the older man's eyes. Fire and ice at ones. Mycroft had chosen the location, not just for it’s proximity to NSY but so John could clearly see exactly how mad he was. No dark corners to hide in.
“Doctor Watson.” Mycroft paused. “There has been discovered some unsavoury activities from your military days. The sort that isn’t looked kindly upon.” John had heard Mycroft threaten others with things like this, but he had always thought that he was exempted. “And they have been brought to my attention.” Mycroft leaned against his umbrella, looking quite calm about it. Actually, he looked as if having John locked up would bring him pleasure.
“Mycroft, you know that isn’t true.” Panic, shock and anger battled in John. He landed on shocked as the correct reaction, blowing up at Mycroft probably wouldn’t help. Sherlock would stop it before Mycroft could do anything, but Sherlock was in hospital and in no shape to fight his brother.
“You see, the evidence is quite air tight.” John knew it would be, Mycroft never did anything like this if he couldn’t pull it off. “It would have you away from Sherlock and somewhere no one can find you before he wakes.” Mycroft’s voice was cool, but his eyes were burning. John lost his cool.
“Damn it Mycroft, I have a kid that has just lost her mother, I…” Mycroft interrupted with a look of disgust.
“She has perfectly capable godparents. I assure you doctor Watson, the only reason you will be leaving this room a free man is because my brother loves you and he is clearly incapable of functioning without you.” Mycroft shook his head. “I've made men disrepair for far less then what you did to Sherlock today." John clenched his jaw and moved to get up, but one of the goons pushed him down again.
“Other men?” Sherlock didn’t do friends, according to him John was the only one. What sort of men would Mycroft gotten rid of?
“He is a pretty posh boy, without access to his family money, but with expensive taste and an expensive habit. You are in no way the first abusive man to cross his path. You have seen him manipulate a woman into wanting to marry him, he has used and been used by people before.” Was that how Mycroft saw him, as an abuser? Was that what he had acted like? “I do not let anyone treat my brother like you do. He does not know how to protect himself against physical and psychological abuse he finds logical or deserved. He went off the deep end because of you, treating him as if he is worthless over and over again, you shut him out of your life and he has no way of dealing with loss like that.” The knuckles holding the umbrella were white.
“He killed my wife, he was supposed to protect her.” John hadn’t thought he would shout, but he did.
"He didn't kill her, she made a choice and jumped in front of Sherlock. Just because it isn’t a choice you would have made doesn’t make it any less of a choice. He couldn't have stopped her any more than I could, or Gregory. But you let him believe that it was his fault, and he would have let you kick him to death because of it." Johan clenched his fists, he had no idea how to handle this. One of the bigger men put a hand on his shoulder, he must look like he was about to attack Mycroft. He probably was, the anger was all consuming. But the calculating fire that burned in Mycroft was scary and stopped him from doing something stupid.
“And what if I can’t forgive him.” John snarled.
“He didn’t do anything wrong.” Mycroft snapped. ”You underestimate your late wife.”
“What if I think you are wrong, if I won’t stop thinking that he killed Marry?” Mycroft was wrong, Sherlock had promised and he had broken his promise. Mycroft pointed the umbrella at John as if he wanted to run it through the man. He kept his distance for a reason.
“If you can’t stop taking your guilt out on Sherlock then leave him, leave London and preferably lie and tell him he shouldn’t blame himself. The rest of us will pick him up and help him heal like we always do.” Mycroft's furry broke through his mask and he hissed like a serpent. "If you ever hurt him again, if you break that fragile heart of his again, you will be going somewhere Sherlock wouldn't be able to find you. Don't worry about Rosie, she would be well-taken care off without you. Looking at you track record with you wife and my brother it might not be a bad thing." It was obvious Mycroft had given this a lot of thought.
“You wouldn’t.” Their eyes locked and none of them were backing down.
“Are you sure about that Doctor Watson?” Sherlock had faked his death because of John, he had killed because of John, he had overdosed when he was separated from John, and now he was back on drugs because of John. And still, he looked at the army doctor like a lost dog, like a kicked puppy just waiting for his master to come back. Sherlock had horrible taste in men.
“Fine, he is not my responsibility.” John broke eye contact and looked at the goon still holding his shoulder.
“No, he is mine, he is always my responsibility. That includes keeping him as safe as I can.” Mycroft twirled his umbrella and started to walk away. “Put him back where ever he wants to go, I have to look into this case Sherlock was been working on." Mycroft could hear the men starting to move behind his back as he exited the room.