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Title: The Curious Incident of the Brother in the Nighttime
Author: Cicero
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes
Pairing: Lestrade/Mycroft Holmes (pre-slash), Holmes/Watson
Rating: PG
Summary: Lestrade makes an unexpected discovery.
Email Address: Cicerothewriter@livejournal.com
Categories: Pre-slash, humor.
Feedback notes: Any kind of feedback will be appreciated, even if you just write me a one-line email telling me that you've read the story, and I will be happy.
Warnings: Slash
Notes: Written in less than 15 minutes. This is what happens when you read Pliny's letters, Catullus, and think about Granada's Holmes series while listening to Beethoven at 3 in the morning.
Note 2: Takes place after Holmes' death at the Reichenbach Falls. I'm following Granada cannon in these stories for several reasons, one being that I love Colin Jeavons' Lestrade and Charles Gray's Mycroft Holmes. Watson here is a cross between Burke's and Hardwicke's Watson. Brett's Holmes stays the same.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sherlock Holmes or his Granada reincarnation. I am writing this for fun, not profit.

It was late in the evening when Inspector Lestrade stood on the platform waiting for the next train to arrive. It slowed to a stop, spewing smoke and dust everywhere. Lestrade was unfortunate enough to be caught inhaling at that time, and the unexpectedness of it caused him to cough quite a bit. Staggering a little as he tried to reach his coach, he accidentally knocked into another person who was getting off.

"Excuse me," he said, blinking rapidly.

"Quite all right. Are you in need of some assistance?"

Lestrade merely nodded. The heaviness in the air seemed to clear, and Lestrade was finally able to blink the grit out of his eyes and get a good look at his companion.

The man before him was smiling, white-haired, broad (in such a way that suggests natural broadness with just a touch of middle-age weight) and much taller than Lestrade was. Dressed as that of a gentleman, his pocket watch and cane all spoke of a well-to-do man. Grey [hazel] eyes narrowed at him, and Lestrade could sense the shrewd intelligence. His instincts were bore out when the man spoke again.

"Are you going to or coming from an investigation, Inspector?"

Lestrade gapped. "You know me?"

"Not at all. I merely deduced."

Lestrade was about to ask how he had come to his conclusion, but then decided that he was really too tired to care. Words like deduce always reminded him of Sherlock Holmes, and his head throbbed in sympathy pains. It was then that he remembered Dr. Watson telling him briefly of his adventure with Holmes and his brother - Watson had been amazed at the existence of other members of the Holmes family - and spoke with much admiration at the brother's intelligence. What had been his name?

"You must be Mycroft Holmes," Lestrade said.

The man cocked his head to the side briefly before saying, "Correct, sir. How did you deduce that?"

"You remind me of your brother."

He laughed, shocking me by its loudness and sincerity. I've only heard Sherlock Holmes laugh a couple of times, once in frustration and once at my expense.

"You must be Inspector Lestrade, then, if you know my brother so well."

"He knows plenty of Inspectors," I replied.

"Yes, but he rarely mentions most of them and in so positive a light as he has of you."

Lestrade's eyebrows rose. "You must be joking!"

Mycroft Holmes looked at Lestrade as if studying him. He was about to speak when the whistle sounded that the train was about to get moving again.

"I must board now. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Holmes," Lestrade said.

"Likewise, Inspector Lestrade," Holmes replied. "We must do this again sometime."

Again Lestrade was taken back by his sincerity. "Sir," he said, nodding in agreement.

Mycroft smiled, and turned away with an elegance reminiscent of his brother and emphasized by his largeness.

Lestrade felt - something - as he watched the elder Holmes walk away. As Lestrade boarded the train, he realized something else.

His headache was gone.



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