Sherlock: The Next Generation

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"Right, Molly's gone. You go get the boys and I'll get out the ingredients." John looked up from his book with a rather confused expression. Sherlock was looking at him so seriously.

"What?" John had no idea what Sherlock was talking about. None at all.

"We're baking a cake for Molly, John! Because it's her birthday. You don't think that I would organise for her to go on a massive shopping trip with Molly without a reason, would you?" Sherlock exclaimed giving John one of those 'you are so stupid' looks.

"Sherlock!" John sighed exasperatedly. "You don't know how to bake!"

"It's just science, John. Anyway, you always talked about how you used to bake with your mother."

"That was when I was much younger..."

"I know how to do it all, John. And it will be good for the twins."

"I can't believe you, of all people, are suggesting this."

"It will be fun. I've got the recipe on my laptop."

"Fine. I'll go drag Martin and Hamish from their various activities," John gave in with a slight sigh, standing up from his seat. He was dreading this. Sherlock may say it was just like science. Well, if the amount of explosions Sherlock caused 'for science' was anything to go by this wouldn't end well. And he doubted either of the twins would be very good at baking. And John himself hadn't done it for years and years. But he would comply nonetheless. Let Sherlock have his merry way. And if everything went wrong he would be able to pop out and buy a cake, anyway.

John peered his head around the door, the scene he had expected to see greeting him. Hamish was sitting at his desk with a frown, performing a reasonably safe experiment (or so he, and Sherlock, assured John) and taking notes as he did so. Martin lay on his stomach on his bed writing some new song down on manuscript paper. His violin lay beside him, within easy reach, and his dancing shoes were all set out neatly at the bottom of the bed. Neither noticed that John was there, too engrossed in what they were doing.

"We're going to do some baking!" John tried to sound enthusiastic, forcing a grin onto his lips. Maybe it would be fun! Maybe...

Martin looked up from his composing with a tilting head. "Okay." He shrugged slightly, putting down his pencil and slipping off his bed. He headed past John and into the kitchen Sherlock was getting out all the ingredients they needed (when he had got them John didn't know).

"I'm in the middle of an experiment," Hamish replied, not taking his eyes off what he was doing. John tried not to sigh for the fifty millionth time that day.

"It's for Molly's birthday."

"I don't want to do it. I want to finish my experiment. Please can I finish?" Hamish turned around with a pout and puppy dog eyes. John hardened his gaze, shaking his head.

"Think of the baking as an experiment."

"... Fine," Hamish pretended to look downcast as he got up from his chair and shuffled over to John, who just rolled his eyes and ushered the boy into the kitchen.

Sherlock quickly gathered the family around his laptop, which had a document with some kind of recipe up.

"We're going to making a four tiered cake," Sherlock began, face reasonably emotionless.

"What?" John blurted out. "You can't be serious, Sher. I doubt we could even make a plain old Victoria sponge."

"Jawn," Sherlock moaned slightly about the interruption. "You underestimate us! Let me continue." Martin and Hamish shared an almost amused look.