Sherlock: The Next Generation

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

"I have friends."

"And? If you got them in the first place I am sure you will be able to find more among the year tens." Sherlock frowned at his daughter, who was lying stretched out on the sofa. She wore one of John's old jumpers, which was far too big for her, and scabby jeans. The nine year old was in the middle of solving a minor crime, thievery. She refused to change her clothes, using the excuse that she was working on a case. Sherlock noted that it drove John mad.

"They will all be two years older. I don't care if Hamish did it. I want to wait another year."

"But you're smart enough to finish school at sixteen. Becoming a doctor takes years."

"Papa did it without leaving early. I will wait another year before starting at the senior school."

Sherlock let out a dramatic sigh before merely nodding.

Martin got the distinct impression that he was intruding when he walked in from his room. But he ignored that. He had to ask his dad something.

Even though it had been almost a full year since the event, summer heralding the approach of its anniversary, Martin still did not talk to many people. Only his family, the other boys in his year, teachers on the occasion and Karina. Not that he had seen her much. But he would.

"Kari has invited me to go out for lunch with her. Can I go?"

"How safe will it be?" Sherlock turned his many coloured gaze to his son, a sense of concern held in their depths.

"I'll have my phone, which has a tracking device. Busy area of London. The café is only ten minutes away, at most. Nice place, good reputation." Martin spoke softly, tugging at his hair as he glanced up at the roof.

"And you definitely know all of this?" Sherlock needed to make sure. It may have been a year, Moriarty may be dead, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Hamish looked it up and confirmed it all."

"You can go," Sherlock nodded with a smile. "If you go anywhere else call me. Or your Papa."

"Yup," Martin smiled lightly. He was looking forward to seeing Karina. He hadn't really gotten much of a chance to talk to her at his school's Christmas ceilidh and there hadn't been any time to meet up during the holidays. So it would be good to see her again. He skipped back into his room to get ready, flashing a grin at Hamish. His twin merely arched an eyebrow, glancing up from his laptop.

"Have fun," he commented as Martin changed his jumper and shut down his computer.

"I will," Martin smiled, suddenly sitting down on the edge of Hamish's bed. "You'll make another friend, you know."

"What makes you think that?" Hamish rolled over, fixing his twin with a hard stare. Martin shrugged.

"You made one in the first place. Anyway you're really quite a nice guy."

"Oh thanks."

"And there must be someone two years older than you who is almost at your level of intelligence. And dad found papa, did he not?"

"I guess you're right." Hamish shrugged with a sigh. School had been hard since Mortimer had left. Not in the classic sense of difficult school work. No, that was easy. He had undoubtedly passed his GSCEs with straight As. But he had been so alone. He hated school. He'd been half tempted to just not go, to solve cases around London instead or something. But his dads would undoubtedly find out. He didn't want that. The extent of his hatred and boredom had been so much he had even tried smoking a few times in school. But every time, guilt had nagged at him and told him to stop after only a few breaths. He remembered what his dad had said to him when he was younger. To not go down the same route he had. So Hamish tried to live by that.