The Sherlock Family

Chapter 3

Mornings. Mornings were never easy in the Lestrade-Holmes household. It wasn't surprising, really, that Jimmy and Philip weren't morning people. However, Sherlock would get up at 5:30am sharp every day, along with his Pa, who had to get to work very early.
This morning was no different.

Mycroft was getting changed into his suit at 5:30am when Sherlock walked into his parent's room. Mycroft placed his fingers to his lips as he pulled his trousers up; he didn't want Sherlock to wake up Greg. Sherlock knew that that was the rules, otherwise he'd have to be put into a little boy bed again. Sherlock nodded and watched his Pa pull his socks on.

Mycroft took Sherlock's hand and led him downstairs to eat breakfast. Mycroft and Sherly ate their cereal in silence, Sherlock beaming up at his Pa every now again, and Mycroft smiling back in between spoonfuls of cereal and glances at the newspaper.

Sherlock liked to think he was a good reader, but his Pa didn't let him read the newspaper. His Pa said it was because, "there are too many scary stories," so Sherlock read story books instead.

Mycroft picked out one of Sherlock's favourite story books about a bee and a little boy, which reminded him of Sherlock and his bee toy. He left Sherlock to his book while he brushed his teeth and made sandwiches for the kid's lunches for school.

Sherlock traced the outline of the letters with his finger while looking at the pictures. After Mycroft finished making all the sandwiches, Sherlock watched him pack his bag and tie his shoelaces. He turned the TV on to a cartoon, and put it on mute. Sherlock moved to the sofa and watched his cartoon, sucking his thumb.

Mycroft kissed his forehead and left for work. Sherlock stays on the sofa watching cartoons until Da wakes up. That's the rules, his Pa told him.

Greg usually wakes up and goes downstairs to see Sherlock fast asleep on the sofa with the muted cartoon playing in the background. He smiles as he gently wakes him. He goes to eat his breakfast while Sherlock watches, before waking up the other four kids.

"I'm tired!" Jim moans, as his Da wakes him up.

"Noooo," Philip whines when he is awoken.

John got up with no complaints to go and help Molly out of her cot. John would make a great Dad one day, and everyone knew it. He was always so patient and he hardly had any arguments. 

Lestrade smiled at his son, silently thanking him and taking Molly out of his arms. Sherlock was following John around now, holding his hand while sucking his thumb. If Mycroft was there, he would have scolded him, but Greg didn't really see any problem with it. Besides, he looked cute.

After what seemed like an hour of breakfast eating and brushing teeth, they got in the car to drop the kids off to preschool and school.

The first stop was school, where Jimmy, Philip and John were dropped off, all wearing their shirts and ties. Jim looked a bit scruffy though, as usual, so Greg re-did his tie and kissed each of their foreheads before sending them off to school. Sherlock ran to go and hug John, causing John to giggle and ruffle his hair.

"See you later, Lock," he smiled.

Next, Sherlock was off to preschool. He didn't particularly like going to preschool, but he didn't really complain much. Sherlock was very quiet most of the time, so he didn't really have any friends. He didn't mind though. He had John and Da and Pa.

"Bye, little guy, I'll pick you up later, okay?" Da smiled at him. Sherlock nodded and smiled, then followed the preschool assistant over to the toy cars and trucks.

Then there were two. Just Da and Molly. Molly giggled in the back of the car to herself while Greg drove back home to the now empty Lestrade-Holmes household.

Molly and Greg spent the rest of the day watching cartoons and colouring in.