Chapter Text
Greg was sitting in the café, tapping his fingers absentmindedly on the hardwood table, he was early for once, in all his adult life he had always been the one to arrive late - if he ever arrived that is. Being a workaholic was tough and even tougher on those around you.
Perhaps that was why Jules had left back then, taking their daughter with her, she was a good girl though, still daddy’s girl despite of the horrid divorce and the absence of the stereotypical dad.
Lost in his thoughts he did not notice the slight cough and someone sitting down on the chair opposite him.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Came the stoic voice of the anticipated man.
Greg chuckled and looked up, he saw Mycroft sending him a concerned look.
“Sorry Mycroft, I was just thinking about my daughter Penny” Greg smiled
“Ah I see my choice of words making an undeliberate pun hence the chuckle” Mycroft loosened in his expression
“Bang on there Holmes” Greg pointed at Mycroft and laughed “Right I am famished, let’s get some grub” Mycroft nodded curtly and they ordered their food.
Two weeks later found Greg and Mycroft in Greg’s flat; Greg’s workday came to an abrupt stop, when one of the criminals he, John and Sherlock was pursuing through the underground had tackled him down an escalator, while Sherlock had been knocked hard into the tilled walls of the underground and sustained a slight concussion. Greg had miraculously not sustained any serious injuries, due to him landing on the perpetrator.
Mycroft had arrived at the hospital minutes after they had, Sherlock merely snarled at his brother while John was fussing around Sherlock.
Greg was getting ready to leave when a figure entered his hospital room
“Detective Inspector I hear you made a lucky escape today” Greg looked up and saw Mycroft looked at him with those piercing eyes
“Yeah well, more than could be said on the wanker who tackled me, how is Sherlock?” Greg groaned at the pain in his back, he certainly wasn’t as young as he used to be.
“Being as troublesome as he can muster with a slight concussion” Mycroft mused
“Those poor nurses, are they releasing him today?” Greg smiled
“Yes, Doctor Watson forced them to, saying he would be taking care of him back at 221B” Mycroft fiddled with his umbrella
“Properly the only physician who could” Greg laughed and Mycroft joined in
“Yes I supposed so, come Detective Inspector let me give you a ride home” Mycroft handed Greg him his coat.
“I could just take a cab, don’t want to be a trouble” Greg took the coat
“Oh I insist” Mycroft said firmly and who was Greg to deny the luxury of not having to hail a cab.
They went back to Greg’s flat near the Yard, Mycroft had insisted on accompany him all the way up, just to make sure Greg got in alright.
“Thank you Mycroft, can I at least offer you a drink or something for your troubles?” Greg asked, deep down really hoping that Mycroft would accept.
“That would be lovely thank you, though you rest and I’ll go get it” Mycroft removed his jacket and placed his umbrella, Greg sat down at the little dining set he had in his small kitchen.
“There is some white wine in the fridge, though nothing nearly as posh as you might be used to” Greg bit his lip, it was a bottle he had been given at work, for his 15 year anniversary at the yard.
“Do not fret Detective Inspector, I am sure it will be perfectly agreeable” Mycroft was bending over and looking into the fridge, Greg stared at the younger man’s perfectly round behind, he could not help himself. Mycroft turned around and Greg hoped he hadn’t noticed
“Glasses?” Mycroft asked
“Top left shelf and please Mycroft, call me Greg” Greg said, Mycroft got two wineglasses out, opened the wine and poured out two large glasses of wine.
“Let’s go and sit in the living room, need to put up my old legs, if you don’t mind” Greg rose and walked out of the kitchen and into his living room.
....
They ordered in some Chinese food and chatted about this and that, mostly about Sherlock and all the absurdity in Greg’s career that had entailed following Sherlock’s instructions when it knocked loudly on his door, Greg looked at his watch, it was half past midnight.
“Who on earth can that be?” Greg said grumpily, he shuffled over to the door, still sore from earlier, he opened to door, saw a flash of auburn hair and was holding a sobbing girl.
“Boys are fucking stupid Da” Penny sobbed into Greg’s chest,
“What happened, Love?” Greg forgot his pain and hugged his daughter closed.
“I was at this party and this guy started to hit on me, I turned him down but he kept on coming on to me, when I said that I wasn’t fucking interested he started to grope me, saying that I was just playing hard to get, ended up punching him and ran out” Penny’s sobs started to die down and she looked up at her dad with puffy red eyes and her mascara running down her cheeks “Please don’t tell mum! She would go fucking mental if she knew”
“Not tell her you were at a party or that the bloke was hitting on you?” Greg wiped the tear soaked mascara of her cheeks and smiled. Penny giggled
“Both, she thinks I was having a sleepover at Sarah’s house” Penny looked imploringly at her dad.
“Sure thing love” Greg loosened his hold on her and they walked into the living room, Penny looked over and saw Mycroft
“Oh Shit, sorry Da I didn’t know you had company” Penny tried her eyes and walked over to Mycroft.
“Hi, I am this old geezer’s hopeless daughter Penny” Penny extended her hand to Mycroft
“I am Mycroft Holmes” Mycroft took her hand and shook it
“Holmes, like in the bloke that helps Da at work?” Penny pointed her thumb back over at her dad
“Ah yes, I am his elder brother” Mycroft looked over at Greg “Perhaps I should be going home” Mycroft said uncomfortably
“Oh not for my sake, I’m sorry I ruined your evening” Penny said apologetically
“You look like someone who could use a cuppa love, let me put on the kettle” Greg said as he walked over towards the kitchen.
“Nah Da, let me do it yeah? You sit down with your mate and I’ll bring us all a refreshing cuppa” Penny winked at Mycroft and walked over to the kitchen.
“God, I am so sorry about that Myc, but she’s my baby girl I can’t just...” Greg said but Mycroft stopped him
“Do not apologize Gregory, she is your kin and ones will go through hell and back for them, look at me and Sherlock, though he does not realize it, I do worry about him, constantly” Mycroft send Greg a half smile.
“Cheers mate, she is the only thing in this life which I am properly proud off” Greg smiled towards the kitchen.
“She seems like a good young lady, and that the two of you have a tight relationship” Mycroft said softly
“Yeah, I mean she lives with Jules because of my work hours, but we make time to spend time with each other, she seems not to mind though, she is a busy lady herself, she works in a bookshop and the rest of her hours she spends either with schoolwork or reading” Greg mused
“Or the occasional party?” Mycroft asked cheekily
“Yeah well, teenagers are teenagers, I am not too hard on her on that, I mean I remember when I was sixteen, sneaking out to parties because my parents wouldn’t let me go, I’d rather let her so I know where she is and what she is doing, so she feels comfortable in trusting me” Greg stretched his legs onto the coffee table
“Unconventional but wise I gather, since what she just told you about tonight’s events” Mycroft said and Penny walked in the living room with a tray heavily laden with tea things.
“I didn’t know how you’d like your tea Mycroft so I made a tray instead, I found some biscuits too, hope they are allright, knowing Da’s eating habits you can always count on the cabinets being stocked with biscuits rather than proper food” Penny giggled and poured a cup for each of them.
“How do you take yours Mycroft?” Penny asked
“Dash of milk, no sugar” Mycroft answered
“Here you go then my good sir” Penny handed Mycroft his cup and curtseyed. Penny handed Greg his and took her own cup and sat down on the sofa next to her dad, her back against his sides, Greg absentmindedly put his fee arm around her and gave her a half hug.
“You seem very comfortable around your father Penny, very unlike most teenagers” Mycroft asked sipping his tea, finding it surprisingly good
“Yeah well, most teenagers doesn’t have such a cool Da like I do” Penny pushed her shoulder into Greg’s and smiled.
“I agree with you on that, I envy you, I did not have a good relationship with my father when I was a teenager, I was away in school, only coming home for the holidays being showed off like a prized poodle at a show” Mycroft looked down into his tea but tried to compose himself. He was a bit shaken when he felt a hand on his knee, Penny hand bent forward and looked him in the eye with those warm familiar chocolate brown eyes and said
“I am so sorry to hear that Mycroft” Penny smiled and sat back against her dad.
“Thank you Penny, how kind of you” Mycroft smiled, surprising the burning sensation in his eyes for this act of kindness had surprised him and warmed him.
“Do you have any kids yourself Mycroft?” Penny asked softly
“Sadly, I do not” Mycroft replied coolly
“Oh, no wife either?” Penny blurted out and Greg choked a bit on his tea, Mycroft shook his head
“A girlfriend?” Penny asked slyly
“No” Mycroft said firmly, catching on to her little game
“Boyfriend then?” Penny smirked
“Sadly no” Mycroft returned her smirk and finished his cuppa “I think it is high time I left, thank you for a nice evening Gregory and it was a pleasure to meet you Penny” Mycroft extended his hands towards her, Penny sat down her cup, rose from the sofa and gave Mycroft a hug.
“You too Mycroft” Penny winked at him
“Goodbye Mycroft and thanks for everything today, you are a mate if I ever saw one” Greg followed Mycroft to the door and Penny cleared the table
“Goodbye Gregory”
“Goodbye and Goodnight Myc” Mycroft and Greg smiled at each other and Mycroft left.
When Greg entered the kitchen Penny was doing the dishes.
“Well Da he was a nice bloke wasn’t he” Penny smirked as she washed their cups
“Yeah he is a good mate” Greg answered
“And he is single, like you” Penny turned towards her dad and winked
“Penny please, we are just mates” Greg ran his fingers over his face
“Oh please, I could cut the sexual tension in the room with a knife” Penny pointed at her father with the soapy dish brush.
“That’s it young lady, off to bed with you, you are clearly drunk out of your mind and talking nonsense” Greg laughed and pushed Penny towards her room. Greg had kept a room for her, which also worked as a guestroom when his brother came to visit from France.
“I had A beer at that party then left, alright Da I’ll leave the rest of the dishes to you then, so you can continue fantasizing about the dashing Mr Mycroft Holmes” Penny closed the door before the wet towel Greg has thrown towards her could hit her.
“Night Love” Greg yelled
“Night Da” Penny yelled back. Greg took care of the last of the dishes and went to bed, too knackered to fantasize about anything.