lucky save

Mycroft decided last night would be a good time to try out his telescope. On the roof. Without telling me. Thank god for sibling rivalry.

Sherlock came bounding into my room when I was half asleep with that wild and gleeful look he gets on the rare occasions when Mycroft's done something wrong instead of him.

"John! Mycroft's on the roof! He's gonna fall and die and break his telescope!"

Which of those is worse in Sherlock's mind? I'm honestly not sure.

Another, more immediately relevant question: How does one get onto the roof? Via drainpipe, as it turns out. I would not have expected so much voluntary athleticism from Mycroft, but then it's not that he's incapable. I think he just considers physical activity beneath him. With the proper motivation (a rare cloudless night in London), he's every bit as agile as Sherlock. As for myself, Army training or no, the climb up a rather frosty drainpipe at 1AM is not one I'd wish to repeat.

 All the same, I have to say it was worth it. I'm not advocating climbing around slippery rooftops in the dead of winter, but...

Well, it was beautiful. The stars were dimmer than in Afghanistan, of course. You'll never see them brighter than in the desert, and we're lower here too. Farther from the sky. All the same, they're up there. Sometimes I forget.

My leg hurts like buggery [do you really think this is an appropriate simile, given your relationship with DI Lestrade?] (MYCROFT HOLMES. WE ARE HAVING A TALK, YOU AND I. GET DOWN HERE NOW.) {what's buggery?} (Sherlock, do not even start.) {but i want to know!} (ASK YOUR MUM.)

(It's not going to be his mum giving him the birds and bees talk though, is it? It's going to be me. Oh dear god. Maybe letting him at Gray's Anatomy was actually a stroke of genius.)

My leg hurts like fury, let's say. I'm back on the cane for the day at least, but I can't say I wouldn't do it again. I will say that you, Mycroft, are not to do it again. It's too dangerous, and I don't want to be scraping you off the pavement come morning. We'll go somewhere after New Year's. I'll talk to your mum. Meanwhile, no more unsupervised climbing expeditions, please and thank you.