Author's Note:

Hope you all like this new story as much as the others I've posted!

Things were going great. The children were growing. Little Sandi was less than a month away from being three and Thomas would be nine at the end of the year. His marriage to John was going so amazing. They still fought sometimes but they always worked it out before something too emotionally damaging happened to either. Sherlock was at the office, well on his way to finishing up a case when his cell phone rang. He sighed at the distraction and his eyes narrowed at the number calling. He answered it and held a brief conversation. Mostly just him apologizing to the other person. He sighed again, walked over to John's office. "It is Thomas. Another fight. Third one this month, they are suspending him. If he gets in another one after the suspension they are going to expel him."

"Amy." John had the little girl in his lap, facing the computer as she hit her hands eagerly on the desk in an attempt to reach the keyboard. "Oh, Amy," he whispered into her hair, long and blonde now. She looked more and more like him every day, something that made him laugh constantly and tell Sherlock he felt horrid for her. He was whispering things to her when Sherlock walked in, his face solemn and...well, shit.

"Papapapapa!" Amy bounced in John's lap at the sight of Sherlock, making John smile a bit.

"Amy, shh..." John let her turn in his lap and wrap her arms around his neck. "So they are sending him back to the flat now? Or do we need to go pick him up?" He held on to their daughter as she squirmed in his arms. "Sherlock, what is going on with him? He is almost nine, shouldn't he be...I don't know, digging around in the dirt? Not punching other blokes in school?"

"'Omas!" Amy said with a grin as she reached to pull some hair on her Dad's head, struggling since he had just gotten his hair cut.

"Shhh..." John bounced the little girl in his arms but kept his eyes locked on his husband. "Sherlock, we need to talk to him."

Sherlock had forgotten John had brought little Sandi to work today. His husband often did when they were close to wrapping up a case. It was something he was still getting used to. He smiled at her. "Baby Girl, are you helping Daddy do his work?" God, she was getting so big and talking. He looked back over at John. "We need to pick him up. I was hoping you could go? I am almost done with this case and then I will meet you back at the flat and we'll sit down and talk to him together." He fell quiet a moment. "Or we can make him sit and wait a bit, give him time to think about it while I finish this up and we can go get him together." There. His husband would probably like that option better. Even though almost three years had gone by he was still trying to learn how to juggle work and family. It was tough and often a common reoccurring theme in the fights he had with his husband. It was either that or money.

John smiled warmly and moved forward and give Sherlock a quick, gentle kiss. "Yeah, 's fine," he whispered as his free hand moved to gently squeeze his husband's hip. "I will go pick him up, have Mrs. Hudson watch Amy while I do." The little girl squeaked at the mentioned of the woman who she had taken to calling 'ganma' which only made John smile more. "I will sit him down in the living room and start some tea, yeah?" God, raising a boy was...a bit more complicated than Amy. The idea of her fighting in the future made him sick to his stomach. That couldn't happen. Not his baby girl. "I...don't even know how to deal with it," he admitted softly as Amy reached a hand out and tugged at Sherlock's shirt.

"Papa, love you," Amy said brightly, making John look up at his husband with a loving smile.

"Take your time, love. This is a private case and we need the money." John leaned forward and gave Sherlock another kiss, this one lasting a bit longer.

Sherlock smiled, rather pleased. Good, very good. He was about to turn his attention to little Sandi when John kissed him for a second time and God, his husband tasted wonderful like usual. "Love you," he murmured behind the kiss. He finally looked down at Amy and knelt down to be at her level. "I know you do Baby Girl, I love you too. Papa has to catch the bad guy but you be good for Mrs. Hudson, okay? I will bring you a surprise if you do, because you are my favorite girl in the entire world." He smiled brightly before showering her with little kisses all over the face. When finished giving his daughter all the attention she rightly deserved in his opinion, he stood back up. He leaned over and gave John a quick kiss on the cheek. "I shouldn't be long Love. See you soon." He walked out of his husband's office and back to his.

John watched Sherlock leave with a soft smile, holding Amy close and talking to her with a higher-pitched voice. He dropped her off with Mrs. Hudson and she squirmed and sprinted toward the new toys in the flat the moment she was on the floor. John thanked their landlady profusely before he got a taxi and headed toward the private school they had officially enrolled Thomas in once he'd gotten old enough. The woman at the front desk knew him, giving him an apologetic look the moment he walked in. Straight to the principal's office, the path was, sadly, memorized. The moment he saw Thomas he froze. Did he hug their son? "Mate," he muttered with a sorry, lop-sided smile. "Want a hug?" He studied Thomas closely before glancing around the room. They had a few moments alone before the principle came back.

Thomas rolled his eyes; well he would have if one hadn't been swollen shut and already bruising. "I am too old for hugs," he grumbled. He still wore the necklace out of snake's teeth that Sherlock had made for him on the island. He was staring down at it thoughtfully and fidgeting with it between his fingers. He hesitated before looking up to his Dad. "Do…do you think it makes me a girl because I still wear this?"

Right. That age. John had just opened his mouth to say that nobody was too old for hugs before he tensed, looked down at the necklace, and frowned. Oh. So Thomas had been being teased? He moved to sit in the chair beside his son. "No, it doesn't make you a girl at all," he whispered as he reached a hand out to gently ruffle his son's hair. "Are people teasing you, Thomas? Why..." John cleared his throat and, sod it, he could hug his son. He pulled Thomas's head toward him and rested it against his chest. "Why didn't you tell Daddy and I?"

Thomas didn't struggle against the hug and he was quiet a long while. "I didn't care that he called me a girl...not really. I told him that I wasn't. That Daddy wears a necklace too. He sneered and laughed at me. Told me I was a baby for using the word 'daddy' and that I was girl just like him. Told me Daddy was a fag and that you were an ugly whore. I couldn't let him talk about you guys like that…" He trailed off. It was like that stupid hospital all over again. At the time he hadn't really understood but as he grew older realization had come upon him. He had even looked up the story on the Internet. Many of the news clippings had been infuriating. Daddy was right, people were stupid.

That made John wince. Their lives had been rather public when they had taken Thomas into their family and it wasn't hard to find any of the information. And now...now Thomas was being teased for him and Sherlock being married. It wasn't really anything he had taken into account until now. "Shhh, it is okay," he whispered as he closed his eyes. Did he apologize for everything that was happening? None of it was their son's fault, really. Why hadn't Thomas told them earlier when the other two fights happened? Fuck, he was horrid at this parenting thing. "Why didn't you tell us about the teasing, kiddo?" He whispered into his son's hair, one hand moving to rub soothingly at Thomas's back.

Thomas shrugged. "You and Daddy are always busy with work and you were awful furious about the last two fights. I know I promised to try and do better, but he just wouldn't shut up Dad. He kept laughing and pointing at me. Then everyone was laughing. I just wanted him to stop laughing and I punched him in the jaw. He punched me back and then we were just at each other and I managed to get on top of him and I just kept punching. I couldn't stop. I was so mad…I am going to be grounded forever now, aren't I?"

John had been an absolutely horrible father to this boy. Fuck. "Thomas, I didn't know you were getting teased. I wish I would have known so we could have talked about it." He placed a gentle kiss on his son's forehead and looked down at him with a warm smile. "I will talk to Daddy, yeah? I think...you did stand up for yourself and it is partly my fault for teaching you how to fight." He laughed a bit and poked the tip of Thomas's nose. "And your eye isn't looking so great. We will ice it when we get back home," he whispered as he tilted his head and inspected the growing bruise. "I was thinking of getting you on a rugby team. Good way to get all of that aggression out. What do you think?"

Even with a black eye, confusion was readable on his face. "So…I'm not in trouble then?" Thomas nodded slowly. "That would be good, I guess." He saw the principal coming over and groaned.

"Doctor Watson. I just got done talking to the parents of the other boy involved. I am afraid I have some bad news. The parents want Thomas expelled from school. I don't think it is really necessary. Boys fight from time to time, it happens. And in way am I condoning violence…" The principal gave a stern look to Thomas. "Anyway, the parents said they will sue you and your husband if you don't withdraw him from the school. Thomas is still suspended for a week, but if you decide to not send him here I understand. Although, we would hate to lose a boy like him. His teachers say his is very bright, just a little rough around the edges."

John took a deep breath and glanced at his son before looking back at the principal. "I am not trying to cause anything but they were teasing him." He shifted in his chair to face the principle fully, folding hid hands in his lap. "They were teasing him about...about Sherlock and I. If they want to sue us then they can go right ahead but I think they have a right to know that if they sue us we have a perfectly acceptable argument as well as the backing of Mycroft Holmes, a very high standing member of the government." God, he hated pulling that card but this school was the best thing for Thomas. They couldn't just pull him out of school because some other bloke was being a jerk to their son. "He is staying but that boy should be punished as well for teasing our son. It isn't his fault Sherlock and I are married at all." That was a suitable argument, wasn't it?

The principal tried not to smirk. "Yes, a teacher saw it all happen and explained it to me. The teacher probably should have stopped the fight sooner, but he didn't." He shook his head a bit with a sigh. "And Doctor Watson, I am well aware of who you and your husband are. And fully aware of whom your brother-in-law is. Mycroft and I are mates from our school boy days. We still get together and have tea from time to time. I attended his wedding, although I don't think we were introduced at the time. But I digress. We are talking about Thomas and his future here. We have no reason to expel him as of now and we won't, so long as he doesn't get in another fight the rest of the school year. I overheard you mentioning rugby to the boy, which is a splendid idea. And between you and me, good show standing up to those other parents. Give 'em hell, eh?" The smirk finally twitched on his lips and he clapped John on the back. He looked down at Thomas. "No more fighting. If you are having trouble with another student, talk to me or a teacher or your parents."

Thomas was quiet as he listened and merely nodded at the principal when finally spoken to.

Did Mycroft know everybody? John smiled warmly, a bit forced, before he glanced at his son. "Right. Thank you, Sir. A-And I will give Mycroft and Lestrade a hello from you." He cleared his throat and stood up, offering his hand for a quick handshake. "Thank you again. We will be sure to have a family discussion with Thomas tonight and I'll talk to my husband about rugby. He is a bit hesitant because anything Thomas does our daughter is adamant about doing as well. She tried to follow him off to school one day last week." He laughed slightly and offered his hand to Thomas. "C'mon mate, let's go get you some tea...and some ice for that eye of yours." He smiled warmly at Thomas. There. Fixed. Maybe their son would start to get on the right track?

The principal smiled and shook John's hand firmly before walking back to his office.

Thomas sighed at the prospect of a family meeting. They were always so boring and stupid. They did most of the talking and he usually just sat there because he didn't think either of them would care about what a kid had to say. And when they weren't busy with each other they paid attention to his sister. He sighed at his thoughts and looked up to his Dad with his one good eye. "Do you and Daddy love Amy more than me?"

John's head shot up at that, eyes narrowed in confusion. Honestly, they should have expected to deal with that question. "What?" He sat back down next to Thomas and shook his head. "Thomas, no...no, of course we don't." He licked his lips and sighed. Was it because Amy was younger and, naturally, needed a bit more attention? Was that part of the reason Thomas had been acting out? "Thomas, we love you both equally. You are our little boy! Daddy and I love you more than you know." He moved a finger under his son's chin to keep his head raised he knew he had his attention. "Don't you ever think that we don't love you just as equally as Amy. You are so loved," he whispered as he leaned forward to place a kiss on Thomas's forehead. "I love you, Thomas. Don't you ever forget that."

"But Amy is really your daughter…I am just…some stray dog you picked up along the way." Thomas was crying now and he hugged his Dad tightly. "The second fight was with the same boy. He said I was just mongrel you and Daddy felt sorry for and that you would never love me because I'm not really yours. I…I didn't tell you before because I thought maybe he was right and if I brought it up…you'd get rid of me…" This was stupid. He was acting like a baby with his stupid insecurities. If his dad's got rid of him, at least he would know why.

John held Thomas to him tightly, looking up at the woman behind the desk who smiled weakly at him. She moved to close the door to the office and retreated to the principal's office to give them some privacy. "You aren't just some stray dog, Thomas. Amy is only related to me. Sherlock...Daddy, he took in her just like you. See how much he loves her? I love you just as much as I love Amy, my little boy," he whispered as he moved a hand to scratch up and down the boy's back softly. "We would never get rid of you. You are our son and we love you so much. We are going to take care of this other boy, all right? You have no right to be teased because of me and Daddy." He pulled away slightly to look Thomas in the eyes. He was crying a bit, too. Maybe that would help the boy feel better. "We love you too much to just leave you, Thomas."

Thomas sniffled and nodded. "Can we go now? Class gets out soon…" He trailed off with a shrug. Now that they were talking he might as well talk about the first fight. "The first time I fought, same stupid jerk boy," he muttered darkly. "Told me I wasn't allowed to like girls and I don't even know what I like yet! Told me gay boys didn't belong at an all boy school." He paused to sniffle some more. "If I like girls, is that okay? I wouldn't disappoint you and Daddy…" He was so confused and scared, something he had hard time admitting to himself. He was eight and a half years old, why was he still acting like a baby?

Right. That was a conversation that John didn't know how to handle at all. What did he say? "Thomas, you are pretty young still and girls, or boys...they are a bit of a scary subject," he whispered with a smile. "But if you like girls, that is fine. Daddy and I will support you and love you no matter who you decide to love." There was a pause and, for a moment, John turned into quite the protective father. "And you don't let those other boys tell you who you can and cannot love. There is nothing wrong with loving girls or boys, all right? You will figure everything out in time. No need to rush." He stood up, offering his hand to his son. "How 'bout we go back to the flat and make you some tea? I think Amy misses you."

Thomas nodded and took his Dad's hand and followed John out outside. "If I'm not supposed to fight anymore, what am I supposed to do? Tattling just makes it worse later on. He's just…he is just a big, mean bully! I'm not the only one he picks on. I thought maybe if I fought back and showed I wasn't afraid of him he'd back off. I think he hates me."

"There are mean people in the world, Thomas. People who are close-minded and not worth your time. He is one of them," John said as they started walking down the street. They could pick up a taxi later, walking with Thomas was a bit more important. "Just don't punch him, okay? Don't hit him anymore. We will get you into rugby and you can pretend you are hitting him there." He looked down at his son with a wide grin, squeezing the boy's hand. "Walk away. That makes you stronger. Falling down to his level...that just makes you look as bad as him." He looked ahead, smiled some, and laughed. "You know, I hated your Daddy when we first met. Just a bit."

Thomas nodded and shrugged. "I guess," he muttered. He looked up at his Dad in surprise. "You did? How come?" That was weird to think about. "Is it because Daddy knows everything about everyone just by looking at them? I wish…I wish I could be smart like him…" He sighed, shrugging again.

"It was because he was just a bit rude. Brilliant...but rude." John smiled and stopped walking, kneeling down to look Thomas in the eye. "You can be just as smart as him. Stay in school and study...focus on your school work." He pulled the boy into a hug and grinned. "Now I am going to talk to Daddy and we aren't going to have a family talk about this until tomorrow, all right? I am going to get some school work for you to do so you aren't entirely bored." He stood back up and finally hailed a taxi, pulling them into it with ease. He pulled out his phone and started texting Sherlock.

Not talking to Thomas tonight. Talk to you before bed. Hope the case is going well. Love you. -JW

Thomas nodded and got in the cab silently. He stared out the window and watched London pass him by. He had been so excited to see it a couple years ago but it had lost its wonder and excitement for him.

The case is finished. They transferred the money electronically to our bank account. I am already back at the flat. Gave little Sandi some carrots for a snack and put her down for a nap. Got her another stuffed dog. Apparently she wants all 101 of them. She is still begging me to get her a puppy. – SH

John snorted at that, reading the text multiple times before hitting reply.

Bad idea to watch that Dalmatians movie with her last week, wasn't it? Put the kettle one, we are a few minutes away. Give Thomas a hug when we get there. He's... he just needs some attention. -JW

He slid the phone back into his jacket and looked over at his son, frowning just a bit. "Do you remember the first time you saw London? You screamed, climbed on my shoulders in excitement. You made us walk around all day. Big Ben, the river Thames." He smiled warmly at Thomas. "You hardly slept that night because you just wanted to look out your window."

All right. I'll see you both soon. Love you. – SH

Thomas looked over to his Dad, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I was just thinking about that right now actually. Weird." He glanced out the window again, his voice dropping. "Mum would take me everywhere. I still miss her…" A sniffle but no tears. "…I miss traveling. London's lost its wonder for me I guess. Can we go somewhere sometime?" His gaze returned to John once more, with a wistful look.

"Dad's know best," John whispered as he wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders and tugged him into his side. "Sherlock and I have been talking about a family vacation," he muttered, more to himself than to Thomas. "Maybe this summer? We have got a lovely private beach in Italy that your Grandma lets us use." He smiled at the thought. Their honeymoon. It had been quite the wonderful time and they had discussed taking their family there at one point. "You know, I lost my Dad when I was young. Heart attack. It's okay to cry about it, mate. She was your Mum but you've got to remember she's always with you." He moved his free hand to poke over the boy's heart. "Right here. She isn't going to let anything bad happen to you that you can't handle."

Oh Italy. The last place, other than the plane Thomas had seen his mother. That did it. He started crying, turning his head away in hopes his Dad wouldn't see. "What…what…if we…we go to Italy and we crash on the way home? What if you and Daddy die and I had to take care of Amy all alone?" He was working himself up and he began to hyperventilate.

Way to go, Watson. John closed his eyes for a long moment before he gently moved Thomas from his seat and set him on his lap. "Shhh, it's all right." He pulled the boy tight against his chest, one hand resting protectively on the boy's head while the other rubbed his back soothingly. "We could go to Scotland," he whispered. "Not fly. Nobody is going to die, Thomas. We are a family and we're always going to be together. Shh, you can cry." The cab came to a stop and John slid out, keeping Thomas wrapped tightly in his arms as he managed to grab the boy's book bag. He walked into the flat, smiled a bit at Mrs. Hudson, and went upstairs. "Do you want some tea, mate? Would that make you feel better?" He kissed Thomas's temple as he set the book bag on the couch, glancing at Sherlock for a moment.

As soon as they were inside the flat, Thomas wiggled out of his Dad's arms and ran to his room. He closed the door behind him, breathing heavily as he slid down the door. He glanced at Amy's bed, napping. Of course. He would just have to be quiet.

Sherlock glanced at the closed bedroom door with raised eyebrows and then over to John. "Tea for two then, I guess. What is going on? Wait…does Thomas have a black eye?"

John closed his eyes for a long moment before glancing at Sherlock. "He got in another fight. Same bloke." He pursed his lips for a moment and sighed. There wasn't really a gentle way to approach the entire situation, was there? "They are teasing him because of us," he said softly as he took a step closer to Sherlock. "They're saying that Thomas is a girl just like his parents. That you are a fag and I am nothing but an ugly whore. They're telling him he can't like girls since he has two fathers." He shook his head and looked back at the closed door. "He is being teased because of us and is fighting to stand up for us, Sherlock."

Sherlock narrowed his eyes at what he heard and he took to angry pacing for a moment. He sat down in his chair with a sigh. Hamish jumped onto his lap immediately, the cat's head bumping into his chest. He pet the feline absently, used to the brief kneading of claws before Hamish did a few circles and laid down. Not this again. Last time John went to jail. His eyes closed as he tried to calm down. "It sounds like the kid deserved it then, but another fight and the school will expel Thomas." He opened his eyes and looked up to his husband. "What are we going to do about this?"

John moved and fell into his chair, shrugging in defeat. "I don't know. We can't stop that kid from teasing him, can we? The principle said...He said that the bloke's parents want Thomas removed from the school. If he isn't than we're getting sued, apparently. I am going to talk to Mycroft." He relaxed further into his chair, stretching his legs out and bumping his shoe against Sherlock's. "I don't want to talk to him until tomorrow. We...we need to talk about it before we discuss anything with him." When had raising a child become so difficult? It had been fine with Thomas until he had gotten into school. "He thinks we love Amy more than him."

"Sue us?" Sherlock scoffed with a shake of his head. "For what? Our boy punching theirs? Even though the little bastard deserved it? Maybe they should learn to be better parents before pointing the fingers at someone else." God, he was pissed off. He began scratching roughly at Hamish's head and got bit for it. He muttered an apology to the cat when John's last sentence finally sunk in. "He what? That's ridiculous…but…I guess not surprising…"

"What? Not surprising? Sherlock, Amy is a lot younger than him. She needs a bit more attention than he does!" John dropped his head into his hands with an exasperated sigh, his entire body tense as he stood up and started pacing. "Why are they teasing him? He has two fathers, why is that any of their business?" He frowned and shook his head, stopping to face his husband. "I just want to raise our children right and now he is getting teased because of us. What else are we supposed to do?"

Sherlock raised his eyebrows as he watched John pace. "Well, look at from his point of view. I should have seen it sooner. Should have talked to him about it. It is my fault, I'm sorry." He had failed as a father and husband. He sighed and closed his eyes in thought. "Children tease and bully others who are different. Unfortunately, that is just the way things are in a school. Even in a private one, where you would think children would be better behaved. Maybe…we can try to reason with the other boy's parents. Although it seems doubtful, as the child's prejudice probably comes directly from them."

"I am going to punch his bloody parents in the face," John snapped as he turned around swiftly on his heels. "Our son does not deserve that! He is perfect and does nothing wrong and this bloke still feels the need to do this? No!" He moved into the kitchen with a small shout, groaning when he heard a cry from the kids' room that only meant he had woken Amy up. "Fuck. Of course," he muttered as he tossed his mug on to the counter and moved toward the room. "Thomas, mate, do you mind if I come in?" He muttered as he knocked gently at the door.

Sherlock frowned. John was not handling this well. However, he couldn't blame his husband for the ire. He was pissed off too, but one of them needed to stay calm. He was about to get up and go to the children's room when he heard the cry but John had already beat him to it. He stayed in his chair, petting Hamish thoughtfully.