"I'm so sorry to have asked you to come, Dr. Watson. Mr. Holmes" Mr. Williams, the school headmaster, said when the detective and his husband stepped into his office.

"Watson-Holmes, actually…" John said as he sat down on a chair.

"Pardon?"

"Our name. Watson-Holmes. We're married, remember?"

"Right. Apologies" said the headmaster who then turned to see Sherlock standing next to his husband "…please, Mr. Hol…Watson-Holmes, sit down"

"I'm fine, thank you" Sherlock replied and remained standing next to John "…what happened this time? Did Hamish point out Mrs. Swanson's teaching flaws, again?"

"Erhm, no…" replied Mr. Williams "…that's not it"

"Is he going ahead on his Chemistry assignments, again? Because I can assure you he isn't anymore since I…"

"No, no…" Mr. Williams interrupted John "…no, he's doing alright on his classes"

"Alright?" Sherlock sneered.

"Sherlock…"

"I don't think "alright" quite covers my son's abilities to exceed on your not so challenging teaching program…"

"Sherlock!"

"Yes, you're right, Mr. Watson-Holmes…Hamish is indeed quite an exemplary student, top of his class, in fact…" added the headmaster and Sherlock smiled proudly "…unfortunately, his wide knowledge and wits haven't help him on his social skills"

"Ugh, why do you care about him making friends or not?!" Sherlock spat "…he's an excellent student. That's your only job, to pay attention to academics!"

"I care when affects the well being…and safety…of my students, Mr. Holmes" said Mr. Williams.

"Watson-Holmes!" Sherlock corrected him angrily.

"Yes. Sorry…"

"Hang on…" interfered John "…what do you mean about the students' well being and safety? What did my son actually do?"

"Yes, get to it! Why are we here?" added the detective.

"Hamish got into a fight with a classmate…" said Mr. Williams

"Oh no…" said John pinching the bridge of his nose "…he…never fights. He's quite good ignoring his bullies and…"

"We don't know he was being bullied, Dr. Watson-Holmes" interrupted the headmaster.

"He was obviously being bullied!" exclaimed Sherlock, pacing around the office "…my son wouldn't act on violence just because…"

"We tried to talk to him but he refuses to tell us what happened and the other boy insists that Hamish started it"

"Well of course he's going to say that! The little prick…!"

"I've to agree with my husband, though…" said John, ignoring his husband "…Hamish is not a violent kid…We'd rather ask him personally what happened"

"Yes, of course. I hope he does tell you. I'll call him in…" said the headmaster who then called his secretary asking her to bring Hamish to his office.

"Is he hurt?" John asked concerned.

"A bit bruised…he's fine"

"I'll have to see that myself…" said the doctor "…I mean I would prefer if my son could come out of school without bruises or bleeding"

"Of course. We wish this sort of incidents didn't happen…" Mr. Williams said.

"Perhaps you should pay more attention to your students' behavior" Sherlock sneered.

"Why yes, Mr. Watson-Holmes but as you kindly pointed out, I shall focus on the academics side. The students' behavior, manners and moral education should be formed and applied straight from their parents, don't you think?"

Sherlock scowled to the headmaster, he was about to strike back with some kind of argument when Mr. Williams' secretary opened the door and allowed Hamish to come in.

Hamish had his head low, avoiding his parents worried gazes.

John stood up and walked towards him; he put his hands on the shoulders of his ten year old son and inspected him thoroughly. Hamish had been clearly punched on his left eye and also his lower lip was still bleeding a bit.

"Are you ok?" asked John. He knew he was fine but wanted to hear it from him.

"Yes, I'm fine" Hamish replied shyly.

Sherlock stared at him. He knew Hamish looked well but he also noticed he was still upset.

"I was just telling your parents what happened at lunch, Hamish. They hope you can explain why did you fight with Ian Scholtz…" said Mr. Williams.

"Yes, Hal. What the hell happened?" asked John, still holding Hamish by his shoulders.

"Pretty obvious, Papa" replied Hamish looking up at John "…I got into a fight"

"You know what I mean" said John "…but why did you fight with that boy? Just look at you!"

"You should see how he looks, Papa! I broke his nose!"

"Oh and you're ok with that?" John crossed his arms while Sherlock smiled.

"I feel better, yes"

"You haven't answered Papa's question, Hamish…" Sherlock finally spoke "…why did you broke the boy's nose? Was he bullying you?"

Hamish sighed and just looked down at his shoes, without saying a word.

"Hal?"

"He provoked me…he made me upset, so I hit him!" Hamish said finally looking up to the grownups in front of him.

"So you did start the fight…" said Mr. Williams leaning back on his chair.

"Well…ye…"

"I think you didn't hear him, Mr. Williams" Sherlock interrupted Hamish "…my son was provoked. Ian Scholtz should've anticipated the consequences of his actions"

"Mr. Holmes, …"

Sherlock sighed loudly and rolled his eyes.

" -Holmes…there was no need for violence" continued the headmaster who then focus his attention on Hamish "…you should've gone to Mrs. Swanson and she would've taken care of it"

"Yes, Hamish. Besides, why didn't you just ignore him? What did he say to turn you this mad?" John asked.

Hamish met John's eyes and then stared back at his own shoes.

"Nothing" he replied.

"What?" John exclaimed "…you said he provoked you!"

"He didn't…" Hamish said as he turned to look at Sherlock. Hamish knew his father could see right through him and see the truth…yet his father remained silent.

"I'm confused…" John said scratching his head.

"Hamish, you are aware that unless you tell us what happened and since you said you started the fight, I'm gonna have to suspend you for a week?" said the headmaster.

"Suspended for a week?!" John exclaimed surprised "…wait a minute, that's a bit extreme don't you think? Sherlock say something…"

"Certainly, John" said the detective "…Hamish shouldn't be suspended"

"Of course not! I mean, where's the other kid? Where are his parents? Only Hamish will be punished? I think th…."

"Hamish should be expelled" Sherlock interrupted his husband.

"What?!" John asked.

"Expelled? No, no…there's no need to…"

"I think it's for the best" Sherlock said interrupting the headmaster as he slowly approached his son and husband "…I don't think we'd want our son to keep coming to a school where he's being bullied and where apparently it's fair to punish him and not his aggressor. Don't you think so, John?"

"I guess…but it's mid-term and…"

"Don't worry about that, John! I'm sure public school would be more than glad to accept a kid with more than perfect grades" Sherlock said, glanced down to his son and they exchanged smiles "…Let's go home"

The three members of the Watson-Holmes household turned around, walked to the door and were about to head out when Mr. Williams spoke.

"Mr. Holmes…I think you're making a terrible mistake. Public school? Our academy is by far one of the best in the country…"

"For the love of God! Get it right, would you?" Sherlock said "…it's Watson-Holmes! All of us!"

The three of them rushed their way out of that posh school and took a taxi heading to 221B Baker Street. Home

**

At 221B, John asked Hamish to wash his bruised and dirty face. While Hamish was busy applying soap and rinsing his face, John brought one of the many first aid kits in their flat (with Sherlock experimenting at all times, it's better to be cautious)
"Let me see that cut in your lip…" John said and Hamish put the toilet's lid down and sat down on it. John knelt in front of him and held his son's face on both hands, making him tilt his head a bit so he could be able to see the cut. He applied an antiseptic lotion over the wound.
"Stings!" Hamish hissed.
"Of course it does" John replied chuckling "…you'll be ok"
"What about my eye?"
"I can't do much about your eye. It's still a bit swollen and well, it'll only get darker but…"
"Neat!"
"…But eventually will heal and disappear"
"Take a picture!" exclaimed Hamish.
"What?"
"Take a picture with your phone. Please, Papa!"
"You think this is amusing?" John asked crossing his arms on his chest.
"It's…just…It's my first black eye, ever!"
"And it better be your bloody last one! Hamish, why? Why did you start a fight?"
"I told you…" Hamish rolled his eyes annoyingly "…he upset me!"
"Hal, you're good at ignoring bullies. You don't care what other children say about you. You never have!"
"Yes, ok!" replied Hamish quite upset, standing up "…I've never care what other people say about me but…I always care what they say about you and Dad!"
"Oh Hal…" John sighed sadly and sat on the toilet, watching his son pace around angrily in the tiny bathroom "…there's always…"
"Yes, yes, I know…there will always be homophobic people. Yes, we've had that talk before, Papa. I know that but I just hate it! It makes me so angry that they've no idea how wrong they are on judging you two only because you love each other! They just…don't know!"
"I know, son but…that's why we should ignore those people. Better off and carry on with our lives and…"
"Ian was just making moronic statements about you and Dad" Hamish interrupted John "…saying stuff like Dad wears girl's underwear and that you became a "cock" doctor so you could look and touch other men penises…and then he'd make obscene sounds and say that…"
"Ok, stop, stop…" John halted him "…Ian sounds like a, quoting your father, a little prick. He's a pre- adolescent with very confusing ideas about sexuality. I'm afraid too much "MTV" has messed up with his little brain…"
"Tiny brain…" Hamish mumbled.
"I still think you shouldn't have hit him. You know better…"
"I just got very angry!"
"I understand"
"You and Dad don't deserve to be insulted in such demeaning way or any way, in fact! You two are very important for this city! You do so much! And they don't get it?!"
"Come here…" John said as he stood up and spread his arms. Hamish accepted the invitation and embraced his father. John had a small smile on his face, he felt proud of both Sherlock and himself. It seemed they did a good job on raising their kid; he was kind and sensitive towards his parents' relationship.

Despite living in the twenty first century, society still has a hard time dealing with same sex marriages; John knew that their son may confront that kind of people once he started school, he just didn't know how much was affecting him yet he knew Hamish was smart enough to know how to handle those people but he unfortunately ran out of patience this time.

"I just hate it, Papa…" Hamish said against his father's chest.

"I know. Me too"

"Dad's a detective! A very good one!..."

"Yes, he is"

"And you were a soldier and you're still a doctor, a GP! Not a "cock" doctor!..."

"Yeah, don't say "cock"…" John said breaking their embrace to look at his son's face.

"You two are so much more than what Ian Scholtz says you are"

"Well, to be fair, what Ian Scholtz says are lies, so…"

"I know I should've ignored him. I'm sorry…"

"Uhm, I know you're only sorry you got in trouble in school, not really sorry to have hit him"

"That's a good deduction, Papa, yes" Hamish smirked and so did John after playfully ruffle his son's dark hair "…I'm actually glad I'm finally going to public school"

"You never liked that place, did you?"

"Hate it! Dull teachers, spoiled brats as classmates, and that awful menu at the cafeteria! Eewwk!"

"You know it was your uncle Mycroft's idea to enroll you in that place… and now that I think about it, I think that's why now your father is so happy to get you out of there!"

"Yes!" Hamish giggled.

"I think your uncle will visit us any minute now and he'll lecture us about getting you out of that school" John added.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Dad already knows what to tell him"

"Quite correct" said Sherlock who suddenly appeared at the bathroom door "…I wouldn't worry about Mycroft to be honest"

"You never do…" John said.

"Anyway…" said Sherlock while searching his pockets "…move aside John"

"What?"

Sherlock took out his phone "…You don't have to be in the picture. I just want one of Hamish alone"

"Try to get my black eye, Dad!" Hamish said enthused.

"Well, of course. That's the idea" Sherlock smiled at his son before turning to his husband "…Move, John!"

"Oi! Alright!"