Thicker than Water 5/?

[prettybirdy979]

Title: Thicker than Water,
Fandom: Cabin Pressure, Sherlock
Gene: Crossover, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Kid-fic, Fluff
Character/s: Martin, Sherlock, Mycroft (not this chapter), OCs, Lestrade shows up for a bit, 
Rating: PG-13. 
Summary: Sherlock's favourite brother hasn't always been there, but he's been there when it counts. For that matter, so has Sherlock.
Warnings: Death...
Notes: For a prompt on the kinkmeme. 

This wasn't the chapter I planned on posting, but I realised I had forgotten a major event... You're going to hate me, I think. Oh, and double posting because I'm going to be internet light (or free =( ) until at least Wednesday...

Umm- This chapter is unbetaed due to timezones and holidays but thanks to elvendork_lee for betaing the rest!

“Sherlock! Answer your damn phone.” It is the fifteenth time his phone has rung and Sherlock has answered only because it’s Martin and he doesn’t seem to be getting the message. Sherlock is currently waiting for Lestrade to get frustrated and call him on the interesting looking case with the locked door.

“I have answered my “damn phone”, Martin.”

“Oh.” Martin sounds stumped for a second, before suddenly changing topics. “Well, you should answer it. That’s what phones are for and phones are for answering and you should answer them.”

It’s not a hard deduction to make. “Martin, you’re drunk.”

“You’re bloody well right I am. Why wouldn’t I be? Dad is dead. Dead, dead, dead, dead. Dead.”

For a second Sherlock is shocked, trying to figure out why Mycroft hadn’t told him. Then he realises Martin said ‘Dad’. He means Mr Crieff. Sherlock ignores the relief this thought causes as he speaks to Martin. ”How?”

“Oh, you can tell a stranger his life story, but not your brother how his dad died.” Martin snaps. He doesn’t apologise like he normally does, but continues on. “Heart attack. A complete surprise if you couldn’t tell. He just…collapsed.”

Sherlock’s blood runs cold as he realises his brother witnessed his Dad’s death. “Where are you Martin?”

“Home. Simon made it quite clear only Dad’s actual family was going to be at the house.”

When Sherlock next meets Simon he is going to strangle the man. Or punch him. Whichever is easier. “Stay there Martin. I’ll be there in an hour.”

“… but you’re more than an hour away, how-“

“I’ll be there in an hour.”

********

For the life of him, Sherlock will never remember how he made it from London to Fitton in just over an hour. He probably broke multiple laws, speed limits and greatly annoyed Mycroft but it was worth it.

Martin has passed out on the floor by the time he arrives. Sherlock rolls his brother into the recovery position and eyes the remaining bottle of alcohol. It, along with the almost finished bottle, is a cheap wine, clearly all Martin could afford. Sherlock debates the cost to Martin of the bottles being wasted, along with his money; compared to the possibly of him being hurt.

He pours the bottles down the sink and places a fifty pound note in Martin’s wallet. Hopefully, he will just think it’s something he picked up while drunk. That done, he moves Martin to the bed.

Checking his watch, he lies down on the bed behind Martin and settles in to wait for him to wake up.

********

Sherlock is in a light doze, when Martin starts to rouse. He snaps awake in an instant and waits for Martin to talk. He can detect when Martin awakes fully; his brother stiffens and then flinches at the bright light.

“Sherlock?” Martin asks his voice as soft and scared as when Sherlock first met him.

“I’m here.” Sherlock shifts on the bed so he is closer to Martin and able to place his arms around him.

“I miss him. He can’t be gone.” Sherlock can hear the tears in Martin’s voice. Unsure of what to say Sherlock tightens his grasp on Martin. “He was…we were just talking, Simon and I about…God I can’t even remember. Dad walked in with the coffee and he just-“

Martin breaks off with a sob. Sherlock rolls him over so they are now facing another and pulls Martin into his chest. Martin’s arms wrap around him and he begins to cry.

A tear rolls down Sherlock’s face at Martin’s pain. They stay on Martin’s bed together, until Martin cries himself to sleep.

********

Got a case for you. Interested? Lestrade

Busy. SH

What?

B.U. S. Y. I did not realise that inability to read was one of your shortcomings. SH

Ignoring the insults, it’s a locked door, airtight alibies and possibly of serial killer. Coming? Lestrade

Still busy. SH

And alibies not airtight for one suspect. SH

Who?

BUSY! Be back in town in time to prevent next murder. SH

WHAT?! Sherlock!

“The number you have called is switched off. Please try again later.”

********

“Are you sure you want me there?” Sherlock is fixing his tie, even as he once again questions Martin’s decision to have him attend the funeral.

“Of course. Sherlock I…I don’t think I can do this without you there.” Martin hasn’t cried since the first night Sherlock came, but he never seems far from it when he speaks. He has borrowed a suit from Sherlock as his own had fallen apart when he got it out. It is slightly too long for him, but Sherlock was able to pin the sleeves and pant legs back so he doesn’t look silly.

Sherlock meets his brother’s eyes and nods at what he sees there. Grimacing, he fixes Martin’s tie and adjusts the suit jacket to a better position. After one last glance he gestures at Martin to lead the way.

Martin takes a deep breath and the brothers depart.

********

Sherlock blanks out most of the funeral. It is boring and for a man who means nothing to him, beyond what he did for Martin. There are few men Sherlock knows who would raise a child not their own as well as George Crieff did Martin, Simon aside.

In fact, the entire event can be summarised into a few key moments. There is the moment he and Martin arrived at the church and Caitlin almost knocked Martin over with her hug while Simon tried to kill Sherlock by glaring.

Then there’s the moment Simon pulled Sherlock aside to tell him he shouldn’t be here, not if he had any respect for Mr Crieff. Sherlock replies “I’m here because Martin needs me” and walks off.

Simon gives the eulogy and it is that moment Martin buries his head into Sherlock’s shoulder beside him and begins to quietly sob.

And finally, there is the moment when George Crieff is buried and Martin’s tears increase beyond anything Sherlock has ever seen.

********

“What was he like?” It is three hours later, and Sherlock is sitting beside Martin in his par-mother’s house. Mrs Crieff kept thanking Sherlock for being there for Martin, and quite happily welcomed him to stay the night when she told Martin he was staying, if only so she knew he was okay. Simon glared at him the entire time but stayed silent. Sherlock herded Martin into the living room, away from the rest of the family and they have been quietly drinking tea until Sherlock’s question.

It throws Martin. “What?”

“Your Dad. Tell me what he was like.”

“I…I… Fine. He was, well he was a kind man. He loved his football, he and Simon used to yell at the T.V for hours on end. I remember he tried to get me interested but I just wanted to pretend to fly. So he brought me Planey.”

Sherlock starts. “I thought that was a gift from your mother.”

“No, it was Dad’s gift to me. When I gave it to you, he was a bit upset until I told him why. Then he was very proud; said I was being so considerate. I didn’t know what that meant, but I was glad I was it.” Martin blinks away a tear at the happy memory. “Oh, and I remember how when he was teaching me to drive, we spent more time fixing the van than actually driving until he just basically said ‘screw it’ and borrowed Simon’s car while he and Simon rebuilt the engine. Not that I was any good at driving… at least, not for a long time.”

“He wanted you to be an electrician, didn’t he?”

Martin’s face sours a bit at the reminder. “Yes he did… he taught me everything he could about being one. He would have settled for me being a mechanic like Simon, even if it was for planes not cars.”

Sensing Martin’s thought are about to become sad again, Sherlock quickly directs Martin to happier memories. Martin starts to laugh when he recalls the time he and his father spent at an uncle’s farm chasing sheep.

The rest of the Crieffs wonder in, attracted by Martin’s laughing and they spend the rest of the evening recalling good memories of George Crieff.


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