ihadabadday | The Black Book - AU - Locked to seaweed

John blinked as he fully came into himself. He relaxed back against Sherlock, shifting back to his human form.

"That was..." he smiled shyly, "Thank you."

He turned to look at his mate and then nuzzled his neck. "Can I...? For William."

It was a bit odd, holding John while he could feel his body shift and change underneath him. It wasn't the first time he'd done it, but he never really got used to it.

Sherlock smiled warmly. "Of course you can drink from me." He said, with a grin and a nod. He looked over to the cot, where William was still sound asleep.

"Do you want me to lay down, or drink from me here?"

John smiled and then sunk his fangs into Sherlock's neck. He groaned and began to drink slowly.

He swallowed and pulled back, staring up at his mate. He smiled at him.

"Thank you..."

"Nnnf.." There is always the quick shot of pain when John sinks his fangs in. They are not meant to drink from, so they are larger and sharper than his own.

But after the pain was pleasure. It felt quite nice, but considering he had just come twice, he wasn't about to get it up again. So he just held John and let the warm feeling of being connected to his lover in a different way wash over him.

John also didn't have the anti-coagulants that Sherlock had, so the two little fang marks stopped bleeding a lot quicker than his would.

He was a tiny bit woozy, so he put his hand on John;s shoulder until the feeling passed.

"Feel better, my love?"

John nodded. "I do. Thank you." He answered.

The blonde smiled at his mate and then kissed him. His mate. His family. It was perfect.

He went over to their bed and climbed in. He was exhausted. So exhausted.

Sherlock tucked him in and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I'll take care of William when he wakes. You just sleep my love. I'll come check on both of you in a bit."

Sherlock kissed him on the forehead one more time, went to check on William, who was miraculously still asleep. He took the baby monitor and turned the bedroom side one one, then left the room and closed the door every so gently, to let them both get some much needed rest.

It was not easy raising a half-vampire, quarter-demon & human child. William had Sherlock's intelligence and John's courage.

Often his parents would find him half way up a tree when they went out to the country or on rooftops when at home. Or he was defending those weaker than him from the schoolyard bullies.

One afternoon John called Sherlock, who was off on a case (it was his day off damnit). He had just gotten a call from the school.

Seven years old and already such a handful. But neither of them wanted their son to be the bully, they wanted him to protect those weaker than he was.

The years had flown by, it seemed. There were first steps, first words, first solid foods, first time reading and writing (early, like Sherlock had been as well), the terrible twos (which had been from about 18 months to about 3.5 years and were pretty terrible at times), and then first days of school.

School had tested them all. He'd always been quite a handful, but at school, the teachers had a hard time keeping him in check. He was very intelligent, and that was the problem, that the subjects bored him.

So he got pushed forward, and things got a bit better for a time.

And then he started getting into fights. Not to be a bully, but to defends others against their bullies.

Sherlock was out on a case with Lestrade, it was 4 or 5 at the most, but he'd relaxed his rules long ago on what he'd leave the flat for.

He got a call from John, listening carefully to what had happened. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Graham, I have to go. Look for the woman's chiropractor. He did it." Without another word, he went to the main road, grabbed a taxi, and headed to William's school.

He met John there in the office. William was sitting there next to him, swinging his tiny legs (he was smaller than all his classmates, doubly so because he was a grade ahead of where he should have been. His head was down, his hands were clapsed together in his lap, and he was deathly silent.

"What did he do, John?" He asked, in an exasperated tone, looking between the two of them. It was obvious that Wiliam knew he was there, but he still said nothing.

That was when Sherlock saw it.; There was just a slight movement of William's head, and his mop of curly hair that had been in the way cleared enough to see a very nice black eye forming on his left eye.

John looked up when he heard his mate approach. "A 12th year was picking on a younger female student and William stepped in between them. The older student punched him." He answered, "So he hit back."

William did not look up at his father, staring stubbornly at the floor instead.

John smiled wearily at his mate. "The Headmaster will be with us shortly. She's yelling at the older student that started this."

"12th Year?" Sherlock tried not to sound impressed, but he was. That kid was a lot older than William was, and yet he still stood up to him. The tone of his voice made William look up for a moment, but as soon as he saw his father looking at him, he looked down into his lap again.

Sherlock sighed and took a seat next to John, William was one more seat away.

As much as standing up to bullies was a good thing, they were still going to have to punish him for fighting. There are other ways to stop bullies than using their own tactics against them.

Sherlock took John's hand and gave it a squeeze. It was an 'I'm sorry you have to deal with this on your day off, I'm sorry you have to deal with this in general, and an I'm here for you' all in one little squeeze.

He squeezed back and glanced at Sherlock. "Mum suggested we take away his books for a week."

He didn't know what they would do to punish William. But fighting was not okay. But part of John didn't want to punish his son. He was standing up to bullies in the only way that some of them would understand.

He stared at their joined hands, tracing his thumb across Sherlock's thumb. He thought about the news wanted to share with his mate.

"No books and no computer time in his room sounds like a good punishment." He replied. That got a glare from William, but he was still silent, and he looked down again. " He can use the computer in the living room to do his homework and I think we should give him a few minutes to check his emails, but other than that, no computer or books for a week." He was speaking to William as much as he was John.

"We both understand why you stood up to the bully, and we think that is very admirable." Sherlock continued, and William did look up slightly. He was definitely listing. "But fighting is not the way to do it. You are validating the idea that using violence is okay. It is not."

William looked so small in his school uniform. He had his little hat in his hand since he was in the office. His little legs were so skinny in those shorts, and the blazer was baggy on his thin form. He was more like his daddy in looks- skinny, curly haired, small for his age (Sherlock had been small for his age until puberty hit, then he sprung up to 6 foot tall). But he was more like his papa in temperament- brave and fearless and sometimes a bit stubborn, always looking out for others, defending the defenseless.

John nodded. "It will be a good lesson in patience. Especially when your younger sibling arrives."

He didn't look at Sherlock, or William.

He stared ahead, much like his son. But there was a small smirk on his face. He hadn't been sure, but after the past few days, he was positive. They were adding to their family.

They might need to move. Or Sherlock might go on a remodel spree again.

"Wait... what?" That made William look up and stare at his Papa. "I'm gonna have a brother or sister?" There was definite excitement in his voice. When he was younger, he kept complaining that he wanted someone to play with. There was going to be a big gap in their ages, but at last, it was going to happen.

Sherlock looked genuinely as shocked as William did. They'd started having sex again when William was about 4 months old. Of course both of them had hoped that John would become pregnant again, but they knew they'd gotten lucky when it took less than a year the first time.

After a while, they'd both stopped mentioning it, and they went along their lives-still having sex of course, but resigned in the fact that William would be their only child.

"John...." Sherlock managed to get out. He wanted to say so much more, but he was still so floored, that all he could say was. "John." again, in a soft whisper.

John squeezed Sherlock's hand and then looked at his son. "You are. Dad and I don't know if it's going to be a boy or girl yet. But we know you'll be a good big brother either way."

He then looked at his mate and kissed his cheek. He looked positively gobsmacked. It was adorable. So he took a picture and sent it to his mother and father-in-law? He couldn't think of Mycroft as Sherlock's brother.

Sherlock was still too shocked to stop John from taking the picture, but he did scowl when it was done. "John." He said, in a lower tone this time. At least it had thrown him out of his daze.

"You.. are sure? I haven't noticed any morning sickness or anything else..." Of course John was a doctor, he'd know, but Sherlock was.. well. Sherlock. He made a living, literally, out of observing people.

How had he missed it, he wonder?

"I'm positive." He informed his mate. John paused the discussion when the door opened at the Headmaster stepped out.

John then got up and smoothed down his clothes. He urged William up and over to the Headmaster. Both of them wore a look of familiar resignation.

"Headmaster Collins." He said in greeting.

"Mr. Watson. Mr. Holmes." He said, nodding in greeting to them both. "If you three would like to follow me into my office, I think we have some things to talk about." His tone, like his look, were stern and no nonsense. He wasn't a cruel man, but he was very much about rule and order .

He let them in first. "Please. Have a seat. " There were three seats on one side of the huge mahogany desk. He waited until they sat, then closed the door, went to his desk, and sat down, resting his hands on his chin.

"Well, young man." He said to William. "Care to explain yourself? You seem to be quite good at starting fights. This is something I can cannot condone, and if you cannot keep your temper to yourself, then you will have to find another establishment to continue your education."

John sat down and watched the Headmaster. He was quiet as he listened to the man speak. "Before William speaks, I do hope that the bullies, regardless of age or status or influence, are being dealt with accordingly." He started. There was something predatory about John's voice. It was sometimes easy to forget that he was a demon, he always looked and acted, so friendly.

"I've heard from other parents and some of William's teachers that the school is not properly punishing the bullies, just our son. Now, I understand that they are getting into fights. But William is defending other students. And if you are teaching these children that it is easier to punish the protector than the bully..."

"And if it's not your Headmaster, than it is someone under you, and they are still teaching the same lesson."

The Headmaster was surprised, and a bit upset at the accusations, but he kept his voice calm and cool.

"Yes." He said when John was done. "The bullies are being dealt with accordingly. I have already planned a staff meeting to put a plan in place on how to deal with bullying both in the classroom and on the playground and in the halls."

He gives John a stern look. "I can assure you, Mr. Watson, that neither I, nor my staff, are teaching children that the wrong people are being punished. There is blame to be had on both sides, though not equally. And I am determined to put an end to the fighting, on both sides."

John smiled at the headmaster. "Good to hear. I would hate to learn that the rumors I heard were true. But know this Headmaster. If anyone hits our son again, he has full permission to hit back. In that instance he would be defending himself." he said flatly, "And if you choose to remove William from this school for the simple act of defending himself in the future, then let us know now."

"I will not have my son stand there and take a beating. If he can put an end to it, then so be it. Violence is not always the answer to violence, but as long as he is defending himself, whether it is another student or an adult, I consider the matter closed."

People often forgot that behind the kind, doctorly facade, there was a hardened soldier, one who had seen much and done much. Yes, he didn't always agree with William inserting himself into every instance of bullying, and hitting first. But if he was hit first, and then hit back. He was alright with it.

"I would never tell a student not to defend themselves if the other person threw the first punch. As long as your son never throws the first punch, then he will never have to worry about his education here" The man said, in a stern tone.

"The reason that I have you both here, is because some of the students stated that William threw the first punch, while others stated that the other child did. Of course I am getting different stories from them, so we will never know the whole truth."

He stood. "I have excused him for the rest of the day, but he has his homework for the classes he will miss. He is welcome to come back tomorrow morning with a clean slate. Thank you both for coming." He offered John a hand to shake.

John rose and then shook the headmaster's hand. He then steered William out of the office, rubbing his forehead. He kept a firm hand on his son's shoulder as he spoke to the secretary for the school. He got his bookbag, along with his assignments and then handed it to the boy.

"Sherlock, did you drive or take a cab?" He asked his mate.

He finally turned to look at him, as they waited in the foyer of the school.

Sherlock was quiet through the whole thing, still a bit shocked that John was pregnant again.

He finally spoke as they were outside of the school, on the curb. "I took a cab. I was out on a case, but it was wrapping up." Which reminded Sherlock. He looked at his phone- there were a few texts from Lestrade, but nothing earth shattering.

"Should we go home, or was there somewhere else you needed to go, John?"

"We can go home. William has classwork to focus on. And that recital that is coming up." John told Sherlock before they headed out of the building.

He let out a breath and hailed them a cab.

Soon enough they were home and John sent William into the kitchen to start his homework.

The Black Book - AU - Locked to seaweed_writes

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