Brother Mine

 (Sherlock Meta by earlgreytea68)

You know, a lot has been made of Sherlock killing Magnussen to keep Mary (and therefore John) safe, but I feel like there’s more to it than that. I think Sherlock did it on Mycroft’s behalf, too.

In TEH Sherlock makes some comments to Mycroft during their game of deductions essentially saying, it’s okay to be different. Mycroft says, “Maybe he just doesn’t mind being different; he doesn’t necessarily have to be isolated,” to which Sherlock replies, “Exactly. He’s different, so what, why would he mind?” Sherlock could be partially talking about himself, but in the moment he’s talking about Mycroft. This is after Sherlock has asked Mycroft if he’s found a “goldfish” while Sherlock’s been away. He is concerned for his brother’s isolation, and fears Mycroft has allowed his different-ness to make him isolated.

In TSoT Sherlock tries to get Mycroft to come to the wedding, as his “plus one” of sorts. It could be for Sherlock’s sake (and that’s how I originally read it), so that he didn’t have to be alone; but perhaps he also didn’t want his brother to be, again, so isolated.

Then finally, in HLV, when Mycroft asks Sherlock why he hates Magnussen so much, Sherlock says, very vehemently, it’s because, “He attacks PEOPLE WHO ARE DIFFERENT and prays on their secrets.” That line should remind us of TEH. And by the end of the episode, of course, we know that everything Magnussen as done is to get to Mycroft; he doesn’t care about ruining Mary and John’s lives—he wants to get at Mycroft. And in the end, Sherlock stops him from being able to do that.

Sherlock looks out for Mycroft just like Mycroft has always looked out for Sherlock.

***

I…Oh, my God, I love this SO MUCH.

And I’d been seeing the CAM as being about John, but to see it as also being about Mycroft is just so *wonderful.*

Because you’re right, that Sherlock is clearly worried about Mycroft in TEH, wants desperately for him to find friends, be happy. Sherlock comes back from his hiatus *loving,* loving all the people in his life, every single one of them, and Mycroft is included. And just as much as HLV is about Mycroft seeing Sherlock as the little boy he was, it’s as much as Sherlock *being* that little boy, the little brother who loved his big brother and believed him at his word when he talked about Redbeard at a farm and east winds coming. That moment where Sherlock says why he hates CAM, it’s such a great moment, because it’s Sherlock standing up for himself and, you’re right, for Mycroft. Mycroft has one pressure point, and it’s Sherlock, and Mycroft is the one who doesn’t let himself care about anyone because it’s such a disadvantage, and there’s one person in the world of goldfish he cares about, and CAM had taken that and twisted it into a weakness, and I love the idea that Sherlock, the avenging angel of LET PEOPLE INTO YOUR HEART, refuses to let CAM do it.

The thing about Sherlock this series is that he’s my perfect counterpoint to Mary: The more I think about Mary, the more I dislike her. And the more I think about Sherlock, the more I want to bundle him up and cuddle him forever.