"Hi, Beth, hi, Watson. What brings you two here?" Thomas Lestrade asked after he had opened the door of his house.

"It’s not the two of us, it’s the three of us," Lestrade corrected.

"Three?" Thomas asked.

"Yes. Holmes is here with us."

"Where? I don’t see Sherlock. Only you, Watson..." He finally noticed Holmes, who is still wearing his nightrobe. "...and this little boy."

Watson sighed. "Thomas... this little boy is Holmes," Watson said softly.

"He is? You’re kidding me right?" Thomas laughed but stopped when he noticed the familiar frown that Holmes gave him. Thomas looked at him carefully. "Oh. My. God. I can’t believe it," Thomas said slowly.

"Thomas? Who’s at the door?" Thomas’ wife, Kristen came to the front door.

"Just Beth, Watson, and Sherlock," Thomas answered.

"Hello, Beth, Watson and... where’s Mr. Holmes?"

Lestrade pointed at Holmes.

"What? It can’t be... but he looks so familiar...." Kristen continued.

"Let’s go in and I’ll explain everything," Lestrade said.

***

"So that’s what’s going on," Thomas said after he had heard everything. Kristen came in the living room with a tray of coffee, put it on the table, and sat beside Thomas. "So you need some clothes, Sherlock? I do have a few left that Mother didn’t throw away... wait here." He left the living room and walked up the stairs.

"Yeah, right. Our mother didn’t throw them away because Thomas wouldn’t let her." Lestrade said to Kristen.

A few minutes later, Thomas came back with a bundle of clothes and a pair of white shoes and gave them to Holmes. "Try them on."

Holmes went to the changing room.. He came out later with a blue shirt and black shorts. "It fits," Holmes said.

"So, where are we going now?" Watson asked.

"Home," Holmes replied, "We’ll meet back at my flat tonight at 10."

***

"How was your day, Holmes?" Lestrade asked as they were on their way to the carnival in Holmes’ hovercraft that night.

"Fine." Holmes grinned.

Watson looked at Lestrade tiredly and continued driving. Holmes spent the whole day just like a boy. He made a mess at lunchtime by leaving crumbs of food on the table and didn’t bother to clean it up, watched television for two hours, and made a big mess in his bedroom with the basketball that Thomas had lent him, by throwing it around. In the end, Watson had to clean up the mess.

"But one day is enough for me," Holmes said.

Watson parked the hovercraft near some flats. They got out of the car and walked the rest of the way towards the carnival. Lestrade and Watson walked faster than Holmes; they disappeared around the corner and Lestrade gave a cry of alarm.

"Oh no!" Watson cried, and Holmes felt a chill run up his spine. He jogged around the corner to catch up. When he did, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

"The Christmas carnival is gone!" he cried.