"Are we going to get to see the polar bears, mum?" Arthur begged his mother, pulling her forward into the zoo. "Please! Please! We have to see the polar bears first."

"Alright, alright, Arthur. We'll get there, I promise." Carolyn smiled at her young son's enthusiasm and eternal cheerfulness.

"C'mon mum!" He was tugging at her hand now. He might've only been five years old, but he was strong.

"Yes, hold on. I just have to find it on the map..."

Arthur didn't understand why his mother was wasting time. The polar bears were waiting and he knew that it wouldn't be long before they would have to go back home...but Arthur didn't want to think about home. Home was a bad place. But the zoo was fun; there were polar bears here. There weren't polar bears at home. But they were here. So, here was where Arthur wanted to be.

"Can't we just go, Mycroft? I mean, I'm sure they'll have signs posted around."

Arthur turned around and there was another little boy standing not too far away, with an older boy who was also unfolding a map.

"Yes, Sherlock, just hold on a moment." The older boy replied. Arthur felt bad for the little boy because he probably really liked otters.

"Hello." Arthur said cheerfully, wandering a little away from where his mother was still trying to figure out the map of the zoo. "I'm Arthur. I'm five."

"I'm Sherlock. I'm six. I can read. That's my brother, Mycroft. He's eleven."

"Wow!" Arthur smiled. "You can read? What do those signs say, over there?"

"The first one, at the top, says 'Giraffes' and the other one says 'Lions'." Sherlock said proudly, always happy to have someone to show off to. "Can't you read?"

"No. I'm learning in nursery."

"Aren't you too old for nursery?"

"No. I think they just like me and wanted to keep seeing me for another year."

"Are you stupid?" Sherlock asked. He wasn't trying to be mean, he was curious.

"No. I...I just...I'm..." Arthur stammered. The question reminded him of his dad. But he didn't want to think about his dad. He wanted to think about polar bears. "I know lots about polar bears. I came to see them for my birthday."

"Like what?" Sherlock was, once again, simply curious. Plus he felt a little bit bad for Arthur. Maybe he shouldn't have asked him if he was stupid.

"Like...I know they live the Arctic. Mum told me that. And...I know that they're favourite supper is seals. I saw that on tv." Arthur smiled. He liked having someone to listen to the things that he knew about bears.

"Really? Otters' favourite suppers are fish and frogs and some other stuff. I read that in a magazine."

"Wow! You are brilliant."

"I know. I wish we could go those otters. Mycroft is never going to figure it out." Both Arthur and Sherlock turned to look at the older boy. He was chatting away on a mobile. "He wouldn't even notice if I was gone. Let's just go, Arthur. I bet your mum wouldn't notice either."

"I want to, Sherlock, I really, really do. But...I think she might in a lot of trouble for bringing me here, so I think I'll stay with her."

"Why would she get in trouble? She's a grown up. They don't get in trouble for stuff."

"My dad did say that I wasn't allowed to go, this morning. And I think he might be really mad with my mum for taking me anyway. My dad isn't...He gets really loud and scary sometimes."

"My dad gets scary too. That's why we came to the zoo today. He looked like he was going to be mad. His face was red and he was shaking."

"Ah, there we go. Arthur!" Carolyn called to her son, finally having figured out the map of the zoo.

"Coming mum!" He replied. "Bye, Sherlock. I'm sorry you have a scary dad too. I hope the otters make you feel better."

"Bye Arthur. I hope the polar bears make you feel better too."

They smiled at each other, and Arthur went back to his mother, Sherlock went back to tugging on Mycroft's sleeve. Arthur took his mother's hand, but something made him look back.

He saw Sherlock standing beside his brother, who seemed to take no notice of him at all, and continued to talk on the mobile. Sherlock looked sad.

"Mum?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Could that boy come with us too? He looks really sad." Arthur pointed to Sherlock.

"Have you made a friend?"

"I have. His name is Sherlock. He's six. He likes otters. That's his brother, Mycroft."

"Oh I suppose. But ask his brother first. I don't want to be arrested for kidnapping a child."

"Thanks mum!" Arthur trotted off, back to his new friend. "Sherlock? Mum and me were wondering if you want to come see the otters with us."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It would be fun. And I can tell you about polar bears, and then you can tell me about the stuff that you read in that magazine about otters."

"I'd like that."

"Mum says you have to ask your brother first, though."

"Mycroft? Can I go with Arthur and his mum to see the otters and the polar bears?"

"Yes, alright, just be back here in half an hour."

"Hooray!" Arthur cheered and they walked back to where Carolyn was waiting. "Mum, this is Sherlock. The boy I was telling you about. He likes otters."

"Yes, hello there young man."

"Hello. I can read."

"Oh you can? How lovely for you. Now, I believe there are some otters and some polar bears waiting to be looked at by you two."

They set off for the right area of the zoo. Carolyn smiled at the two boys chatting away in front of her. Even if Gordon wasn't here to see it (and she was glad he wasn't), it was very clear that there was nothing stupid about Arthur. She was finally able to feel justified in her assertion that a good heart will always be worth more than brains.