A/N: This starts just days after Seeing the Light ends. I'd love any feedback you can give, especially questions. If anything's not clear, please let me know.
The angel known as Anthea kept her eyes on the panel of nine Elder angels, determinedly avoiding the gaze of her former employer despite how hard he was trying wordlessly to get her attention. Shortly thereafter, Lady Elizabeth, head of Council of Elders, declared Mycroft guilty of deception, pride, and other conduct unbecoming of an angel. She then said that his sentence would be decided at a later time and dismissed the court.
No one in the courtroom, not even Mycroft himself, was surprised at the verdict, but the atmosphere was decidedly solemn – it was the first time in over a thousand years that an angel in good standing had been convicted of anything. Mycroft was led away and the other angels in the packed courtroom started to leave.
Anthea slumped in her seat with relief. It's all over, she thought. At least, my part is. I have so much to tell Myrddin. She was so focused on thoughts of her fiancé that she didn't hear someone approach until they spoke up.
"Hello, Anthea," Lady Elizabeth said, smiling politely.
"Oh!" Anthea stood and curtsied. "My lady, I didn't see you there."
"It's alright. I wanted to tell you that I have approved your transfer to Earth. You can leave as soon as you're ready."
This is everything I wanted, Anthea thought, but there must be a catch. "My lady, I must tell you that I am engaged-"
"To the campion Myrddin Emrys," Lady Elizabeth said. "Yes, I am fully aware. I congratulate you, Anthea, but I must also caution you – the union of an angel and a campion is unprecedented. There is no telling what your children's natures or abilities will be."
Anthea blinked in surprise. "You're saying Myrddin and I shouldn't have children?"
"I'm saying that's what I would do in your situation. You and Myrddin must decide for yourselves."
"I understand. Myrddin and I have a lot to discuss."
Lady Elizabeth nodded. "You will, of course, conduct yourself appropriately. The last thing I want is to see you where Mycroft stood."
Anthea glanced at the place where Mycroft had heard the verdict then looked back at the Elder angel. "I will do all that Heaven expects of me, my lady."
Myrddin Emrys stood in his father and stepmother's kitchen, looking down at his nemesis. Said nemesis stared back up at him with unblinking yellow eyes.
"Devil," Myrddin said as patiently as he could, "we've been at this for two days now. I'm giving you one last chance then you're in the doghouse, got it?"
"Mrrr…" Devil replied.
"I'll take that as a yes."
He waved his hand and a ghostly green mouse appeared on the floor in front of Devil. When the half-grown cat started to bathe his face, the mouse started scurrying away. Devil continued to ignore it, washing his ear when he finished with his face.
Myrddin rolled his eyes and the mouse vanished. "In my time, cats earned their keep. It's a good thing this is a rodent-free building, you'd certainly be no help." He briefly considered letting Devil respond but decided against it. The last time I let a neutered animal talk, all he did was complain. Devil finished washing then rubbed against the wizard's ankles. Myrddin smiled a bit. "You're lucky you're cute."
Both wizard and cat looked up when they heard a knock on the front door. Can't be Father and Molly, they have a key, Myrddin thought as he walked to the door. Anyone else I know would've called or texted first.
Three feet from the door, he suddenly stopped. I know that scent… His face lit up then he yanked open the door, grabbed his fiancée by the shoulders, and kissed her soundly.
Anthea clutched his arms as she kissed him back and when they both needed air, her smile was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. "Oh, Myrddin, I've missed you so much! I have so much to tell you!"
Myrddin grinned. "I've got a lot to tell you, baby, but before we say anything else, I have one question – are you back for good?"
"Yes!" Anthea said, beaming. "Lady Elizabeth, one of the Elder angels, approved my transfer."
"Thank God…" He hugged her tightly, burying his face in her hair. "I'm not letting you go again," he murmured.
"You won't have to," Anthea murmured, holding him just as tightly. "I'm yours for life." She pulled back after a moment and smiled at him. "I think we better go inside, we don't want the neighbors to see."
Myrddin smirked. "Actually, the neighbors are already watching."
"What?" Anthea turned to look at the door across the hall then turned back to him, confused. "No one's there."
"Father and Molly bought us that flat, furnished and everything." He laughed softly when she stared at him. "I've been waiting for you to come back so we can truly make it a home."
Her face lit up. "Oh, Myrddin!" She hugged him again. "You promised me you'd get your own place, now you have."
He chuckled. "With a little help from my father and stepmother."
"Are they on their honeymoon?"
"Yeah, they'll be home on Sunday. Molly asked me to cat-sit Devil," he grinned, "but I think he'll be fine by himself for a few hours."
Anthea couldn't help a giggle. "Alright, show me our new home."
"Gladly." Myrddin turned to the open door. "Behave yourself, Devil!" He closed the door and locked it with the key Molly had given him, then turned back to his fiancée. "Close your eyes, baby."
Anthea closed her eyes. Myrddin unlocked the door to their flat then opened it and turned back to her, gently taking her hand.
"Just a few steps," he murmured as he led her through the door.
She followed obediently, taking a few cautious steps before stopping just inside the flat. "May I look now?"
"Yes," Myrddin said.
Anthea opened her eyes and gasped softly. The flat had the same floorplan as Molly and Sherlock's and was decorated in earth tones. Anthea walked through the foyer and into the open sitting room/kitchen. She flopped onto the overstuffed dark brown sofa and grinned up at Myrddin when he stood over her, chuckling.
"I take it you approve," he said, grinning back at her.
"Mmm, yes." She held up her hands.
Myrddin took her hands and pulled her to her feet. "I have something for you." He pulled her ring out from underneath his t-shirt and the chain vanished. "I've been keeping it next to my heart since you left."
"I wanted so much to take it with me." She swallowed hard. "I didn't realize I couldn't until I tried to leave with it. Oh, Myrddin, I'm so sorry..."
"Baby, no, it's okay," he said quickly. "I realized it as soon as the ring hit the floor." He took her left hand and slid the ring onto her ring finger, then raised her hand to kiss her knuckles, his eyes on hers.
Anthea blushed, smiling softly. "I should have known you wouldn't think the worst."
Myrddin grinned. "I'll never think the worst about you. C'mon." He continued to hold her hand as he gave her a tour of the flat. When they reached the master suite, he noticed her reluctance to even enter the room. "I'm not going to start feeling you up as soon as we get anywhere near a bed, Anthea," he said gently. "I told you I'll wait and I meant it – we're not going beyond kissing until we're married."
She smiled weakly. "I know, and I trust you, Myrddin. It's myself I don't trust."
"Ah," Myrddin said, understanding. He grinned. "Don't worry, if you become overly amorous as soon as you see the bed, I'll do to you what I do to Devil when he misbehaves – squirt you with water."
Anthea laughed. "Fair enough." She followed him into the bedroom and her eyes lit up when she saw the bed. "Oh, Myrddin…"
He stood behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist, murmuring, "What can I say, I got rather attached to that bedspread." The bed was king size but the bedspread on it had the same swirling pattern as the one from Sherlock and Molly's guestroom. "I wanted our marital bed to remind us of where we started flirting."
"I think it's perfect," Anthea said softly. She leaned against him and covered his hands with hers, sighing contently. "I missed you so much. Seeing you, touching you, holding you. I was in Heaven but it didn't feel that way."
He chuckled. "So, you're saying without me, even Heaven is Hell?"
Anthea laughed softly. "Something like that." She turned to face him, her arms going around his waist. "I love you, Myrddin."
"I love you too." He softly kissed her forehead. "Last stop is the guestroom, that's where you're staying for now." He gazed at her, smiling a bit. "It'll be torture having you just down the hall, but I think I'll survive."
"It'll be worth the wait," she promised.
He grinned. "Of that, I have no doubt. C'mon." He took her hand again and lead her down the hall. "It's at the other end of the hallway from the master suite, so after the wedding, we'll still have privacy if we have any guests." He grinned at her, loving her blush. Myrddin finally took in her all-white attire. "Isn't that what you wore the day we met?"
Anthea looked down at herself then back at him, smiling weakly. "Yes. I don't have a lot of variety in Heaven."
Myrddin chuckled. "I guess you wouldn't need it. I took the liberty of putting away all your clothes so if you want to change, I can make lunch for us. What would you like?"
"Whatever you were going to have is fine."
"Leftover pizza it is."
Once they were settled at their kitchen peninsula, Myrddin grinned at his fiancée. "So, whose big news should go first?"
She grinned back. "You can go first. I love listening to you talk."
Myrddin chuckled then told her about the rehearsal, the wedding, the reception, and his attempts to train Devil.
Anthea laughed softly. "You're the most powerful wizard in history, by your own admission, yet you can't get a simple cat to listen to you?"
"Hey, that cat lives up to his name," Myrddin protested, grinning. "The search for Avalon is currently stalled and I needed something to keep me occupied while everyone's gone or working. Making a mouser out of Devil seemed like a good idea, but now I'm really starting to wonder." He reached across the peninsula to take her hand, smiling. "What's your news?"
Anthea's smile faded. "Mycroft was convicted of deception, pride, and other conduct unbecoming of an angel," she said quietly.
"Holy shit…" Myrddin muttered, staring at her.
"I had to testify against him, but after what he put us through, I was happy to do it."
He gently squeezed her hand. "You did the right thing, baby."
"Thank you. He will be sentenced as soon as the Council decides what is appropriate."
"How long does that take?"
Anthea sipped her water. "I have no idea, the last time an angel went on trial was long before I was created."
"What could they sentence him to?"
"Almost anything, it's whatever they feel best fits his crimes. I don't know if he did enough to be cast out of Heaven entirely, but it's a possibility."
"He deserves whatever sentence he gets," Myrddin said firmly. He then softened his tone. "Forget about him, Anthea. We never have to think about him again. You and I are going to show everyone we are happy and in love, and to Hell with anyone who doesn't like it."
"You can really do that?" she asked, amazed. "Do what you want without caring what other people think?"
Myrddin smiled a bit. "Some would consider that the ideal way to live." He took a bite of his pizza. "In my day, a man's reputation was everything, but the problem there is that not all reputations are accurate. The only opinions about you that matter are your own and those of the people you trust."
"Whose opinions matter to you, then?" she asked, smiling.
"You're at the top of the list," he said, smiling back. "Then Father, then Molly, then our friends. For the record, Mycroft's not even on the list."
Anthea nodded. "Mine's just like yours, with you at the top. I don't know what I'd do if I lost your good opinion of me."
Myrddin chuckled. "Well, considering the fact that I think you hung the moon, no worries there." He took out his mobile and started texting. "I'm letting everyone know you're back." Replies started coming within minutes. Myrddin grinned. "Everyone's happy for us." His grin faded as he read the latest reply.
12:34p Give Anthea a hug for me, on top of all the hugs you already have. ;) Any word on Mycroft? SD
"Sally wants to know about Mycroft," he said, looking up at his fiancée. "What should I tell her?"
Anthea bit her lip. "Renatus thought it would be better not to tell her anything until it's all over."
"He's probably right," Myrddin said. He looked back at his phone and replied to Sally's text.
12:38p No news is good news, right? ME
By the next day, Mycroft's fate had been decided. From his place before the panel of judges, Mycroft could see the nine Elder angels look down at him with expressions ranging from disappointment to disgust. He could feel the eyes of everyone else in the packed courtroom on his back.
Do not let them see your fear, he reminded himself. No emotion. He kept his expression neutral and his back ramrod straight, as usual.
"Mycroft," Lady Elizabeth said, "as punishment for your crimes, you are hereby sentenced to a year and a day on Earth in human form. When such time has passed, we will determine if you are fit to return. If you are found wanting, you will be condemned to Hell. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, my lady," he said quietly. The room was so silent that he knew his voice still carried.
"We have decided to be merciful and send you to London since you have family there. I can only hope that they will look past your faults and allow you to stay with them. If not, you will have a long sentence in front of you. Heed my advice, Mycroft – take a lesson from humans. They know what is necessary to function in a community."
"Yes, my lady."
Before he even had time to blink, Mycroft found himself in human form on a busy sidewalk. Completely disoriented, he looked around for something, anything that was familiar. Finding nothing, he started walking. If the humans around him noticed him at all, it was to give him odd looks. Mycroft couldn't understand the looks at first, then he realized that everyone was dressed in skirts and shorts, while he was still in his white three-piece suit, and the heat of the day was sweltering.
"Are you okay, sir?" a male voice asked. Mycroft turned to see a uniformed police officer looking at him with concern. "It's too hot to be out here in a suit. Are you lost?"
"I, er, yes, officer, thank you. I can't seem to find my brother's building."
"What's his address?"
"I, er, don't know it."
The officer raised an eyebrow. "Phone number?"
"I'm afraid I don't know that either."
"What do you know?"
The man's uniform gave Mycroft an idea. "Could you take me to Sgt. Sally Donovan, please?"
Sally Donovan was finishing a report at her desk when her mobile rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and pushed the button. "Yes?"
"Ma'am, this is Officer Whitley. I'm on Baker Street and I just found a man wandering around who says he knows you. I think he might be suffering from heatstroke – he's disoriented and probably overheating. I know I would be if I were in a three-piece suit on a day like this."
Three-piece suit? Wait a minute… "Is his name Mycroft Holmes?"
There was a pause on the other end. "Yes. Do you want me to drop him at the Yard?"
"I'd appreciate that, thank you, Whitley. Tell him I'll meet him outside the front doors."
"Will do."
Greg came over. "Did I just hear Mycroft's in town?"
Sally rolled her eyes. "Yes. God knows what's happened, but I'm sure Mycroft will tell me. Just glad he showed up at the end of my shift."
"And here I was about to ask you for some overtime." Greg laughed at her dirty look, holding up his hands. "Kidding! Have fun."
"Loads. See you." Sally grabbed her things and headed out the door. She noticed Mycroft immediately, standing with his back to the doors. Sally allowed herself a moment to admire his bum then she cleared her throat.
Mycroft startled a bit then turned around, relief filling his normally stoic face when his eyes landed on her. "Thank God, I thought perhaps you had abandoned me."
"Considering the shit you pulled, I probably should," Sally said, then she smiled slightly, "but I'm a sucker for emotionally-repressed men. C'mon, my car's this way."
"Mind telling me what you're doing back here now?" Sally asked after they got into her car. "Your timing's the pits, by the way – the wedding was three days ago."
"Believe me, I am not here voluntarily," Mycroft said quietly. He saw her stiffen but decided to ignore it. "I suppose Anthea told everyone of my conviction."
"What?!" Sally asked, shocked. "Nobody said anything about a conviction."
Why would Anthea keep it from everyone? Mycroft wondered. Or perhaps she is only keeping it from Sally. "I was found guilty of deception, pride, and other conduct unbecoming of an angel. As such, I have been sentenced to live a year and a day as a human."
"God help us," she muttered as they pulled out of the parking garage and into traffic. "What happens a year from tomorrow? You go back to Heaven?"
"If I am deemed worthy." He couldn't help the doubt creeping into his voice.
"And if you're not?"
"Then I will be condemned to Hell."
"Being a pompous ass who likes to interfere in people's lives is a ticket to Hell?" She smiled a bit. "Somebody better warn Parliament."
Mycroft rolled his eyes. "This is a serious matter, Sergeant."
She took one hand off the steering wheel and reached over to pat his thigh, her eyes still on the road. "I don't have faith in much these days, Mycroft, but I do have faith in your ability to accomplish whatever you set your oversized mind to."
Mycroft suppressed a shiver that her touch brought on then raised an eyebrow. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Sally stopped the car at a red light and turned to grin at him. "It was meant as one."
The light turned green and she turned back to the road before he had a chance to respond. I did not, repeat, did not just get lost in her eyes. Mycroft cleared his throat. "I must prove to the Council of Elders that I have learned honesty, humility, and a willingness to cooperate."
"Well, then, Hell it is," Sally said, grinning wider.
Mycroft rolled his eyes. "I'm glad you find my predicament so amusing."
"Your own personality got you into this and you'll apparently need a personality transplant to get out of it." She smirked. "Funniest thing I've heard all day."
"Perhaps I can pretend to have 'reformed,'" Mycroft mused.
"Pretty sure they'll be looking for sincerity."
"I merely wanted to keep things as they were," he said quietly. "Is that so wrong?"
"Resisting change yourself isn't exactly healthy, but it's not wrong. What's wrong is not allowing other people to change. You could always get yourself another assistant, but Anthea was only going to find a love like that once."
Mycroft sniffed in derision. "Oversexed young men are quite common these days."
Sally smiled a bit. "Myrddin likes to flirt, that's for sure, but I've only seen him flirt with Anthea. He's completely devoted to her."
"Throwing away a perfectly good career-"
"Is her choice," Sally cut in. "She wants a husband and kids, the whole package."
Mycroft thought he detected a slight wistfulness in her tone. "You chose to pursue your career."
Sally smiled a bit. "Yeah, well, oversexed young men might be common, but decent guys certainly aren't – Anthea's lucky she found one who's both. But hey, I am open to any takers." She flashed him another grin.
Mycroft wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he just ignored it. He looked out the window, the scenery passing by still unfamiliar. "I supposed I should have asked this sooner – where are you taking me?"
"My place. I don't have a guestroom but it won't kill you to sleep on a couch for a couple of nights." When he raised an eyebrow, she added, "You're persona non grata with your family right now. I say we give them a day or two to cool down then I'll take you to them."
"That's … very sensible of you."
She grinned. "I thought so."
Inviting the man you fancy to your flat is one thing, Sally thought nervously as they rode the elevator to the fifth floor, actually having him in it is quite another. Why the hell didn't I think this through? Neither of them spoke as they walked down the hall. "This one," she told him, stopping in front of number twelve. She unlocked the door then held it open, smiling slightly. "After you."
Sally couldn't help wincing as Mycroft walked into her small flat and looked around. There wasn't even a proper foyer – the front door opened right into the sitting room. She groaned quietly as she remembered she hadn't put yesterday's clean laundry away, so there was a basket of assorted lingerie at one end of the sofa.
Mycroft raised an eyebrow at the basket and Sally would swear his cheeks turned pink, but he simply turned to her. "Charming." She honestly couldn't tell if he was being sincere or sarcastic.
"Um, right." Sally felt herself blushing. "Let me get that out of the way." She quickly grabbed the basket and took it to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Sally put the basket on the floor then pulled her mobile out of her pocket. Molly's gonna kill me for calling her on her honeymoon but I've got no choice, she's the only one with experience in stuff like this. She dialed Molly's number.
Molly answered on the first ring. "Sally? Is everything alright?" She sounded worried.
Sally was used to people sounding that way when she called – occupational hazard. "Hi, Molly. Everything's fine," she assured her. "Well, one thing isn't, but it's not job-related."
"Okay," Molly said, her voice much more relaxed, "what's wrong?"
"Mycroft's here. And by 'here,' I mean my flat."
"What? Why?"
"He basically said he was convicted of being himself and sentenced to live as one of us mere mortals for a year and a day."
"And he ended up at your place?" Molly sounded highly amused. "Are you sharing the bed?"
Sally groaned quietly. "Really shouldn't have told you about my fantasies. I gave him the sofa."
"Are you going to let him stay with you the entire time?"
"God, no, I don't have nearly enough willpower for that. Taking him to your building tomorrow, I'm hoping Myrddin and Anthea will take him in."
"I … doubt that'll happen." There was a long pause. "Sherlock doesn't want him in our flat either and I hate to be so inhospitable, but I have to agree with him."
"What am I gonna do with him?" Sally asked. She winced at how desperate she sounded.
"You said you fantasized about being trapped somewhere with him and having to share a small bed." Molly's smirk was evident in her tone. "A queen bed isn't exactly small, but I think it'll suit your purpose."
"Molly!" Sally groaned. "So not helping."
Molly giggled. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist."
"Just because things ended happily for you and Sherlock-"
"And Myrddin and Anthea," Molly cut in.
"That doesn't mean it'll end that way for everyone."
There was another long pause. "Sherlock said we'll pay you back for any money you have to spend on him, and he'll get Mycroft a human identity."
Sally raised an eyebrow. "Do I even want to know how?"
Sherlock said in the background, "Plausible deniability, Sally. Plausible deniability."
She groaned quietly. "Right. At least it's only for a year and a day."
"That's the spirit!" Molly said and Sally could hear the smile in her friend's voice. "All you gotta do is help Mycroft be a better man and he'll be out of your hair in no time."
"Right… Help him be a better man, and not jump his bones."
"Piece of cake." Molly giggled – she was obviously loving this.
"Thanks, Molly. Sorry to interrupt your honeymoon."
"Don't be sorry, this counts as a minor family emergency. Call me or Sherlock anytime if you need anything. We'll be home Sunday."
"Got it. Have fun."
"You too!" Molly giggled again before hanging up.
Sally sighed heavily then turned and jumped. Mycroft was leaning against the doorway with his arms folded in front of his chest, smirking at her.
"I thought I shut that door," Sally muttered.
"You did. You were taking longer than I expected. I thought perhaps you had fallen and hurt yourself. Humans are so fragile."
"Okay, first rule – if the bedroom or bathroom door is shut, you do not enter unless you actually hear me screaming in agony." Sally stood a little straighter. "How much of that call did you hear?"
Mycroft smiled a bit. "Not to worry, I only heard half – your side of the conversation."
Oh shit… "Then anything you heard was taken out of context."
"You mentioned fantasizing about me and wanting to jump my bones." He raised an eyebrow. "I don't think those phrases work in any context except the obvious."
He's awfully calm for a bloke who, just over a week ago, couldn't talk about sex without blushing. "Yeah, well, do us both a favor and forget you heard them." Turning her back on whatever reaction Mycroft had, she walked back to the sitting room and Mycroft followed her. "I don't have anything you can change into, so you'll have to either sleep in your clothes tonight, or strip down to your pants, whichever you prefer. I'll take you shopping after work tomorrow." Really hope he can't read minds – I still have Philip's old pajamas but Idefinitely don't want to see the man I fancy in my ex-lover's clothes. "Right, tour. This is the sitting room, on the other side of that wall over there is the kitchen, you can see the dining room from here, you already saw the bedroom, and the bathroom is over there."
"Quite … cozy," Mycroft said carefully.
Sally relaxed a little. "You mean 'small,' but that's alright. Best I can afford on an honest detective's salary." She smiled a bit. "Dinner?"
In response, Mycroft's stomach rumbled loudly and he blushed a bit. "Er, yes, thank you."
Dinner was steaks and baked potatoes in front of Sally's television. When Mycroft asked why they weren't eating at the dining room table, Sally said that the table was for special occasions.
Mycroft smiled a bit. "Dining with an angel isn't a special occasion?"
"Not when I'm going to be doing it for 366 nights in a row." She glanced at him. "In case you couldn't figure it out yourself, your family is going to need a lot longer than just a night to cool off."
"Yes, I gathered that. Do you mind my staying here for the entire duration?"
Sally smiled a bit. "Ask me again in a week." She grabbed the remote and changed the channel from the news to a football game.
He raised an eyebrow. "A bit mind-numbing for you, isn't it?"
"Sometimes, I just want to see one side trounce the other. Doesn't always happen in real life."
Mycroft watched the game for as long as he could stand it, which was about three minutes, then he snatched the remote from her and flipped through the channels until he found a televised production of Much Ado About Nothing. "If you want to see the right side win, try this."
Sally smiled a bit. "Did you spy on Shakespeare too?"
Mycroft sniffed. "I never spy, I observe."
"Fair enough." She tapped the end of his nose with one finger. "But if I ever find out you 'observed' me in my birthday suit, Mycroft, you're sleeping rough for the rest of your sentence."
Mycroft felt his cheeks flush, again. "I would never do something so-"
"Immature? Vulgar? Common?" Sally suggested, amused.
"Human."
"Maybe not before, but I bet you're thinking about it now."
Mycroft felt his face get even redder. "Er…"
Sally grinned. "Once you realize you're as human as the rest of us, the next year will be over before you know it." She dug into her baked potato.
And if I don't want that? he wondered as he watched her. I would prefer to take my time with some things.
Two days later, Molly Holmes woke to the sound of a deep purr in her ear and the feeling of an arm around her waist. Grinning, she opened her eyes and slowly turned onto her other side to see her demonic husband of five days beside her, still asleep. Brushing a few stray curls out of his eyes, she softly kissed his nose. The purr stopped then became a chuckle.
"Good morning, love," Sherlock murmured, his eyes still closed.
"Good morning, sexy," she said softly.
He slowly opened his eyes and smiled at her lovingly, then laid a hand over her stomach. "And good morning to you, little girl."
Molly softly kissed his cheek. "I love you."
"I love you too. What did you want to do today?"
"Besides you, you mean?" she asked, smirking.
Sherlock chuckled. "It's nice to know you're as addicted to me as I am to you." He turned onto his back, gazing up at her.
"Mmm…" Molly laid her head on his shoulder and sighed contently as he lightly stroked her back. "I wanted to explore the grounds again. We didn't get a chance to climb the Mound." Ethelfleda's Mound was the oldest part of the castle – a hill with a winding path leading to a keep, connected to the rest of the castle by the curtain wall.
"Not exactly a climb," Sherlock said, "it's more of a walk." He softly kissed her hair.
Molly playfully rolled her eyes. "Walk, climb, whatever, it's our last day in the castle and I want to go. We'll get some great photos."
Sherlock sighed overdramatically. "Very well, if we must, we must."
"Thank you, sexy." She softly kissed his neck. "I'll make it up to you in the shower."
Sherlock chuckled. "Why can't you make it up to me here?"
Molly lifted her head to grin at him. "Because if I did, we'd never leave."
Sherlock grinned back. "I don't see a problem with that."
She playfully smacked his shoulder.
"Do you feel that, love?" Sherlock asked. They were at the top of the Mound, looking over the rest of the castle spread out below.
"Feel what, Sherlock?" Molly said as she made a video with her phone of the view.
"That breeze." He looked over at the nearby tree. "The leaves aren't moving at all but I distinctly feel a warm breeze."
Molly grinned at him. "Warm breeze? Sounds like hot air to me." She giggled at his disapproving look. "Now that you mention it, I do feel something." Molly paused, sniffing the air. "Do you smell apples?"
"Yes." He looked around at the other visitors near them. "No one here has one of those toffee apples they're selling." Sherlock pulled out his mobile.
"Who are you texting?" Molly asked, curious.
He smiled a bit. "Your stepson."
10:31a What were those phenomena you're looking for again? SH
10:33a Texting your son while you're on your honeymoon? Isn't that one of those law things? ME
Sherlock rolled his eyes.
10:34a Just answer the question, Myrddin. SH
10:35a 1) A warm breeze that people can feel but it doesn't move anything else.
10:36a 2) A sense of rejuvenation that lasts as long as you're in the immediate area.
10:37a 3) The inexplicable scent of apples. ME
"Rejuvenation?" Sherlock looked over at a retired couple still climbing the small hill.
"Hon, do you need a break?" the wife asked. "Your knee must be bothering you."
"Actually, it feels better today than it has in years," the husband replied, grinning.
Sherlock turned back to his phone.
10:40a You need to come to Warwick Castle – I think we just found Avalon. SH
