This is set way, way before Sherlock and John get together or have their lablee. Don't ask me specifically about the time line for this as it has gone a bit wibily wobbly on me.


Anthea wasn't meant to go into her Aunt's study, but it was where all the best books were kept in the house and it wasn't like it was that difficult to break into. And with nothing better to do on dreary Saturday afternoon that is precisely what she does.

Even so she hadn't meant to touch the papers on her Aunts desk. At fourteen and a half her Aunt's work held little interest and she had no desire to leave any trace of her presence behind.

Regrettably despite her cleaver than average brain, a recent growth spurt had left her ever so slightly clumsy. In the cramped study, overflowing with books and knickknacks, her skirt catches on the edge of a large pile of files. Their contents spill onto the floor.

Aware that her aunt will return from the hairdressers promptly at half three, she wastes no time dilly-dallying and hastily begins to pick the files up and put them back together in what she hopes is their proper order. (Aunt Maria was hardly the most organised of people and would hardly notice much of a difference but given their contents she tries to avoid mistakes all the same).

She is nearly done when she comes across a photograph of a smiling young man.

He was not particularly handsome (at least not in the regular sense what with his red hair and chubby frame) but there is something about him that captivates her. His smile seems oddly genuine, indeed the whole nature of the photograph, the casual way in which he is dressed and the small hand of some cropped from the picture indicate that this picture (unlike most sent to her Aunt) is not posed.

Turning it over she reads the name written neatly on the back.

Mycroft Holmes, she reads and something clicks inside her.

He's perfect.

Without a second thought she separates his mint green file from the rest of the pile and takes it with her.

Anthea emails him informing him she is a potential match and sends him a photograph of her dressed up as Emma from her school production. In her letter she tells him that she currently possesses a minor position at King's Science academy (but omits to inform him she is merely head girl there).

Much to her surprise he writes her back. In his message he makes a reference to The Princess Bride, her favourite film.

From there on they fall into easy correspondence. From his emails she discovers he has a kind heart, a lonely soul and is completely ignorant when it comes to her kind, which is fortunate, as through their communication she has decided that she absolutely must have him as her Alpha.

He is everything she wants in a mate. Smart, quiet yet ambitious and as of his most recent birthday utterly in need of a bond.

Over Christmas she calls him from the phone box in the village in order to hear his voice. (It is too risky for her to use the home phone least her aunt catches her).

Talking to him is wonderful, even if he struggles to talk to her, and they are interrupted twice by his brat of a brother.

She runs out of phone credit far too soon.

But not before he manages to arrange a meeting with her in two weeks' time.

She doesn't normally care much about clothes but dressed up like a doll in heels and make up she feels much older than she really is. Hopefully she looks a lot older as well.

He turns up at the tea shop smartly dressed and with a large boutique of flowers just for her. The flowers are lovely and she tells him so, only to be told they pale in comparison to her beauty.

They order a pot of tea and some scones, before he notices her lack of chaperone. He seems surprised at this and asks why her Aunt's service has failed to provide one for them.

Her stomach turns as she tells him Maria was unwell at the last minute and unable to come (but says nothing of the laxatives she put in her Aunts morning tea).

Mycroft smiles and tells her not to worry, for his mother is outside waiting in the car and can accompany them instead, he assures her.

Mrs Holmes takes one look at her and sees through her right away.

Her smile freezes on her face and she turns to Mycroft in shock.

"This is the Omega you have been courting?" she squeaks. "This is the person you are besotted with? She's just a child!" She blurts albeit quietly so as not to create a scene.

Mycroft stalls utterly confused and everything starts to crumble around Anthea very quickly.

"Please tell me she is at least sixteen" Mrs Holmes adds sitting down wearily in the chair next to Anthea.

Mycroft looks at her, his eyes telling her to deny it and correct his mother. Anthea looks at neither of them and fiddles with her napkin.

"I'll be sixteen in four months." She admits on the verge of breaking down completely.

"I thought this was too good to be true." Mrs Holmes says, picking up a scone.

Tears threaten to fall from Anthea's eyes and concern fills Mrs Holmes face. She pets Anthea's hand. "You are here willingly, aren't you dear? Nobody put you up to this, did they?"

Anthea sniffs and shakes her head; despite Mrs Holmes's worries nobody had forced her to do this. What had she been thinking?

"I'm sorry" She mumbles getting up and drawing back her chair. "I shouldn't have done this. Only I had to meet him." She says turning to go.

An arm shoots out and stops her. It is Mycroft's.

"Don't go." He begs her.

"I don't care if you lied. I love you."

And with that she crumbles.

In the end it is all very simple.

What Anthea had felt was a pre-bond, the connection that exists between individuals destined to be bonded together before they have even met. And it was this link that had influenced her actions and encouraged her to seek out her future mate. According to her Aunt it happens so rarely most believe it to be merely myth.

With Aunt Maria's permission Anthea is bonded to Mycroft on her sixteenth birthday. Her Aunt consents to the lablee on the understanding that the bond is not to be consummated by a heat until Anthea turns twenty one.


Okay so I wrote this because I never really went into much detail into how Mycroft and Anthea got together in the main series even though I had this whole backstory for them.

Also lets not get into the whole Anthea name thing.

Additionally Anthea's Aunt is not banning sex completely just them having sex in heat. Even so the two of them do wait a reasonable amount of time before having sex together.