A short piece, originally posted on my tumblr. I consider it happening in the same universe as my other two stories - MH and Mary and Alice, but there's no need to be familiar with them.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any characters, merely borrowing for a while.

::

Afternoon Tea

::

"Isn't it a bit cruel to keep him thinking that he still has a chance of winning the game?" she asked, delicately sipping from her tea cup.

"I find that my brother could do with a little more cruelty in his life," he responded, taking a nibble from the lemon cake provided.

"So it WAS the butler? Positively sure? Because I didn't think that happened in real life."

"It WAS and it most certainly happens in real life. As we just proved."

Sherlock came striding into the room, his swagger confident as always.

"It was the butler!"

Mycroft smiled at him benignly, "Ah Sherlock. Just in time for afternoon tea. And yes, it was the butler with the poison in the port."

Sherlock's face fell, "So you know?"

Mycroft merely raised an eyebrow at the younger man.

"How long?" the consulting detective demanded.

"Two days ago. It would have taken me longer, were it not for Molly's kind assistance."

Sherlock scowled at Molly, "What did you do?"

Mycroft tutted, "Now, now, Sherlock, this is no way to behave with a guest of mine."

As mostly, Sherlock ignored his brother and continued to glare at Molly. The woman, to Mycroft's surprise, didn't seem intimidated at all.

In fact, she sat up straighter and with a careless shrug of her shoulders, replied "There was something odd in the blood work…"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I did. You were too busy texting and rushing out of the room…"

"You could have mentioned it to me, again."

"I DID. You interrupted me with a coffee order…I made a joke about stirring in some digitalis…"

"You know I never listen to your jokes…"

"Well, you never listen to me at ALL."

Mycroft chuckled "Oh brother dear, what an unfortunate amateur mistake."

"YOU were too busy trying to beat me at our little wager that you forgot to follow basic procedure."

"I'm frankly baffled at how you missed something so obvious, considering the resources," he pointed at Molly "that were at your disposal."

It was fairly obvious that Sherlock was desperately trying not to seethe as he settled into an empty chair.

He hated it when Mycroft was right - and Mycroft was almost always right.

Molly piped up, "Tea, Sherlock?"

Oh how he wanted to be rude and refuse. But Molly was smiling at him so sweetly that he found it impossible to either snarl or ignore her.

"Yes, please," he said, trying very hard not to choke on his words.

The humiliation stung and he hated being embarrassed in front of an audience by Mycroft. But he couldn't be angry at Molly because everything she'd said had been true.

Apart from Mummy and Mrs. Hudson, Molly Hooper was the only other person who could make him feel truly ashamed of his behaviour.

He gracefully accepted the cup Molly offered and with as much sincerity he could muster, he said "I apologise Molly. I should have paid more attention to you. You have always been one of my greatest allies and I would not be able to solve as many cases and as quickly were it not for your assistance."

Molly blushed becomingly and something warm and foreign spread through Sherlock's chest.

"Thank you, Sherlock. That means a lot to me," she replied shyly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Mycroft taking a bite of cake.

Unable to resist the dig, Sherlock smirked "How's the diet, brother?"

After swallowing the mouthful of cake, Mycroft smiled beatifically.

"Splendid, brother dear. Just splendid."

Sherlock scowled again. There was just no winning today, was there?

- THE END -