THE TALE OF GOLDFISH

Tumblr is a blessing when it comes to AUs, which is kind of one of my favorite things on the universe to write if you weren't aware. Anyway here's this thing that I came up with when I saw this one.

Original AU idea: You're a vet and I'm pleading with you to save my goldfish and you're the first vet I've visited to not ask me if I'm sure I don't want to go and buy another goldfish for three dollars

**I've tweaked it a bit to suit my brains vision of how this would go.

Note: This is Mythea with kidlock sherlolly, I hope you enjoy.

much love,

day

Mycroft Holmes had patience, he did. He was sure of it. At some point earlier in the day but then the incident happened.

A crying girl was involved. The Hooper girl who doted on his younger brother. As luck would have it he always seemed to be cleaning up Sherlock's mess-ups. This one not entirely his fault as he told him repeatedly while he tried to get some real understanding of what had transpired.

Goldy, like from the Three Bears was what they had called the goldfish that he had purchased for them at the fair his mother and Mrs. Hooper had pleaded with him to take the younger ones to.

He hadn't admitted openly but he had enjoyed it to some extent. He mostly stood back watching the two children under close gaze while also looking over files that he had sent to his mobile about this and that.

Having a break from school wasn't really something he endured willingly so any opportunity to study a bit more he took.

Now however, there wasn't any time for that.

"You have to fix it, Myc." Sherlock grumbled looking flushed and a bit flushed at the idea that he had made his girl friend cry. Sherlock didn't know how to comfort her, nor was he about to try in front of his older brother who always knew what to do.

"What about getting another?" He started before he heard a small whimper from the younger girl. That was not what she wanted.

He let out a sigh, quickly cleaning up the mess and grabbing a bag to fill with water and placing the fish in it. It wasn't moving but he was ready to get this over with so he didn't have to deal with it.

This was how Mycroft Holmes found himself growing steadily irritated. Two vets turned him away and he almost turned to tell Molly that a third wouldn't matter much when he spotted a familiar building.

Jameson's Veterinarian Center - where all breeds were welcomed. As in no turn aways.

They had taken Redbeard there a few times. His brother handling most of that because it was his dog and he wanted to be grown up and take care of him as he was supposed to. The irony was not lost on him now.

"Shall I?" He questioned just shy of ushering the two children before him inside.

"Please." It was the closest he was going to get to a full on beg from Sherlock. He sniffed before rushing over to the desk where an equally annoyed woman sat.

"What's your problem, sir?"

"My goldfish is indisposed." He didn't want to be indelicate with Molly Hooper holding onto his coat in order to stay close and no doubtedly hear everything as it happened.

"Sir? Do you mean..." He cut her off before she could say it. Leaning over and practically invading space without a care for her flushed appearance. He wasn't interested.

"I need to see Dr. Jameson. My little brother's girl friend is dire need of her fishy friend and the past two places have been less than helpful."

"I'm not sure..."

"It's okay, Leslie." A voice coming from his left stopped the rejection from fully coming out. "Let them through. I'm sure we can sort something out." The woman who was very familiar to him in a way that he couldn't put his finger on said.

She was dressed in a dark dress that was minimally concealed by her lab coat and heels that couldn't be too comfortable when being on your feet was your job. She bent down minutely so that she was at Sherlock and Molly's level and beamed. "Don't cry, I'm gonna take care of your friend." She looked up at him and smiled a little before popping back up and gesturing for all of them to follow her.

"So wanna tell me what happened?" She zoned in on Sherlock deciding that the children were better to discuss this with. They were the ones who had been there when the mishap happened so he couldn't exactly blame her either.

He stood close enough that he could be in the conversation though nothing was being directed at him as of yet as the vet cooed and discussed what she could do while preparing Molly mostly for what else could happen.

"Mr. Holmes, if you'd like to join me over here?" She beckoned him over to a small counter with the goldfish already in her possession.

"How?" He started.

"Oh. You don't remember me. Ah, well. We did have the one night. Anthea, that's my name. Or one of them as I go by a lot of them for reasons."

He hmmed, thinking on it for a moment before it hit him. The private intermediate school he had attended. She was there. They had spent a night talking, though he can't remember how that happened. "I remember you, a bit."

"Good. That might help a bit for what we are gonna have to do."

"You have to do something. I haven't the skill to deal with sad children. My brother is a handful on his own, the girl has been weeping for hours."

"Her name is Molly. Use it." She cut him off.

Now he remembered. They had challenging conversations that night where he might have been more critical than usual. A habit that he couldn't break, not even now.

"I will try."

Anthea was quiet for a moment. He could see her thinking hard of something. She turned slightly looking at his brother and his companion as they were holding hands and Sherlock looked deeply apologetic at the young girl with her pigtails and sheen covered eyes.

"Got it. Stay here." She rushed through the only other door besides the one they came in, goldfish in hand. She was gone for ten minutes before she came back.

"Good as new. You put him somewhere safe where he won't topple over. Okay?"

Molly looked like she might cry again but for a happier reason. She let Sherlock hold they're pet before hugging Anthea around her legs.

The vet herself seemed startled but he knew she had to have been hugged before with a job like this. With a tagline like the one they had here. She patted Molly soothingly.

"You're welcome." She told them both before turning back to Mycroft who was already taking out his wallet.

"No charge." She shook her head.

"What-I have to repay you somehow." He frowned, brows creasing.

"You will. Tomorrow."

He just looked at her as she approached him, stretching out her hand. "You do still have cards don't you?"

I didn't take him very long to figure out what she was talking about. He reached into his jacket and extracted a single white card. It only had a few important details on it.

His name and a number to reach him.

"I'll give you a call. Perhaps I can check in on Redbeard while I'm around."

That was the last word he got from her until the next day when his mother called him for a phone call. "How does lunch sound?"

"Tell her to come over. We're having a small get together."

"Address?" She giggled, hearing his mother's words.

He rattled it off, unsure of how this had happened or what was going to happen.

Goldfish, it started with that.