"Is this what I think it is?" Rosie asked, looking down at the piece of paper that her uncle had just presented to her.

"Yes." Mycroft replied with a serious nod, watching her face for any clue of what she was thinking.

"Uncle Myc, thank you and all, but it's a little early to be considering universities." Rosie said gently, looking back up at him.

"Nonsense, it's never too early." Mycroft replied, "If you start planning now then you'll know what grades are expected for Oxford."

"Oxford? Really?" Rosie scoffed and put the paper down on the chessboard between them.

"You have the potential to be accepted into Oxford, don't put yourself down, Rosamund." Mycroft replied with a frown.

"You know as well as I do that it's got nothing to do with my potential." Rosie replied with a raised eyebrow, "All you'd have to do was give them a call and I'd be in."

"That's not exactly how it works." Mycroft denied carefully.

Rosie rolled her eyes, "Yes, it is! That's how you do everything!" she argued, "All it takes is one phone call and then things have been decided."

"I apologize if I've brought up the topic at the wrong moment, I just thought that you'd like to be prepared." Mycroft replied, taking the list of universities and putting it back into his jacket.

"I do want to be prepared." Rosie said quietly, "It's just, I don't know if I want to go to university yet, you know? I mean, there are plenty of other opportunities out there."

"You future salary options will be greatly reduced if you don't go to university." Mycroft warned, "Think carefully, Rosamund. The decision you make at this stage in your life will impact the rest of your life."

"Mycroft! Stop!" Rosie gasped in frustration, "This is what I'm taking about! All this pressure is too much! How can I be expected to know what I want to do for the rest of my life?"

Mycroft sighed and sat back in his chair, watching her as he considered what to say to appease her. He'd always known what his calling was so it was difficult to imagine a situation where one didn't know which path to choose for their future. His main recommendation was university, purely because of the networking opportunities it offered, but he did understand that university wasn't the path for everyone. However, he was well aware of Rosie's intelligence and it worried him that she was considering turning her back on academia.

"Have you spoken about your feelings with John or Sherlock?" Mycroft asked after a couple of minutes of awkward silence between them.

"No. Sherlock doesn't understand and Dad says he just wants me to be happy. What does that even mean? It's certainly not remotely helpful." Rosie sighed, "I'm sorry for snapping at you. It's not your fault."

"I have a suggestion." Mycroft said gently, "I don't know if it would help you in your decision making process, but I feel it may offer you some insight into the world of work."

"What's your suggestion?" Rosie asked.

"I may be able to arrange for you to shadow various staff in my department." Mycroft said, "You wouldn't be able to take part in any operations, but I could arrange for work experience with administration, HR, the press office etc."

"You would do that for me?" Rosie asked with a smile.

"Of course. You are intelligent and polite, I have no reason to think that you wouldn't be welcomed by my department." Mycroft replied with a smile.

"I would have to ask, Dad. You know how he feels about your work." Rosie admitted.

"He knows that I would never put you in harm's way." Mycroft said, "I will speak with him about it."

"Thank you. I know you'll be able to sell it to him better than I could." Rosie replied, "Anyway, do you want to go first?"

"You must go first, dearest Rosamund. A true gentleman couldn't possibly go first in a game of chess." Mycroft said with mock horror.

Rosie laughed, "If you insist, kind Sir." she replied.

"I insist." Mycroft chuckled, turning the board so the white pieces were on her side.

Rosie smiled and looked down at the board, pausing for a moment before she began the game. "Look, Uncle Myc-" she started.

"If you decide that university isn't the right option for you then I will support you in whatever you decide to do." Mycroft assured gently, "Don't worry, my dearest, you will always be a star to me."

Rosie blushed and smiled, her fears immediately settled by his words, "Thank you." she replied. After taking another moment to gather herself, she reached out and made her first move on the chessboard.


"You're not still playing chess, are you? You've probably been at it all day." John chuckled from the doorway of the library, watching Mycroft and Rosie move the pieces silently.

"A game of chess can't be rushed." Mycroft murmured, waving one of his hands towards the sofa in an invitation for John to join them.

"Every move has to be carefully considered, especially considering I'm playing against Uncle Myc." Rosie replied, looking over at her father with a smile.

"Do you two ever actually go outside when you spend time together?" John teased as he sat down.

"Outside?" Mycroft repeated with a frown, looking up at John, "Why would we want to go outside?"

"You're turning my daughter into a Mycroft clone." John joked.

"If all I am able to teach her is to play a good game of chess then I will die happy." Mycroft replied with a smile.

"Well, I think I might actually die before you finish that game." John said, getting to his feet again, "Come on, Rosie. Time to go home."

"Five more minutes? Please Dad?" Rosie pleaded.

"No. Come on. You can finish the game when you next see Mycroft." John said, putting his foot down.

"But that could be ages away!" Rosie protested as she reluctantly got up from the armchair she'd occupied all afternoon.

"I doubt it will be that long. You're round here almost every Sunday, darling." John pointed out with a raised eyebrow, "You need to give Uncle Mycroft a rest."

"You're always welcome here, Rosamund." Mycroft assured, getting to his feet, "I won't move any of the pieces. The board will stay exactly like this until you return."

Rosie moved in and gave Mycroft a gentle hug, "See you soon. Look after yourself, Uncle Myc." she said with a smile.

"See you soon." Mycroft replied, squeezing her gently before he let her go.

Rosie trudged out into the hallway to put her coat and shoes on.

"Teenagers, eh?" John chuckled to the elder Holmes brother, "I hope she's not too much for you."

"I'm 60, not 600." Mycroft replied with a roll of his eyes.

"I know, but I'm also aware that she can be a little intense." John said quietly, "Let me know if you need a rest, okay?"

"You do realise that I still work full time?" Mycroft replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry I asked." John muttered, raising his hands in a surrender motion.

"Thank you for your concern, John. I will let you know if I ever need a break." Mycroft assured, acknowledging the younger man's concerns, "Pass on my best wishes to my brother."

"I'll tell him you said hi." John replied, heading for the door, "Bye Mycroft, see you soon."

"Goodbye, John." Mycroft said with a nod, moving to sit down again. He knew that he wasn't getting any younger but he was in no rush to slow down just yet.