Hey all :) Thank you for all the favorites and follows! I wasn't expecting to get that many in one chapter so that's always a good thing. I appreciate your continued support and I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

Love does not begin the way we think it does.

-James A. Baldwin

Twelve days had gone by and the events in Switzerland (now nicknamed the Maxwell Affair) had come to pass. Sherlock and John had busted the weapons dealing ring and it had turned out that 003 had bargained with more countries other than Switzerland. He had connections with Germany, The USA, Iran, and Russia. Thomas Maxwell had given them sensitive MI6 information in the form of an external hard drive, in order to secure their allegiances in the event of a world crisis.

The nature of the information that he relayed was not entirely clear; there were a fair amount of things said and transferred, so it was hard to keep track of everything that had been revealed. However, it was to everyone's understanding that it could be potentially consequential and to keep a sharp lookout for any complications that might arise from it. Nevertheless, the matter was quickly resolved and with the help of Dr. Watson, the two were able to imprison the weapons dealers in Switzerland and recovered the stolen drive. With that, the Maxwell Affair soon winded down to a close and most assumed that was the end of it. However, a cloud of doubt still remained, as if it were a prelude some unforeseen calamity.

Back in London, several people had other things on their minds. Christmas was in only three days, which meant that the annual MI6 Holiday Celebration was approaching. It was not your typical run-of-the-mill office party; the whole affair was rather extravagant in nature and was typically held in the esteemed Dorcaster Ballroom in the Dorcaster Hotel. It was quite an elegant affair and also what Joy and Eve believed to be the perfect place to get Alexa and Q together. They both figured that it was a lovely situation for both of them, but the trouble was getting any of it set up. In fact, they were unsure if the two could be a couple or if they were set on remaining close friends.

Likewise, Alexa frequently thought of the same situation as well. There was a lot to love about Q and she thought that maybe, just maybe, they could be more than friends. Although it had only been a few months since her hiring, Alexa had come to fully appreciate Q in his entirety, from his disorganized yet organized mind to his strange and somewhat fascinating quirks. She thought he was genuinely funny, with a rather ironic sense of humor, and in turn, he thought she was witty (if not, borderline sarcastic). As she spent more time with him, she found that she felt differently now. Every time she saw him, the most curious feeling would arise in her and she found that her heart beat a little quicker whenever she saw him. It was an unfamiliar sensation, but it wasn't unwelcome. The feeling bewildered Alexa to some extent and she soon began to wonder- could this be what love really felt like?

She would not deny that she was attracted to him. What was there not to like? He was undeniably handsome, not to mention the fact that he was quite funny and really nice as well. However, what she loved about him most was the fact that he would stop at nothing to make sure that everything was alright. If Q saw something wrong, he would state it outright in a simple and respectful manner. If conflict was occurring, Q would immediately correct it, whilst making sure that both parties were treated equally. The way that he could fix things like that was an admirable trait, if not, one that she lacked.

The fact that he was her boss was not the thing that was holding her back now. It was really that small ounce of fear she possessed, that he would think of her differently if he found out about her past. In the event that something did happen and the Agency found her, she didn't want Q to be harmed in any way. The last thing she wanted was for him to get hurt on her behalf, so she tried to stamp out and ignore her growing attachment to him.

It was not only Alexa who began feeling this way. Q did not know it, but he was slowly falling in love with her as well. He didn't think about his feelings for her very often but there were moments of clarity where he would feel his heart beat erratically, like when she would wear something nice to work or whenever she would laugh or smile. Q also always noticed her little quirks as well, like the fact that she came in at 8:59 every morning and how she always tended to forget her umbrella.

He was also unsure if he noticed too much, but he found that he liked it when her lips would twist up almost demurely at the corners whenever she smiled. Her eyes shone with a natural, continuous impression of curiosity, like she was always watching carefully. Underneath her polite and quiet exterior was a sort of passion that was unparalleled to anything else. Her looks and charm would undoubtedly bring no end of misery to him, if he wasn't careful.

He would also frequently observe her, to see what made her so different. Q had delved into her past a little further and was able to put together several ideas. The information he found was honestly rather alarming, because Sherlock's deduction had a 62% chance of being correct (which was quite higher than it should have been). There was a considerable amount of evidence that he had deemed as irrelevant before before and her past seemed so well-constructed to the point where just didn't seem right to him. However, he hesitated when he realized that he didn't know what to expect and if she would like it if he knew about it. A certain degree of fear remained in his heart that she would turn out like his ex-girlfriend. Q was never sure if he could handle a pain like that ever again, and he was torn between doing his job by researching on his own or waiting for her to explain it to him. This doubt remained and would not be expelled until someone helped him clear up the matter. Similarly, this applied to his emotional situation. Q would not come to realize his true emotions until that fateful day when his family decided to become involved in his love life.

(December 22, 2012- 6:52 PM)

A black car drove up a cobblestone driveway, that led to a grand and elegant home with a well-trimmed lawn that was blanketed in snow. The vehicle soon stopped and Q stepped out of his car and shut the door. He looked back at the vehicle and sighed. It took too much effort and money to get here, considering that the price of gasoline was almost £3 per liter. He barely used this car in the first place, except when he came to Petersfield for the sporadic Saturday get-togethers his mother loved to arrange. But then again, he realized that he would have to put up with it, lest he fly out here. That was a more expensive option, not to mention unpleasant (given his fear of planes).

"I could have ridden with Sherlock," he grumbled as he walked up to the marble steps. Q waited at the front door of the Holmes Manor before the door was answered by his mother, Violet Holmes.

Violet Holmes (née Rousseau) had been the daughter of a wealthy entrepreneur in France and she had gone to college for business and management. Violet became one of the old M's assistants before she met their currently deceased father, Siger Holmes and quit to be married. However, she still kept her ties to the MI6 active and was also a longtime friend of Gareth Mallory.

She was a rather frail looking woman, but that was the extent of her fragility. Violet Holmes could only compare to a lioness, fiercely protecting her three children (despite the fact that they had all grown up now). She had long chestnut brown hair and it would always be styled in an elegant bun. Violet had sharp, blue eyes that always seemed to be watching your every move and she looked like an intimidating figure. In reality, she was quite a pleasant woman who worried about her children far too much than an average mother would.

"Sherrinford! It's nice to see you. You've grown taller," she said as she wrapped her arms around her son. Her bird-like figure wavered slightly and she squeezed his arms. "You're getting thinner, love. Have you been eating properly?" she said sternly.

"Hello, mum. I go by Q now," he pointed out as he gave his mother a hug. He leant back slightly as she squeezed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Yes, I have been eating properly. You don't have to fret, mum. I'm fine."

"Fine, fine. But I did hear all about that. It's a lovely position and I'm so proud of you. I'm sure that your father would be too," she said as she ushered him inside. The foyer was silent as he stepped in and he stared at the grand staircase where he used to play as a child. Nothing had changed which was somewhat comforting, as he lived in an ever-changing world today.

"Where's Mycroft and Sherlock?" he said as he looked around.

"Mycroft is in the dining room. Sherlock will probably be late, once again," she said with a sigh.

"He's always late," Q scoffed. "By the way, have you taken any of the books out of my room?"

"I don't go into your room. I know how you are. I wouldn't want to mess up the order of it," Violet said.

"I'll be there for a bit. There's a few things I need I grab. Call me when Sherlock gets here," he said as he climbed up the stairs.

In reality, Q really didn't need anything. He just didn't want to wait in a room with Mycroft for thirty minutes because it was terribly awkward. They had never really seen eye to eye, since he was considerably older than him and it was always a bit strange when he talked to him. They had different sort of ideals in mind so they did not really see eye to eye.

Q went into his room and he smirked, at realizing that his mother was correct. The room was the exact same as when he had left for university. There was a microscope that sat long unused at the table and his bookshelf was filled with different books on Javascript, Programming, and other computer related subjects. He opened the closet to find a server box full of different coloured wires. It was rather nice to know that nobody touched his things and he ambled around the room, pretending to look for something.

It took almost ten minutes, but he finally heard the bell ring downstairs. Q let out a sigh of relief and grabbed two books about computational theory before nearly tripping over a small box on the foot of his bed. He opened it up to find several articles about his success in university and he noticed several medals hanging on the wall that he had won while he was there. Q flipped through the contents of the box and found himself smiling, at knowing that his mother had kept all of this. He found a large leather book in the box and he opened it to find a yearbook, of sorts. There were no individual photographs of the students; there were photos of student organizations and their various endeavors. He flipped through the faded pages and stopped when he saw photos of his graduation in the papers.

Q saw photographs of his younger self giving a speech and there was a faded paper with a copy of his summa cum laude acceptance speech. He saw only one photograph of Alexa in the entire 100 page book, and it was when she had accepted her diploma. In the picture, she still looked the way she did today and he was unable to find much else about her.

Q put the book back in the box and headed downstairs, where he met both of his brothers and his mother in the dining room.

"Ah, there you are. Take a seat, love," Violet said as she sat down at her own chair. She looked at all three of her sons as they sat at the table with a hint of pride in her eyes and began their dinner.

They made small conversation over a plate of seasoned pork that was cooked to perfection. Violet made an effort to keep all of her sons in good spirits tonight, since their dinners usually ended in someone arguing with someone. After they finished dinner, the four of them sat in front of the fireplace at the sitting room, where they talked about the various happenings in their lives.

"Is there anything interesting happening with your work, Sherrinford? Or do you go by Q now?" she asked.

"Either works, mum," he shrugged. "Nothing much had been taking place."

"Well, aside from the fact that you seem to be quite attached to that coworker of yours," Sherlock said, smirking slightly.

"Which one?" Q said as he looked up at his older brother.

"Miss Abbott, the one I deduced. I saw her when I came by," Sherlock said. "I mentioned her to Mycroft as well."

"You know, both of us have been watching your interactions with her ever since," Mycroft said thoughtfully as he took a sip of his wine.

"Ooh, a girl? What's this one like?" Violet said curiously. She had never really thought that Q was cut out for love and was surprised to hear him spending time with anyone, much less someone of the opposite gender. To be honest, she had suspected him of being gay before she heard about his first girlfriend but she had never stated it outright.

"It's nothing," Q mumbled as he looked at the dancing flames in the fireplace.

"Who is she? Is she nice?" she persisted.

"Her name is Alexa. She's...well, she is an interesting individual. Alexa is nice and a bit shy, unless you actually speak to her. She's quite intelligent and unlike some people, she understands what I'm saying when I talk with her about technology," Q said.

"How charming. He's finally found a woman whom he can speak geek to," Sherlock said with a smirk.

"Go on, love. Tell me more about this Alexa," Violet said impatiently, wanting to hear about her youngest son's current love life.

"She's...undeniably curious about a lot of things and although she is quiet, that doesn't mean that she doesn't have a backbone. She's strong, both emotionally and physically," he replied.

"What else have you learned about her?" she said.

"Alexa seems to have many different sides to her and quite frankly, it's interesting to see her reveal each of them. She's rather secretive and I'm beginning to wonder if I should find out what she could be hiding," Q said.

"Ah, the enigmatic type. Well, what does she look like? Is she pretty?" Violet asked.

"I can't deny the fact that she is quite lovely," he replied, nodding thoughtfully. Q had never acknowledged that thought out loud and found it surprisingly easy to state that he did find her pretty.

"Oh, have you taken her out on a date yet? Maybe you can ask her to that Christmas party that's-" his mother began.

"I am not taking her out on a date. I am her boss and she is both my friend and co-worker. That would be grossly inappropriate," Q stated firmly.

"Asking her out on a date and asking her to accompany you to a party are two different things," Mycroft interjected.

"I'm not entirely sure if that would give off the correct signals," he replied.

"I accompanied my assistant to a political soirée once and no one thought anything of it," Mycroft said.

"Well, this is a different scenario. I've seen how he is around her. You're interested in this one, aren't you?" Sherlock said.

"No. Don't be silly, Sherlock. I have no romantic feelings for her whatsoever," Q said defensively. He glared at his brother almost childishly and shook his head defiantly.

"You're being quite defensive, for a man who claims to have no romantic feelings for her. It's a bit amusing to see you in denial like this, really," Sherlock smirked.

"That is a ridiculous and false notion," he said stubbornly.

"Like I said, your denial is quite simply endearing," he teased. Q merely rolled his eyes and fiddled with the edge of his shirt, ignoring both of them for the time being.

"Be entirely honest with yourself," Mycroft said. "What exactly does that woman mean to you?"

"I..." he said, with a moment of hesitation. It occurred to him that he found Alexa to be truly lovely but he was unsure of how to feel. She was his friend and he was her boss as well. He didn't want her to turn out like his former girlfriend had. However, he did feel some sort of attraction to her but he didn't know if he could even take action on such a thing.

"We're just good friends," he said firmly, attempting to make himself believe that this was the truth.

"Well, ask her out anyway. I'm sure you've done it before, haven't you?" Sherlock said.

"I have asked her to have dinner with me before. But this isn't the same," he argued.

"It isn't, but just give it a chance. I know that what happened with Kate was...well, hard for you to deal with but that shouldn't keep you from trying again," Violet piped up. She wanted nothing more than to see her son happy and if this Alexa could ensure his joy, then she didn't see why he should hesitate.

With these words, Sherlock and Mycroft were sure that Q had fallen for their mother's tactic hook, line, and sinker. They both knew that Q hated seeing their mother worry over him and the concern in her eyes only fueled the cause even further. He stood up and put on his coat, before fishing his car keys out of his pocket.

"I'll try but I doubt she'd agree to it," he said. Q gave his mother a hug and said goodbye to both of his brothers, before taking his books and leaving the house.

Violet watched her son's car leave the driveway and turned back to face Mycroft and Sherlock. "Tell me, what's this girl like? Is there are chance that things could end badly with this one?" she said worriedly.

"We've both been keeping tabs on her. She's a strange one," Sherlock remarked.

"How so?" Violet said, looking alarmed.

"There's just something about her that isn't right. I've looked at her files and I'm almost a hundred percent sure that her past is forged. It's well-fabricated, if not, to an extreme extent. Everything that dates back to her childhood eventually leads to an untraceable lead or a dead end," Mycroft said.

"A dead end?" she echoed blankly.

"Simply put, mum, she's a ghost. If you take away this current identity of hers, you won't find anything. She doesn't appear in any other databases in any government across the globe," he said.

"Oh dear. Did I make a mistake in getting him involved with her?" she fretted as she wrung her hands in her lap nervously.

"Well, we haven't figured out why she's hiding her true identity but we'll find out soon. For now, he should be perfectly fine," Sherlock said casually. Mycroft gave him a hesitant glance, because he had heard what Sherlock had deduced out of Alexa. He responded back with a pointed stare that told him to stay quiet and thus, the politician was silenced.

"Alright, if you say so. I'll meet her on Monday anyway, so I can make my own judgements there," she sighed. "I'm so glad you two care for your little brother. I worry about him quite a bit."

"We wouldn't have it any other way," Mycroft said, smirking slightly.

(December 23, 2013- 10:14 AM)

The shrill ring of the doorbell broke the silence that had settled in Alexa's flat and she let out a groan. She never woke up earlier than eleven o'clock on the weekends and today was no exception. The doorbell kept ringing and eventually, she rolled over to check the time and ended up falling out of bed, laying on the floor in a heap of blankets. Alexa yawned and stood up, ran a hand through her unruly hair in an attempt to make it a bit neater, and replaced her tank top with a gray long sleeve shirt. She quickly brushed her teeth and snuck a look in the mirror, to see how she looked. After deciding that it was perfectly acceptable to answer the door in her plaid pyjama pants, she headed downstairs. Alexa rubbed her eyes blearily and opened the door.

"Can I help you?" she said as she let out a yawn.

"Morning, Alexa," Q said as he glanced at her appearance curiously. The sound of his voice seemed to fully wake her up and she stared at him.

"Oh! Er, good morning to you as well," she said, looking embarrassed. "

"Did I wake you? Sorry about that," he said.

"It's alright," she shrugged. Alexa studied him for a moment and stepped aside.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked. "I'll make some tea or something."

"No, it's fine. I was just dropping by to...ask you something," Q said, looking sheepish.

"Oh? What would that be?" Alexa said curiously.

"Well, it's about that holiday thing tomorrow and I was wondering if you, erm...happened to be going with anyone," he said, shuffling his feet awkwardly.

"Oh, I'm not going with anyone. No one's asked me about it," she shrugged.

"Would you like to go with me?" Q asked hesitantly. Alexa looked surprised and she found that she didn't exactly know what to say.

"I mean, you don't have to. Feel free to say no. I won't be offended at all," he said hastily. It began to sink in that he had really asked her this and she found herself smiling in response.

"I would love to," Alexa said.

"You...would?" Q asked, looking positively surprised.

"Yes. I think it would be lovely," she replied.

"Really? Hmm, I honestly thought you would say no," he chuckled.

"Well, for once you're wrong. I would love to go with you," she said, giving him that smile of hers that always made his heart beat a little quicker than it should. He reminded himself that they were just friends and quickly shook off thoughts of anything else.

"That's good. I'll come by at seven tomorrow, then," he said.

"Yeah, sounds good," Alexa said, sounding a bit more cheerful than before.

"Alright. I'll see you then," he said as he went off. Q waved goodbye and she shut the door, feeling quite cheerful. Her spirits were momentarily dampened when she realized that she didn't have anything to wear. Alexa honestly hadn't even planned on going, since she didn't have anyone to go with. Although the action was somewhat juvenile, Alexa decided to call Joy and Eve to see if they could help her out since she always had a hard time picking out dresses.

Alexa called both women and they decided to meet at Mayfair Street later at eleven. She ate a rather unimpressive breakfast of bagels and coffee, before heading up to her bedroom to put on a white sweater, a pair of jeans, and a pair of boots. Alexa grabbed her purse and made her way to the Tube stop.

She took the train to Mayfair Street and met Joy and Eve at a café. Alexa waved at the two women and the three congregated on the sidewalk in front of the café.

"Morning," Alexa said.

"Hi," Joy said. "So, what's up?"

"Yeah, you weren't exactly clear on why we're here when you called this morning," Eve said accusingly.

"Well, I need your help. I need to pick out a dress for that party tomorrow," Alexa confessed.

"I thought you didn't want to go," Joy said, looking puzzled.

"Well, I wasn't going to go because nobody asked me. But then, Q came to my doorstep this morning and asked me if I could accompany him to the party,"Alexa said. Both women instantly exchanged rather devious looks and Alexa stared at them suspiciously.

"What was that look for?" she said warily.

"Nothing, nothing. We'll make sure that you look pretty," Eve said reassuringly. A smile lit up Alexa's face and she looked both relieved and joyful.

"Thank god. I can't pick out dresses for the life of me," Alexa sighed.

"Hang on, did he say this was a date?" Joy said.

"Er, no. He didn't really specify, but I wouldn't think of it like that," she replied as they walked down the street.

"By the time we're done with you, he'll wish that he would have taken you out on a date before," Eve said. Alexa rolled her eyes and thus, the women began their search.

They went in and out of Mayfair Street's designer boutiques for the majority of the day, walking out empty handed out of each store. It was a bit of a challenge for Eve and Joy, because they could not pinpoint exactly what would look best on Alexa. Simply put, nothing had impressed them yet.

It was seven o'clock when they had reached DuCoeur, a boutique at the end of Mayfair Street. The shop was quite small, but the clothes looked to be rather impressive and a bit on the expensive end. They entered the empty store and were immediately greeted by a young woman who sported bright blonde hair.

"Can I help you ladies?" she said.

"Yes, we're looking for a dress to suit our friend," Eve replied as she motioned to Alexa.

The saleswoman studied Alexa carefully and nodded. "I'll see what we have in the back. In the meantime, feel free to look around," she said as she headed off. Alexa thanked the woman and the three of them took a look around the shop.

"Would you look good in mauve, Alexa?" Joy said as she held up a pale coloured dress. Eve and Alexa both looked at the dress and Eve shook her head.

"It's nice, but it's a bit of a dated colour. Remember, she has to look stunning," Eve called as looked through the racks.

"Yes, but it should still be subtle," Alexa said.

"Well, you should just take a chance on this one. Be a little sexy, you know? This doesn't happen everyday," Eve replied.

"I'm sure Q wouldn't mind that," Joy smirked. Both women burst into laughter and Alexa rolled her eyes. The saleswoman came back and informed them that everything in the back was the same as what they had on the floor.

Alexa turned back around and flipped through various shades of red, pinks, and blues. Her browsing was interrupted about fifteen minutes later, when she heard Joy and Eve call her name.

"What?" Alexa said as she turned around.

"We found one," Joy said. They showed her a one-shouldered black dress with diamond accents here and there. It had a silk skirt that (when she wore heels) would flow gracefully behind her, stopping at her ankles. Alexa raised an eyebrow and she nodded.

"I like it so far. May I try it on?" she said.

"By all means, go ahead,"the saleswoman said as she led Alexa to the dressing room. She slipped on the black garment and immediately noticed that it was backless. Alexa liked it overall, but she turned in the mirror and hoped that her scar wouldn't show. She figured that it wouldn't, since it was near the base of her spine. However, she still felt a little uneasy with showing off her back but she decided to take a chance on it anyway.

"How do I look?" Alexa asked as she cautiously stepped out of the dressing room. By the look on everyone's face, it was evident that this was the dress they had been looking for all afternoon.

"He's going to have a heart attack when he sees you, I swear," Joy chuckled.

"Is that a bad thing?" Alexa said as she carefully inspected herself in the mirror.

"Not at all, miss. Your date must be a lucky man," the saleswoman remarked, giving her a wink.

"Is it a bit too risqué?" she said worriedly.

"Risqué? Course not," Eve said matter-of-factly. "You should see what the younger interns wear."

"Now that's risqué," Joy agreed, letting out a laugh.

"Well, I am showing off my back. I certainly don't want him to think of me like that," she said with a shrug.

"It's sexy and it leaves just a bit of room for imagination," Eve said. "In simpler terms, it's lovely."

"Yes, it should be fine. It does look exquisite on you, miss," the woman remarked. Alexa took one last glance in the mirror and a grin spread across her lips.

"Alright, then. I'll take it," she said. The woman went to go ring up the dress and after several minutes, Alexa walked out of DuCoeur with a £250 dress in her shopping bag and a smile on her face. She thanked Eve and Joy and made her way home, where she put the dress on a hanger and unearthed her unused Louboutin pumps. Thankfully, she could dance in heels without falling over because she had established a good sense of balance from her ballet and gymnastics classes.

Alexa left her bedroom and ate her dinner, rushing through her daily bedtime routine. She wrapped the present she had been making Q for the past five weeks now and set out her clothes before heading off to bed, feeling undoubtedly excited for the events that would occur tomorrow.

My my, love is certainly in the air. What do you think will happen at the soirée? Leave me a review and let me know what you liked, would like, and whatever else.

Until next time!