Elizabeth stood outside 221 B Baker Street as her mother and father spoke of the deceased Irene Adler. Elizabeth had told them that she had an appointment with her friend's to go in search of clothes that evening in the New Year sale which none of them had managed to go to earlier due to exam revision. Lizzie knew she shouldn't lie to her parents and she had a feeling that her father could see straight through her. But lying was sometimes easier and that turned out to be true when the black car pulled up on the curb. Elizabeth opened the door, settling herself into the back seat as the woman beside her nodded once and went back to playing on her phone.

Elizabeth remained quiet for the duration of the trip and continued to stare out the window until her eyes went wide when she saw the car was heading for the Houses of Parliament and it stopped suddenly and the woman climbed out as Elizabeth did the same. She had learnt to not expect any conversation from the people who came to take her to a secret location. She followed the woman into the Houses, unable to believe where she was as she led her into the heart of the Houses.

"Take a seat," she said to Elizabeth. "He shall be here in a moment."

Elizabeth blinked. Did she want her to sit in the empty chamber on one of the green seats? Elizabeth walked down the steps, sitting down on the front seat right where the PM sat when the chamber was in use.

"It isn't as big as it looks, is it?" a man's voice rang out and Elizabeth looked up as Mycroft walked down the steps, settling himself opposite her where the opposing party sat and she shrugged.

"I suppose it isn't," she told him and he chuckled, checking his pocket watch.

"I hope you don't mind me dragging you from your flat," he said and Elizabeth shook her head.

"I had a feeling it would be you," she said. "I've learnt to not tell mum of why you bring me here. She doesn't seem to want me near you."

"You'll know why one day," he assured her. "Until that day arises then I can trust you to keep these meetings secret."

"I think my dad knows I come."

"Sherlock would never stop you," Mycroft shook his head. "My little brother knows it would be pointless."

"So why am I here this time?" Elizabeth asked, crossing her legs and leaning forward, her chin resting in her hand as her elbow rested on her knee.

"He went to identify Miss Adler's body, did he not?" Mycroft checked with his niece and she nodded.

"He did."

"And did he confirm it to be her?"

"Yes," Elizabeth replied.

"As I thought," Mycroft said. "How did he seem afterwards?"

"Ah," Elizabeth said. "You want to know if he is back to using his drugs, don't you?"

"I was curious," Mycroft shrugged. "He and Miss Adler appeared to be rather close."

"You are also forgetting that he is married," Elizabeth said.

"Your mother is no Miss Adler and we both know that."

"My dad loves her," Elizabeth said forcefully.

"Your father also loves working cases," Mycroft pointed out. "Love is something which Sherlock finds difficult to understand. It is a chemical emotion to him."

"He isn't using," Elizabeth sighed. "He didn't seem to disturbed by her death but..."

"But what?" Mycroft asked and Elizabeth stood up, her hand resting on the wooden platform in the middle where politicians spoke and debated.

"He had a cigarette," Elizabeth said. "He sent me to fetch him a coffee with Molly and when we were finished I came back to see him putting it out."

"Do you think it means anything?"

"I think it would be foolish of us to assume it means nothing," Elizabeth replied and Mycroft chuckled.

"You're a lot like him you know?"

"Much to my mother's dismay," she smirked and Mycroft grinned.

"I think my dad considered her an equal," Elizabeth decided.

"I think that is correct," Mycroft decided. "You need to keep an eye on him Elizabeth."

Mycroft stood up as Elizabeth sighed to herself and looked at Mycroft.

"She tore my family apart," Elizabeth said. "She caused a rift between my mum and dad."

"And what are you saying?" Mycroft asked with a raised brow.

"I'm saying that I will look after my dad but if he lets her death get to him then that could cause World War Three in my house."

"Trust me Elizabeth," Mycroft said, beginning to walk back up the stairs, "I've seen the plans for World War Three and they are much bigger than your parent's feud."

...

"Did you not buy anything sweetie?" Scarlett asked her daughter when she walked back into the flat and she shook her head, placing her coat onto the coat hanger whilst Scarlett shrugged into hers.

"There was nothing decent," she said, looking over at her father as he read his paper, taking in the conversation but not inputting to it.

"Oh well," Scarlett said. "We can go when the Spring collection comes out. I've got to go round to Sarah's for a bit to babysit whilst her and John go out and your father refuses to come."

"Oh," Elizabeth said. "Well I still have some homework to do before tomorrow."

"Okay honey," Scarlett said and kissed her daughter on the cheek. "I'll see you both later."

"Bye," Sherlock drawled as he watched his wife leave and his daughter move to the stairs to her bedroom.

...

"You left it ten minutes," Elizabeth spoke. "That's a new record."

"I was waiting to see if you would come down and tell me what he had said to you," Sherlock said and sat down on his daughter's bed, his dressing gown flowing out behind him as she sat in her pyjamas with a textbook open in front of her.

"So you know it was Mycroft who sent for me?"

"I had a suspicion when I heard your phone go off and you lied to your mother."

"Yet you said nothing," Elizabeth said and Sherlock shrugged.

"I was intrigued to see what he wanted."

"He wanted to know if you were using drugs again," she told her father and he chuckled once and she raised a brow. "I take it that you're not?"

"I do not have any on me," he assured her. "The last time you checked you messed my sock index up."

"That was mum," Elizabeth said. "Mycroft seems to think her death has affected you more than you let on."

"And what do you think?" Sherlock asked her simply and Lizzie looked at her textbook.

"You had a cigarette dad," she pointed out. "That means that it means something."

"It doesn't have to and I won't let it," he said to her and she raised a brow.

"Why not?"

"Miss Adler caused your mother and I to argue before and I won't let her do so when she is deceased. I believe that another argument is undesirable much like sleeping on John's sofa which would inevitably happen."