"C'mon Sherlock! It's like one big giant bath!"

Elliot Holmes stood in the shallow end of the pool waiting for Sherlock to join him. The boy himself was standing by the stairs into the pool wearing wearing water wings and a matching yellow floating around his waist. He waddled over towards the edge of the stairs and stopped short to hitch up his swimming trunks. Unfortunately, his swimming trunks were a size to large and just barely hung off his skinny waist.

"Father, I think these trunks will come right all once they get too wet. I need smaller ones!"

Elliot sighed, "Yes Sherlock, I've already informed Mr. Douglas, he's to buy you a new pair once he's done with his errands. So for now you'll have to make do with the pair you brought with you."

Sherlock tested the water by putting the toes on his right foot in. His father was right, the water was like a bath. It was the perfect time for swimming in Sherlock's mind. It was mid February, which meant that the locals won't be swimming because for them the water would seem too cold. But for someone like Sherlock who was use to the cold, the water was the perfect temperature. Deciding the water was warm enough, Sherlock slowly walked down the stairs and into the pool.

As he left the stairs, he felt the water push up against his water wings and floaty, keeping him from going under. Once he got far out enough that his feet no longer touched the bottom, he began kicking his feet and pushing the water around him.

Sherlock met his father in the middle of the pool. "So, what do you think? Do you like it here?" Sherlock nodded esthetically, "It's nice here, there's all sorts of plants here that I can experiment on that I couldn't at home!"

"That's wonderful Sherlock, I'm glad you like it here. I'm very glad..."


*Bang**Bang**Bang*

"Harry! You've been in there for over an hour! It's my turn!" John yelled through the bathroom door. His older sister had been in bathroom all night and John really had to go. It was already half an hour past his bedtime and his mum had already yelled at him once, he wasn't going to risk it a second time. He didn't mind missing brushing his teeth one night, and he could get changed in the bedroom while his sister was in there. But what he couldn't do was control his bladder for much longer.

"Just a minute!" was Harry's only reply.

"You said that twenty minutes ago! Now open up or I'm getting mum!"

John sighed internally as he watched the bathroom door's knob turn as the door began to open. Without giving any attention to the roll of his sister's eyes, he all but ran into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. His relief was short lived as he soon heard his sister now banging on the door as he sat on the toilet. "You have five minutes, either you're out or I'm picking my in!"

"You will not! If you do I'll tell mum that you've been using her bus money to call Clara!"

"You do that you little snitch and you'll find yourself locked out for the night!"

"Then I'll yell till mum hears and then she'll punish you!"

John felt a creeping sense of fear come upon him as he waited for his sisters responds. At the first minute of silence he thought his sister might have given up and left him alone. But as he flushed the toilet he realized that her shadow was still casting upon the door; she was waiting for him. He greatly exaggerated his movements and took as long as humanly possible in washing up and brushing his teeth. When he was finally done he slowly made his way towards the door and gentle turned the doorknob as he peered out the crack.

Harry was gone.

the relief that filled his was soon gone as he took his first steps out of the bathroom and into the hallway. Suddenly it was dark, pitch-black dark. He could feel and heard movement around him, but couldn't tell who it was or what they were doing. He heard a door being opened and objects being moved about. Whoever head him (he bet his weekly allowance it was Harry) was pushing him forwards and into the room behind the door. The covering over his head was gone as he was given an almighty shove. Startled by the shove, John tripped over something and fell forwards. As he looked up the last thing he saw was Harry's smirk as he shut the door.

"LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! HARRY, OPEN THE DOOR!"

John felt around him; there was mop, a bucket, something soft was squishy, and something hanging above him just barely touching his head. The closet by the front door, far enough that mum would never began to hear him, but just far enough that Grandma, with her hearing just starting to fail her, also won't be able to hear him. It was the perfect hiding spot; with a vent up above and door just enough off the floor for some air to get in and deep enough so that the darkness would cover him. Either Harry would eventually let him out or he would be stuck in there till the morning.

Unfortunately, it was the latter.


Mrs. Sanders was a older woman in her early fifties, her last employers wrote her as a loyal and trust-worthy, and gave selling their estate to build a new one on their island as their reason for firing her. She was lengthy woman, lean and hulking with gray straight hair that was pulled back into a tight bun on the top of her head. She wore a dark purple blouse with long sleeves that was neatly tucked into a knee-length black skirt. she wore pantyhose with black-buckle shoes that clanked against the floor with ever step she took. Her features were either pointed or smooth, giving her a contrasting yet intimidating look. Her pointed nose held in place her glass-rimmed glasses.

"Thank you Mrs. Sanders for coming in, as you may know we're experiences some changes and need someone to look over out house while me and my wife are away. Normally we would leave that in the hands of our capable staff we already have employed, but with the expanding we're doing, we our planning to hire on more hands."

Mr. Ricardo sat behind his oak desk as he spoke with Mrs. Sanders who was sitting perfectly straight in the sat across from him. She wore a board expression on her face with her hands folded together on her lap.

"The pleasure is mine Mr. Ricardo, I have helped employ many servants before and like to think myself skilled at knowing others talents and putting them proper use. Take my last employer for example, he had a butler who was better suited as a gardener and a cook who took more pride in his clean kitchen than the food that came out of it. I quickly took charge of the situation, within the next week even the guest began to notice how more efficiently the house was run."

"That wonderful Mrs. Sanders, but we need someone who can do more than manage the staff. You see, my wife has two children from a previous married. Her eldest son is going away to University in a few months, but her younger son is only eight years old. Now he has a nanny, but she's a young girl herself. Now my wife has faith in her that she can handle Sherlock by herself, but-"

"But you're not convinced." Mrs. Sander finished for him. "Understandable, sir. I can assure that, if you were to hire me on, I can promise you that the girl will continue her services here. I will assist in anyway I can without causing any disturbances."

Mr. Ricardo smiles pleasantly, "Thank you Mrs. Sanders, I believe you're exactly what we're looking for. I'll have a room made ready for you. You should be able to move in on Sunday afternoon and beginning work on Monday, if that's acceptable with you."

"Of course, thank you Mr. Ricardo, I look forward to working with you."

"And I you."


Mycroft sat from his bedroom window looking out to their backyard. The snow had begun to melt and the dead brown grass was starting to show. The Holmes gardens, which were usual blooming with rare and beautiful flowers, were dull and stuck out like a sore thumb. The once green, lively trees were now leafless and boney and sickly. But all of these thing escaped Mycroft's notice. For standing in the middle of all this was a young girl in a bright pink gown and a white white-furred shawl.

Elisabeth stood in the Holmes' backyard helping Mr. Anderson exercise the horses by walking with them. She held a painted-horse with brown and white spots by it's reigns as they walked in a circle around the fenced-in area. Her brown hair was hanging down over shoulders warming her ears and neck.

Mycroft lifted his tumbler to his lips and took a small sip from it. His eyes looking down upon the girl, but his mind focusing on the voice speaking from behind him.

"My employer sees great potential in you Mycroft. He's willing to sponsor you through University; pay for your classes, books, dorm, etc. You'll be allowed to visit your family over the holidays or do as wish. He'll also make sure your working hours don't conflict with your schooling hours. He only requests that you working as an apprentice 3 days out of the week and during your summer break. Winter and Fall break you'll have to do as you wish."

It was the chance of a lifetime; he'd worked side-by-side with the man he'd someday replace, while continuing University and still come home to visit mummy for the holidays. Of course he'll have to find time to visit father, and Sherlock certainly won't like him being away so much, but they'd still see each other. This was a permanent situation, it was just during his time at University, after he graduated he'd continue his training as an apprentice but he'd be work full time. Plus he'd get to say in London, plus with the promise of his own flat (He'd pay 50% plus any expenses) after graduation, he'd be taken care of until he would take over the Officials position, and by then he's have enough money to buy multiple houses.

So why was he hesitating?