After he left Scotland Yard Mycroft had made his way directly to the hospital where he'd expected to walk in and aid Artemis packing up her things, instead when he arrived he ground to a halt just inside the doorway to see Artemis sat Indian style on the bed with her tiny bag already packed on the chair beside her. Her eyes were open but they didn't lock on to anything even remotely. Blue-gray eyes flicked from his beautiful bodyguard to the nurse beside her bed removing the drip from the room.

"Are you here to take her home, sir?" Asked the middle-aged nurse when she turned noticed him.

Mycroft nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Oh thank the Lord." The nurse actually appeared to breathe a sigh of relief which got Myc to cock an eyebrow at her.

Very quickly the nurse backpeddled having realized she'd probably just offended or upset this man in his expensive suit with those armed guards outside. Hospital noises sounded in the background, footfalls of doctors and nurses going back and forth about their day, distant machines beeped.

"Sorry, Sir." Began the nurse. "I don't mean to sound insensitive it's just … she's creepy. She just sits there blankly. She's not had any pain medication since she woke up either."

"Well, you needn't be around her any longer." Mycroft assured without much care, frankly he'd grown tired of people being creeped out by Artemis, she wasn't scary she just wasn't neurotypical.

"Maybe not wise to move her when she's catatonic." The short-haired nurse tried to caution, but Mycroft was rather certain he knew Artemis better than this nurse did even if she was a medical professional.

"Artemis isn't, she's fully aware of every word you, I and any other nurse or doctor has said inside this room."

The nurse breathed out a laugh, small and hardly there. "Sir, she's completely unresponsive."

Clearly the nurse worried about Artemis' mental state but no one knew Artemis like Mycroft did so, as impolite as it probably was, he ignored the nurse and instead just turned his attention back to Artemis fully. She didn't move nor show any signs of paying attention, had he not been able to see her breathing and blinking slowly Mycroft would have thought her dead sitting up. Sometimes he wondered if this was what he looked like when he tuned out and headed inside his mind city, had this face been the one Gregory had talked about seeing?

"Artemis, get your things please we're leaving." He spoke calmly knowing there was no need for shouting.

Not even a second after he'd finished speaking Artemis had started to move, she carefully shuffled off the bed to her feet and picked up her little bag which Mycroft insisted on taking as soon as she'd crossed the room to him. The short nurse's eyes went wide at the ease with which he'd gotten through to her, doctors had been trying to talk to her all day and hadn't gotten anything from her; they'd wanted to order some tests to see if there was anything neurologically wrong with their patient. Mycroft was a busy man and couldn't wait around to explain how Artemis' mind worked to a nurse who quite frankly didn't need to know, so, with a polite smile, he looped his arm with that of his bodyguard and turned to the door.

"Good day, madam." Was all he said before walking out with his raven-haired beauty.

Mycroft had hated her being in that hospital, had wanted her at home with him where he could hold her as they slept, but she was well now and he could have those things back. As expected the two armed men followed along behind as they descended the steps. Towards the bottom of the stairs when the beeps and heavy foot traffic had started to fade away Mycroft leaned in so only she'd be able to hear him speak.

"What were you doing?"

To that nurse Artemis had just been staring off at nothing but Mycroft knew better, knew her brain was as active as his, possibly better controlled as well.

Artemis didn't miss a beat. "Mentally assessing all the assassins and mercenaries I'm aware of who would be willing to accept any contract to kill you. With Hades out it greatly narrows the field, also we can rule out the Americans with any political allegiance."

The suit clad man let out a little hum of understanding. "You've put quite some thought into this."

"It's my job to keep you alive, British."

Artemis had been raised to focus only on her mission, to do her job, and when she'd left Hades that focus had turned to protecting the man she loved. She needed a prime directive in order to function and who was Mycroft to try to take that away from her?

"Touché. Any specific names to watch out for?"

"Jaeger." She answered easily. "Canadian national, and actually pretty reliable as a contract killer. He likes to play Hades, pretend he was once one of us."

Well that was just preposterous, there were no ex-Hades operatives; except for Artemis of course. If one wanted to leave Hades their only way out was death.

"People actually believe that?" He questioned as they reached the bottom of the stairs and started along the long hallway.

"Idiots do." Was her only comment on the matter. "I'd say Ricardo Vazquez is over confident and Kerr O'loughlin is desperate after things went south with the Chantrelle family in Paris two years ago."

"I shall have them tracked down and watched if you think they are the primary threats to my and Lady Smallwood's lives."

It was always better to be safe than sorry and Mycroft wouldn't turn away Artemis' wise counsel, he may have been the brains of the pair but that didn't mean the brawn had nothing more than punches to bring to the table.

"Only Vazquez would risk killing Smallwood first and tipping you off." The armed men continued to follow through the hospital drawing the attention of those they passed. "You're the man who took down Hades now, half the contract killers and mercenary units I can think of wouldn't even dream of coming after you now. Congratulations, British, you terrify people who kill for a living."

"Boon to some extent then." He flashed her a smirk.

The finally reached the main door and exited out onto the street, Myc looked up at the sky to see the clouds thick and threatening England with yet more rain. Of all thinks Holmes the elder hated legwork and snow the most but rain which stuck his hair and clothes to his skin was pretty high up there on the list.

The two armed men left Mycroft and Artemis in favor of retreating to a small black truck which quickly drove away once the two men were inside as if they'd never been there to begin with. Myc steered Artemis to his town car and opened the car door for her like a gentleman before he tossed her bag into the trunk and joined her. As soon as the door closed behind him he wrapped an arm around Artemis' shoulders and held her close so he could press a loving kiss to her temple.

"I missed you, little assassin."

He'd not let anyone else see him so loving and caring, this was his private life so it would stay behind closed doors where it belonged, where it was safe.

"Careful, British, You're becoming very sentimental."

Mycroft smiled softly, this was as close to teasing as Artemis could get; maybe one days she'd get better but if she didn't Myc wouldn't mind.

"Don't tell anyone, I have a reputation to keep." He chuckled.

"Promise, if you get me a new M82."

Mycroft raised an eyebrow at his lover's simple answer; maybe she was better at teasing that even he'd assumed.

"Blackmailing me now?" Gods, he'd missed her.

"I'm an assassin, British, what about me or my past makes you think I am fair?"

He couldn't help breathing out a laugh. "Absolutely nothing."

"Then I expect my M82 by the end of the week."

He honestly had missed her view of the world, how everything always so simple to her. Dealing with everything after the Hades attack had been the most stressful situation of his life and he'd personally overseen thirteen UN conferences. Still, Artemis was back in his arms and he could hold her tight, all the stress of his life could fade into the background for a short time and he could just be calm and himself.

Mycroft's smirk grew a little, in the back of his mind he'd already figured out he'd be getting her that gun. Artemis' sarcasm and deadpan comments she didn't even realize she'd made had always been refreshing to Mycroft, buying her a – really rather expensive – gun wasn't too much of a consequence.

Her natural warmth drifted through his many layers and into his soul soothing the horrors of the outside world, the softness of her skin comforted him and her hair smelt faintly of shampoo. Strange that an admitted murderer could provide so much solace. So perfect.

As the car started to move he turned his blue-gray orbs to the bandages at Artemis' neck, he hated those bandages almost as much as he hated her numbers. Any deeper and even her conditioning and inability to panic wouldn't have saved her. Mycroft had genuinely meant what he'd told Greg, caring wasn't an advantage but that had never stopped him caring anyway. There really was a heart inside him.

The pair travelled home – because even he wouldn't expect her to just return to work – and discussed any further threats Artemis had managed to come up with of which there were many. One of the wonderful benefits of having a Hades Reaper on side was that she knew of everyone who was good with a gun and she'd had plenty of time to put those people and organizations into order of danger and eliminate the rest.

Soon they made it home and Mycroft held the front door for her like a perfect gentleman as the car drove away only to return when called. Before he could say a word or even close the front door his cell phone started to ring incessantly probably with another nugget of chaos for him to deal with. Artemis didn't say a word just took her bag from him and headed up the stairs slowly to give him some privacy. The auburn-haired man watched her go, such a beautiful body. The ringing continued and jolted him out of his inner thoughts and he excused himself into the sitting room to take the call.

Meanwhile Artemis made her way up the stairs, feet softly padding against the stair runner as she made her way closer and closer to their bedroom. As soon as she stepped into the room Artemis dumped her bag down on the Ottoman at the end of the bed and took a deep breath, the whole room smelt like old wood and Mycroft; in a way it reminded her of long ago at the cabin. However, Artemis smelt like hospital and hadn't had a decent shower since the morning Hades had attacked.

Having hardly paused Artemis simply stripped off her clothes and went straight into the master bathroom to shower properly. Hot water ran down her back stripping away the grime. It was a little difficult to prevent her dressing getting wet but Artemis had gone through tougher trials. No thoughts passed through her mind, she didn't spend time thinking in the shower as Mycroft and so many other people did, no, she just stood there. It wasn't nothingness exactly but Artemis assumed it was as close to true peace as she'd ever get. The heat opened up her pores and soothed muscles she couldn't feel where tense.

Artemis didn't shower to relax, she did it to get clean so soon enough she was out and dried off. She stepped back into the bedroom and pulled open the closet in search of something to throw on when she paused seeing a garment bag which hung open a little, with long fingers she peeked inside; was this the dawn of curiosity? Inside she found a perfectly cleaned and tailored tuxedo complete with bow tie.

Without much warning a creak sounded behind her at the open door but Artemis didn't bother to turn around, she knew those quiet but precise footfalls so very well. Mycroft. Though she couldn't see him Artemis knew he'd leaned against the door frame, she could feel his bright eyes as they raked up and down her naked, supple body.

"That is for Sir Arthur's party." He told her easily.

"Very smart."

"I do my best." He shrugged nonchalantly. "You shall, of course, join me, guests are always entitled to a plus one and a bodyguard if desired, you get to be both."

She nodded though honestly didn't seem to care all that much. "Very well. Though I'm not much of a conversationalist."

That drew a small chuckle from the elder man while his eyes did indeed trail up and down her supple form. Though he hated the scars which decorated her body they didn't for one second make her ugly; to him they were a show of survival. He hated that she'd been forced to go through the pain of having them inflicted but they only left her even more beautiful, powerful and brave. Finally he couldn't resist touching her any longer and left his spot loitering in the doorway made his way straight to his beauty so he could snake his arms around her from behind and press a kiss to her shoulder softly.

"Not to worry. Neither are most of Sir Arthur's guests." Another loving kiss most wouldn't have thought a man like Mycroft Holmes capable of; not that there were any men like Mycroft Holmes. "My beautiful little assassin."

The next thing Myc knew Artemis had hopped into his arms completely naked against his suited chest, her legs wrapped around his waist tightly while his hands supported her firmly. The raven-haired killer ran her hands through his thinning hair as they continued to kiss. Mycroft adored this, when she was loving, when the person on the inside was allowed to come out of its shell.

"You still need to heal, we shouldn't do this, Artemis." He said wanting nothing but to keep her safe and well.

"It's only my neck that's damaged, British, so as long as you can survive without my mouth around you for a while I think we'll be okay."

Mycroft felt himself twitch with want for her. He'd never been a man who went around craving sex, certainly he'd always had wants but had only ever craved Artemis, only ever woken up sticky after dreams of her.

"You were the one who made me want things and right now I want you." She told him after yet another kiss.

"Well, what sort of man would refuse a beauty such as yourself?"

Artemis leaned back so she could look him in the eyes, while Mycroft thought all of her beautiful those emerald eyes truly where the pinnacle of this femme fatale.

"A stupid one," the naked woman began in that lyrical voice of hers, "and you're far from stupid."

Smiling he pressed her against the wall beside the closet door, her hair was still damp and wetted his hand when he slipped his large hand upwards to scrap his nails along her scalp. Mycroft's lips met her skin at the junction of her neck and shoulder, her perfect supple skin. He could have had her there, right there against the wall but then his cheek caught the edge of the bandage and Mycroft forced himself to reel his wants and desires back in, he couldn't risk hurting Artemis even if she'd not feel it.

Carefully, and with more strength than most probably gave the elder Holmes credit for, Mycroft carried his beautiful bodyguard across the room and set her down gently on the soft mattress. A little voice in the back of his mind had urged him to toss her down, pull her hair back and give in to his primal side but Mycroft Holmes was nothing if not self-restrained.

Mycroft adored this, when they were together was the only time Artemis felt, experienced the emotions owed to her as a living, breathing person. These moments were when Hades stopped existing and her humanity was returned to her.

Quickly Mycroft stripped off his suit jacket, waistcoat and shirt then toed off his shoes and knelt onto the bed. Blue-gray eyes met dazzling green ones as Artemis felt his weight settle atop her; Mycroft could get lost in those emerald orbs, it wouldn't have been hard.

When their lips met in a bruising kiss Artemis suddenly found her wrists pinned down by strong hands; Mycroft's had a grip that lingered on the border of pain and pleasure. This was different. She'd been held down before during sex but it hadn't ever been with the auburn-haired man, even stranger was that Artemis actually found she liked it. His eyes were dark than she'd ever seen before, not just dark, powerful and bold.

His fingers released her to scurried up her firm thighs to part them exposing her to him. That little voice urging his primal side normally went ignored but for some reason Mycroft wanted to give in to it, just a little, just enough to satisfy it without risking Artemis harm.

"Stunning, my little assassin."

Mycroft's eyes caressed her supple body. So beautiful, so perfect, so utterly stunning. Without warning he crashed their mouths together for a painful kiss. Maybe he'd given in to the primal need due to how long he'd been alone in that huge house without her; every inch of him had missed her. He pushed her thighs apart further so he could fill the space between them. Mycroft shoved her wrists into a single one of his large hands while the other found her dripping core with a teasing smile.

Artemis' pretty mouth fell open for a moan that didn't quite want to escape, her head tried to tilt back as well but her arms and the way Mycroft held them prevented it; just because he wanted her in a more cardinal way didn't mean for one second that he'd stopped thinking of her safety.

The half-naked man smirked as he worked her body open to him, took pride in the way her chest rose and fell displaying her large breasts to his hungry eyes. He leaned down to take a nipple into his mouth and finally, finally, got a wonderful little mew from his girl; and didn't that bring a smile to his face.

"Mycroft-" Her name hung breathy on her lips.

She truly was the only woman – person even – he'd ever craved. His erection strained inside his perfectly tailored suit pants, the want, the desperation. Gods, he loved this woman more than even he'd though could. Maybe he wasn't as self-restrained as he'd believed because Mycroft quickly released her wrists and pulled his fingers from her wet heat which earned him such a wanton moan from Artemis. With hast he ripped open his belt and shoved his pants off along with his boxers, then, with one sharp, very desperate, thrust buried himself inside her wet heat.

Artemis' back arched almost instantly and her legs wrapped around his skinny hips. When she tried to tug him back down for another bruising kiss she found he pinned her wrists down on either side of her head; she certainly did enjoy this. Artemis had no idea where this unusual dominant streak had come from but she'd certainly found something new to add to her short list of things she genuinely liked. His hands were hot on her skin and powerful, neither were under any misapprehension, both were fully aware that Artemis could have freed herself of his grip with ease had she wanted, but hat was the thing, she didn't want to. Artemis was perfectly happy being held down by this man with his immense brain and loving kisses.

Her wrists stayed pinned by her head as Mycroft thrust deep within his darling Artemis and locked their lips together, he tasted vaguely of tea as always. Outside the wind had started to pick up as the sun began to set, rain would soon be upon them.

"Please. I need it harder." She told him breathlessly as her legs snaked around the older man's hips to keep him close.

"So needy, my little assassin, so perfect." Mycroft' breathed. "You always know when I can't resist you, don't you?"

Mycroft moaned, he'd got a tight grip on her but she was soon released in favor of grabbing her by the hips to speed up the pace of his deep thrusts. Artemis' eyes fluttered and Mycroft took a second to delight in the sight of her. She clawed at his shoulders desperate to keep him close as her pleasure built.

"Needy little girl." His voice was deep and a little breathless. "So perfect."

Had anyone seen Artemis panting and moaning beneath him they'd never have suspected the tortures Artemis had been forced to live through, the killing of her emotions. Why did she sound so delightful? His thrusts grew erratic for a moment but they didn't stop when her nipples pressed firmly against his torso.

He growled with want, a completely subconscious noise. The growl was a deep and guttural one that almost – almost – pushed Artemis over the edge and into the tidal wave that was euphoric bliss; one of the few true emotions she ever got to experience. Artemis cried out with want as fingers once again clawed at Mycroft's shoulders. The young bodyguard's walls quivered down around the British Government's hard length and Mycroft groaned into her shoulder as his grip on her tightened and she tumbled over the edge and came with a breathy cry.

"Mycroft, harder. Now!" She muttered in need for her second climax.

Damn he loved the way she said his name. Sex always brought her latent emotions to the surface like some kind of emotional effervescence.

The British Government chuckled darkly as he looked down at her destroyed and debauched face. So utterly beautiful. Mycroft's thrusts turned erratic once more as his own base needs surged him onward, he clung to her scarred but no less gorgeous body and chased after his own orgasm. So close, so very almost there! Just a little more, just-

"Christ! Artemis!"

Her walls continued to flutter around his length as he came, his forehead rested against her clavicle and he let himself such in needed air. Mycroft's hold on her released and he did his best not to collapse on her so instead sat back on his haunches to gaze at the woman he wasn't sure he deserved.

Those green eyes were half lidded as she watched him, watched his chest rise and fall while his lungs filled with sex scented air.

"Think you deserve a treat, don't you." He asked rhetorically while their eyes remained locked.

She'd wanted her second climax and Mycroft Holmes would damn well give it to her. He loved her, he only wanted her happiness. With that Mycroft pressed a loving kiss to Artemis' temple as his large hands caressed her and then, without so much as a hint, slid down her slender body. He left little kisses and nips up her inner thigh – like porcelain but marred with a mosaic of scars – until he found where Artemis so desperately wanted him.

"Oh British!" She gasped loudly completely uncharacteristically.

He smirked "I love you."

He looked at the delicate raven curls of her glistening sex, so wet, his mind muttered dominantly before his let his fingers stroke along her folds. She moaned, loud and a little breathless, if Mycroft never heard another sound ever again he'd die a happy man; the sound was like music. Artemis was beautiful beneath him, hands curled into fists above her head where they'd fallen, lips parted to let little groans and pants escape as his clever fingers explored her wetness. Holmes the elder's talented tongue lapped at her wet folds teasingly at first, tormentingly so, but soon that wasn't good enough for him. He brought her to the brink of pleasure and then pulled his tongue away, her eyes flashed with need; with want. Mycroft wouldn't deprive his darling little assassin though, not when she made such wonderful sounds; not when she'd been deprived of pleasure for so much of her life. With a grin he slid further down the bed to pepper sweet kisses to her supple body; he loved those thighs even with the star-like bullet scars.

"Ah, Mycroft!"

His tongue licked at her folds hungrily tasting the sweet flavor of the young woman. Artemis gasped out a strangled moan; a rare but delightful noise. His tongue lapped at her, he was amazed at how wet she was for him. Her hands finally moved to find purchase in his thinning hair, grip it tightly as his tongue circled her clit; Artemis just wanted to mess it up, Mycroft Holmes was such a well put together man and the thought of dishevelling him was just too good for a reason she couldn't quite understand. He kissed that sensitive bundle of nerves over and over making her mew and gasp and pant for him, all for him, then he slipped a finger inside her. Artemis moaned which only spurred him on. A second finger slipped into her wet heat and then another, he crocked them as he kissed her clit. It didn't take long for Artemis to start pushing back on his fingers, she was close and he knew that. After a few moments of careful thrusting she groaned out and wrapped her legs around his head. Mycroft made sure to keep the thrusts going throughout her orgasm until she was left panting, her eyes fluttered closed. Artemis felt nothing but pure pleasure, that was what had been stolen from her and that was exactly what he'd returned to her.

"Mycroft!" She all but screamed and God did that feed Mycroft's ego in a way he'd not known he'd wanted.

He smirked when his lips met hers again, knowing she could taste herself on him. They lay together in the blue sheets a time, there bodies coated in a thin layer of sweat as their lungs sucked in much needed air. Artemis cuddled into the older man's side, something she'd originally started to do because she'd noticed he enjoyed holding her; now though it was for both of them. The tingle of orgasm still radiated through his strong body.