Violet Lestrade left school at the end of the day with her friends, Kelly and Savannah on either side of her but Kelly quickly branched off eager to find her mother so she could attend her cousin's birthday party.
All day Violet had been getting odd looks from Sav, questioning looks and it seemed that then as they approached the gates Savannah had decided to ask.
"Vi, who was that man who dropped you off? He never even left the car but he was still scary."
Violet chuckled because absolutely nothing about Mycroft was scary, not even remotely.
"That's my Uncle Mycroft."
Sav raised a dark eyebrow as they ignored the noise all around them. "I thought your uncle lived in France."
"Yeah. Mycroft isn't my real uncle, he's Daddy's best friend. He's really nice to me though, I'm staying with him while Daddy is away."
"Is he rich? He looked rich. You should totally ask him for a pony."
Violet nodded. In all honesty she'd never really thought about it, yes she knew her Uncle Mycie to be very well off what with those suits and that big house of his, but it wasn't something he threw around and insisted everyone wanted to know. A pony would have been nice though, not that she thought she'd get one.
"Yeah, he's rich." She replied as they rounded two older boys as they kicked a soccer ball back and forth. "Daddy says he runs the country, that he's a spy or something."
The dark-skinned girl chortled at that as she adjusted her backpack. "No he's not! That's not real."
"That is what we wish for people to believe."
The two girls stopped dead in their tracks then just outside the gates and peered the much taller woman before them blocking their path; Artemis. While the other parents and guardians stood casually waiting for their kids but Artemis appeared more like a soldier stood at ease because, well, that was exactly what she was. Her back was straight and her hands were cupped behind her back, her feet slightly spread apart. Artemis wasn't dressed like the other adults either what with her black slacks and waistcoat completed with a crisp white shirt, the sleeves of which had been rolled up to her elbows.
Savannah's dark eyes instantly widened at the sight of Artemis, specifically the two guns which sat snugly in her shoulder holster.
"Aunt Artemis!" Violet beamed as she hugged into the former assassin's side.
Even the child knew well enough not to expect the hug to be returned; Artemis wasn't the touchy-feely type. She settled for holding Artemis' left hand while she peered around for the auburn-red haired man and fortunately the killer didn't object.
"Are you ready to leave?" The raven-hair woman asked, quick and straight to the point.
"Yes." Answered Violet easily enough. "Where is Uncle Mycie?"
Bold green orbs flashed down to Lestrade Junior. "He's moved a lot of meetings around recently and cannot leave the office."
In all honesty caring for Violet while Greg was away had thrown the proverbial spanner in the works for Myc's schedule but he did not mind, would have accommodated Violet no matter what. Either way he'd be trapped in his office and conference rooms until really rather late.
"He sent me to get you instead." Said the elder woman as though it were all very simple. "Come."
Artemis gestured over towards the car with the hand not still in Violet's. The car stood out against those of all the parents, it was sleek, perfectly waxed and ominous compared to the 'Soccer Mom' cars and hatchbacks.
The little Lestrade had just been about to say goodbye to her friend and hurry off towards the car when Savannah's mother appeared from almost nowhere and smiled down at her daughter, or at least she did until she spotted the guns Artemis wore. They were holstered and provided no threat in Artemis' eyes but she was stood outside a school and just mentioning the word 'gun' near a school could start a panic. Later Mycroft would likely lament that he hadn't told her to take her holster off and leave the weapons in the car.
"Em, hello, you are?" Said Savannah's mother in that 'who the hell are you and why are you around kids' tone of voice.
Artemis regarded this shorter woman a moment with her full face of make up and bright yellow dress. There wasn't any need for conversation with Savannah's mother and from what Artemis had learned from those Mycroft was forced to speak with, this wasn't small talk exactly; which was good because she'd never been much good with that.
Violet, however, was wise beyond her years and more aware of Artemis' oddness and had quickly figured out it was the guns which terrified her more than just Artemis' strange personality; Daddy always leaves his in the car. Violet had seen her father help Mycroft when he put people on edge and clever Lestrade Junior would do the same for the woman she'd proclaimed to be her aunt.
"She's my Aunt Artemis, she works with Daddy. He's a policeman." Violet lied.
Sav's mother knew Gregory Lestrade was a cop and hopefully it would pacify the elder woman. Savannah was one of Violet's best friends but she'd never liked her mother, the woman always had to know everything about everything.
"Hello." Artemis only said that one word because she'd learned enough to notice saying 'hello' was usually a good idea.
The dark-haired woman straightened up a little as if Artemis was somehow a threat on a personal level. She thrust her hand out for Artemis to shake but the former Reaper made absolutely no move to take the proffered hand.
"I gathered." Artemis turned her attention down to Violet. "Come along, Violet."
With that Artemis started towards the car having clearly finished the conversation, Vi's hand slipped from the elder woman's hand while Jada's face grew concerned and just a little bit irritated.
"Violet, honey, are you all right?"
The child nodded, nothing bad would ever happen to her while she was with her aunt. "Yes."
"Do you actually know that woman?"
Even the dark-haired child didn't like the way Savannah's mother said 'woman'. She nodded again.
"She's my aunt."
Jada didn't look happy but had no real further course of action, Violet clearly wasn't scared and didn't seem to be lying.
"Okay, sweetie." Jada flashed an unsure look to cast the assassin who stood not six feet away at the car door. "Not a people person, is she."
Violet laughed because she'd heard people say that about both her aunt and uncle before. "I think that's why she and Uncle Mycroft like each other. Bye Savannah. Bye Missus Owens."
Violet hurried off happily then and Artemis kindly opened the door for her to hop in which she did. She waved at her friend and her mother as the expensive car rolled away but soon they were out of sight and silence dominated the back seat. Violet swung her legs back and forth for a moment before Artemis – surprisingly – broke the quietude.
"Your friend's mother doesn't like me." Mentioned the dark-haired woman without much care.
The little girl was confused, she didn't know what there wasn't to like about Artemis, she was odd sure but still kind and helpful in Violet's eyes.
"Why not?"
The woman with an American accent still didn't seem all that concerned. "I have a tendency to scare people with my mere presence."
Most people probably would have explained that differently since they were speaking to a child but Artemis didn't know how to make that distinction, she'd never had a childhood herself so had no knowledge of how to speak to a kid or how they thought.
"I'm not scared of you, Aunt Artemis."
The elder woman nodded, just once and curtly. "Good, that would make things complicated."
A very odd way of phrasing something to Violet but Artemis said a lot off odd things and Vi had learned to ignore most of it.
It wouldn't be too long until they reached Mycroft's house and though she missed her father the little girl had enjoyed staying with her uncle.
"Mycroft informs me that you will have homework to complete once we arrive at the house. I will most likely not be as helpful as Mycroft would be were I to aid you." Artemis' voice came seemingly out of nowhere but Vi didn't jump.
"That's okay. It's just a thing for history." Replied the little girl as she continued to swing her feet.
The pair fell back into silence for a while, Vi knew that her aunt didn't speak all that much but still she felt a little awkward. Her Uncle Mycie wasn't one for unnecessary conversation either but he at lest knew how to keep a conversation going when needed and noticed when a conversation turned uncomfortable. After a while, maybe five minutes, Violet had been able to take the silence any longer.
"When will Uncle Mycie be home?"
Green eyes found the child's dark ones. "Not until quite late according to him. He is in meetings until six and then has … things to attend to."
Violet quickly assumed them to be 'spy things'; car chases, espionage and such; not that she actually knew what espionage meant. In reality all it meant was a lot of Mycroft sitting at his desk as he filled out paperwork.
As predicted it hadn't taken very long at all for the two women to return home to Mycroft's vast house and as soon as they were inside and the car had been sent away Artemis made a bee-line straight for the kitchen.
"I'm going to go and get changed and start my homework." Announced Violet as she stepped towards the stairs.
If left up to Vi she'd have forgotten about her homework a while, might have done it at the weekend, but Mycroft liked for her to have done it and her father would have approved too; best to just do it and get it all out of the way.
"Okay." Replied Artemis flatly. "Mycroft told me to make sure you ate."
Seconds later she disappeared and Vi realized that no more information would come. Artemis really was odd but Violet had always known that and it was most of the reason she liked her.
Violet charged up the antique stairs and to her room knowing that it was her only opportunity to run in Mycroft house without reprimand. Didn't taker her long to get out of her uniform and into something less polyester. Then she set the single sheet of paper which was her homework found itself set on the fair-sized desk where she just stared at it for a few moments. The whole thing was stupid. In the end she hauled the sheet and pencil case over to the large bed where Violet sat Indian style. She'd already started on her family tree project in class, in fact they'd been working on it for
several days but with her father gone she'd been left to finish it alone.
The dark-eyed girl had already gotten most of it done and listed proudly were her father, grandparents and mother along with her Uncle Pierre beside her father's name. That was when Artemis suddenly entered the room with a plate in one hand, how Artemis could appear so quickly and so quietly she really didn't know. Violet's brown eyes watched as the plate topped with a sandwich was set down on the nightstand, but they brightened when Artemis sat down on the bed beside her.
"What is wrong?"
Vi shrugged in that childish way all kids had. "I have to do a family tree for school, but it's not big enough."
Artemis clearly didn't understand so she leaned in to stare at the sheet of paper as if answers would magically appear. It was a simple looking thing with a little sketch of a tree and boxes for each family member which Violet had already filled out in her neat for a child handwriting.
"Not big enough?" She questioned still none the wiser.
Violet nodded. "The boxes for my aunts and uncles all say their my moms or my daddy's brothers and sisters. How do I get Uncle Mycie and you in?"
Artemis' head tilted ever so slightly. "We are not blood."
"Doesn't mean you're not family." Vi didn't appear to be deterred in the least. "How would you do your tree?"
"I wouldn't." Artemis answered simply before offering the child some rare detail. "I have no family, they all died. I will technically have Mycroft's once we are married though."
Violet's expression turned sad then, she couldn't imagine life without her father or mother even if they were divorced.
"You're an orphan? Like Annie but with less singing?"
"You could say that." Was Artemis' response even though she'd got no idea who the hell Annie was, although she doubted that she wanted to.
Without warning Artemis grabbed the sheet and flipped it over so the blank back shone upwards, she then picked up Vi's pencil case and held it out towards the girl; dark eyes just stared at her.
"Aut inveniam viam aut faciam."
Violet lifted a single eyebrow as confusion coated her face. "What?"
The elder woman explained. "'I shall either find a way or make one.' If this diagram is incorrect you should make your own. Mycroft and his parents have taught me a great many things, among them is that blood does not always make family. Siger and Madelana Holmes share no blood relation with Rosie Watson and yet she is their granddaughter. Your father is not Mycroft's brother and yet he is your uncle. If this diagram does not fit your family then make one which does."
Violet beamed at that and quickly hugged Artemis tight, after a few seconds the former assassin even rested a hand atop the little girl's back in an attempt to be supportive and comforting; needed some work but Myc would have been proud of her.
"Thank you!"
Vi ripped open her pencil case and started to draw a new, more accommodating, tree. Artemis rose to her feet and stepped away from the bed.
"Eat your sandwich, I will be in the basement."
Little Violet didn't even look up as the woman she's named aunt left the bedroom, not that Artemis noticed, she just made her way down the stairs and quickly texted Mycroft to inform him that Violet was safely at the house doing her homework and had been fed just as instructed. All she received as a reply was the word 'understood' which told Artemis all she needed to know; Mycroft was in the middle of a meeting otherwise he would have called.
Once at the bottom of the stairs she headed straight for the basement, she needed to clean her Remington, in fact she'd probably overhaul her collection and give everything a good cleaning.
~X~
It took Vi a little over an hour to work out how to get everyone on the tree in a way that both made sense and was pretty, then another half hour to actually draw and color it all, but she'd managed to fit her blood family and her Uncle Mycie onto the family tree and was proud of herself. Actually, it wasn't until she'd started to put away her crayons that Violet started to worry she'd be told off by her teacher for not doing her homework properly but she shoved the thought away; to her this was properly. One of the boys in her class had two dads, was he going to get yelled at for crossing out mother and writing father again? Before any other concerns could reach her she shoved the work and pencil case back into her book bag then grabbed the empty plate.
Mycroft's house was eerily silent as she made her way down the grand stairs and through into the kitchen where she left the plate. Violet called out for her aunt a few times but no response came and she wasn't overly surprised, Artemis had said she'd be in the basement after all. Slowly she stepped to the basement door, the same door that Mycroft had scooted her away from when she'd heard the odd noises. Everything was silent this time around, had Vi not known Artemis was in the building she'd have assumed she'd been left home alone.
With a calming breath Vi opened the basement door and headed down the long stairs, she was a little scared as she walked through the basement to the room at the very end from which shone a light under the door. As soon as she pushed the door open Violet was met with a large but sterile room, one wall of which was covered over by guns up on racks. This room wasn't like any other in Holmes the elder's house, all sleek and dangerous looking.
Lestrade Junior's eyes quickly found Artemis sat with her back to the little girl as she did something with a broken down gun.
"Finished?"
Violet jumped because she'd not realized she'd been noticed and Artemis hadn't peered over her shoulder. Quickly she went to the table with an eagerness to know what her aunt was doing.
"Yeah. What are you doing?"
"Cleaning my guns, bad things happen to people who use unclean weapons."
Vi cocked an eyebrow. "Like they get their hands dirty?"
Oh the innocence of childhood.
"Something like that." Finally Artemis looked at the young girl with her polished emeralds.
"Can I help? Daddy doesn't let me near his gun."
Of course he didn't, no one in their right mind left an eight year old alone with a loaded weapon. Everybody knew it wouldn't end well.
"Very wise," the elder woman agreed, "they shouldn't be handled by people who don't know how to use them."
Vi perked up at that, a smile softly spread across her lips. "You could teach me! Then I could help you all the time!"
Artemis paused as her brain shifted gears and went through the inner question of 'what would Mycroft do' for a moment. Surely he'd instantly say no and shoo her upstairs away from the weapons and back to something less violent; a book perhaps.
With her question answered Artemis calmly explained. "From what I've learned of children we should probably ask your father first. If he says yes then I will teach you."
Violet beamed. "Really!" Even after her aunt had nodded Vi still didn't quite believe it, she'd honestly expected to just be told no. "Yay! Thank you, Aunt Artemis. Can I still help now?"
Artemis paused once again in much the same fashion she had not a minute previous. "I suppose you can load the magazines for me."
The little girl sat herself down beside the former Reaper, an eager glint sparkled in her dark eyes.
"What do I do?"
Without hesitation Artemis pulled a box of 9mm rounds forwards so it sat in front of Vi at the table then ejected the magazine from one of her already cleaned handguns. She took a bullet and slid it into the magazine at a third of her usual speed so Violet could watch every single movement then rested the magazine beside the box of ammunition.
"Keep doing that until it's full. Once the handguns are done I'll move on to the rifles."
While most people would have avoided letting an eight year old near a gun even just to learn how to load them, Artemis wasn't most people. She'd been given a gun at the age of four and been expected to do far more than load it, she'd been expected to shoot, to take people's lives regardless of race, religion or creed. Children with guns was perfectly normal to her, to be honest Myc and Greg should have been pleased she'd actually thought about it rather than just training the girl.
Together they managed to get a little conveyor belt going, Artemis cleaned the weapons thoroughly and reassembled them while Violet loaded the magazines. It wasn't until they heard Mycroft's voice that the two women realized just how long they'd been sat there in a constructive silence.
"What is going on here?" Asked the British Government in his usual deep voice and the pair turned to look at him.
He'd popped his collar button open, lost his suit jacket and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, a clear mark that he'd had a long day and wanted to forget about it all.
"I'm helping Aunt Artemis with her guns. She taught me to load the magazines, that's this bit." Said the child by way of explanation as she held one of the Beretta magazines up for him to see.
"Did she now." He paused a moment as if trying to decipher how to handle the situation, in the end he just sighed and moved along. "Have you had dinner?"
Mycroft very much doubted it so wasn't surprised when Vi shook her head.
"Good. Go wash your hands, I brought pizza."
Violet happily bounced off to do just that after she'd given the oh so tall man a quick hug which left Mycroft and the porcelain-skinned woman to stare at one another.
Artemis stood. "Was I wrong?"
"Did you let her shoot?" He questioned quickly.
"No, she asked me to teach her but I said she should ask Lestrade first."
Mycroft let out a little hum. "Then no, not wrong. However, don't let her back down here unless Gregory allows this."
Artemis nodded in understanding, the suit clad man knew kids and Gregory better than Artemis ever would. He stepped towards her and quickly pulled the younger woman into his arms for a kiss, Artemis' hands easily found their way to his loose tie so she could deepen the kiss. Her hands stayed there until he started to push her shoulder holster down her arms, the two heavy pistols were cast away in their harness with little consideration to the table; it made thud but the pair ignored it.
The kiss deepened easily and soon the taller man had her pressed against the wall closest to the table, his arms tightly around her waist – possessively almost – as want started to rise within him. All too soon it was stripped away from them though when they grounded to a halt as Violet's voice drifted through the door from the stairs.
"Uncle Mycie, I can't reach the plates."
Myc sighed. "Looks like I need to put my height to good use."
The British Government stole one more kiss then backed up and returned to the doorway. He paused.
"Oh, don't bring your gun to the table tonight. Best not keep her focused on this and it has gone nine, we shouldn't keep her up any longer than we have."
Artemis nodded because she'd come to live by the code of whatever Mycroft Holmes said goes.
"I wasn't expecting you back until the early hours." She told him as she followed her new fiancé out of the basement.
"I decided to bring my work home. Thought Violet would appreciate my presence for dinner and I couldn't take Lady Smallwood any longer. She's not happy about the base incursion we're planning. Then again I don't think she's happy about much."
With that they went to dinner, Mycroft deserved some time away from the government even if it were only a few hours before everything started up again.
