Ice-Skating.

"Dad!" called Alex, from the bottom of their house in Marylebone house, "Dad, can I go out with Rosie and John?"

"Where?" came back the voice of Mycroft Holmes from his study at the end of the hall.

"John's got tickets to go ice-skating at the Natural History Museum and then we're going to McDonald's!"

"Have you done your work with Mr Harris?"

The six-year-old rolled her eyes. Mr Harris was her tutor and she detested the man. Still, when she was seven, she would be off to proper school with real people.

"Lexie, don't get sassy at me. I asked you a simple question!"

"Why are you shouting?" asked Greg coming out of the living room. "The footballs on."

"And you're losing!" retorted Alex.

"How… oh never mind." Sighed Greg, "Anyway, what's going on?"

"John has asked if I want to go ice skating with him and Rosie this afternoon, Can I go?"

"Why was your Dad saying you were being sassy?"

"Cause I rolled my eyes."

"How… oh never mind." Sighed Greg, "Have you done your work with Mr Harris?" Greg asked.

"Yes, Dad. I have. Though why I can't go to school like normal children I will never understand. Even Bertie goes to a normal pre-school and he's three!"

Greg placed a hand on her shoulder sympathetically, "I know, darlin', but we talked about this…"

"No, you talked, I listened…" muttered Alex darkly.

Greg smiled but then gave Alex a warning look. She was so much like Mycroft. Clever, witty, impatient. "Fine, when you listened, you know that Dad wants you to go to a particular school, but they don't take children under the age of seven. So, until then, you are being taught by Mr. Harris."

"But Rosie goes to school. Can't I go to school with her until I'm seven and just transfer?"

Greg smiled, "'Fraid not, sweetheart."

"It's not fair!" she protested.

"I know, I know." Greg pulled her into a tight hug, "You can go ice-skating." Then he lent down and whispered in her ear, "Screw Mr Harris. You're far too clever for him anyway!"

Alex smiled and giggled.

"What's going on?" asked Mycroft, coming down the stairs.

"I'm going ice-skating!" Alex said, beaming up at her father

"Have a good time." Mycroft smiled, "You… deserve to have a good time. You've been working hard. Go have some fun!" Greg smiled at his partner and nodded.

Alex smiled and gave her Dad a hug. "Thank you." She said.

Half an hour later, John and Rosie came by to pick up Alex. She had her coat on, hat that Molly had knitted her and scarf with gloves. Greg had stuck at ten-pound note in her pocket for her ice-skating ticket and dinner. Greg thanked John for taking her and before he could kiss her goodbye, she had bounded down the front steps and was talking animatedly with Rosie. Greg waved goodbye from the doorstep, then retreated into the warmth of the house.

John meanwhile had to travel with two very excited six-year-old girls across London. At Christmas. Rosie and Alex were walking along the pavement towards Bond Street Station at breakneck speed catching each other up with everything that had happened in the last 24hrs (the girls attend the same Ballet school) that they hadn't seen each other in. John dreaded to think of his daughter's phone bill when she got on. She would forever be on the phone to her best friend. They got on the Tube and before John was aware of the matter, they were in the queue for ice skating.

"Uncle John?" asked Alex.

John snapped out of his daydream and looked at Alex, "Yes Alex?"

"Daddy gave me some money for my ticket." She held out the note, expecting John to take it.

"It's alright, sweetheart, it's my treat!"

Alex's eyes lit up, "Thank you Uncle John!"

"Thanks Dad!"

"You're welcome girls."

They sat down and got their boots on. Alex waddled around like a penguin and then fell and landed on her bum. Rosie tried not to laugh but couldn't help it and, realizing that it was actually quite funny, Alex joined in.

"You guys aren't even on the ice yet and you're falling over Alex Lestrade-Holmes!" John sighed, helping the hysterical girl up off the floor. Rosie and Alex just looked at each other and started laughing again.

"Oh honestly!" john sighed smiling. He took out his phone and took a photo of the two of them creased up, laughing. He sent it to Greg, Mycroft, Molly, Mrs H and Sherlock with the caption, "We may get on the ice, if we can stop laughing!" Eventually, Rosie and Alex calmed down enough to get onto the ice.

Alex went first, being the braver of the two girls. She tentatively stepped onto the ice, arms out at her side. One foot in front of the other, she thought, just slide one foot in front of the other. Keep your centre of gravity central, keep up right and don't forget to breathe. It's just physics. You do physics with Mr Harris and Uncle Sherlock. You've got this, Al. She breathed out and set off across the ice.

John and Rosie watched in amazement from the side of the rink as Alex skated round the rink. Sure, she was wobbly, but she had a real knack for it. She skated up to John and Rosie, putting one foot behind the other and applied pressure to the back leg to stop, as she had seen skaters do on the TV.

"Alex, have you skated before?" asked John

Alex shook her head, "But it's all physics isn't it?" she replied, "Stay up right, keep your core tight and breathe." She looked at Rosie, "It's like Ballet class. What's Madame always telling us?"

"Focus, girls. Straight backs, heads up, smile!" Rosie grinned, not daring to let go of the side.

Alex held out her hands for Rosie to take. Rosie looked from Alex's hands to her Dad.

"C'mon Ros! It's easy!"

"What if I fall?" asked Rosie

"Then we'll fall together, have a laugh and get back up!" Alex smiled, "C'mon, I dare you!"

Rosie looked at her friend, annoyed. She never turned down a dare, especially not from Alex and Alex knew this. "You little sneak!" Rosie grinned. Fearfully, she took one hand off the side of the rink and placed it in Alex's.

"Ah, both hands, Rosie Watson!"

"I know, I know!" she breathed out, closed her eyes and let go completely of the rink. She squealed slightly.

"Do you trust me?" Alex whispered as she skated backwards.

Rosie nodded, eyes clamped shut.

"Put one foot in front of the other. Slowly and carefully." Alex said kindly, helping her friend.

Rosie did as she was told. Soon she got into a rhythm and picked up some speed.

"Open your eyes Ros, you're doing it!" grinned Alex.

Slowly, Rosie opened her eyes. She looked down at her feet, grinned then looked up at her friend. Then her toes caught and she lost her balance. She went forward and Alex went backwards and, one way or another, they both ended up on the ice!

"Girls!" John called, hobbling over the best he could, "Are you okay?"

He got no reply cause Rosie and Alex were laughing again.

"Are you okay, sir?" asked one of the ice attendants, surveying the scene before him.

"I am, my daughter and her friend fell over. Can you help me get them up, I'm not so steady on the ice!"

"Of course, sir." Replied the attendant. John got down on one knee and hooked one hand under Rosie and helped her up, while the attendant offered his hand to Alex and helped her up. He then helped John up.

"Thank you!' John called after the attendant, who was skating off.

"Dad, did you see me?" asked Rosie, rosy cheeked.

"I did, you were doing very well until you fell over!"

Rosie gave him a look.

"To be fair Uncle John, her toe caught in the ice. It could've happened to anyone."

Rosie gave him another look as if to say "see".

John chucked.

"What?" asked the two girls.

"Rosie Watson, you don't half remind me of your mother sometimes!"

Rosie blushed and Alex grinned.

"Now, how about the two of you help me with this ice malarkey, seeing as 'it's all just physics'?"

Rosie looked at Alex and smiled, "What say you, Holmes? Shall we help the old man?"

"Hey! Less of the old thank you!" smiled John.

"Hmm, I don't know Watson." Replied Alex, putting on a ye oldie English accent and skating round her Uncle. "Do you reckon he's ready to join the elite skaters?"

"Oh, I don't know Holmes," Rosie said, also skating round her father and also putting on the accent, "What say we help the old boy? It is Christmas after all?"

"Why, Watson, I do believe you are correct."

John was stood in the middle of all this with his arms folded, a bemused expression on his face. "Okay Laurel and Hardy, you've had your fun. Shall we get on?"

Rosie skated next to her father and put her arm through his, "I got you Dad!" she smiled.

"And I got you Uncle John!" said Alex, skating on the other side of John.

John smiled and kissed both the girls on their heads. Then they skated off in an awkward fashion, with two six-year old's holding up a fully-grown man.