"Ultra Infirmitatibus Meis"
Chapter 3
"Angel of darkness."
"What's the emergency? Is it Eurus? Is she alright?"
Well, isn't this amusing… Lady Smallwood thought to herself, as she watched the younger Holmes brother rush into her office no more than ten minutes after she requested his presence. Sherlock Holmes showing more care and compassion to a person who nearly killed both his best friend and his older brother, than to the one man who would gladly sacrifice his own life to keep him safe and happy.
If she wasn't so worried about her friend's dramatic change of behavior, she wouldn't allow the ungrateful little (forgive her French) shit anywhere near her office, even if something actually did happen to Eurus.
After everything he put his older through, he deserved nothing more than a hard slap in the cheekbones.
But something horrible is happening to Mycroft…
And it was getting worse, if his latest meeting with Eurus was anything to go by.
She shuddered, what she saw on the video footage still fresh in her mind.
Dear God… she never saw the Holmes sister looking this terrified of anyone or anything before.
She always just cocked her head at their attempts at interrogation, never feeling threatened because she knew her older brother would step in and put a stop to it if they went too far.
That wasn't the case here.
Eurus Holmes erupted with screams of sheer panic the moment Mycroft's fingers stopped moving, while she pressed her back against the white walls like an animal cornered by a predator.
A look of such pure terror on her usually impassive face that, were the situation anywhere near the norm, seeing it would make the eldest Holmes empty a few bottles of the strongest drink the Diogenes has to offer, to try and numb the feeling of his heart being ripped apart.
He'd lock himself in the Stranger's Room for days.
Trying to drown the feelings that made him who he was: an amazing man who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, while also trying to be a decent brother to two very nasty younger siblings, and a son to parents whose eyes remained permanently fixated on their younger children…
And become who everyone thinks he is: a vile, uncaring monster that uses cruel manipulation to get what it wants.
He was losing himself.
He has been for years.
With him always being the head of the family and everyone relying on him to know what to do whenever there was a problem, there was no one for him to turn to.
He took on everything on his own, and never asked for help.
Always alone, in fear of appearing weak to those who only waited for him to show weakness.
It worked for most of his life, but right now… he's close to breaking.
He needs help.
Help that he's not going to ask for.
She just hopes it isn't too late…
Her mind snapped back to reality when the younger Holmes brother slammed his palms on her desk, desperate to catch her attention.
The Lady blistered at the loud noise and then responded with fixing the curly-haired bastard with the coldest glare she could muster.
Had it been any other day she'd have him thrown out for threatening a government official, convincing herself she'd be able to placate Mycroft by appealing to his sweet tooth once he was informed of her treatment of his brother. Today however, she will force herself to withstand his company for the benefit of the country.
Even though he's nothing but a parasite in her eyes, the damned brat held a special place in Mycroft's heart.
If anything can snap her colleague out of this uncharacteristic behavior, it would be Sherlock Holmes.
"Yes… and no." She answered ambiguously, having no intentions of making this any easier for him.
"What's that supposed to mean?" The detective demanded, looking more irritated by the second.
"That your sister is not the main concern here." He looks puzzled at that, like there is only one sibling to worry about, the confused look on his face making her hate him even more.
You don't deserve a brother like him. Alicia Smallwood seethes in the privacy of her thoughts, her face remaining impassive as ever. He's the reason you're alive, you bastard!
"What? But I thought-"
"When was the last time you spoke to your brother?" She cut him off harshly, sitting back in her chair and folding her hands on her stomach.
The only Consulting Detective in the world blinked a few times, caught off guard.
"What does that have to do with anyth-"
"Answer the question!" At that moment she lost her temper, leaning over her desk, eyes flashing with anger, voice forceful and icy.
"…" Sherlock is once again stunned for a few seconds before answering wearily. "… a couple of weeks ago, why?"
"Did he act… differently, when you spoke with him?" Alicia asked moving away from his personal space, calmer now.
"Based on how we usually talk to each other? No, not really." Sherlock's face twisted into a frown, as if the mere thought of his brother left a sour taste in his mouth.
Nodding her head in response Lady Smallwood looks away, a thoughtful expression appearing on her face.
"It must have happened yesterday then…" She muttered to herself, forgetting for a short while that she had an audience.
"I have an uncanny difficulty in following you, what must have happened yesterday?" Sherlock was annoyed now, clearly frustrated with not being able to follow her line of thought like he can do with every other person on earth.
"The change… in your brother." She spoke softly.
"What are you talking about?!" He threw his arms up in sheer frustration. "What change?!"
"He became… colder and… disinterested." Alicia answered, her hands going up her forearms instinctively as she said that. "As if… as if he didn't care anymore…"
Sherlock snorted at this, waving his hand dismissively.
"Don't tell me you still fall for his Ice Man façade, Lady Smallwood." He stated, eyes shining with disappointment. "Surely, after all those years of you two working together, you would realize he's only putting up a show?"
She sighed.
"The thing is, Mr. Holmes…" she turned the laptop on her desk towards the curly haired man, and started the footage of Mycroft's visit to Sherrinford.
She watched his eyes widen and his face get paler than it already was, when the woman stated screaming.
"… I don't think he's pretending anymore."
AN: I'm sorry if Lady Smallwood comes out a bit too harsh in this one. She's just both really pissed about the way Sherlock has been treating his brother, and scared out of her wits of the metamorphosis Mycroft seemed to have gone through.