Serene had meant it when she said she was going to go see Sherlock Holmes, but she couldn't bring herself to show him this dress. He would know immediately that she had worn it to punish Gregory and it upset her to think of Sherlock knowing the way she felt about the detective inspector. He must have a decent idea given the way she had been pressed against Gregory last night. Remembering it made her feel hot and foolish especially the way the night ended with her blood soaked in an alley. She hoped against hope that kissing Sherlock on the balcony had upset any conclusions he had reached about her. Keeping him off balance seemed to be the key to winning this game she had found herself playing as fervently as Sherlock himself.

When she had arrived home her feet carried her quickly through the lobby as she longed to wear a different mask for the day. Her task completed she now felt less like Boadicea charging to meet the Romans and more like Zenobia in her golden chains. Gregory's concern had deflated her anger towards him and she realized how tied by his kindness she was. Kindness was a hard emotion to revel in; attraction, flirtation and generosity could be given and taken in easy measures. Compassion never felt truly repaid or reciprocated and she resented the way her heart longed for it.

She was rolling this freshly admitted tenderness around in her mind as she approached the door to her apartment. She was pulled quickly into the moment by the realization the door was not pulled tight and locked but open. If she had pushed it with her fingers it would have swung freely. She felt a shapeless panic as her mind conjured the half formed memories of the night before. The accomplice, the man she could not see but could not forget, had he found her so easily? She shook her head to banish these thoughts. It didn't make sense that it would be someone connected to the case. The security in this building was impenetrable unless you had the key. Or something more powerful than a key; persuasion could open any door. She had been right then about the glint of light in the night. Whoever was having Sherlock tailed by cameras had stepped out of the darkness. She wasn't scared of a voyeur. She held her head high and pushed the door open.

She strode into the room, thankful that she was already dressed for battle, and assessed the man sitting in her periphery. She didn't pause or turn her head instead she walked straight to the kitchen.

"Good Morning, Mr. Holmes. Tea. Or something stronger?" She can feel this man's eyes burning into her back, must be a family trait.

"Bit early in the morning for something stronger, Doctor Laurent." Serene feels the judgment in his words, the disdain for whatever sense of fraternal duty that had brought him here. He had used her title to let her know just how open her life was to him. Two could play at that game and Serene didn't need the advantage of government records and time to snoop around his apartment.

"Well it must be nearly Tea in East Asia." Serene feels rather than sees the man stiffen, he relaxes quickly but the frisson in the air was unmistakable. Serene has her back to him as she fills the kettle and places it on the element.

"Very clever. My brother said you were." Mycroft watches this woman intently trying to keep the bored look on his face. His brother's attraction to her was much less inexplicable when he could see the quick intelligence in her eyes and the razor's edge to her tongue.

Serene gives in to whatever strange conversation is about to take place, she senses this man is not one to manipulate or dodge. He has come to tell her something and regardless of her morning plans she will hear the extent of it. She leans on the island looking at him and pulls off her heels. Her scarf follows next. He may delay her here but she won't stay in those ridiculous shoes in her own home. She walks barefoot to the chair opposite to him and sits with her legs tucked under her.

"You Holmes boys are so dramatic. Let me guess, this is a warning."

Mycroft made a pleased sound in his throat. "Yes, very well done."

He had watched her stride into the kitchen her dress was crumpled across her backside. She has been in more than one cab today, unusual for 10 AM. She put an awful lot of effort in to run such a short errand. The look was obviously meant to make an impression and given that she was now barefoot across from him pulling pins from her hair the impression hadn't been for him or his brother. DI Lestrade was the most obvious target. He had been involved in a case with a woman whose injuries matched exactly to this woman's. He had read the report Lestrade had filed last night after fatally discharging his weapon into a suspect. What did it mean for his brother's ill advised infatuation? Could a romantic rivalry drive the men's working relationship apart? That would be inconvenient given how playing detective had brought his brother to heel in a most efficient and subtle manner. For his peace of mind it seemed best to detach this woman entirely from the situation.

He watched in silence as she finished pulling pins from her hair and shaking the slightly mussed tresses into place. The kettle whistled on the stove and she silently went about readying a tea tray and carrying it through. This new information had upset his prepared speech and they remained in expectant silence as the doctor poured tea into rather plebian mugs.

"I must say you are taking an intruder in your home very well."

The odd peace that hung in the air was broken by his observation. He saw her smile into her tea mug. For the first time since her arrival she looks him in the eyes there is an impish gleam in them as she tightens her eyes at him as if to bring him into better focus. Her charm is undeniable.

"Do people usually find you frightening?"

"Usually. When I am trying to frighten them." Mycroft contemplates his tea. The mug may be of poor quality but the scent drifting from the steam is that of fine imported Darjeeling. It seemed a crime to serve it in anything but proper china, but he supposed he would persevere.

They drink their tea in silence and Serene can't help but wonder how often he is allowed these small intimacies.

"What do you know about the man who owns this flat?" His question isn't surprising the sheer cost of the flat precluded her from being its real owner.

There must be very few things this man does not know or have access to. Graham had obviously been what attracted his attention to her relationship with his brother. She instinctively clenches her jaw, loath to even speak Graham's name out loud in front of this man.

"I could ask you the same question."

"I am being serious, Doctor."

Serene sits back in the chair and thinks about Graham, unpacking the box of him she keeps in her head. She feels a lot of things towards him, but has very little empirical information. She thinks of his tan face and sandy hair. The way he spoke about his homeland in such hushed reverent tones. He and his guards had set upon her while she was on a research trip in Costa Rica. It had led to unexpected friendship.

"I know the first time I met him he pointed a machine gun at me."

"You can see then why I find it concerning the woman who is living in this flat is also pursuing my idiot brother." He has such pale blue eyes and the intensity of his gaze is uncomfortable. Despite the desire to deny that she was pursuing Sherlock, Serene felt it best to distract the conversation rather than admit that she was only trying to drown her own panic in his brother's body. It seemed unfair to reject Sherlock to his judgmental brother.

"I think those cameras follow him regardless. This flat is a convenient excuse to intervene, but really it doesn't matter. Why? Why do you care?"

"Every time a woman pursues my brother, romantically, the commonwealth always seems to pay the price." Mycroft swirls the dregs of his tea around his cup before taking a last sip and putting it back on the tray.

"I can see you are very 'Rule, Britannia!'" Serene balances her cup and saucer on the arm of her chair. "I wouldn't worry I don't think your brother is interested."

"At the risk of being indelicate, you are well ahead of anyone."

"Well then. Maybe I don't know whether I am interested. Last night was a bit of a blur."

Mycroft stands and checks his watch. "You'll excuse me. I only have so many hours a day to police my brother."

"By all means." Serene gestures towards the door smiling "do come again, we can dissect all my conquests"

Serene hears rather than sees Mycroft leave, once the door clicks shut she makes her way to the bedroom to change.