Chapter 34: I Thought You Might

I have the day free. Would you like to explore London with me? MH

Of course. Pick me up at nine? - KR

I will be there. MH

"So, where are we going?" I asked as we were driven away from 221B. Anthea smiled at me from Mycroft's other side and I returned the gesture.

"I thought we'd take a trip around and on the London Eye, possibly visit a zoo. Oh, and Anthea wants to show you the museum," Mycroft said, sending a text as he spoke - presumably to the people that ran any and all of the places he had mentioned.

I scanned the internal map I had made of London - it would take approximately fifteen to twenty minutes to reach each of the places Mycroft had listed and that was only whilst not taking into account traffic. Turning so that I was looking out the window, I watched the streets pass by, swiftly analysing random pedestrians. The person walking down the street was a closeted transgender, likely non-binary. The teen with their friends had recently been on a holiday to Australia and had been badly sunburned. Another had received a cat for his birthday and was completely infatuated with it. Incredible - life was incredible, existence was a miracle - but the potential for more made me sad. So many people capable of greatness but being held back by lack of opportunity, lack of chance, lack of any assistance to achieve it. The lack was crippling.

"Do you ever wonder how much more could be achieved if only everybody was seen for who they were and what they could achieve?" I asked Mycroft and he pondered the question.

"Not particularly - I'm not one for such fanciful notions - but I do believe that there would be quite a bit less hate and confusion and more brilliance in any place possible. However, along with that would come people that purposely refused to look past their own blindness," he pointed out.

I nodded - that fit what Kayla had known, had seen, of the world. People, children, deliberately hurting and harming and teasing because that was just what you did. Beings had their imperfections also - arrogance was one of believed we were better, higher, even though we, just as all things, Fell.

We were dropped off around the corner from the London Zoo, leaving Mycroft, Anthea and I with around fifty metres left to walk.

I didn't particularly enjoy the experience of the. It was too noisy, too crowded and the general atmosphere spoilt the actual sights of the animals and creatures happily living in their spacious containers. Mycroft in particular seemed to enjoy the seals and quietly told Anthea and I an anecdote form when he was a child and called seals 'ocean dogs'. At this, Anthea gave a soft laugh and I immediately took on the nickname for them.

We left as lunchtime ticked around, meaning that there would be less people at the London Eye when we arrived. By this time, the zoo was emptying and I had been sent multiple messages from Sherlock, who was in the flat alone, stating that he was very sorry for the smell that would surely be permeating the flat by the time I returned and that he just absolutely had to see what happened when he placed a hand in acid compared to when the main bones were removed and acid poured into the cavities left behind. Mycroft gagged slightly as he read it over my shoulder and Anthea touched his back soothingly.

It had become obvious that, despite all of the signs being there for either a strictly work-only relationship or a relationship that was completely opposite, all Anthea and Mycroft were were good friends. They'd met in university, when Anthea was still studying law - she'd moved into biochemical engineering after a year of the course and deciding that she wanted something more. It was a tidbit of information but full of meaning nonetheless.

When we reached the London eye, I was struck wordless. It was a massive thing of majesty and engineering prowess that dominated the area around it in a way I had never seen on earth. It was a thing of beauty that would last longer than the generations around it.

"I would like to go up to the top of that," I said softly.

"I thought you might."

Edit: 25.2.16