Sorry we haven't updated for a while, we have been extremely busy with exams and life and you know how it is! I hope. We also have got a better method to write this thing with now so hopefully we'll be able to do it quicker than it took this one.

John had decided, to appease his sister and her odd health food fascination, a light summer pasta salad would be perfect for lunch. He'd learnt the recipe from watching her make it over and over in the time she'd spent kipping on his couch. Tomato sauce poured over a bowl of pasta, olives and cheese to be added to taste.

"John," Harry said with her fork half raised to her lips, "you're more observant than I thought... You didn't google this did you?"

John shook his head and pushed his bowl away from him. He peered over the girl's shoulders at Sherlock, who was playing his violin like there was no tomorrow. Sherlock was playing something he recognised, yet something John was sure he had never heard before. "No, I didn't. I actually watched you make it, and then tried myself."

"You're a good cook." Harry admitted, a small smile flicking across her face. "Sadly your boyfriend doesn't eat."

"No-" John sighed and gave his sister a scathing look. "Shut up."

Harry laughed and covered her mouth, pasta nearly flying everywhere. Toni giggled at them, then leaned back in her chair. "You sister's right, y'know... You're really good."

John looked down at the table. "Thank you."

Taking in the view in Toni smiled. It was refreshing to see sibling banter seeing as she rarely ever got to see it. Being an only sibling meant she was lacking in that experience, it was just nice to see a normal kind of family. Even if they were far from it, she didn't know, it was still better than having a thug of a father. She could still see the strain there, it was clear when John had first seen Harry but it was clearly improving. "So why doesn't he eat then?"

"Sherlock?" John chuckled to himself, his gaze still fixed to the table. "The digestion slows down his thinking capacity, takes the energy away from his brain." John looked back over towards the man in the window, still engrossed in his playing. "Despite the fact I have repeatedly told him that the food he is meant to eat gives him the energy he needs for his brain to function. You would think as a scientist he would understand that. Then again he just gives me a rant about why that isn't necessarily true. I gave up trying long ago."

"Y'know, John," Toni said whilst stabbing a piece of pasta, "that sounds like something a boyfriend would say."

John rolled his eyes, trying hard not to let anyone see the way that comment made his heart skip a beat. The fact that everyone else thought he and Sherlock were dating was far too much to deal with. He thought he was over it, but obviously not.

Toni and Harry were giggling to each other about something that John missed completely; not quite sure what it was that set them off he waited politely for them to finish. Something told him that they'd be fine living with each other. Harry nudged Toni with her foot and they both burst into laughter again. Dear God, they were like children.

"Excuse me?" John raised his eyebrows at his sister. She diverted her eyes and pinched her lips together, trying hard not to laugh. John sighed and wiped his hand over his mouth. "Seriously, Harry. You'd think-"

He was cut off by Sherlock suddenly diving into the room. "John, you'll have to excuse me but I must leave. Molly has just texted me some rather brilliant news."

"I, uh, do you want me to come?"

Sherlock looked at both women and shook his head. He blatantly ignored Harry's gaze and barely passed his eyes over Toni. He looked John straight in the eyes and with a small, strained smile said, "No, you stay here."

"Oh," John looked back down at his plate again, the rest of his appetite disappearing. Sherlock was allowed to go off on his own; after all they used to do it all the time in the past. He could definitely do it now if he wanted. John just had to stop being so irrational. "Alright then, just get back for three," he met Sherlock's eyes and any anger he had in him disappeared. God he had a sickness. "I am not handling your arse of a brother alone, you got that?"

A wide grin spread across Sherlock's face before he rushed to get his coat, a few seconds later the door to the flat slammed shut leaving an eerie silence in the kitchen. John tried to avoid his sister's gaze, Toni's he could handle but Harry's? He wasn't a saint after all. Sighing he leaned back in his chair and became suddenly interested in the scrawled notes on the kitchen fridge.

"Johnny?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"There is nothing to talk about, Harry."

Toni and Harry shared a look with one another before Harry sighed and placed a hand cautiously on John's arms. Christ she really didn't know when to take a hint, he didn't want to talk about it so they weren't going to. Sure, John knew what the freaking issue was, it was plain obvious, doesn't mean he wanted to admit it aloud. It was his stupid trust issues getting the best of him again. Sherlock was his own person, he wasn't joined at John's hip and John's feelings wouldn't have stopped Sherlock going to the hospital again so he just had to get over it and wait for three o'clock.

The time passed quickly, and soon John was stacking the small dishwasher with empty plates and cups. Toni and Harry were contented to be perched around the dining table, muttering between themselves and giggling occasionally. John just let the noise wash over him, but he didn't bother to listen to them or join in. It was nice to just hear people talking, especially after Sherlock's prolonged silences.

"Does anyone want dessert? I got some of that chocolate vendetta stuff." He asked, already opening the freezer. Harry's eyes turned to saucers and she nodded enthusiastically.

Toni turned to look at him. "Chocolate vendetta?"

John smiled at her, "Chocolate Viennetta. Harry doesn't call anything the right name. You'll get used to it."

She smothered a laugh and nodded. "Yeah, sure. Sounds great."

"It'll be three soon." Harry called as she checked her watch. "Better hurry up with the ice cream, or we might not get time to eat it."

"I'll get right on it." John rolled his eyes. He adored his sister, but she was a right pain in the ass.

Taking three bowls out of the cupboard John got to preparing the ladyships their desserts whilst making sure to give his sister an extra portion. Honestly he wished Toni all the luck in the world because to say Harry had a sweet tooth was quite a bit of an understatement; John had once stayed an entire week and didn't remember seeing a single vegetable in sight and a lot of chocolate. As he placed the bowls on the table he watched Harry's eyes glisten, God she was just a giant kid.

"Thank you, John," Toni smiled, digging into her dessert. She didn't want to leave the cosy little flat with the welcoming people she had just meant. They were the nicest people she had ever met, which kind of said a lot about her, and sure she was going to stay with Harry but three o'clock was drawing nearer and that didn't settle her very well.

"No problem." John smiled, taking a rather gentle nibble at his own desert. He was starting to get a little chubby and had decided that he was definitely not going to find a girlfriend without monitoring his eating habits. Sometimes though, after a successful case, he and Sherlock would splurge on some fancy food and John would throw all his rules out of the window. Or at least, they used to.

"So, got any bad habits I need to be warned about?" Harry asked, almost without looking up from her food. "John told me about Sherlock's bad habits and I really don't feel like we'd get along if you were as bad as him."

Toni laughed, swallowing a mouthful of dessert. "No, I'm... Um, I have no habits? Not even good ones."

"Blank slate, eh?" Toni's eyes glinted, her smile turning her mouth up at the edges, "I can mould you into whatever I want?"

"Yeah," the younger woman nodded, a light blush coming to her cheeks, "you can."

John sighed heavily. "You two, seriously." He sat back in his chair having finished his meal. He waved his hand in the air, trying to get his point across. "You're both..."

"Yeah, I know." Harry smirked.

John rolled his eyes and watched the girls smirk viciously at one another across the table, God he wished Sherlock would turn up soon and save him from enduring those two any longer. They were just trying to wind him up now, surely.

Salvation, he thought came in the form of the knock at the door but his hope was short lived. Instead of salvation he was faced with the horrifying reality that Mycroft had arrived early; he should have known that the Holmes boys never follow schedules whether that meant being between two days early or perhaps, at the most, four months late. Lack of exposure had sort of put a damper on his memory. "Ah Mycroft, we weren't expecting you until three." John ran his hand across the back of his neck, he never liked meeting Mycroft. Especially without the company of Sherlock. "Erm come on in, we're just waiting for your brother to stop ogling a corpse. I'll make you a cup of tea if you like?"

"No, thank you, John," Mycroft replied, his lips pressing into a thin lined smile too uncomfortable looking to be genuine. "I doubt you keep my particular blend." Striding over to sit in John's chair Mycroft played with the handle of his umbrella ignoring the rest of the household, waiting to address them when the time became necessary. "My brother will be here momentarily. My secretary tells me he left Saint Bartholomew's roughly two and a half minutes ago."

Nodding John sent a strained look, that was meant to be an apology, into the kitchen towards the girls. Harry had heard him complain about the elder Holmes before and Toni had only met him the once and even then it wasn't the warmest of introductions. This was going to go swimmingly. "Right, okay then."

They were both peering at the older Holmes brother, and John could read in their faces that they were both not quite expecting this. Even Toni seemed to be a little more shocked this time around. Harry nodded at him, "That's Sherlock's brother?"

"They aren't that much alike." John muttered, keeping his voice down. If he was anything like Sherlock, Mycroft had bat hearing.

Harry rolled her eyes and stood up. "Seems like they've got the same social skills." Toni half smothered a giggle, but turned it into a cough at the last moment. Harry grinned at her, but Toni clenched her eyes shut and tried to breathe. The second her eyes were open, Harry pulled a face. The girls burst into a fit of muffled half laughter, which only intensified when they made eye contact. John remembered doing something similar with his sister at their grandparents once or twice.

Instead of saying anything, he collected the dishes and put them into the sink to be washed later. Harry and Toni had calmed down, but were still grinning like utter fools as John guided them into the living room. Each took a chair and muttered their greetings to Mycroft. John truly felt like he was some kind of childminder, but he was just being a big brother he guessed.

The door clicked open and Sherlock strode in, unwinding his scarf from his neck. "Hello Mycroft, leave as soon as you can. John, I have something to show you."

Harry muttered something along the lines of 'I bet you do' before Toni kicked her and Mycroft's ever disapproving stare bore into her. John could feel the snide comments from Mycroft that must have been piling up inside his mind, and so did Sherlock.

"Aren't you leaving yet?"

"No, Sherlock, I am not." Mycroft let every word leave his mouth shaped perfectly and razor sharp.

The detective took his coat off and snapped at his brother. "If you want some of John's dessert, all you have to do is ask."

"Very assuming," Mycroft replied, rolling the handle of his umbrella around in his palm. "In case you have forgotten you made a prior commitment to Miss DiMaro and you know how incredibly rude it is to withdraw one's promise like that."

From her seat in the corner Toni stiffened upon hearing the name she had long stopped using. She hadn't told John or Sherlock her name, she definitely hadn't told Mycroft the last time he visited either; the familiar syllables echoing in her head. "Excuse me," she interrupted, Sherlock was barely halfway through a sentence before she decided to do so, the anger inside her building at an alarming rate. She didn't mean to interrupt Sherlock but she hadn't even notice him beginning to talk and frankly right now she didn't give a flying rat's arse that she had. "How the hell do you know that name?"

"Is there any reason I should not?" Mycroft turned to face Toni, raising his eyebrow at her as he spoke.

"No, do not try and wiggle yourself out of this, Mr Holmes, by answering me with another question." Toni struggled to remain in her seat, her anger was trying to get the better of her but she wouldn't let it. If that smug bastard could utter her last name as if it was common knowledge to everybody and their dogs then she could stop herself from doing something stupid. "Considering you obtained information about myself, without so much as asking me beforehand, I would like to know why the bloody hell you know my last name? I know you are helping me, and that is appreciate, but isn't it common courtesy to ask permission nowadays to private information or are we all just allowed to go prying where our noses aren't wanted?"

Somewhere in the flat Sherlock was trying to suppress a grin and John was muttering about how there was another one but none of that mattered as Toni continued to stare at Mycroft, demanding silently that he answered her question. It wasn't right, him knowing her name, okay it would be out there on public record but considering the man only had a first name and a face to work with Toni just didn't feel right. "Your name, Miss DiMaro, is on public record. As I assume you are fully aware, it wasn't exactly hard to match the fingerprints of your father to the ones we already had on file. When I am expected to provide protection, I expect to know whom I am protecting." Reaching into his waistcoat pocket Mycroft pulled out his watch and inspected the time, not drawing his eyes away from the face. "Besides, do you really believe that I would allow you to associate with my brother without a formal background check and assessment of your character? It would be preposterous to believe you would have managed to remain in my brother's company without such procedures taking place already, Miss DiMaro. When my brother is concerned you can never be too careful."

Toni had to admit she was slightly impressed with the elder Holmes, he genuinely appeared to show concern for his brother and was prepared to insure his safety. Still, what he had done was wrong and Toni wasn't going to stand for it. "Mr Holmes, that doesn't change the fact you still performed a background check upon me without my consent and thought it appropriate to use my name as if I had shared it willingly with you."

"I apologise, Miss DiMaro, but my actions are justified. As I am sure you are aware considering the work of similar nature you performed for your father in the past"

"That is beside the point, Mr Holmes. Though at least we appear to have some sort of understanding." Toni nodded slightly and turned to look elsewhere in the room, not wishing to look at anybody else in the room right now. Whether it was out of embarrassment or frustration she wasn't quite sure.

Sherlock however wasn't exactly done with the conversation, "I can judge a person's character alone, Mycroft, without you bothering to push your nose in whe-"

"Do be quiet, Sherlock. You are only helping increase poor John's oncoming headache." Almost immediately Sherlock's lips pressed tightly together, the sooner the conversation ended the sooner everything was sorted out and the fat oaf was gone. That way he could show John what he had intended to and he wouldn't be cursed with his insufferable brother's presence.