A/N

Sorry this chapter is so short; I was going to add more, but decided the length was good enough for now.

Adrianna's been invited over, and we get a small peek of a playful pair of brothers. Thank you for reading.

Some more disclaiming: I do not own Sherlock or its characters. Only in my dreams.

Friday came more quickly than expected. Sherlock was already working away in the living room, rearranging furniture and pillows to create a ship. He had a stack of blankets on the floor nearby - sails all waiting to be hoisted high into the skies so they could set sail. A few plastic swords sat a few feet away, ready to grab in the event of an attack. He was trying to think of a way to create a cannon when the doorbell rang. His mother hurried to answer the door.

"Oh! How pleasant to see you! And this must be Adrianna!" She ushered the guests inside. "I've heard quite a bit about you from a certain young gentleman, my dear." Sherlock couldn't help but feel annoyed that his mother pronounced such a thing so openly. "I do believe he's in the front parlor, rearranging the furniture for your adventures." He heard three pairs of feet enter the room and looked up from the couch to silently greet them.

The two women left the room after a brief "hello" and "how do you do," heading to the kitchen for some tea. Sherlock turned his attention to Adrianna.

"You're wearing a dress. Pirates don't wear dresses." He walked toward her as she frowned.

"I know. Mother wanted me to look my best for our first visit. I told her that I had to play pirates, but she wouldn't listen." She tugged at the fabric of her skirt with an annoyed look.

He thought for a moment before grabbing her hand and running upstairs. They stopped in front of Mycroft's door. "Myc! You'd better have pants on! We're coming in!" he opened the door without further hesitation.

Mycroft was sitting at his desk, reading the paper and sipping some tea. "Of course I have trousers on, Sherlock; I'm not you." Sherlock glared before lodging his complaint.

"Adrianna's wearing a dress." he said matter-of-factly. The older boy raised an eyebrow to the statement.

"Yes, I can see that. It's a very lovely one; good pick." He smiled at Adrianna. "You're looking well, Adrianna. I suspect you're doing marvelously in school?" She nodded shyly and mumbled something about straight A's as Mycroft turned his attention back to Sherlock. "Maybe some of her can-do attitude will rub off on you. I digress; she's wearing a dress. I thought you were aware: that's what girls do. What's your point, Lockie?"

"She can't be a pirate if she's got on a dress." Sherlock's tone remained steady despite his brother's sarcastic quips. Mycroft understood now.

"Right. Well, that is a bit of a difficult situation, isn't it?" He thought for a moment before continuing. "Why don't you lend her a pair of your shorts? That would be the simplest solution."

"That'll work," chimed in Adrianna. She didn't mind wearing boy's clothing. She had worn her own brother's pants and shirts before; they weren't all that different than lady's clothes.

Sherlock led her back to his room and began digging in his closet to find some shorts. Adrianna took the opportunity to look around and try to learn more about her friend. A violin stood against the wall- she wondered if his mother made him play as well. Then a stack of books came into view near his bed: all pirate stories (of course.) And lastly her eyes fell on a chess set near the window. It looked as though someone had stopped in the middle of a game for whatever reason.

She wandered around the middle of the room before hearing Sherlock exit the closet with a pair of grey shorts in hand. He threw them to her. "Here you go. I'll be in Myc's room when you're done. One door down on the right." With that, he headed into his brother's room.

Mycroft was getting annoyed by Sherlock's lack of courtesy, yet he didn't mind the company it provided. Sherlock tapped his brother on the shoulder, prompting him to place the paper on the table and turn around. "Yes, Lockie?"

"Will you be the bad guy for us? I think I want Adrianna on my side. But it would get boring quickly if there were no scurvy dog to fight."

"Sherlock, Mummy doesn't like me promoting your pirate behavior. You know that." He gave his brother an apologetic look.

"Yes, but you always have fun when we play. I don't think you want to stay up here; you want to play sword fight with us. You just pretend to be perfect for Mummy. It's all an act! Anyway, why do you always take her side?" Sherlock looked at Mycroft with an angry pout.

"I'll have you know I most certainly do not take her side on all issues." He rolled his eyes as the younger one continued his pout. "Fine, Lockie. Yes, I will be the bad guy."

Sherlock's eyes lit up. "Brilliant! You're going to be a Lieutenant of the East Indian Trading Company, ok? You've got to try and stop us from looting your supply of tobacco and rum, as well as the hidden stash of gold and treasure. Show no mercy." he excitedly patted his brother's back in repeatedly until Adrianna entered the room. "Myc is the bad guy. We've got to get our ship ready for an attack."

The two ran downstairs to make their preparations as Mycroft resumed reading the paper for a few minutes longer. Mummy was not going to be happy if Sherlock got hurt again - though the past incidents were hardly his fault. Sherlock always seemed to over-jump his targets or forget that the force of gravity still indeed applied to the living room.

However, he got up to go ten minutes after the other two had left him. The lieutenant of the East Indian Trading Company couldn't chicken out in the face of Pirate Holmes and his first mate, Audrie.

By the time he got downstairs, Mycroft could hear the pirates creating a plan to raid his ship. He ducked into the room quickly, taking the pair by surprise.

"Captain Holmes; I presumed you would have made the first strike by now." He picked up a sword from the floor and in one swift movement moved forward to attack Sherlock. The younger boy was just as quick though, and brought his own sword up to defend.

"Ahhhhhh Lieutenant Mycroft. I was beginnin' ta wonder when ya'd show that ugly mug of yers." He brought the sword around for a strike to the stomach, but was blocked by his opposition. "Adrianna! Head for tha loot while I've got 'is hands tied here!" he shouted to his first mate.

"Aye aye, Captain!" she ran towards a fort they had built in a far corner of the room while the boys fought valiantly against one another.

This imagination theatre continued for another hour, ending with Captain Mycroft having to walk the plank into the icy cold sea. The trio was in a pile on the floor, the younger two resting their heads on the elder's shoulder and stomach. All three were tired, happy, and ready for dinner.

It took a few minutes to clean the room and return it to its former glory. Adrianna hurried to the washroom to fix her hair and remove Sherlock's shorts; the boys waited for her in the parlor, chatting about famous pirates and the possibility of finding sunken treasure. When she returned, they made their way toward the kitchen.

Both mothers greeted the children warmly, offering cucumber sandwiches and tea to stave off hunger until supper. Sherlock and Adrianna were wrapped up in a discussion over library books while Mycroft answered a barrage of questions about his future plans from the women.

At nearly six, Adrianna and her mother bid farewell to the Holmes family. Sherlock was a little sad that the day had to end, but Adrianna promised to come back and play again soon. She held his hand and gave it a squeeze while she said goodbye. He watched their car pull out of the driveway and cruise down the street before turning back to his house.