Here's a new chapter! Thanks for the review and favorites/followings! It's really encouraging to know there are people enjoying it! This is the chapter we start to see how the characters interact. If they are out of character, I'm sorry! I'd just like to think they'd act a bit different than normal in these types of circumstances. Hope you enjoy! :)
Chapter 2
To say the taxi ride to Mycroft's office was awkward would be an understatement. John was stuck in the middle of Sherlock and Adelaide, both staring out opposite directions of the cab with brooding faces. The tension was nearly suffocating so John decided to make conversation to ease it a bit. Never a good idea when the Holmeses were involved.
"So, Adelaide…" John began.
"I prefer Addie," she interrupted him, still staring out the window.
"Ok. So Addie, how long have you been in London?" he asked.
"Nearly 6 months. Working cases here and there to help pay the bills, doing some grunt work for Scotland Yard to scrape up a few extra pounds, and stop judging me Sherlock! I can hear you thinking!"
Sherlock gave a long suffering sigh and a roll of his eyes as a response. John looked awkwardly between the two of them.
"Alright, let's talk about something else then," John suggested. "I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is John Wat-"
"John Watson, early to mid-thirties, ex-army doctor, discharged from Afghanistan due to injury. Avid blogger and writer, and quite frankly desperate for human companionship based on the fact that you are flatmates with my brother," Addie said.
Sherlock shot her a scathing look and John unsuccessfully hid his smile.
John didn't even look surprised at her observations of him. "Guess I should have seen that coming," he commented. "How did you know we were flatmates though? Why not just friends?"
"Sherlock doesn't have friends. So, you're either romantically involved, which is possible, but unlikely since you don't seem the type, given the fact that fashion sense and hygiene are not high on your list of priorities. Or, by process of elimination, not a friend, not a lover, the next logical association is flatmate," Addie said, facing him.
"Wow, that's really quite good. Not sure whether to be offended or impressed," said John.
"Please John, don't go inflating her ego. We can't afford any more of that," Sherlock said.
"Right, because you've got enough for all of us," retorted Addie.
Sherlock narrowed his eyes and looked sideways at her, a look John had come to know as trying to kill someone with his mind. Addie simply returned his look with a cheeky smirk before resuming staring out the cab window.
John really hoped they were nearly there.
Finally the cab pulled up to Mycroft's office and they exited. Sherlock kept a strong guiding arm on Addie's back, ready to catch her if she decided to run. Sherlock purposefully strode through security, not giving them a second glance when they asked for I.D. and badges. He silently stepped into the elevator and waited for John and Addie before pressing the button.
Pretty soon they were outside of Mycroft's office, currently being guarded by Anthea. The woman looked up from her phone briefly to see who it was before going back to texting. "Mr. Holmes is not inclined to see visitors today," she said.
"It's rather important ma'am. Maybe you could get him to give us a few moments of his time then-" John was cut off.
"Oh for god sakes," Sherlock said, pushing Anthea aside and bursting through the doors.
Mycroft was startled out of his work by the opening of the door, curious as to who had gotten by Anthea to gain access to his office. He rolled his eyes and went back to his work, not looking up as he addressed them.
"Sherlock, I'm rather busy today. I don't have time for your trivial matters when there are other matters of national importance that require my attention."
"Oh, I think you might find this a matter of extreme importance, dear brother," Sherlock said.
Mycroft sent him an annoyed glare but kept his eyes focused on him, telling him to continue. "I really don't see what could possibly be more important than…" he trailed off, his eyes growing larger and his mouth falling open.
Sherlock had moved aside, giving him a full view of the last person he ever expected to see walk through the doors of his office.
"Hi, Mykie…long time no see, eh?" Addie said hesitantly.
It was one of the rare times in Mycroft Holmes' life that he was well and truly at a loss for words.
It took a while for Mycroft to finally find his words.
"Wh…what…how…is this a joke?"
"Oh come on Mycroft, even I wouldn't be that cruel!" Sherlock said.
"But…" That was about as articulate as Mycroft was going to get for the time being, so Sherlock, with a dramatic sigh, decided to lay it all out for him.
"I was looking around the scene of the Patterson murder, great case by the way, thanks for the tip," Sherlock began.
Mycroft now looked even more confused, given that Sherlock had said "thanks," to him in a non-sarcastic and condescending way.
"Anyways, I was at the crime scene when Lestrade walked over, talking some nonsense about how I needed to meet someone and blah, blah, blah. I, as usual, tuned him out and nodded my head, not willing to listen to his inane babbling. When I look up next, I happen to see our dear little sister parading around as someone named…what was it John?"
John started slightly, under the impression that everyone had forgotten he was in the room. "Umm…" he opened his notepad. "Andrea Carson," he said.
"Oh yes, that's it. Andrea Carson. Professional interviewer, or whatever it's called. I can't be bothered to think of it now," Sherlock said, waving his hand away. "I realized it immediately of course, just played along to keep up appearances. Even more suspicious when Ms. Carson decided to run away and hide in the shadows behind the building. But, never fear, I extricated her from them and brought her here, against her wishes of course."
"He hurt my arm! I'll most likely have bruising within the next 24 hours," Addie said sulkily.
"You kicked my leg! Rather hard, I might add," Sherlock sulked back at her.
"An eye for an eye," Addie smirked at him.
Mycroft, having enough of this craziness in his office, raised his hand to stop the conversation. "Alright, alright, children, let's get back to the main point," he said. He looked towards Addie, giving her his famous raised eyebrow. "Care to explain, Adelaide?"
"Naw, not really in the mood for that right now. Let's get back to it later, yeah?"
The looks of pure venom she got made her sigh and roll her eyes. "Look, I can't…"
"How did you do it?" Sherlock asked.
"And why?" Mycroft added.
"I'm really not up to discussing this right now. Seriously. I'm not ready. Can we please just put it off?" she said, practically begging. "I'm really tired, and I would just like to go back to my flat, have a cuppa, and watch some crap telly."
"Oh so you're tired? Why are you so tired?" Sherlock asked, giving her a calculating look.
"Oh I don't know, maybe because I need more sleep, Sherlock, why else do people get tired?" she snapped at him.
"You're a Holmes. You've been wired to function on very little sleep. It would take a lot for you to be so tired. But why are you then?"
"Sherlock…" she warned.
"Perhaps it could be that you do sleep, but not well, considering whatever happened to you in the past five years has undoubtedly taken a toll on you. Or maybe it's the fact that you haven't been able to pay your bills in more than a month, and, on the rare occasions that you do sleep, you've had to sleep in the cold, causing discomfort, and making it difficult to achieve a satisfying rest," Sherlock rattled off.
Addie groaned, "Oh great, here we go."
"The lack of heat could also contribute to the cold she seems to be developing too. Given the roughness of her voice and the small sniffles she's been making," Mycroft added.
"Right you are dear brother. Also taking into account that she is thin and pale. Surely a sign of little sleep, lack of decent meals, and an unpleasant living situation," Sherlock said.
"Oh come on! That's not fair! You barely eat anything and you never sleep. Why all the attack on me?" Addie protested.
"Because, dear sister. I have the means to acquire sufficient sleep and meals if and when I need them. Which is more than you can say isn't it?" Sherlock said.
"I can take care of myself!" Addie yelled.
"Yes, of course you can. Which is why you will be moving in with John and Sherlock," Mycroft said with finality.
John, having been silently watching the sibling interaction with fascination, slipped back into reality at the mention of his name. "Now wait a minute, we…"
But he was cut off my two very loud and indignant shouts of "NO!"
"It's already been arranged with Mrs. Hudson. She informed me that there is an open flat next to yours. 221C I believe. Said she's never been able to rent it out for some reason or another. So I made an offer and got it all set up," Mycroft said, sitting back in his chair with a self-satisfied smile.
"How the hell did you do that so fast?" Addie asked, staring at him in awe. "You know what, I don't even want to know."
"And what if we refuse?" Sherlock challenged.
"You won't," Mycroft replied.
"And why not?" Addie asked.
Mycroft fixed them both with an intense glare before repeating, "Because you won't."
Sherlock and Addie huffed and looked away from him. "Good! Then it's all settled!" He said.
"Hardly!" shouted Addie. "In case you two haven't noticed, I'm not a child anymore, and you can't just order me around and tell me what to do with my life! It's my bloody life!"
Angry shouts of "Language!" resounded from the two brothers, then an unsettling silence.
"John, if you could please leave us for a bit. Go to the sitting room. Anthea will bring you some tea. I need to have a discussion with my siblings," Mycroft said, forcing a polite smile.
John couldn't have been more grateful to get out of such an awkward and tension filled situation and he high-tailed it to the sitting room. He accepted his tea from Anthea and silently began to wait out the discussion between the three Holmeses. He just sincerely hoped that this wouldn't end in an all-out war…literally…given Mycroft's position of power.