"Uncle Mycroft!" Guinevere exclaimed. The normally formal man looked up from his desk to meet the young woman dressed in all black. He broke into a smile and stood up embracing his niece.
"Guinevere I had no idea that you were back! How are you? My you do look very grown up." Mycroft said touching her cheek playfully.
"We were just out and about and I figured we should stop by and say hello." Guinevere said gesturing to John who was cautiously standing behind her. John never knew Mycroft to be a sentimental man and seeing him happily embrace his niece was something he had not expected. John figured that since Sherlock was so cold to his daughter the rest of the Holmes family was as well. Evidently not judging by the light hearted conversation they were having.
"I had no idea you two were close." John said gesturing between the two Holmes in front of him. "Uncle Mycroft and I have more in common than we do with Sherlock. There's a picture of the two of us up on his wall over there." Guinevere pointed to the back wall where sure enough there was a picture of a younger Mycroft and a little Guinevere standing next to a horse. John got closer to the picture. Guinevere must not have inherited much from her mother because the little girl looked just like Sherlock. She had high cheek bones bright blue eyes and curly black hair that refused to stay put. She was smiling broadly looking up at the horse which was being held in place by Mycroft. John noticed that her front two teeth were missing and there was a run in her stocking. It was odd to think the polished assassin was once a small innocent child missing her front two teeth.
Due to the fact that he was scrutinizing the picture so intently John didn't even notice Mycroft sliding a file over to Guinevere who quietly placed it in her oversized purse with a serious glance to her uncle.
"Well I'm sure you have work to do and John and I have places to be so we will have to sit down for a cup of tea and my place sometime later." Guinevere said drawing John's attention away from the picture back towards the uncle and niece.
"How about tomorrow over lunch." Mycroft said smiling at the woman.
"That sounds lovely I shall see you then. John?" Guinevere said gesturing the doctor out the door.
"Where are we off to now? I still think it's odd that you asked me to help you run errands instead of your father." John noted but at this point he was well aware of the tension between the father and daughter.
"Well I need to use the ladies room for a minute if you would just wait here." Guinevere said walking away without even listening for his reply.
She walked into the bathroom inside of the building where Mycroft worked. Locking the door behind her she opened the file Mycroft gave her. As she read she began to smirk.
"All right John it's time to go shopping." Guinevere said walking out of the bathroom with a smile on her face. This job would be a piece of cake.
"Why are we going shopping?" John asked getting into her lavish black car.
"A girls got to have something to wear. And I'm assuming that you don't have anything suitable for a white tie event?" Guinevere asked looking over her phone as she set up plans for tonight.
"I do own a suit it might be a bit small because I haven't worn it in a few years but it should wor-"
"No no no no John. White tie. This is not prom night. White full dress shirt with white pique wing collar, white bow tie, white shirt studs, black double breasted tail coat, white waistcoat, white cufflinks, black pleated pants with satin stripes on outer seam, black opera pumps or perhaps patent leather oxfords." Guinevere said as if a white tie dress code was the most casual thing in the world.
"I don't even know what those things are." John said astonished.
"Exactly. But don't worry. I am taking you shopping. Hope your schedule was cleared for the rest of the day. You and I are attending a party tonight."
As the car pulled up to the store John panicked. "Guinevere I can't afford anything from here."
"I shall pay for everything. Do not even think about it." Guinevere said waving her hand as the driver helped her out of the car. She was dressed very casually today wearing a flowly button down blouse which was tucked into high waisted leather shorts. Both black of course and accented by red Louis Vuittons and red lipstick naturally. Walking into the store she pushed her expensive oversized sunglasses onto the top of her hair and breathed in the smell of leather and diamonds. She turned around to John who looked like he was afraid to touch anything and clapped her hands at him.
"Time to get to work!"
Ten minutes later John was dressed in a full white tie get up and he felt ridiculous.
"Do I actually have to wear this?" He called out from inside the dressing room.
Guinevere who was keeping herself occupied outside was fiddling with her diamond earrings.
"John it would be social suicide to show up to a white event in anything but white tie dress code."
"Dress code? Christ I feel like I'm back in primary school. You know fashion is not really my thing." John said picking at the bow tie on his neck.
"No John you've got it all wrong. Fashion is what you buy. Style is what you do with it. Come out and let me get a look at you."
John excited the large fitting room and cautiously walked out careful not to scuff the shoes that were more expensive that his paycheck. He felt awkward and uncomfortable. Guinevere looked at him and grimaced.
"You would look very handsome if you would just relax and be confident. Like I said fashion is what you buy but style is what you do with it. The clothes are fashion. The way you wear them is style. Relax your arms a bit. Lift your chin up. And don't forget to breathe." Guinevere said with a giggle.
John relaxed and walked a little further concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. Guinevere crooked an eyebrow walking up to him.
"Look at you? How do you do it? How do you walk with confidence? And how do you do it in those heels?" John asked as she approached him.
She laughed. "One of my teachers said to keep your heels high and your standards higher. I suppose I just took it to heart. If you're going to blend in tonight you need to relax John. And no you do not look stupid. I could see it on your face. Every day is a fashion show and the world is your runway so dress your best and walk with confidence."
"Why do I have to go to this party anyway?" John asked as he retreated to the dressing room to get changed back into normal human clothes.
"Because I figured you would want to see me in action." Guinevere said twirling a strand of her hair."
"What do you mean in action? Are you going to kill someone tonight?" John said alarmed.
She let out a laugh. "No. Well not unless it comes to it. I'm here to set up a trap. A bit of a web you might call it. There is a fly at the party tonight and I am the spider." Guinevere remarked looking away from her nails to the file in her purse.
John emerged from the room looking at her intently.
"You want me to come so I can watch you seduce someone?" John said putting it into simpler words.
"You said you loved watching my father play his game. Now watch me play mine."