Rose had been home from hospital for a week and John had finally felt comfortable leaving her to her own devices for a day while he went back to work. She'd been a remarkably good patient in the days after Mycroft had gone back to work. So much so, in fact, that what happened when he came home the evening of the seventh day, was completely unexpected. Though in retrospect, it shouldn't have been. This was Rose after all.
"Oh, John, you're back!" Mrs. Hudson called out before opening her door. "I don't know what Rose is doing up in her flat, but it sounds like a herd of elephants in there. Would you ask her to quiet it down a bit when you go up? I would, but my hip."
John frowned for a moment before hearing a heavy thud on the floor. That was odd. "Uh, yeah, sure. I'll check in on her." He hurried up the stairs and opened the door of Rose's flat.
Two Hours Earlier
"Alfred, you cannot be serious," Rose said with a sigh. "No, I take that back. Bonnie can't be serious. The boys are never going to let me do a swing dance at the recital. I'm lucky they're letting me go to the competition."
"Only because they don't think you can do it," Alfred pointed out with a grin. "Wouldn't it be great to show them wrong?"
Rose pursed her lips as she contemplated the idea of it. "You know, it really would. Especially John. I adore him, don't get me wrong, but he fusses all the time now since I came home." Not that she blamed him. Well, she didn't really mind it either if she really sat and thought about it.
"Well I'd want to use period appropriate music," she said by way of agreement.
"Louise mentioned you're fussy about that. I thought she was kidding," he laughed.
"So, what's the dance and what's the song choice then? This is very rehearsed Alfred, I can tell. Not that I object, but just so you know."
Alfred grinned. "Okay, so I sort of choreographed the whole thing. Just to save you the time! And you never let me do it anyway."
"That's no… Wait, actually that is true," Rose said sheepishly.
"It's ok, I don't mind it. You're funny when you're bossy. You sound like that oldest brother of yours."
"OH MY GOD! Don't be insulting Alfred! That's the most horrible thing anyone has ever said to me in my whole life!" Rose shouted before hitting him with a pillow. "Anyway, we'll have to move the couch if we're going to work in here. I know for sure I'm not allowed to go to the studio, but nobody said anything about my flat."
He nodded. "Technicalities are the key to success. And I picked a song I know you'll like! Louise said you're big into Dean Martin, so we found a faster paced recording of one she's seen you sing."
She smiled at him. "I like the way your mind works, Alfred Mellor. You're devious and cunning and I like that. Let's move the couch!"
Present
The noise was growing louder as John shot up the stairs. The door to Rose's flat was unlocked, so he opened it, completely unprepared for what he saw. Feet flying, hips swinging, Alfred leaned over and Rose went head first over his back. Alfred scrambled to catch her but didn't and Rose hit the floor with a thud.
Before she even realized the door was open, John was at her side, hand on a shoulder, looking her over with that discerning doctor's eye of his. "Oh… hello," she greeted softly.
"Are you alright?" John asked. "That sounded like it hurt."
"No, I'm fine," Rose hurried to assure him. She looked up at him and cringed, realizing that was the wrong thing to say, or the wrong moment for him to walk in, or all of the above, when he stood up and towered over her. Arms crossed over his chest, John glared at her and appeared to be struggling to control his temper.
"Oh god," she murmured.
"You, what the hell were you doing?" John demanded of her. "And you," he paused to give Alfred a pointed look, "are leaving now. Whether or not I escort you out is up to you."
Alfred gulped and nodded. "Yes, sir. Bye Rose!" He grabbed his coat and dashed out the door, leaving her sitting on the floor.
"Get up, right now, miss," John directed in that Captain Watson tone. That tone didn't leave room for an argument and Rose hurriedly got to her feet.
"Have you gone completely insane? What the hell is wrong with you? You've been out of hospital seven days. Seven, Rose! Seven!"
"Did you want any of those questions answered?" Rose asked meekly.
"No, they're rhetorical, because you have to be absolutely bonkers to be mucking about like this!" John thundered. "And where is your couch?!" He had just now noticed the absence of it, and the rest of her furniture, from the living room.
She bit her lip. "I'd rather not say."
"That is not an option!"
"Uh, well… We moved it to the bedroom."
John's face grew darker. "We as in not just Alfred? In what world, exactly, is moving a sleeper couch not considered strenuous physical activity?"
"That's the bit you're mad about?" Rose asked, feeling horribly confused.
"NO! But let's take your completely inappropriate actions one at a time, shall we? Answer the question: in what world does that not constitute the sort of physical activity your physician at hospital and I told to avoid?" John demanded.
"Well…" There was no good way to answer this and she knew it. "The world in my head for one. But I'm gathering that world is wrong."
"Very wrong," John agreed. "I almost don't even know what to say to you! My god, do you actually value your own life? You could have gone into cardiac arrest! What don't you understand about the fact that you had surgery?"
"But I didn't though! We'd been at it an age, he just can't get that one part, so I kept falling and… I'm not helping my case, am I?"
"You are this close," he began, indicating a very small space between his thumb and index finger. "This close to having a smacked bottom. Is that what you want Rose? Because if it is, I'd be more than happy to oblige! How long were you at this? Answer me!" he shouted when she hesitated.
"Couple hours I suppose, or somewhere in there. John, I can explain, really, just give me a moment to think of something!" Rose pleaded.
That tiny bit of leeway he'd indicated vanished at her confession of having been dancing for two hours. "Oh, no you can't," he decided. "Because there is no valid explanation for this! Come here now, right here." John pointed to a spot right in front of him, his tone and the look on his face making it very clear he was to be obeyed.
So Rose obeyed.
John promptly pulled her closer and tucked her under one arm. With that accomplished he began delivering hearty swats to her behind. "Clearly, you're all better, aren't you? Well guess what that means, miss? It means I'm giving your brothers the go-ahead to have at you for all that stalker nonsense!"
"Ow, ow, ow! John! That hurts!" Rose yelped as she tried to wiggle her bum out of harm's way. Unfortunately, her attempts were unsuccessful. "I didn't think about that John! No, don't tell them that! Owww! Oww! We can talk like adults I swear!"
"No, I don't think we can," he said sternly, continuing to spank her. "I think this is our best method of communication at the moment. And I don't care to hear it if you disagree! Absolutely ridiculous, there just aren't even words in the English language for me to express how displeased I am! So this will have to do. And if you're well enough to push couches and dance for two hours and leap over Alfred like that, you are definitely well enough for a sound spanking which is exactly what I'm telling Sherlock and Mycroft."
After a few more sharp swats, John stopped and stood her up in front of him. "Are we clear about how unacceptable this was?"
Silent tears were streaking down Rose's cheeks as she nodded.
"I think a "yes, sir," wouldn't be amiss just now," John decided, still using that Captain tone.
"Yes, John," she replied. "We're clear."
Before she could say anything else John pulled her close once again, this time to wrap his arms around her and hold her tightly. "God help the man you marry someday Rosenwyn Holmes, because you are a handful if ever I saw one," he grumbled in a much softer tone.
"I'm sorry."
He tipped her head up and looked in her eyes. "It would be really helpful for you if you'd stop and think for thirty seconds or so before you agree to things, yeah? Honestly it would help you so much, because then I wouldn't have to do this. I don't like doing this."
"I don't either," Rose admitted, reaching back to rub her bum. "You know I'm not deliberately trying to provoke you or anything right?"
John chuckled. "Of course, love. But you do a fine job of it all the same." He hugged her tighter, resting his chin on top of her head. "I'd rather like to keep you around, you know. Stop making that so hard, yeah?"
"I don't plan on going anywhere, just so you know. No disappearing," she whispered.
"I'm very glad to hear that. I've grown rather attached to you."
For some reason the way he said that made her giggle a bit. "I suppose I'm slightly attached to you as well. I'd be more attached if you stopped smacking me like you've got a right to or something."
John snorted. "Stop giving me opportunities to do it and I won't have to."
Rose pulled back and gave him a skeptical look. "You make it sound as if I provide some sort of invitation for you to take undue liberties with my personage."
"Big words for such a silly girl," he teased, giving her a week. "But yeah, you rather do. You're exceptionally naughty sometimes."
She groaned loudly. "I hate that word, really I do. Are you done scolding yet?"
"I am," John confirmed. "So, on to the next bit of business."
"Which is?"
"You're going next door to tell Sherlock what you were up to," he told her sternly.
"Can we skip that bit if I promise to buy you cupcakes?"
"No, we can't, miss. Putting it off won't make it better, off you go," John instructed, giving her a smack to send her off.
She yelped, and then promptly turned around to stick her tongue out at him.
XYZ
"You're always so dramatic John," Sherlock grumbled. He was busy trying to reproduce a certain chemical effect on some plaid material on the kitchen table and wasn't quite paying attention to what John said.
"Sherlock, did you not hear all that racket in her flat?!"
"Nope," the other man replied, making the 'p' pop as he said it.
"She was swing dancing Sherlock, and leaping over that boy's back. He let her fall on the floor. She could have really gotten injured, not to mention the fact that she had surgery a week ago."
"Don't mention it then," Rose grumbled, standing somewhat behind John. She hoped beyond hope that her brother would continue to be too distracted by his experiment to pay any actual attention to John.
The detective sighed heavily. "John, I don't know why you're so…" He stopped and looked up at John, the other man's words finally registering. "She what?!" That was when he spotted Rose standing slightly behind John, biting her lip.
"No," he decided. "Come over here and explain all this nonsense to me. You do still have connected brain cells in that head of yours, correct? I really wonder sometimes. Maybe Mycroft dropped you on your head more often than I was aware of."
Rose shrugged a bit, moving out from behind John but no closer to Sherlock. "Music makes me do the things I never should do," she said helplessly.
An eyebrow quirked. "You know who I am, Rosenwyn. That doesn't work," Sherlock responded disdainfully.
"What doesn't?" John asked.
"That's a Fred Astaire lyric," Sherlock explained before turning back to his sister. "Oh Rose; if you're so convinced you're indestructible, guess what? We are too! So I'm telling Mycroft that you're all better now."
"You've never even seen Flying Down to Rio," Rose grumbled. "And Alfred kept dropping me on my bum! Plus John already spanked me!" Rose protested. "So really, I'm too sore. We can wait to tell Mycroft, right?"
"How unfortunate," he drawled, anything but sympathetic. "Perhaps you shouldn't let your dance partner drop you so often if you don't want an already sore bottom before you have a spanking." Pulling out his mobile, Sherlock began texting Mycroft.
'You'll never guess. SH'
'Rose has done something, hasn't she? M'
'She thinks she's invincible. SH'
'That's hardly new. M'
'John says we can spank her now. SH'
'I don't think the word "rest" even exists in her vocabulary. Ridiculous girl. M'
'On that, brother, we are agreed. SH'
XYZ
Thirty minutes later, Rose's mobile went off. With a sigh she picked it up, looked at the ID briefly and then answered.
"I hate talking on mobile, please text me," she said and promptly hung up.
Mycroft, however, was not deterred and chuckled as he called her again. "I hear you've been misbehaving again, sister mine," he said when she picked up. "How… very like you."
"Lies. All lies," she replied, trying to affect a bored tone but failing miserably.
"Who's telling lies?" Mycroft asked.
"John and Sherlock. It's all lies. I'm so well behaved you wouldn't recognize me."
"That's highly unlikely," he laughed. "What are your plans tomorrow, sister?"
"Not sure yet. What are yours? I'll make sure I'm where you aren't, how's that sound?"
"That wasn't what I had in mind. You're overdue for a spanking Rosenwyn," Mycroft said sternly. The other end of the line went silent, but he was certain she hadn't hung up. "I'll be dropping by Baker Street about five. It would be much better for you if you could manage to be there when I arrive."
Rose let out a sigh. "I suppose," she answered quietly.
"Excellent. Do take care of yourself in the meantime, alright?"
There was another brief pause before she responded by saying, "Love you too, My."
She couldn't see it, but her words made him smile.
XYZ
Mycroft arrived at 221B at 5:30 the next day and stopped in the doorway for a moment. Rose was lying on her back on the couch in pajamas and a dressing gown, her eyes closed and a look of pure relaxation on her face as her bare feet moving to the beat of whatever song was currently on her ipod. Sometimes it simply floored him that while Rose had clearly grown so much since she'd disappeared, she was still very much the same little girl he'd raised.
"She has amazing musicality," Mycroft said, by way of announcing his presence to Sherlock and John. "I really should have insisted she learn to play piano or violin. Mother insisted she dance."
"Mother was right," Sherlock replied. He watched with bemusement as Mycroft crossed the room and took one of Rose's tiny feet and ran a finger lightly over the bottom of it.
Rose jumped so hard she nearly fell off the couch. Looking completely bewildered, she pulled her ear buds out. "Are you quite well Mycroft?"
"Whatever makes you ask?"
"You tickled my foot. You're being weird."
"Am I?"
"It's been a good decade since you did that last."
Mycroft shrugged. "I'm imparting a valuable life lesson Rose- wear socks."
"Socks are boring. And if that's today's lesson, you can go on your way. I hate that smug look by the way. Put it away, will you?"
He didn't and instead sat at the end of the couch, letting her drape her legs across his lap.
"Well…" John began. "I think I'll step out for a bit while you three, uh…"
"While Rose has her spanking, you mean?" Sherlock asked. While his flat mate was no longer shy about giving Rose some discipline when she needed it, he still seemed a bit uncomfortable with the word 'spanking.' Naturally, Sherlock exploited this at every possible opportunity.
"Actually, I'd prefer you didn't John," Mycroft decided. "She may have need of your services at some point this evening."
"I'm going to need medical attention when you lot are through?" Rose yelled. "What the hell are going to do to me?!"
"Don't be ridiculous Rose. Or at least anymore ridiculous than is absolutely necessary," Mycroft chided. "You had surgery one week ago today. I would prefer John be here in case your chest starts bothering you. I'm sure you'd rather not be hauled to hospital unnecessarily."
She immediately looked relieved. "True enough. You scared me for a minute there, My! Very unkind you know. I'm already nervous enough as it is."
"You should be."
"You're a rubbish big brother," she decided. "I think John is really my only ally here." Rose gave the doctor a beseeching look.
"Oh no miss, don't look to me for any outs on this. I am one hundred percent behind your brothers. You were a completely reckless thing and it nearly killed you," John scolded. "We're here because we care about you."
"What the hell is this? Pick on Rose day?!" she exclaimed.
Sherlock chuckled. "Don't be silly. It's always pick on Rose day."
"Ladies do not curse, Rosenwyn. If should have occurred even to you that if you're not too old to be spanked, you're certainly not too old to have your mouth washed out," Mycroft said firmly.
Both of the younger Holmes siblings rolled their eyes in response to that. "I've been telling you for years, Mycroft, that you need to pick your battles. You're boring," Sherlock decided.
"And redundant," Rose added smugly.
"I don't remember asking either of you for your opinions!"
Rose turned a pleading look at Sherlock. "Can it be pick on Mycroft day, please? That would be so much more fun!"
"No. In fact, I think you should go to my room. We'll be in shortly," Sherlock directed. If they kept up the banter any longer it would only make it harder to deal with her in the long run.
"We? As in the both of you?" That, Rose thought, was very unexpected.
"We're both your brothers the last time I checked," Mycroft pointed out.
"Your angry brothers at that," Sherlock added. "Go Rosenwyn."
Rose took a deep breath and quickly assessed Sherlock's mood. Definitely wouldn't be open to any further pleading, wouldn't countenance whining, and was likely to start counting if she didn't move. That was a part she'd much rather skip if she had the choice!
Without a word Rose got up, heading for Sherlock's bedroom, when she felt a hand on her arm. Turning around, she was face to face with John.
Smiling kindly, John reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand, rubbing it lightly with his thumb. "Don't give them a hard time. They love you like mad, you know." Letting go of her cheek, he pulled her into a tight hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"I know they do," Rose whispered. "And I know you do, too."
John chuckled and held her a little tighter. "Yeah, I do," he agreed before stepping back.
Without another word Rose turned and opened the door of Sherlock's room, then disappeared inside.
XYZ
NOTE: I'll be posting a long one-shot fic to "Raising a Wildflower" within the next day or so. Stay tuned!