"I believe the date went well then?" Mycroft said watching Sherlock get Mia ready for the day.
"I much preferred it when you used CCTV to keep track of me Mycroft, at least then I could annoy you without actually having to see your face." He said, attempting to put Mia's hair in the braids that Maria had done during her last visit.
"I am concerned about you."
"Yes. Iv'e been hearing about your concern. Did you know that Mrs. Fatama from our old school teaches at Maria's current school." Giving Mycroft a smirk. "Is it true that you tried to pay one of the girls to have a good time with you?"
"It was a long time ago and is none of your concern." Mycroft spoke, having the dignity to blush at Sherlocks comment.
"As it seems brother mine you are immensely interested in my love life so I only find it fair that I at least pretend to be interested in yours." Giving him a fake smile and tying the young girls hair, it looked dreadful.
"You don know how to do Daddy." Mia stated, tugging at the knot of braids. Sherlock grabbed a comb and attempted to de-knot the girls hair once more.
"Always do aggressive. Does it never occur to you that you and I belong on the same side."
"Oddly enough, no." Sherlock said simply
"We have more in common than you like to believe. This petty feud between us- it's simply childish. People will suffer and you know how it always upset Mummy." Mycroft said, swinging around his umbrella in a bored manner.
"I upset her? Me? last time I checked I gave her a grandchild to spoil."
"Yes, with a drug addict who couldn't tell up from down, I recall quite clearly." Mycroft remarked, winning the argument. "So tell me brother mine, why the interest in this Maria Palermo?"
"Besides her being able to annoy you almost as well as I can?" Sherlock remarked.
"You have never taken interest in a woman before."
"I couldn't find a woman I was interested in. Maria intrigues me and I greatly enjoy her company, is that a good enough answer for you." Sherlock said giving up on the girls hair and just putting in a ponytails, whilst she contently played with some dolls. Once finished he left Mia's room and went into the sitting room, sitting on his chair, Mycroft following.
"Sherlock we both know how you attract danger." Mycroft warned.
"Then tell me brother, you are the government what did you find about her."
"Nothing out of the ordinary, except her high school records- seems to be a bit of rebel - mostly having a smart mouth and getting herself and her friends out of compulsory school events. Herself and her friends never got a detention or demerit on their records though." earning a confused look from Sherlock. "The high school had a system where one had to get 3 demerits in order to get a detention, teachers suspected that she managed to get herself and her friends two diaries so whenever they did the count, they would come up clean, quite clever actually…not nearly as horrid as your antics at school…" Mycroft said mournfully.
"So other than her being a clever teenager, everything checks out."
"As it seems." Mycroft said.
"Then what is the problem?" Sherlock said getting up to make some tea.
"Well to be honest my visit was not to find out about your date the other night, that was just curiosity."
"Stop playing games Mycroft, why are you here? Your obsession with my life lately is becoming quite dull."
"Oh but you do love our games Sherlock." To which Sherlock glared at him. "Im here to ensure that you do not frighten off your new flatmate, he is coming today to see the flat is he not?"
"I told you he is moving in two weeks."
"Yes because of his lease, I understand. But since there has been nothing signed he can still back out and knowing how you and your behaviour can drive anybody insane, he might just do that."
"He won't." Sherlock quickly said. pouring his tea in a cup and checking on Mia. "Is Mia there?" He shouted from the girls room.
Meanwhile with Mia
"What are you doing here ankle-biter?" Maria said picking up the small girl after hearing a knock on her door.
"Daddy an Uncle My talk an I got bored." She said playing with Maria's hair, it was in a dutch braid today to keep out of her face whilst she finished unpacking and cleaning. "Petty." She said innocently looking up into Maria's eyes.
"Does your Daddy or Uncle My know you are down here?" She asked and Mia shook her head.
I cant just go up there, I'm still in my Pjs. "Ok, Im going to change first and then I will bring you back up ok?" She said walking back into the flat and into her room. Depositing the young girl on the bed Maria continued to go through her wardrobe, picking out a white long sleeved floral dress that went up to her mid thigh and brown gladiator sandals. Going into the bathroom she quickly swiped on some mascara, making sure to keep an eye on Mia.
"Ok ankle-biter all done."
"Up!" the young girl demanded. Maria preceded to pick her up and exit the flat making sure to lock the door.
Meanwhile with Mycroft and Sherlock
"How do you manage to lose a toddler?" Sherlock shouted.
"Me, Its your daughter! you're supposed to be looking after her!" Mycroft remarks. Both Holmes brothers turning the flat upside down trying to find the child. "She has to be here somewhere."
From behind the Door Maria could hear there conversation quite clearly, giving the young girl a look to which she giggled and hid her face in Maria's neck. Maria thinking they have endured enough preceded to open the flat.
"knock, knock. Special delivery!" To which Mia laughed. Looking up from under the couch Sherlock turned to Maria holding Mia in her arms whilst Mycroft was in the kitchen in the cupboards. "She got bored with you and your brothers conversation and knocked at my door." She said turning to Sherlock who had since gotten up.
"Thank you." he said giving Maria a kiss on her cheek and taking Mia.
"You are in so much trouble young lady." Sherlock told her in a pretend scary voice to which both girls giggled at.
"Can Ria come to Park today?" She asked.
Sherlock faced Maria, seeing she wasn't wearing her sky-high heels for the first time since he met her and the short dress that gave him an appreciated view of her legs. Grabbing hold of the woman's hand and bringing it to his lips. "Would you like to accompany Mia and I to the park later on."
"I would love to." She said. Stretching up on tops of her feet to give the little girl a kiss on her cheek because of Sherlocks height.
"Can you do hair." Mia said reaching for Maria again. "Daddy no do it right."
"Of course I can!" She said while Sherlock put her down and Mia dragged the woman off to her bedroom once again.
Sherlock walked past the kitchen to see Mycroft, head still jammed under the kitchen sink.
"I told you you were putting on weight, now you cant even get out of the cupboard." Sherlock said whilst Mycroft scowled.
With Maria and Mia
"I wan like you." Mia mumbled, lightly touching Maria's thick braid.
"You me to do your hair the same as mine?" Mia nodded. "Ok ankle-biter lets get some hair ties ready yeah." Picking the young girl up Maria walked up to a set of small draws, picking out some red hair ties and clips to match her red overall dress.
Sitting back on the floor in front of the mirror she took out Mia's hair from her ponytails and started brush through the raven locks.
"I wan your hair!" Mia exclaimed. "It Petty."
"I wish I had your hair ankle-biter." running her hands through the raven locks, massaging her head a bit.
"No! dat make sleepy." Maria giggled as Mia gently took her hands away from her head while yawning.
"Im sorry, ill do your braid now that better?" Mia nodded, rubbing her eyes as Maria began to weave the locks in place, putting a clip whenever there was a flyaway or stray piece of hair. "There we go, all done, do you want to show Daddy?" Maria was barely able to finish before the child ran through the corridor.
with Sherlock
After Sherlocks comment Mycroft stormed off saying there was business to attend to at the office and he will be in touch soon as he saw himself out. Sherlock had busied himself on putting the tea away and going to find Mia and Maria before he heard a knock on the door.
"Hello." Sherlock said as he answered the door.
"Mr. Holmes!" Greeted John.
"Sherlock, please."
"Prime spot. Got to be expensive."
"Mrs. Hudson, the landlady. She's giving me a special deal. Owes me a favour- few years ago, her husband got himself sentenced to death in Florida. I was able to help out." Earning a skeptical look from John.
"You stopped her husband from being executed?"
"Oh, no. I ensured it. Anyways come in and have a look around." As John enters the room he saw that it was fairly large and pleasant. However, it was a horrid mess, stacks of newspapers, several computers, files, shelves, books and a skull on the mantlepiece .
"Well! This could be very nice. Very nice indeed." John stated.
"Yes, I think so . My thoughts exactly."
"Soon as we get this all this rubbish cleaned out- So I went ahead and moved in." They said at the same time.
"So, this is all-" He said turning to Sherlock.
"Obviously I can straighten things up a bit."
"That's a skull." John said pointing.
"Friend of mine. Well I say friend…" Sherlock said as Mrs. Hudson came bustling in.
"What do you think, Dr. Watson, theres another bedroom upstairs if you'll be needing two bedrooms." Giving him a knowing look.
Just then Mia ran through the sitting him colliding with Sherlocks legs "Daddy wook." she said pointing to her hair.
"Very pretty." He replied picking her up. Looking in the corridor he saw Maria holding in giggles at Mrs. Hudson's comment, giving her a small glare he motioned her over wrapping an arm around her waist, in order for Mrs. Hudson to understand that he and John were defiantly not partners.
"Well of course we'll be needing two." John stated, slightly affronted.
"Oh Maria what are you doing here and with Sherlock as well. Is she the one you want on a date with last night young man." Turning back to John knowing look still in place. "And don't you worry, all sorts round here. Mrs. Turner next door's got married ones." Looking around at the kitchen. "Oh Sherlock the mess you've made." She said as she busied herself in the kitchen.
"When we go park?" Mia whispered in Sherlocks ear.
"Soon." He replied. Giving the girl to Maria when she reached for her. Maria then walked over to Sherlocks chair sitting down and putting the girl in her lap, asking Mia about what she wanted to do today.
"Hello, Im John Watson, we meet at the hospital the other day." He said blush lightly covering his cheeks.
"Maria Palermo, Its nice to meet you." At which Sherlock had bent down to ruffle Mias hair and delicately kiss Maria's cheek, a slight warning for John to back off on his advances. Maria just giggled at the strange behaviour, not entirely use to this much attention.
"Oh." John spluttered "Are you two together and this is your daughter? Do you live here as well?"
"Oh no, I just live downstairs in 221C and this little ankle-biter." she said while tickling the girl. "Is Sherlocks little girl." Maria explained with a smile.
"Yes, we just recently got into a relationship." He said to John. While Maria blushed, focusing her attention on the little girl again.
Changing the conversation John had asked for a small tour of the flat, to get aquatinted with everything before moving in.
"Looked you up on the internet last night." John stated as Sherlock navigated around the corridor pointing at cupboards and Mia's bedroom.
"Anything interesting?"
"Found your website, The Science of Deduction."
"What did you think?" he said whilst looking at John.
"you said you could identify a software designer by his tie, and an airline pilot by his left thumb.
"Yes. And I can read your military career in your face and leg, and the drinking habits of your brother in your mobile phone…Well that concludes the tour, if you don't mind I have to go. Promised Maria and Mia we would go to the park." He said leading the man to the door.
"Of course, I will see you when I move in." John said as he walked out the door, Sherlock closing it behind him.
"Can we go now!" Mia exclaimed.
"Yes, go and get your shoes." Said Sherlock as Mia scurried away.
"Relationship Aye" came Maria's voice.
"We are two consenting adults who are seeing each other romantically… I think that is what they call a relationship." He said as leaned forward on the chair Maria was sitting on stealing a quick kiss.