"The great artisans say the more the teapot is used, the more beautiful it becomes." Deliberately overfilling the pot so that when she picks up the lid and gently presses it down into place, water spills out over the sides of the pot.
"Bet the artisans say you get more fit afterwards." One gangling boy whispered to another.
"I know check out those knockers…dare ya to make her spill her tea on herself " The other egged back.
"Do that and you two will be writing essays on sexual harassment for the next year whilst in detention… Is that clear?" Maria whispered loud enough for the the boys to hear.
"Yes Miss. Palermo!" they said in unison as she walked off once giving an affirming nod to the boys.
"Thank you Soo Lin, the presentation was lovely." Maria said to the woman who was cleaning the artefacts.
with Sherlock
"You took your time." Sherlock said not looking up from his book.
"Yeah, I didn't get the shopping." John said grumpily, little Mia following behind him.
"What? Why not?" looking indignantly over the top of his book.
"Mr. John had fight wit shop machin'." Mia said, climbing on Sherlocks lap. "Wen mummy be home?"
"Soon." He said to the child before looking at John. "you had a row with a machine?"
"Sort of. It sat there and I shouted abuse. Have you got cash?"
Sherlock holds back his amused smile and nods towards the kitchen. "Take my card."
John walks towards the kitchen where Sherlock's wallet is lying on the table, but before he gets there he turns back to his flatmate indignantly. "You could always go yourself, you know. You've been sitting there all morning. You've not even moved since I left."
Sherlock just grunted as John left the flat.
"Hello John, where you off too?" Maria said outside.
"Just to the grocery." He said still grumpy.
"Had a row with the chip-N-pin?"
"How? no don't tell me, I don't want to know." He said walking off as Maria walked into 221b.
Leaning on the door frame she looked at Sherlock. "I don't think I have to warn you to get rid of the sword under the chair do I?" She said cheekily.
"I will eventually…welcome back." Sherlock said getting up to greet her, planting a kiss on her forehead.
"MUMMY!" Mia yelled smashing into her knees. "I miss'd you."
"I missed you too, ankle biter." She said picking up the girl and laying down on the couch motioning Sherlock to do the same, Mia happily lying against her.
"You look worried, should I be concerned?" Sherlock said stroking her hair.
"No." She turned to him. "Just something weird was happening at the museum today."
"What was it?"
"I don't know…it's been annoying me all afternoon, It just felt like someone was watching." She said leaning into his touch.
"Mycroft perhaps, he has a unique way of showing his care for someone."
"No, it's not Mycroft…It wasn't watching me." she said distractedly. "So you going to take Sebastian's case" She said changing the topic.
"How did you know?"
"Must I explain…Everything else was… how would you put it… Dull?" She teased.
"Immensely."
"Daddy got Mr. Johns compooter." Mia mumbled.
"Did he now?" Maria said teasingly. Whilst a mumbled "snitch" escaped from Sherlocks mouth.
a few hours later
"You sure you don't want to accompany us to the bank love?" Sherlock asked, grabbing his coat from the hook.
"I can't, I have a bunch of papers I have to get through before tomorrow and unlike you I can't survive more than 12 hours without sleep." Maria said cheekily as Sherlock looked slightly dejected. "How about you and Mia come to mine for dinner after? I can make another batch of tiramisu"
"Are you trying to bribe me to make me feel better?"
"Depending, is it working?"
"Maybe." He said stealing a kiss. "I shouldn't be any later than 7." He said before exiting the flat, Mia and John in tow.
Maria watched the trio exit the flat and enter a cab before going back to the kitchen to grab her phone.
"Hello." The voice on the other end said.
"Mycroft, It's Maria. I'm going to need a favour."
Thamesmead
"This is absolutely preposterous, conning me to take you to this… cesspool!"
"Calm down Mycroft, I just need to have a little chat with Jeff."
"And might I ask my dear, who exactly is this Jeff." Maria stayed silent as they walked through the corridors of the prison, before stopping at a cell holding a rather old and decrepitve looking man. "The cabbie?" He said calming down. "I warn you now Maria, don't walk down this path." He whispered.
"There's no need to whisper, the glass in front of his cell is soundproof…he cant hear or see us."
"See?"
"He has a brain aneurism…at this point he is almost completely blind." Maria explained.
"This path is dangerous and does not concern you Maria, stop now."
"You said my name." Looking at Mycroft for the first time since they entered the building. "You're afraid."
"An east wind is coming." He explained as Maria sighed.
"Who is Moriarty?"
"I don't know." Mycroft shrugged.
"Jeff said he has the clever ones in his books…This Moriarty guy knows everything about me, about Mia, about Sherlock…Jeff said it was chess, this is all a game…I just have to figure out what the rules are." She said before turning to one of the officers outside the cell. "let me in."
Maria and Jeff
"A visitor? and who will be so kind to visit little ol' me?"
"Just a girl you played chess with."
The old man smirked. "Iv'e played a lot of chess games."
"Yes you have…But this one won." The smirk falling from his face almost instantly. "Who is Moriarty?"
"Now, I can't tell ya that."
"Why not?"
"Cause then I'll be a dead man."
"You are in the late stages of having a brain aneurysm, you have lost your sight, you're short of breath and you're skin has a grey tone meaning you're going to have a stroke soon…you're a dead man walking." Maria explained, eerily calm.
"What difference will it make, knowing who he is?"
"None."
"Then why ask?"
"Because you just told me that he is a puppet master …You don't know who he is."
"You really are a clever one aren't ya." He said as Maria walked out of the cell.
"Did you find your answer Maria." Mycroft asked.
"I found a dead end…Lets go, I promised Sherlock I would make dinner for him and Mia."