Author's Note: Thank you for all for the wonderful feedback regarding last chapter. Introducing Sherlock was a big deal, and though he won't be around a lot, it's great to know you enjoy the banter between the brothers! You guys continue to humble me and inspire me. I really hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the others. Read, review, and most of all, enjoy!

Disclaimer: Clearly I don't own Sherlock. The show is the baby of Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, while Sherlock Holmes itself is the creation of Arthur Conan Doyle.

Her Birthday

Anthea hated birthdays. Well, that's not entirely true. She wasn't opposed to celebrating other peoples birthdays, she loved getting Jamie a gift and got a secret kind of pleasure the first time she saw Mycroft wearing those silver cufflinks, but she hated her own birthday. Ever since her parents died, despite the efforts of those around her, she hated her birthday. She supposed most people who were orphaned at some point in their lives felt the same way. Now, living in London, away from anyone she grew up with, birthdays were nothing but boring and lonely. Anthea usually just had a few drinks and watched bad movie versions of book adaptations alone in her flat. If Jamie were visiting they'd generally do the same thing but have a much better time. Also, when she wasn't visiting, a phone call from Jamie to see if she had received the present that had been sent, but that was it. Luckily this year there would be no time to wallow in loneliness.

Anthea zipped her suitcase up with a sigh. After a busy day of tying up loose ends she and Mr. Holmes would be flying to Paris for a few days of work and then going to Arlington and the FBI base before heading home. That reminded Anthea of something she needed to pack. Anthea quickly headed to her bookcase and found her French to English dictionary from her high school classes and threw it into her handbag. Her French was rusty. She'd informed Mr. Holmes quite recently, when requiring about languages, that her French had at one point been almost fluent and she would have no need to study it. She didn't get a compliment, of course, instead he informed her that since she had a romantic language to rely on, she should pick up a Germanic one or an Asian one. As if it were that easy. Still, she did find herself looking at the "For Dummy's" books later that week for the different languages. She'd walked out of the bookstore without choosing one.

One final thing to do before she headed to work. Anthea opened the small jewellery box with the fake pearl stud earrings Jamie had sent her for her birthday to put on. Once Anthea had them placed in her lobes she took a photo and sent it to Jamie.

Wearing your earrings to work today like you wanted. They'll be going with me to Paris – A.

The reply was almost instant.

Yay! They look so good on you Miss Professional Lady. Happy Birthday Ali, call me – Jamie xx.

Thanks, I will later when I get the chance – A.

A faint trace of a smile crossed Anthea's lips as she locked her blackberry, also placing in her handbag as the handbag was slipped onto her arm. She grabbed the small suitcase and headed out the door.

Anthea placed her suitcase next to Mycroft's next to the door of the office. They looked straight out of a matching pair, those two black, nondescript and relatively small suitcases. She placed her handbag and briefcase down at her desk and noticed two envelopes on top of her keyboard. Mycroft must have received them on his way in and placed them on her desk. That meant they were from people around work. As long as they weren't from the secretaries trying to suck up to her, that would be fine. With a hefty sigh she picked one up and slid her finger through the seal of the envelope. A generic birthday card with a picture of a cartoon smiling bee on the front with a dotted line indicating its flight pattern. Anthea pursed her lips and flipped it open.

A or whoever you are today,

"Happy Birthday Honey"

Have a great day!

James

Anthea rolled her eyes again but placed the card on her desk. That agent, really. He had a way to make people smile, which is why Anthea often considered challenging his career choice. She picked up the other envelope opening it in the same fashion. This one had an image of cubicles and said on the front "Happy Birthday to someone who always brings a smile to everyone at the office". She flicked it open.

"Heck, you're right up there with donuts and payday."

Miss James,

I think coffee and tea is up there too but since you usually deliver it I guess you're higher. Have a lovely day.

Walter.

Anthea almost laughed at that card as she genuinely felt her mood lighten slightly as she placed Walter's card next to James'. She tilted her head as she observed the cards for a moment. Funny how the job really felt like it was just her and Mycroft all the time in some type of seclusions and yet here were two birthday cards that demonstrated she saw other people enough for them to want to give her a card. Sighing once more she went into the kitchenette to make Mr. Holmes a cup of tea. She brought it into his private office and as per usual placed it on the clean corner of his desk without so much of a glance up from his file. This was common place now, it did not mean he didn't know she was there.

"Good morning, Anthea." He hummed.

"Good morning, sir." She replied flatly, keeping herself from sighing again.

"I trust that you're prepared for this evening?" he asked with his own sigh, referring to the plane flight to Paris. Anthea let out a single laugh that almost came across as a scoff.

"I might even be over prepared, sir." A controlled smile was placed on his lips as he looked up to hand Anthea a sliver USB drive.

"No such thing, my dear." He hummed. She gave him her own controlled smile and took the USB and left the office to do her own work at her desk before she takes this particular USB to its destination. No instructions were needed, she knew where these USB drives went to.

Anthea returned from dropping the USB off to see Mycroft placing a manilla folder on her desk. He glanced at her and she gave him a small controlled smile as she nodded once. She took of her coat and placed it on top of her suitcase, tucking a loose lock of curled brown hair behind her ear. Turning back to her desk she saw Mycroft staring at her with a slightly cocked head. Anthea raised an eyebrow at him, walking over to her desk, past him, and sitting down.

"Those are rather cheap earrings by your standards." He stated in that matter of fact tone of his. Anthea could have been offended, but this was Mycroft. Anthea briefly glanced back up to Mr. Holmes before returning her attention to her computer, plugging in her password, and shrugging.

"They're a birthday gift from Jamie." She shook her head and looked up at Mycroft. "I promised her I'd wear them." He pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows. She could practically feel him holding back from rolling his eyes. She wondered how many sarcastic comments were going through his head at the moment and was slightly intrigued to see how he would eventually answer.

"I understand that familial bonds require unnecessary sacrifices and compromises, but to go so far as to compromise your appearance?" He sighed, walking back to his desk. "You're a good friend, my dear." Anthea rolled her eyes and turned back to her computer. Condescension then, fairly obvious when it came to something to do with sentimentality.

"I know it wasn't a compliment but I'm taking it as one." She raised her voice and called after him. As she opened her emails she heard the click of his door.

Anthea had just shut off her desktop computer and was in the process of turning it off from the power point when Mycroft emerged from his office, pulling on his shirt sleeves to neaten up his black pinstriped suit. Anthea flashed him a smile as she picked up her briefcase and placed the pile of files on her desk within it. She looked over at the two birthday cards, considering putting them either in the bin or locked away in the desk draw, she quickly dismissed both idea with a light shake of her head, deciding to leave them in their place on her desk.

"All set?" Mycroft asked. His steel eyes were as bright now at 9pm as they had been at 7.30 am.

"Ready when you are, sir." Her automatic response came. She quickly checked her handbag for her personal items and once pleased Anthea zipped up her bag and smiled.

When they reached the blackened town car Walter was standing next to the opened boot with his hands folded in front of him.

"Good evening, sir." His gentle voice came with a large nod of his head.

"Good evening, Walter." Mycroft responded politely. Walter took his suitcase off him and lifted into the car. He then turned to Anthea, green eyes twinkling.

"And happy birthday, Miss James." He beamed. Feeling slightly embarrassed Anthea felt herself shrink and gave Walter a small smile.

"Thanks, Walter. Thanks for the card." He chuckled as he hoisted Anthea's suitcase into the boot.

"Did you think it was funny?" He asked, his voice full of joy as he slammed down the boot. Mycroft got out his phone and started typing as he made his way to the passenger door. Anthea nodded at Walter.

"I almost laughed out loud." She spoke as the soft click of the passenger door was heard. With a grin, Walter patted Anthea gently on the shoulder. It might has well been a hug. Hugs don't exist in this world, and none of these people were huggers anyway. Anthea was pleased about that, she hated all those fake birthday hugs that were forced upon her at her old job.

"I'm glad you liked it." His words were warm as he walked over to the opposite door Mr. Holmes had entered and opened it for Anthea. She slid into her usual seat and Walter closed the door with a soft click. Anthea buckled her seatbelt and glanced over at Mycroft, who was still on his phone. She too got out her blackberry and began looking over the itinerary and making sure the plane was waiting for them.

"Have you been brushing up on your French, my dear?" Mycroft spoke over his phone. Neither made eye contact with each other and yet Anthea found herself nodding anyway.

"Yes, sir." She answered automatically. She allowed her lips to pull upwards into something resembling a smile. Bringing her handbag onto her lap, Anthea unzipped it, and held the dictionary out by one corner. She dangled it in the air. "I've even brought an old text book, just in case." He quirked an eyebrow and glanced from the book to Anthea from just above his phone screen.

"Good."

It was just the two of them on that private jet. The two of them, the great Mycroft Holmes and his mysterious PA, sat across from each other, both reading files they had packed. Occasionally they passed them to each other and discussed certain elements or swapped files, but other than that they sat in silence and worked as if they were indeed in their office, separated by that wooden wall. Halfway through the relatively short flight Mycroft closed his folder, crossed his legs, and looked at the time on his watch. Anthea eyed him carefully over her file, waiting for a question or a request.

"The day is almost over." He spoke quietly and one might mistake him for speaking to himself as he eyed his watch, but Anthe knew him better than to speak unless necessary. Anthea flipped a page in her file. He leant over to his briefcase and pulled out a very small parcel, wrapped in dark blue paper. "I suppose I should give you this before it's past the point." He leaned over and held it out in one hand for Anthea to take. She eyed it very carefully for a moment before giving Mycroft a quick look. She closed her file and took to parcel.

"You know when I said you owed me a present in return that I was joking, sir? I didn't actually expect anything." She tilted her head slightly and half smiled. Mycroft clicked his tongue, his mouth pulling into his own small smile.

"Oh, I know," He hummed. "But you placed me in an awkward position in which a gift must be reciprocated." Anthea chuckled lightly as she flipped the gift over in her hands, trying to deduce something the way he might but failing. "Don't worry about monetary value, my dear, it's merely a trinket that has been gathering dust in my house for many years now and would more likely be appreciated in your care." Anthea's smile grew thinner as she pursed her lips, apprehensively sliding her finger under the tape holding the paper together. Opening the paper revealed a small white and blue book with gold-leaf paper and a red ribbon bookmark. She flipped it over to see the front cover. The cover depicted a woman sitting in a theatre box, holding up opera glasses.

Le Fantome De L'opera – Gaston Leroux

"The Phantom of the Opera?" She inhaled as her hand stroked the front cover gently. "I didn't even know it was a book." Anthea was just enthralled with the cover. She heard a soft chuckle coming from her boss.

"Yes, well it is, and while it may not be to my tastes it is vastly superior to that ghastly musical." Anthea looked up as she laughed, her eyes twinkling, her smile broad. Her chocolate gaze fell back down to the novel as she carefully opened the book, relishing in the smell of the old novel. She read the first sentence on the page.

"It's in French!" She exclaimed, looking back up to the amused blue eyes of her boss. Mycroft raised an eyebrow and smiled just a slither broader.

"What a perfect way to test your French skills." Anthea laughed again. She closed the book, laying her hand gently on the cover of her latest asset.

"Sir, this is amazing." She breathed. Mycroft shifted in his seat, uncrossing his legs to recross them with the left on top rather than the right.

"I was clearly correct in deducing that it would be appreciated in your possession." Anthea heard Mycroft speak but didn't truly comprehend it as she flicked the book to the first page prepared to read. She was at a loss of what to say.

"Just, thank you, sir."

"It was nothing, dear, really." Not truly listening to Mycroft, Anthea hummed in amusement, and translated a sentence in the book into English, stuttering and pausing here and there to concentrate on particularly hard words.

"…at first sight, might be looked upon as superhuman; and more than once I was within an ace of abandoning a task in which I was exhausting myself in the hopeless pursuit of a vain image. At last, I received the proof that my presentiments had not deceived me; and I was rewarded for all my efforts on the day when I acquired the certainty that the Opera ghost was more than a mere shade." She hummed again and looked up at Mycroft with sparkling eyes. "Oh I like that." She beamed and Mycroft merely tilted his head in amusement. "I think I'll bookmark that." She moved the red ribbon bookmark and gently placed it in the margin between the second and third page of the book.

Author's Note: I didn't go searching for random quotes, I've owned that book (in English) since I was about 15. Unlike Mycroft, I do love the musical. But that's beside the point. What do you think? I love your feedback guys, keep it coming! Thanks for reading.

Second Disclaimer: Phantom of the Opera - 1911, Gaston Leroux. It's a very unique read. Don't go into it expecting the musical, if you know further lore, you'll love it.