Author's Note: Thank you for the stunning feedback last chapter, guys! I knew you'd all love that chapter, what with the dress and Myc's reaction. He was a lot more loved last chapter than the funeral chapter :P. Anyway, this chapter is just a bit of fun for us. I think you'll like it because it's a bit more than what is on the surface. Please, read, review, and of course, 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.

James and Jamie's First Date

Anthea had been in a bad mood all day. When alone at her desk she was allowed to put and wallow all she wanted. At meetings however, and they had multiple meetings that day, she plastered on a fake but very believable version of her small mischievous smile and laughed when expected to do so. With all the people there, Anthea though she was getting away with it very well – except for with Mycroft. Occasionally she'd glance over and catch Mycroft watching her out of the corner of his eyes, lips slightly pulled together as if he were even the tiniest bit concerned about the dark storm cloud that had been looming over Anthea's head all day.

That was actually something funny that Anthea should really note, actually. Ever since the gala where Mycroft had been acting very strange he'd been watching her more than usual – deducting her, noting her moods. It wasn't unnerving nor was it unwelcomed, she was well used to the eagle eyes of a Holmes scanning her and knowing everything about her thoughts and mood. It was just… different and concerned her. Sometimes she felt like asking him if everything was okay but there had been no change in their working relationship or how they interacted so it had nothing to do with her and if he wasn't saying anything than it couldn't be serious.

It was just after lunch time as the town car was taking them from the main office to the Diogenes Dungeon. Anthea was staring lazily out the window, watching the cars and the people on the streets go by. Mycroft looked up from answering text messages to glance over at his assistant. He clicked his tongue, rolled his brilliantly bright eyes and slammed his phone down in his lap. Anthea turned to look back at Mycroft, frowning at his reaction. Mycroft looked out the window, shook his head, and with a sigh, turned back to Anthea.

"Miss James, I know I'm going to regret asking this," Mycroft already sounded like he was regretting it, annoyed with himself even. "But why have you been in a positively sour mood all day?" Anthea looked down to her hands. "Miss Thompson arrived yesterday, did she not? Last time I checked, your friend usually brightens your mood, she does not dampen it."

"I know, sir. I am happy to have her staying over. It's just…" Anthea huffed and looked out her window once again, watching the clouds in the sky. "She and James are going on their first real date tonight." A silence past before Anthea turned back to her boss. He had one brow quirked in what could only be described as a confused frown.

"Now, I know why I'm displeased by the idea of those two courting each other, but why are you suddenly so against it?"

"I'm not against it." Anthea argued. "I'll just have to kill James if it all goes bad. And what do I do if they day for a bit and then break up?" Anthea shrugged largely in an over the top manner. She knew she was ranting but she didn't care. Plus, Mycroft was watching her, listening to her carefully, analysing her the way he did. "Then I'll have to pick sides. Jamie's like my family but James is a great friend and I get to see him all the time. It sucks." Mycroft cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes in thought.

"You do know that there is a very high chance of this ridiculous coupling have a successful evening?" Anthea, still pouting, nodded.

"I know." She all but whispered.

"And yet you're worrying about what you'll do in the very unlikely event that it does not work out?" She nodded again. "My dear, then why did you set them up in the first place?"

"Because they're my friends and I want to see them happy." She answered with complete honesty. And to get James off her back but that didn't matter. Mycroft sighed with exasperation as he turned to face forward in the car.

"I don't understand this." Mycroft breathed. "Walter." He called out to the front.

"Yes, sir?" Walter asked, peering through the rear-view mirror.

"Do you understand this?" Walter chuckled lightly.

"Yes, sir, I do."

"I suppose I'll never understand the emotions that go hand in hand with friendship."

"I'll explain it to you later, kid." Walter still had that light amusement in his voice. Mycroft pulled a face at the familiar nickname. Anthea thought it was cute.

When they arrived at the club the pair went straight down to their offices that Anthea had nicknamed the Dungeon. The dark and very Bond villain like environment set up specifically for Mr. Holmes to work on non-government related work.

"Are you going to work on the Moriarty case now, sir?" Anthea asked in her professional PA voice. Considering what this case meant, she was doing her best to keep emotions out of it right now for Mycroft's sake.

"Yes, my dear." Mycroft hummed.

"Excellent. I'll be at my desk answering the Swedish correspondent." Mycroft nodded, hanging up his coat and umbrella before heading into his office. Anthea sat down at her desk and prepared to type the very long correspondence.

Five minutes into her work Mycroft came to stand in front of her desk, looking slightly perturbed. Anthea, hands frozen hovering over the keyboard, quirked an eyebrow at the tall man.

"I'm going to tell you what is going to happen tonight based on the odds and possible outcomes." He stated bluntly. Anthea slowly nodded a single time. "James and Jamie both demonstrate loyalty as one of their major character traits. This means that if they get along, and they will, they are both the types to be very faithful. They have people in common, namely you and unfortunately me, so the two will be able to share humorous stories and bond over misadventures. Jamie will get flustered because James won't tell her what he does for a living and she'll rant about how you and I won't disclose anything either. James will find her shrieking this adorable and endearing where I'd find it annoying. Jamie will fall for James jovial nature and how serious he is about his career and all of those involved in it. They'll laugh a lot because both James and Jamie think they're funny. Finally, if James knows what's best for his safety, he'll drop Jamie off at your flat and organise a second date before she heads home at the end of the week." Mycroft took a deep breath in and out. Anthea looked him over carefully, dark eyes searching his steel blue gaze. She did feel marginally more relaxed.

"Thank you, sir." Anthea gave her boss a small smile. "But you didn't need to waste your time thinking that through for me, sir." Even though it probably only took him a few seconds.

"Oh I absolutely did have to do it, my dear." Mycroft mumbled. "You may not realise it, but your work is effected by your general mood. I can't have a surly personal assistant doing mediocre work. You're better than that."

Anthea stared up at James with a death glare that could kill as she stood at her front door.

"Good evening Mrs. James." He joked. "I'm here to take your daughter out." James' lopsided grin was met with a sneer but was soon followed up with a small smile. Anthea stepped out of the way of the doorway.

"Just get in here." She huffed. James chuckled and entered the flat. He followed Anthea through the makeshift dining room into the living room half of the space. Jamie was standing awkwardly in Anthea's living room with a stupid nervous smile on her face.

"Hey." James greeted, standing metres away, aware of Anthea watching him carefully and also looking a little nervous himself.

"Hi." Jamie gave a nervous giggle at the end of her word.

"So um… You ready to head out?" James asked as he scratched the back of his head.

"Sure." She shrugged.

"Where are you going?" Anthea asked – her face was a neutral mask that even Mycroft would be proud of.

"Oh, gee, I was thinking a dinner and a movie if that's okay with you, Miss Clarke." James continued the joke using Anthea's real name.

"Yeah mum, be cool." Jamie whined like a teenager. Anthea gave her a mocking smile and the fakest smile. Jamie stuck her tongue out in return. James laughed at them.

"You two are so cute together." He laughed.

"And you two are making me sick." Anthea responded. "Now get out of my flat before I throw up." Jamie came over to give Anthea a hug before she left. "Let me know if he does anything and I'll have Mycroft organise to send him to Cambodia." Jamie giggled and tightened the hug.

"Don't worry so much, Ali. I'll be fine."

The pair of blondes left the flat for their date and Anthea was left in her living room alone.

If you're going to stay up waiting for Miss Thompson to get home like a worried mother you might as well do some of tomorrow's work. I've sent you a report that needs completing. – M.H.

How do you know I'm still awake? You're one to talk. Go to bed, sir. – A.

My dear, I know you. You're sitting on your couch watching a shockingly bad film. – M.H.

He was good.

When Jamie got home she was practically dancing and spinning around as if lost in a dream.

"I take it the date went well?" Anthea was in her old pyjama pants and a Radiohead t-shirt. She had her arms folded across her chest and was watching Jamie twirl with faint amusement.

"Oh, Ali, he's so cute and so funny!" Anthea's mouth pulled into a larger smile.

"I'm familiar with his humour. Was he nice?" Jamie clasped her hands together and held them against her right cheek.

"The perfect gentleman. Says it's because he grew up with sisters and knows how to treat ladies." Jamie grinned. "Is he always so charming?"

"He tries to be." Anthea muttered. Jamie laughed dizzily.

"Thank you so much, Ali. It was one of the best dates I've had in years."

"Anything to see two of my favourite people happy."

Anthea turned up to work the next day to find a white orchid in an equally graceful black pot perched on the left corner of her desk. She slowly walked over and lightly touched the flower. It was absolutely beautiful and so very elegant. Such a beautiful plant, she was afraid to damage it as she examined it. After looking at every single detail of the plant, Anthea placed down her handbag and briefcase under her desk. She walked over and knocked on Mycroft's door – as always, she waited for a response before letting herself in.

To no surprise, Mycroft was already hard at work. He was looking at his computer screen as he hung up a phone call on his mobile.

"Good morning, Miss James." He hummed. Anthea stood just past the doorway.

"Sir?" Silvery eyes flashed up to meet her gaze. She tucked a curl behind her ear. "Why is there an orchid on my desk?" Mycroft fought to keep a frown off his features but Anthea could see it threatening by the draw of his mouth and the faint tilt of his eyebrows.

"It was my understanding that you were upset about the possible outcomes of the date and that finding a gift on your desk might help elevate your mood and put you in a better disposition today." Mycroft's hands fell away from the computer onto his desk as his eyes widened. "Why? Is that not an appropriate gift in this situation?" He almost sounded venerable – almost. It tugged at Anthea's heartstrings. Holmes boys had no idea how to deal with people's emotions.

"No, no, it's fine, sir, and its lovely. I think is beautiful." She took a step further into the office. "I was just wondering why or how I got it." Mycroft visibly relaxed.

"Oh." He hummed with a slight tilt of his head. He looked Anthea up and down once before turning back to work on his computer. "I'm pleased you like it. That should mean a better mood from you today and therefore a high level of work." Anthea cocked her head as she watched her boss, smiling warmly.

"I loved it."

"Good." A pause. "My coffee, Miss James?"

"Right away, sir." Anthea turned and left the office with a smile still plastered on her face.

When James arrived for his meeting with Mycroft he was not alone. The agent entered the wooden office holding the hand of Anthea's blonde best friend – both of them were smiling like maniacs. It was strange for Anthea to see her two worlds combining like this but it was nice to see them both smiling.

"Ooh, look at scary, mysterious, PA, Ali!" Jamie sung as the door was closing behind the blondes. Anthea held a finger to her mouth and shushed her friend.

"Careful, Jamie, its Anthea here. Don't go around saying that name." The other girl looked sheepish.

"Oops." She whispered, wincing. "Sorry, 'Thea." Anthea rolled her eyes.

"It's not your fault. Tall, blonde, and stupid should have told you." James held his free hand to his heart, faking shock and heartache at Anthea's jab.

"Yeah, sorry, Jay." James squeezed the girl's hand once her recovered from his heartache. "No real name here unless the doors are firmly shut and you're one hundred percent sure no one else is in here." But Jamie wasn't listening, she was too busy looking at the orchid on Anthea's desk.

"Ooh!" The girl sung. She pulled her hand free from James and practically skipped over to the desk so she could get a better look. "So pretty…" Her hazel eyes fell onto Anthea with a cheeky grin. "Who loves you?" For what felt like the one thousandth time that day, Anthea rolled her eyes.

"No one loves me but you, Jamie." She sighed. "It was a gift from Mycroft." Jamie's smirk changed as she smiled to herself. Anthea didn't like that smile.

Mycroft emerged from his inner sanctum, a file open in his hands. He froze as he scanned the room – noting all the extra people. His eyes landed on Jamie for a good five seconds before he spoke.

"How did it find my office?" He mumbled, standing perfectly still the way someone might in front of a predator out of fear of it attacking. Jamie pulled a face.

"Nice to see you too, Einstein." The humour in Jamie's voice was evidence. She was used to the elder Holmes by now.

"We just went for breakfast and a walk." James explained. "I thought that since we're having a meeting, sir, the girls could go out for lunch. Probably gossip about me for a bit." Mycroft, face neutral, looked between the two girls before he gave a small shrug, closing the file in his hands.

"That sounds reasonable." He hummed. James' face suddenly pulled into an expression a naught school boy would be an expert at.

"So Holmes, I see you gave A an orchid." Mycroft 'mmm'ed in response. His face looked bored as he handed Anthea the file.

"And James, despite Anthea's three date warning and Miss Thompson's best effort to cover it up with makeup, I see that you gave Jamie a hickey on her neck." James' face dropped and went as white as a sheet as Anthea's dark eyes narrowed dangerously on him.

"Aw, 'Thea, you warned him? How sweet of you!" Jamie awed.

"I'm going to kill you." Anthea sneered to James.

"Don't worry, Miss James," Mycroft assured his assistant. "You girls go enjoy your lunch. I'll kill him for you." That so very dangerous smile landed on Mycroft's face. James turned to Jamie, dread and fear in his eyes.

"Don't leave me." He pleaded. Anthea laughed slightly maniacally.

Author's Note: So, what do we think? Did we enjoy it? What do you think of James and Jamie? What do you think of Myc? I can't wait to hear from you guys! Time to thank the guest reviewers. Thanks to: Anon, Corrine, Britta, Wink, Guest, pauline, Wheezzy8, and Enomisje. Every single reviewer means the world to me, particularly when I'm in so much pain with my arm right now. Thank you so much!