Author's Note: Hey guys! Great news! I've been given the clear over my arm! Apparently it'll still take a year to get completely better, and I have to do all the exercises and scar management for all of this year, but they're extremely happy with what they call the immediate improvement and by the looks of the scar and my strength they're happy that I'll be perfectly fine. Yay. With that said, thanks for your wonderful feedback last chapter. As far as this chapter goes… I wanted to reward the nice people on Tumblr so I let them suggest what they wanted to see happen in the fic. This is actually a combination of three of those ideas. I hope you enjoy it. Please read, review, and 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.

The First Time She Was Barred From Work

There is no scale that could quite possibly record the level of confusion and underlying panic that ran through Anthea's mind as she pulled open the door to the Diogenes Dungeon and found Carol and Mycroft's head of security standing in front of her desk. A deep frown set in her brow, Anthea slowly closed the door behind her, standing just past the entrance and leaning her weight on the single crutch she currently used. Carol, her good friend Carol, always looked professional while on duty and to say she looked every bit the agent now would be an understatement. The head of security looked the same as always in his black suit that could look nice with the help of a tailor, and buzz cut haircut. Carol was Anthea's friend, and Andrew was someone she smiled to or said hi to almost every single day. To see them standing there, looking official, without James no less, was very worrying you.

"Hello…" Anthea hummed, licking her lips cautiously. "Has something happened?" They didn't even move, not even to look at each other.

"As you know, Miss… James, there has been a security leak within Mr. Holmes' network." Andrew spoke in his gruff voice. Anthea sniffed sarcastically as she looked over to Carol.

"I know that," Anthea stated harshly. "I found it last week, remember?" It hadn't been anything big, not yet at least. Anthea had simply noticed that some of the files in the Dungeon seemed to be out of place since she'd last been at work. She'd asked James if he'd touched it and the man had laughed saying he'd never go near her filing system ever. So she told Mycroft that someone with access had gone through the files. She'd pulled up a chair to rest her leg and gone through every file to make sure nothing was missing. It had taken a whole day. As of now, Anthea kept her eyes on Carol's stern face, wanting the agent to give her some kind of expression. It was Andrew who continued to speak.

"Due to this, we are investigating Mr. Holmes' staff very carefully. If you would please follow us, we'd like to ask you some questions. Anthea turned to look at Andrew, staring at him like he was joking. She scoffed and even gave him ten seconds to take that statement back.

"Me?" She laughed, pointing to her chest with the hand that wasn't holding her crutch. "I'm his personal assistant and a close family friend."

"And most recently his girlfriend, too. We know, Miss James." Andrew who let her into Mycroft's house when the man was sick was speaking to her like a person he'd never met before. "That is exactly why you have to questioned, you know more than anyone." Anthea felt herself grinding her teeth. She looked at Carol again, just to make sure she wasn't crazy. The tall woman nodded once. The spark of anger that flickered through Anthea was strong, as she looked to the side of the room and shook her head.

"Andrew," Anthea laughed. "I just took a bullet for the man."

"We still need to ask you some q-"

"This is ridiculous." Anthea scoffed as she began walking forward towards Mycroft's door in a bit of a huff. "I'll talk to Mycroft and we'll get this sorted out."

"Holmes isn't here, A." It was Carol's calm voice that made Anthea stop and turn back to face them. What did she mean he wasn't here? She cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Andrew and I have made the decision to bar all staff from him until the investigation is over." What? No. The others maybe, but not Anthea. Anthea searched Carol's face for any sign that she might be lying, but the agent just looked as honest as she always did.

"Well, let me call him." She began meekly, opening her purse.

"He won't answer." Carol, hands folded together in front of her, took a step towards her younger friend. "That was James' reaction. He's not going to answer." Anthea's hand froze in her bag and she swallowed a breath as she and Carol looked at each other.

James as well. One of the higher ups of the agency had been barred from contacting Mycroft. The thing was, Anthea could forgive them for asking James questions, and maybe asking her questions, but barring them from Mycroft? James had been around long before Anthea, and how dare they even think that Anthea could do something to jeopardise any Holmes, much less Mycroft. How could Mycroft let this happen? Anthea looked up to the roof and shook her head.

"This is stupid, Carol." She spoke barely over a whisper. The agent wanted to reach out and stroke Anthea's hair the way she might if not on work, Anthea could tell by the way she clenched her hands tighter, but the agent cracked a tiny smile and nodded.

"It really is, but it's necessary." She whispered back. "Now come with us. We'll get you off your feet and resting that leg, and we'll ask you some questions." Anthea rolled her eyes but she agreed to it.

A whole week. That's how long, at least, Anthea was going to be barred from returning to work. While the initial stages of the investigation were being held those who were being suspected and questioned were asked politely not to return to work for Mr. Holmes. For Anthea who had only recently come off of leave from her injury this was the worst possible timing. What was she supposed to do? She had already been going stir crazy.

"Enjoy yourself." Carol had tried to offer kindly as she walked Anthea out of the building. "Pick up some new books, see your friends. Didn't you tell me you wanted to have lunch with Miss Morstan? Come over for dinner in the middle of the week. I'll make something homey."

Yeah, she would see Molly, and Mary, and she always saw Jamie, but she could have made time to do that and work. Anthea didn't have a very large list of friends, nor did she want one really. It didn't matter how much time this gave her to do theoretic activities either, she was more concerned about the fact that she was even on the list of subjects. She should be assisting them, not being sent away to mope in her flat.

Anthea had tried calling Mycroft that night to find out something about this, anything. She just wanted it cleared up a little and maybe have her nerves calmed a little. He didn't pick up.

"Yeah, I know all about it." Jamie pouted and shrugged as she leaned against the wall of the elevator in Anthea's flat building. They'd just been to the final dress fitting for Jamie's wedding dress and the bridesmaid dresses and since Anthea didn't have a job to go to for at least a week, Jamie was coming up to spend the rest of the afternoon at Anthea's. "James is so upset about it, he won't even talk to Carol right now."

Anthea could imagine that. To James, it had always been an honour to be the agent handpicked by Mycroft Holmes. To have your partner picked to investigate you must be a like a slap in the face to him. Much like having the trust between you and one of the closest people to you brought into question. James and Anthea were both supposed to be above this. Had their loyalties not been proven?

"James and I should be the ones running the investigation." Anthea huffed. "Not part of the questioning." The elevator opened. Still in a carer mode, Jamie stood by Anthea with her hand hovering around her best friend's back as they exited the elevator and slowly walked down the hall towards Anthea's door.

"Oh, believe, I know." Jamie sighed empathetically. "But it's not a personal attack. Carol doesn't work for Einstein, and the security guy is a private employee. You and James are business people, you know?" Anthea peered over her shoulder to frown at the blonde. Jamie scoffed in mild offence. "I know things!" She exclaimed. "And Carol's husband called me." Anthea sniffed and rolled her eyes.

"That's better." She mumbled. That had been far too insightful to be Jamie's words. The girl was run far more on instinct and emotions to think it through that way. As they reached the door Jamie stuck her tongue out playfully. She then took hold of Anthea's crutch as the brunette pulled out her keys and carefully opened her door.

They both automatically dumped their handbags on the dining table – as it habit of residents of that flat. Jamie ushered Anthea to sit down, so the PA – without her crutch – hobbled over to the couch and sat down comfortably with her leg up. Jamie went into the kitchen to fetch two bottles of water before joining her childhood best friend on the couch.

"The longer I'm forced to be on break, the more hurt I am by this." Anthea explained to Jamie, taking a bottle of water from the blonde. Jamie nodded intently as she listened, mouth in a firm straight line. "I shouldn't be on list for investigation. I basically run that place." She paused as she huffed and ran her hand through her natural curls. "All the years of work I put in, and you think I'd try to take some files? That I collated?" The firm line of Jamie's mouth twitched into something of a sympathetic smile. "Don't even get me started on what it means Mycroft thinks of me. Almost every issue we have comes down to the fact that he can't trust a single person." Anthea shook her head, lost in thought momentarily. Jamie silently looked down at her water bottle, pealing the label back with her manicured thumb.

"Ali, I get it." She looked up with sad hazel eyes. "You know if it were me I'd be completely furious. There would be smashed plates and everything." Anthea couldn't help but let a laugh escape. "But Ali," She used the name to implore again as she scooted forward on the couch. "It's protocol. You have to investigate everyone just to have enough evidence, you know?" Anthea felt the hairs on the back of her neck go up. She turned to look at Jamie suspiciously.

"That didn't sound like you either…" The brunette hummed. Jamie bit her lip and looked down to her half removed label once more.

"I… might have called Mycroft."

"You called Mycroft?" Anthea sat up straight, almost spitting out the words in disbelief. She turned to look off at nothing in particular and shook her head. "So he won't answer my phone call or emails but you he'll talk to?"

"Hey!" Jamie raised her hands defensively. "It's not my fault, alright. It's my fiancé and my best friend's boss. I kind of wanted to see what was up, 'kay? James was freaking out because he had idea what was going on, and like, I don't want the guy to be in danger or something." She crinkled up her face as if admitting that hurt her. It took a moment of silence for Anthea to simmer down and back off.

"Yeah, right… sorry." She sighed.

"And let's face it, if he could talk to either one of you directly, he'd have never answered my call."

Well that was true…

On Saturday Carol had called Anthea saying that she wanted to talk to her. They'd agreed to meet at James' office so Carol could kill two "difficult" birds with one stone. It was a good thing she hadn't expected to see them in a very happy mood, because they certainly weren't. James had dragged one of the chairs in his office over to his side of the desk so Anthea could sit next to him. James was clearly hurt by this, but at least he still had work. Anthea had turned up in a hooded jumper and jeans.

James had his feet on the desk, leaning back in his chair, arms folded across his chest. This was the first time Anthea had seen him look like he fitted into that office. Annoyed expression, power booming, he was every bit a highly regarded agent and not the guy who through chocolate wrappers at her at the cinemas for fun. Anthea sat as politely as she normally would, but with the face she'd give someone questioning her power. Carol, for the most part was being very patient as she discussed her findings.

"So who was it?" Anthea asked through her sour expression.

"A security member who liaisons with the Diogenes Club." The agent answered. Anthea's face turned into a bitter smile.

"I knew it." She nodded. "Explains how they got in." She wanted to say something about being able to tell Carol that if she'd been allowed to help instead of sit at home, but why cause more tension? It wasn't Carol's fault – and it probably had more to do with the head of security. James' face shifted into an annoyed confusion. He took his feet of the desk and sat up properly in his chair.

"Hang on, the Diogenes Club?" He asked, leaning forward. "This happened at the club?" Anthea and Carol both nodded. "Carol, I can count on my hand how many times I've been to the office there. I need directions to get there. I should have been last on the investigation list, not in the top five."

"Calm down, James. No one thought it was you." Carol sighed. She got that look of exhaustion that crossed her face whenever she'd seen enough of James in any given week. "I wanted to start from most access to that office, but the head of Holmes' security suggested we start with those who have the most influence." Yeah, Carol wanted to look from the club, and Mycroft probably knew it came from the club. The man was probably just too lazy to find the proof on his own so he handballed it off. Following protocol of course, and choosing someone 'objective', but still just being lazy. If Anthea had been allowed to assist she could have had in solved in no time. Laziness or a lack of trust, both were very annoying and stupid reasons to be cut out of the loop.

James looked at Carol like her head was exploding. He turned his head to the side, lifted a finger and opened his mouth, closed his mouth, leaned back in his chair, looked to the wall, looked back, and leaned forward again.

"The woman who told me in a meeting with all our men to 'shove it' listened to a security guard? Have you been switched with an alien?"

"Shut up, James." Carol didn't even raise her voice. "Just because you weren't picked to play doesn't mean you're not Daddy's favourite anymore." She gave James the coldest stare Anthea had ever seen. The woman then cleared her throat and turned to Anthea. "You can return to work on Monday."

"Yeah, thanks Carol." James spoke before Anthea had a chance. "Now, I have work to do so if you could leave my office, thanks." She rolled her eyes but listened to her superior officer. It wasn't often that James got honestly out of sorts about something, and usually he'd listen to anything his partner had to say. It was probably best to listen to him for now, his grudges lasted a few days max. As the door closed behind the tall woman, Anthea turned in her seat to face James.

"Hey, if you're busy." She pointed to the door with her thumb. "I should go."

"Nah, not really. I'm pretty much finished for the week." James waved her off. "Hey, want to get something to eat?"

By the time Anthea got to work on Monday she hadn't spoken to Mycroft in a whole week. Her mild frustration and hurt by his lack of confidence, communication, or down right laziness had time to fester and bubble. Really, what luck did they have personally when this is what happens professionally when she'd never done anything but prove herself to him? He was a Holmes and he was weird, Anthea more than anyone got that, but he should know better.

Anthea tossed her handbag onto her desk as she walked past it to go to the kitchen. She made herself a coffee first, took a warming sip of it and placed it on her desk, then made Mycroft a cup of tea like she would have every morning last week had she been allowed to come to work. Walking without the crutch meant moving slowly, but Anthea was trying to increase her mobility, and it allowed her to have a free hand as she carried the cup. As per usual, she knocked on Mycroft's door, waited three seconds, and entered.

"Good morning, my dear." Mycroft hummed, looking up from his work with a small smile as Anthea slowly walked over to the desk. She quirked an eyebrow at his tone and expression. "It's positively lovely to see you walking well." She scoffed, she couldn't help herself. The melodic tone was too much for her.

"You would have seen it last week had I been allowed to come to work, sir." She muttered as she placed the teacup down in the usual position.

"Ah yes." Mycroft sighed as he turned the cup so the handle was facing him. "Sorry about all that. You'll still be paid for last week, of course."

"I should hope so, I didn't do anything." Anthea widened her eyes as she turned to leave.

"Yes, well, we both knew that, of course." Huh. That made Anthea stop in place and glare at the door in front of her. She tilted her head slightly to the side.

"Did we?" She asked, turning to face Mycroft again. Mycroft, pen back in hand, was looking at her with his brows knotted. "Because I was held in a room and asked a lot of questions." She laughed despite herself at the end of that sentence. It just seemed absurd. Mycroft pursed his lips and half shrugged.

"Protocol. You understand." That neutral work tone. At times like that Anthea hated that tone.

"Um, no, I don't understand." She tucked a curl behind her ear. "Jamie did, because you answered her phone calls. Me? No clue." Mycroft looked her over, doing the classic Holmes deduction, before he sighed and placed his pen down, folding his hands together on the wooden desk.

"Anthea, it was my private files and that could be dangerous. You know the protocols that are in place." He sounded like he was dealing with his brother and already fed up with it.

"Yeah but I've been your assistant for years." Anthea pointed to her chest, stepping closer to Mycroft. "I'm your friend, your girlfriend, Mycroft."

"Exactly." He raised his eyebrows. Taken slightly aback, Anthea turned her head to regard Mycroft. She searched his steel blue eyes.

"Exactly?" She questions. She felt a deep pang in her chest. "Do you think I would become your girlfriend so you'd let your guard down and I could get information?" The hurt at the thought of it was clear in her voice. At least Mycroft had the decency to look somewhat sympathetic instead of wearing a mask entirely made out of stone.

"The percentage is small," He began. That alone was enough to make Anthea scoff and look to the wall as she shook her head. "About two percent. Even two percent is enough to investigate. I let the investigators do their job."

"I can't believe you." Anthea explained, rubbing her forehead. Her chest felt like it might explode any second.

"Two percent, Anthea." Mycroft chided her. "Stop acting like I'm accusing you of something."

"But you are." Anthea looked back up. She took another step forward. "Two percent is a lot. It's a lot when I just took a bullet for you and I've been nothing but a friend to you." Mycroft quirked his eyebrows and held his hands open.

"There exist such things as a long con…" He muttered. Anthea laughed again and began walking towards the door. "Oh, come off it, Alice. I'm not accusing you of that, I'm simply saying it exists." Anthea whipped back around.

"Not for me, it doesn't." Her voice was high, but she dare not raise it any louder lest anyone hear it. "I can't believe you still don't trust me." Mycroft sat up in his chair, frown furrowing deeper. "After all we've been through due to your trust issues and you still can't just trust me?"

"Excuse me?" Mycroft scoffed. Anthea couldn't believe he had the nerve to look offended right now.

"Not everyone is out to screw you over, Mycroft. I think I've proved that."

"You think this is a trust issue?" Mycroft sneered, silver eyes fierce. Anthea waved her arms in a shrug.

"It's either that or you're just way too lazy to even tell your investigators that it couldn't have possibly been me. Or James! Poor James." Mycroft scowled, leaning back in his chair and looking to the side of the room.

"James?" He laughed. "I don't care about James-"

"Of course you don't-"

"What I do care about are these baseless accusations you are flinging at me." They stopped cutting each other off long enough for a moment of silence to pass.

"Baseless?" Anthea placed her hands on her hips. "Shall I call your brother to give his usual list of reasons why you're lazy?" She pointed back through the door to her desk. "Or maybe you'd like to toss an NDA my way saying that I'm not allowed to tell him about this." Mycroft didn't answer right away. The man looked off to the side of his room and began tapping his nails on the desk. He took three deep breaths before he turned back to Anthea.

"Alice, you are one sentence away from taking this too far." He spoke through gritted teeth. Anthea smiled bitterly.

"That's fine, sir." She nodded. "I have a whole week's worth of work to catch up on anyway. I better get back to it." She left the inner sanctum before allowing Mycroft another chance to speak.

It was two hours later that Mycroft emerged from his office. Or rather opened his door and stood in the doorway. Anthea didn't look over her shoulder to greet him, she knew he'd most likely be glaring and exuding Mycroft brand annoyance. So instead she waited for him to address her, which came in the form of him clearing his throat. She turned around faking a smile. Sure enough he was leaning against the doorway with his arms folded, looking down his nose at her.

"Anthea, can I have a moment with you in my office?" He asked firmly before turning on his heels and heading back in. Anthea shook her head and took a moment to steel herself. She got up and followed him in, closing the door behind her. Mycroft hadn't sat back down, now he was leaning on his desk, looking down at the floor like it had just insulted him. Anthea came to stand in line with the chairs on this side of the desk. She folded her hands together, standing feet together.

"Can I help you, sir?" She asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. Steel eyes looked up from the carpet to bore into her skull. He stood there, face stony, lips pursed, eyes digging into her silently for a good two minutes before he clicked his tongue and looked back down.

"Words cannot express how disappointed I am with you." He hummed. Anthea's lip twitched as she gawked at Mycroft.

"You're disappointed in me?" She asked. Mycroft looked back up with that fake smile of his, the one that oozed contempt like no other.

"Very disappointed." He whispered. Anthea scoffed. "How you could possibly throw accusations like that at me without any basis-"

"There was basis-"

"When I was doing my job. Alice, do not cut me off right now." He stopped to just look at her for a moment. "I let you come in here and say what you wanted, it's time for you to return the curtesy." Anthea looked across to the bookshelf, folding her hands across her chest.

"Fine. Continue." She muttered, looking back at Mycroft. The man unfolded his hands and placed them on either side of himself on the table.

"I do what is necessary in my career. I know what I'm doing and I don't need anyone to question the decisions I make because I always get results. I understand that you're offended because you were shut out for a week, but Alice, that is work. No feelings go into that. I don't care if you, or James throw tantrums over it, I'd never make a choice that wasn't worth it." Anthea felt a little bit like a student being told off by their favourite teacher. "What disappoints me the most, however, is that you turn around and turn this into an issue of trust." He scoffed, stepping forward, folding his arms across his chest once more. "Of course I know you didn't bloody do it, but I have set up procedures for a reason. I trusted you and James with my brother's life, but I'm not going to show preferential treatment during what could become an internal crisis." A pause. Anthea shifted her weight onto her good leg. "For God's sake, sit down." Mycroft rolled his steel eyes.

"No."

"You're in pain, don't be stubborn."

"No. I'm fine, thanks." She said a little too fiercely, earning herself another eye roll. "You were saying?"

"How dare you question that I trust you even for one second." He stepped closer, talking dangerously low. "You see how I live my life, you see the choices I make daily. You know why they call me the Ice Man. It's not just a frivolous nickname. Do you think I'd allow myself to feel anything for someone that I didn't trust with my life?" The words were full of quite anger, but it was the meaning behind them that made Anthea's face fall and cause her to really listen to Mycroft now. "Part of me wants to fire you and just get rid of you every time you turn up to my house with your hair wet and no make-up on. Sometimes when you hold my hand there's a little voice in my head that says I'm being suffocated. I'm sure you can imagine my panic when you fell asleep on me. That is what emotions do to me, Alice. I've trained myself my entire life that they're bad and only the weak feel them, I want to get as far away from them as possible, but I don't because it's you." As Mycroft paused the temperature in the room seemed to increase tenfold and Anthea felt the need to swallow her breath. "Because you are the only person I can stand to be around that isn't related to me, and all I wanted was a competent assistant who doesn't scare easily, and what I got was someone who actually deserved my trust and respect. I don't run away from all this relationship nonsense because it's you, and if anyone is ever going to get me through this it's you. If I can trust you enough to feel things for you, the idea that you'd-"

Mycroft didn't get to finish his sentence. By then Anthea had already leapt forward, placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled him into a deep kiss. His hands found her waist as he deepened this kiss, her right hand moving to the back of his neck. It could have kept going, but Anthea stopped it, pulling away. It was work, for one, and she didn't want to risk messing up his hair, but also it was Mycroft and after last time she knew to be careful with him and not rush.

"I'm sorry, Myc." Anthea gave him a quick hug. She then straightened her clothes and looked up to him with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry I thought you didn't trust me." Mycroft blinked, looking down to the floor, and cleared his throat.

"It's, uh, quite alright, my dear." He mumbled.

"Though, next time we need to have a work black out and you ignore my personal calls I can't guarantee your safety." She crinkled her nose as she joked… half joked. Mycroft, still frowning at the floor, cracked a half smile. Anthea's brow creased. "You okay?" She asked, trying to make eye contact."

"Perfectly fine." He looked back up. "It's simply…" He frowned again. "Well, you seem to be getting rather fond of that… particular display off affection?"

"The kissing?" Anthea gestured between the two of them. Mycroft nodded. "Is that a problem?"

"No! No." Mycroft scratched at his left eyebrow with his ring finger. "I'm just… bringing attention to it."

"Because if it's still too much for you…"

"I told you, Alice. I trust you." Steel locked to her dark orbs. Anthea's face softened as she gained a very gently smile. The girl gave a single nod.

"Good."

Author's Note: So what did you think? This came from people wanting a fight, people wanting to see Anthea get in some form of underserved trouble at work, and people wanting Myc to screw up. It was actually quite fun to write, and my longest chapter in a little while. Time to thank the guest reviewers. Thanks to; Guests x2, Corrine, Wink, Louise Pond, and ovejalucifer. Thanks so much to everyone, of course. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

The Next Myc POV: We're coming awfully close to the 2000 review mark, which is insane! But you know what that means. It's time I start taking suggestions for the next Mycroft POV chapter. Let me know!