Author's Note: Hi guys! I'm very happy last chapter went down well! This next chapter is a cute one and the next one should be too but that will be up to you guys. I'm trying to give us some good stuff before episode 3 really begins. 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 They Went Away

She found him alone in the kitchen again. It was such a common sight to find Mycroft in the middle of the night staring into a cup of tea that it didn't faze her anymore. Of course she worried, she always worried about what kept him up at night, but it didn't keep her up in return. She was so used to seeing him standing in the kitchen, hair messy, dressing gown on, hoping the tea would give him whatever answers he couldn't answer. Silently Anthea walked passed him in the kitchen. She got out a glass and filled it with water. Taking her glass around the counter, she placed it in front of one of the chairs and sat down at the bench. As he looked up at her with tired and dark eyes she smiled comfortingly.

"Hi." She spoke softly. Mycroft's lips pulled into a tiny smile. He looked back into the tea, hands on either side of the china. Anthea took a sip of water. They sat quietly. "Anything in particular keeping you up?" She asked. He sighed into his cup. Anthea wondered if he'd tell her this time or tell her it was the same-old not that she knew what the same-old was. She didn't need to know, she just had to be around if he wanted to talk.

"You know when claim they knew something was coming without any prior warning?" Anthea nodded.

"And you say they're being ridiculous." Anthea chuckled quietly. Again Mycroft tried to smile at her but he just looked worried and tired.

"Well," He stopped and took a long breath. He pushed his brown hair back and took a quick look at Anthea before returning to his tea. "It feels like a lot of issues are coming to a head." His eyes narrowed. Anthea raised her eyebrows. Smirking.

"It feels?" She questioned his choice of words playfully, hoping to raise his spirits a little. Mycroft smirked. Finally he ended up looking at Anthea for an extended period of time rather than that probably cold tea.

"I feel it in my bones." He used his sarcastic playful tone, teasing himself, but he looked serious. There was no sparkle in those eyes. Anthea let out a single laugh then tucked a curl behind her ear. If he was serious then maybe she should be serious.

"Let's not get too negative." She placed her hands together on the countertop. "Maybe this is just a reaction to what happened with James," she shook her head "add that to Magnussen's threat and you're probably just feeling things you don't usually let slip through." Mycroft pursed his lips and shrugged.

"Perhaps." He didn't believe her, not for one second. She could tell that from his body language alone.

"I mean, it doesn't matter if you're right anyway. We've got an unstoppable team. Nothing can break us."

"I admire you optimism, my love." And that was it. That was all Anthea could do to try and help him. She had done a little bit at the very least, and it might be enough to help him sleep tonight, she had to be happy with that. So she reached over and cupped one of his hands with her own hand.

"I'll see you later, okay?"

"Sleep well."

She found him in almost the exact same position in the morning. Swap the cup of tea for coffee and the pyjamas for fresh clothes and it would be the same image. His eyes were brighter so he must have slept a little, and he seemed less haunted but he was always alright by the morning. Anthea greeted him warmly as she too sat in the exact place she'd been only hours before. There was a coffee waiting for her.

"My dear," Mycroft sounded quite bright. "How do you feel about not going to work today?" Anthea leaned back and pulled an amused but confused face.

"You want to skip out on work?" She almost laughed. Anthea eyed Mycroft up and down. "Cutie, are you feeling alright?" He scowled at the nickname and then waved off her question with a flick of the wrist.

"Fine, fine." He dismissed her. "You said you wished to go away with me. I can't give you a holiday abroad but we can take a long weekend in the country side." His expression gentled with his tone. "Have another of your picnics, catch up on some reading, and drink some good wine..." Anthea bit on her fingernail as he listed activities. It did sound quite amazing. Sometimes there was nothing like sitting in the sun somewhere reading. She used to love doing that with her mother growing up. She crinkled her nose up and lifted her shoulders in a shy shrug.

"I don't know." She whined. "It sounds great but can you afford the time away?" Mycroft laughed, rolling his eyes.

"A few days to myself won't destroy the country." He muttered. Well, it could but in most likeliness it wouldn't. So Anthea rubbed her neck and nodded.

"Okay! Let's do it."

"Good." Mycroft's tone sounded genuinely delighted. It was heart-warming to hear. "Go pack. I'll make reservations. We'll leave in an hour."

"Yes sir."

Mycroft's made up plan was exactly what they did. Mycroft rented a little cottage not too far from Anthea's home town. They took one his cars and drove there swapping between listening to her music, his music, and the blissful silence that begins once you get far enough out of the city and even the suburbs.

They spent all of Saturday on a blanket under a tree with a book on each of their laps. Anthea had brought a collection of classics for them both and once they finished they'd picked up one that person hadn't read yet that trip. It was blissful and fantastic for the soul to read books with sunlight lighting the pages. They drank tea during the day, white wine in the afternoon, and red wine with dinner and beyond. Not even their beloved scotch was permitted – that was associated with work and this was a relaxing time.

That night they didn't cook. They had cheese, pate and dip for dinner. It made Anthea feel like a teenager who didn't know how to cook left at home with her boyfriend. Instead of cooking they just ate anything that didn't need to be prepared, except with Mycroft there was always a level of sophistication that goes along with it. Mycroft even laughed at it while they were eating – a genuine from the soul laugh. It was so surprising that Anthea began laughing.

She'd forgotten what this felt like. To be free and in love. To be happy and not have to worry about anything but you and the one you loved.

They say change is as good as a holiday. Anthea disagreed. She hated change – change was terrifying. A holiday, well that was something wonderful for people like Anthea James and Mycroft Holmes.

Maybe this is what Ali and Myc might have been like in another life.

"It's too cold to read outside today." Anthea called out to Mycroft as she looked out the window of the cottage. The day looked dim and cold outside and yet it still didn't look gloomy – not to her. Not when Sunday was just another day of the two of them before they went home on Monday.

"Is it?" Mycroft called out in return. She heard the soft padding of shoeless feet as the approached her. She felt his body heat next to her as he leaned over to look out. He hummed in her ear. "I suspected as much but it's still quite a shame." And he stepped away from the window.

"Yeah." Anthea breathed. "So what do you want to do instead?" She turned around from the window and immediately closed her eyes groaning. How dare he? He knew what that did to her.

"What?" Mycroft asked. Anthea brought her closed fist up to her mouth.

"You haven't shaved yet." She opened her eyes to glare at him. "You're trying to tease me?" He smirked in return. Loving power struggles he sauntered back to her.

"This?" He gestured lazily to his face. "I had indeed forgotten. Why would I be teasing you when I'm probably good for a couple of years?" If he hadn't stopped just out of her reach with that smug look on his pretty face Anthea would have pushed him.

"Because you're cruel."

"Ah, you've got me there." His eyes sparkled. Anthea crinkled her nose. She played with a curl around her finger.

"If you're good for that long then really, my job is done, sir. Should I move on?"

"Don't you dare." Mycroft growled closing the gap between them. Now she could smell him and his cologne. As fun as this was, between the smell and the stubble Mycroft was going to drive her insane.

"Seriously, Myc. If you don't want me to jump you please go finish getting ready." The evil glimmer in his eyes never disappeared as he back up from her two steps.

"I'm about to go with you on a walk, that was to make my next few hours tolerable." Anthea perked up.

"A walk?"

"You wanted to look at that old church we saw on the way, no?"

"Okay, we're even."

Their eyes met one last time before he disappeared into the bathroom. For a moment Anthea might have seen happiness in his face.

It was the middle of the afternoon by the time they were walking back from the town to their cottage. Anthea had even managed to convince Mycroft to hold her hand for a bit of the travel home. Eventually he took it back and shoved it into the pocket of his coat but the fact that he even let her was enough. So instead they walked shoulder to shoulder in comfortable silence. So far the day had been lovely.

Mycroft cleared his throat and looked at the ground just before him.

"When we get back to work I'll be updating my will." He spoke in that oh-so professional tone. Anthea was surprised by the sudden discussion. She licked her lips and pouted.

"Oh." Was the first thing and only thing she said for about two minutes. She suspected this had to do with whatever had him decide to go away in the first place. She also suspected that this might have something to do with James, if they weren't already connected. She was trying to decide which one of her he wanted to talk to right now – Alice or Anthea. She didn't even know. So Anthea winced inwardly and chose somewhere in-between her two sides. "Any reason why?"

"Considering our relationship; it's shockingly out of date." He answered nonchalantly. Anthea pushed all of her hair out of her face.

"You don't need to give me anything." She laughed breathlessly.

"I'm not. Nothing new, anyway." He kicked aside a loose rock with the tip of his umbrella. "Naturally Sherlock is inherited the majority of the finances, but I've already told you that the house is yours as well as mine."

"Oh." Anthea stopped walking. The house? She took hold of Mycroft's arm to stop him too. He casually turned around and looked at her like this wasn't anything special. "Myc." She waited for him to be paying full attention. "The house…" She gritted her teeth and shook her head. "Are you sure? I have a flat-" Mycroft scoffed, cutting her off.

"Who else do I have to give it to? I'm not letting Sherlock destroy it and my parents, bless them, will hopefully no longer be with us by then and would have no use for it regardless, and if you think I'm leaving to one of my cousins then I think you need a psychiatric examination." Anthea didn't know what to say. It made sense, yes, but it certainly felt like something a girlfriend shouldn't inherit. That was Mycroft, though. If you got him to commit to something he really committed. Not thinking of something appropriate to say, Anthea said the first thing to come to her.

"Do you want my flat in exchange?"

"Oh God no." Mycroft rolled his eyes and began walking again. Anthea chuckled to herself before she skipped to catch up to the genius.

"I don't have anything else to leave you, though." She smirked at him. "Unless you want my car." He scowled again.

"Do me a favour and don't leave that to anyone. Give James instructions to have it destroyed." Anthea laughed out loud and took hold of Mycroft's hand once more.

Author's Note: What did you think? Was it alright for you guys? Please let me know. *Ahem*… NOW! I want to give you guys a chance to choose the next chapter. What is something happy, positive, or cute you guys want to see in a chapter? I'm giving you guys the chance to choose another happy event before our episode 3 depression. Tell me in your review. Thanks to our guest reviewers; LittleSchoolgirl, B, and Eva's Dreaming. One of our lowest guest reviewers count. It really intrigues me which chapters draws which of you to review. Anyway, I love you all. Let me know what you thought of this chapter and what you want next chapter!