Author's Note: WARNING: If you have not watched "The Lying Detective" then some of this chapter will make little sense to you. Wow. Thank you so much for your feedback last chapter :). I am so happy that everyone seemed to like my portrayal of "Emily"! As you can see I cracked and decided to post this on the usual 5 days instead of waiting. Also its a few hours early. Lauren's coming over tonight and were getting up at 6am to watch the new episode as it airs around the world so I won't have any time to post this at the usual 10/11pm point. I really like this chapter, too. I think my writing has improved lately. 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 James and Jamie Fought

Hi Anthea, it's Emily!

Emily? How did you get my number? – A.

From Jamie. How have you been?

Good. Busy. You? – A.

Bored. Trying to meet new people.

Can't help you. I don't know many people. Unless you want to meet a very nice, cute lawyer. – A.

Nah… What are you up to?

I'm at home. – A.

With the bf?

Yeah. – A.

The one Jamie only refers to as Einstein? Is he really all that?

He lives up to the hype, yeah. – A.

What are you two up to?

Reading. What are you doing? How's work? – A.

Work is good, I'm not doing anything. What are you guys reading?

The Cherry Orchard. – A.

Chekhov? Together? Are you reading it out loud?

No. I'm reading it in English. He's reading it in Russian. You've got to be doing something. T.V.? – A.

Love, friendship and respect do not unite people as much as a common hatred for something.

What? – A.

It's a Chekhov quote! My brother said it once when I was little. It stuck in my head.

Ah. – A.

Does your boyfriend know that one?

Probably. – A.

You should ask him.

Hey, I'm going to bed. Bye. – A.

Goodnight. I'll see you next time you pick up Jamie.

Cool. – A.

It was one of those nights for both of them apparently. Mycroft being Mycroft had something on his mind, or on his subconscious, that was keeping him from sleeping any longer than thirty minutes at a time. Eventually he'd blamed his inability to sleep on keeping Anthea awake and decided to take himself downstairs. He wasn't the one keeping Anthea awake, however. Her own mind wouldn't shut off. She kept thinking about those text messages from earlier in the evening. They were harmless normal texts that anyone would send but Anthea couldn't help but reading into them and seeing something disconcerting there. It was probably just because Emily in general rubbed Anthea the wrong way. There was something about the woman.

Anthea hadn't spoken to her again but she had seen her. She'd smiled and waved from outside Jamie's salon or from the front desk while she waited for the blonde. Every time Anthea took the chance to have a quite look at Emily. She always looked bored or distant, like this wasn't at all interesting to her. She seemed to find conversations with clients or other staff members dull and she never looked quite as well dressed as the other employees. She didn't fit in there and Anthea couldn't understand why she was training to be a makeup artist if she didn't belong there or clearly want to be there. That wasn't enough to be so suspicious of her, Anthea herself had taken many jobs she didn't enjoy just to earn money or use her degree. So Anthea had purposely kept a bit of a distance from Emily until Jamie went and handed out her number.

Enough of this. Enough of trying to sleep and absolutely enough of being paranoid about a random woman, Anthea was getting nowhere thanks to both of these things. She decided to get out of bed and do something else. A book seemed like a good idea – it would waste time and hopefully keep Anthea's mind busy. She stretched out her back until it cracked and then got out of bed. She made her way to Mycroft's study where all her books now intermingled with his in his walls of books that looked like a personal library. From the bottom of the closed door Anthea could see that the light was one which meant that this is where Mycroft decided to hide out. She knocked on the door with a light tap of her knuckles and pushed it open. As Anthea entered the room she just caught sight of Mycroft muttering a hasty goodbye into his phone and hanging it up. Anthea quirked an eyebrow as she slowly shut the door behind her, keeping her eyes on Mycroft as he smiled at her and placed the phone on the desk.

"Checking up on me?" He asked, fake cheer in his tone. Anthea licked her lips.

"No…" She hummed. "I can't sleep either." Mycroft's looked her up and down and mimed an 'ah'. The fact that he hadn't read that off her immediately meant that he was either extremely tired and therefore wasn't paying attention, or was so distracted by deflecting her from the phone call that he hadn't tried to deduce her.

"After a book then, I'd imagine." Mycroft nodded over to the books like giving her permission to carry on. Anthea nodded.

"Who was that?" She pointed at his phone lazily. "At this time?" Mycroft looked at his phone as if he didn't even know it was there.

"Nothing." He pouted and shook his head, dismissing the brunette woman's questions. "Australian dignitary."

"It wasn't in the schedule." Anthea kept her tone light and free of accusation less she alert Mycroft. Not that she was suspicious that he was doing something against her. The great thing about dealing with an asexual is there's a decent amount of loyalty and a lack of interest elsewhere, and with a Holmes you can double the loyalty. Not to mention the trust between them. What Anthea worried about was if Mycroft was up to something. What secret he could possibly still have or be creating. The man was always shrouded in secrets but Anthea was supposed to be his shadow and know his every move. Especially if it had to do with work.

"They called me." Mycroft answered nonchalantly, even paired with a casual shrug.

"Oh." Anthea played it lightly as well. "Then I should make a note of what they wanted for the records." The small lift of the nose was enough to let Anthea know that Mycroft knew exactly what she was doing. That was fine. They could both keep this up without turning it harsh or accusatory. At least this way no one got emotionally hurt.

"Not necessary." Mycroft leaned back in his chair and folded his hands together. "It was dealt with immediately and it was remarkably trivial." Anthea pouted her lips and nodded like she believed him.

"Still," She cocked her head to the side. "As your assistant I should probably know what it was."

A tick.

Mycroft inhaled sharply.

"The prime minister was worrying about the constant changing of leadership that has been occurring there over recent years. They were asking if there were a way to secure their job. I told them no." He'd done it. He'd pulled a lie out of nowhere that Anthea couldn't refute. The tone in his voice, the monotone he used at work ending with the smugness and pride in his power and influence as if he got some joy out of saying no. It was too perfect and he knew it. Anthea couldn't argue with that.

"That is…" Anthea clenched and unclenched her jaw. "Very reasonable."

"I know." Mycroft hummed. He sat back up in his chair. "So Alice, my love, do not worry." He smiled at her before nodding over to the books once more. "Since we're both awake you might as well read your book in here." Anthea hummed and walked over to the bookshelf to parous the options. "Not interested in continuing The Cherry Orchard?" Mycroft asked. Anthea swallowed her breath as she pulled Wuthering Heights off the shelves, choosing her first copy with the scratched cover and the pages slipping out.

"I think I've had my fill of Chekhov and his gun right now."

Anthea was over James and Jamie's house the following morning. She and Jamie were going to go shopping and they took the opportunity to talk between the three of them. James and Anthea sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee each while Jamie had a glass of water and carrot sticks that she was dipping into Nutella spread. It was apparently her breakfast of choice right now.

Over the couple of weeks the little blonde had gone from might be pregnant or might have had a large lunch to definitely having a bump under her clothes. While she still wore nice, form fitted clothes at work, Jamie's current favourite clothing was baggy jumpers and James' workout sweaters. She got tired quickly, which meant she was quieter than usual, and she always had something to snack on nearby. Right now, as Jamie ate her chocolate spread covered carrots Anthea told her and James about the phone call from the previous night and how she and Mycroft did a familiar dance of questioning and avoiding without saying that's what they were doing.

"If it was personal he should have told me," Anthea shrugged. "I'm his girlfriend and he swears this is it and that we're going to be as open with each other as possible." Jamie listened seriously, her eyes on Anthea, nodding. James was ripping the label off the Nutella. "And if it's work I already know he tells me everything so why not this? Why make up something?" Jamie hummed to herself and nodded slowly. She bit her cheek as she leaned over towards James and dipped another carrot stick. In her silence she was trying to analyse the whole thing. James, having successfully removed the label, was now turning it into a square. He was going to attempt some sort of origami.

"Come on, A." James said as he folded the square in half. "You know that when he can't sleep he sometimes uses that time to call Sherrinford." Jamie froze and Anthea frowned. The two turned to look at each other. Jamie gave Anthea a quizzical look and Anthea shook her head. They both turned back to James.

"I'm sorry, what?" Anthea cocked her head to the side. James' folded the label again.

"You know." He sung. The agent looked up with a smile but as soon as he saw Anthea's face the smile dropped from his gentle face. His hands froze mid fold. "You don't know?" Fear flickered in his brown eyes. Anthea and Jamie exchanged another look.

"Who's Sherrinford?" Jamie asked, it was kind of directed at both of them.

"Or what is Sherrinford?" Anthea had her interrogation tone on. Flat and forceful. James' lip lifted and he shook his head. He used his thumb to crease a line into the label.

"Nothing. It's nothing." He dismissed as forcefully as Anthea was speaking.

"James?" Anthea lowered her head to try and catch his eyes.

"Nothing." The agent abandoned the label and folded his arms tight across his chest. "It's work stuff, that's all." Jamie's hazel eyes flickered between her husband and her best friend.

"If it's work," Jamie spoke softly and slowly. "Then why can't you tell Ali?" James shrugged.

"It's too complicated for you to understand, Jamie." James tried to dismiss her. Jamie dropped the carrot and sat up in her chair.

"Too complicated?" Jamie sounded hurt. Anthea licked her bottom lip as she glanced at Jamie. She wanted to either make her feel better or stick up for her but there were more pressing matters.

"James, it's not that complicated. I'm Mycroft's second. He probably just forgot to tell me." She said.

"Plus it's her partner." Jamie added. "She deserves to know if it's a who or a what." James shook his head again.

"It's nothing. Okay? You just don't have to worry about anything, alright A?" He tried to smile again. "It's nothing that hurts you or him, or any of us in anyway. It's a really, really old work thing that came before you or me and it outranks you." Anthea's expression turned cold.

"James." She spoke slowly. "I outrank you." The agent shrug and smiled.

"Actually, A, in the government you outrank me. In MI6 and defence I outrank you." The two held each other's gaze and for the first time ever there was a chill between them.

"James." Jamie was watching her husband carefully. "You knew about this before you got promoted, didn't you?" James shrugged.

"So?" He asked.

"Who told you about it?" He shrugged again. Jamie turned to look at Anthea. "That means Mycroft told him."

"Look, Jay." James used his right hand to roughly rub through his naturally blonde hair, creating a spikey mess in his frustration. "No offence, but you're just a makeup artist. You don't really get to sit here and play this game. You're lucky no one has tried to take you out for what you already know. You don't need this, too." Any neutral expression Jamie had been holding onto slipped away slowly until it become a look of deep hurt.

"James." She whispered. Anthea placed a hand on Jamie's hand. It was her way of supporting her without changing the subject.

"James, I have all of Mycroft's access levels. Why should you get this knowledge and I don't?" James held his hands out in a surrender action.

"Not my problem, 'Thea." He still sounded harsh for James the puppy. "Not my job to worry what your people choose to tell you."

"James." Anthea cocked her head to the side and tried to give James a kind look. "Come on, it's me."

"And that's why I told you not to worry, A. All you're legally allowed to know is it's all good. I don't deal with you government types and your internal affairs."

"So," Jamie interrupted the conversation having found some of her spark. "Mr. Secret agent man is sitting here pretending he's better than the rest of us? Says his wife should probably have a price on her head?" James rolled his eyes and looked back down to the label.

"Again, no offence Jay," He muttered quietly. "But being best friends with Mycroft Holmes' assistant gets you no rights to this. Being best friends with his girlfriend gets you even less rights and puts you on some extra blacklists." Jamie gasped quietly to herself.

"Oh, okay!" She laughed. "Well then, secret agent man, you're just a sperm donor and gives you no rights to know what happens at my next appointment. Being Mycroft Holmes' boyfriend gives you even less rights and puts you on the blacklist to coming to the appointment where I get to find out the sex of my baby." Brown looked up again and met hazel.

"Fine." He blurted out. "I'll have my boyfriend find out for me anyway."

"You do that."

"I will." Anthea buried her face into her hands. This had taken a turn she really didn't expect. She and Mycroft had handled it without so much as a harsh word. Jamie and James who were exuberant, happy, loving people broke into an argument. Jamie shook her head and took a sharp breath in. She began angrily screwing the lid back onto the Nutella.

"I am so sick of all these lies." She blinked her eyes to keep tears away. "You have secrets, and you have secrets," She looked at James and Anthea individual, "And now you have secrets from each other." She slammed down the Nutella. "If this Sherrinford thing or this did you miss me Moriarty thing turn out to be big, and I mean huge, I will never talk to either of you again. I'll move back home and never leave my house." As Jamie finished Anthea slid her hands down from her face to cover her neck. She gave Jamie a caring and empathetic look. James sat in his chair staring at the floor angrily. Thatch was nowhere to be seen. The little dog probably fled the room as soon as tension rose.

James stood up, his chair screeching against the floor. He stomped towards the exit.

"Where are you going? Going to one of your secret work bunkers that I'm too stupid to understand?" Jamie asked.

"Yeah, I am." James turned around once he reached the door and nodded at Jamie. "And you don't have the access level to reach it." And he left the kitchen but clearly not the house as no noise came from the front door.

Jamie and Anthea silently looked at each other. Jamie sighed and shook her head. She sniffed and blinked her eyes dry again.

"Jay," Anthea whispered. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Ali, no, it's fine." She interrupted Anthea by stroking her arm. "It's James. In about ten minutes he'll feel really bad even if we were wrong and he was right." Anthea smirked. Jamie tried to but she couldn't manage it. "And with Einstein, Sherrinford is probably the codename for his secret murder dungeon or something. Nothing we need to worry about." Anthea actually cracked up laughing.

"Do you still want to go shopping?" Anthea asked, overly worried about her best friend's state having never really been around pregnant women much. Jamie scrunched up her nose.

"Of course I am."

Anthea placed her shopping bags down on the bed with a huff of exhaustion. They'd spent longer than expected out on the streets of London and if Anthea was tired, Jamie was probably having a nap. Mycroft who lay on his side of the bed with his ankles crossed and a book written in some Arabic language looked at the bags on his bed with mild amusement.

"Don't worry," Anthea huffed like she was trying to catch her breath after cardio. "I'm putting them here to put away." Mycroft looked up from the bags up to Anthea.

"Shoes? Only?" He asked. It was obvious to anyone that the four bags from different stores all had shoeboxes in them. Anthea nodded and smiled like a child being caught breaking into the cookie stash.

"I had to." To she said so seriously. "There were sales perfect for both Anthea and Alice."

"Mmmhhmm." Mycroft's smirk grew as he raised his eyebrows.

"I found red heals like those ones I always borrow off of Jamie." Anthea began listing. Mycroft nodded sarcastically. "And black and white striped sneakers that are great for walks."

"Because your current sneakers don't go with everything."

"Exactly." Anthea nodded and Mycroft sniffed a silent laugh. "These amazing grey suede boots that I'd die for."

"Literally?" Mycroft continued to play with her.

"In a heartbeat." She held a hand to her chest. "And a classy little pair of heels that will suit any dress I choose to wear to the next function you're forced to go to."

"Well," Mycroft closed his book. "Spending all that money on shoes you already have variants of was nothing but practical when you explain it." Anthea sat on the bed, legs crossed, crinkling her nose at Mycroft.

"Just like when you buy yet another slightly different shade of grey suit to match your new tie." She teased.

"Precisely." Mycroft answered. They shared a look, both their eyes full of amusement and that little bit of mischief. Anthea looked over the closet. She tucked a curl behind her ear and allowed herself time to prepare her change of subject.

"What's Sherrinford?" Anthea looked back at Mycroft earnestly. Mycroft pursed his lips and took a deep breath. He sat up so he was no longer leaning on the headboard.

"James?" He asked.

"He was trying to help and he thought I knew what it was." She explained, defending James' slip up a little. "Don't worry, he backed off and retreated once he realised I didn't." Mycroft nodded. His eyes travelled down to the book still in his lap.

"I can't tell you." He said. It was the genius' turn to examine the closet like it had suddenly changed or was worth memorising at this precise moment.

"Because it's out of my clearance level?" Anthea asked.

"No." Mycroft sung, stretching out the one syllable word. "It's not associated with a clearance level. Rather you have to be on a list." He explained. Mycroft looked back to Anthea. His steely eyes were unguarded and Anthea could see he was being sincere for her. "The reason you are not on that list, my dear, is because it's far safer for you not to be."

"Like it was safer for me not to know about Magnussen and he searched me out anyway?" Anthea pointed out the flaws that existed in this type of plans before. Mycroft hummed something close to a laugh.

"This is different." He levelled. "We have the ability to withhold this from people, unlike Magnussen who could do what he wanted. It is for the best interest for those involved that we keep this as secret as possible." Mycroft pursed his lips and gave Anthea one of his wistful melancholy smiles she usually associated with when he was thinking of childhood memories. "It is something I call from time to time and I have been doing so for longer than I care to remember so do not worry about it, Ali dear. There is no danger and nothing to worry about." Anthea looked over Mycroft and looked for any sign of a lie. She couldn't see any. This was not like that situation with his mum where she could smell lies all over both of them. He looked sincere and oddly he looked a down but resolute at the same time. Anthea leaned forward and pushed her hand through his hair, coming it back into place with her fingers.

"Okay." She answered gently. "I'll trust you on this, Mr. Holmes." As she removed her hand he took hold of it in his own. The genius brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. A familiar action that always gave her Goosebumps.

"Thank you, Miss James." Their mischief filled smiles returned.

Anthea's phone rung on the bedside table. She looked at the number to see if she wanted to answer it. The number was James'. What had it been? Twelve hours since the fight? Anthea smiled and picked up her phone.

"Hello Mr. Secret agent man." She sung into the phone. Mycroft next to her chuckled into his book.

"Hey A…" James sounded frightened and ashamed. Anthea's smile grew. "Um… I wanted to say sorry about earlier."

"Don't worry about it James." Anthea looked at Mycroft. The genius rolled his eyes. "I'd forgotten about it immediately."

"Yeah, but…"

"You didn't say anything." Anthea laughed. "The CIA have called me all sorts of things. You? Practically the most respectful agent I've ever dealt with."

"You sure?" James asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, I was pushy and you were defending. We were practically working. It's nothing."

"My God." Mycroft scoffed as he turned the page. "Is he not accepting your acceptance of his apology? Someone give that boy a backbone." Anthea tried not to laugh as she held a finger to her lips to shush the genius.

"Okay, cool. That's a load off." He heaved.

"Have you apologised to Jamie?" Anthea asked. James made a weird noise on the other phone.

"Yeah… but I still feel so bad about that." The shame returned to the big puppy's voice. "I don't know how I can make it up to her. Like… I don't know if I should buy her something or do something for her."

"Jamie is probably over it, too." Anthea pulled another face at Mycroft. "But you know, you did say she should be shot so maybe buy her a gift anyway. Maybe cook for a week or something too."

"Do you think that will do it?" James asked, hopeful.

"I think calling yourself the stupid one would be enough to do it so absolutely."

"Aren't they both stupid?" Mycroft muttered into his book. Anthea grinned.

"Tell her that Mycroft just called you both stupid." James laughed.

"Man, she'll love that."

"I'll talk to you later, James."

"Thanks A."

Click.

Anthea placed her phone back down on the bedside table.

"Idiots." Mycroft sighed beside her. Anthea tapped him on the arm.

Hey Jay, I forgot to mention today in all the drama. Can you not give my number out? – A.

Why would I give your number out? You're a government weirdo. I wouldn't give your number out. – Jamie x.

You did. You gave it to Emily. – A.

No I didn't. - Jamie x.

She texted me and she said she got it from you. – A.

I didn't give it to her :(. I swear I didn't. – Jamie x.

Really? Could she have gotten it out of your phone? – A.

That seems like a weird thing to do. – Jamie x.

Maybe you did it without thinking? Like pregnancy brain? – A.

I mean… maybe… But... I would remember doing it :/. – Jamie x.

I don't know. Might have been me. Maybe I borrowed her phone to call you? I don't know. If I did I'm really sorry. – Jamie x.

It's okay. – A x.

After all, Anthea was more inclined to be distrustful of Emily than of Jamie.

Author's Note: I am such a theatre nerd. If you don't know what it is look up the concept of "Chekhov's gun" then this chapter might come together better. I really, really hope you liked it. It took a while to get in the mood for writing but once I did it just kept coming. Thanks to our guest reviewers: Loyal Elf, Hazel, B, Christie, Culverton, Guesswho, Gust, and Eva's dreaming. Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! Do let me know what you thought of this chapter. See you in five days' time when I'll know if I need to deviate from canon or not. I hope not. I try to make this as canon compliant as possible.

So what should we do for the anniversary? I'd totally do a POV for you guys and a special anniversary chapter but you need to give me ideas and suggestions! Eva's dreaming also suggested a fanart thing but I might run that over on Tumblr since people send me art there and it can be displayed and shared easily.