Author's Note: Thanks for the awesome reviews, guys! They've been a pleasure to read! Please keep them coming, it's wonderful. Whoops! I finished the chapter on time so I posted it on time! Hahaha. This one is a bit different I guess. It might be kind of boring but we had to cover this book at some point so it had to be done. I hope its okay. 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 Read The Baby Book

When Jamie dropped off new baby clothes for Margot she also dropped off a certain book. A book full of photos of those closest to Anthea and messages of advice from them to Margot. It was only now, half an hour after setting Margot down in her bed at home for the first time, did Anthea remember the book. Before she had been too worried about her baby in the hospital all by herself that she hadn't even thought about looking in there. Now that Margot was safe in her room however Anthea's curiosity struck up once more. She'd love to know what these weird and wonderful people wrote, particular Mycroft who was accosted to write in it at the very end.

Anthea snuck into Margot's room to get the book, careful not to disturb the sleeping baby. Anthea took it to her bedroom where she could flick on the lights. She sat cross legged on the bed with the cream and brown covered book. Jamie had covered it specifically with the colour theme of the party and Margot's room. It had Advice for A's Baby written on the front in Jamie's penmanship but as neat as possible. It was sweet and Jamie's love could be felt emanating from the cover. She and James did well.

Anthea knew what to expect when she opened it; a picture of her pregnant along with some words Jamie had asked her to write. Anthea was surprised how poised she looked even with the big bump in the photo. It was hard to see at the time, and so soon after giving birth Anthea still felt frumpy, but apparently Anthea had held onto some sophisticating while pregnant. Charlotte Cunningham eat your heart out. Let's see you look cool with a big rock blocking everything you do.

Onto Anthea's words. If she had thought it was lame that she talked to the baby, this was downright awkward for her. At least at that point she had succumbed to the sappy hormonal mess she had become and allowed herself to talk to her child.

It's my baby shower today. We're celebrating you which is weird because you're not here. It's kind of strange loving someone you've never met this much. I don't even know if you're Margot or Will. Either way this is the advice given to you from those closest to me. My advice: Some of them have probably written laughable things. You don't have to take the advice, just appreciate that all these people had something to say to you. Have a laugh and remember I love you.

Love, Mummy.

Not bad. Gold start for effort, Alice.

Anthea smiled at her own thoughts. It was advice for Anthea to follow herself as she read this book. She didn't know what to expect. What would Robbie say? What would Sherlock say? Would James be a goofball or would he be serious? Anthea had wanted to know these answers to these questions for a while.

She flipped the page.

Robbie: Your mum is going to read this so my responsible answer is remember: STEM is cool, but so is music and stuff! My irresponsible answer is that is okay to break a few rules if you're not hurting anyone, just got to keep safe for your mum's sake, yeah?

That was typical Robbie. A man who works on computers for a living but sends more time suggesting songs to people than he probably does working. He was eighty percent responsible for Anthea's taste in music. If he loves a band enough he'll see them in both London and Liverpool and use it as an excuse to visit everyone.

Anthea could see Robbie taking it upon himself to educate the next generation. She had visions of every time Robbie visiting him giving Margot a new band to listen to. She could see him being impressed by her playing whatever instrument is first forced upon her; if Mycroft is around it'll be piano but if Sherlock gets his way it'll be violin. But then Robbie will say something like

"Yeah, that's great, 'Got, but how about a real instrument?"

He'll get her a bass, or a guitar, or something, and it'll be the bane of Mycroft's existence. The good news was with the talent of the Holmes family, Anthea's appreciation of all types, and Robbie's enthusiasm Margot will always know the wonders of music.

As for that second piece of advice… Yeah okay, it might be true. Anthea and Mycroft broke a lot of their own rules for work all the time. Margot didn't need to know that, though. Not until she was old enough to understand the ramifications of doing such a thing… so being a Holmes that might be never.

Cate: Don't take Robbie seriously.

The best advice Cate could give and clearly a result of that second line from Robbie. Robbie is best when not taken seriously, particular when under the influence of something.

Molly: Just be kind to others, that's the best advice I could give you.

Oh, Molly. That was so wonderfully Molly. It hurt Anthea's heart and made it warm at the same time. Anthea thought of all the times Sherlock had been unintentionally cruel to Molly and how much it hurt her personally. Yet there she stood still as kind and sweet, and a little quirky, as always.

Actually everyone around them had a habit of being unintentionally cruel from time to time. Even James had to switch on some harsh words for the sake of his job. The Holmes in particular were not ones to be aware of how much words could hurt but John could get emotional, Anthea was sarcastic, Jamie spoke honestly as often as she could, Mary had secrets, and even Detective Lestrade had to get mean to put his foot down with Sherlock here and there. Molly was firm but she was never unkind.

The more Anthea thought about it the more Molly seemed like the best role model for a young girl out of the whole bunch. Everyone had something unlikeable or something unsavoury about them. Molly's biggest flaw, in Anthea's mind, was that she could be a push over. Compared to everyone else that wasn't much. She was a well-educated woman with a good job but she was always kind. It brought out a lot of good in people, not even Mycroft could say a mean word in her direction.

Margot could learn a lot from Molly. She was going to be one of the loveliest people Margot ever knew.

Carol: Your mother always knows what's best for you, don't argue with her too much.

Spoken like both a mother and an agent, it had Carol all over it. 'Don't question your mother' was very old school but more than that 'don't question orders' was the way Carol, James, Walter, and Mycroft were trained. Mycroft never listened, and he taught James that it was okay to question it respectfully, but Carol and Walter did. James would have had Mycroft not taken him under his wing.

Carol's words were even all her – harsh on the outside but with a soft core. She meant well. It might be scary for some kids to get used to people like that but Anthea had a feeling both Hope and Margot would get used to it quickly.

Anthea never expected to end up close with Carol. She was a hard shell that Anthea had no intentions of cracking. Carol was just there because she came as James' partner. Thank God for James getting distracted while working and forcing Carol and Anthea to interact. It got Anthea through Carol's shell and it got Carol through Anthea's disguises.

She was a good friend.

Katie: Growing up in this world you can't get away with anything – they'll know. The good news is you always feel safe, the bad news is you're not always going to want to be safe.

Katie had a unique perspective here. In many ways the late teen was going to relate to Margot, Hope, and even Rosie, in ways that no one else could. Growing up with people protecting you but no one ever really explaining what from had to be tough.

If Katie resented any of it then it didn't show. She turned out to be a wonderful young lady. Actually she was a bit like Molly in that quiet way but where Molly was quietly brilliant Katie was quietly confident.

Jamie liked to question often how Carol did it. How did she have such a demanding career and raise such a good child? James' answer was that her husband was at home a lot. That was going to be hard for Mycroft and Anthea. Anthea loved her job but then again a lot of it could be done at home where she could watch Margot. Anthea had developed a silent determinism throughout her pregnancy. She was going to find a way to keep the job she loved while being the best mum she could be. Her boss was flexible so she was sure it could be achieved. It was her goal.

Sherlock: Just because you could be a scientist doesn't mean you have to be. Do what stimulates you, and do something you live for.

Oh Sherlock! Anthea was already having nightmares about Sherlock dragging Margot along on one of those cases that stimulated him so. She'd kill him. She'd bloody kill him if he did that or got Margot into any trouble. John probably already had rules in place for all that when it came to Rosie that could apply to Margot now, too. Whether they followed it or not was an entirely different matter.

But what if that was what Margot wanted to do? What if she got into something dangerous like Sherlock? Or really the Holmes siblings in general. Mycroft's job was pretty cushy but it came with a lot of dangers and a lot of hard work went into getting there. He had a security team after all! And look at Anthea! She wasn't much better! Then Margot was going to have James' daughter and John and Mary's daughter as friends! They all had those danger sensing genes in them. What if together they became danger magnets? What if they chased crime or looked into it, or just did something dangerous? What if they followed in their parents' footsteps? Would their parents ever sleep again? Would they all feel responsible or is it just the inevitable?

Of course Margot might be into acting. She might love music, or maths, or books like other members of her family. She might want to be a scientist and be capable of it. There was no telling. This little girl could be capable of anything and have the resources to achieve it too.

Then again there was always the twist side. Eurus similarities could pop up. Anthea did once compare Sherlock to Moriarty and Mycroft to Magnussen. It could have easily been them if they weren't brought up with love all around them. What if Margot felt lonely? Working parents, no siblings, no pets… What if she did become one of them? Sometimes Anthea got where that fear of Mycroft's came from. But that little girl, that sweet tiny angel… She was too precious. She was going to feel enough love that she wouldn't go that way. She might not want to help people the way Sherlock does, or even from the shadows like Mycroft does, but she'll know better than to want to watch people suffer.

John: I've learnt a lot from a lot of people but if I had to pick I guess it would be try to live your life without regrets. If you can't do that then learn to live with and learn from your mistakes. Some of the greatest people in my life live and lived that way.

It hurt to read this entry. It really hurt. To think of John writing this thinking of Mary was like a dagger through the chest. To think of Mary not being here at all to say 'I told you so' made Anthea's heart do a flip inside her.

Anthea missed that woman. She and Anthea just got each other in ways that the others couldn't. She wasn't Anthea's best friend, that would always be Jamie, but she was undoubtedly a kindred soul. Poor Rosie was never going to know that smirk the way everyone else did. She'd never know Mary's brilliance. Unless she had it and then people will be saying 'you're just like your mother'. Anthea hoped for John and Sherlock's sake that she was. For all their sake so they had at least a fragment of Mary left.

Mary had regrets, she had a lot of them. John forgave her, Anthea forgave, Mycroft and Sherlock never even judged her for any of it. She grew from them, and John grew from them too. John made mistakes when he cut Mary from his life and when he cut Sherlock from his life. He learnt from it both times.

Anthea regrets a few things here and there. Nothing major. She regrets stringing Tim along for so long because it ended with her heart broken. Everything else had a reason. Mycroft likes to say regret nothing because it all leads to the present and if you're happy you shouldn't regret it. He says that but then Anthea has seen his face when he can't sleep at night. Still, it is a sweet motto.

It was good advice. Mary would approve.

Violet: Parents make mistakes, my darling, don't begrudge them for it. They love you, and so do I.

There was a lot of wisdom in Violet's words but do you expect any less from a seasoned genius with three children?

Mycroft and Sherlock could tell you all sorts of things their mother had done wrong. Anthea loved Violet a lot but some of Mycroft's baggage came from the parenting. Calling him out for not being grown up all the time and yet him doing his best for his siblings, those are the types of things people sit in therapist chairs and talk about. All that said, it was true that all parents make mistakes but their hearts are in the right place the majority of the time. Mycroft and Sherlock wouldn't adore their parents if they didn't feel loved. They wouldn't call Violet 'Mummy' and neither of them would even give them the time of day when they came to London if they didn't love their parents dearly. That kind of love doesn't come from nothing but cold mistakes.

Anthea's mother was too compliant. There was nothing wrong with Anthea's dad, she loved him a lot, but he was the one who found the boarding school. Anthea's mother would have been happy to have little Alice home all the time but her dad had said the school was better for her. That she was developing a cheeky streak and it could be fixed there. That's where Anthea met Jamie so she didn't begrudge either of her parents for it, it was just another example of what might be construed as a mistake had they lived on. Missed time together that just turned into a missed lifetime.

What mistakes would Anthea make? Would a meeting go over and Margot would be waiting at school to be picked up and she'd never forget about that hour standing outside? Would Anthea get mad at her for doing something and accidentally hurt Margot in a way that Violet has hurt Mycroft before? Anthea desperately hoped not but she would have to be aware that parents couldn't be perfect.

What would Mycroft do? Would Margot misunderstand his distance as coldness? Would work always come first? Would he even be there to make mistakes? Time will tell. Mycroft will never be a flawless parent but if he does stick around and he does love Margot he'll find a way to communicate it so she knows. She'll understand her dad. He'll be imperfect like Violet, but she'll love him the way Violet's kids do.

Jamie: Your family isn't always your blood. Your Mummy and I are proof of that, and I hope you and Hope will be proof of that too.

Jamie was in a special case to understand the concept of blood and relatives, even better than Anthea in some cases. Her real father disappeared a long time ago and has another family somewhere else. The man who walked her down the aisle and paid for her boarding school was her stepfather. To her that was her father.

Anthea will never stop being thankful for Jamie. She was already as close as a sister when Anthea's parents died so she became the only family that mattered after that. It was a special bond. Those bonds of course can come at any point in life; look at Sherlock and John they were very much like Anthea and Jamie. It's something that clicks in a way that no other friendship does. It's a blessing to find it.

Thanks to both of these mentioned bonds Margot was going to group up with two cousins, maybe more, that she's not technically related to. Through Jamie she had Hope and through Sherlock and John she had Rosie. It didn't matter if she didn't have siblings, she'd see these two girls enough that they'd feel almost like siblings. They'll probably fight because Margot is a Holmes and Rosie is Mary and John's, but they'll love each other. Anthea hopes it'll be strong friendships for them that never go away. The kind of bonds that last even if you don't see each other a lot like when Jamie didn't live in London.

The fun those girls could have together!

James: The most important thing I learnt doing what I do (ask when you're older) is that you don't have to lose your kindness to be cautious. You can smile and still be taken seriously. Keep smiling, kiddo!

If that didn't sum James up perfectly then Anthea didn't know what did. Even to this day she questions the smile and jokes James can keep even in the most serious matters. She can see him scold someone for doing something wrong then immediately make them feel better by patting them on the should, smiling and say 'don't do it again or don't get caught' and laugh.

"He's the opposite of you." Anthea had once joked to Mycroft before they had started officially dating. She expected Mycroft to scoff and sneer. He hummed instead.

"In some ways, yes." Mycroft agreed with a nod. "Though it's all to remain calm. I remain calm by being separate and calculating every move while James remains calm by keeping that jovial persona in place."

"I'm kind of surprised you haven't kicked some of that happiness out of him." Anthea crinkled her nose.

"Why?" Mycroft blinked. He looked confused. Why? Because it was Mycroft. Because people like James irritated him. Because jovialness came off as stupidity from time to time and Mycroft did not abide stupidity. Yet Anthea couldn't bring herself to question it any further as if 'why?' was a suitable answer. Because it just worked for James. Knowing Mycroft as well as she does now Anthea knew more of what Mycroft's reasons would be.

But that was good advice from James. She could already see that happy-go-lucky attitude in baby Hope. There was a lot of positivity and love for her to inherit from her parents. Seeing what kind of young lady Hope becomes as her aunt was such an honour for Anthea.

Siger: Read all those books that were given to you, and find a love for reading. It's the best way to learn empathy. Read Wuthering Heights and then read The Divine Comedy, and see what you learn about your parents.

Anthea didn't know what she expected for Siger to write. She didn't expect this and yet at the same time she wasn't surprised. He was no genius but he was a literature professor. He read Treasure Island with Sherlock and played pirates, he fostered Mycroft's interest in books. He took the boys to some of his classes sometimes! Although Violet said she thinks he did that just to show off to first years that his little son knew more about the book they were reading than they did.

When Anthea said that Mycroft and Sherlock could have been so different without their parents this was an example of how. Siger believed you could learn empathy from reading from other's perspectives and he pushed books onto his genius children. They developed some empathy whether they liked it or not and went on to help people despite not caring for people on the outside.

Siger was immensely proud of his family and he was a good dad. Like Violet said, he probably made mistakes too, but he exactly what was needed to complete that family. All those strong personalities that could easily be selfish needed him. Violet was very loving but Anthea suspected Siger was where Mycroft's big heart came from.

Wuthering Heights and The Divine Comedy… What would Margot learn from her parents by reading those books? That they're both dramatic? That Anthea was a fool for a tragic souls and that Mycroft was a fool for pretty words that described feelings and things in a way he never could? Was there anything good to learn about them from these books? That was up to Margot to interpret.

Mycroft: Don't waste your time caring for every single person out there, they do not deserves it. Don't think for a second that any of those people would have the curtsey to help you in return. It causes nothing but pain. The only people who deserve your loyalty are those you love and those who love you. That is when it is worth it.

Mycroft! Anthea's heart exploded in love a light. She was full of that love she felt the moment she saw Margot, that love that thanked Mycroft so much for the precious gift of helping her create that little girl. Oh, Mycroft! The words he had written!

To others they might see this as horrible advice. It seemed callous, and mean, and so selfish. Not to those who knew Mycroft. Mycroft had just admitted on paper that it was okay to care for some people. Particular people, obviously because it was Mycroft, but especially he admitted to love being important. Mycroft!

All that caring is not an advantage nonsense the Holmes siblings spouted because of the pain Eurus put them through, they were finally getting past it and it wasn't just because of recent events. It had been healing throughout the years through the people they became close to.

Loyalty was given to those who love you and you love. Mycroft and Anthea were loyal to each other from so early on. Sherlock was loyal to all his friends, Mycroft was especially loyal to Sherlock, and they both stood by their parents. Mycroft even looked out for John, he looked out for James, and there was that unspoken connection between him and Walter.

Anthea always talked about Mycroft's big heart but here it was.

Caring is not an advantage had gone out the window. Mycroft was telling his daughter only to be careful. Care for your loved ones only was much better than don't care at all. Mycroft had grown so much since Anthea met him.

That was the best advice Mycroft had ever given someone regarding life.

Anthea found Mycroft where she found him most of the time in the house. He was in his office getting a moment of solace before returning to his parents. His laptop was open, shining blue light on his face. He held a hand subconsciously to his lips as he read something. His eyebrows were raised, his expression open. It was a nice sight most likely made even nicer in Anthea's head by the words she had just read.

Anthea walked behind Mycroft's chair. She ran both her hands down his chest, lowered her head to his shoulder, and kissed his temple. When he lowered his hand to look her way in mild surprise she kissed him on the lips. The usual routine followed; immediately he froze but a second later reciprocated the kiss. Anthea pulled away. She stood up, taking her hands with her, and walked around to the front of the desk. Mycroft cocked his head to the side. She could tell by the change in posture that he'd just folded one leg over the other.

"Excuse me?" He asked, questioning Anthea's display of affection. Anthea crinkled her nose. She bit her lip and looked him over.

"Caring is not an advantage." She teased him. Mycroft harrumphed and leaned back in his chair. He appeared to completely understand what Anthea had just done.

"It's not." He replied, his lips pulling into some sort of pompous smirk like expression that only he possessed.

"Unless you love them, apparently." Anthea said breathily, her eyebrows dancing up and down on the last word. Mycroft pursed his lips.

"Even then it's a lot of effort, but at least their wellbeing is enough fulfilment that actual appreciation does not matter." He said.

"I thought it was about avoiding heartbreak." Anthea was half serious and half joking around when she said this. Mycroft looked down at the keyboard of his laptop. His thumb ran over the surface of the rest of his fingers in a quick moment of silence.

"I've begun to realise that some heartache is better than no emotional fulfilment." He hummed, still looking at the keys. Anthea couldn't help the smile on her lips. She faked a gasp.

"Character growth? From you?" She feigned more shock.

"Growth?" He asked. He sneered and shook his head. "I'd rather call it assimilation by the collective unconscious." Anthea buried her hands in her face and snickered. She looked back up from under her hands with a cheeky expression.

"Can I kiss you again?" She asked. Mycroft rolled his eyes.

"Okay." He sighed. "But only once more, I'm never going to be that assimilated, thank you."

He stood up as Anthea walked towards him. She placed her hands on his chest, he placed his on her waist, and they both leaned in for a tender kiss. They pulled away at the same time. Mycroft sat back down at his desk.

"There, are you happy now?" He asked, muttering at his screen.

"For now." Anthea peeped as she danced out of the room.

Author's Note: Ahhh! Not too boring, I hope! Let me know! Thanks to last chapter's guest reviewers; Marie, and Guests x2. Thanks to all of you for taking the time to read this, and especially those I get to thank personally via review replies. Please give me your thoughts about this different kind of chapter. I hope to see you again in five days!