Author's Note: Hey guys. I know it's late. I won't apologise again as it sounds empty at this point. I've just had trouble getting back into writing after all the writing I did for Nanowrimo. I've only written for my original idea once since. Once I can get a feel for a schedule again I'm sure it'll be fine… Also; Smash Brothers came out… So this was a requested topic of conversation over most of the places you can find me online. I wasn't sure if I was going to cover it but since people asked I figured why not. 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 Talked to Varya About The Proposal

Varya looked stunning that day. She had gone to a breakfast meeting with someone important to the deal she was doing. She'd gone in one of those suits she'd been boasting to Mycroft about – brow, clean, and tailored. Her hair was half tied back and she'd worn heels with it. As soon as she returned to the house she was barefoot. Anthea had discovered that if Varya could be barefoot she would be. Anthea had the day off to look after Margot so she was home to see Varya before the shoes were discarded and the hair was let down. Even messy hair looked great with that look.

Anthea was very much just Alice today. Loose black dress that was reasonably attractive on her but still felt comfortable around the house and hair tied back in a messy bun. Anthea wandered how long it would take Margot to realise there was actually two different versions of her mother but then that brought to question when she would see the many sides to Mycroft too, and that was a topic for another time. Some things were too complicated to worry about now – that was a future problem.

Anthea was showering Margot with attention. She tended to do this whenever she'd been busy for a few days and felt guilty about it. Moments before Anthea had been bouncing Margot up and down, then she'd been holding the girl up in standing position and making her sort of dance (more bouncing?) until Anthea's arms got tired. Now she had settled for playing with toys with Margot. Anthea would purposely do something wrong because she had discovered that it amused Margot to no end when Anthea did that. She laughed brilliantly.

Varya came into the room with a sketch book, a lead pencil, and an eraser. She sat next to Anthea cross-legged and began sketching. It began with a bunch of circles and rough shapes.

"I hope I'm not intruding." She said. "I thought, why draw alone when the dragon is not home?" Anthea sniffed a small laugh, trying not to smile at it.

"I don't mind." Anthea told her genuinely. "Margot can't tell us if she cares or not but she'd probably be frowning or yelling at you if she cared." The little girl in question was happily playing. Varya looked at the baby, smiling.

"Thank you, princess." Varya bowed her head at Margot. The baby watched her curiously before going back to her game. Varya went back to sketching. Anthea was going to ask if it was a draft for a new painting or just a drawing when Varya spoke again. "I do have a motive." She said. Anthea rolled her eyes at Margot, this time allowing herself to smirk.

"You're related to Violet and her sons – you probably always have a motive." Anthea uttered. Varya laughed brightly – throwing her head back. She gave a little nod before returning to the drawing.

"What I want to know, and I think you're the one who will tell me, is why there is no ring on your finger." She said.

"Ah." Anthea said. She gave a blank look at Margot like 'We knew it'. Anthea had wondered if Varya had known about it. The answer was… well, maybe. "Did Mycroft tell you he was going to propose?" Anthea asked. Varya put her pencil down, looked up and hummed.

"Sort of." She sung. "He told me he was 'highly considering' proposing." She used air quotes. "And when I asked about it at a later date he said plans had changed and refused to talk about it anymore." That was less than James got before Jamie had told him. Probably because James would never mock something where all bets were off with family.

"That sounds like Daddy, doesn't it?" Anthea said to Margot.

"Dada." Margot mumbled.

"Yeah." Anthea nodded.

"Yeah…" Margot echoed as her attention fell onto Patches. Varya audibly cooed. Anthea was glad someone else could see just how cute her daughter was. Anthea closed her eyes and scratched an itch on her nose. Really she was delaying to prepare herself to tell this story yet again. She opened her eyes and pushed her lips together.

"Well, he did propose." Anthea began with the easy but. She then sighed. "But he did it at work like a business proposal." She expected a larger than life reaction from this vibrant woman. Instead Varya looked up again and nodded.

"Oh." She said. "Okay."

Silence.

Anthea frowned.

"Okay?" Anthea questioned. "Just okay?" Varya shrugged a shoulder.

"I understand that it's a bad way to it." She sounded like she was placating Anthea. Anthea felt herself bristle.

"But?" She prompted hard.

"I'm not in a position to judge." She smiled sheepishly. "My first fiancé proposed to be when we were in the back of his car eating fast food. One time it was during sex." Anthea visibly cringed at that one. "My brother; his now wife said to him 'I think I want to marry you one day' and he said 'Okay. Let's go buy a ring tomorrow'." Anthea was reminded of the time Sherlock proposed for the sake of an investigation into Magnussen. She rubbed at her forehead.

"What is wrong with your family?" Anthea asked with exasperation after she stopped taking it out on her forehead.

"I don't think the external causes are the same for Oscar and me as they are for our cousins, but the genetic causes are probably the same." She hummed lightly. She then smirked to show she was joking… at least a little. Mycroft and Sherlock came from happy parents who were still in love. Oscar and Varya did not. However Oscar and Violet did not have everything that came along with Eurus – not first-hand anyway. They also didn't have the issues that came along with genius. Varya had the artist thing going on but at least she didn't take drugs to slow down her brain or stayed up all night because of it.

Anthea looked at Margot. She picked the little girl up again and held her on her feet. Margot clung to her mother's arms and giggled brightly.

"I don't know, 'Got." Anthea said to her. "Maybe I'm the one who's wrong."

"Now, now." Varya discarded the sketch book to her side. It was an odd drawing that had started to form. A hand with bone protruding through the fingers held an apple. It looked like she had begun putting a worm into the apple and had erased it at least twice – trying to decide where to put it. "I didn't say that. I'm just in no position to judge." She pressed her pencil to her lips for a moment. "I've had grand proposals too, darling."

Anthea waited for further details. Without clarification she could not be sure it was true.

"My favourite was in one of my old studios." Varya said. "Candles were light on all the easels. It was a horrible fire hazard but it was beautiful." She smiled sadly and looked at nothing in particular. That was a clear look of nostalgia coloured with something like sadness or regret. She shook herself out of it. Anthea returned the smile as she put Margot back down.

"See." Anthea held her hand out like gesturing to something or holding something. "Even if there were candles in the office it would have been better." A brief pause before another thought came to mind. "Or the office wouldn't have been too bad if he'd at least said something nice and not spoken like he was giving me a raise or more holiday days." Varya laughed. It burst out of her lips much to her own surprise.

"I'm sorry." She laughed a little more as she covered her mouth. "I didn't mean to laugh. I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at Mycroft." Anthea shrugged it off. Varya was allowed to laugh at it. In good mood Anthea definitely smirked about it. "You know, I don't think I've ever heard him tell anyone he loves them. Not even as a little kid. I think I'd remember that vividly. Sherlock used to say it when he was really small but grew out of it. I remember him saying it to Mycroft and Mycroft looked like a startled cat at hearing it in public."

"Sounds about right." Anthea smiled. "They're better at it now."

"Are they?" Varya asked. She was serious. Anthea nodded. This was somewhere where Anthea had far more experience with the boys than Varya. She was confident in what she said here.

"Sherlock can say it to people he cares about it and Mycroft lets it show." Anthea explained. She thought of loving looks to her, to the openness he showed to Sherlock. She thought of the small smiles he offered James. Mostly she thought of declarations made to Margot. Those were just the small things- she didn't even think of the big romantic gestures like when she moved back in or when they conceived Margot.

"Well if he's better at it then you definitely deserve more." Varya shook her head. "If he knows how to draw that out of himself then he should."

Margot crawled over to the couch. Anthea kept an eye on her but didn't interrupt the baby's developing autonomy (those were Mycroft's words). With her eyes on Margot and her mind on the conversation Anthea hesitated to talk. She was glad that Varya thought she deserved more but… But there was something else.

"What if he doesn't do it again?" Anthea asked. As she watched Margot she felt Varya look her over. Anthea shook her head – actually she shook practically her whole upper body. "I don't care if he doesn't – I'm happy and I never expected it, but… What if he's scared off? What if he shut that part of himself off and can't ever do it again?"

Varya pursed her lips. She looked down at her drawing.

Margot's chubby little hands tried to grab onto the couch.

"I don't know this side of him as well as you do. You work with him." Varya said as she turned back to Anthea. "But does Mycroft give up on things often?"

Keeping Eurus a secret.

Keeping Sherlock off drugs.

Getting Sherlock back in the country (and keeping him there)

"No." Anthea's voice was thoughtful and full of warmth. "Not even when he should give up."

"There you go." Varya said. She picked up her sketch book and placed it back in her lap. "I might talk to him about it just to check but I think you have your answer."

Anthea looked at Varya. There was a lot of Violet in her eyes – just the sharpness of them mixed with kindness.

"I think you're right." Anthea said. Varya opened her mouth to speak.

"Ma!" Margot called out. She sounded distressed. Anthea and Varya both snapped back to look at the little girl.

Margot was standing up, clutching onto the couch. She had used it to climb onto her feet all on her own. The distress appeared to be that she didn't know what to do now. She clung to the couch with dear life and had a look of worry and panic on her young face.

"Yes!" Anthea exclaimed. She got onto her feet and walked over to Margot. She took the little girl's hands off the couch first then grabbed her under the arms to pick her up. She kissed Margot on the head. Margot was greatly relieved. "I've been trying to get her to do that since she called out to Mycroft."

Varya snorted.

"You and Mycroft are perfect for each other." She uttered. Anthea directed a quirked brow at Margot.

"What does she mean by that?" Anthea asked her little girl.

Margot didn't care. Margot was just happy she was no longer stuck in a terrible upright position with no way to get back to sitting.

Author's Note: Surprise! It's actually a different first! I just didn't want to name it that since it's just a little thing that happens at the end. Sometimes my naming convention makes surprises hard. I work around that a lot – as I'm sure you've noticed before. Let me know what you think. And you know what? Let me know if there's anything you're dying to see (except another proposal). While I'm trying to force myself through this writer's block I might as well try to gather inspiration. Thanks to the guest reviewers who I can't thank personally; Observant Potato, and Madalina. Thanks to you all. See you guys later!