Author's Note: Thank you so much guys for the splendid feedback last chapter! I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate it. This fic is special to me and I love hearing what you're thinking. I hope you enjoy this chapter, I've been looking forward to it. Read, review, and of course; 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 Met His Parents

"Mycroft Holmes' office." Anthea answered the landline phone by her desk without identifying herself. Anyone who called this office knew either her or Mr. Holmes would answer it. She tapped on the desk with her ballpoint pen.

"Hello, Anthea." Anthea's senses heightened at the sound of the lyrical voice of her boss. He had been out of the office all afternoon. She shifted up in her chair.

"Sir?" She asked, looking for her blackberry on the desk in case something needed to be done. "Is everything ok?"

"No, don't worry, my dear." Anthea felt herself sink back slightly in her desk chair. "I do however have a scheduling issue that will require your assistance." Anthea put the lid on her pen and slid it into the white coffee mug she had turned into a pen holder. "This meeting is running long and I have some… somewhat important guests arriving at my house any minute now."

"Would you like me to call ahead and reschedule for you, sir?" She hummed.

"No, that's impossible. What I need you to do is go ahead and let them inside. I have called security to lend you the key to the main house. All you need to do is let them in and leave." Anthea nodded absently.

"Yes, sir, right away." She said as she began to pack up any truly important items into her handbag.

"Thank you, Anthea. I'll see you later."

"Goodbye sir."

When Anthea's car pulled up to the driveway right in front of Mycroft's house a taxi was just leaving. Anthea allowed herself a subtle smile as she put her car in park, her timing was becoming impeccable. An elderly couple stood at the front door with a suitcase each, the woman chatting away happily as the man merely nodded. Anthea eyebrows knotted into a frown, she had no idea who these people were. What older couple could be important enough to be allowed access to Mr. Holmes' private abode? Anthea had to ask during an emergency to even find out this address. As Anthea approached the lady stopped talking, looking at Anthea, the pair smiling with sparkling blue eyes. Anthea smiled, walking pass them to unlock the front door.

"Good afternoon, I'm Mr. Holmes' personal assistant, Janet." She spoke flatly, eyes on the door so she missed the glance shared between the couple, the woman raising her eyebrows.

"That's a lovely name." The lady hummed and Anthea turned around as she swung open the door just in time to see the man chuckle quietly. Anthea had to stop herself from raising an eyebrow. She stepped to the side and gestured towards the open door for them to enter.

"Would you like some help with your suitcases?" Anthea asked as she watched the gentleman grab both handles and the lady started for the front door.

"No that's fine, dear, Siger has got them, don't you love?"

"Yes, love." Watching with faint amusement at this odd duo, Anthea waited for both of them to be in the large empty house before following behind them and locking the door.

"It might be empty, but at least this one is clean." The man, Siger, chuckled. His wife frowned and swatted him playfully on the shoulder. Once again, Anthea found her frown deepening and fighting the urge to cross her arms on her chest. Pulling her jacket down to neaten it and clearing her throat, Anthea moved passed them to lead them to the kitchen counter.

"Mr. Holmes is delayed, he'll be here shortly. Can I get either of you a cup of tea or coffee?" The lady patted Anthea on the shoulder and passed her in the kitchen. Anthea blinked as the control began slipping through her fingers.

"Don't worry yourself, dear, I can do it. Would you like anything?" She asked, taking the kettle and filling it up with water at the sink. Anthea's eyes went from the lady to the man, now making himself comfortable at the counter, and back to the lady. This was odd. Anthea shook her head to find her voice.

"Ah, no thank you, I'm fine."

"Nonsense, you two are always too busy to stop. I'll make you a tea, dear." She opened the cabinet to her right and pulled out two different sets of tea bags. "The best part of Mycie's kitchen is he still keeps it exactly like mine. I can't make anything at Sherly's." Anthea's mind went completely blank. Had she just heard what she thought she heard? Mycie? Sherly? The man chuckled.

"Sherlock is chaos on legs. Myc is so stuck in his ways he couldn't bare not to keep it the same way we have it at home." He answered and the couple smiled warmly at each other, clearly reliving some memories. Anthea blanched, taking a sharp breath and running a hand running through her brown wavy hair.

"Oh God, sorry, I didn't know who you were!" She found herself blathering. "My name is actually, kind of, Anthea." The kettle started whistling and Mrs. Holmes began pouring three cups of tea.

"Yes, we know." Mr Holmes smiled at Anthea. "Sorry to hear about what happened on the stairs the other week." If it was possible Anthea felt herself go even paler. Mrs. Holmes' carried over the three cups of tea.

"How is your ankle, dear?" She handed one to Anthea. The girl, feeling like a dear in the headlights took it. Of course they were his parents, the eyes, the mannerisms. It was all there. Better yet, he had told them about her fall down the stairs? Judging from how they talked, Anthea had gathered Mycroft and Sherlock had a good relationship with their parents but she could barely picture them having a conversation with them over the phone or whatever. How embarrassing for her. Of course, if you had an extremely confidential job and your father asked you how work was this week what would you tell them? Anthea mused. You certainly can't tell him that you were in negations with the Australian government but you can tell him that your assistant tripped up the stairs. Great.

"Um, a lot better, thanks." Anthea frowned into her cup. "I'm so sorry for the super professional act, I should have known who you were. Sometimes I forget Mr. Holmes, um, Mycroft" The first name alone felt so odd on Anthea's tongue. "And Sherlock used to be children." This got a hearty laugh from Mr. Holmes and a very warm smile from Mrs. Holmes.

"Oh they were kids, and quite the handfuls at times too." Anthea laughed.

"Both of them, really?" She asked with a grin. "I mean, no offence, but I can see Sherlock being difficult, but Mycroft?" The raised eyebrow look that Mrs Holmes gave her husband at that moment was pure Mycroft, the mischievousness in her eyes was Sherlock. She clicked her tongue.

"Sherlock caused minor fires and got into trouble around the neighbourhood. Naughty Sherlock stuff that we all expected. If Mycroft ever got in trouble he made sure it was worth it." She shook her head with a heavy sigh. "When he was thirteen the secret service came to our house looking for him after he'd sent the Prime Minister a letter about some thing or another. Almost gave me a heart attack!" Anthea almost choked on her tea as she began to laugh. Why did that not surprise her in the slightest?

"That's how the boy got his scholarship to a university of his choice, though." Mr Holmes smiled warmly at Anthea, perhaps a tad of pride behind his eyes. Mrs. Holmes hummed in disapproval, tapping her fingers on the counter.

"That kid didn't need to scare us half to death and start rumours around the neighbourhood to get a scholarship." Anthea sighed, grinning from ear to ear.

"How cute." She mused out loud. "I can so see a little teenaged Mycroft Holmes, arms crossed, giving the secret service a dressing down. Saying something like 'I sent that letter weeks ago and you're only responding now? Oh, what good hands our country is in'." A light laugh was shared amongst the trio when all of a sudden Mrs. Holmes' eyes that shone the same colour of Sherlock's lit up and she gestured broadly at her husband.

"Siger love, show Anthea the photo you keep in your wallet." Mr. Holmes put down his cup of tea gingerly and pulled his wallet out of the back pocket of his pants. Carefully he took a photo out of his wallet, Anthea could see from the distance that the edges were soft and torn from wear and tear, and handed to Anthea. As soon as Anthea had it in hand she gawked, free hand brought up to her mouth.

"Aww!" She genuinely giggled. "Look at them!" It was a picture of a very young Sherlock and Mycroft in what looked like his early teen years. Sherlock and Mycroft both appeared to be laughing at something, Sherlock very eagerly, Mycroft with that quirked eyebrow of his already. Sherlock's wild curls fell in his face, and ever Mycroft's dark straight hair wasn't styled and fell slightly into his eyes. Bright blue eyes shone of intelligence on both of them. Children, they were actually children and here, in her hand, was the proof. The image filled Anthea with a positively warm feeling. "They're absolutely adorable!" She couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. The parents exchanged a warm look as Mrs. Holmes moved closer to look at the image over Anthea's shoulder. "How old are they?"

"Sherlock is eight and Mycroft is fifteen." Her voice was filled with adoration as she looked at her sons. She looked up at her husband wistfully. "That was taken not long after Myc had lost his baby fat and had a growth spurt. The poor thing was all limbs and he was nowhere near as graceful as he liked to be. Sherlock couldn't stop laughing at him." Anthea chuckled, not taking her eyes off the photo. She could not get over Sherlock's young innocence or how teenaged boy already oozed of the same aura her boss gave off.

"Myc got his revenge when Sherlock grew up." Mr Holmes said. Anthea chuckled, placing the photo down on the counter and pulling out her blackberry.

"Do you mind if I take a picture of it?" Anthea asked, chocolate eyes searching both pairs of blue ones eagerly. Mrs. Holmes rubbed Anthea on the arm warmly.

"Go right ahead, dear." And so Anthea took a photo of the two young boys, that grin still plastered on her face. She can't really say what compelled her to want a copy of it – they just looked so adorable and for some reason it made Anthea's heart swell to see those two vastly intelligent idiots who are always at each other's throats as children and smiling. She handed the original photo back to the senior Mr. Holmes.

"Thanks so much for showing me that." She spoke honestly. "It's amazing."

Anthea had to admit that Mycroft Holmes' face was perfectly calm and neutral when he walked into the living room to see his mother and Anthea sitting on the couch, Mr. Holmes in an arm chair, all with cups of tea in their hands and a packet of biscuits open on the counter. Anthea couldn't help but watch as those blue eyes slowly took in the sight, wondering what was going on in his head.

"Oh, hello sweetheart." Mrs Holmes cooed, standing up and walking over to give her oldest son a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Mycroft, somehow to Anthea's shock, took it quite well, not completely hugging his mother back, but placing one hand on her back in some show of reciprocation. It was… well, adorable. That was a word she never expected to apply to Mycroft Holmes, and she had already used it multiple times today. Mr. Holmes the senior got out of his chair.

"Mummy." Mycroft spoke quietly and so very collectedly as he responded to his mother's greeting. "Father." Mr Holmes the senior patted Mycroft on the back and gave him the warmest smile Anthea had ever seen. She was baffled, how did such cold creatures as the Holmes brothers come from such warm parents? Because they were allowed to be that way, most likely, allowed to be whoever they wanted to be. Maybe Anthea wasn't one to judge parental relationships past the age of fourteen. Steel eyes met chocolate with a cool expression. "Anthea, you were only to get them settled." Anthea opened her mouth to respond with something about being kidnapped when, sitting back down next to her, Mrs. Holmes waved her son off.

"Oh, shush you, we were just talking." Mycroft eyed both of his parents carefully, folding his arms across his chest, not moving from where he was standing.

"Talking, hmm?" He raised his eyebrow.

"Sharing some photos…" Siger muttered with a naughty smile and that shine in his eyes that Anthea loved so much in his sons. Anthea had never seen Mycroft go pale before but in that moment, as his eyes reached hers, she would have sworn he was a few shades lighter. Anthea grinned at him, tilting her head to the side.

"You were so cute, all teenaged and awkward." She crinkled her nose as she smiled. Mycroft rubbed the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath.

"Fantastic." He muttered. A quick rub of his temple before his hand was returned to his side. "Thank you Anthea, I believe you should be heading back to the office now." If she didn't know any better Anthea would have sworn that Mycroft Holmes was feeling flustered as he kept that cold expression that seemed to do nothing to his parents. Before Anthea got a chance to answer her boss Mrs. Holmes changed the subject.

"Did you tell Sherlock about dinner tonight, sweetheart?" She looked from her tea up to her son, broad kind smile. Mycroft pulled on his cufflink and shook his head.

"No," he began. "We're most likely to gain an audience with Sherlock if we merely turn up at his flat unannounced." Siger Holmes 'mmm'ed in response, nodding slowly in approval.

"A three person ambush so he can't get away." He contemplated. Mycroft nodded once, raising his eyebrows, the edge of his mouth twisting into a hint of a smug smile.

"Precisely." Just as quickly as his mother changed the subject, Mycroft changed it back. His cool eyes back onto his assistant. "Anthea, I believe I drew you away from your desk. Perhaps you should return to it." Placing the cup of tea down on a coaster and picking up her handbag, Anthea got up and nodded.

"Yes, sir." She said, walking over to him. Mrs. Holmes, or Violet as Anthea had learned, awed.

"'Yes, sir'. Listen, to that, honey." She said to her husband but looking over Mycroft and Anthea. Siger hummed in response. "So respectful and professional." Anthea fought hard not to blush, looking down at her feet with a smile. "Tell me, darling, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Mummy! That's highly inappropriate." Mycroft said in a tone that sounded awfully close to whining. Anthea laughed nervously, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear, suddenly feeling like a kid meeting a friend's parents for the first time all over again.

"Now, Mycroft, I'm only asking a question!" She talked down at him, frowning. The warm smile returned as she looked at Anthea waiting for a response.

"Anthea, you don't have to answer that." Mycroft sighed. Anthea shrugged and waved it off like it was no big deal.

"Um, yeah, I'm kind of seeing someone at the moment." Anthea answered. "He's a lawyer." She hastily added as if looking for approval. As soon as it left her mouth Anthe frowned at her own tone. Mrs. Holmes 'tsk'ed in disappointment and Mr Holmes laughed, looking at the agitation on his son's face and the awkwardness on Anthea's.

"Oh, that's good for you, I suppose dear." She looked at her husband, shaking her head. "Pretty, funny and intelligent. Those ones are hard to find, they get snatched up so quickly."

"Like how I got you." Siger lent over, placing a hand on his wife's knee. She smiled warmly and waved him off, attention back on Anthea.

"Your mother must be so proud of you." Anthea went slightly cold. Mycroft turned around and walked a few paces back, hand to his forehead, before turning back around.

"Honestly Mother, I thought you were the genius."

"Oh, what could I have possibly done wrong now, Myc?" Anthea shrugged and shook her head.

"No, sir, it's fine. It happens a lot." She put on a careful smile as she answered the question. "My parents have been no longer with us for a long time, Mrs. Holmes." Mycroft's parents locked eyes, having a silent conversation, before Violet got up walked over and pulled Anthea into a hug, rubbing her back softly.

"I am so sorry, dear." She cooed.

"It's ok, it's a normal question. No big deal." Anthea tried to laugh it off, finding herself reciprocating the hug. Mrs. Holmes held Anthea out at arm's length, looking into her eyes.

"Next mother's day or father's day, dear, you're more than welcome to come to our place." She pulled Anthea back into a hug and as she did Anthea heard Mycroft click his tongue in disapproval. "Everyone needs a home cooked meal once in a while." Anthea laughed, hugging the woman back.

"Thank you very much for the offer, Mrs. Holmes." She said as she freed herself. "Now if you'll excuse me I have to get back to the office. If I fall behind my boss will probably kill me." She laughed nervously. Siger got out of his seat.

"I'll walk you out, dear." Once they shut the front door they heard the tell-tale sounds of Mycroft arguing with his mother. Anthea snorted and smiled and Mr Holmes shook his head with an amused glean in his eyes.

"They love each other, really." Mr Holmes laughed, hands in his pants pockets.

"Oh, I don't doubt that." Anthea nodded. "I've seen Mycroft and Sherlock together." Mr Holmes laughed, raising his eyebrows.

"Then you understand." When they reached Anthea's car she turned to face Siger Holmes with an honest smile.

"Your children are amazing." Mr. Holmes patted her on the shoulder and nodded.

"I think so, too."

The next day at work began as usual, with Anthea and the usual Mr. Holmes exchanging pleasantries, and Anthea giving him a cup of tea. The difference today, however, was as she reached the office door, she turned around, leant on the doorframe and observed Mr Holmes, a smile on her face. She watched as he focused on his folder, picking up the cup of tea without having to look at it and thinking about how his parents had called him a creature of habit. He was, that was where she always put the tea down, and that's how he could pick it up without any attention lost. His steel eyes caught her still watching him. Leaning back in his chair, he gestured at her with the pen still in his hand.

"What is this?" He asked with a frown. "What is this look of yours? I've never seen this look before." Anthea let her smile widen as she shrugged.

"I don't know, sir." She hummed, tilting her head to the side. "Just thinking about how much I liked your parents." Mycroft scoffed in response, attention immediately back onto his file.

"Please, take them." He said. "Have Sherlock too, heaven knows my life would be far simpler." Anthea laughed and turned to leave.

"I'll forward you the emails I received from our CIA correspondence as soon as I'm finished scheduling next month's meetings, sir." She said as she left the room.

"Yes, thank you, my dear."

Click. She shut the office door.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Once again I'd like to take a moment to thank all my guest reviewers since I can't thank you personally: Wink (as always), Ashley, and Guest Corrine: Your reviews are well appreciated.