Author's Note: Guys, I am absolutely and completely humbled and astounded at the feedback from last chapter. Thank you so much to each and every one of you who reviewed, and to any new readers who favourite-d and subscribed. The fact that you loved it, I'm just so pleased! I hope you all appreciate this chapter just as much because this one is a particular favourite of mine, I enjoyed writing it just as much as last chapter. You guys are amazing so please continue you to read, review, and most importantly 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 Played Deductions
Mycroft and Anthea sat on the wooden park bench, coats and gloves on, a hot tea each in hand, watching the people in the park that was just beginning to be covered in snow. The grass still shone through light patches of snow that didn't quite cover the entire ground yet. Mycroft had just met some sketchy person or another here that was connected to some other sketchy but powerful person and Anthea, being told to stay out of sight but not the venture too far away in case something happened or she was needed, had taken the opportunity to go get the pair something warm to drink. There was a half an hour break in the schedule and Anthea was in no rush to get back to the list of emails that was – at this period of time – slowly starting to become more and more invitations to events that Mycroft would certainly not attend. Anthea had already developed a program on how to deal with such invitations. First of all she looked at who was hosting. If the host was moderate or higher priority she opened the invitation. If the invitation not just some flimsy party or holiday event but was also for some sort of important cause or involved some political gain she'd then check the guest list. If the guest list had enough high priority people or people that they required information on, the invitations were given to Mr Holmes with a list of these details. If Mr. Holmes felt it necessary to go then she'd accept on his behalf. So far one event had met all the criteria.
"Alright, Anthea." Anthea – being pulled out of her thought tangent - looked over her left shoulder at her boss, legs folded, arms crossed, watching the people in the park carefully with his blue eyes that seemed bluer than usual thanks to the grey sky in comparison taking away that steely sharpness. "Care to demonstrate for me those skills you apparently picked up in a theatre classroom?" Anthea sniffed – a sort of laugh like noise – in response, looking towards the laughing people herself with her own chocolate eyes.
"I'm not going to play deductions with you, sir. I don't have 'being made a fool of' written into my planner for today." She tucked a loose curl behind her ear and out of the corner of her eye could see that mocking smile as Mycroft looked down his long nose at her.
"Come now, my dear. Wow me with your thespian skills." Anthea looked over once more and met blue with brown, silently debating the challenge for a moment. Was this the proverbial fiddle competition with the devil, to play deductions with the great Mycroft Holmes? Was he counting on her utter defeat in order to claim her soul? Or perhaps it was just two people passing the time before they had to return to the trenches. She cleared her throat and leant forward, accepting the game, looking for a somewhat easy target.
"Okay then, the young couple." She spoke with confidence.
"Which one?" His voice came with the same level of calm and underhanded mockery it always did. Anthea nodded in front of her to the girl with the mousy brown hair in the long grey jacket and pink beanie and the dark haired young man in the letterman jacket who were smiling sheepishly at each other as they sat on their knees and tried to make snowballs out of the small patch of snow in front of them. It was childish and silly but neither of that couple seemed to care.
"She looks my age, he looks straight out of university."
"Still in university, my dear. He took a gap year." Anthea turned her head to look at her boss again. He was fiddling with the plastic lid on the take away tea, not even looking towards the pair Anthea had chosen. Mr. Holmes had probably sussed them out long ago. "The shoes are from France and he's styled his hair in a fashion not generally popular with people of that age bracket. Practically screams 'I'm far more worldly than you because I wasted a year trying to find myself'." Anthea didn't laugh but a smile did cross her painted lips as she looked back towards the duo. As what always happened, after Mycroft pointed out something about someone Anthea could all of a sudden see it as plane as the nose on their face. Well now, it was her turn to play. She bit the inside of her bottom lip and tilted her head to the side, taking a moment to watch the couple for a moment longer.
"Their relationship is new but they've known each other for a long time." Anthea stated calmly. She heard a hum noise come from her boss. It wasn't exactly a hum of approval but it was far from negative sounding – perhaps just curious.
"Care to elaborate?" Yes, he was definitely curious, Anthea knew that texture in his voice way too well. Mycroft's tone was still detached but ever so slightly brighter – he was enjoying this or at the very least amused. Watching the couple again as the girl took a careful step away, Anthea tilted her head.
"Well sir, they're very clearly familiar with each other. There's an affection in their eyes and their smiles that wouldn't be there unless you've known each other for a long time, unless you know them like the back of your hand. They laugh easily but it's not too nervous – just a little. The nerves are probably because this is new – you can tell by the distance she's keeping from him. She's not too eager to rush. Maybe she's afraid of ruining a great friendship." She leant back on the bench with a soft shrug and took a long sip of her tea, now cool enough to drink, enjoying the warmth down her throat. Cool days and warm drinks, this was the perfect time to be outside.
"Nice attempt, my dear." Mycroft hummed, a tight lipped smile on his long features, his eyes fixed on the couple in questions. "Very well done indeed, but not quite correct." Of course, she was expecting that. Once again Anthea did not reply. She took out her blackberry to check for any messages before returning her gaze to her boss, searching his eyes. This was her silent cue for his elaborations. "You did well to note the distance that she is keeping but it is not due to this being a new relationship. For example look at their hands." The couple were walking away, hands locked together but held at a distance, both arms outstretched. "She wants to let him in but is stopping herself from doing so." It was Anthea's turn to hum.
"I see," She breathed. "She's afraid." From the corner of her eye she saw the smallest of nods. Anthea felt like a student picking up a lesson quite quickly, pleasing the tutor.
"Indeed. The familiarity is because they have dated before. It was broken off and this is a second attempt." Anthea folded her legs and tilted her head to the side as she evaluated the retreating couple. The distance between them now looking like they were oceans apart in her eyes.
"Ah, so he broke it off and went to party in France, leaving her here alone." She was rewarded by blue eyes looking her up and down – her own quick little deduction – her third for the day so far. The first was when she'd ignored a phone call from her boyfriend, the lawyer as he was referred to by present company, and the second was when he'd found her waiting for him on the bench with two hot teas.
"Precisely." Anthea and her boss sat quietly as they watched the couple walking off at an awkward distance, hands locked together. Anthea couldn't help but smile to herself as she held her cooling tea against her cheek, taking the chill out of her face. What was making her smile, she wasn't sure.
"Well," She sighed, shifting her weight from one leg to the other, swapping her crossed legs. "I tried, sir." Mycroft's eyebrows raised and there was the faintest hint of a flicker in his eyes, one side of his mouth pulling upwards.
"You weren't atrocious, my dear." He humoured her, letting his own amusement shimmer through marginally. "Far better than many who make a career out of it." As they watched the couple disappear around the corner behind the large group of trees Anthea found herself thinking out loud.
"I wonder if they will last this time." Her voice was barely over a whisper, imagining what lay before the two strangers who were unwilling subjects in a game between intellect and assistant.
"For her sake I should hope not." Once again Anthea found herself compelled to look at her boss, her lips pushing into the lightest pout as she watched him. Mycroft too was looking at where the fleeting couple had last been in eyesight. He pulled out his own phone and checked the time. "He's commitment phobic and she's desperate for a child." Anthea made a noise that could be construed as a laugh. She placed the plastic take away tea container on the ground next to her feet.
"How do you know he's commitment phobic?"
"He ran away once, didn't he?" A silence fell over the duo. Mycroft and his brother, forever looking at people and making millions of deductions about their lives from a single look over. Sometime Anthea wondered what Mycroft saw when he first saw her, or what Sherlock had deduced when Anthea had refused to tell him her real name. She wondered what Mycroft thought when she'd ignored the lawyer's call today, or whenever she scoffed at a text from Jamie for good or bad reasons. Anthea titled her head in thought and spoke to her boss without turning to look at him.
"You probably researched my best friend, didn't you? Being my one real tie to society and all." She asked even though she knew the answer.
"Most certainly." The matter of fact reply that Anthea was expecting returned.
"Tell me then, why are we friends, sir?" She asked, half smiling. She heard a breath being let out – not quite a sigh.
"As trivial as opposites attract I'm afraid. A make-up artist and a personal assistant for a minor government official, it practically says it all right there in your career choices. She has an excitability and exuberance that you lack, and you possess a subtly and sophistication she lacks. There's far more to it than that, but it seems you even the scales, if you would." Anthea scoffed and rolled her brown eyes. "Not that you don't possess your own unique brand of exuberance, my dear." Was added at the last minute.
"Nice save." Anthea spoke with a genuine laugh. Mycroft nodded, accepting the comment.
"Thank you." Anthea briefly considered asking further questions but that was enough for her enjoyment. Instead she chose a new target. Edging closer to Mycroft, Anthea nodded over to the man and a little girl at the swing set. He was pushing her and while she was having fun he looked absolutely nervous.
"Step-father, mother's boyfriend, or actual father?" She asked Mycroft in a quiet voice. His lips pursed together as he looked them over.
"Actual father." No doubt in his voice, it still astonished her at times.
"Because the daughter looks so comfortable?" Anthea asked, a small crease in her brow as she watched the father and daughter. Mycroft nodded once.
"Among other reasons."
"Then why does he look so nervous?" She was looking over every detail of the man by the swings. His daughter was begging to be pushed higher and higher but he seemed hesitant to, trying to be gentle. "Does he not look after her often? Does he work away? Has she fallen off before?"
"Some form of accident under his care, I'd infer." Mycroft had lost interest and was now picking off imaginary lint from his burgundy tie. "Long enough ago that she seems to have forgotten, not so long ago that he has not." Anthea turned in the bench to look Mycroft up and down hard, a sly smile on her lips. He caught sight of her and raised an eyebrow.
"You can work out just about anything from anyone, can't you, sir? You and that brother of yours." She let her smile flash a bit of teeth, pushing that same lock of hair behind her ear again. Mycroft rolled those remarkably intelligent eyes of his and returned his focus to his tie.
"Anyone could, my dear, with practice and determination." It was Anthea's turn to raise an eyebrow. She rested her elbow on the back of the bench then rested her head against her fist. "Well," He looked over at Anthea, cocked an eyebrow and smiled, almost mirroring Anthea's facial expression. "Maybe not anyone. It does take some intelligence after all." His comment was rewarded with a giggle, her nose crinkling with the honest smile.
"Could they, and by 'they' I mean you, even read people like us? Sitting here with all these firewalls up?" Mycroft scoffed.
"A touch more difficult for the untrained eye, but it's certainly no grand feat." His tone of voice was always so even.
"Shall we give it a shot, sir?" This got his attention as he gave her a look of bewilderment – a constructed and false look, but one of bewilderment none the less.
"Analyse ourselves?" There was even astonishment in his voice. "One doesn't read into their selves, my dear, it could lead to all sorts of insecurities." Anthea sat frontwards on the bench again, looking at the people.
"Like you haven't done it before." Anthe laughed. "I don't mean go into detail, sir, I don't want us to start a therapy season in the middle of the park. I just want to look at what we're doing here." Finding a young man she got up and jogged up to him, taking her blackberry out of her pocket and unlocking it. "Excuse me," She said in her most sickeningly sweet voice she could muster. "Do you mind taking a photo of my friend and I, over there?" She pointed to the bench where Mycroft was looking at her absolutely aghast. That was an honest look if she ever did see one.
"Um, sure." The man's uncertain voice came. Anthea thanked him and handed him her phone and sat back down at the bench. She sat back where she was in the same position she'd been sitting in during this break. The man held the phone out and fiddled around for a bit. "Ok, smile." He said. Anthea waved her hand and shook her head.
"Don't expect him to smile, he doesn't do well with normal social activities." She was rewarded with a sniff of disdain from Mycroft and a nervous smile from the man. A few seconds later the flash went off. The man handed Anthea back her blackberry, she thanked him profusely and sat a bit closer to Mycroft to display the photo. There they were, both sitting on the bench, legs folded and Mycroft's arms crossed. Anthea had a small naughty smile on her face but the only sign of amusement on Mycroft's face was the raised eyebrows. "Well, sir?" She asked, "Tell me something about these two strangers." He gave Anthea a tired look as if to say 'really?' but then proceeded to look over the screen.
"Judging by their apparel they're both professionals –" he began but soon gloved fingers came up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Are we really doing this, Anthea?"
"It's just a bit of fun, sir." Her laughter could be heard in her voice. Anthea cleared her throat and got back into the game. "Yeah, I'd say so. Lunch break then or something like that. There is a decent distance between them so I'd say this isn't a social gathering. They might be work colleagues." Mycroft's eyes widened as he inhaled deeply and shook his head, Anthea just rolled her eyes. "Come on sir, your turn."
"This is absurd, Anthea. What are we supposed to learn from doing this that we don't already know?" Anthea shrugged, her brow knotting slightly.
"I don't know. Probably nothing, sir. Humour me, I've been cramped in an office and I just want to play a game. This is your game, sir, I've compromised." She pursed her lips, searching his eyes. Mycroft took a moment, scanning Anthea before he huffed and turned back to image on Anthea's screen, Anthea followed suit.
"Definitely work colleagues. That being said, however, there is a familiarity and an ease being formed." Anthea tilted her head to the side.
"How so?" She asked, playing the role of unknowing observer very well. He nodded towards the phone.
"They both have very closed off body language, yes? Arms folded, legs crossed. However, look at how their language is closed off. Both of them are slightly turned in, folded leg more blocking the opposite direction than the other person. It suggests a slight willingness to let the other person in, shutting out the rest of the world." Anthea nodded.
"Ah yes, proxemics and body language, I learnt all about it from my drama teacher." Mycroft rolled his eyes. "Could the fact that he seems so closed off, giving an air of power and control, but the fact that he's clearly humouring her with this photo also show some form of consideration to his companion, sir?" Mycroft's head moved in an action that wasn't quite a nod but wasn't quite a head tilt either, it could be described as a form of shrug.
"Perhaps." Anthea looked at her boss with a small grin on her lips, eyes filled with mischief.
"Dare I say, he feels some form of sentiment?"
"Anthea I will fire you right here, right now and show you how sentimental I am." Mycroft's voice was quick and sharp – very much a warning – but no true malice hid under the words. Anthea held back a laugh as she locked her phone and furthered the distance between them on the bench. She'd clearly pinched that nerve of his, she'd only meant to touch it. Oh well, the game could have only lasted so long.
"Sorry sir, I got carried away, won't happen again." She did her best to keep her voice gentle but not getting rid of the playfulness. As if on cue the unmarked town car pulled up across the park. The pair got up, disposed of the plastic cups, and headed towards the car. Once in the car Anthea got began answering texts and emails on her phone – back to business as usual.
"Your theatre teacher didn't do too poorly of a job on your observation skills." Mycroft's calm tone came. "Next time we're in a cabinet meeting I'll ask you which officials you think are having affairs and how many with each other." No hard feelings then. One side of Anthea's mouth twitched into a smile as she focused on her phone.
"Sounds scandalous." She spoke into the front of her phone.
"Far more interesting than listening to them drivel on about an issue I gave them a solution to months prior." Anthea rolled her eyes as she continued to hold onto her private smile.
Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed that one – it was a pleasure to write. Once again I'd like to thank my guest reviewers since I can't thank you personally; Corrine, Connie, uninvited, Wheezy8, and as always, Wink. Also thanks to ValkyrieDefender since I can't thank you personally either. Please feel free to review guys, I'd love the opportunity to thank you all for sticking around and reading this. I really appreciate it and am so glad you seem to love this as much as I do!