Author's Note: Hey guys! Thanks for the feedback last chapter. I knew most of you wanted to see Walter again. This chapter just needed to happen for timeliness. It kind of had to have a chapter to itself for the reasons why they left in the first place. I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would when I originally set out to write it. 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 Day Back At Work (Officially)

The first day back at work was, in Anthea's honest and unbiased opinion, a lot busier for her than for Mycroft. Mycroft just had to get some files together and sit in his office looking and acting like he had a lot to do. Anthea actually had a lot to do.

She had to change the phone message for the office phone turn off the automatic emails on her work account responses for one. Before going away for a month she had changed them to basically tell people to get lost.

"You've reached Mycroft Holmes' office. Unfortunately we are out of the office for the next month. Don't bother leaving a message because we will not respond to them, and if it were important we'd be contacting you and not the opposite way around. If you have an issue contact someone else."

I am currently out of the office until further notice. If you are not in possession of my personal email, or Mr. Holmes' email then there is no need to contact me. If your issue is imperative then may I suggest contacting one of the people listed below who is best suited for your enquiry?

Thank you for your interest,

A.

The great thing about her role as the shadowy assistant of Mycroft Holmes is that it allowed her to be a little… rude for lack of a better word. You could tell someone they weren't worth his or her own time and there wasn't much they could do about it. Anyone who was important would know better than getting offended anyway. They know the sass that fills the office between the two residents of it. She still had some fun imagining the lower government officials ringing and hearing that message – being shocked but not being able to do anything about it.

Anthea had to send a whole bunch of emails and make a whole bunch of phone calls. She had meetings to organise, documents to request, updates and summaries to request. She had to make sure those with higher importance were scheduled first and those of least important were put off being scheduled until the higher ups got back to her. She had to locate and send files, she had to sort through mail for anything remotely important.

Meanwhile Mycroft sat in his office doing God knows what. Most likely he was in his head doing calculations or just thinking about things. No doubt they'd be important somehow but it made him look like he wasn't doing a thing and that he was lazy. He was so lucky right now that he A) paid Anthea very well and B) she loved him.

It was alright, though, karma would come in a way. In a few days there would be an almost entire role reversal. Mycroft would be in all these meetings, reading all the email responses, and answering so many phone calls. While he would be doing this Anthea would be at her desk doing her normal duties and texting people.

That's what happened when you took such an extended time off. It lead to a build-up and sometimes it became a question of whether the time off was worth all the work to do when they got back. This time the time off was absolutely worth the work. First of all the work had been minimized by Mycroft delegating many of his duties to the other members of P-A-L-L to prove his point. Mostly it was worth it because of the improvement it had made in Mycroft. His relationships with his immediate family members were back on track and that was so important. He and Anthea were currently strong – as strong as they could be right now anyway, and his attitude towards the baby seemed to be shifting. It was definitely worth it.

There was fun to be had too, of course, and a lot of that had to do with the fact that she and Mycroft weren't through shunning certain people. They would be taking their time to get back to certain tasks and duties. The people who were being shunned were very aware of that and were trying to get appointments or make amends. The fun itself was continuing to ignore these people or in the case of the ignorable set them aside for as long as possible.

Lady Smallwood sent flowers. Or rather her assistant did. It was a rather dull looking bouquet of iris' and lavender. Of course not everyone could be Mycroft and construct an amazing bouquet and not everyone could be Anthea who brought out the wish to create those bouquets in Mycroft. It was nice… just not breathtaking. The card was simple and to the point.

Welcome back.

You have been missed, both of you.

Lady Smallwood.

Anthea had shown the flowers to Mycroft and given him the card. He told her to put them in the kitchenette. Out of the way but available to be put out should she stop by. He told her to send the Lady a thank you. So Anthea called the assistant and said just that. She hadn't been shunned – she hadn't deserved it.

A card came from Langdale. Anthea and Mycroft had both laughed at the ridiculousness of it. What a pathetic gesture and way of apologising.

"It says he wants to meet with you as soon as possible to discuss work." Anthea read through her smirk. Mycroft looked up to the roof and scoffed. "He says at any restaurant of your choice on his dime." Mycroft hummed and ran his tongue over his teeth. His steel eyes looked at the card to Anthea's face.

"No doubt he expects just him and me." Mycroft said.

"No doubt." Anthea echoed.

"In that case book it for two weeks away, make him squirm. Choose something you like, something expensive, and make the reservations for three." The genius smiled mischievously. Anthea's jaw clenched and unclenched. She got the point Mycroft was trying to make. He was the man and taking advantage of the offer to mirror how Mycroft's abilities had been taken advantage of for years only to be executed upon the first mistake. But there was a flaw with this plan.

"I should be visibly pregnant by then, sir…" She muttered. Would he really want to be bringing his pregnant assistant out in tow like that?

"I'm aware, Miss James." He rolled his eyes like he thought she thought he was stupid. "That's why I thought you might appreciate some well-crafted food paid for out of someone else's pocket other than yours or the man who pays you." Anthea laughed softly, the noise barely leaving her throat. It was out of both surprise and amusement.

"Consider it done." She said. Mycroft nodded.

"Good girl." He purred, sending a shiver down Anthea's spine.

Porlock called three times on that first day. All three times Anthea told him that Mycroft was busy. She said that he'd get back to him when he could. Eventually he sent an email requesting a meeting. Strange that all members of P-A-L-L should contact separately, it kind of showed their true natures as snakes in the grass. Though they were paid to do so.

Anthea scheduled the meeting for two and a half weeks away. She told him it was the earliest available spot for someone of his position. She would have done it for a day earlier but she had an appointment and Mycroft was considering going. He was bellow appointments that Mycroft was only mildly considering. If only they could let him know that. The distance between now and the meeting should be able to communicate that.

The next person was a little more difficult and took more care than the others.

"Sir?" Anthea asked gingerly as she approached Mycroft's desk. The genius gave Anthea his attention immediately. "Your uncle sent me an email." She raised her eyebrows as if she was apologetic, as if Mycroft might shoot the messenger. "He said he's been trying to call and wants to catch up." She paused and twitched her nose. The next part not sitting nicely on her tongue. "In or out of the office." She didn't like that. It did not sound like family. So she was entirely supportive when Mycroft turned stony face.

"Ignore him." Mycroft barked with such coldness Anthea was surprised the breath that left his mouth did not turn to ice. She nodded in agreement. She would do the same. She had trouble forgiving her own uncle and he hadn't done anything quite like this. Mind you, her uncle also didn't give her cousins. And that was a sticking point, wasn't it? Not the male one, Mycroft never saw or spoke to him, but the girl he did. So Anthea just questioned her boss with practiced professionalism.

"I agree, sir," She began, "But should we not consider your cousin's feelings?" Mycroft's cold eyes twitched.

"They day Varya forgives her father," He tapped hard on his desk with his index finger. "Is the day I will begin to consider thinking about talking to him on a personal level once more." His hand balled up and rested on the desk. Those lovely musician fingers, so tense. "No sooner." Anthea took a deep breath. She felt great empathy for Mycroft. At least the people most important to him supported him and it sounded like Varya was not going to mind.

"Okay, sir." Anthea said.

A pause.

Anthea began to turn to leave. She was halted by Mycroft calling her name.

"You agree with me, do you not?" He asked.

"Absolutely, sir." She replied. Mycroft's face fell, he looked bored and tired.

"No." He hissed. Then his expression softened and he leaned forward. "Do you, Alice, agree with me?" Anthea walked back to the desk. She placed her hand on top of Mycroft's.

"I haven't told my uncle my news, and neither of us have contacted the other in a while. Rose tells me he's good." She looked deeply into those dark blue orbs. "Do you think I'd answer Rudy if he was my Uncle?" Mycroft's eyes dropped to look at Anthea's hand on top of his own. He sniffed a silent laugh and the edges of his mouth were tempted to pull upwards.

"Your support is appreciated." He spoke quietly and professionally, still looking at the hands. Then he looked up into her eyes. "Thank you." That one was for Alice. Anthea patted his hand with all the warmth possible in such a small gesture. She left the room before either of them said another word.

The next VIP to come along and request time with Mycroft was none other than James. He didn't call or email to schedule an appointment, not this time. He turned up straight at the office. He opened the door with a sheepish grin on his face. His blonde hair pushed back in something close to a neat style while the tie on his blue suit was loose around his neck. If Anthea didn't know better she'd think the head of the agents looked this way to make people underestimate him. Nope. This was who he was and it was people's problems if they underestimated him. Mycroft never did.

"Hey beautiful." James greeted with his head sticking through the door. Anthea crinkled her nose at him.

"Hey idiot." She mirror his cheeky tone. The sheepish grin turned into a rather large goofy smile. James straightened himself and walked into the office. He shut the door behind him and came up to Anthea's desk. Immediately he began fiddling with things. He touched her pens, took a sticky note and stuck it on her monitor just because he could.

"So listen," He tapped on her desk with his knuckles. "I've got a whole bunch of stuff I need to talk to Holmes about. I get that I'll probably need to make an appointment but I don't care." His brown eyes were on Anthea as he shrugged. "'Cause then I'll just show you some awesome photos of when Carol's Katie babysat Hope and it'll make the trip here totally worth it." Anthea laughed breathlessly. Firstly, she really wanted to see those photos. Secondly, James was a giant doofus. Why hadn't she set him and Jamie up a long time before she actually did?

"I'll check." Anthea, still laugh, said. Saving herself some energy from going into the inner sanctum for the umpteenth time that hour, Anthea just pressed the seldom used intercom. "Hey Myc," Anthea began. James mimed an 'ooh' at Anthea's use of the nickname. She waved at him to shush him. "James is here. Does he need to book?"

"No." Mycroft's voice came through the small speaker. "Send him in." Anthea and James shared an impressed and proud look with one another. How many people would be allowed to do that? Other than Sherlock, of course. Anthea pouted her lips and nodded to the door.

"There you go, then." She said. "But I do want to see those photos before you go."

"Oh man, no problem." James swiped his hand through the air in front of him as he spoke. "I'll do it when Holmes walks me out so he has to see them too." How cute was the big agent/giant doofus/daddy? No doubt he was going to corner Mycroft to show him how proud he was of his little baby girl.

"Don't keep him waiting." Anthea muttered. James hissed and winced.

"Yup, sorry." He whispered. He did what Anthea does. He knocked on the door, waited for a response, and walked in. "Hello, sir." Anthea heard him say, switching straight into James the professional.

Finally it was about filling up all the little leftover spots with less important people and underlings. Anthea walked into Mycroft's office for probably the hundredth time at that point of day. She might have been exaggerating but it certainly felt that way. She had her phone calendar open in her hands and was watching it as she walked into his office. Without as much as a glance she managed to walk to her normal position. A habit at its greatest.

"About Friday, sir." Anthea clicked on the week view on the calendar to get an hour by hour play for Friday. "You have the 11am to 12pm slot open and then after lunch you're available for half an hour. I was thinking we could slip someone like Mr. Warwick into that hour. Then you can save the half an hour after lunch to have some time to yourself. At the club or something." Anthea clicked on the button to create a new event as she looked up, preparing to type in Mr. Warwick's name. There were plenty of people who could have that spot but he had been a name Anthea picked out of familiarity and the consideration he often paid to her.

Mycroft leaned back in his chair. He pressed his fingers together and placed them on his lips as he looked at the ceiling above Anthea's head. She heard him hum. Then he clicked his tongue. The brunet man shook his head and placed his hands on the armrests of his chair. Apparently he disagreed. Anthea quirked her eyebrow and waited for her instructions.

"I'd rather use that hour to visit Baker Street if you'd be so kind." Mycroft placed his feet on the edge of the desk, ankles crossed. See, she knew he had nothing to do on this first day to laze about like that.

"Oh!" Anthea peeped in happy surprised. "Sure." She typed in Sherlock's name instead of Mr. Warwick's. She was glad that the brothers had seen each other not long ago and Mycroft was already making time to see Sherlock. It spoke wonders for the development of their relationship. In fact Anthea would have to make time to see Sherlock privately after her next appointment too. Or better yet, if Mycroft didn't want to go she might ask him.

"I should like to guarantee that Dr. Watson is home also." Mycroft instructed. Anthea made a note to make sure he was either not scheduled to work then or was removed from that shift – and financially compensated.

"A case for them?" Anthea asked. Mycroft sniffed, pulling a small face. He'd had his fill of helping out his brother with work for a while, Sherrinford still stinging.

"No, I merely wish to…" He tilted his head as he searched for the right words. "Check up on him and Rosamund, the same way I believe you have and he has been doing for you." Give him back the support that he had shown to both Sherlock over the years and now Anthea. Sure, it made sense. Though John knew very well how much Mycroft had silently assisted him, Mary, and Sherlock over the years. Even if it was mostly financial. John had to know where the Baker Street bills disappeared to ever couple of months when the caseload were dry. It was still a very nice gesture.

"Got it." Anthea tried to hide the smile that developed. She did well.

"And I will have that extra half an hour off after lunch." Mycroft added. Anthea nodded. She bit her lip in focus as she added that as unavailable on her phone.

"Club?" She asked as she filled in the details.

"No." He said. Apparently she was wrong again. Anthea looked up to catch Mycroft looking at her with a gentle humour in his silver eyes. "I want an extended lunch with you, my dear." He almost laughed. Anthea felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. How did he do that?

"You don't have to." Anthea gawked. "We have every evening together and we're really busy right now." Mycroft jutted out his bottom lip and lazily shrugged his bottom lip.

"I don't care." He said. Anthea gave him a questioning look.

"Mycroft." She levelled. "You could make so many phone calls in that half an hour."

"And you wanted me to go to the club. That would be more of a waste of that time than an extended lunch with you, don't you think?" He still had that gentle humour on his face and in his tone.

"I do." Anthea nodded. "Because if you don't get at least some time in silence to sort out your thoughts you act very grumpy." She crinkled her nose. "I don't want grumpy Mycroft at home in the evening." Mycroft rolled his eyes at her.

"I'll take the time out when we get home." He said flatly. Anthea hummed. "Extended lunch?"

"Will you get a coffee and let me smell it?" Anthea asked, truly meaning it. How she missed coffee. Mycroft pulled a face but nodded. "And can we go to the park and you can analyse people for me?" She had some great memories doing that with Mycroft, even before she could have called them anything close to friends. Mycroft smiled collectively, memories coming to his mind also. He gave another, smaller nod. "Does this mean I'm on the VIP list?" Anthea asked coyly. Mycroft sneered at her words.

"My dear, you have been on that list since the first time you laughed in my face about the nickname my parents gave me." He said. Anthea laughed with her whole body and soul. She remembered that. It was an email and it had been hilarious. Mostly her heart burst with warmth and pride.

"Well then," She straightened her clothes and pulled on her blouse to make it look as flattering as possible as she recovered from her quick burst of laughter. "I'll have to add you to my VIP list."

"Don't even try that." Mycroft waved a hand to dismiss the idea. "I've been on your list since I shook your hand and welcomed Anthea to my office." There were the hairs on the back of her neck standing up again. She bit her bottom lip to stop from smiling goofily like James or something. Anthea entered the lunch date into her phone and submitted it.

"I have you down for an extended lunch with your girlfriend, sir." Anthea said. "I hear thanks to a reservation with Langdale she's now an expensive date. Are you sure it's worth it?"

"Absolutely." Mycroft looked at her with his devilish smirk. "She is invaluable. Time with her is priceless." Anthea pursed her lips and pulled a face like she disagreed.

"I'll hold you to that when you get back to the office to a hundred missed calls." She said.

"Please do." Mycroft still had that smirk on her face. "I'll make sure to send any complaints you may have straight to her."

Author's Note: Was it alright? I do hope so. I at least hope you liked parts of it. Thanks to our guest reviewers who were only two unnamed guests this time. The rest of you were reviewers with accounts who I could thank personally. Thank you to all my readers. I hope to see you in five days but since I'm working on three assignments right now it might take six. Check in five if you're not subscribed.