Author's Note: Thanks for the awesome reviews last chapter. I love that a bit of a different chapter was received so well. I'm having a bit of a bad week anxiety wise so I asked Tumblr for some fluffy chapter ideas that could be small and fun to write. This is what came of a suggestion from an anonymous. So thank you, anon, it was exactly what I needed. I hope you guys like it. 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 Margot Fell Asleep on Mycroft

There were many perks that came from working from home half the time these days. By far Anthea's favourite was not having to waste time pretending to do something once she'd run out of official tasks to do. No finding things to do on the computer, no changing all the passwords, no reorganising the files. Technically she didn't have to sit around texting Jamie either but she still did that. It was an unbreakable habit. Mycroft knew about it too and she still had a job so...

No. Instead of wasting time until she got another task Anthea could do something far more valuable like well needed play time with her daughter in the family room. Anthea was sitting on the floor with Margot in her lap. Around them various baby toys – including many of the new ones – lay strewn across the floor. Instead of sitting bored at a desk Anthea got to laugh as her daughter tried to reach for a toy and fell face first instead. If Margot had cried Anthea wouldn't be laughing but the little girl had simply blinked and looked very confused as to why her balance wasn't as good as she thought it was. Anthea plopped her back on her little behind and brought the toy closer for her.

"I love you, you little moron." Anthea laughed as she rubbed Margot's arm. Margot looked up at Anthea and blubbered something in baby talked. "I have no idea what you're trying to say to me," Anthea smiled down at her. "But I bet it's something about how it's the floor's fault or the toy's fault and not yours." Margot looked back down. Anthea took that as a yes.

A few more minutes of play and Mycroft came into the room, eyes on his phone typing something.

"Anthea, Walter is on his way. I need you to run a few official errands for me." He said while he stood in the doorway still typing. Another benefit of working from home was a slightly less formal Mycroft. He still wore his suits but his jacket hadn't even made an appearance today and now his sleeves were rolled up. It was quite the sight and Anthea enjoyed every minute of it. Despite this, Anthea suspected that was half the reason she was being sent out. It would be shocking to Mycroft for people to see him looking so scruffy. Shocking! The thought made Anthea smirk. Or it would if she wasn't being sent away from a good time with her daughter.

Anthea looked at Margot and quietly sighed.

"What?" Mycroft asked. Apparently he had heard it. His steel blue eyes were away from his phone now and on Anthea. He looked between Margot and Anthea, trying to put together the problem. "It's all government work – nothing dangerous. If you wish to spend time with Margot you may take her with you." That was sweet. Anthea smiled at the genius but shook her head.

"I just started playing with her." Anthea explained. She rubbed at her neck. She felt partially guilty because she was telling her boss during work hours why she didn't want to work and partially guilty for ruining her daughter's fun. It felt lose-lose and either way Anthea was being selfish. "I… don't want to pack up right away." Mycroft hummed and pressed his phones to his lips like one would press their hands to them.

"Play is a valuable learning experience for small children." He appeared to be reasoning with himself.

"Today she's learning about gravity." Anthea teased Margot for her falling over. If only she understood. Mycroft quirked an eyebrow and was about to question Anthea when Margot gave a repeat performance while reaching for another toy. This time instead of blinking she made an angry little noise. Mycroft scoffed and laughed. Anthea placed Margot back up and handed her the toy. She tossed it angrily.

"I see." Mycroft chuckled. "Well then, you go. I'll supervise." It was Anthea's turn to raise an eyebrow inquisitively.

"You have work to do." She said.

"I have my phone." Mycroft waved the small device back and forth. "I can answer a few emails and make a few calls while I monitor Margot's feud with gravity and her centre of it." Anthea tilted her head to the side and just looked at Mycroft. She took him in and tried to imagine him, at any other point in their time knowing each other, offering to do such a task. She couldn't. The timing had been perfect, hadn't it? If she believed in fate.

"Okay." Anthea nodded. "What do I have to do?"

"I have a list."

It had been well over an hour by the time Anthea got back to the house, probably closer to an hour and a half. The list hadn't been long but the few items on it had been substantial and require talking to people for a decent amount of time. It was fun, though. Anthea really did enjoy her job. She enjoyed being the mysterious Anthea and everything that came with it. She also enjoyed being Margot's mum.

Sadly play time would be well and truly over. Margot would have been put down for a nap a while ago now, and that was if Anthea was the one playing. Mycroft loved Margot but she doubted he'd last long in play time, especially on a work day and especially without Anthea present. There was only so much you could expect from the man even if he had changed so much.

Anthea was prepared to find Mycroft in the office and to give him a full report there. She was prepared to find Margot asleep in her crib clutching Patches. She was not prepared for this. Mycroft was still on the floor of the living room although it appeared as though it was not by choice. He had obviously taken the expect position behind Margot that Anthea had. Except now instead of sitting up and playing with toys Margot was asleep. Her little head rested on Mycroft's thigh and, to no one's surprise ever, she had patches in her hands. Mycroft himself looked wrought with helplessness. His eyes light up when he saw Anthea like she was a beacon of hope. Anthea felt like she was on the verge of laughter.

"You're still here." She said in surprise. She managed to supress said laughter extremely well and instead just looked extremely amused.

"I couldn't move if I wanted to." Mycroft spoke in a hushed tone for Margot's sake. Anthea frowned.

"What do you mean?" She asked in confusion. Mycroft nodded down at Margot. Anthea cocked her head to the side.

"Margot is asleep." Mycroft explained in frustration.

"So?" Anthea laughed just a little bit. Mycroft's face fell into that hopeless helplessness again.

"Well I couldn't exactly move her now, could I?" He hissed as effectively as he could while still being quiet.

"Why not?" Anthea laughed just a little bit more, smiling wide. She did it all the time. She rocked Margot to sleep then put her in her crib. Mycroft looked down at Margot again, his eyebrows high into his forehead.

"Look at her." He said. Anthea was and she still didn't get it.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"She's so peaceful. How could I possibly ruin that for my own comfort?" He asked. That's when the laughter really escaped. Delightful laughter and the adorably absurd situation. Anthea's heart burst with sunshine and love as she covered her eyes and laughed at her partner. Dear God, Margot was going to eat him alive when she was older. Look how the great Mycroft Holmes already crumbled to her whims. Anthea gave into her a lot to but this was ridiculous. Especially with Mycroft's touching thing.

Oh!

Ah….

That explains why he looked particularly uncomfortable. He was really good with Anthea and Margot but he had a small human lying on him for what could be about an hour now. She could imagine the vice around his heart. But he still didn't move her. He would have told Anthea, in the kindest way possible, to leave him alone ages ago by now.

Anthea sat on the floor on the other side of the toy valley facing Mycroft and Margot.

"What are you going to do when she's older and doesn't want to do something?" Anthea asked. Mycroft gained some of his composure back then and pompousness as he rolled his eyes.

"By then she'll be able to communicate and no doubt developed some annoying habit off of you or I that I can focus on in times like then in order to turn her down. Even the people we care for the most are sometimes unlikable." He said as the Mycroft Holmes he presented himself to be. "But right now while she's so venerable and innocent, while there's years before the world forces it's darkness onto her like it has to all the rest of us, it's impossible to ruin her happiness." He said like the Mycroft Holmes he really was. Anthea crawled over toy valley and kissed Mycroft on his cheek. His stiffened and forced himself not to pull away but he'd get the sentiment behind the kiss either way and Anthea had learnt not to be offend by that. Especially when he'd been stuck with physical contact for over an hour.

"Why don't I make both of you more comfortable?" She asked, or rather said since she didn't expect an answer. Anthea scooped Margot up as gently as possible and stood up just as smoothly to ensure she didn't wake the little girl up. The relief on Mycroft's face was so obvious for once anyone could read it. There might have been a bit of sadness mixed in but just a little bit.

Anthea took Margot and tucked her into crib where she was better of sleeping. After a bit more work Anthea would wake her up for a feed and a bit of Mummy time. Then she headed to Mycroft's office to finally fill him in on how the errands went.

The door to the office was open, Anthea could see Mycroft sitting at his desk on his computer, but she knocked first out of habit and politeness then entered.

"Want to hear about my errand run?" She asked. Mycroft hummed in affirmative as he read something on the computer.

"But first," He said, eyes on the screen. "Come here." With an outstretched arm in Anthea's direction he beckoned to her by waving his fingers.

Anthea came up to stand by Mycroft's chair. She suspected he wanted to show her something on the computer. Apparently not. Mycroft swivelled his chair around to face Anthea. He picked up her hand, brought it up to his face and placed his lips against her fingers just below the knuckles. He looked over her hand fastidiously and lovingly as his thumb caressed the place he had just kissed.

"Now you may tell me." He said.

Author's Note: So what do you think? I think it turned out pretty well! I needed something easy like this right now. Thanks to last chapter's guest reviewers; Guest. Enola, Janeeeee, and Bug. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers. You guys are the best! I'll see you all in seven days!