Author's Note: Hey guys. I'm sorry. I could give you a thousand excuses about why this chapter is late – I have plenty. The real reason is that I pushed hard on the last few days of Nanowrimo and after I finished it (a day early) I honestly just didn't want to write anything for a few days. I think that story's got another 20000 words in it (my mum says more and we all know how bad I am at guessing lengths) but I didn't even want to touch that. Today (after a week-long headache lifted and I had four early nights) I finally felt like I could write again. I wrote this three short sessions today and I'm really pleased with it. I think it's worth the wait because if I forced something out it would have been shorter and thinner… If you get what I mean by that. 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 Varya Met Margot

Mycroft had been staring at his phone for the last ten minutes straight. He had a pout on his lips and besides lightly tapping one hand he did not move or make a sound. You would be forgiven if you thought this was taking place in the Diogenes Club. It wasn't. Anthea had been watching Mycroft for the final five minutes of those ten.

"Are you going to tell me what it is?" She asked, losing her nerve. "Unless it's existential and I wouldn't understand and you're just staring blankly in the direction of your phone and it has nothing to do with your phone." Mycroft blinked and looked wide-eyed over at Anthea. For a moment she thought it was indeed the second option. He took a breath.

"No, no." He lightly waved the hand that had previously been tapping. "I've been in talks with my cousin for the past few days." He (kind of?) explained.

"Varya?" Anthea asked. Mycroft stared at her blankly.

"No. The one I rarely talk to and have little in common with." He said sarcastically. Anthea pulled a face at him then smiled. Mycroft continued. "She is being offered an artist in residence here in London."

"Oh!" Anthea said in a lithe happy voice.

"She wants to come into the country to see the space and negotiate the contract in person before she agrees. Therefore she needs a temporary residence for a few weeks before returning to wherever she currently resides and moving all her belongings over."

"Ahuh…" Anthea hummed. She was following the trail of thought.

"Mummy says it's rude to let family stay in hotels regardless of how successful they may be." He continued. This sounded like a really recent conversation. Like sometime this week.

"So you offered Varya to stay with us?" Anthea asked, probably speeding the conversation up dramatically. Mycroft licked his bottom lip then pursed his lips.

"Yes." He drew out the one syllable word in his velvety voice. "However I told her that I would see if this was an issue for you first." He tilted his head to the side. "Given that there is a baby in the house, a guest might be problematic."

"The house is huge." Anthea pointed out. "Give her a room downstairs and we'll never see her. It's fine." Mycroft tapped his fingers again.

"So, that would be yes to letting Varya stay?" Mycroft hummed. As Anthea stared at him he continued to tap his fingers.

"You wanted me to give you a reason to say no, didn't you?" Anthea asked flatly. Mycroft quickly responded with a nod.

"If it came from you Mummy would have no reason to argue with me about it." He said. She was being used as a Violet shield. Anthea shook her head.

"Not going to happen." Anthea said. Mycroft scoffed and looked away.

Mycroft tapped his fingers.

Anthea frowned.

"I thought Varya was supposed to be your best friend." Anthea questioned.

"Oh, she is." Mycroft said with a sincere look on his face.

"Then what's the problem?" She shrugged.

"Oh, Anthea…" Mycroft said with a misunderstood and dejected sigh, looking away once more. "We can't all be like you and Sherlock are with friends."

Varya's arrival was like a whirlwind. Pure energy surged through the house from the moment security called ahead to say she had arrived and the car was heading up to the house. The doorbell even sounded louder when she rang it. Did the house recognise her? Was the house excited for her energy? Or did the house respond well to any energy that had a Violetesque feel to it like Varya and to extent Jamie.

If you needed any sign that this was Mycroft's self-assigned best friend he did not moan, groan, or roll his eyes when the security called. Nor did he hesitate for longer than a second when the doorbell sounded. Neutral face, of course, he was on his feet pretty quick. Anthea left Margot safely in her activity set and followed Mycroft as far as the door between the living room and the entrance hall so she could keep an eye and ear out for little Margot.

Anthea caught eye of a blonde woman at the front door. So Varya had changed her hair again. Mycroft clicked his tongue. Even without being able to see him face Anthea knew that meant he was annoyed.

"That is a ridiculous amount of luggage for two weeks." He hummed.

"Oh, hush." Anthea heard Varya's voice. "First of all I was planning to store some in one of your empty closest. Secondly, I would hope you of all people would realise you can never have too many well-tailored clothes. I have a suit or two in here that you might even be envious about." Mycroft folded his arms across his chest.

"Italian?" He asked. Varya scoffed.

"Italian." She mocked him. "Armani, cousin."

"I can still buy Armani here, Varya." Anthea could imagine Mycroft's cold stair.

"Not like this, you can't." She sung, sounding like her father and her aunt at the same time. "But enough of that. No hugs today?" From behind Mycroft, Anthea saw long arms extend. A pause. Mycroft tilted his head.

"Not now. Perhaps later." He said.

"Of course." Varya hummed. "But let me give you one of these." Varya stepped close and now Anthea could see her face. The artist cupped the side of Mycroft's face with her hand for a fleeting moment and Mycroft let her. Anthea broke out into a smile and her heart was on the verge of bursting. Mycroft and his best friend – this was what it looked like. It was a little bit of bickering followed by a lifetime of understanding that went into how to great each other properly. Touchy feely artist couldn't hug the cold, calculating and issue riddled Mycroft and so the gentle touch was the compromise. Not many people would appreciate just how special that was.

"Last time I saw you blonde," Mycroft began after Varya had removed her hand from his face. "You were eighteen and told me to take my big nose out of your business and leave you alone."

"That's right." Varya nodded. She grabbed the handles of two of her suitcases and dragged them passed the threshold. "And you didn't speak to me for about a year." Mycroft stepped outside and came back in with a third suitcase.

"I did what you asked." Mycroft hummed.

"I hated you more for that. I think I drunk called you on my birthday." Varya laughed.

"You did." Mycroft nodded. He closed the front door. "That's why I spoke to you at Christmas." Varya laughed. Mycroft pulled on his cufflinks, looking calm and suave. Anthea chuckled from the living room door. Varya looked her way and gasped.

Varya coming off a plane looked every bit the artist. Her shirt – obvious a comfortable shirt for the flight – had oil paint stains on the sleeves. Her blonde hair was more of an hombre with the roots her natural brown. Her trousers were nice, though. Too big for her but clearly expensive. Now Anthea had spent more time with Rudy she could see him in a lot of Varya's features. It made Varya look more like Violet and more like her cousins.

"There's the only person in this house who'll talk to me like a normal human being!" Varya exclaimed. She held out her arms again and walked towards Anthea. Anthea laughed again and hugged Varya.

"Hello Varya." She said, humour still dancing in her words. Varya squeezed Anthea and let her go… almost… She held her by the shoulders.

"Hello, Anthea, dear." She said with such love. "How are you? How is motherhood treating you?" Anthea nodded a few times.

"I'm good." She said. She secretly wondered how much Varya knew about the proposal incident… Anthea wasn't going to bring it up. "It's hard but I love a challenge and I love that little girl." Anthea smirked. Varya cooed. With big doe eyes she looked back at Mycroft and then at Anthea again.

"I have been so excited to meet Margot, it's all my PR people have heard about since we started organising this London nonsense." Behind Varya Mycroft rolled his eyes. Anthea gave him a naughty and playful look. He smirked back.

"She's in here." Anthea nodded to the living room. Varya clasped her hands together and walked past Anthea. In their brief moment just the two of them, Mycroft sighed at Anthea.

"Why did I agree to this?" He asked.

For a lot of reasons Anthea thought. Instead she looked at Mycroft knowingly.

"I don't know." She said.

"Hello!" Varya sung from the living room. Anthea turned around and walked into the room. Mycroft abandoned the suitcases in the entrance hall to follow suit.

Varya had scooped Margot up. She currently held her up and above her Lion King style except with Margot facing her. The little girl thought it was brilliant; smiling like a tiny maniac.

"Aren't you just the smallest Holmes I've seen in decades?" Varya spoke in that voice everyone speaks to babies in. It made Mycroft roll his eyes again this time with a face full of disdain. Anthea just thought the whole thing was cute. Varya brought Margot close to her body. She stroked Margot's hair. "Brown wavy hair, big blue eyes. Yup, you're related to my cousins alright." She looked over at Mycroft, eyes glittering with naughtiness. "I had my suspicions that it was impossible for my cousins to procreate but looking at you, you fit in well. Maybe too well."

"Oh, quiet Varya!" Mycroft hissed. Varya chuckled as she bounced Margot.

"No, no. She can't be a clone. She's too pretty like her Mummy to be a clone." Varya finished her little joke. Anthea rubbed Mycroft's arm to stop him from making a comment.

"Mama!" Margot beat Mycroft to it anyway. Varya gasped.

"Yeah!" She sung to the little girl. "You look like her, you do. You've got her little nose." Varya touched Margot's nose. Margot blinked then pulled a face, leaning back. Anthea leaned into Mycroft.

"Yeah, my nose as opposed to your big one that gets in everyone's business." She teased. Mycroft looked at her with a quirked eyebrow.

"Says the eavesdropper." He hummed. Anthea crinkled her nose.

"Just doing what I get paid the big bucks to do." She teased. Mycroft rolled his eyes again but this time with a smile.

"I know I love children more than you two do," Varya brought them back to the present time. "But this little baby is very cute."

"We know." Anthea boasted proudly, standing up straight. Varya noticed by the small way her lips tugged into a slightly bigger smile.

"I hear she called for Mycroft first." Varya said. Anthea's posture deflated. Mycroft looked cocky. "She knows who's harder to warm up and who needs more work put in right from the beginning." Mycroft's face fell and Anthea smirked at him. "She might be a little genius like the rest of Aunty Violet's direct genetic line."

"Jealous, Varya?" Mycroft hummed.

"No." Varya scoffed. "I'm not Daddy, Mycroft." She muttered before kissing Margot on the forehead. A dark cloud descended across the room. Mycroft began playing with the ring on his right finger, watching it intensely. Anthea rubbed at her neck.

Varya put Margot back down in her activity centre. She tried to hand Margot a toy but Margot ignored her and went for Patches. Varya laughed and stroked Margot's hair again. She stood up, stretched out her back, and then turned to Mycroft and Anthea. She smiled sombrely.

"Don't feel awkward on my behalf." She said as she placed her hands on her hips. "I was the favourite. Oscar was the one of average intelligence and therefore as all the issues about it."

"Oscar is about as emotionally intelligent as a teenager…" Mycroft uttered quietly as if he thought better of it just before he began speaking. Had it been another time Anthea might have said something about those in glass houses and throwing stones. She looked from Mycroft to Varya.

"It's not that." Anthea said. "It's, ah, what we had to do to your dad." Had Anthea not been so trained at schooling her emotions she might have winced at herself. Varya tried to smile through a level of sadness and never before had she looked so related to the Holmes siblings. A sadness beyond most people's understanding of the emotion. Her paintings were pretty dark when you thought about it.

"I hadn't forgiven Daddy for what he did to Eurus. I'm not mad at you two for what had to be done. Mycie and I have talked about it extensively over the phone." She said. Anthea and Varya both looked at Mycroft. The genius kept looking at his ring. Anthea was a little surprised that Mycroft had spoken in detail to Eurus about it when he avoided talking about it. She wasn't surprised he kept that from her. Maybe he just felt he owed Varya a personal explanation. Anthea just hated to think of him worrying himself sick over making that phone call when she knew how much he didn't want to tell Violet.

Anthea looked at Varya. She took a breath.

"Have you –"

"Spoken to him since he's been exiled?" Varya finished Anthea's sentence. She nodded. "Oh, yes. Visited him? I don't think I'll be able to do that until it's almost too late."

"Varya." Mycroft sighed. He was looking at his fingernails now.

"I know, I know." Eurus waved him off – such a Mycroft like action. "But it's different. I promised you I'd keep it in mind, and I will, but I don't think it's going to change my mind."

Mycroft looked up. He and Varya held each other's gaze. Mycroft looked up and sighed.

"I'd much rather be talking about how brilliant my daughter is." He said. Varya smiled gently.

"I can do that." She nodded. "I've also been looking forward to seeing pictures of this Hope you talk about." Anthea perked up at this. "Sherlock sends me photos of his niece but doesn't talk about her. You talk about your niece but don't send me photos. If I didn't know the two names I'd think it was the same kid." Anthea turned to Mycroft and grinned.

"You talk to Varya about Hope?" She asked, trying her best not to giggle. Mycroft scowled.

"Of course I do." He hissed. "You make me spend so much time with James and Jamie. When Varya asks what I do in my spare time I don't have much else to offer her." Anthea pursed her lips together to stop from laughing and shook her head.

"James has come to the office once a week since I started working for you." Anthea pointed out. "I'm pretty sure you guys don't need that much contact time."

"Oh, are you?" Mycroft asked sarcastically.

"Yeah," Anthea laughed with a nod. "I am."

"Wow." Varya exclaimed. She folded her arms across her chest. "You Holmes's just have no idea how to have relationships with people that doesn't involve challenging everything they say, do you?" Mycroft frowned as he turned to his cousin.

"What?" He asked.

"It's like every conversation is a competition that you have to win." She said.

"Yes!" Anthea agreed. Finally, someone had put it in its most simplest form! That's exactly right! They had to win everything… And Anthea loved it a little bit. Mycroft looked between the two women.

"Or maybe the problem is we attract argumentative people into our lives." He hummed with a hint of annoyance in his tone.

"Nope." Anthea shook her head.

"I got stuck with you. You didn't attract me." Varya said at the same time.

A pause.

"So the next time you come to London you'll have your own home ready, yes?" Mycroft asked Varya with the most venomous smile ever seen. Varya laughed.

"Calm down," She hummed happily. "I'll be out of your hair for the most part."

"Good." Mycroft drawled.

This was the friendship Mycroft declared as the most important one in his life, ergo his best and only. Anthea would have loved to have seen what they were like together when they hated each other for a few years.

Author's Note: I hope that was worth the little wait. I tossed out the idea of bringing Varya back on Tumblr and people got excited. So I thought I'd give her a reason to be in at least one more chapter after this. Let me know what you thought. Thanks to guest reviewers; Observant Potato, Ann's List, Madalina, and New-Reviewer. Thanks to all my readers. It means a lot. Thank you for your patience. I hope to see you in exactly a week.