Repens

"Don’t know how you're doing it but he's changing," Mrs. Hudson said with a small giggle.

"Change? He's Sherlock. He's not ever going to change," Stephanie laughed as if it were the most ridiculous thought ever spoken. How could she be so upset at him and so mad about him all at once?

"Oh but he is, dear! Every once and a while I'll notice something new?"

"For example…?"

"The two of you went out for the day, didn't you?"

"Yeah?"

"I can't remember a single time he's taken off the day like that. He's had the city memorized since he was a child and knows everything about everything. Him showing you around was quite the treat."

"I suppose," the girl absent mindedly replied. "He skipped work again today to take care of me."
Mrs. Hudson immediately noticed her overly thoughtful niece's silence. Following the direction of the girl's eyes, the old woman squinted out the window.

"What is it, love?"

"Mycroft," the young woman nearly hissed. First the building door opened and then there was a knock on the door of their flat. "Lowlife," Steph said under her breath.

"Be civil," her aunt replied, getting up from her chair. "I suppose you know what this is about?"
Her niece's icy glare was answer enough.

"Mycroft!" She welcomed him inside as if he was a member of the family. Steph hated that.
"Hello," the nuisance smiled, as much of a smile as government workers could muster. He walked right past her aunt and into the livingroom, his pleased eyes finding the redhead sitting too straight to be comfortable. "Good. I hoped you were down here."

"Instead of upstairs?" She didn't give him a moment to continue. "I don't live up there you know."

"Some would beg to differ with you, Miss Thomas," he chuckled with indifference filling his horrible thin face. "In fact, it has come to my attention that the two of you were seen out and about early just yesterday. And looking very happy from the sounds of it."

"Am I to guess that this source was following us?"

"Heavens no!" he crudely grinned. "Someone simply noticed and dropped me a line. People notice when people like my brother are acting strange- in this case, smiling and giving tours of London."

"Well, Google Earth simply didn't satisfy me. Wouldn't allow me to have a proper look inside St. Paul's cathedral. The internet is funny that way."

The elder Holmes had been making a conscious effort to mind his tone until now. It was exactly like arguing with his little brother. Unbelievable. If they should ever breed…

"Miss Thomas, I suggest you take the next flight or train back home."

"Mr. Holmes, I suggest you keep out of the affairs of 221B. He is your brother, I understand, but there is no reason for you to talk to me like this."

They both looked at a pale and frightened Mrs. Hudson at the exact same moment.

"If you are going to have at eachother, do it upstairs. I will not have any unnecessary domestics in my home."

Mycroft walked towards the door and opened it with false politeness, even gesturing for her to walk out first. Stephanie muttered a quick apology to her aunt before briskly walking out. The two silently stomped up the stairs and directly into the upstairs flat. Sherlock had been tampering with his violin and bow as John, back from the store, sat in his chair with a rather uneasy expression.

At first, Sherlock only rolled his eyes, until Mycroft sneered, "Good afternoon."

"A decent afternoon doesn't involve you so how on earth could you possibly presume a 'good' afternoon includes you in this flat?" All eyes darted towards the coy elder. They each waited for his futile reply.

"Already defensive? My, what has she done to you? First, strolling around Hyde Park. Then mummy and daddy's favorite choice of dinning?"

"That's quite enough," Steph darkly stated, burning holes into the unwanted visitor's head.

"Get to the point," Sherlock sighed, returning his bow to its proper place.

"My point is… If you want her kept safe, send her away."

"I'm not leaving. We already discussed this," the brave head-strong girl declared. Their recent fight was suddenly erased, as if it had never happened. They could sort everything out later. Now, they were in couple mode and nothing was going to change their minds.

"If you don't leave on your own, someone-sooner or later-will remove you and take you God only knows where." He paused with a quick grin. "I don't need to remind you of what happened earlier this week. The bruises healing properly, I hope?"

The enraged redhead was about to speak when her boyfriend unexpectedly took her hand.
"She's safe."

A wide eyed Stephanie glanced down at their hands. He was doing this now? In front of his brother? He must have been desperate to make their point.

"Steph has been staying here with someone at all times- never left unattended. And it would be most inconvenient for her to leave now of all times because she came down with something this morning."

His brother took several steps until he was nose to nose with his younger brother.

"And when she's better and you go on a long case? When it takes all night and she's laying practically naked in your bed waiting for you to get home? Mrs. Hudson couldn't possibly run up the stairs fast enough to save her, am I wrong?" He paused again, noticing the deepening red of his brother's forehead as a vein began to show. "Gone. Just like that. And this time, I can assure you, it will not be overgrown children that stole her. And it will not be a vacant factory building in London."

"I'm not afraid," a bold young voice spoke up from beside them.

Taking a single step away, Mycroft sarcastically smiled with delight.

"Not yet. But you will be." Her intense disgusted stare grew by the second. "If your own life being risked doesn't scare you enough, perhaps them threatening your beloved Sherlock's life will."

She nearly gasped at the thought. Her absente female instincts were betraying her- creeping in the very moment she couldn't give into them. It was a simple fact that if Mycroft suspected even a hint of feminine emotion behind her face, her words would mean nothing.

"We've already had this conversation, sir." She hissed the title. "In this very room, if I recall. And I hate reruns."

"Then look after yourself with extra pre-cautions," he gently yelled at her, leaning down a bit to stare her directly in the eyes. His attention suddenly returned to a silent Sherlock. "If you care for her the way you appear to, if you don't want to find her dead within the next week, you know what you must do."

"How dare you…" Steph began coughing in mid-sentence.

Sherlock glanced over to find his girlfriend extremely pail as if she were going to faint. He took her into his arms and carried her to her bed. She was very embarrassed but couldn't speak. No longer could she pretend she wasn't ill. Her body was betraying her. He tucked her in and kissed her head.
"Just rest," he whispered, all anger from before completely gone.

Sherlock left the room to run his brother out of the flat. Mycroft must have known what was coming because she heard him begin his exiting speech.

"Before I go, I thought you she see this. This little note was left on my desk earlier this morning." A pause. "Too close, Cassidy."

Everything was turning white, Stephanie passed out in silent panic, then the British government left the flat without another word.