The Man With The Umbrella

- 37 -

Startled by the noise, Amelia peered to her phone before rolling off Mycroft's chest to answer it. "Hello?"

"Amelia, can you, by any chance, do me a favour?" Mary spoke in a hushed out tone. Catching Amelia's attention, she sat up in bed and held her side of the duvet close to her chest. "Yes, of course. Mary, what's wrong?"

"I need you to keep Sherlock and John occupied this afternoon." Mary answered plainly. "Alright. If you're going to leave London, I'd suggest that wherever you go, to lead Ajay astray, perhaps use a dice in the equation."

"Jesus, Amelia. You catch on quick." Mary laughed out. "I know, I'm rather good at that." Amelia answered. "What do you want me to do?" She furthered. "I need you to attempt to get along with John. He's a good dad but sometimes it needs a woman's touch." Mary stated over the phone line. "You are trusting me, to look after Rosie?" She spoke flabbergasted whilst jumping out of bed to stalk to her wardrobe for some clothes.

"Of course. My daughter may learn a thing or two from you and Viola."

"How old is she now?"

"You don't know how old your niece is?"

"I forgot. Been busy." Amelia muttered out whilst popping the last button of her shirt in before tucking it into the waistband of her trousers. "She's over three months old." Mary answered. "Perfect!" Amelia chimed before cutting the call.

She then looked over to Mycroft. "Gotta visit our brothers, you coming?" She asked whilst zipping her boots up.

He rubbed his eyes slightly. Lying in bed in the middle of an afternoon, was something completely new and odd to the complex genre of Mycroft. Nonetheless, he noticed something in Amelia. Perhaps it was the spark that shined in her eyes. Mycroft deduced that Amelia wanted to see John. The question was, is she attempting to forgive him? Or is she just playing around? Of course, Mycroft knew...

"You want to see you brother." He relayed after a few seconds of analysis. "Wouldn't hurt to tease him a little." She spoke whilst collecting her bag and purse.

***

The duo of Holmes and Watson walked up the stairs of 221B after getting dropped off by Mycroft's private driver, Ben.

"Where's my beautiful niece at?" Amelia's voice rang out as she strutted into Sherlock's flat, with a swoosh of the door and with Mycroft trailing behind her. "Amy, what are you doing here?" John spoke as he began to stand from his chair with a letter in his hand.

"Amelia was the name I was given, Hamish. Perhaps it's in your best interest to remember that." She spoke loudly whilst stalking into the kitchen and opening each cupboard to collect a few of Rosie's belongings. "Couldn't you just knock?" Sherlock finally spoke, placing his violin on its stand, walking into the kitchen, nodding slightly at Mycroft in which he returned as a greeting.

Amelia turned on her heel with a shopping bag full of baby bottles before almost bumping into Sherlock on the way out of the room. "God, why do you Holmes lot have to be so tall?" She rhetorically stated before reaching up to kiss his cheek and walking around him to stalk to John.

"Mary's gone now, then?" She questioned again whilst handing the bag over to Mycroft and beginning to fold the travel cot up. "Yes, wait. How do you know that?" John questioned stupidly. "She called me. Told me to look after Rosie for a little while as a favour whilst you and Sherlock presumably try to find her. No human action is ever truly random." She evaluated whilst finally collapsing in Sherlock's chair.

The three men stared at her curiously before each taking a seat. John sat across from her and the Holmes brothers grasped the dining set of chairs. Mycroft angled his chair to sit beside Amelia with his umbrella tucked between his legs and Sherlock angled his chair to sit beside John whilst undoing his blazer's buttons. "John you're dreadfully stupid and Sherlock, you're a little slow. Must be the age that determines you." She pondered out thoughtfully but teasingly.