Significant Glitch

Chapter 14

Lilly looked the wooden doors up and down, not quite sure what she was even doing there. She sighed and knocked, awaiting the response. Despite her mixed feelings about meeting with Alvarie, she felt it was somewhat necessary.

"Who is it?" A voice called from the other side.

She laughed a bit. "Satan." After a short silence, Lilly scratched her head. "I-it's Lilly." Shortly after this, the door opened a crack, revealing half of a tired looking face. Lilly smiled awkwardly. "Hey...!" She looked down. "I uh... Wanna talk?"

Alvarie opened the door a bit wider. "Um, sure?" She said with great uncertainty.

Lilly smirked, the voice inside her head screaming with awkwardness. "Um, so..." She trailed off, not sure where to begin. Alvarie gazed back at her, her eyes glazed over with lack of sleep.

"You could start by explaining why you're here." Alvarie offered, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

She looked up quickly and took a breath. "Right, well, Sherlock hasn't been back for a few hours and I'm starting to worry." Lilly bit her lip. "I mean, not that I don't think he can handle himself, it's just that..." She trailed off again, not knowing how to dig herself out of the caring hole she had dug herself into.

"He was here like a few hours ago I think."

Lilly rolled her eyes knowingly. "Mycroft." She spun around, already heading down the hallway. "You should come; they'll be having a glare-off. Quite hysterical, actually." Alvarie shut the door behind her, following after Lilly without a word.

***

After several minutes of dazed walking, Alvarie realized they had turned the same corner multiple times. "Um, do you know where you're going?" She asked hesitantly.

Lilly spun to face her, an awkward smile plastered on her face. "Not a clue...?"

"Take a left up there and his office is the second door on the right." Alvarie offered, smiling and pointing down the hall. "Trust me, I've done a hell of a lot of eavesdropping outside that door."

With a small laugh, Lilly nodded and walked this time in the right direction. "This one?" She asked as they got to the door.

"Yep." Alvarie replied.

Lilly turned the knob and entered the silent room, sighing as she found the two sitting across from each other, glaring intensely. "How long has this been going on for?" She asked, crossing her arms.

Sherlock held his glare. "About an hour."

"Sounds fun!" Lilly walked over to Sherlock and waved her hand in front of his face. "You still there, Holmes? Or did you fly off to space again?" He snarled slightly and shooed her hand away.

Seizing her chance to escape, Alvarie attempted to duck out of the office before either of her family members noticed her presence. She had hoped that Lilly could work in her favor as a distraction but, unfortunately for her, Mycroft coughed loudly in her direction just as she had put one foot out the door. Backpedaling into the room, she stood, staring at her worn shoes awkwardly.

Lilly laughed quietly. "Whatcha two glaring about? Mycroft, don't you have a government to manage?"

"Technically, it is part of my duties to make certain that the morons of this country don't run about like wild horses." He responded, not breaking eye contact with his brother. "Speaking of which, I would love to know what my niece is doing lurking in doorways."

"What's it to you, Mikey?" Lilly stuck her tongue out mockingly. "I invited her along for the ride, if you really must know."

Alvarie rolled her eyes from across the room, exhausted and annoyed with her company. "Can I uh go...?"