I am not lonely [Mystrade]

CHAPTER 110 : Grace Louise Madison Taylor

Mycroft stepped in the hospital ward, huffing at the smell of  disinfectant and cleaning products. It was probably the first time he  was rather joyful at the idea of visiting someone in a hospital room and  despite the environment, he was smiling discreetly, humming a stupid  tune he had heard on the radio while making his way to the Hammersmith  Hospital. He knocked softly on the door showing the number 16 and  straightened his tie before being invited in by a female voice.
"Good morning Anthea. I hope I am not disturbing you." the auburn smiled shyly, approaching from the hospital bed.
"Good morning sir." the woman smiled back. "Thank you for coming. You are the first one."
"It's  normal. With all the time we spend together I could at least pay you a  visit." retorted the official, grinning. "Gregory would have loved to  come but he've been called early this morning on a case. He gives you  his best wishes."
"You'll pass him my greatest thanks." nodded the assistant.
"I will." assured the elder Holmes.
"Do you want to see her ?" the young lady proposed, gesturing toward the little cradle beside her bed.
"So it's a she ?" acknowledged Mycroft. "And does this little miss have a name ?"
"Mycroft Holmes, I introduce you miss Grace Louise Madison Taylor." Anthea  smiled softly as the man was making his way around the bed to the  cradle and offered his annular to the little girl who grabbed it with  her little fists.
"Good morning Grace, you are going to be a really really special little girl." the auburn whispered softly to the baby who was looking at him, curious.
"You can take her if you want." suggested her mother.
"I ... I don't know ... I'm not sure I know how to do that ..." admitted the man, slightly biting his lower lips, uncertain.
"Oh, come on, a big boy like you." chuckled the woman. "I'm sure you've already held a baby."
"A  baby yes. A new born ? Not since my younger sibling's birth I'm  afraid." answered the official, running tenderly his finger over the  little girl's cheek.
"I trust you fully to know what to do, but you are the only one able to decide." smiled the PA.
"Alright  little darling, apparently your mummy is sure I'm not going to break  you. Let's prove her right, shall we ?" murmured the elder Holmes,  picking up the infant from her cradle and lifting her carefully, placing  her against his chest, his long arm support her body, a steady but still soft and warm hand under her head.
The  little girl let out a little warble before closing her eyes and having a  grip on the tall man's waist coat with her fist. Mycroft smiled at the  sight of the new born already fast asleep in his arms and sat down in  the armchair placed just beside the bed. He was finding her utterly  beautiful despite the fact of not being too much into baby usually and  during some long minutes the three of them remained silent, the auburn's  look hooked on the infant, the warmth of her body against his chest  feeling strangely comfortable and relaxing.
"How is the office ?" suddenly wondered Anthea, diverting her boss from the child.
"Hmm  ? Oh, it's alright don't worry. People seem to behave at the moment."  replied the official, surprised. "But it's none of your concern at the  moment. You should enjoy your time with this little one, as you said,  I'm a big boy, I can manage don't worry."
"Oh, she sleeps most of the  time, that allow me some time to think. But I admit I kind of  appreciate having some time to rest a little." grinned the young woman.
"I've  already said it, but I'm saying again to make sure you understand it :  take as much time as you want. It's your special moment, enjoy it." the  elder Holmes warned her gently.
"You haven't taken any days after you  welcomed Alden." remarked the assistant, shifting her body a little to  have a better look at her boss and her daughter.
"He wasn't a new  born. But don't do the same mistake." retorted the auburn. "Enjoy her,  they grow way to fast and before you'll know it she will be in school  and not believing in Santa Klaus anymore ..."
"Don't worry, as I said you, I'd like to take a couple of months off just her and me." winked the lady.
"I'd  like you to work a little less, you know, have more time to come back  to Grace in the evening. I thought I could hire a secretary, for the  paper work and all that. You'd stay my assistant for the thing very  important and to advise me but you wouldn't have to do all the  administrative part. What do you think of that ?" Mycroft propose shyly.
"You would do that ?" wondered Anthea, astonished.
"Yes.  Only if you are okay with it of course." nodded the official. "At the  moment I have no other choice than having two people to do your work and  they are still under your efficiency. You are working too much ..."
"Well,  I suppose that I could see the appeal in that." grinned the young  woman. "But you don't have the budget for two assistant, do you ?"
"Don't  worry about that, I'll figure it out." the elder Holmes reassured her.  "It's been years I'm suppose to give you a pay raise and you refuse it.  I'll make sure you'll have all what you need to raise this young  miracle."
As he was turning back his head to the little girl, smiling  softly at her angelic expression, they heard a knocking on the door and  a middle-aged doctor entered the room, grinning, followed by a young  male nurse.
"Good morning, Mrs Taylor." the doctor wished Anthea. "And that must be Mr Taylor ? Nice to meet you, Professor Davies."
"This  is no Mr Taylor, doctor." the assistant chuckled, exchanging a look  with her superior. The elder Holmes had first looked rather perturbed and shocked  before seeing the funny side of it and he was now laughing quietly,  making sure not to awake the baby.
"I'll better be off now maybe." suggested  the auburn, raising to his feet and carefully placing back the infant  in her cradle, unhooking her hand from his waist band, and running a  last gentle finger on her cheek.
"Thank you for your visit." smiled the mother. "Come back whenever you want. And all my best to Gregory."
"Take care of you and your little miracle and stop worrying about me." smirked the official before exiting the room.
He made his way back to the car park  were his Jaguar was awaiting him, all cheesy after having met the  little girl, the smile he usually saved for Alden and Gregory spreading  uncontrollably across his face. He entered the car and the driver took  off for the Diogene Club without the official even ordering him. Mycroft  grabbed his phone and suddenly realised he had promised his partner to  take a picture of the new born.
"Anthea give you her greatest thanks. Miss Grace Louise Madison Tylor is gorgeous and can't wait to meet you ( tho she is not that talkative yet, but she seemed to liked your smell on my clothes ... ).  I may have been a little too hooked to her to remember to take a  picture so you will have to visit her in person. See you tonight. I love  you. M-" he composed before sending the text to his husband .
The replied came not even two minutes later. "We really can't count on you. And to say that the future of the free world fall on your shoulders ... Ghastly ... ;) I promise I'll be there next time you'll visit her. See you. Love. G-".  The elder Holmes laughed at his boyfriend's remarks as the driver as  cursing the other drivers in mid voice and switching on the blue lights  to part the traffic.

"Is it me or is she growing that fast ?" wondered Mycroft, having a look at the baby girl in her cradle.
He  was visiting his assistant for the second time, four days after having  met Grace for the first time and the little girl was now completely  aware of what was going on around her. Anthea was supposed to return  home later that day and the official had proposed that his personal  driver could escort her back home to avoid to the young mother to have to take a taxi.
"I  think it's you sir." chuckled the woman before turning to Gregory who  had just entered the room after parking his own car out of the hospital.
"Good morning Anthea. How are you doing ?" he smiled to her, closing the room's door.
"Perfectly fine, what about you ? Mycroft told me you had quite a lot of work at the moment." nodded the lady.
"Fine, thank you." replied the inspector. "Yes, apparently good weather come with bad people."
"Gregory dear, look at her, isn't she lovely ?" the elder Holmes attracted his attention to the infant.
"Good morning Grace." grinned the older man, approaching of the cradle  and bending over the little girl. He ran a soft finger through the rare  hair on her scalp and the new born let out a little chirp. "She is  going to break hearts when growing up. Can I ?"
The PA nodded and  carefully, the detective lifted the baby, tenderly placing her against  his torso, an arm supporting her in a sitten position, the other hand  placed against her head, his lips softly brushing against the baby's  scalp. He smiled to his partner, the situation reminding him of the  first time he had held his first three babies, hours after they had been  born.
"Sir, may I ask you something ?" suddenly wondered Anthea, a shy smile plastered on her face.
"Yes sure." nodded the auburn, turning away from the baby girl to her mother.
"I  was thinking, I mean I don't know if it's really your thing but well I  suppose it's worth asking. I won't mind if you say no." she started, a  little confused. The official smiled encouragingly to her. "Well, I was  thinking, maybe you'd accept to be her godfather ? I'd be really  honoured but I would understand if you don't want."
"Her godfather ?" replied the elder Holmes surprised.
"If you don't want it's okay, it was just a silly idea. Forget it." quickly retorted the young woman.
"No.  No, I'd be really happy. Yes, I'd be honoured." Mycroft corrected,  beaming. "I wasn't expecting it but I think I can see myself in this  part yes."
"Really ? Thank you. I'm really honoured." the young mother smiled in relief.
"What do you think about that little Grace ? Would you like me as a godfather ?" the official whispered to the baby, stroking a tender finger on her cheek.

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This chapter is for you Ellie, I hope you liked it and won't say me it ripped the remains of your heart apart. ♥

The song featured in this chapter is called "L'orage" by a guy called PV Nova. You should go check his youtube channel if you liked this song :)

Love xxx Danny