House Of Memories

- XXXVI -

The first week in December, Elina had travelled over up to Scotland before then going to Paris and venturing over to Austria to visit family. She assured their worries, celebrated in Christmas tradition early and reconnected with her father's side of the family in Scotland and Lancashire after over a decade of no contact. In Austria however, she resided for two nights at her great grandfathers mansion, Georg Von-Trapp. In fact the actress, Julie Andrews had acted as her grandmother in the film, The Sound Of Music.

Elina carefully walked down the steps from the jet she had privately hired with her cane in one hand and her handbag thrown over her opposite shoulder. She was still conscious to wear skirts or dresses so she stuck to trousers to avert the odd gazes she would of received.

London skies looked as dull as she had felt. Something wasn't right with her recently and perhaps it was because of Mycroft Holmes being so adamant to keep his distance mentally and emotionally whilst focusing his all into getting Magnussen and Moran to make their virtuous moves to see what would happen next.

Perhaps Mycroft was distant because he had spent a month very willing to open his home up to her and not really think through everything in terms of being so close and yet so far from her. Maybe her presence had made him feel alarmingly uncomfortable. Elina had hid her views on the matter, disguising it as her wanting to see family when in reality, she just wanted to give him the space he had clearly needed to sort out whatever he was going through. She did find it hypercritical though. Mycroft had gone absolutely mental because she had kept secrets and didn't remain truthful to him but it was perfectly acceptable for him to do so?

Considering that Elina had nothing else to do for the day besides being jet-lagged, she was chauffeured by sir Edwin from the airport in order to drop her belongings off at home, take her to her doctors appointment before then travelling together to the office so she could catch up on some work in her silent office.

As her fingers danced over the keys of her laptop, she still felt the sense of uneasiness. Perhaps it was because of the fact that she was so close yet so far from him. Lord help her if anything detrimental ever happened between the pair, she couldn't imagine what it would be like or lead to.

Sherlock had the sense to notice what was going on because he had gone through it himself. The only difference was, the younger Holmes accepted it in a way which it was seen. He accepted his admiration for the dominatrix which turned to love and married her no sooner later. It was no surprise to Sherlock as he sat in his brothers office across the hall from Elina and saw how adamant Mycroft was to keep up what Irene would call the ice-man facade.

Brushing to nine in the evening, Elina finished early, sending emails to all the correct people she had needed to send to before clocking off work and going to the underground garage. She wasn't meant to drive a manual car but she didn't see the harm considering that she had excellent motoring skills.

She rolled her eyes at hearing another set of footsteps approach and as she moved to unlock her car quicker in order to leave and avoid pleasantries. "Elina." The woman in question didn't need to think or even turn around to face the person to realise who it was. Mycroft's rich and smooth tone had Elina recoiling and wishing the floor would swallow her whole all at once. However she did hear in underlining, his surprise of seeing her.