Childhood Memories

Chapter 37

Five seconds later he was out the door. Leaving the trio in the living area.

"What time is it?" Sherlock asked.

John looked at his watch, "About eight."

"I'm meeting with him in three hours," Sherlock said, "I need a bath."

John nodded, "It's for a case, you said?"

"Yep."

"What sort of case?" Lily asked.

"Not your kind of case, Lily," Sherlock said, "So don't ask me."

Lily watched as he began to walk to the bathroom. He stopped for a moment before turning to go to his room and she jumped up, "Don't go to your room!"

At that moment, however, Sherlock's door opened, and out stepped someone that John and Sherlock were very consciously aware of annoying Lily to no end. To see her here was a very big shock.

"How did you like Janine, Lily?" John asked.

Lily sipped on her tea and looked over at him, "Didn't like her. She was annoying, desperate, everything I'm glad I am not - oh, and the summary of what domestic looks like. I never want to see her again and I would be glad if Mary stopped being friends with her."

"Oh." John said, "Sherlock did you know this?"

Sherlock looked at him, "Of course I did, I just didn't know how annoyed with Janine she was."

"Very annoyed," Lily answered, "Janine makes my patience flair."

"Oh, John, Sherlock, hi." Janine waved in present-day 221B. Both boys had their eyes wide, gaze flickering between her and Lily.

"Nini," Lily smiled, "Come on, the boys were just passing."

"Janine?" John asked.

Janine looked at him as Lily rushed over, "Sorry. Not dressed. Lils, please let me get some coffee before you drag me back to do your hair."

"Lils?" Sherlock asked.

"Has everybody gone?" Janine asked, "I heard shouting."

 John nodded at the woman, "Yes, they're gone."

Sherlock just stared at Janine. Lily was trying desperately to get Janine out of their eyesight, "Please, Nini, let's go back to your room, okay, let the boys leave?"

Janine waved her off, "Lils, please," Her eyes turned to her watch, "God. We are going to be late, we need to get dressed. Lils go sit at my vanity and I'll do your hair, okay?"

Lily looked between John and Sherlock but eventually sighed and walked off back to Sherlock's - Janine's - room.

"Sounded like an argument in here. Was it Mike?" Janine asked.

Sherlock looked at Janine after following Lily's figure all the way to his room, "Mike?"

"Mike, yeah. Sherlock's brother, Mike. They're always fighting. Him and Lils."

"Mycroft." John clarified.

Janine nodded, "Do people actually call him that?"

"Nini!" Lily called.

Janine smiled a bit and nodded at the boys, "Sorry guys, best-friend duties call a girl to work don't they."

The two watched as she stalked off into the bedroom where Lily was and then followed by two low-pitched giggles.

John and Sherlock looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Nini?" John asked.

"Lils?" Sherlock replied.

-----

Later, to add to Sherlock and John's shock. Lily walked out with her hair brought up into a braided bun atop her head and she was wearing a professional button-up tucked into a skirt with black heels. In Sherlock's own head, very un-Lily-like.

"I assume you have questions," Lily said.

"Just one or two," John nodded, "You have a best friend?"

Lily nodded, "Yes, I have. Now, Sherlock tell me what you know about Magnussen."

"How do you know about Magnuseen?" Sherlock asked.

"Unimportant."

"Yes, you have," John said.

Lily looked at him, "Pardon?"

"You have a best friend." He clarified.

Lily rubbed a palm over her face, "What? Yes! Yes, I am best friends with Janine. I thought that was fairly is not evidently obvious."

"Yes. Well...yes," John muttered, "But, I mean you, you have a best friend. Like, you are in a friendship."

"Yes. I am."

"You and Janine?"

"Me and Janine."

John looked at Lily with skeptical eyes, "Elaborate for your father please."

Lily pouted but sighed and gave in, "Well, our friendship isn't heading for the rocks. It's um...very...affirming?"

Lily gave John her best smile but he shook his head and frowned, "You got that out of a book."

"I don't know what you want me to say!" Lily defended.

Janine finally exited the room and pulled Lily up, sweeping her hands across her shoulders and looking at her hair to make sure the bobby pins were secure, "Okay, you two bad boys, behave yourselves."

Lily looked up at her with calm eyes, like she was used to being like this with Janine and was comfortable and not annoyed at all.

"Alright, well we've got to dash. Work and all." Janine said.

"Work?" Sherlock asked.

"Yes, me and Janine have a job, Sherlock," Lily said.

John looked at Lily, "When did you get a job?"

"Unimportant."

 And with that, she and Janine walked out of the apartment and into the air of London to go to work. Janine a personal assistant, and Lily the assistant to the assistant.

In simpler terms, the assistant to the assistant of Charles Agustus Magnussen.