Mycroft composed himself and made his way to the kitchen. He needed to have a talk with Tara. When he entered the kitchen, he cringed at the mess he saw. Tara stood there cleaning the counter. She was covered in flour. This was definitely the doing of the 2 1/2ft tall troublemaker that Tara had let into their house.
Tara looked up at him and smiled nervously. She knew very well Mycroft didn't really like children. No 'not didn't like', the right word for it was despised. He despised children. On most occasions, he tolerated Rosie at best. And now Rosie was spending the weekend in their house.
'Hey' she said softly.
He gave her a curt nod and strode forward, standing in front of the counter.
'I found it' Rosie cheered as she stood up from under the counter with a baking tray in her hands.
Mycroft eyed the flour-covered girl and tried to hide the disgusted expression that appeared on his face.
'Hi, Mikey!' Rosie beamed at him, ran over to him, and hugged his leg.
Mycroft clenched his jaw and then took a moment to hide his irritation. 'Yes. Hello, Ms. Watson. And the name is Mycroft if you could possibly struggle till the end' he said awkwardly, trying to hide the irritation in his voice. He hated it when people didn't use his given name. He didn't even give Tara the liberty to give him a nickname. It was bad enough his mother insisted on calling him Myc. Rosie calling him 'Mikey' was just an abomination. She was still clinging to his leg, so he unwrapped her hands. 'Why don't you save some of that unrequited affection for Tara here?' he said and shot Tara a glare as he awkwardly picked up Rosie by her arms and handed her to Tara.
Rosie scrunched her face at his words and folded her hands over her chest.
Before Mycroft could say anything more hostile, Tara decided to intervene 'Rosie, why don't you go clean up while I get dinner ready? Mrs. Green will help you?' Tara said sweetly to Rosie.
The girl didn't argue and obediently went with Mrs. Green.
'Mycroft Holmes, what the hell is wrong with you? She is a child' Tara scolded as soon as Rosie was out of their hearing range.
'What the bloody hell is wrong with you? What is Dr. Watson's offspring doing here?' he retorted.
She sighed 'Harry relapsed. John had to go take care of her. Sherlock and Molly are busy with a case and Mrs. Hudson is away for the weekend. He didn't have a choice. I wasn't going to say no just because you don't like kids' she explained and rolled her eyes when she saw Mycroft dusting off the flour Rosie had gotten on his suit.
'I don't care. Keep it away from me' he said and started walking towards his study. 'Tell Mrs. Green, I'll take my dinner in the study' he said without even looking at her and practically ran into the study.
Tara sniggered as he fled, how could she not. Mycroft Holmes running away from a 4-year-old like she was some monster. Mycroft spent the rest of the evening in his study, and as he said, he had his dinner in his study. Tara gave Rosie her dinner and put her to bed.
At the end of the day, Tara was exhausted. It had been a very difficult week in the bakery she was just looking forward to relaxing this weekend. She was hoping taking care of Rosie wouldn't be as exhausting. So, after she put Rosie to bed, she went to bed too.
Mycroft had had a stressful week too and as if that wasn't enough, Tara had taken to babysitting the Watson brat. He had to hide in his own house because of her.
It had been a long time since he had to smoke alone. He had gotten used to sharing his cigarette with Tara but today she was asleep and he desperately needed to smoke. So, he was going to smoke alone today. He stood on his balcony and opened the cigarette case that Tara kept there. He brought a cigarette to his lips, cupping its end with one hand, he took the lighter outside the case and lit it. He slowly inhaled, his eyes drifted shut as a sense of calm washed over him.
'I don't think you should be smoking' he heard a familiar voice and grimaced at it, just when his day had started to get a little better, there she was again.
'Oh, dear! God help me now!' he muttered to himself. 'Ms. Watson, you are supposed to be in bed' he stated as a matter of fact and extinguished his cigarette.
The girl was standing at the balcony door and staring up at him with her sleepless eyes. 'You shouldn't smoke. Daddy says Uncle Greg puts people who smoke in jail.' She said and completely ignored his last statement.
Mycroft raised his eyebrow and smirked 'Way to avoid the matter at hand, child. And what did Sherlock say to that?' he asked and played along.
'I don't know. Before he could say anything, Daddy threw a book at his face' she told him.
'What a fitting reply for Sherlock, I should remember that next time' he muttered.
'What?!' Rosie asked since she didn't hear him clearly.
'Nothing you need to know. You should be in bed' he told her.
'And you shouldn't be smoking' Rosie shot back.
So, she was challenging him now. Mycroft accepted the challenge 'This is my house, child. I can do whatever I want in here' he told her.
'But daddy says smoking is bad for you' she told him.
'It is, but....' He stopped himself right there. It probably wasn't a good idea to tell a child that even if smoking was bad for his health, it was good for his stress. Dr. Watson would have his head if he did that. 'Why are you out of bed?' he asked changing the topic smoothly. If Dr. Watson's deceptive little brat could do it, so could he.
'I can't sleep' she slouched and looked down at her feet, pouting.
No, no, no. That's how they get you. They are nothing but deceptive little parasites, feeding off of those larger than them, taxing burdens, little deviants, troublemakers.... He wasn't going to let those miniature features trick him into submission. He was better than that. Do not give in to the little rug rat's tricks, he told himself. 'Go back to your room, get into bed, close your eyes and try to sleep' he said sternly.
'I tried it. It doesn't work' she whined.
'Well, then try again' he told her.
'But I can't sleep, Mikey' she whined
'You will stop calling me that. The name is Mycroft' he told for the umpteenth time. Why could this girl not understand such a simple thing? What was Sherlock teaching her anyway? He thought.
'It's difficult and ridiculous' she told him.
'It is not. Now go back to bed' he said sternly.
'No' she stomped her foot and folded her arms across her chest.
Mycroft sighed in exasperation. 'What will it take to get you to sleep?' he asked in irritation.
Rosie thought for a minute 'Hot Chocolate' she said doubtfully.
'Alright, but you better sleep after that.' He warned and strode to the kitchen.
Rosie followed him. 'Can I help?' she asked excitedly.
'Just because I live with her doesn't mean I've turned into her. You will sit and wait' he said and picked her up, plopping her down on the barstool.
After he made her some hot chocolate, he took her back to the guest bedroom she was staying in.
'Get in' he said and lifted the comforter.
Rosie smiled and jumped into the bed.
'Aren't you going to tuck me in?' she asked when Mycroft started walking away.
He sighed and tucked her in with her dinosaur.
'Aren't you going to tell me a bedtime story? Daddy always does.'
He gave her a warning glare 'Don't push it, child. Do I look like Dr. Watson to you?' he asked.
'Please' she begged 'It would help me sleep' she told him and pouted her lips.
Tricks like that did not work on Mycroft Holmes. 'No'
'I'll scream and wake up TM if you don't' she threatened.
Well now, that did work on Mycroft Holmes. 'How about that Sherlock did teach you a thing or two. Alright' he sighed.
Mycroft went and sat beside her on the bed. He pushed her away when she tried to snuggle close to him. She frowned but didn't fight back. She had pushed the man enough for one night. Mycroft thought about what he could possibly tell a 4-year-old for storytime. When he took too long to start, Rosie helped. 'You can start with once upon a time'
'Right' Mycroft knew that. He just didn't know what to say after that. 'What kind of stories does your father usually tell you?' he asked when he couldn't think of something.
'Daddy makes up stories about princes and princesses, fairy godmothers, and animals'
'Really?' Mycroft asked and grimaced. Rosie smiled and nodded. John Watson was such a cliché. For a child who lived with Sherlock, he had expected more gore. It was like Sherlock had zero influence on the child. He decided to stick to what Dr. Watson did. 'Alright then. Once upon a time in a far, far land lived a prince. For years he lived a lonely life. He took care of the entire kingdom; And though he had a mother, a father, and younger siblings, he was still lonely...........' He decided to tell her, his love story. She wouldn't guess it, and it made for a great fairy tale romance. She didn't stay up till the end and dozed off in the middle. Mycroft thanked his lucky stars. He had no idea where he was going with that story. He took the escape and sneaked quietly out of her room.
............
Tara was making breakfast when Rosie walked into the kitchen.
'Good morning, sweet cheeks' Tara said as she kissed her and ruffled her hair.
'Good morning, TM' she smiled sleepily, her blonde hair was a mess and not because Tara had just ruffled it.
'Have you brushed your teeth?' Tara asked her.
'Yes'
'Good girl. I'll have your breakfast ready in just a minute' she said as she flipped the pancakes.
'Mykie' Rosie jumped when she saw Mycroft and started running towards the man.
'No. Get back' he almost yelled and stepped away from her. Not again, he just woke up.
Tara sniggered and held the little girl back before she could crash into Mycroft.
Mycroft walked over to the kitchen table and grabbed an apple as usual. He washed it and started cutting it. He looked over to Tara.
'Really? Chocolate chip cookies yesterday and chocolate chip pancakes today? You shouldn't be spoiling the doctor's offspring like that' he whispered.
'Oh, come on, Mycroft! It's the best part. I can spoil her rotten and at the end of the day John gets to take her home' she joked but the hint of hurt didn't go unnoticed by Mycroft.
He ignored the feeling of guilt that was creeping up and said 'Nevertheless. She should be eating healthy' he told her.
'Okay!' she threw her hands up in surrender. She took the plate of apple slices that Mycroft had served for himself and put it in front of Rosie 'Here, sweetie! Breakfast!'
'That was mine' Mycroft whined.
'Well, if you hadn't poked your pointy nose in it, it still would've been yours' she said as she flipped the pancakes onto a plate.
Rosie sniggered and bit on her apple slices. 'Can I have some pancakes too?' she asked sweetly.
'Of course, sweetie' Tara told her. 'After you have finished your apple slices' she added after she got Mycroft's 'You are an idiot' look.
Rosie sulked a little but finished her apple slices nonetheless.
'TM, what are we going to do today?' Rosie asked and stuffed her mouth full of chocolate chip pancakes.
'We could go to the arcade' Tara suggested.
'Or you could take her somewhere she actually learns something' Mycroft suggested 'Go easy on it, child. You might choke. It's not going to run away' Mycroft scolded Rosie, taking the fork forcefully out of her hand and putting it down. The girl was stuffing her face with pancakes. Were Sherlock and John starving the child?
'Since when do you care?' Tara asked him, tired of being corrected by Mycroft. She was also just trying to push his buttons since Rosie had already told her about the previous night.
'I don't. It's just a suggestion. Learning could do the little brat some good.' he said coolly.
'Mikey, why don't we go to the museum?' Rosie suggested.
Mycroft looked at her in surprise and then at Tara 'Look at that! Dr. Watson and Sherlock haven't done irreparable damage yet' he said to her.
'Mikey!' Rosie tried to get his attention.
'Yes. I have other stressing matters to attend to, but Thomas can drive you both to the museum' he told her.
'Mycroft, why don't you join us?' Tara asked with a smirk.
'No' he glared at her and said without missing a beat.
'Please' Rosie asked, pouting and making a sad face.
'NO' Mycroft said sternly.
Then the girl did something Mycroft should have seen coming. Tears started welling up in her eyes and threatened to roll down her pink cheeks.
'Alright! I'll take you to the museum' he said in surrender. He despised children, that didn't mean he wanted to make one cry.
Tara and Rosie smiled in victory. 'Roro, go get dressed, sweetie' Tara told Rosie and cleared her plate.
Rosie jumped off her chair and ran towards Mycroft.
He backed away 'What are you doing?' he asked cautiously.
Rosie beamed and hugged him. Such a clingy child. Mycroft gave her an awkward pat on the head and when she didn't let go. 'Alright, that's quite enough' he said and pushed her away.
She smiled at him again and ran to her bedroom, screaming. 'Bye Mikey'
'Yes.' he said.
'It wouldn't kill you to be nice to her' she told him as she cleared the dishes.
'This is me being nice. If I have to be any nicer it would most certainly kill me' he told her as he made himself a cup of tea.
She walked up to him and wrapped her hands around his waist from behind. She gave a kiss on the cheek and said 'I love you, Mycroft Holmes' and hugged him tighter breathing in his scent.
'I know. I've been trying to not hold it against you' he joked and turned his head to kiss the top of her head. He turned around to face her, getting serious 'I need you to know that just because I put up with that little rug rat for a weekend does not mean I suddenly like children. If you are holding on to any hope that one day, I will magically start liking children, you should let it go. If you really want children, I don't want to be the one to hold you back but that is something I cannot give you. So, if you wish to end this relationship, for this reason, you can' he told her.
Tara sighed 'Mycroft, we have talked about this. I am not sure if I want kids but I am sure that I love you and that I want to be with you. I am saying this for the last time. I don't want to talk about this anymore.' She told him firmly.
He sighed 'I am sorry to have brought it up again' he knew he had upset her. He just didn't want her to wake up one day and resent him and regret everything. He had to be sure.
'You're going to have to make this up to me with a lot of sex' she whispered and looked up at him, biting her lip.
He chuckled 'I'll be happy to, dear' he said and kissed her.
.......
Hey Everyone!
I hope you liked this chapter. If you did, please vote, comment, and follow for more!
Thank you for reading. I hope you're all doing well!
Have a great day!😊