Hello again! :) I am soooo sorry that it's taken me so long to get this chapter posted! This summer has been absolute madness and the time just got away from me-I never intended to make you wait so long! So thank you all so much for sticking with me! Also, thank you so much for all of your kind words of support and encouragement, they mean so much to me :)

On that note, I also want to thank two fabulous peeps, Writingwife83 and 16magnolias, who both suggested the "chats" in this chapter and encouraged me to continue this little tale! Thank you soooo much! You both rock!

So for everyone who waited so patiently, I've written a really long chapter! I hope you all like it and that it makes up for the huge delay!

As the car pulled up to the curb in front of Anthea's flat, her hand firmly in Mycroft's, as it had been the entire car ride, Mycroft couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment at the night's end. He sensed that Anthea felt the same, as she seemed to be in no hurry to leave the car. They'd spent most of the trip back to London in comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other's company; both preoccupied with thoughts of the night's events. With her hand in his, he was continuously reminded of The Kiss, flooding his mind with memories of how it felt to press his lips against hers; her arms wrapped around his neck. Never in his life had he experienced those feelings. And he didn't want those feelings to end.

He imagined that Anthea was having similar thoughts if her constant smile on her face was any indication. However, she hadn't said much, which made him wonder whether she might also be experiencing concern as to what this could do to their professional relationship.

Because while he wouldn't change anything that happened between them this evening, he couldn't help but feel apprehensive about going back to work with her after this. Would they be able to separate business from their romantic relationship? Would she even wish to pursue a relationship with him? Maybe this was just a one-off thing…maybe she would want to stop working for him after tonight…and even if she chose to continue working for him, would he be able to stay professional around her, or even keep his hands off of her? In the current moment, he certainly doubted that he could. And he didn't really want to. Thankfully, with it being Friday, they would both have the weekend to process these developments between them.

At that very moment, Anthea rested her head on Mycroft's shoulder and he momentarily thought he might explode. Instead, as if he'd been doing it all his life, he turned and placed a kiss on top of her head. It was shocking to him to realize how natural it felt to be with Anthea; how normal it felt to have her body against his. He wondered how he could have lived without it for as long as he had. And yet, there was still a part of him that didn't recognize himself; this version of himself that holds the hand of a beautiful woman and snogs her in the middle of a park. Not that he was complaining…

He turned to her then, offering a genuine smile that made her blush. "Anthea…I've never…this, tonight rather…" He took a deep breath. "I apologize, I'm not used to this." Anthea squeezed his hand encouragingly. He began again. "Anthea, thank you. You have given me the best night of my life. You are breathtaking. I've never felt this way about anyone and I don't take those feelings lightly." He paused then, looking deeply into her eyes. "You have changed me…thank you." And he raised his hand to her face, his thumb grazing her cheek. She smiled, closed her eyes and leaned her face into his touch. She then took his hand in hers and brought it to her lips, kissing his palm. "Thank you Mycroft. You have given me the perfect night; no man has ever made me feel so special."

The driver coughed suddenly, startling them out of the moment. Anthea dropped Mycroft's hand and he cleared his throat. "Well…it's getting late. I guess we should get you inside."

Anthea simply nodded and picked up her orchid bouquet, as Mycroft stepped out of the car. He came around to open her door and offered her his hand. They walked silently, if a bit awkwardly, to Anthea's doorstep. When they reached the end of her walkway Mycroft turned to her. "Goodnight Anthea," and bent down to kiss her cheek.

Anthea smiled and replied coyly, "Goodnight Mycroft." She then turned toward her door.

Mycroft stood frozen, a bit dazed, when Anthea suddenly turned to him, her hand on the doorknob. "Oh, and Mycroft?"

"Hmm?" Mycroft responded, startled.

She stepped towards him. "You're quite brilliant at this whole dating thing." Then she closed the gap between them, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly one more time. Then just as suddenly, she pulled back, dropping her arms in the process, and smiled at him. "See you Monday boss!" she said teasingly and winked right before disappearing into her flat.

Mycroft couldn't help but laugh to himself as he climbed back into the backseat, his lips still tingling from Anthea's kiss. He pulled out his mobile to check his messages, not expecting to find quite so many! He had several messages from Molly Hooper:

Molly: HOW'S IT GOING SO FAR?

DID SHE LOVE THE FLOWERS YOU CHOSE? OH OF COURSE SHE DID!

MAKE SURE TO COMPLIMENT HER!

MAYBE YOU SHOULD'VE RUN YOUR PLAN BY ME BEFORE YOU TOOK HER OUT…

IS SHE ENJOYING HERSELF? DID YOU ASK HER?

YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WORK RIGHT? REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE ON A DATE, NOT A BUSINESS MEETING!

HOW'S IT GOING?

IT'S GETTING AWFULLY LATE…ARE YOU STILL WITH HER? BE A GENTLEMAN MYCRFOT!

Mycroft shook his head. She's almost as bad as Mother!

Sherlock: SCREW IT UP YET MIKEY?

Ah, thank you brother for assuming that I would somehow ruin the evening simply by being myself. You're so supportive. Even his thoughts were dripping in sarcasm. But not even Sherlock's little dig could dampen his mood at that moment. He'd never felt so good in his life! He decided to send a quick response to them both:

Mycroft: THE EVENING WAS DEFINITELY SUCCESSFUL.

As the car pulled away from the curb, headed for home, Mycroft couldn't wipe the ridiculous smile off of his face, even if he'd wanted to.

Sitting on the bed checking emails, with Molly sleeping soundly next to him, Sherlock received a text alert on his mobile. He opened the message and in a rare moment of brotherly affection, Sherlock couldn't help but smile at Mycroft's response. "Good for you brother," he whispered quietly to himself.

"That's really all he said in the message? He didn't send you any separate texts?" Molly asked as she pulled her jumper over her head the next morning.

Sherlock was sitting in his chair, laptop balanced on his knee, with an amused expression on his face as he watched Molly rush around the flat in a blur. "He did not elaborate further. However, I imagine I will be hearing from him at some point today. He so enjoys gloating." He added with a huff.

"Oh, and you don't Mr. Only Consulting Detective in the World?" Molly retorted teasingly as she pulled her purse onto her shoulder. "I'm so late! I've got to run, but I should be home around five." She rushed over to him and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "And Sherlock, if he does show up here, promise you'll be nice!" and gave him an admonishing look.

With a look of faux shock on his face he replied haughtily, "I'm always nice!" and Molly gave him a look of disbelief. Sherlock tried not to laugh at Molly's serious look and tone. He paused before finally relenting. "Fine. Promise," he replied with a wink.

"Don't you wink at me Sherlock! I'm serious." But even Molly couldn't keep the smile off her face when she said it; which seriously diminished her credibility.

Sherlock placed his laptop on the arm of the chair, stood up and walked Molly to the door. "I promise to be nice Molly." He brought his hand up to cradle her cheek, pulling her face to his and placing a kiss on her lips. "Now get to work! Someone has to make a living around here," he said teasingly.

Molly smiled at him. This man could still make her weak in the knees. "I'll see you tonight." And with that, she was out the door and on her way to Bart's.

Molly loved Saturdays in the lab. This part of the hospital was always quietest during the weekend, allowing her to be much more productive without constant interruptions. Particularly because Sherlock was expecting John at 221B, she knew that he would be unlikely to visit her unannounced. So, only an hour into her shift and highly focused, she wasn't anticipating the abrupt knock on the lab door, startling her senseless and causing her to drop the glass vial she'd been holding.

"Oh!" Molly exclaimed, clutching her hands to her racing heart and looking down at the broken glass on the floor. The lab door opened then, and Molly looked up to find a beautiful brunette woman looking up and down between Molly's shocked expression and the broken glass. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!" Anthea exclaimed apologetically. She bent down to help pick up the pieces of glass.

Molly put a hand out to stop her. "Oh, it's nothing, don't worry about it! You just startled me, that's all! I can clean this up later," Molly explained with a smile. "Hello by the way, I'm Molly!" she added perkily and put her hand out in introduction.

Anthea looked at Molly's hand, feeling extremely uncomfortable. She shook Molly's hand awkwardly. "Hello Dr. Hooper. I apologize for showing up unannounced like this…and we don't even know each other…but I was wondering if I could speak to you, possibly over coffee?"

"You must be Anthea," Molly ventured, a huge smile on her face. If this was indeed Anthea in front of her, Molly could only hope that she was here to discuss a certain Holmes brother.

Anthea blushed. "Oh yes, of course, I'm sorry. Yes, I'm Anthea…I'm sorry, I know this is odd, me just showing up like this. I don't know how to do this…" she stammered uncomfortably.

"Oh it's fine Anthea!" Molly laughed warmly. " So nice to meet you! I'd love to grab a coffee, that sounds delightful actually…" Molly looked around the lab, remembering that she was in the middle of a project. "Uh, how about I finish up with this analysis and I can meet you in the cafeteria in ten minutes?"

Anthea nodded, offering a small smile of relief and replied, "Yes, okay. Thank you."

Molly smiled broadly as Anthea walked out of the lab. She pulled out her mobile and excitedly typed a text to Sherlock.

"Ugh, too easy…oh that's even worse! Aren't there any good criminals out there anymore?!" Sherlock shouted exasperatedly to himself, checking emails for a new case. John had only agreed to come over today because Sherlock had promised that he had a really good case and needed his help. John had his hands full with Mary and the baby these days, so for the mean time he only agreed to help with cases when they were eights or above. Finding nothing promising so far, Sherlock needed to come up with something good in the next hour.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of his mobile. He smiled when he saw that it was from Molly:

GUESS WHO JUST SHOWED UP AT BART'S TO HAVE A CHAT?! ;)

Sherlock began typing a response, when he heard familiar footsteps on the stairs leading up to 221B. He erased his current text and typed a new one:

HER TIMING IS IMPECCABLE. MYCROFT JUST ARRIVED AS WELL. INTERESTING…MAYBE MYCROFT ISN'T MEANT TO BE MISERABLE AND ALONE AFTER ALL.

Molly: BE NICE SHERLOCK!

Sherlock smirked at her reply; Molly knew him too well.

Anthea was seated by the windows, two cups of coffee on the table in front of her, when Molly arrived. "Hello, so sorry to keep you waiting!" Molly exclaimed cheerily as she sat down opposite Anthea.

Still feeling quite uncomfortable, Anthea responded warily, "It's fine. Thank you again for meeting with me."

"Oh, so formal! We're all girl friends here," Molly replied teasingly. "So, I assume you're here to talk about your date last night?" she asked hopefully.

"Um, yes, I am...but I, um…" Anthea paused. "I'm sorry, I feel rather awkward talking to you about this. I mean, we don't know each other at all and here I am, about to spill my secrets to a perfect stranger!" she laughed uncomfortably. "And on top of it all, you seem to know all about me, especially in regards to Mycroft; and I know nothing about you other than the fact that you are a pathologist at this hospital, and you are now dating Sherlock Holmes. Although, I suppose that the latter fact is what brought me here." Anthea took a deep breath and smiled hopefully at Molly.

Molly took a sip of her coffee and smiled. "You're right, we don't know each other, but we do have something quite crucial in common: we are in relationships with the Holmes men. And if anyone can possibly understand your situation, it would be me."

Anthea smiled as she felt herself relax a bit. There was something about Molly that put her at ease; a genuine happiness that exuded from her that made Anthea feel more comfortable. She was beginning to understand how Molly could make a relationship work with Sherlock.

Molly continued, "And if I'm correct in my assumption that the date went well, I think that you can agree that the Holmes men can be quite incredible when they put their minds to it."

Anthea blushed before she could catch herself, confirming Molly's assumption that the date had gone quite well. Molly giggled with happiness. "I knew it!" she exclaimed.

Anthea laughed. "You know, I actually don't have a lot of girl friends," Anthea stated matter-of-factly. "And the ones that I do have certainly wouldn't be understanding, or even supportive, of my attraction to Mycroft Holmes of all people." She looked somewhat sad at this realization. "But I can't help it. I'm ridiculously attracted to him and I can't stop thinking about him. Or that kiss…"

"Woah! What kiss?!" Molly interrupted excitedly. She had the biggest smile on her face, practically buzzing with anticipation.

Anthea giggled. "Well maybe I should start from the beginning?"

Mycroft Holmes swept into 221B as if on a cloud. He was dressed in his typical three-piece suit, and everything seemed to be in place. Nevertheless, Sherlock could sense a difference in his brother. Was it...sentiment? Happiness? Whatever it was, it was unsettling.

"Good morning little brother!" Mycroft greeted him with a big smile.

"Mycroft," Sherlock replied warily.

"Fancy some tea?" Mycroft asked.

Sherlock eyed him strangely. "Mrs. Hudson's out at the moment so…"

Mycroft cut him off. "Oh no need, I can manage," and rushed off to the kitchen.

Sherlock was at a loss for words. This strange, almost bubbly, version of Mycroft was not something he was comfortable with. He was contemplating calling Molly in for reinforcement when he heard a strange sound coming from the kitchen. Along with the sounds of cupboards opening and water boiling, he could hear…was that humming? Mycroft Holmes was…humming…music. Sherlock's jaw dropped in astonishment.

Mycroft came back into the sitting room, two cups of tea in his hands and set one down on the table next to Sherlock's chair. He took a seat in the chair usually reserved for John, and took a sip of his tea. He looked up to find Sherlock with a look that was equal parts confusion and disgust on his face. "What's that face for? Why are you looking at me like that?" he questioned.

"Who are you?" Sherlock asked incredulously.

"Don't be ridiculous Sherlock. You're not that stupid," Mycroft replied with a scoff. Then he switched back to smiling. "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you and Molly about my date with Anthea. Is she around?"

Sherlock physically shook his head to clear his thoughts. "She is not. Incidentally, she is at Bart's having a chat with your new girlfriend, presumably about you," Sherlock informed him.

Rather than react with disgust at the word "girlfriend" as Sherlock had expected, Mycroft smiled, a dreamy expression on his face. Sherlock knit his eyebrows in confusion, continuing to stare at him. He was utterly incapable of comprehending this drastic change in his brother.

"Well I guess you'll have to do then," Mycroft replied with a laugh. He settled in to the chair and started from the beginning. Smiling, Mycroft continued, "Well it began with a misunderstanding…she wasn't even aware that the evening was a date!"

With her elbows on the table, her head resting in her hands, Molly let out a big sigh and replied dreamily, "That is quite possibly the most romantic thing that I have ever heard."

Blushing profusely after relaying the entire date to Molly, Anthea couldn't help but agree with Molly's statement. "It really was incredible. I've never had anyone treat me the way that he did. I felt like the only woman in the world."

Molly couldn't help but smile at Anthea. She was clearly falling for Mycroft. Suddenly she laughed aloud. "So backing up a bit, did you say that Mycroft winked at you?"

"Ha! Yes, multiple times! I couldn't believe it when he did it the first time, but then he kept doing it…and I must admit, after the initial shock of it, it was pretty sexy!" and both women collapsed into giggling.

"Mycroft…flirting!…winking!…" Molly could barely speak through her laughter.

After recovering from their giggling, Anthea spoke. "Who would've thought that a date, that I didn't even realize was a date, would turn out to be the best night of my life!"

Molly smiled and asked, "So if you had to choose one moment, what would be your favorite?"

Anthea didn't even hesitate. "The look he gave me right before the first kiss. Don't get me wrong, the kiss was a close second! But there was this moment right before I pulled him up to me. Our eyes met and it was like he could see right through me; I could feel everything that he was feeling. I knew then that I was a goner. There was no going back for me. Then, with a little help, he kissed me!"

"And the heavens opened up!" Molly teased.

"Pretty much!" Anthea exclaimed. "So I guess I have you to thank for making all of this possible."

"Oh no not at all Anthea! The entire date was Mycroft's idea, I didn't even know about his plan until now. I simply encouraged him to follow through with his feelings for you. To be honest with you, everything was Mycroft. He cares deeply for you Anthea," Molly stated earnestly.

Anthea smiled, her eyes glassy. "I care deeply for him too."

"So let me get this right. You're saying that for a first date, you flew your assistant to a secluded island, in a HELICOPTER, and arranged for her favorite band to fly from the States to said island for a one night show, all in the span of a day? Is that what you're telling me?" Sherlock asked incredulously.

"Do keep up brother. That's exactly what I said," Mycroft replied in annoyance. He didn't enjoy repeating himself. "And please stop referring to Anthea as my assistant; she's clearly more than that to me now," he added.

Sherlock huffed. "Well, way to make the rest of us look bad Mycroft! A helicopter? Seriously! Now Molly will expect that I come up with an equally grand romantic gesture for her! Thanks for that brother."

"Well, perhaps you should take notes. Clearly I'm better at romanticism than you are, just as I am better than you at everything else," Mycroft replied haughtily, reverting back to his typical behavior when it came to Sherlock.

"Oh please! You went on one date Mycroft. Let's see how long you can make it last. You said it yourself, you're not built for relationships. You don't need anyone, remember?" Sherlock sneered.

Mycroft looked taken aback. "First of all Sherlock, you're one to talk. You're currently in your first and only "real" relationship. Second, you're completely correct, I didn't think that I needed anyone." He paused for a moment, then looked directly at Sherlock. "But I was wrong. Yes, Sherlock, I said that I was wrong; it was bound to happen at some point. Being around Anthea has made me realize how much I want to be with her. I've never felt this way about anyone; in fact I wasn't aware that I was even capable of feeling this way. I want to see her, I want to feel her next to me, I want to hold her in my arms…oh stop looking at me like that!"

Sherlock's eyes were wide, his jaw hanging open. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He never thought it possible that Mycroft could express any type of sentiment, let alone such strong feelings for a woman. But I guess Sherlock himself didn't think that it was possible for him to love a woman as much as he loved Molly. And if he didn't know any better, he would venture that Mycroft was headed that way himself.

Mycroft looked contrite. "Anyway, I tried winking at her as well. Not sure how well it worked…I think she seemed to enjoy it."

Sherlock looked traumatized. "You winked? You don't wink."

"Correction: didn't wink. Apparently I wink now." Mycroft stated. "I am capable of a lot of actions that I was unaware of before last night. For instance, it would appear that I am quite brilliant at kissing."

"Repulsive. I'd really rather not visualize you and Anthea kissing. No thank you," Sherlock replied with disgust.

"Mycroft and Anthea?! You must be joking!" John exclaimed! If the two brothers hadn't been arguing, they might have heard the footsteps of a certain blogger coming up the stairs. But then, John wouldn't have overheard the last few minutes of their conversation. John broke into hysterical laughter. "Oh my god this explains so much! She turned me down because she already had her eye on a Holmes brother!" and he continued to laugh hysterically.

Mycroft groaned. "Ugh, not again! Does anyone knock around here?"

Thanks again for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to share your thoughts :)