I'm not a Goldfish, Mycroft Holmes

Meet Mycroft Holmes

"Good afternoon, I'm Miss Jones, I'll be covering for Mr Kowalski while he's out sick but he should be back tomorrow." She paused to write her name on the board. "Now he wanted me to review the material that will be on your exam." She said over the chatter, she cleared her throat and waited for it to stop. "Now then," she pushed up her glasses and turned back to the board. "Can someone tell me the definition of an atom?" Theres silence, Alice smiles and flips her hair a little. "Oh, c'mon, its the first thing you learned when you stepped in this class in September." Still there's nothing. Alice sighed and turned towards the board. "An atom is the smallest whole unit of matter, composed of subatomic particles, protons and neutrons located in the nucleus, electrons located in the energy shells surrounding the nucleus. I'll give you all a minute to copy that down."

When the bell rang she sighed and started to pack up. Two girls walked up from their bench towards the teachers desk.
"Can I help you girls?"
"Lacey and I just wanted to tell you that your to pretty to be a science teacher."
"Yeah, you should be like a model or something."
Alice smiled, "thank you for the compliment but my love has always been science."
Her phone chimed and she picked it up, examining the message.
(Baker Street. -SH)
"Excuse me, girls."

When she got to her car she texted him back and told him she'd be there in 30 minutes. When she arrived Sherlock slid the microscope towards her. "Examine that for me, will you?"
"Nice to see you too, Sher." She rolled her eyes and turned to John. "Hey John."
"Hey Alice, sorry for dragging you down here, theres been a development in the case and-"
"Its not a problem John." She sat down at the bench. "You boys go have fun."
Texted her brother Blake telling him that she would most likely be home late.
When Sherlock returned she told him she found large amounts of mercury in the victims blood. She looked at the time and sighed. "Crap, I got to go, Blake should be home from school and he'll be hungry."
"Can't he make himself something?"
"Afraid not Sherlock, my brother can't make a simple sandwich." She grabbed her purse, coat and umbrella. "I'll text you later." She left the flat.
She turned down Bickenhall when the phone box next to her started to ring. Looking around anxiously she slipped inside.
"Hello?"
"There is a security camera on the building to your left. Do you see it?"
"Who is this?"
"Do you see the camera, Miss Jones?"
Alice looks through the window of the phone box at the CCTV camera high up on the wall of a nearby building.
"Yes, I see it."
"Watch."
The camera, which was pointing directly at the phone box, now swivels away.
"There is another camera on the building opposite you. Do you see it?"
She looks across to the second camera, which is also pointed towards the phone box.
"Yes."
The camera immediately swivels away.
"And finally, at the top of the building on your right."
She stares up into the third camera which is watching him but which now turns away.
"I see your little camera tricks, what do you want?"
"Get into the car, Miss Jones."
A black car pulls up at the kerbside near the phone. The male driver gets out and opens the rear door.
"I would make some sort of threat, but I'm sure your situation is quite clear to you."
The phone goes dead. Alice puts it back on the receiver and looks thoughtful for a long moment, then apparently decides that there's not much else she can do and turns to leave the phone box.
She slips inside the car, in the back with her, the woman's eyes are fixed on her blackberry phone and she's pretty much ignoring her.
"Hello."
"Hi."
"Would it be to much to ask for your name?"
"Anthea."
"Alice."
"Yes, I know."
"Is there any point to ask where I'm going?"
"No."
"Okay."

Some time later, the car pulls into an almost-empty warehouse. A man in a suit is standing in the centre of the area, leaning nonchalantly on an umbrella as he watches the car stop and Alice get out.
"What ever this is about you could have just called me, I have a phone."
"When one is avoiding the attention of Sherlock Holmes, one learns to be discreet, hence this place."
"Uh-huh...okay." She crossed her arms, blue eyes narrowed at the tall man.
"You don't seem very afraid."
"And you don't seem very frightening."
He chuckles. "Quite brave for a school teacher. Bravery is the kindest word for stupidity, don't you think?"
She tilted her head slightly in agreement. "In a way, yes."
He smiles a little at her.
"What is your connection to Sherlock Holmes?"
"We're friends, in a way, we met in university, we were both studying chemistry at the time...though I was also studying physics and biology but thats not really important so, yes, Sherlock and I are friends. Anyway, who are you?"
"An interested party."
"Interested in Sherlock Holmes? I'm suggesting you're not friends."
"I thought I was the closest thing to a friend Sherlock was capable of having."
"Uh-huh, so what are you then? An enemy?"
"Sherlock likes to think so, he would probably say arch-enemy, but he does love to be dramatic."
"What do you want?"
"If you would continue being friends with Sherlock Holmes, I'd be happy to pay you a meaningful sum of money on a regular basis to ease your way."
She laughed a little. "Why?"
"Because your not a wealthy woman."
"Oh my, what gave it away?" She sighed, "and what would you want in return?"
"Information. Nothing indiscreet. Nothing you'd feel...uncomfortable with. Just tell me what he's up to."
"Why do you care so much?"
"I worry about him constantly."
Alice smiled, "so you're the brother."
He was taken back at her response. "Pardon?"
"Sherlock mentioned he had an older brother, never mentioned a name, but I imagine that it's probably something ridiculous like Sherlock."
"Mycroft Holmes."
"Alice Jones, and the answer is no, I will not spy on Sherlock for you, but I would be willing to meet up on Friday's for tea and tell you what happened during the week, its kind of the same thing."
"And why would you want to do that?"
"Because, I can already tell that I'm starting to like you."
He tilted his head like he didn't understand what she said. She laughed and took a notepad out of her coat pocket and wrote down her number.
"We'll be in touch, Mr. Holmes." She got into the car.
When she got home she sent Sherlock a text.
(I met your brother. -AJ)
(You met Mycroft? -SH)
(I like him, he's attractive in a weird way. -AJ)
(I told John and he recommended a therapist. -SH)
(Oh ha ha, Sherlock Holmes. -AJ)
The door opened and Blake walked through, taking off his blue and yellow tie.
"How was school?"
"Fine, I'm starving, whats for dinner?"
"Oh." She got up from her armchair. "I forgot, we could order in."
"Okay, I'll be in my room."
Alice sighed and ran her fingers through blonde hair and straightened her glasses.