A/N - I hope this doesn't have any more typos, I checked it over a dozen times 😂

Also the picture is of Indira Varma who is the Face Claim for Dr Rita Rahat (you may recognise her from Torchwood as Suzie) 😊

Enjoy! ❤
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Elizabeth was packing the last of her clothes for the three day cruise.

Within three hours, Elizabeth Parrish would be repressed and soon to appear would be Eva Smith, a rising fashion designer, joining the cruise in the hopes that she'll either meet some interesting people or be inspired to start a new cruise-style fashion-line. She enjoyed the covers she had been given; it was always exciting to put on an act.

As she zipped up her case, she paused a moment, reflecting on the past week.

Sherlock had finally distanced himself from her. Annoyingly, she didn't know what to make of that. The thief almost cruelly missed being able to ignore him. But there had been no actions to ignore. When she entered a room, he left it. Why? Of course, she knew that was what she had wanted, the distance, but...she still wanted him.

Shaking her head, she sharply exhaled. Why was she even thinking about that now?

There was a knock at the bedroom door.

"Yeah?"

It cracked open to reveal Sherlock with a cup of tea in hand, "I...made you tea."

"Oh. Thank you."

The detective nodded, placing it down on the bedside table. An interaction. The first in a week. One that didn’t have any mistakes or casualties at that. He stood there awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what to do.

"Have you got everything?"

"I - I think so, thanks for asking."

He gave a single bob of his head.

There was silence.

"Well, I'll just go back...then..."

"Okay."

The detective edged out of the room but paused just before the door closed behind him. He turned and stepped back in. She watched this little action with a subtle smile teasing the edge of her lips.

"Elizabeth?"

"Yes?"

"I am...sorry - "

"I know, Sherlock. I know."

The reality was though, he was sorry for something completely different to what she was thinking. But by not letting him finish, he thought this would be a good way to get away with his plans. She might hate him, but at least he knew she would be safe.

Again, he offered a small smile before exiting the room.

Elizabeth sighed. She missed being close to him but again, perhaps this was good. Perhaps enduring the heartache would enable her to do a lot of things - like meet with the Forty Elephants contact on the cruise without the watchful eye of the great detective stuck on her.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

"Right, Mycroft's outside so I shall see you all in three days." Elizabeth smiled at the three that were stood in front of her as she slipped her phone back into her pocket.

"Ooh, love, do be careful now!" Mrs Hudson tutted as she gave Elizabeth a hug, "We want you back in one piece."

"Trust me, I want to come back in one piece." She chuckled although the risk was real.

She pulled out of the hug with Mrs H before hugging John, "You have full permission from a doctor to break anyone who tries to hurt you."

Elizabeth grinned at the statement, "Thanks."

And finally that left Sherlock. Neither moved to embrace each other and instead stood awkwardly in front of each other. He looked like he wanted to peck her cheek as a goodbye but had then remembered that they weren't exactly together anymore.

The detective swallowed instead, "Be...safe."

"I will." She affirmed before turning to leave.

Dragging her suitcase out of the front door, she turned briefly to give the three one last wave before putting her suitcase in the back of Mycroft's car and then climbed into the back herself.

Maybe three days away from him would just be a good break.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

The moment Elizabeth left, Sherlock raced upstairs and took out his own suitcase from underneath the dining room table and placed it on top of the table. He double-checked that he had everything and ensured all the zips were closed. Then he grabbed his coat, scarf and gloves. He had to check in elsewhere first. Still needed a suitable disguise after all.

John had followed Sherlock back upstairs and waited in the doorway to the kitchen, watching him organise his bag on the table, his brow bunching up like a kink in a carpet.

"Uh, Sherlock?"

"Yes, John?" The detective answered without looking away, mentally checking off his itinerary.

"What are you doing?"

"I swear I told you."

"Mm, no, nope. I don't believe you did."

"I am going on a case."

"With a case?"

Sherlock looked between his suitcase and John, "It's needed."

"And you don't need help on this case?"

"No, Lestrade isn't necessary."

"No, I meant me, Sherlock. I normally accompany you on cases."

"Oh, John, I'm... giving you a break." Sherlock turned to smile at his friend, an action John rarely saw, "You've helped me so much recently that I thought you deserved a break."

John's eyes narrowed at his obvious lie, "And how long will you be gone for?"

"Three days - I mean four."

"Sherlock."

"John, I promise you this is for a case."

"Where?"

"On the RMS Valour..."

"The same cruise line as Elizabeth?"

"Ye - yes but not for Elizabeth. For the case."

"What is the case?"

"Some woman thinks her husband is cheating on her and has asked me to join her on the cruise as she thinks whoever her husband is cheating on her with has been invited on the cruise too."

"Name?"

"Lucetta Silk - Silvan - Silver, something like that."

"Sherlock, Mycroft and Elizabeth have both asked you not to go. Why are you doing this?"

"She's not going to have anyone - "

"She will have Mycroft's contact and one member of security with her."

"It's not enough."

"And you are? Sherlock, listen to yourself. You sound crazy - obsessive even."

Sherlock turned away from John as he tied his scarf around his neck.

"I'm not going to let this client down."

"Well now you're just lying to yourself."

Dismissing John's comment, Sherlock took his suitcase off the table, ready to head out of the apartment building.

"Sherlock, don't. Don't do this." John pleaded with him, standing in his way.

"You prefer it when I am honest with you, yes?" Sherlock knew he wouldn't be able to get out of this any other way.

"Of course."

"Elizabeth Parrish is one of the best people, alongside yourself, to have ever happened to me. I am grateful for your friendship as I am - was grateful for her lo - courtship. I messed up. I know that. I said words that cut her deep, but I want her to know that I am sorry. I know that in doing this, this isn't going to fix it but I would rather be reassured by my own observations that she isn't - going anywhere - permanent before I get the chance to make it up to her. Perhaps yes, I am coming across as obsessive, but it is because I am - I am..."

Sherlock gulped, "I am afraid of losing her. She has gifted me with something I am afraid no one else will give me because I am a difficult, egotistical, arrogant arsehole most if not at all times. She gave me something that I didn't even know I wanted until I lost it. And isn't that how it works, John? You only realise truly how much you want something until it's gone?"

The doctor stared, dumbfounded by this sudden reveal of his friend's true thoughts, "Y - yes."

"I am going merely to ensure that I will still have an Elizabeth to apologise to when it is over. Not because I don't believe she can do it - I do believe she can and that she is the best to do it but even bad things happen to the best of us sometimes."

Swayed by the detective's honesty, John moved out of the doorway, letting the detective pass through and begin to head down the stairs, "Be safe, Sherlock."

He paused, looking up at John briefly with an appreciative look in his eye, "I will."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

The sun peeked out from behind the overcast briefly that afternoon as hundreds of others gathered to board the RMS Valour. First, the government official and the thief were to meet with Dr Rita Rahat, Mycroft's contact.

"Mycroft Holmes, long time, no see." A voice called to them through the crowd.

As they scanned the people around them, they noticed a woman with short, curly black hair approaching them. Mycroft offered up one of his rare, genuine smiles to her.

"Dr Rahat, lovely to see you again."

"Call me, Rita, Mycroft. We're not strangers." The doctor looked over to Elizabeth, "And you must be...Eva Smith?"

"Yes, nice to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine."

"Rita knows the itinerary for your short holiday." Mycroft confirmed.

"Yes and it's an exciting one at that. Come on, the quicker we board the quicker we can talk about it." Dr Rahat tried to hurry them along with a wide grin.

Mycroft Holmes walked the two women to one of the boarding stations of the cruise. The edges of both his and Elizabeth's lips barely turned up at the sides as they said goodbye.

"I shall bid you adieu, Miss Smith, Dr Rahat."

"And you, Mr Holmes. I shall see you again three days."

"See you soon, Mycroft, dear." Rita sang to him as they left.

"Have a lovely trip." He nodded as they left him there with a subtle frown.

Elizabeth looked between Rita and behind her as she processed the words of her contact, "Did you just call Mycroft dear?"

Rita chuckled, "Yes, it annoys him but it annoys me when he won't stop for a proper chat."

"You don't see him often?"

"Not as often as I'd like."

Elizabeth frowned thoughtfully as she considered this statement. In what way had Dr Rahat meant for her to take it?

As Mycroft gazed out across the other heads, he could have sworn he had seen a man with striking similarities to Sherlock. But he was blond - far from the brown curls of his brother. And surely Sherlock would listen to him after he had said so bluntly for him not to follow. Surely, he was still at 221B.

The only way to confirm this, of course, was text John and track Sherlock's phone.

<Is Sherlock still at Baker Street? - M.H.>

<Yes, why? - J.W.>

<Just making sure he listened. Thank you. - M.H.>

But just to put his worries to bed he then phoned his intelligence team. Even they confirmed that Sherlock's phone was back at Baker Street. He sighed. Mycroft put the similarities down to just that - similarities. He just hoped it wasn't a sign he was going crazy.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

"And here's our room." Dr Rahat scanned her keycard and pushed open the door, "Quaint, I like it. Now, do you want the bed on the left or the right, I personally don't have a preference but I know some people do..."

"Um, I guess I'll take the left."

"No problem." She smiled, heading over to the right bed just to collapse on it, "Ugh, thank God. Had Mycroft told me you would be running late, I wouldn't have worn heels." She sat up again just to take her striking blue heels off, before hauling herself up to sit cross legged on the bed.

Elizabeth smiled. Rita seemed to be a very bubbly person, definitely far from who she thought Mycroft would have chosen to accompany her.

"Shocked, aren't you?"

"Sorry?"

"That Mycroft knows a woman such as myself."

"Oh, I mean, yes. You're just so..." Elizabeth struggled to find the words.

"I'm a polar opposite."

"Yes! Yes, exactly."

Rita grinned back at her, "Once upon a time, Mycroft Holmes had a fun side. Well, about as fun as a service in a dingy, grey church - make it an Irish church. The Irish know how to have fun - however, being a church, one chooses to religiously follow a...bland lifestyle...I think I was too much for him."

"So did you two...?"

"Date? God, no. We became friends at uni. He was studying politics, of course, and I was studying for my medical degree."

"So how did a politics student and a med student meet?"

"Drama society."

"Mycroft did drama?"

"Oh, yes, of course! How else could he achieve such an overdramatic, dreary demeanor and a bark worse than one's bite? He was marvellous at Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest."

Elizabeth sat on her bed, her mouth agape at this rare look into the past of Mycroft Holmes. Rita chuckled, amused by the dumbfounded look on her cruise mate's face.

"So how do you know about Mycroft's government job?"

"I worked under him for a short time once he had made it to where he still is now."

"But I thought you were a doctor?"

"I was. His intelligence unit required a doctor for a short time. He asked it as a favour but really it was a favour to me and my career."

"And you're still a doctor now?"

"Yes. Private though." Rita nodded.

"Cool."

Rita checked her painted blue nails nails with a small smile, "Just as cool as you joining the Forty Elephants."

Elizabeth had to do a double take when Rita said that, "I - how did Mycroft - "

"Not Mycroft, silly." She shook her head and continued in all seriousness, "I'm your contact. For both parties."