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Mrs. Hudson didn't have the heart to throw any of Sherlock's things away. The things she had planned to give to a school still sat in a box in the abandoned 221B. She had to take it away someday as she would need to put the apartment up for rent again since John had moved out. She was just making her evening tea when there was a knock on the door, the man on the other side looked stressed and wary. Mrs. Hudson's eyes widened as she took in the sight before her.
"Mrs. Hudson." The man said and nodded his head in a greeting. She didn't say anything, she pulled the man into a hug and felt him tense but didn't let go.
"Umm, Mrs. Hudson that's quite enough thank you." She pulled away and he straightened himself up to his full height again.
"You looked like you needed a hug dear, please come in the kettle's just boiled." She shooed him inside. Once seated with a cup of tea she looked the man over, he was nothing like the old Mycroft Holmes. But then again, he had just lost his brother.
"How are you dear?" She said with a warm voice which could make you confess anything.
"Fine thank you, how are you." She was glad to hear that he still sounded like he used to.
"Oh you know me, my hip's bothering me but never mind that." She was careful not to mention the death of Sherlock or even something you could relate to him.
"There is a reason for which I have come here for." He put his cup down and pulled out a check.
"I want to pay you a monthly fee for 221B." He pushed the check over to her. She looked from the check to Mycroft and then back at the check.
"But why would you do that? I'm sure I can find some other lodgers." Mycroft closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"It's important to me, I also want it to be furnished exactly as it was before. I take it you haven't taken anything away." He looked at her with pleading eyes, a look she was sure she would never see on Mycroft's face again.
"And I would also appreciate if the place was cleaned on a regular basis." He put his hands together and placed them right under his nose, not unlike his brother.
"I'm your landlady dear, not your house..." She suddenly remembered that it wasn't Sherlock she was talking to. She took the check gingerly and put it in her pocket. Mrs. Hudson didn't question him, she had known him long enough to know that you would never get a straight answer out of him. Rather like his younger brother.
"Of course Mycroft, I'll keep it that way for as long as you want me too." Mycroft nodded and stood up. He had never been the one for small talk.
"Thank you for the tea and thank you for accepting my offer." She too stood up and hugged him once again but this time he didn't tense. She let him go and followed him to the door.
"If John were to ask why the apartment looks the same, don't tell him I had anything to do with it." Mycroft turned around and looked at Mrs. Hudson.
"Of course, but what should I tell him?" She felt a little uneasy about lying to the poor man.
"Oh I'm certain you will come up with something Mrs. Hudson, after all you are Sherlock Holmes landlady." He nodded at her, opened up his umbrella and started walking away. Mrs. Hudson shook her head, Sherlock's death had certainly changed his older brother.
Three years later there was a knock on the door, Mrs. Hudson opened the door and excepted John Watson on the other side. What she saw made her heart stop for moment. A man with a long dark coat, a blue scarf and dark brown hair stood in front of her with a small smile playing in the corners of his mouth. "Hello Mrs. Hudson."