Chapter 25- Mary Poppins' Pity Chocolate souffle

                                    

                                          


                          
Tara stared out of the tinted window, as they drove back to London. Mycroft sat beside her, looking at her intently. It had been one hell of a weekend. So much had happened. Tara had found out about Eurus. He had opened up to her. Not entirely but he had shared a great deal. There were still a lot of things they hadn't said to each other. His parents had taken a liking to Tara. The highlight of the weekend though; His mother had given him an engagement ring.
                          
'Are you thinking about going back to school?' He picked the least dangerous development of the weekend. He knew, though she liked baking, it didn't fulfill her. She wasn't satisfied.
                          
'It was just a random thought. Besides I'm supposed to be laying low' She tried to dodge the conversation rather lousily.
                          
'While that is true, you should be able to find fulfillment in whichever way you see fit' Mycroft reasoned.
                          
Tara turned to Mycroft and looked at him in surprise. It was rather uncharacteristic for someone like Mycroft to care about fulfillment. 'Did you replace my boyfriend with a cyborg?' she asked, trying to control the smile that threatened to grace her lips.
                          
'Don't call me that' Mycroft looked away. 
                          
Tara knitted her brows 'What? A cyborg? Come on, I was just kidding. I mean you are very lifelike' she teased.
                          
He sighed and said 'Actually, the other one' 
                          
'My boyfriend?' she asked.
                          
'And here I thought you were above such juvenile terms' Mycroft rolled his eyes. 
                          
'You are my boyfriend. What else would I call you? My partner?' she chortled. 
                          
'That works much better for me' he told her.
                          
She sighed and caressed his face 'So lifelike, it's unbelievable'. Mycroft chuckled. 
                          
.........
                          
Mycroft sat in his study, contemplating everything that had happened in the last few months. His life had changed drastically. For good? The jury was still out on that. 
                          
He was brought out of his trance by his phone's vibrations. He picked it up and read the message.
                          
Allesandro's, Friday night?- TM
                          
It's a date -MH
                          
I'll pay -TM
                          
Yes, Ma'am -MH
                          
He put his phone down on the table and looked at the tiny box lying open next to it. Over the last four decades, the ring inside the box had lost its shine. He hadn't given his relationship with Tara much thought. Not beyond sex. Every time those thoughts crept into his brain, he would push them away, but he could no longer avoid them. Did his mother actually think he loved her? Or that Tara loved him? Did she think that he would marry Tara? Spend the rest of his life with her? Is that something he wanted? Did he actually want to share his life with her? Let her in? 
                          
He shook the dreadful thoughts away and got up from his chair. He walked up to the bookshelves and moved some of the books, setting them on the table. He slid open the secret panel, revealing a safe. He entered the password and retrieved the two files Harry had entrusted to him. 
                          
He poured himself a drink and sat down to study the files. He flipped the pages over and over again, absorbing every piece of information. But nothing seemed to seep in. Words floating aimlessly in his brain. Cluelessness wrought havoc in his mind. 
                          
Two agents. A career of endless successful missions. Bravery. Valor. Strength. Pride. One night. One break-in ends it all. Seemed impossible. Incomprehensible. The best and brightest brought down by one fateful night. So farfetched a mystery. One granted asylum. So much potential, greatness. All gone.