athena ➢ sherlock's daughter

Chapter 19

The Prime Minister, New Years Party, and Riley Gets Suspicious

A day before New Year's Eve, Athena found herself at another of Mycroft's dinners with an important person in the British government. On this particular night, it just so happened to be the Prime Minister and his wife. Athena was done up in an old-fashioned red dress and black flats, her unmanageable hair sprayed into place and lips stained with the same color as her dress. The deep color looked brighter than it was due to her unnaturally pale complexion, but she payed no matter to it: Uncle Mycroft paid for it, after all.

Even though Athena was only sixteen (she had her birthday that November), Mycroft still allowed her to drink some wine. It tasted...odd, she noticed. Wine was supposed to be good, but from what she could tell, it was bitter and left her mouth dry. Nevertheless, she sipped the reddish liquid casually as she stood quietly with her uncle and the two guests.

"So how old did you say you were?" the Prime Minster inquired with a curious glance in her direction.

She smiled lightly. "Sixteen, sir."

"Sixteen? From the way Mycroft has talked you up, I figured you'd be at least twenty. Is it true that you can really read a person and list their entire lives?"

She gave a meek nod and sipped her wine nervously.

"Would you show me?"

With a smile, she glanced over the Prime Minister for a couple seconds. "Please excuse my unfiltered speech, sir. When I start, I do have the habit of continuing until I'm done."

He nodded excitedly and waved for her to go on.

"Well, I know you have two cats, one orange and the other brown and white. I know your favorite book is The Great Gatsby. I know that you always lose your cellphone so you have a maid keep your spare. I know your favorite band is AC/DC. I know you abhor the color green. I know you have to little girls, one is probably five and the other one just turned four. I know you're under a lot of stress at work with a new bill that is being passed. And I know that you don't like red wine."

He blinked at Athena for a moment, eyes wide with surprise and curiosity. "How on earth-?"

"You have cat hair on your pants. Your iPhone has a scene from one of Gatsby's parties as the background. Your phone and one that a maid has in her pocket have the same number, obviously insinuating that you need them to be connected, so I went with the obvious route. When you pulled in to the driveway, you were listening to AC/DC quite loudly. I know your wife was going to wear a green dress today, but you insisted that she change before heading out, causing the maids to change the color scheme of this dinner. You have nail polish on the edges of your little fingers, insinuating that they were painted, and you had to've been asleep otherwise you wouldn't allow them to do so; therefore, they had to paint your nails at the same time to avoid waking you. I guessed the ages. The stress is evident because you have newly greyed hairs. And you haven't even sipped your wine since it was offered."

The Prime Minister's face went from shock to amazement as he laughed slightly and applauded. "Well done! Mycroft, you have yourself an intelligent niece. Perhaps over summer holidays, she can intern for me."

Yikes, Athena thought. I'd lose my mind in that stuffy office building.

∞

New Year's Eve brought a bright, jovial atmosphere to 221B as John and Athena put up decorations before she left for her party. She was stringing streamers along the north wall above a bookcase when Sherlock walked from his room to the couch to her left and plopped down.