cimorene

History professor and lifelong bookworm Mycroft Holmes retires and leaves London for what he hopes will be a rural idyll. What he gets is a broken leg and the friendship of the postmistress who directs him to the local library in an attempt to broaden his literary horizons. She fails to mention her hope that librarian Greg Lestrade will provide more for him than a few good books.

Greg Lestrade is the Senior consultant cardiothoracic surgeon in charge of heart transplant patient, Sherlock Holmes’, care. Mycroft is Sherlock’s mysterious older brother and a prominent member of the governing board for the private hospital Greg works in. Detective Inspector John Watson is Sherlock Holmes’ partner but Mycroft seems determined to keep John and his brother apart.

Stricken with PTSD and anger management issues ex-army man Greg Lestrade considers himself unemployable until the owner of Sherrinford Nurseries takes a chance on him. Greg discovers he has a gift but the owner, Mycroft Holmes, and the world's most aggravating client could easily disturb his newfound peace.

Mycroft Holmes is coerced into playing piano at a ballet class for a friend of his mother's. There's a young man named Greg Lestrade in the class getting ready to audition for the National Ballet. Cue shy glances and a considerable amount of blushing.

Sherlock is the younger sister of the Emperor's closest advisor, his Tea Master. For impudence in the Imperial Court, she is exiled to a far eastern province to oversee the harvest of the Emperor's prized white tea, called Silver Needle. There, she falls in love with one of the white-gloved peasant maidens designated to pluck the tea.

A once upon a time, love at first sight genderswapped AU romance.

Series Part 3 of Twelve Cups of Tea Words: 26,666