For Joan

[theodorelasso]

Continued from here.

(warnings: sexytimes. also, panic attacks, brutal violence, attempted murder, discussion of suicide and actual murder... )

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[formersurgeon]

"Someone rang my doorbell this morning and left a card. Once I read it I called Sherlock, hoping I could stop the murder. But by that point it had already happened."

Her voice is steady but very soft.

"I'm sorry," she repeats.

[theodorelasso]

Ted looks down at the photo, lost in thought for a moment. He doesn't blame her for it, obviously. Even if she triggered it, she wouldn't do that on purpose.

"So, if she didn't send him...?" he says, trailing off.

[formersurgeon]

"Someone else did. And the attack probably had nothing to do with me."

She could return to London, if he still wants her to after this.

[theodorelasso]

Ted drops the photo onto the table, leaning back in his chair.

"So does that mean you're coming back?" he asks, hopefully. He has some things to process, to sort out in his brain, but... he loves her. Even if this was too much for him, he wouldn't want to break it off before at least giving it a chance. Ted doesn't quit that easy.

[formersurgeon]

"I can," she says. If you still want me to remains unsaid.

[theodorelasso]

Ted sighs with relief. "Good. I miss you," he answers. It doesn't occur to him that Joan might think he wouldn't. Especially not with how much she's missed him too. "I miss holding you," he adds, because that's one of the stronger feelings right now. He'd really like a hug, to deal with all this.

[formersurgeon]

She breathes a sigh of relief as well. She wouldn't blame him if he balked, unable to deal with the violence that sometimes surrounds her and that will be hard to completely avoid. But he hasn't, at least not yet.

"I miss being held by you. I wish I was with you right now." She could really use a hug, and she'd guess he does, too. Being able to face everything while they're physically together will be really nice.

Which reminds her.

"We're going to need to shift the focus of the investigation, now that we know Moriarty had nothing to do with it."

[theodorelasso]

"Yeah..." Ted answers, still thoughtful. "But what you said about Moriarty. That it was to protect me. Do you think that... I dunno, actually works? Just, you know... I need to know if I should actually be scared or not."

On the bright side, they can be together. But... it's because being apart was a safeguard that they no longer have. Ted's voice doesn't actually sound very scared, though. Concerned, definitely.

[formersurgeon]

"It's not going to guarantee that no one ever messes with you," she says. "But Moriarty is a well-known name in the criminal underworld. Word gets around. Serious criminals...the sort who would command twenty five grand...will know they risk their lives if they target you. So...at least no more scared than before."

She hates that he would have to be afraid at all, but she knows Ted is a public figure with a lot of haters. Turner might have been manipulated, but that doesn't mean some crazy fan won't decide to attack him all on their own.

[theodorelasso]

"Mmmm, yeah..." Ted answers. He isn't too scared of those, not really. The vast majority of folks are passionate, but they're not murderers. And probably most of them have the sense to know that killing the coach isn't actually going to help.

"Wait," he says, realizing something she said. "Twenty five grand?" He hasn't actually gotten any updates since they found Perry's full name.

[formersurgeon]

"Oh...you don't know about that part." It's been a very long twenty four plus hours, and she forgot what he knows and what he doesn't.

"After we found out his name, we were able to have the hackers we use obtain his bank records. Oh, by the way, I promised them Richmond tickets. Anyway. There was a deposit of 25 grand into his account right before his encounter with Chapman."

[theodorelasso]

Ted blinks at the Richmond tickets part, but he's sure he can get Rebecca to swing that.

He pauses as he considers that, then leans forward suddenly. "Is Perry okay?" he asks urgently. Cause she hasn't said anything about him, and if he was paid, and if Moriarty knows that...

[formersurgeon]

"We don't know yet," Joan says quietly. "Sherlock was still looking for him when all of this went down."

She doesn't want to tell him what probably happened. She's seen enough hit jobs done to make an example to know they might never find Perkins' body, and if they do they're unlikely to find him in one piece.

[theodorelasso]

"Shoot," Ted says quietly. It's not that he's necessarily too personally worried about someone who takes 25k to kidnap or murder someone. But... surely this shouldn't be the way it's done.

Ted rubs at his eyes a little bit. There's nothing he can really do about any of this. Well... Except for what's lying on the table in front of him.

"So, you haven't been able to find who gave him that money?" he asks.

[formersurgeon]

"We tried," she says. "Unfortunately, Swiss bank accounts are notoriously difficult to pinpoint. Clients pay a premium for the anonymity. We exhausted all of our avenues. That was the point when I decided to contact Moriarty."

[theodorelasso]

"So... there's no way to prove whoever did it?" he asks. "I mean... You've been so sure it's been Moriarty, you haven't even asked me who I think might have done it..." he points out. He's only ever really been questioned about the event itself.

[formersurgeon]

That pulls her up short. How could she be so myopic?

"You're right, I haven't. I guess I was just too wrapped up in the fear that it was Moriarty. I should have asked, and I'm sorry. Who do you think might have done it?"

[theodorelasso]

"Well, I was just making an observation, cause that's the thing, I really don't like thinking about people that way," Ted says, staring at the photo again, frowning, falling silent. Rupert's got this self-satisfied smirk...

He doesn't like keeping this from Joan - actually he really hates it. He doesn't know what to do with this information. Or why apparently only he was given it. He feels like he's being played with. Is that it? Is that something Moriarty would do? Does she just want to see what he does? Or is she just leaving the decision up to him? And if he tells Joan, what are they even going to do about it if they can't prove it?

Actually no, not 'if' he tells Joan. When. He wouldn't want to keep this from her. Regardless of what he wants up wanting to do about the information. And... even now, a part of him knows exactly what he's going to do. Because if Rupert truly would do something like this, he shouldn't have the power to...

He's just... He's not ready for that yet.

[formersurgeon]

"You always see the best in people," she says softly. "Sometimes it makes it hard to see the worst." And vice versa.

She decides that maybe a change of topic might be called for. So she puts the phone on speaker and pulls up a travel site. "There's a flight from JFK to Heathrow at five...I think I can make that."

[theodorelasso]

Ted perks up at that. And he has to do some mental math. That's ten for him. Then add travel time. She'd probably be there at six in the morning. It's less than a day away.

"Yes, perfect," he says, the happiness at this prospect evident in his voice. "Beard and I can come pick you up."

[formersurgeon]

"Okay, 5pm it is..." She's quiet for a moment, choosing the flight and paying for it. "There we go." It feels drastic, but she doesn't want to spend another moment apart.

"It'll be good to be home, she says softly, deliberate in her word choice this time.

[theodorelasso]

It feels drastic to Ted too, but the appropriate amount of drastic.

"I can't wait to see you. I love you," he says excitedly, feeling giddy. Even despite everything else going on. "Although, oh boy, I guess you'd better get packing, huh?"

[formersurgeon]

"I don't have a lot," she says, closing her laptop and carrying it with her as she heads for the stairs. "It will just take me a minute. Do you want me to call you from the cab?"

[theodorelasso]

"Sure, yeah. I just gotta call Beard," Ted answers. "And hopefully get some sleep while you're on the plane, except now I'm so excited I'm thinking that might be a challenge," he adds with a chuckle.

[formersurgeon]

"I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep either," she says with a smile as she makes her way up the stairs. She's pretty wired herself, between the stress and the joy. "I'll call you on your regular phone, okay?"