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]

"Don't worry about that," she says gently. "Do you remember what your dream was about?"

He's got to still have so much trauma from the kidnapping itself, and there's been so much since and more to come. If she could help him work through it little by little, it might make it easier.

[theodorelasso]

"Uh," he answers, trying to think. It had sort of been fleeting away, leaving only the sickening feeling of guilt and worry. "Sort of," he answers.

[formersurgeon]

He seems really reluctant to talk about it, which only increases her worry. Is he trying to protect her? Is he ashamed?

"I'm here," she says softly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

[theodorelasso]

Ted shakes his head gently. He doesn't really want to dwell on the details of the parts he remembers. "Just worried about tomorrow. And about Rebecca," he explains. Which is honestly all that really needs saying about it. That's what it comes down to. And he's already mentioned his guilt about not telling Rebecca.

He does however wrap his arms around Joan, and squeezes her a bit tighter than necessary for a moment, like he's using her as a teddy bear.

[formersurgeon]

She holds him just as tightly, more for his comfort than her own. She knows he's worried about Rebecca, and he's not wrong to be. Rupert is vicious and has made her life hell. Of course he'd be worried that Mannion would do something to hurt her.

"It's going to be okay," she whispers, leaning her head against his. "We're going to be okay."

[theodorelasso]

"Yeah," Ted agrees just as quietly, then presses a kiss against the side of her head. (He'd kiss her properly, but after that nap, his breath is probably atrocious.)

That anxious knot does start to loosen a little as he holds onto her though. He draws a deep breath in through his nose, then makes a face at once again at that basement air. "You guys couldn't have had an above-ground safe house?" he asks, only half joking.

[formersurgeon]

"There's one in an abandoned warehouse on the North side." She kisses his cheek. "If we need to continue hiding after the gala...honestly, at that point I'd rather we went to the safehouse in Argentina."

If this is going to be a long term thing, they might as well go someplace where they could actually enjoy themselves.

[theodorelasso]

"Of course you have a safehouse in Argentina," Ted answers with an amused huff. "Apparently they have good soccer players there."

He doesn't want to seriously consider that possibility quite yet, but at least that would feel slightly more like a vacation than like hiding in an underground cave.

[formersurgeon]

"Pretty sure they call it football there, too," she teases gently. "And technically speaking, it's not mine. The property belongs to Sherlock's dad."

The elder Holmes is a terrible person in a lot of ways, but his extensive land holdings are useful.

[theodorelasso]

"Mmm. Yeah, well, I'm talking to you, not the Argentinians," Ted teases back. "They probably call it something like... El futball," he adds, trying to mimic Dani. They speak Spanish in Argentina, right?

[formersurgeon]

She chuckles. "Something like that." She met Dani briefly in the investigation, and was impressed by the sheer joy the man exuded with his love for the sport.

"You could coach there under an assumed name. Grow a goatee." She smiles mischievously. "Or shave your mustache."

[theodorelasso]

"I have done that, though it's been years. Really spooked Henry," he answers with a chuckle. He definitely thinks he looks wrong without a mustache, but he's also not so precious that he wouldn't do it.

He tells Joan more about Henry's reaction, and after that play some more two truths and a lie, though of course it veers off into mostly just storytelling.

Given their long nap, it's pretty late before either of them feels remotely sleepy.

And even when they do go to bed properly, Ted barely dozes off, before waking up and just lying there for an hour or two, listening to Joan's calm breathing to avoid feeling anxious about being in a basement. (The smell, the echo of the walls, with no sound from outside...)

Eventually he gets up, as carefully as possible to avoid waking Joan (who thankfully was sound asleep by then), and he just starts making bread using that mix. It takes very little skill or creativity, but at least he gets to knead some dough. He saves the actual baking for the next morning though, though that's nice, as then they get to eat it for breakfast.

[formersurgeon]

Joan's sleep isn't dreamless this time. She dreams, strangely enough, of Moriarty. The woman is in the cell where she was held after Joan "solved" her and captured her. The painting she's working on isn't Joan, though. It's Ted.

She wakes up and is momentarily anxious when Ted isn't beside her. Then she sees him baking and relaxes.

They have fresh baked bread and jam for breakfast, and it's perfect. As they're eating, the burner phone buzzes. It's Sherlock, saying to expect Simon. A minute later there's a knock on the door, and she peeks out to see a teenager decked out in punk gear and carrying a mailbag. He identifies himself as Simon and hands her the bag, then leaves.

Inside the bag is Ted's suit and Joan's ballgown, along with some of Joan's makeup, hair product and perfume, and Ted's cologne and shaving supplies.

Once they're ready to go, Joan leads them out of the building a different way than they entered, and they catch a cab to the gala.