For Joan

[theodorelasso]

Continued from here.

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

Comments

[formersurgeon]

Joan picks up on Keeley's nervousness, and it makes total sense. Joan had nearly died that night, right there in front of everyone. She can imagine Keeley was afraid Joan would be in worse shape than she is.

"I'm fine," she assures Keeley with a gentle smile. "My strength is coming back." She smiles at Ted. "And I have wonderful guys taking care of me."

[theodorelasso]

"Yeah, we've mostly just been snuggling up with movies and napping a lot," he answers with a smile. "Definitely worse things to spend our time doing."

[formersurgeon]

"Definitely," Joan agrees. She looks over at Sherlock, who's surveying the room with a slightly sour expression. "We couldn't do it without Sherlock. He's been really helpful so we can rest."

[theodorelasso]

"Awww, that's so nice," Keeley answers, smiling at Sherlock, clearly unfazed by the expression. (She's used to Roy and Beard, after all.) "You're a detective like Joan, right?"

[formersurgeon]

Sherlock is not one for socializing, but he knows this is important to Watson, so he makes an effort.

"I am in fact the one who trained Watson to be a detective," he answers with a small, stiff smile, as friendly as he gets with strangers.

[theodorelasso]

Ted is very proud. It's more friendly than Sherlock was to him when they first met. (And even then, Ted is pretty sure he could've been significantly more rude had he wanted to.)

"Oh, that's so cool," Keeley answers excitedly. Roy looks mildly interested. Ted wonders vaguely if him and Sherlock will say a single word to each other. He feels like they should have a bet going.

Sherlock is however saved from any follow-up questions by the doorbell ringing at the arrival of the food.

[formersurgeon]

Joan is happy, knowing the effort Sherlock is putting into being friendly. When it comes to Ted, in Sherlock's defense he had not expected visitors when he first met Ted, and Ted was taking the attention and presence of Sherlock's partner and best friend. Keeley and Roy were expected and he isn't going to lose Watson to them.

Sherlock would have gone on, but the doorbell rings and he rises. "I shall return," he says, heading to the front door. Joan watches him go, smiling fondly.

[theodorelasso]

Also in Sherlock's defense.. Ted hadn't even found him that rude. He just seemed like someone who wasn't ready to socialise at the time.

"What about you two?" Ted asks. "Roy, how's your coaching gig going?" He's heard from Keeley that he's coaching girls' soccer, and he's obviously excited to hear about it.

"Fine."

"Oh yeah? How's the team?"

"Fine."

"...Alright," Ted answers, obviously a little amused. "Keeley, how about you, how's work?"

"Oh, uh, fine!" she answers with a smile that might be a little awkward.

"Uh-huh," Ted says with a smile, raising his eyebrows at the both of them with amused curiosity.

It's Roy who speaks up first, presumably to save Keeley from having to. "She's scrambling to manage PR after the gala and everything that's happened lately."

Ah. Ted nods, feeling a little twinge of guilt, even as he knows it's not really his fault. "Mmm. That makes sense, yeah."

[formersurgeon]

"That must be challenging," she says softly. She hasn't really thought about the world outside this apartment and the Richmond team, so this reminds her that she and Ted are part of a much bigger story.

"What has the coverage been like? What narrative is the media pushing?"

[theodorelasso]

"Well," Keeley answers, since that is obviously a complicated questions. "The tabloids are mostly soaking up the drama. Including..." She gestures between the two of them, obviously meaning their relationship. "The sports news too, but they're more focused on what it's going to mean for the team. Ted's actually getting a sort of.... martyr status."

Ted huffs a soft laugh at that. He supposes there are worse things to be. Though he probably won't care for it very much once he gets back to work.

"Then there's a few more reputable papers that have started digging more into Rupert, unearthing old stuff, trying to figure out what's actually going on. Trent Crimm calls for you daily," she adds, nodding at Ted, who just raises his eyebrows.

[formersurgeon]

Joan isn't surprised by how the reporting is shaking out. She figured there was plenty of juicy stuff to keep the tabloids hopping. The fact that Ted is dating a detective was bound to get some attention in light of Ted's ordeal and Rupert's arrest. And reporters saw her being taken out of the hall on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance, so she imagines that's been in the reporting too, although she's curious what they say about why she was rushed to the hospital.

She figures that Ted being cast as a martyr is actually probably a good thing. It would definitely get public opinion on his side rather than on the side of Rupert, who had already been forgiven for any number of sins by the press in the wake of his divorce.

It's definitely a good thing that the reputable papers are investigating Rupert. Including Trent Crimm, who Joan knows has a good rapport with Ted.

She looks to him. "Did you tell them anything about the things we think Rupert has done?" she asks softly.

[theodorelasso]

"Only what he did to us," he answers just as softly. "And I haven't told the press anything," he adds.

He felt like he had to tell the team that Rupert tried to kill him (twice), and Joan got caught in the crossfire the second time. It'll come out eventually, presumably as soon as the trial begins, so he wanted them to hear it from him.

[formersurgeon]

She agrees it was right to tell the team about Rupert trying to kill Ted and coming close to killing Joan. (And almost killing Ted, for that matter, considering the condition Joan found him in when he was kidnapped.) It sounds like more things are coming out now, though, and she wonders if they should reveal the things they know.

Before she can make that decision, Sherlock returns with their food.

[theodorelasso]

Ted is leaving that particular decision to Sherlock and Joan. He only knows the broad strokes anyway.

He is glad to not have to think about it too much though. Suddenly they're a lot more busy passing around food and starting to eat. And it's good food, too.

Ted could really do with a beer or even a glass of whiskey along with it, but he has to get used to not having any alcohol while Sherlock is around. It's probably not good for him while he's healing anyway.

[formersurgeon]

The food is really good. Joan is being careful not to eat too much, since this is the most solid food she's had in a while, and the last thing she wants to do is make herself sick. But so far her stomach is handling the food well.

Sherlock is watching the room as he eats, taking in their guests, making deductions based on their clothes, their body language, the way they eat, etc. His eyes connect with Roy's. Roy has noticed Sherlock's surveillance, and he glares at the detective with a soft, almost subsonic growl. Sherlock doesn't back down, and after a moment of mutual staring, they both look away.

[theodorelasso]

Ted is trying not to eat too fast too, out of solidarity with Joan, so she won't be the only one picking at her food by the end.

He does catch Sherlock and Roy looking at each other, and he very subtly nudges Joan to call her attention to it. Once the two grumps men look away from each other, Ted glances at Joan with a smile at their inside joke.

[formersurgeon]

Joan looks up at the nudge and sees the two misanthropes glaring at each other, and has to stifle a chuckle. She glances at Ted with a smile and an amused quirk of her eyebrow.

"Gotta say," Joan says, making conversation. "The ethnic food in London is incredible."

"That's imperialism for you," Sherlock remarks dryly.

[theodorelasso]

"Oh!" Ted reacts, Sherlock's answer reminding him of something Sam said and sparking an idea. "We should have a team potluck," he says to Keeley. "Get everyone to bring something from home!"

[formersurgeon]

"I think that's a great idea!" Keeley says.

Joan smiles playfully at Ted. "So...what would you bring and why is it barbecue?" she teases.

[theodorelasso]

Ted grins at Joan. "Oh, it's definitely gonna be barbecue," Ted agrees. What else was it ever gonna be? "What about you, Keeley?" he asks.

She considers it for a moment. "Maybe a shepherd's pie? Although last time I tried to make it, it sort of went tits up."

And then she regales them with a story of a disastrous cooking experience. At some point in there, she says 'my girlfriend at the time', which makes Ted look up, and then quickly look back down at his food again. He pointedly ignores Sherlock but he does glance at Joan out of the corner of his eye.

[formersurgeon]

When Keeley mentions her girlfriend, Sherlock glances at Ted and sees him looking down, pointedly avoiding his gaze, but glancing at Joan. Sherlock looks to Watson as well. Joan reacts with very mild surprise, a slight raise of the eyebrows. But really, it makes sense. Joan has seen Keeley lightly flirt with other women, most notably Rebecca. And Joan goes back to smiling and nodding at the story. It doesn't bother her at all.

[theodorelasso]

Ted would honestly be surprised if it did bother her, but that doesn't stop that niggling worry. Or perhaps it's not even about what the reaction would be, so much as he's used to keeping it secret and it's hard to imagine people knowing about.

He's so used to keeping it secret that he himself forgets about it most of the time, and the only reason it even made him react is because he'd just been talking about it with Sherlock earlier. (The fact that someone does know is stressing him out a little.)

[formersurgeon]

Joan glances at Ted, smiling, but her smile fades a little when she sees his expression. She can tell something is bugging him, but has no idea what. It'll do no good to talk about it now, but she files it away for later as she turns back to Keeley, her full smile returning.

[theodorelasso]

Ted also tries to file all that away for later. He apparently zoned out of part of Keeley's story, but by the end of it he's caught up enough that he still laughs along with everyone else. (Well, everyone but Roy and Sherlock, who don't exactly laugh as such.)

It does feel good to be socialising and talking about trivial stuff though. Stuffed with food by now, Ted sits back and puts his arm behind Joan.

[formersurgeon]

It definitely feels great to be socializing. Just spending time with friends and not focusing on the difficulties of their situation. It's normal, and normal feels good.

Joan takes the invitation and leans against Ted, settling one hand on his knee.