For Joan

[theodorelasso]

Continued from here.

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

Comments

[formersurgeon]

Joan agrees with Ted. She's all too familiar with seeking redemption and paying penance, and as much as one can go overboard with it, it can also be a good thing, both for the world and for your own peace of mind.

"Moriarty was the one who pointed us in Rupert's direction," Joan explains, intentionally leaving out the details. "She also said she couldn't deal with him directly, although she wasn't clear why."

[theodorelasso]

"Well, probably for much the same reason it would've been pointless for us to come forward with this evidence before now. He was simply too powerful, no one would touch him," Harry answers. "Actually, by putting yourselves in harm's way, you may have helped a lot more people than you know. There's potential for a lot of cases to be reopened as a result of this, not just this one. And there's a lot of people who want to make sure that the risk you guys two took won't be in vain."

Ted hadn't really considered the big picture in that way. Perhaps because, really, he knew very little about Rupert's business, beyond what he'd done to those handful people. But if he was capable of doing that, just to maintain his own power and wealth, it makes sense he's hurt a lot more people...

Ted squeezes Joan's hand a bit. He hadn't expected to feel emotional during this - well, not for these reasons, anyway.

[formersurgeon]

Joan glances at Ted and leans warmly against him for a moment, squeezing his hand back. The two of them have suffered so much because of Rupert. It's nice knowing all that suffering hasn't been in vain. That they have likely protected some people and gotten justice for others.

"I'm glad he won't hurt anybody else," Joan says softly.

[theodorelasso]

Ted nods in agreement with Joan. He doesn't really know what to say. Rare for him, but he doesn't feel right cracking jokes right now.

Harry smiles softly, not saying anything for the moment either, and then Sherlock returns with the tea.

"Thank you so much," he says, accepting the tea. "I'm heading back to the states soon, but if there's anything I can help with when it comes to legal advice or about this case in the next few days, I'd be happy to help."

[formersurgeon]

Sherlock also brings a glass of water (without bubbles) for Ted, knowing the man's opinions on tea.

Joan takes her own cup and sips carefully. Her hands are more steady, but she doesn't want to chance spilling hot tea on herself.

Sherlock sits and takes his own cup.

"What trouble awaits those at your former company?" Sherlock asks before drinking. "If they were aware of Mr. Mannion's activities, surely there is at the very least obstruction charges."

[theodorelasso]

Ted smiles in thanks to Sherlock - he's not sure he knows how Ted doesn't like tea, but he appreciates it. (He was rather preoccupied when Joan told Sherlock the other day.)

"At least," Harry agrees. "One or two of them might even go down with conspiracy to murder charges, if we're lucky. Then again, as a law firm, they obviously have pretty good lawyers, so we'll see."

[formersurgeon]

Joan is happy that Sherlock remembers and goes out of his way to accommodate Ted's preference.

"What about you?" Joan asks softly. "Will you get in trouble?"

[theodorelasso]

"I never worked for Mannion, no," Harry answers. He pauses. "Though maybe don't mention my name if anyone asks you where you got these," he adds, gesturing to the documents on the table. It's not that they can't come up with a reasonable explanation for why he would have them and would be able to give them out, but he'd rather they didn't have to. "My friends are pretty good at making sure we don't get in trouble. Or, at least, getting us out of trouble."

[formersurgeon]

"We never reveal our sources," Sherlock says. "Your secret is safe with us."

"I take it your friends do things like this all the time?" Joan queries. "Just in regards to your former firm? Or for other groups as well?"

[theodorelasso]

"Not just my former firm," Harry answers. "Much like yourselves, we take on jobs where our skills are put to best use, whether it's because no one else can help, or there's particular deadline, or there's some kind of personal connection."

He sips his tea for a second, and nods approvingly at it. "One of my first jobs, we took down a casino owner who was evicting people from their family homes through a variety of illegal methods that it was very hard to catch him on. We got his license revoked, their people their houses back with the loans paid off, and got the neighborhood historical status. It's very rewarding work." He's not telling the story to brag - just to illustrate the kind of stuff they do, and why they do it.

[formersurgeon]

Sherlock is duly impressed. He despises people who take advantage of others like that, ruining their lives for the sake of profit without a second thought.

"How do you come about your cases?" he asks. "Are you hired? Or do you spend time identifying situations where your services would be helpful?"

[theodorelasso]

"Sometimes they contact us, yeah, but we don't take payment," Harry answers. "Sometimes we get tips from contacts, or one of the team members bring something. And Hardison has a computer program that looks specifically for stuff like that."

Again: another name that might be slightly mythical in the right circles, but this time as a hacker, not a thief.

[formersurgeon]

Joan frowns faintly and looks at Sherlock. "Hardison...isn't that the hacker we worked with on that antiquities smuggling case?"

"The Babylonian tablets, yes," Sherlock says, still looking at Harry.

[theodorelasso]

Harry raises his eyebrows. "Well, he could've mentioned that," he says, somewhere between exasparated and amused, sitting back in his chair and throwing up his hands. "Could've just told you guys I work with him." Ted smiles in amusement at that.

Admittedly Hardison is the one of the gang Harry knows the least, since he's often off with other teams. But it does not surprise him at all that he would neglect to mention this.

It also doesn't surprise him he worked on something to do with antiquties, since Hardison makes it a hobby of creating forgeries of stuff like that.

[formersurgeon]

Joan smiles as well. Sherlock sort of half smiles, but his expression is a lot warmer now. It's not unusual in their lives for random people to show up on their doorstep asking for help or offering information or whatnot, and it's always better to have at least some way to connect them to people they know and/or have worked with in the past. Much less likely there's some secret ulterior motive or intention to harm them.

"You say you work with thieves and hackers," Sherlock notes. "What is it you do?"

[theodorelasso]

"Well, the title they gave me is 'fixer'," Harry answers with a shrug and a smile. "Anything to do with law or bureaucracy or business is my specialty. Client meetings, often. Or things requiring... well, some legitimacy. The rest of the team can be... a bit eccentric." He definitely says this with a touch of fondness though. "I'm still sort of a newbie though, most of them have been working together for over a decade, doing this kind of thing."

[formersurgeon]

"You're the 'face,'" Sherlock remarks. "You're conventionally attractive, wear a suit well, you have confidence and project authority. I imagine a cabal of thieves and hackers finds that quite useful."

Joan sighs and rolls her eyes. Come on, Sherlock.

"Pretty sure all that is meant to be a compliment," she says.

[theodorelasso]

"I took it as one," Harry says to Joan with a smile. "Should perhaps be noted they're all experienced grifters, something I'm just beginning to practice myself, so it's not like they'd be lost without me." But the legitimacy comes naturally to him, as opposed to having to be put on.

[formersurgeon]

Sherlock narrows his eyes, looking at Harry askance. "Considering your former legal profession, I suspect you were already quite experienced with grift, it being one of the tools of the trade, along with a penchant for making nonsense sound convincing and a convenient lack of a soul."

Joan rolls her eyes again and gives Harry an apologetic look. "That...was not meant to be a compliment," she says, shooting a glare at Sherlock.

"He's left the occupation, Watson," Sherlock points out. "And, it would seem, is using his powers for good."

[theodorelasso]

"It's alright," Harry tells Joan. "He's not saying anything I haven't told myself." He'd kept his conscience clear for a long time saying he was impartial, until he realized that by doing so, he had already picked a side. It's not like Sherlock can hurt his feelings by saying something like that.

"Anyway, I meant more... theatrical aspects of it," he elaborates to Sherlock. "Being distractions. Playing a.. frantic husband in a yelling match with his wife. Or a clueless tourist having wandered into a restricted section. That kind of stuff."

[formersurgeon]

"I see," Sherlock says. "Assuming such roles is a practice Watson and I are quite familiar with as well. At one point we were able to survey a suspect's home by telling him Watson was a world class security expert."

"That was a little more believable than the time you said I was a bodyguard with multiple black belts," Joan remarks dryly.

"You can hold your own in a fight," he says.

"Not the same thing."

[theodorelasso]

Ted has been mostly sitting back and listening with the feeling that he has absolutely no idea what they're talking to, and feeling a little bit like he stumbled into a heist movie or something. The normal guy to everyone else's wackiness. While also being worried about Rupert and the trial and all that. So he hasn't tried to participate much.

At this point he feels a little bit more confident speaking up though. "I'd hire you as my body guard," he says with a smile, squeezing Joan's hand to get her attention.

[formersurgeon]

Ted's statement warms Joan's heart, and she gives him a smile, then leans her head against his shoulder, squeezing his hand back.

"See?" Sherlock says. "Entirely believable."

[theodorelasso]

"I mean, I've never seen you fight, so I can't comment on the black belt part.." he adds. "But you're probably better than me."

Ted could probably still perform a decent tackle (when he doesn't have a broken leg), but that's as far as his fighting skills go. He generally tries to avoid and defuse fights before they start.

"I should probably get going," Harry says, setting down his teacup and getting to his feet. He's taken up enough of their time.

[formersurgeon]

"One of these days I'll teach you single stick," she promises. The antiquated and very British sport doesn't seem practical, but apply it to baton and it's extremely useful.

Sherlock gets to his feet as well. "I can show you out."

Joan lifts her head. "Thanks so much for this information. And please thank your friends, too."