Officially Cumberbatched? A sequel to 'Well and truly Cumberbatched'

Chapter 48

AN: Song for chapter 'Holocene'- Bon Iver

A few days later...

Wednesday. Late morning. Home.

Peering into the darkened spare room, Finn was still out like a lamp except for the odd snore.

A "few quiet drinks" to catch up with him turned into three empty bottles of red and half the contents of Ben's Jose Cuervo now missing, the mild thump at my temples hardly soothing.

"Just the two of us then Merly, hungover walkies?" I asked, his excited padding about the carpet was a yes in itself.

...

Zipping up my Barbour I watched Merlin fidgeting by the door before sitting down, his tail patting the rug. He usually assumed the same pose waiting for Ben to come home.

"Hmm." I mumbled, my hand on the door handle; cold to the touch.

"I know Merly, I know." I sighed, patting the golden sphere in my hand, his equally as golden eyes curious, searching mine.

...

"I don't think I can, not really. I want to though; you want me to don't you Merly?" I sat on the second to last step, his head now resting in my lap. I was thinking to call Pascal. I should have in the first place; the doorbell rung a moment later, Merlin's excited bark filling the hall.

"Quiet Merly, Finn's still asleep." I calmly said heading to the front door, pulling it open a moment later.

...

"Phoebe, hi." I said, a worried look on her face.

"Morning Rosie. Were you about to head somewhere? I can always come back later?" she sort of asked, a nervousness in her voice.

"No, no, I was going to take Merlin for a walk then I guess I couldn't. I just froze I guess." I said, Merlin's pining for Phoebe's attention becoming hard to ignore.

"I take it Ben's not here then?" she asked stroking Merlin's head momentarily, her eyes crinkling with a smile, whisps of her newly dyed purple hair blowing in the wind.

"No, he's back in Devon now, then he's off to Germany. He'll be back in a few days I think; sorry I can't really remember his schedule right now. I've not exactly spoken to him much in the last few days myself." I said, the elephant in the room lingering the longer we stood there.

"Right, right. Do you mind if I come in?" she quietly asked.

"Of course, have you eaten already?" I queried taking my coat off and draping it on the rather obnoxiously sized 'net-a-porter' box in the hall; it was tantamount to the crippling power of an unhealthy addiction to clothes, and an irritatingly well dressed brother who's always rocking up in something head-turning, I usually call him Alex.

"No, I've not been eating well for a while." she said, the frost between us melting away.

"Why?" I put the kettle to boil. On the verge of saying something she sat at the small table under the window, a clear vase of white lilies from Wanda resting on the windowsill.

"I've had a lot, too much to think about." She trailed off resting her chin in her hand, the usual brightness in her eyes clearly absent today.

"Do you fancy thinking about bacon instead?" I asked placing a steaming mug of Twining's peach and cherry blossom green tea in front of her.

"I wouldn't mind. Thanks Rosie." She mumbled, flicking through the copy of 'Women's Health' on the table; I nodded heading to the fridge, quickly taking a look at her profile.