The Science of Starting Again//Book Five

Chapter 14~ The Honeymoon Period

Third Person P.O.V

The nightmares still came every night or so. Nowadays, though, Teddy had more than Dmitri to lull her back to sleep. Greg had taken to staying at Teddy's since they started going out. It made it easier for him to get to work (221C was closer to Scotland Yard than his flat was) but it also meant Teddy didn't have to leave the cat alone for too long. She had told him how he had been left alone for weeks when his owner failed to return home one night, found only by Teddy when she went to the house to pack up the owner's items. That was during her time in America. Now he was here and she didn't want him to think she would never come home to him like his previous owner.

"We've both been through some tough shit," Teddy cooed, scratching the grey cat behind his ears one night. Greg smiled, one arm wrapped around her shoulders as they sat on the sofa.

The first night Greg had been woken up by Teddy's nightmares had been the night of John and Mary's wedding. They never returned to the reception after that first kiss. Instead, they went upstairs to Greg's hotel room. At first, Greg thought that he was just hearing things. Then, when he had felt Teddy's tears on his arm and heard her muffled screams, he knew it wasn't so. He shook her awake, jumping slightly when she suddenly wretched herself away from him, spilling out of the bed and onto the floor where she started at him with wide, alert eyes, crouched like a lion ready to pounce. Greg was sure that- had she had a gun nearby- it would be pointed at him. After a few murmured words from him Teddy relaxed, coming back to herself. She seemed almost ashamed when she realized what she had done, and it wasn't until Greg had coaxed her back into bed and soothed her worries with soft kisses that she relaxed.

That was a month ago. Now, whenever Teddy had a nightmare, she didn't jump away from the figure in her bed. Now she let him hold her, allow her racing heartbeat to slow down and sync up with his steady one.

She hadn't had a nightmare last night, so when Teddy awoke to find the early morning light shining into her room she couldn't help but laugh, waking Greg up.

"Wha- Teddy? You okay?" He asked groggily, lifting up his head to look at her. She was sitting up now, running a hand through her morning mane.

"I slept through the ni-ight," she replied in a sing-song voice, leaning over towards him. Automatically Greg met her lips with his, kissing her good-morning before watching her stand. His brown eyes followed her as she walked towards the window and opened it wide, sticking her head out.

"It looks like it's going to be a good day today," she said, turning around and giving Greg a smile. Greg stretched, his back clicking, before he settled back into the bed with a yawn.

"What time is it?" He asked, smiling as Teddy jumped back into bed and wrapped her body around his.

"My phone says six-thirty."

"I've still got half an hour to sleep."

"Or not," Teddy said coyly, nuzzling the back of Greg's neck. The older man couldn't help but groan, a small chuckle escaping his lips.

"I'm too old for this. Morning sex? I don't think forty-two year olds do that," he said, although he couldn't help but like the direction in which Teddy's hand was straying.

"You better not be tapping out on me, Gregory Lestrade. We're a month into this relationship. I don't care if forty-two year olds don't do morning sex. Thirty year olds do. If you're already heading towards the 'we're too old for sex' area, then I will end this right now," Teddy warned, before rolling Greg onto his back and effortlessly swinging one leg across his waist, straddling him.

"Jesus," Greg couldn't help but groan, making Teddy laugh. "You are something else, Teddy. Honestly, I think you're gonna end up breaking me."

With a cheeky grin Teddy leaned down and kissed him hard, one hand gripping his hair, the other elsewhere. When she pulled away she spoke.