The Science of Starting Again//Book Five

Chapter 23~ Family Plans

Teddy's P.O.V

It was early October and already the chill of Winter was settling in London. I found myself diving into my winter wardrobe more regularly because of it. Some days when the weather would get particularly cold I couldn't help but think about where I had been last year when Winter had struck. It had been a mess of hot and cold, fire and ice. Last winter had been the toughest winter I had ever experienced. It had nearly killed me, and it had destroyed others.

Curled up on the sofa of 221B, I rubbed my thigh at the thought of last winter. The large burn on my leg had healed since then, but it would always remain a constant reminder about my second time living in America. From John's armchair Mycroft looked at me, his eyebrows drawn together in concern.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked, averting his eyes back towards the game of Operation he and Sherlock were playing. I shook my head, returning to my book.

"Nothing at all," I replied simply.

"Now that's a lie if I ever did hear one," Sherlock muttered, his gaze focused as he slowly pulled a rib from the board without touching the sides. He smiled triumphantly in his success.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Holmes' never not think, it's impossible. So obviously you were thinking about something," Sherlock answered, watching Mycroft have his turn. I put my book down and stood up, stretching.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied cheekily before walking into the kitchen to make us some tea.

It had been months since all the craziness had occurred. Since that time Sherlock had slowly healed (he was forbidden from taking any strenuous cases that could cause injury to his wound), Greg and I had been upping the ante on our relationship, and me and Mary had slowly but surely begun to build some sort of relationship based on mutual respect for one another. Nearly everything was working out for us all.

Nearly.

John was still living with Sherlock here in 221B. He refused to go visit Mary, let alone talk to her over the phone. I had tried taking to him- even Sherlock had a go- but he wouldn't budge. I could see why: she had completely broken his trust and wounded his heart. It was going to take awhile for them to fix their relationship- and that was it John even wanted to fix it. After awhile Sherlock and I had just left him to it. They would work it out when the time was right.

I returned to the living room with fresh cups of tea in my hands, placing Mycroft and Sherlock's on the table beside them before returning to the sofa. It was around this time that I heard the door downstairs open and a voice called out.

"Teddy?"

"Up here, Greg!"

A few seconds later and Greg was upstairs, flashing me a smile before bending down and giving me a kiss. From the armchair I heard Mycroft clear his throat, making Greg turn red.

"How-um- how's your day then?" He asked, sitting beside me. I smiled, swinging my legs up onto his lap before sipping on my tea.

"Productive morning. I tidied the flat and finished off my resume. They've got some jobs going that I'm pretty interested in, although I think some of them might require certificates that I don't have yet."

"That's all right, you can just take some classes to get those easy," Greg replied, grinning at me. "So, d'you want to hear about my day?"

"Well," I wrinkled my face in mock disinterest, making Greg roll his eyes and hit my leg gently. I giggled, nodding in agreement.