The Science of Starting Again//Book Five

Chapter 25~ Homecoming

Teddy's P.O.V

We had been driving for hours now, a fact that we were all quite aware of:  there had been multiple complaints of cramped legs and fights over who got to rest their elbow where. Luckily for me, I had avoided those confrontations (although there had been others before we had even stepped foot into the car. However with the shotgun rules I had won, so there). I don't think we expected the car to be so full. It was supposed to be just me, Mycroft, Sherlock, and John travelling, with Mary following a few hours later after a quick doctor's appointment. However, Sherlock had decided to let us know last minute that one of his homeless friends were coming too. Because of this the car was packed, with Sherlock, John, and Billy sharing the backseat while Mycroft drove and I rode shotgun. Billy seemed okay as far as I could tell, funny and relatively smart. I don't think Mycroft was very keen on him, however, and even John looked a little uncomfortable in his presence. 

The change from city streets to fields of green was nice to experience. I had spent a majority of my time just looking out the window and watching them all roll by, the clouds above a muted grey colour. They couldn't distract me from the truth, though, one that was making me more nervous every kilometer we traveled. I could feel my stomach churning and my skin felt hot and sticky, despite the fact that winter was here. I pressed my face against the window, letting out a soft sigh as the cold seeped its way into my skin. 

"You look pale," Mycroft commented, making me turn towards him. His eyes were still on the road but I knew that he was right. When I had gotten up this morning I my skin had been a sickly white shade, dark circles like bruises sitting beneath my eyes. Those same eyes rolled inside their sockets now as I replied to my eldest brother's comment.

"Uh, yeah. Of course I am, always have been."

"You look sick. Are you all right?" Mycroft asked, making me throw my arms up, eyes widening comically. 

"I'm absolutely peachy! I'm oh so jolly excited to be spending Christmas with our parents!" I said sarcastically, making Mycroft sigh and Sherlock kick the back of my seat. I winced, looking over my shoulder at where Sherlock was sitting. "What? Do you want me to move forward? Because that's not gonna happen."

"You promised you'd be civil," Sherlock replied, raising an eyebrow. I shrugged, turning back around.

"We're not there yet," I muttered, crossing my arms over my stomach. Mycroft glanced over at me quickly before returning his eyes to the road and speaking.

"You know they're better now. Still insufferable, of course, but they're better. They know what the word 'space' means now."

"I don't think all of space itself would be a big enough distance between myself and them," I scowled. Billy laughed at that, the car falling into silence once he was done. I quirked a little smile to myself, glad that someone was enjoying this horror ride into Hell itself. 

"I heard mother's making punch," Sherlock said, acting a little too chipper for me to handle, in all honesty. I didn't quite understand his change in mood. Usually Sherlock would've loathed visiting our parents just like I did. The fact that he seemed so up to it now made me feel slightly suspicious as to what his true motives were. However, as we took a sharp corner I felt my stomach lurch at Mycroft's driving and the thoughts escaped my mind as I tried not to throw up my breakfast.    

"Why don't you want to see your parents anyway, Teddy?" Billy asked, leaning forward to fill the gap between Mycroft and I. I noticed the way Mycroft's eye twitched at how close Billy was to brushing up against his arm. 

"Bad history," I muttered, my eyes glancing over to where John sat behind Mycroft. This whole ride he had been so quiet, his eyes vacant as he stared out his window. Obviously he wasn't too keen on seeing Mary for the first time in months, just as I wasn't keen on seeing my parents. Privately, though, I hoped that the pair would be able to start building some kind of bridge between each other, at least for their baby's sake. At the thought of the little Watson I frowned, quickly looking away from John and towards the road ahead of us. For a few minutes I zoned out, only rejoining society when I heard Sherlock mention my name in passing conversation with Billy.