Redefining Redemption (Joan H Watson and GJLestrade)

Joan forgot that Lestrade actually worked hard outside of the office. Sherlock helped her with the illusion of Greg staying in late at the office, making other cops do his work. But, Joan realized Greg was really bent on catching the criminals and making London safe.

She finished her tea as Greg continued to speak, talking of the idea of love, the politics of the police, the rows with his wife. She sympathized with both of them, she could see why his wife would want him to be at a safer job but if it was Greg's calling, why hold him back?

"Well, you're older now and you know what you want. You also know your faults and what went wrong with that relationship. You've learned from your mistakes." She gave him a reassuring smile, "I'll just tell you when you're an insensitive bastard, okay? It worked with Sherlock." She murmured, blue-gray eyes catching Greg's, "You're no sinner or saint, we're all equal. Don't think I don't know. I just....I want you to know how I feel about ya."

[ Haha, no worries! ]

"And how do you feel, exactly?" Greg was for ordering another coffee but didn't want to destroy the moment. She hadn't run away, hadn't shot him down, simply accepted him for what he was. "I'm not too old for you then? Or do you have a thing for older men? Is that one of your specific things?"

"I feel like this is a good thing. We accept each other. We've liked each other for awhile." Joan said coyly, she didn't want to tell him everything in a tea shop. She shook her head, "Nope, not one of my specifics, it's a recent development." She grinned, "As long as you don't need Medicare you're not too old."

"Jesus, I should hope not. When I'm eligible for my bus pass I'll let you know. retirement is a way off yet, I hope. Although early retirement wouldn't be bad. Get to enjoy some time off before I get too past it to have fun. Besides, if I have you, I'd have my own private health care, wouldn't I?" He leaned in and whispered softly in her ear. "You can examine me any time, doctor..."

Joan chuckled along with Greg, "Good to know. Do cops make good pension?"She asked curiously, "You do a dangerous enough job might as well get a good pay off." She smirked as Greg leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Examining? I might be able to fit you into my schedule later tonight. Depends on how busy I am." She teased. " I'm very thorough."

Greg could not supress the shudder that ran through him as she spoke. Damn but she has an amazing effect on me he thought, letting the tingle run down his spine and right to where it mattered. Now that he knew his attentions were desired it had freed him to really feel everything her words and her touch conveyed without holding back.

"So, where now?" He grimaced as the words sounded a bit strangled. He laughed and cleared his throat. "What do you want to do now?" He leaned forward again, lips close to her ear. "Because right now I would like to kiss you, passionately, possibly against a wall, with the possibility of people seeing us."

"Where now?" Joan arched an eyebrow teasingly at Greg as he leaned forward and whispered in her ear. A shudder ran through her at his words, "Just kiss me?" She whispered lowly in return, "I could think of other things you could do to me against a wall." Her apprehensions of the day dissolved away from their former talk of strength and comfort. Now, her emotions were replaced with a small warmth pooling at her core.

It would be so easy to love her, Greg considered, smiling at her as her nerves seemed to melt away. She could be a confident force, if she let herself. Sherlock's death had hit her hard, knocked her confidence, driven her into her shell, but she could be coaxed out, Greg thought, given time, love, support. There were glimpses, even though Greg was not daft enough to think there wouldn't be hard times ahead. He would be there, would be glad to be, if only she would be there for him. This would be so much easier if they were together. He had been stupid to think anything else.

"So, against a wall, hm? Never had you pinned for an exhibitionist, luv." If he could do this, he thought, flirt and joke and chat and give her what she needed to make her whole again, then selfishly he would have someone to do the same for him. Isn't that what we
all need, he considered? "Where did you have in mind?"

"I'm not really." Joan admitted with a smile. "But I could be for you." She looked down at her tea mug and then back up at Greg. She wanted him to know that, that she wouldn't compromise herself for him but she would be what he needed. She smirked, "Where? If not a wall, at least semi-public where we could be seen but stop at the same time." The doctor offered up with a shrug before grinning, "What do you have in mind?" She arched an eyebrow, "If you could do anything to me, what would it you do?" She teased, her hand drifting to squeeze at his thigh. Joan knew she was avoiding deep issues by flirting but she hadn't flirted in forever.

"Anything? Hm, what a thought. I think...I think I would just take you to bed and fuck you long and slow until I had you begging. Trouble with that is, I don't think I would last out," Greg admitted. "Although I would like to try."

He lowered his voice and leaned in again, murmuring the words right into her ear. "My skin against yours, warm, soft, on you, in you, deep, deep inside...slow thrusts of my hips against yours..." He grinned, tongue running along his lips. He moved so he could see her eyes, her expression. Then he swooped, claiming her mouth with his, heedless of anybody watching, hands coming up to cradle her face.

((okay, I admit I'm stealing lines again...well, paraphrasing maybe...))

"Or you could do other things to me, have me begging for you to fuck me." She murmured, blue-gray eyes meeting his, watching his tongue flick out against his own lips, the way he leaned forward.

She swallowed thickly at his words. She wanted that. She wanted that soon. She wanted it now. Her eyes met his until their lips finally met. She hummed deep in her throat at the kiss, her lips capturing Greg's in a fever. "Greg..."She pulled back for a moment, looking around at the shop and down at his lap, "I want you." She looked a little embarrassed by this, this sudden surge of lust that not reentered her life.

Greg chuckled. "Shall we go home? We don't have to go out, you know. We still haven't talked to Mrs Hudson and she might be worried. After all, we just disappeared. My head says we should speak to her, then my heart is telling me we should go back to bed. How about it?"

"you can't just say those things, kiss me and not expect that I'd want you again." Joan said wryly before nodding in agreement, "Perhaps we can pop in for a bit and say hello but then run off back to bed?" She chuckled, "You can try out all your specifics on me."

Greg grabbed her hand and stood up. "Come on then, let's not waste time. Specifics, huh? I'll have to think about that." He curled an arm around her and pulled her to walk close to him. "Thank you, Joan." He stopped, faced her, leaned in and kissed her again with all the sincerity he could muster. "Thanks for everything."

"You're welcome." Joan chuckled, leaning forward to kiss Greg in return. She wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned in as they walked out of the tea house and back to the flat. "Should we go in now?" She asked, walking up the stairs.

"I guess we should. How much do you want to tell her? About us, I mean. I don't want to put my foot in it by saying too much."

"I just want to check in with her." Joan smiled, "Tell her that you came to see me and that we'll be hanging out later on. We'll see if she catches on, yeah?" Joan looked at Greg.

[Will either one of us be writing as mrs. hudson or? ]

(how do you want to play it? I don't mind.)

Greg grinned. "Okay then, we'll play it by ear and see what she says."

[Whatever you want to do. If you want me to write her I could or we can just assume what she's doing. ]

" Exactly." Joan sighed, nodding in agreement before she walked up the final stairs to Mrs. Hudson's apartment and knocked.

Mrs. Hudson answered the door with a surprised look on her face that slowly dissolved into a charming smile. Her dress was that of a plain landlady's and it seemed she had just spruced up her apartment in case guests popped over. "Dearies." She smiled at both of them, gesturing for them to walk into her flat, "Lovely to see you two, wasn't sure if I was going to come over or not today." She told Joan, patting the woman's shoulder and kissing her cheek before she gave Lestrade a knowing look.

"Yes, we decided to visit you instead. Let you know of our own accord that we were doing well." Joan offered up, looking back at Greg for reassurance.

((Happy for you to write her if you want to))

"Yeah, we thought you should know. Don't want to intrude but we thought it only right that you should know. Things are fine, not great exactly, but we're getting there." Greg smiled his most reassuring smile and then added "How are you, though? Are you okay?"

[ If you want to give it a shot, I don't mind ]

"I'm glad you came to me dearie." Mrs. Hudson reassured Greg with a smile before turning back to Joan, "Would you two like to stay for tea?"

She turned back to look at Greg and waved him off, "Oh, this and that. Not too busy but I'm making an appointment to see my doctor, he thinks there might be something with my chest. Old respiratory problems."

"We won't impose, unless you'd like the company, that is? If you need anything, you let us know, alright? Any time."

(no, its okay. You're playing her fine. If I think of something she could say I can always leap in)

"Well, I'm going to be going to my appointment soon...so, there's no rush loves." Mrs. Hudson tutted, "Just stop in from time to time, okay?" She told them, now ushering them out with a faint inkling of what went on in her mind.

Joan nodded, following Greg out of the flat as well and walking back up to 221B.

Once the door to 221b was shut behind them, Greg burst out laughing. "Oh, she knows. I'm sure she knows. At least there was no disapproval." He reached for Joan and pulled her into his arms, enfolding her gently but firmly. "Now, about that wall...Did you have a preference as to which one?"

"You could tell in the way she looked at us." Joan snorted with laughter before hugging him back in return, "Mm, not really. You?" She gave him a teasing look, "Try and hold out dear, I want to see how long you last."