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Holmes decided to get both of Irene’s meetings done on the same day. Joan was available for lunch, thankfully, and Holmes’s father assured him he would arrive promptly for dinner. He had told his father the truth about Irene, in case Mycroft decided to be a bastard and spill Irene’s secret without her permission. His cousin had been right; the phone call to his Aunt Victoria had gone splendidly, but Mycroft had hung up on him. Sherlock texted Holmes three hours later saying Mycroft was still going on about it and he wished his brother would be quiet on the subject. Holmes almost felt tempted to send something to his cousin to make up for it.
That had been three days prior. Even though Holmes and Joan had an open case Holmes left early to go get Irene. They had not really left her home to do much of anything in the two months they had been seeing each other, so this was their first time leaving the house together on anything remotely resembling a date. Joan had made reservations for the three of them at a fancy Chinese place once she found out Irene was fond of Chinese food.
Holmes was nervous as he arrived, but Irene was not. Joan was standing outside the restaurant when they got out of the cab, but she was looking down at her phone. “Joan!” he called over.
Joan looked up and gave Sherlock and Irene a wide smile as they got closer. “Hi. You must be Victoria,” she said.
Irene smiled at her. “It’s all right if you call me by my proper name,” she said, extending a hand to Joan.
“All right,” Joan said, shaking it. “I hope you can stomach Chinese. Sherlock didn’t tell me if your eating habits have changed.”
Irene shook her head. “No. So far I have been very lucky that nothing is making me nauseous.”
“Well, I made reservations so we could get a table. It’s waiting for us now.” Joan went and opened the door. “After you.”
Irene went in first, but Holmes lingered next to Joan at the door. “Thank you,” he said quietly.
“Don’t thank me until we see if we like each other,” she replied, and with that they stepped inside. She went to the hostess. “Table for Joan Watson, please.”
“I’m sorry, but we’ve had to push your reservation back. We had unexpected customers,” the hostess said with a smile.
Joan stared, her eyes wide and her jaw hanging slightly. “You never shift reservations if my mother makes them,” she said after a moment.
“It’s the mayor,” the hostess said apologetically. “We had to shift around everyone’s reservations.”
Joan sighed. “How long do we need to wait?”
“Two hours.”
“Two hours?!?” Joan said, her voice rising in pitch. “We have a case to solve.”
“I’m so sorry,” the hostess said, slightly nervous. “We’ve been told we can offer a free meal to all of you if you want to come back another time.”
Joan started to reply but Holmes clamped a hand over her mouth. “Thank you, we would be delighted to take a free meal later.”
“I’ll be right back,” the hostess replied.
Holmes watched her walk away and when the hostess was out of eyesight he took his hand off her mouth. “Use them for your parents,” he told Joan.
“Fine, fine,” Joan grumbled. Then she turned to Irene, who had a slight smile on her face. “I’m so sorry about this.”
“It’s all right,” Irene said. “You know, I saw a café down the street. Why don’t we go there?”
“Are you sure?” Holmes asked her.
Irene nodded. “I’m not very hungry anyway. If you two want something more substantial we can go somewhere else.”
“No, that’s fine. As long as they have salads I’ll be happy,” Joan said as she looked around. “I just wanted to impress you.”
Irene laughed. “I don’t need to be impressed. I should be impressing you, however. I am the one who wants to move into your home.”
“In the end it’s not my decision,” Joan said, looking at Holmes.
“It’s just as much your home as mine, Joan. It would be unfair to kick you out,” he said with a slight shrug.
“Yeah, but I’m not the one expecting a child,” Joan said. “That should take priority over me. I’m just your partner.”
“You’re also my friend,” Holmes pointed out. “I don’t like to hurt my friends.”
Joan smiled at him. “Okay, then. That’s good to know.”
The hostess returned with five business cards. “The owner asked me to give you two extra, since your parents are such good customers,” she said, handing the cards to Joan. “Just present these the next time you eat here and all your food is covered. And in your cases, beverages as well.”
“Thank you,” Joan said, handing two cards to Holmes. ‘For the next time either of you want Chinese.”
“Thank you,” he said with a nod, pocketing the cards. “Let’s go to that café, shall we?” He went to the door and opened it for the two women, who walked out in front of him. “West, right?”
Irene nodded. “At the corner, I believe, just across the street.”
Holmes nodded, and then reached over for Irene’s hand, grasping it tightly. ‘Very well. Let’s be on our way.”
They began to walk and it was perhaps two minutes later when Joan spoke up. “I know a lot about you, Irene, from both Sherlocks.”
Irene grimaced slightly. “I’m sure his cousin had nothing nice to say about me,” she said with a sigh.
“Actually, it wasn’t so bad,” Joan said. “He did mention the plane plot, but he also said he didn’t think you deserved to die at the hands of terrorists. He felt there was some good in you.”
“That’s surprising,” she replied. “I know his brother is holding a grudge.”
“Mycroft went on about the fact you will be a permanent member of the Holmes family for hours apparently,” Holmes said with a slight chuckle. “My cousin had to call their mother to get him to stop.”
“That’s going to make any family reunions fun,” Irene said, though she had a faint smile on her face.
“No one in the family likes Mycroft except his mother,” Holmes said with a shrug. “And my mother liked him as well, I suppose. Personally I think my cousin would rather call John and Mrs. Hudson family at this point.”
“Yes, he does have a close relationship with John Watson,’ Irene said with a nod. “I actually think he was jealous when I flirted with Sherlock.” Then she paused. “It didn’t really mean anything. Your cousin was a means to an end, I suppose. Though he did save my life twice. I owed him for that.”
“But not enough to keep you from drugging him?” Holmes asked with a slight grin.
“Well…no. But it’s what he deserved for trying to take my phone,” she said with a slight shrug. “Or at least I thought so at the time.”
“I think I would have paid good money to see him in that state,” Holmes said. “Apparently there is video somewhere of his being disoriented. I shall have to see if I can find it someday.”
“Who got the video?” Joan asked.
“A crime scene technician named Anderson,” Holmes said. “Apparently he dislikes my cousin greatly.”
“There are quite a few people who do,” Irene said before looking at Holmes. “But you’ve said he’s changed since his encounter with Moriarty?”
Holmes nodded, his grin widening. “He seems a bit more human. When I called to tell him about your pregnancy he said he was having lunch with a friend.”
‘John?” Irene asked.
He shook his head. “If you can believe it, a female friend. A woman named Molly.”
“Molly Hooper?” Irene asked, a smile on her own face. Holmes nodded. “I think she is the only woman I have ever seen him willingly kiss on the cheek.”
“When did you meet her?” Joan asked.
“I didn’t, not exactly. Did he tell you about the Christmas party that got interrupted when I gave him my phone?” Both Joan and Holmes nodded. “I was in the building across the street, watching through the window. He said something and she said something back, and he looked contrite and then kissed her on the cheek. And then I texted him and the moment was ruined, I suppose.”
“She helped him fake his death,’ Holmes said.
“I’m not surprised. It was no secret she fancied him.” She shook her head slightly. “I think if he ever lets his guard down around a woman and lets them get close enough to have a romantic relationship with it will be her. And I think that would be good for him.”
“I said much the same thing when I talked to him three days ago,” Holmes said. “Though maybe not the ‘being good for him’ part, though that is true.” He looked to the side. “I believe this is the café?”
Irene nodded. “Yes, this is the place.” She got to the door first and opened it for them, walking into the eatery last. “It appears as though they have salads,” she said to Joan.
“And fresh baked pastries,” Joan said with a smile. “I think I might like this place.”
They studied the menu and then placed their orders, and Holmes led them to a booth near the back. Joan slid into one side and Irene into the other, and he sat next to Irene. They chatted as they waited for their orders, and the conversation kept up as they ate. He had planned on spending no more than an hour with the lunch, but Joan and Irene got engrossed in conversation, dragging him in occasionally, and the next thing they knew three hours had passed. “It’s later than I thought,” Irene said, finishing her second cup of tea that afternoon. “Don’t you two have a case to get back to?”
“It will keep for the day. I need to wait for autopsy results anyway,” Holmes said. “Would you two like to continue talking?”
Joan looked at him. “When are you having dinner with your father?” she asked.
He glanced at his watch. “At eight, so about five hours from now. We can spare some more time.”
“Well, I would like to go back to what we were talking about,” Joan said with a smile towards Irene, who nodded. “So tell me again about what Sherlock was like growing up?”
Irene grinned at Holmes, who shook his head slightly. “Well, he was always very nosy,” she said, and then they were off again. Holmes got up and placed more orders for food for them, though lighter fare this time, and when he got back to the booth he found they were still on the topic of his childhood. He was about to ask them to change the topic of conversation when he got the alert that he’d received a text. He pulled out his phone and read the short message, biting back a sigh. ‘Is something wrong?” Irene asked when he sat back down.
“My father has to reschedule,” he said. “Something has come up. He told us to go to the restaurant and enjoy ourselves, however. The meal is on him.”
“Would you like to join us for dinner?” Irene asked Joan.
“I don’t know. You two haven’t gone on an actual date yet, right?” Joan asked. Both Irene and Holmes nodded. “Then you two should go alone and enjoy yourselves. I’ll just be a third wheel.”
“I would really like it,” Irene said. “I don’t have any friends, and I’ve quite enjoyed talking to you.”
“Well, when you move in we can talk whenever you want,” Joan said. “But if you really want me to join you tonight, I don’t have any plans.”
“I would,” Irene said.
“I would as well. We can order an overabundance of food and not have to pay for it,” Holmes said. “An opportunity like this doesn’t come along very often, Joan.”
“Where are the reservations at?” Joan asked.
“La Grenouille,” Holmes said.
Joan’s eyes widened. “That’s one of the best French restaurants in the city. I’ve wanted to eat there for years.”
“Then you should definitely come with us,” Irene said. “Please?”
“All right,” Joan said with a smile, getting a wide grin from Irene in turn. “I’ll join the two of you for dinner.”
“Excellent!” Holmes said. “Perhaps we could finish our orders here and then go for a walk in Central Park?”
“That sounds very nice,” Irene said with a nod. She leaned over and kissed Holmes’s cheek. “I think I need to leave my home more often, if most days will go like this. Well, maybe not eating at a five star restaurant, but being in good company.”
“I would like that very much,’ Holmes said with a grin. “Perhaps we can go see a play or an opera performance next time.”
“That would be very nice as well,” she said with a nod.
Holmes’s grin widened as he looked at her, and he put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. Even though his father was a disappointment yet again, the day had turned out well after all, and that was all he could hope to ask for.