These are supposed to be very short vignette-type scenes from the lives of the characters after Reichenbach. Apart they may seem incomplete, but hopefully together they form a picture. Hope you enjoy. :)
Three weeks
"John? Do you think these therapy sessions are helping?"
The question came out of the blue. They'd been talking about the events leading up to Sherlock's death. John had described the scene in the journalist's house, and meeting Rich Brook. He hadn't mentioned how scared Sherlock had looked afterwards. Not of Moriarty. Of John believing Moriarty.
I'm a fake.
"John?" Ella said. "Did you hear me? Every time you come in, you tell me what happened. You never say anything about how it affects you. I don't think we're breaking any ground here. Are you getting anything out of these sessions?"
He thought of lying, then decided against it.
"No," he admitted.
"Then why come?"
It wasn't a judgmental question. She really wanted to know.
"Gets me out of the flat," he said. He didn't elaborate, so Ella pressed.
"Why do you need out of the flat, John?"
John almost didn't answer. But he was here for a reason.
"I don't like sitting in there by myself. It's always too quiet. I feel like I'm waiting."
Ella understood. "For Sherlock?"
He nodded. "Every time I stay at home too long by myself, I end up expecting him to walk in any minute. And he doesn't."
Ella took some notes, then said, "John, have you considered moving?"
"No."
The words came out firm.
"It may help you to move on," Ella said.
"I'm not leaving Baker Street."
Ella let it be. The tone of John's voice told her arguing was useless.
"Well," she said, "You've opened up more in the past three minutes than you have in the past three weeks."
"I don't feel any better," John said.
"Well, you're going to have to open up more often, then. It'll take some time for things to feel normal again, John."
He didn't say it, but he didn't want normal.
Normal was the worst part of this.