The former criminal mastermind recovered from her fever the night before and was attempting to do more than she should.
Joan could be heard throughout the day telling the blonde to relax, rest and take it easy. Each time it was quickly followed with a snide remark from Sherlock; still complaining about her getting him sick despite the fact that he did not appear to be ill any longer. This just made Jamie continue with the task at the time.
It wasn't until much later in the evening that Jamie had finally started to listen to the doctor and had returned to her bedroom for the evening.
Still taking comfort in the notion that the room was hears and she would not be replaced. It had taken some time to believe the notion but it had final sunk in moments ago. Sherlock was making another dig at her for getting him sick, but this time his words made her smile.
"Jamie you really should be resting up," Joan sighed for the umpteenth time that day. They were sitting down at the kitchen table together eating the remains of Mrs Hudson's soup.
"I feel perfectly fine," came the familiar response as she fed Clyde another strawberry.
"That's because you already passed it on and infected the population," Sherlock muttered around a spoonful of soup.
Ignoring the man once more the doctor decided upon a new tactic.
Each time Joan had made a similar comment, she was met with a downturned response and then all she usually dropped the subject. Joan decided that a different tactic was in order. "Your fever finally broke early this morning and while you aren't moping around this place and snuffling like somebody," Joan gave a heated look at the British male. Sherlock continued to eat and pretended not to pay the brunette any attention while the blonde smiled around another cup of tea. "You've had heart palpitations each time I've checked you over, not to mention the redness to your cheeks. I really think you should head back to bed," the doctor concluded with a fold of her arms.
"I'm fine" Jamie responded almost dropping the strawberry.
"If you were fine you wouldn't have these symptoms," Joan shot back.
"It's not the flu," Jamie sighed, picking her mug up and standing to leave the room.
"Then what's wrong?" Joan quarried. All comfort, attention and love filled the brunette's eyes as she looked at the blonde expectantly.
"Limerence," Sherlock uttered keeping his eyes directed at Clyde's attempt to eat the moving fruit before he stood on its end.
"What are you taking about?" Joan asked, turning her attention to her friend.
"I won't tell you this again and I will deny ever uttering these words," Sherlock continued, looking up to meet the blonde's stare. "If it's really not the flu then you only have one choice. Stay," and with that he left his soup on the table, grabbed Clyde and the remains of the strawberry before he went up to check on his bees.
Having no idea what had occurred, Joan remained utterly confused while Jamie understood his meaning.
And there Jamie could be found, thinking over Sherlock's words and their meaning. The simplicity of the situation, of his acceptance of what was unfolding and of their shared understanding made the former mastermind content in her current predicament.
She had reminded thinking until Joan had quietly knocked on her door and walked towards her. Silently the doctor checked her temperature with her hand and then her pulse. Once again the frown appeared along her forehead, "I'm still not convinced that it's not the flu so I plan to keep checking up on you".
"Always a pleasure to be graced with your presence," Jamie purred, after all the doctors hands were still checking her over.
It was Joan's turn to blush and bow her head. Removing her hands the blonde, Joan took a step back and gazed around the room before meeting Jamie's gaze once more.
"Something wrong?"
Nearly tripping over her words, Joan decided to suck in her courage before she lost her nerve and bit the bullet. "I hear practically nothing when I'm sleeping," at the blonde's raised eyebrow and look of utter confusion the doctor continued. "I won't be able to help you during the night if you're still not well," came the dramatic huff.
Almost chuckling at the situation, Jamie took pity on her crush. Standing and walking around the doctor to turn of the main light and close the door, Jamie smiled. "I'm sure you can spend the night again,"
Joan groaned, "I was hoping you wouldn't bring that up"
Jamie bit her lip at the sight before her. Crawling into her bed, under her sheets in a room that will belong to no one else was the good doctor. Someone who Jamie was almost convinced that she was in love with was willing to spend the night with her. After all they had been through and all the reluctance that was sent her way months ago. Joan was wanting to spend the night with her for the second time, and all because the doctor had initiated this herself. Maybe she didn't have to do all the hard work of courting the doctor, after all she was being met half way.
With a brighter smile on her face, Jamie crawled back into bed and turned off her lamp. You could have almost heard the butterflies in her stomach take flight as Joan wrapped her arm around the blonde once more before drifting off to sleep.
Fact: Limerence means the feeling of unrequired love, of longing for someone so much that it can make you feel sick.