AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hey guys!

Sorry for the late updates and the apologize about the weird formatting of chapter 10 (not sure what happened) and thank you so much galwidanatitud for mentioning the problem in the review. I probably wouldn't have ended up noticing it for days.

Please everyone feel free to review or message me if you have any questions, comments or ideas regarding the story I am always happy to hear your thoughts.

Bye.

"Okay I'll calmly go to Mary and tell her I feel sick and leave. She wouldn't sense a thing." thought Athena as she tried to build the momentum to approach Mary when Greg appeared and started.

"Wow that was rude."

"Excuse me?" Athena asked in confusion, she could literally feel her train of thought crashing as she started talking to Greg.

"Well, I understand that you didn't want to converse with that man. But zoning out on him? That's just rude."

"I'm sorry; I just went into my thought room."

"You know," Greg started after sipping his drink, "Sherlock has a similar mind state. He calls it the mind palace."

'Sherlock?' Athena thought. Now Athena remembered what had happened. She was talking to some man at the party who had struck up a conversation with her when she glanced towards Sherlock and realized how well he blended with John and Mary and thought how people like Sherlock and herself weren't supposed to blend with people. Right? Perhaps she was wrong.

Perhaps she was the only person who wasn't supposed to blend with people.

That thought made her suddenly feel very lonely.

Whilst Greg kept talking about Sherlock's annoying habits, it didn't take him long to realize that Athena had longed zoned out again. He didn't blame her; after all she had had a tough week. Being reminded about her first case, which had been a torture and a failure, then being grilled by Sally and Sherlock for five hours about how they didn't believe the circumstances surrounding the investigation. After which they had to show eight bodies at the same time to eight grieving families out of which she knew one of the victims personally. Also having to meet all her old colleagues, whose faces she had long said goodbyes to. To be have that all comeback to you in less than one week would be emotionally and physically exhaustive for anyone.

"He didn't blame her but he needed her to be okay. Athena had changed drastically from the way she was back in their university days then how she was now. He needed her to be okay.

"Athena? Hey?" said Greg

"Yeah?" replied a surprised looking Athena.

"You're zoning out again."

"Sorry." Started Athena with a chuckle.

"I'm sorry about everything that's going on. I can't imagine how hard it must be on you." Greg commented earnestly.

"Athena sighed and started "I just," she trailed off and started again, "don't feel like myself. I was in a good place and suddenly," Athena gestured her frustration by clenching her fists and releasing them.

"I don't want to think about it. I just don't want to think right now." Athena said suddenly.

"Greg grabbed her drink and indicated towards the staircase. Athena wanted to say that she was leaving and go home but she realized that she would be once again locked with her thoughts that she honestly had no strength to think about. She needed to not think right now and nobody sounded better to sit down with and not think about everything that was going on than Greg.

"Athena had always been fond of Greg since they had met at the Police University nine years ago. They had spent a good amount of time together. She might have even had feelings for him but those vanished when he started dating Victoria whom he later married. Athena often felt sad that Greg was with Victoria because if it came down to ever considering herself with anyone Athena always knew it would be Greg.

"They moved towards the staircase which was quite deserted as they began settling down to sit on the stairs, Athena's eyes fell on Greg's finger and she exclaimed, "Greg? Your ring is missing!"

"Greg tells her that he got divorced.

"But you loved Victoria? I know that when time passes that things aren't as magically as when your newly married but you could have gone to couples therapy." Athena started.

"She was having an affair." Greg stated plainly.

"Athena was silent for a moment before asking, "How did you find out about her?"

"Sherlock told me."

"Athena looked towards Sherlock in slight admiration but stopped.

"I'm sorry Lestrade."

"No worries, it's been two years."

"Two years?" Exclaims Athena.

"Can we please not talk about my marriage?"

"Why not?"

"It's personal."

"Well forgive me for wanting to be informed regarding what has been happening to my friend for so long."

"A friend you haven't been in touch with for 5 years?"

"Guilty; however, you didn't make any attempts to stay in contact with said friends."

"Touché." Replied Greg slyly.

"Athena and Greg sat there and talked about their past for almost an hour when Mary came up and informed them that the party was over. Realizing that it would be rude to leave now, Athena and Greg offered to help with cleaning up. After which Greg and Athena left together whilst walking to the car Greg started.

"You know what Leonard?"

"What Lestrade?" asked Athena as she opened her car.

"It was really nice seeing you again."

"I also enjoyed meeting you again Lestrade."

"No what I mean is, "said Greg whilst holding the car door, "I really enjoyed our conversation I feel like we haven't talked like this since our university days. I really missed you Athena, I know things didn't go in your favor when we first joined the Scotland Yard and I should have been there for you and I wasn't. But I don't want to lose our friendship again. I can't believe I didn't help you then but this time I'm here. No Victoria, no distractions, nothing to stop me from being there to support you. Until we catch John if you need a partner or just a friend, know that you will always have me."

"Greg," Athena started.

"I know that you aren't good with the emotional baggage so you don't need to say anything just remember what I said. Okay?"

"Athena nodded. Greg came forward and tightly hugged her afraid that if he let her go that she would vanish but none the less he let her go. Athena got into her car and drove away.