"Hullo?" Hopkins called cautiously. "Clover?"

The door opened and she stood in the doorway. "Heard ya got hitched." His old friend said as she pulled him into a hug. "I reckoned that was why I hadn't seen ya. Wish I'd said yes."

Hopkins laughed. "We were just kids, Clover."

"Stupid kids, too." She added as he followed her inside. "What's her name?"

"Lucy." Hopkins said, his mood dampening a bit. "I don't really want to talk about her, Clover." He said softly.

They gravitated to the bed in the corner as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He sat with his back against the wall, his arms wrapped around his knees as if he were little once again. Clover sat beside him, her legs sprawled most unladylike in front of her.

"Things not whatcha thought they'd be?" She asked gently. He shrugged in reply, and they let the silence have its way for several minutes.

"She married me 'cause her parents told her not to." He finally said. "She's never happy. We fight all the time, seems like." He sighed. "I just don't know what to do." He admitted. "I thought-" his shoulders slumped, "I don't know what I thought."

"Ya thought everything'd be perfect and ya'd both live happily ever after." Clover told him."Yer a dreamer, Stanley." She snaked an affectionate arm around his shoulders. "Even our upbringin' couldn't beat that outta ya." She kissed him on the cheek. "It'll be a'ight, Stanley. You'll find a way ta make it work. I'm sure of it."

They spent the rest of the night together in silence, each enjoying the company of an old friend.


Disclaimer: Sherlock and the boys do not belong to me.