She took a lint brush out of her pocket and brushed off her coat once she had stepped off of the bus. She didn't want to leave too much evidence of what she had been doing. Sherlock would have known about Tom from a hair. It was all in vain though. She rang the doorbell and Jim opened it. He was looking healthy if a bit gaunt. He looked up at her face and then moved his eyes up and down her body once. Then his smile changed to something expressionless as he turned and wheeled away from her. Molly followed, closing the door.

The place was small, but pleasant. One of a row of tiny flats on the ground floor designed for long-term care. The floor was wood with no rugs or carpeting. There was no couch, but a wooden chair had been set out for her next to a table with two glasses and a pot for tea. He must have turned on the kettle when he heard the bell. How long had he been waiting for a visit?

She hung her coat on the hook by the door and set down her bag before walking over to him and sitting down in the chair. Jim was facing away from her. He was doing something with the computer. He pulled out what looked like a mouse with a long cable and placed it against his neck near his Adam's apple. Then he stared fixedly at her with a face as blank as she had ever seen it.

She smiled at him and said, "Quincy, how have you been?"

"Why don't you call me Jim?" said a mechanical sounding voice coming from the computer speakers. She jumped.

"What? What was that?" Molly asked looking around nervously?

"You used to always call me Jim. I like it. Call me by that name."

"What? How? How are you making that noise?"

The first hint of a smile touched his lips. "Do you like it? My paralysis is not total, you know. I found that I can use this to make sounds from the vibrations in my voice box."

"Why Quince, that's amazing! Did you make that yourself?"

"I told you to call me Jim," he said and the blank expression returned.

"I'm sorry, Jim. It's just... this is so wonderful! You are able to talk now. That was so clever, so brilliant. I'm so happy for you!"

"Are you?"

"Yes, of course I am. I'm so sorry that I haven't come, but their has been this investigation at work, and I've been so busy."

"So, did you miss me?" he asked with smirk. The mechanical voice didn't have the nuance of a real one, so she couldn't tell if he was happy or angry.

"Of course I missed you, Jim."

"So, tell me about him. It is Tom, isn't it? The one that you had the date with before?"

"How did you... I don't remember telling you his name."

"I saw it on Facebook."

"Facebook? I don't remember you being on Facebook. And I don't remember friending you."

"But Tom did. Did you know that he's changed his status to 'in a relationship'?"

"Oh, well... I don't really think it's that serious."

"Oh, but I do. His posts have become increasingly more passionate. I think that I might be getting a little jealous."

Molly smiled. "It's not like that, Jim. Tom is very nice, and there is no denying that there is some kind of ...physical connection, but it shouldn't affect my friendship with you."

Jim stared at her very hard then as if he was trying to look into her brain. She tilted her head wondering what he was thinking. His hand was holding the device tighter and tighter. She thought for a moment that he might break it. Then the whistle blew. She turned to watch the steam shooting out of the kettle.

"I'll get it," Molly said standing, but he put out his hand to stop her. He placed the voice device down on the table and rolled over to the kitchen with the teapot. Then he locked the chair, turned off the kettle. Put the tea pot on the counter, and lifted the kettle over it to pour the water into the pot. He placed the kettle back on the stove and then placed a cosy on his lap before rolling over to the table with the tea.

"My Jim, I'm so pleased to see you getting on so well."

He looked sideways at her and then rolled over to retrieve his voice tool. He placed it on his throat. "I like my independence," he said looking at her fixedly. "If I could get to an electronics store, I might be able to make one that's wireless. Then I won't need to be so close to the computer to talk."

"Why, that's really amazing Jim. Just think of what it would mean if you sold these. So many people could be helped by it."

He tilted his head to the side and lowered his eyelids. "I don't know about 'helping people' but it's a good idea. I might make some money that way. I could make enough money for our trip to Paris."

"Oh Jim, I wasn't serious. You don't have to take me to Paris."

He rolled up beside her chair then and reached over her lap to place his hand on her far hip. Sitting down, his face was even with her own. He stared at her with an blank expression, before showing her his teeth in what seemed a bit like a snarl. Then he looked down at her lap and up again repeating his ghastly smile. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. He rolled his chair back then and put the device to his neck.

"You aren't wearing your scarf."

Molly touched her neck before realizing how guilty she must look. "I... no I'm not..."

Jim stared at her a moment and then rolled over to the table. "The tea should be ready now, I suppose." he said before pouring her a cup.

After two cups, and a conversation made up entirely of sentences of fewer than four words, Molly decided to take her leave. She put down her cup and rose to her feet.

"Well, I'd best be getting back now."

She leaned over to pat him on the shoulder only to have him grab her arm with his left hand and pull her down so that her face was level with his own. He glared at her, and then he leaned forward capturing her lips in a rough kiss. She opened her mouth in shock and he went deeper, holding her arm with fingers so tight that it left marks even through her jumper.

He pulled away then and let her go, reaching out to pick up the voice box which he placed against his neck while he glared at her steadily.

"Don't take so long to visit, next time," he said. His head tilted forward as he glared up at her, the light of the window shining off of his dark slicked-back hair so that she could see only a hint of the scar.

She stepped back breathing heavily, shocked by the kiss. "I...well... until later, Jim."

"See you again very soon, Molly," The mechanical voice said as she put on her coat and opened the door. She closed the door behind her and walked away, not turning back. Refusing to look back to see the face that she knew was looking at her through the window. The face of the man who had glared at her with the intensity of a murderer. The face of a man who frightened her far more than she was willing to admit. But the thing that she was truly afraid to admit, was how much he excited her.

The bus was approaching as she rushed up to the bus stop. It seemed as if she couldn't regain her breath. When it pulled up, and she caught her reflection in the glass, she was shocked to see that she had been smiling.