Once Phillip and his father had left, John and Sherlock both went back to bed. John wondered how Sherlock felt about the whole thing, and he wanted to ask what he wanted Mycroft to do, but Sherlock had just said "We should return to bed if you want to meet with your group tomorrow." John did want to meet with them, had in fact been looking forward to it all week, and so he followed. It only took a few minutes before both were fast asleep.

When John woke up in the morning, Sherlock was no longer there. Hamish was also missing and John figured he'd find both him and Sherlock in the living room. He was right; both of them were on the sofa. "I have made some inquires about Phillip," he said once he saw John.

"What did you do?"

"Influenced a few people in power that if the defense tries to raise the issue about us meeting there will be no more trial and just a prison sentence."

"He agreed to that?" John meant "Mycroft." He had been so eager to see his brother's abuser punished that John thought if Sherlock had tried to get him to intervene in the Phillip matter he'd have demanded K be imprisoned without further trial.

"Reluctantly."

John decided it was best to change the subject now. "I'll be leaving around eleven-thirty."

"Will you be walking?"

"Probably not. I'll bring home something to eat, though."

"To make sure I do?"

"No, because there's hardly anything in the flat and both of us need to eat something." Sherlock scowled at him, and John added "Coffee and tea do not count as meals. There's no milk left anyway." He oddly felt better after seeing Sherlock's look of distaste; it was at least a normal way for him to act.

Since there was in fact almost nothing to eat in the flat, John made coffee and as soon as eleven-thirty rolled around, he headed out the door, got a sandwich from Speedy's, and ate it in the cab on the way to the meeting. When he got there, he saw the Ahernes walking down the street. They were dressed in a fancier way than normal, so they had probably just left church. Moira apparently saw him; she waved her hand frantically and ran up ahead of her family. "Mr. Watson!" she cried out. "I was going to drop this in the mail but now I don't have to!"

She stopped in front of him and pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. It was folded in half and had "To Mr. Holmes" written on it. "You can open it if you want," she said. He took the note and opened it. The note said "ThANK YOU" with the first two letters in a box and after the A all the remaining letters had their own box. John took a second look at it and realized Moira had written it with abbreviations from the periodic table, complete with atomic numbers. "I had to cheat a little, because there's no A all by itself, or an An element," Moira explained.

"I'll make sure he gets it," John reassured her.

"Wait up for the rest of us," Mr. Aherne called to her. The remaining three members of the family came to stand next to her. "Good to see you," Mr. Aherne said to John.

"I hope you're all doing well."

"Yes, relatively." He smiled. "We've gone back to church, as you can see. I fell out with God after Nora died. Now it seems the right thing to do. The priest there is good with children. Not that I let anyone be alone with them anymore, you understand."

"I do."

"She got all excited over that periodic table your friend sent her."

"I put it up next to my Star Wars poster. I was going to put this in the note too, but now I'll just say it. I hope he'll want to see my school project," Moira piped up.

"What's that?" John asked.

"I'm seeing if a tooth can dissolve in Coke overnight."

"Why?"

"I heard someone say that you could do that. And with steak and a nail, so I got all three and I'm putting them in different liquids to see what's left."

"She's always like this with sciencey things," Mr. Aherne added. "I once told her about hill cows. They always graze on a hill and so they've got right legs that are shorter than the left ones. She went to her room right away and drew two cows and cut them out, brought them back to me, and then used a plate to show how they'd fall over unless all their legs were the same length."

"People can stand on hills all the time, you know. It didn't make sense," Moira objected.

John couldn't help but laugh at her response. "What other liquids are you using?"

"Lemonade, milk, orange juice, water, and ammonia. I wanted to use bleach but me dad said that was taking it too far."

"You're not going to leave a glass of bleach out overnight," Mr. Aherne calmly responded. "Anyway, we have to get back home."

"Race you," Kieran said to Moira, and they both took off down the pavement.

"I'm glad that your friend appreciated that bee," Mr. Aherne told John. "I told Moira he was a bit too old for a toy, but she looked at me and said 'His got taken away when he was little and he didn't do anything wrong,' and after that I was putty in her hands."

"He likes it," John confirmed.

"Thank you for Moira's gift," he said before walking away with Dierdre trailing behind him.

The meeting wasn't due to start for another fifteen minutes, but since he had nothing else to do, he went upstairs. John thought he'd be the first one in the office, but once he opened the door he saw Eli parked in a chair.

"Crisis?" he asked.

"No. Why?"

"Most of the time when someone comes early there's a crisis. I live down the street and I make sure to get here a half hour early, in case someone shows up." When John gave him a puzzled look, Eli went on. "I'm the elder statesman here. I've been coming to this group for nine years and some look to me as much as Dr. Dodson."

"Nine years?" John said in surprise.

"Yes. You're probably wondering if there's still major problems. Sometimes. Not as often as before. But I can always help the others."

"Help the others with what?" Peter stepped into the room.

"Crisis?" Eli asked right away.

He shook his head. "No crisis. Quiet week actually. She slept every night. When I left she was listening to the BBC world news on the radio."

"That's good," Eli said.

"Why the world news?" John asked. Peter narrowed his eyes, and John quickly added "It just doesn't seem like the best thing for someone with mental problems."

Peter's whole face relaxed into a smile. "Oh, it's a good thing for her. She says it makes her feel more connected to the world. It also cuts down on the paranoia."

"Paranoia?" John echoed.

Dr. Dodson's voice rang out. "Her case is a lot different than the others of the people who come here." He stepped into the office. "There are other mental health issues."

"True." Peter said it as a fact. He didn't seem bothered by Dr. Dodson sharing the information.

Dr. Dodson's presence was enough to make everyone else sit down to wait. Mari was the next to arrive. She had such a big smile on her face that even Eli didn't ask her about a crisis. "Good to see you here again," she said to John. "A lot of people don't come to the next meeting."

"Are the people here always in some kind of romantic relationship?" John had wondered about that.

"Not always," Eli said. "Our second elder statesman, Brian, came here for a friend of his. But he moved out of the area."

"Which makes me the second elder statesman, or stateswoman," Mari added.

"And I'm the newbie," John said, which made everyone laugh. "Me and Jason."

Before the conversation could go on, Rodney entered the room. He had such a hangdog look that Eli said "Bad week?" as soon as he stepped through the door.

"Bad week," he confirmed before sitting down in a chair.

Jason, Tammie, and Gloria came in roughly at the same time. "Now that everyone is here, we can get started," said Dr. Dodson. "Who wants to begin?"

"He testified on Friday," Gloria said right away.

"How did that go?" asked Dr. Dodson.

"About as well as it could have, I suppose. He's had some trouble sleeping and he isn't as enthused about our son's first birthday coming up."

"Rodney said something before about a bad week?" Eli said.

"I did," Rodney said quietly.

"Is it something you want to discuss?" Tammie asked.

He shook his head. "Not right this minute."

"We'll go around, then," Dr. Dodson declared. "Jason, do you want to start?"

Jason sighed before he began. "We told our eldest daughter. Yesterday."

"How'd that go?" Mari asked.

"She was pretty shocked, even though we tried to keep it down a bit. It's not like it's anything she's never heard, but I think it's different when it's her Mum they're talking about."

"But no blowups?" Peter said.

"Not this week."

"You're coming along well," reassured Eli.

Mari was the one sitting next to Jason, so once he fell silent she spoke. "The birthday went well. We all had a good time."

"But what?" Dr. Dodson asked, clearly seeing something she was holding back.

"It's his best friend. He keeps mentioning how guilty he feels."

"Invite him here," Jason said. "I didn't think I'd say this, but it's really helped so far."

"I have, but he hems and haws."

"Because of his son?" John asked. "He doesn't want to tell him about that?"

"Probably," Mari admitted. "He's thirteen so it's not like he's too young for it, but he's so protective of him, especially since his mother died."

"Wait. Didn't you say he walked in on something? How old was he?" Tammie said.

"Thirteen, I think." Mari looked like she'd had a sudden revelation. "That must be why he's so caught up about it."

"Is his mother still alive? Your husband's, I mean?" asked Jason.

"Yes," said Mari, looking sour.

"Maybe that's behind his worry now?"

"Possibly. It's not like we ever see her anyway, but I guess he's thinking about his kid."

"That's why he needs to come here," Jason concluded.

"Just keep mentioning it," Peter added.

"I will."

Peter was sitting next to her, and he said: "Nothing this week. It's been good, actually. We're planning the trip. She insists we have to go to Greece and to Switzerland."

"Easy week," Eli said once Peter finished. "Her brother went back home and it's been nice and quiet."

"I already said everything," Gloria simply said.

"Then I guess it's my turn," Tammie said. "It has been getting better. Not past the 'sleeping in separate rooms' bit yet, but she's stopped snapping at every little thing and glaring at the vanilla extract."

"That stage?" John could remember when Harry had been like that in one of her failed attempts at sobriety.

"Yes. When I'm stressed I bake - cakes, biscuits, all sorts of puddings - so for the last three weeks I've had the bottle sitting on the counter all the time." She gave a half-smile. "Did your sister make it past that?"

"No, she never did. It's the reason her marriage broke up."

Tammie shook her head in sympathy. "Too bad for both of them."

John realized he was next. He wondered where he would even begin. "It's been a strange week," he finally said. "I've found out he's been vanishing to get high every time he leaves the flat. He stays gone until he comes down."

"Yikes," said Tammie.

"I know what that's like. Drinking and not drugs, but still..." Mari shook her head.

Gloria nodded. "At least my fiancé was trying to get clean before we met. He's had trouble since but no full relapses. His little brother is too early to tell."

"Well, you can't physically force him to not use. That's beyond your control," said Eli.

"I know," John responded.

"Is there any pattern to his usage?" Dr. Dodson asked.

"Not one that I can see, but I think it's connected to something. Something he's remembering, probably."

"And he can't make himself talk about that?" said Peter.

"He doesn't want the whole thing to come crashing down on him."

"The 'no one really loved you' scenario?" guessed Peter.

"I think so." John wasn't surprised by the fact every other group member nodded in recognition. "And, there's this kid, who was abused too, and the two of them have become friends. They talk a lot and I think it sometimes sets him off, because they're so alike."

"Is the kid getting help?" asked Eli.

"I think his dad will help. They've just been reunited."

"Where's your friend's dad?" said Tammie.

"Died when he was little."

"And no one saved him." John turned to Dr. Dodson. He didn't speak very often, at least from the two meetings he'd been to, which surprised John. He had thought that the psychiatrist would lead all the discussions.

"Yes," John replied.

After a moment of silence, everyone turned to Rodney. "Bad week," he said. "She didn't go to work once."

"In bed the whole time?" asked Peter.

"On the sofa?" Eli guessed.

"Some times. Some times it's more like hiding under the bed or the desk."

"Flashbacks?" said Mari.

"I think so, but she isn't saying much to me. Not eating much either, just the occasional banana or apple or package of crisps." Rodney looked down, smoothing his spiked hair with one hand.

"But she's eating, right? Not just pretending to?" Mari pressed.

"I have made sure of that." He looked at the ground again and the rest of the group fell into silence.

Dr. Dodson broke the silence. "We have fifteen minutes left." He looked at each group member. "Is there more anyone wants to discuss, or are you all open to a lesson?"

"Lesson would be good. We haven't had one since before Jason showed up," said Eli. Mari, Tammie, Peter, and Gloria nodded.

"Lesson it is then. I'll do something that we all discussed last session; emotional reasoning." Dr. Dodson filled the next fifteen minutes with a discussion of the concept, how it related to perception of the world, and what to do about it. John didn't pay much attention, since it was something he already knew the basics about.

When Dr. Dodson finished talking it was time to leave, and while most of them headed for the door, Eli and John held back. John had wanted to talk more with him and was somewhat surprised that he'd known to stay back. "Rodney never says much," Eli said once the room was empty of all but two of them. "Dr. Dodson usually gives a little psych lesson on the days he talks."

"How did you all get here?" John asked.

"Mari works with Rodney. She'd heard about the group from Dr. Dodson; so did I. Tammie and Jason work together and she found us through another therapist. Gloria heard about it at her fiancé's rehab. Peter got referred to us when his wife was hospitalized a few years ago."

"Does everyone stay?"

"A few people come to one or two meetings and then vanish. One of our more dedicated members, Edna, vanished a few years ago. If anyone tries to ring her from the group she hangs up."

"Does every person who comes here have their person seeing Dr. Dodson?"

"Not all of them. Besides you, Jason and Rodney don't have their person in therapy at all."

"I just wanted to make sure I could still come," John quickly explained.

"Of course you can. You're always welcome here." Eli shook his hand before leaving and it lifted his spirits on the walk home.

As soon as he got in the door, he heard Sherlock say: "How did your group go?" He was still on the sofa, with Hamish, and in his pajamas, but he looked as good as he possibly could.

"Fine," John said, and neither brought it up, or the impending testimony, for the rest of the day.