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A Study in Partnership	By : LadyLaran Category: S through Z > Sherlock (BBC) > Sherlock (BBC) Views: 4968 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own "Sherlock" as that belongs to the BBC. Nor do I make money from this!

Chapter List
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Author’s Note – I have been rather amazed by the response to this so far, and I can’t thank everyone for giving this story a chance. I’ve been bouncing around between stories during the breaks from my original story writing time, wanting to keep updating and working on the fan-fiction wombats that have been gnawing on me repeatedly.
Disclaimer – I do not own “Sherlock” nor do I make any money from this story. I just enjoy torturing the characters.
Chapter Two – A New Home and Holmes
Johanna waited beside Sherlock as he knocked on the heavy black door, watching as he bounced on the balls of his feet for a few moments before the door opened by an elderly lady. For a brief moment, the physician was reminded of an eager puppy or kitten that was excited to see its favorite human or toy. The dirty-blond haired woman was rather quick to throw that analogy from her thoughts before she could succumb to the giggles that threatened to emerge. Her features remained passive when the door partially opened to reveal an older woman.
“Sherlock! It is good to see you. Here to see the flat again?”
“Yes, I am, Mrs. Hudson. This is my potential flatmate, Dr. Watson. I thought I could show her the flat and see what she thinks.”
Mrs. Hudson smiled, opening the door for them. Johanna could see the open affection the older woman had for the man with her, and she could see that her possible landlady was a good woman. That made her feel much better about the possibility of sharing a flat with the male beside her.
“Welcome, dear,” the elderly lady said with a warm smile. “Go on up with him and take a look around. There’s a second bedroom on the next floor with the flat if you decide on two rooms.”
“I’m glad there’s two bedrooms,” Johanna said gently, not wanting the landlady to believe there was more between her and Sherlock. It seemed odd to her that the idea would even come to the woman’s mind, but she said nothing of it as she continued to speak to Mrs. Hudson. “I’ve only just met him today; my friend Mike seemed to believe that he and I would work out as flatmates. I’m hoping he’s right as I’d rather like to get out of the bedsit I’ve been bunking in lately.”
“Bedsit? Oh you poor dear, those things are dreadful at times. Go on and have a look around,” she told the younger woman, shooing her up the stairs.
Johanna made her way up the stairs, finding a flat that was furnished but not decorated or lived in. There was quite a bit of space, and it was warm even though it had been empty for some time. She could easily see herself living here, and the size and location of the flat made her wonder at one particular thing.
“What do you think?”
“It’s very nice,” she began, looking over at him. “What’s the rent though?”
Sherlock quoted a price that took her by surprise. How was it possible to get something like this for that amount of money? He answered the question before she could ask it, much to her relief.
“Some time back, I did her a favor regarding her husband’s legal issues in Florida. The man was facing execution for crimes he’d been accused of.”
“So you got him off and kept him from being executed?”
His reply forced her to school her expressions because she had wanted to laugh when she heard the answer.
“No, I ensured there was ample evidence to convict him and get him the death penalty. Mrs. Hudson offered the discount when she heard I was looking for a better place to live. She seems to be rather fond of me because of what I did for her.”
“I must admit, Sherlock, that you are the first person I’ve ever heard of who was able to get a discount simply for proving a husband’s guilt. If the rent remains that low, I can swing my half of that,” she told him. “I would like to take a look upstairs first before I commit to it.”
Sherlock nodded, still looking as if he had way too much energy to burn, and she headed through a door to find another set of stairs. Moving slowly, she went up the small flight of steps and found a bedroom at the top of them.
The room was done in a soft shade of blue, which she found to be rather restful. There was a wardrobe in a corner that contained some drawers at the bottom for storage. The bed was a platform type that had drawers along the bottom as well. The room also contained a small nightstand beside the bed and a bookcase.
Even at this time of day, the bedroom didn’t allow in a lot of light and that suited Johanna quite well actually. She gave a quiet sigh, knowing she wanted to live here and would sign the lease that day if her landlady had it ready. In truth, the doctor would rather move in that evening to get out of the dreary bedsit she was currently living in. A relocation would be just what she needed to try to get her life going again.
The former military woman headed back to the living room, finding Sherlock waiting on her. He watched her with an intent gaze that missed nothing. For some reason, that gaze seemed to make her feel a bit more reassured with her decision.
“Well?”
“I like it,” she told him. “I think it’ll suit me nicely; you really did find a wonderful place.”
He gave her a bit of a smile at that, looking relieved.
“She informed me that she’s got the lease ready, and we’ll be able to move in once we sign it. Do you have anything large to move in?”
Johanna shook her head, fighting back the upset that twisted her stomach. The only pieces she had wanted to keep after her father’s death had been sold by her mother long before Johanna had reached adulthood.
“My rucksack and a few boxes,” she admitted, keeping her shoulders squared for now. “Not much so I might be able to move in tonight if Mrs. Hudson is willing. That bedsit can be a bit much to handle honestly.”
“I think she’d be pleased to have someone else besides herself in the building tonight,” he answered. “I doubt she’ll argue against you moving in this evening.”
“I’ll ask her though,” she told him as they headed downstairs. She was careful on the steps, navigating them with the cane in one hand and the other hand on the railing.
Mrs. Hudson was waiting, an eager look in her eyes when the pair popped their heads into her flat.
“What do you think,” the older lady asked the two, smiling brightly when she heard their answers.
“We’ll take it,” Sherlock began, nodding when Johanna stepped in with her query.
“Sherlock mentioned that you happen to have the lease ready for us to sign, Mrs. Hudson? Also, would you be all right if I moved in this evening?”
“I wouldn’t mind at all, dear. Best to get you out of that bedsit soon as possible and it’ll be nice to have company here tonight,” she answered. “I do have the lease ready for you two and a pen if you need one.”
Sherlock and Johanna sat at the table, reading the document before setting their signatures to it. Both received a key, which the doctor added to her sparsely filled key ring. All of the necessary things regarding rubbish pick up and utilities were discussed, and the small woman had a feeling that her new flatmate had possibly tuned out part of the conversation.
Once everything was through, Johanna headed back to the bedsit to pack the few odds and ends that weren’t usually put away before turning her key into the manager. The taxi ride was one she relished, even though it would hit her wallet rather hard. For once, she didn’t care since she knew she would be in a place she would enjoy and hopefully be able to relax in. If she had to eat pot noodles until her next pension check, so be it.
Mrs. Hudson opened the door for her when she arrived, and Johanna was grateful for that as her arms were full of the two boxes that she’d brought with her along with the military rucksack. Her cane was looped over her arm so she had to walk carefully to keep the injured leg stable.
“Thank you, Mrs. Hudson; I truly appreciate the help.”
“Not a problem, dear. I’ll get the flat door for you too so you won’t have to make multiple trips on that leg of yours.”
“You, dear lady, are an angel,” she told the woman, slowly navigating the stairs behind her. The comment made the older lady laugh.
“Oh heavens, you are a bit of a silly one but thank you, dearie.”
Mrs. Hudson opened the flat for her, and Johanna headed to her room to set the boxes and rucksack down. She was quick to notice the linens waiting for her and smiled to herself, grateful for her new landlady. This would hold her until the money came in where she could buy linens for herself.
A quick look into the living room showed that the landlady had retired to her own flat, so Johanna went ahead and began unpacking. She started with her boxes first, placing the books on the shelf by subject and alphabetized within each section. The few knickknacks and pictures she owned were put up, displayed carefully on the shelves in front of the books. Her alarm clock was put on the nightstand, plugged in and set to display the correct time.
Before long, all of her clothing was put away and the rucksack placed in a drawer in case she needed again. The bed was made to military and hospital standards, the spare blankets she owned placed in a drawer in the bed so she could reach them if it grew cool enough. Once her sidearm was put away, Johanna disposed of the boxes and then headed to the living room.
The physician sank into the smaller chair, resting the cane against the side of it. The space of the flat was already doing her quite a bit of good; the bedsit had been too cramped and had often caused her a lot of discomfort during the night. She gave a tired sigh, eyes closing for a brief moment as she relished the quiet serenity of her surroundings.
The silence she was appreciating was broken by the sound of a knock on the door, and she reached for her cane so she could rise to her feet. It took a moment to gain her equilibrium before she headed to the door. Mrs. Hudson’s smiling face greeted her when the door to the flat opened.
“I doubt you’ve had a chance to get some shopping done, dear, and I thought you might be hungry after the unpacking you’ve been doing. I’d be happy to have you share dinner with me and maybe a cup of tea?”
“I don’t want to intrude,” Johanna began, and her landlady smiled even brighter at her.
“It’s not an intrusion at all, Dr. Watson. Truth be told, it’d be nice to have a spot of company tonight.”
There simply was no way to decline when the physician heard that, and she gracefully capitulated. The former captain knew all too well what it was like to dine alone, and she knew it would be nice to have some companionship tonight.
“I’ll come but on one condition,” she told the older woman. “You call me Johanna.”
“A lovely name,” Mrs. Hudson told her. “I’d be happy to call you by your first name, Johanna. Thank you, dear.”
“No, thank you for your kindness,” she said in reply. “I had not given thought as to what to do for dinner tonight.”
“I always end up making too much,” the older woman answered, leading the way down the stairs. “It leaves me with a lot of leftovers, which I typically don’t mind, but it gets rather lonesome eating by myself after a while.”
“I understand,” Johanna murmured, using both cane and railing to help steady her descent. She’d nibbled her way through too many solitary meals since her discharge and knew all too well how awful it could feel.
Mrs. Hudson led the doctor into her flat, guiding her to the table where she could sit in comfort. The older woman laughed, waving off any offers of assistance as she did so.
“Not to worry, dear, it won’t take me long to get this onto the table. Would wine be all right for you,” she asked, not knowing if her new tenant had to abstain from drinking or not.
“Truthfully, Mrs. Hudson, I would prefer some water please,” Johanna requested, knowing some of the medications she was on would not blend well with alcohol.
“Not a problem,” her landlady stated, putting a glass of ice water on the table in front of her first before getting the food onto the table as well.
Once everything was done, Mrs. Hudson and Johanna served themselves and the former military woman gave a soft contented sigh when the flavor of the roasted chicken burst across her taste buds.
“That is delicious,” she said to her hostess. “I don’t think I have had anything that tastes this good in years.”
“You’d think they would feed you better in the army,” the older woman said, shaking her head. “Especially considering all the hard work the soldiers do for Queen and Country.”
“They fed us nutritious meals, but no one can ever say they taste good,” Johanna quipped back, a small smile showing at the familiar complaint she and her fellow Fusiliers had griped over during her time with them. That was a memory that didn’t hurt, and it felt nice to be able to remember the good natured banter they’d shared about the meals.
“It’s still not right,” Mrs. Hudson replied. “I’m glad I was able to make something you would enjoy, Johanna. You’re too thin, especially for a soldier.”
Blue eyes looked down at her plate as her hand shook for a moment while playing with the mashed potatoes. She knew her health wasn’t completely recovered, and it stung to be reminded of it as it brought up the bitter thoughts of what else she had lost because of her injuries.
“I’m sorry, dear. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”
Johanna managed to give her another small smile, shaking her while she did so.
“It’s all right, Mrs. Hudson. You did nothing wrong,” she reassured her, not liking the expression of guilt on her dining companion’s face.
“Are you certain, dear? I seemed to have put my foot in it,” she said softly, not liking the too controlled expression on the other woman’s face.
“It’s fine,” Johanna answered, then took another bite of her meal. It would take time to work her way through her issues, if she could find a way to do so.
“Are you working currently as a doctor?”
“Not at the moment,” she replied. “I’m not entirely certain which direction I want to head into since I can no longer work at my specialty.”
“What was your specialty, if you don’t mind my asking,” the older woman asked, taking a bite of her meal.
“I am..was a trauma surgeon,” Johanna answered, fighting to keep her tone and expression neutral for this discussion.
“Goodness, that is amazing,” Mrs. Hudson commented. “I’ve heard that’s an incredibly difficult field to specialize in. That’s definitely something to be proud of, dear.”
Johanna blinked at that, surprised by the compliment. Her mother had fussed about the decision to become a doctor and Harry hadn’t cared at all, just calling her a nerd and other names that had stung. She’d managed to push that aside, keeping her head down to focus on her studies.
“I suppose so,” she managed to answer. “Given I can no longer preform surgeries, I might look into working in an A&E once I’m steadier.”
“I’ve heard they can always use good doctors there,” the older woman agreed. “A lot of times, there’s a lot of accidents and injuries that come in and it seems like there’s not enough doctors to go around.”
“I think that’s a normal situation to find anywhere,” Johanna murmured, struggling to push certain memories out of her mind. “No matter how well staffed a place is, once things get rough, there’s never enough qualified hands to do what’s needed.”
Mrs. Hudson nodded and changed the subject to other topics that would not trouble her new tenant. Both women found the other to be intelligent, witty at times, and rather observant. By the time the meal was over, Johanna felt more comfortable around the older female and knew she’d enjoy spending time with her landlady, although she could do without the gossip.
It was with a full stomach and several wrapped plates in hand that Johanna cautiously made her way up the stairs. She didn’t feel nearly as stressed as she had earlier, and the relaxation felt nice considering she had been incredibly overwhelmed by things since her discharge from the military.
The doctor opened the door to her flat, coming to an abrupt halt inside the door when her eyes fell onto a tall figure standing within the living room. Her fingers tightened on her cane, stance shifting to an alert one.
“Doctor Watson, I presume?”
Author’s End Note – Uh oh, who might this newcomer be? Thanks for reading my story and hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you think of it. See everyone next chapter! ~ Laran
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A Study in Partnership