So, my last day in Italy. Can't say I'm sad about that, for once.
This afternoon I'll be back with John and Sherlock, and tomorrow we're going to see Mycroft, if that's all been arranged, and I can't bloody wait. Feels like I've been away forever.
Think I've definitely aged a few years.
Last night Hannah woke me up at about 2 and for the first time she said she wanted her Mum. What can you say to that? We just sat up for a few hours, talking about England, and her Granny and school friends and other people. Lots of tears. Not all hers.
She wants to see her friends again. She wants her Gran. She's worried about a lot of things I don't have answers to.
Yesterday afternoon a lady from social services arrived from the UK. So she and Hannah have started to get to know each other. Originally she should have taken Hannah last night, but Hannah got upset at that, and having only just started to come out of her shell to Fio, and needing a bit of stability, Fio put us up for the night. Julie's with her now, and will be with us on the flight home, and someone else is bringing her Gran to meet us at the airport. Part of me doesn't want to let her go, because I know just how hard it'll be for her, working through everything she's seen. But the sooner she begins to settle into what will be her life now, the better. She needs to know how things will be. Julie's working on making sure she can stay at the same school, live with her grandparents or aunt, all of that. It's all so complicated.
Anyway, we're about to set off to the airport.
Apparently I'm sitting in the back with Julie and Hannah. And Spider and Gregory-bear, who are friends. Yeah. It's a big people carrier, so hopefully I can hide at the back and sleep. But I doubt it.
John, prepare yourself to be hugged to bits.
64 comments:
My heart goes out to Hannah; poor little mite. I'm so glad she's had you there to help her through those first few days; I'm sure that you've made a real difference, just by being there, and by being you.
I suspect that Sherlock will be hugging you to bits at the airport before you get much of a chance to do the same to John :-)
And I'm wondering if you could start a line of merchandise, I'm sure there's a market for Gregory-bears...
Have a safe journey home.
Greg - You've done the best you can in a heart-wrenching situation. I hope that Hannah will think of you fondly in the years to come for being there for her, and for being that bit of sanity she could hold onto.
I suspect that there will be a group smish of four at the airport - John, Greg, Sherlock, and Spider. *giggles* Then tomorrow, of course...
Have a safe flight home! *hugs*
-A from NW
Nameless - I hope so. I told her she can call me any time she wants. I hope she gets a lot of help from everyone around her now. She certainly seemed glad to see her Granny.
And yeah, I had to drop all my luggage to catch an airbourne Sherlock when I walked through arrivals.
A - Spider was firmly stowed in the luggage. But yeah, God, having John and Sherlock right there, to hold onto...I can't tell you how much I needed that.
And now I've slept a bit and am half-watching the rugby with John while Sherlock talks my ear off about everything he's done since I left.
He'd like you all to know he supports the team in green for the World Cup. No,I don't know which team in green. All of them, I suspect.
an airbourne Sherlock - that is a great image, and John, were you just not aerodynamic enough to match Sherlock's Flying Wallendas routine? Or would that have been parting with a little more dignity than you wanted?
In any case, Lestrade, I'm glad you're home safe and being cuddled to within an inch of your life.
Dignity and the desire not to crush Sherlock.
All of them, I suspect.
I think he might think they're all the same team. The Green Team.
You were very dignified.
Perhaps you could try to teach Sherlock the desire not to crush. Some of the rugby tackles I faced the other week were more gentle than that welcome.
not that I'm complaining. I almost jumped on you.
I still might jump on you. You look awfully good for someone who's been living on coffee and adrenaline for a week.
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/Photography/Images/POD/f/flying-frog-laman-667056-sw.jpg
Add wild, curly hair and this is my image of Sherlock at the airport. Am I close?
So gla you're back and safe. These are the important things.
Tinkerty,
Bronwyn
Glad. I meant glad.
Bronwyn
Sherlock been experimenting on your eyeballs?
I imagine I look something beyond worn out. Well past the sort of thing you'd put out for recycling. Straight to landfill, me.
But keep me for a while longer. I missed you...a really surprising amount. I mean, I didn't think I'd get time, and then it would just creep up on me and yeah. I really bloody missed you.
And yes, Bronwyn, that's not far off.
Glad you're home safe - and apparently looking particularly jumpable :-)
On the rugby front, didn't Ireland and Australia play this morning? Not sure which of them was in green (maybe both, given that England are playing in all black these days, apparently. World gone mad, I tell you. World gone mad).
L - you look tanned and gorgeous from all your hiking through the Italian countryside, and I mean to keep you as long as possible. Missed you too. A lot.
I can only imagine absence has made Danger's eyesight grown weaker, Nameless.
And yes, Ireland did (Look away now if you son't want to know...) beat Australia this morning.
Ireland played in green shirts and white shorts, Aus in gold and green, but gold shirts, dark green shorts.
Engand's 'home' strip is still white. But yeah, the 'away' is black...blacker than the All Blacks, I think!
Danger - you're absolutely mad. I've spent a week surviving on caffeine and being attacked by the flora of Italy. I've barely had time to get tanned.
It's very odd to be speaking English all the time. I keep half translating what i want to say into Italian before remembering I don't need to.
I'm sure John wouldn't mind you talking Italian to him, Lestrade ;-)
Anon - he has lapsed into Italian a few times without realising. Sherlock understands most of it. I just smile and nod.
I haven't!
Have I? I certainly didn't know I had. Next time tell me! It might be something Sherlock shouldn't translate...
You have! Mainly in the car on the way back from the airport. And he didn't translate, he just answered you, so I've no idea whether it was inappropriate or not. He didn't look unduly interested though, so it was probably all right.
Hmmm.
I suppose if he was answering me I might not have noticed. I can't remember what we were talking about.
Give me a nudge next time. It's embarrassing.
You smell nice.
It's entertaining. And so do you. Feel nice, too. Warm.
Yeah. I warn you there's a chance I could just fall asleep with you right here.
We sorted something out with Mycroft for tomorrow?
Summer holidays went so fast. Now it feels like he's been gone 6 weeks, when in fact, I've only been home without him for 4 days.
No offence Lestrade, but I'm going to trust John's judgement on this one :-)
I saw the Ireland - Aussie result, but none of the match, so wasn't sure who was wearing what. I did see the end of the England game t'other day; deeply disconcerting. Couldn't they just use red for the away strip like the footballers do? That all black strip looked weird.
Maybe we should retreat to bed?
Yeah, we're going to pick him up for lunch and do something, don't know what, and we're meant to have him back for dinner.
Nameless - apprently it's down to Nike, who designed the kit. I don't know.
Danger - sounds good. Although...yeah, I haven't exactly been sleeping that well. Just to warn you. I'm sure I will tonight.
Like to take the bike out for a spin too. Just run it a bit.
At least they're letting us borrow him for an afternoon. I know it's all strict about when they're allwoed out.
I don't think they really approved, what with it so close to the start of the school year, but they were a bit more understanding when they heard how suddenly you had to leave.
None of us have been sleeping that well. I'm hoping it'll go better for everyone tonight.
Does this mean Sherlock's in our bed? :)
It does not...but he might be later. He did stay in his all night last night so there's hope.
To be hponest I wouldn't mind.
sort oflike knowing youre both safe and with me
You're very sweet.
And also sleepy. Come on. Bedtime.
Awwwwwwww you guys. :) <3 I'm glad Lestrade's home and safe. Have fun tomorrow with Mycroft! I hope he's enjoying school. :3
+1 for gregory-bears!
http://images8.cpcache.com/product/vote-state-senate/71712468v5_225x225_Front.jpg
So glad you're back with your family! =]
Thanks Lupe, Lyra. I'm sure we'll have a great time with Mycroft today.
This is the bear Fio bought Hannah:
http://www.plushpaws.co.uk/user/products/large/G01W0406w.jpg
I think you can get them anywhere. And I'm sure you'll all agree it's the spitting image of me. Yeah.
Still, if it makes her feel better... I can't stop thinking about how she is. What she's doing. If she got through last night okay.
What I said to her father. What I didn't say.
The early hours of the morning are far too good a time to be thinking about things you can't change.
Sherlock clambered into bed with us for a 'morning cuddle'...at 4 am. Think he was just checking we hadn't done a runner in the night.
The bear is adorable. Not quite your twin; your nose isn't blue, for one thing :-p
I hope that Sherlock's morning cuddle helped to derail that unhelpful train of thought.
I hope Mycroft's enjoying school; please send him my best.
My nose is nearly blue. Coming from a nice warm mid-thirties back to wet, grey London in the high teens has made it feel freezing here.
Never mind Sherlock's many foodstuffs I bought back for him, I should have brought the weather back.
We're just arriving at Mycroft's place. I'm sure we'll have more to tell you after today with him.
And yeah, Sherlock helped.
S: "Why are you awake?"
Me: "Thinking. Why are you?"
S: "It's morning. I want a cuddle. What are you thinking about?"
Me: "It's four a.m. And...stupid things."
S: "That is morning. You should think about my birthday cake instead. I want sparklers in it. And candles."
At which point he managed to worm his way inbetween me and Danger and fall asleep, sucking his thumb. Exactly like Danger does. Which made me smile really quite a lot.
Wait, Danger sucks his thumb while he sleeps???
Nothing like a 4am cuddle to get you to stop thinking about stupid stuff. I'm so glad you have Sherlock and John to offer that to you.
-- kholly
I do not!
He does.
Not all the time. Just when he's really tired, or sad.
He bunches the fnug up in his fist and sucks his thumb.
Stop glaring at me like that.
Mycroft says hello. And thanks you all for your kind messages.
I do not! I would know.
just like I'd know what language I was speaking at any given moment...yeah, yeah. :)
No one else I ever slept with mentioned it!
And I know what you're thinking right now - do NOT take pictures to prove it.
So you admit there's something to take pictures of?
Maybe they were too polite. I don't have that problem.
Or maybe you've just caught the habit from Sherlock. Looking after him is making you regress...afterall, you do now sleep with a stuffed Spider. If you were to turn up in the kitchen, in your pyjamas, Spider dangling from one hand and thumb in your mouth, hair messed up, I could believe you were four, not forty.
I admit nothing! You're clearly delusional, or it was your eyesight affected in your absense, not mine.
...Although my spelling seems to have suffered.
I was going to say....But Sherlock's spelling is better than that.
Don't worry, I don't want to believe you're 4. There are things I want to do with you which would definitely be very, very illegal then.
Forty is just perfect.
But you do still suck your thumb.
I have to admit, this little exchange is making me anticipate John's next blog post and/or poll (possibly titled BASE SLANDER) with even more eagerness than usual. (L, you might have gotten away with it if you'd spilled the beans in Italian.)
And that's heightened by the thought that we might get to hear more about Mycroft's doings too. Mycroft, dear boy, don't leave all of your honorary aunties hanging!
Stop giving him ideas...
Sherlock's spelling is better than mine. Sad but true.
L - choose to ignore the last part of your comment entirely. Also, someone would've told me!
I've told you! You don't do it all the time. Maybe you didn't used to get stressed out and do it in front of people or...something.
I might phone your mum. The numbers got to be in your mobile, right? Bet she'll confirm/deny whether you sucked your thumb as a kid. (Confirm, obviously, as YOU DO.)
DON'T YOU DARE.
Irrelevant to the current discussion anyway!
Completely relevant.
Anyway, everyone here can make up their own minds, as they'll never see proof either way. I'll drop it. it doesn't matter.
Completely irrelevant. I bet you did lots of things as a kid you don't do now.
Plenty, yes.
I bet you did lots of things as a kid you don't do now.
The guy-liner leaps immediately to mind. Unless there's something about Greg's work attire you've failed to share with the rest of the class.
Tinkerty,
Bronwyn
He still climbs trees though.
Small Hobbit - I think I've given that up again now. Or at least, will save it only for special occasions. Had quite enough of trees in the last week or so.
Sorry - didn't mean to remind you of that.
Sorry, didn't mean to imply you had.
Right now it takes rather a lot of effort to distract me from thinking about it (which Danger, Sherlock and Mycroft managed admirably this afternoon.)
Don't think I'm amazingly easy to live with at the best of times, let alone now. Sorry, John.
I think that after the time you've had of it, you're allowed to be a bit out of sorts. And I get the impression that John is pretty damn good at understanding that, and being exactly the right kind of supportive.
Sounds like you all had a good afternoon. How's Mycroft?
Nameless - He is incredibly supportive. There isn't a bloke alive luckier than I am.
I think John's going to post about our day (and Mycroft) - once he's persuaded Sherlock that he has to go to and stay in bed, because it's school tomorrow, regardless of the fact I'm back. Poor little sod. He's desperate to spend the day with us.
Greg - I would hope after the week you've had that your DCI isn't expecting you (immediately) to be at work tomorrow?!
*hugs*
-A from NW
A - no, I'm off for a few days. Going to take Danger somewhere on the bike tomorrow.
Having just watched Match of the Day 2 I need a few days off to get over Arsenal's performance.
I may cry.
Could've been worse - even I felt a little bit sorry for Torres today :-p
Greg - Good, if anyone needs a few days, it's you. The paperwork can wait.
I hope you and John have fun tomorrow!
-A from NW
PS Captcha is "midwo." It's either calling me a midwife, or suggesting that you and John need to run away to the middle of nowhere for a few hours. =)
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