Kim Lestrade

“Greg, you forgot your lunch,” John looked up from the papers he’d been looking at with Sherlock at the breathy, low voice. Lestrade, who had been standing across from them watching them work, started and turned around. His face was turning into a smile from what John could make out, and John followed the man’s eyes to the ma—woman?

“Kim! Thank you, I was in such a rush this morning and Sherl—“

“Sherlock doesn’t like to be kept waiting and started texting the Daily Mail and the Globe about something, I remember what you squawked on the way out of the house.” Lestrade shrugged and then put his arms around Kim. The rest of the office kept working like this was normal, and Sherlock made no comment which left John lost—normally when he was lost, Sherlock pointed out things for him to get him back on track. 

“Kim?—!” Sherlock kicked him and muttered about the pattern shown on the documents. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m Kim,” breaking away from Lestrade, the woman strode up and stuck out her hand. John stared at it and tried desperately not to analyze the bone structure. 

“No, no, we’re both sorry for rushing Lestrade out of the house this morning,” Sherlock said, kicking John’s foot once again to keep him quiet apparently. “Kim, this is my partner John Watson.”

“Colleague. I’m his colleague,” John finally spoke up, taking Kim’s hand and shaking it once. She smiled. Over her shoulder he saw Lestrade opening up the little bag he’d been given and his eyes brightening at what he saw. He reached inside and triumphantly brought out a little red apple, shining it briefly on his jacket. Kim blushed as she realized John’s full attention wasn’t on her and took her hand out of his quickly.

“I have to get back home, Timothy is going to be home soon and you know how he struggles with getting his maths done,” Kim said, pecking Lestrade once on the cheek before leaving the office. Lestrade bit into his apple happily, chewing on it thoughtfully for a moment. 

“Kim’s m’wife,” he said around his apple, “this year it’ll be twelve years—can you believe it, Sherlock? Twelve years!”

“I remember your tenth anniversary party quite well, Detective. John, do close your mouth, being shocked about Kim Lestrade makes you look small minded, which you aren’t so do stop being a bore.”

“Well I—“

“You didn’t know that our detective friend is married with a ten year old son adopted from an Indian couple in Wales. A man like Lestrade doesn’t seem the type to be married with children, it is alright to admit assumptions however baseless they are.”

“Baseless!”

“Obviously by the smooth skin at the base of his left ring finger is evidence of a ring worn everywhere but at work. He brings his lunch in carefully packed bags with healthy things like fresh apples, despite never ordering healthy food when we have a late night here at the office or at St. Bart’s. When he tries to get out of coming with us on cases, he occasionally says things like ‘but we have plans,’ or references to his son’s active theatre career at school with such protests as “we have tickets to the school play tonight.’ He also never makes passes at the women around the office or town, which you never noticed because you’ve never viewed him as competition to your possible conquests.”

Lestrade was finishing just finishing his apple as he joined in the conversation, laughing a little as Sherlock probably pegged everything to a T. 

“It’s okay, you know, to ask. Kim and I went to school together years ago, best mates. I met up with her again fourteen, fifteen years ago. Lost my job because of that woman, which is how I ended up here. The money from the tabloid story brought in enough money to put me through detective school, and gave Kim enough notoriety to land her a steady job as a public speaker—and she helps schools react better and faster to bullying.”

“And now she stays home with your son?” John was timid, trying not to step anywhere he shouldn’t. He was a doctor, not a psychologist or psychiatrist, so he only understood gender transition from a surgical standpoint. When Harry had come out to all of them it had been a relief for the entire family—the awkward conversations could actually accomplish something now, since they could all openly talk about their feelings.

Lestrade was nodding as he fished through his bag for more food, getting a sandwich as reward. 

“Yeah, she always wanted to be a stay-at-home mother, like her mum. Ooh, tuna!”