A/N: Hi everyone :) This is going to be a slightly different fic to the others I have written. I am hoping to write something that works on dealing with the unresolved feelings and angst which is present in the current season, whilst still being completely Sherlock and Joan-esque. I would like to make this an actual casefic as well, and I hope that it will be around 20 chapters long, but I will attempt to make the chapter shorter than I usually do (sorry about that, btw!). Anyway, the premise of this story is something I am still working out, so if there are any issues/concerns please let me know. Your input and advice is greatly appreciated, and I hope you enjoy the chapter :)
- HQ21

The rain was lightly drizzling as Joan stepped out of the cab and onto the pavement, hugging her coat to her as she headed straight for the precinct. Her head was bowed slightly against the rain as she walked briskly towards the front door. As she reached for the handle, she found that the door was swung open from the other side. She crossed the threshold and took a few steps into the precinct, running a hand through her slightly damp hair as she turned on the spot to thank the person who had opened the door for her.

"Watson" greeted a familiar voice amiably, nodding once as he leaned back on his heels.

"Sherlock" she returned, tucking some hair behind her ear as she spoke. Although the rain outside was not too hard, her face was covered in a thin sheen of ice-cold water, which she felt certain had compromised her make-up. She was probably staring up at her former partner with panda eyes and a bewildered expression. Before she could thank him for holding the door open for her, he took a couple of steps towards her, removed a handkerchief from his pocket, and held it out to her theatrically, like a small child bringing its parent a humble offering. "Thank you" she returned sincerely, accepting the handkerchief and wiping the water from her cheeks and beneath her eyes. "Did you get the Captain's message too?" she asked, holding the damp and make-up stained handkerchief in her hand as she began to walk towards the Captain's office.

"The one instructing me to come to the precinct immediately to discuss an important case?" he returned in an animated fashion, as he stood a couple of paces behind her and accompanied her to the office.

"That's the one" Joan returned, rapping lightly on the Captain's door. Upon hearing his confident response, Joan pushed the door open and stood to the side, indicating for Sherlock to pass through first. He seemed uncertain at first, sceptical even. But after a moment of watching her with a confused expression, he simply nodded once and walked past her, heading straight into the office and standing before the desk. Joan smiled lightly, before following him into the office and closing the door firmly behind her.

"Captain, how may we be of assistance?" he asked, glancing from the seated Captain Gregson to the standing Detective Bell, who was standing by the Captain's side. Gregson looked up at the consultants, before raising a hand from the file he was holding and indicating to their chairs before him.

"Take a seat" he began, removing his glasses and leaning back in his chair. Sherlock complied, seating himself in one of the chairs before the desk. He heard the gentle clicking of Joan's heels against the floor as she approached, and he used his right foot to tilt her chair to the side, making it easier for her to sit herself down. Joan observed this, his second act of chivalry of the morning, and accepted the chair, as her eyes drifted warily towards him. Perhaps he's lonely because of Kitty's temporary absence, she mused.

"Thanks for comin' so quickly" Gregson stated, shuffling two of the files before him.

"Not at all, Captain" Sherlock returned. "Why have we been summoned?" Gregson looked from Sherlock to Joan, breathed in deeply, and passed each of them a file, which they began to open through as he spoke.

"In less than thirty-six hours a man called Douglas Dalton will be arriving in New York for approximately a week. He'll be staying at the Lucia Hotel during this time" Gregson began, pausing for a moment as the consultants nodded in understanding, their heads bowed as they continued to flick through the files. "As the first few pages of your files tell you, Mr Dalton is-"

"-believed to be a leading member of a human trafficking organisation" Joan returned sombrely, as she skimmed through his personnel file.

"Yeah" Gregson returned, his eyes moving from Joan to Sherlock, who had apparently already studied the file, which sat closed upon his lap.

"And you believe Mr Dalton's arrival in the city is with illicit intentions" Sherlock stated. Gregson shifted slightly in his seat, before nodding in agreement as Joan's head rose from the file.

"It says here that Dalton has been associated with the disappearances of over two hundred girls from Europe and America in the past five years" Joan said in a low tone.

"That we know of" Gregson returned, nodding slightly in her direction as he spoke. "He has been the subject of investigation from multiple agencies, including the FBI and Interpol, but no evidence ever directly connects him with the crimes which we know he has committed. And those able to provide such information often end up dead or missing." Sherlock and Joan nodded in response.

"So what do you believe to be the purpose of his planned visit to the city?" asked Sherlock.

"Within three days of Dalton arriving in the hotel, two other people are expected to arrive" Gregson began, opening a file to his left and placing two pictures before Sherlock and Joan. "Jennifer Mandrea from Colombia and Gregory Vasquez from England. Both of these individuals have been linked to drug smuggling in their countries, and there have been whispers of their association with Dalton."

"You think it's a meeting" Joan stated, causing Gregson to nod slowly towards her in response.

"But why?" she asked, causing them all to look towards him. "Why would a man who is always the scenes, and who never gets his hands dirty, stage a meeting in an up-scale New York hotel with two people whose very presence in this country would attract attention?" she continued, glancing towards Gregson and Bell. "It doesn't make sense."

"No, it doesn't. But whatever the reason for this meeting, it can't be good. Between them they have racked up quite the body count, and a collaboration between them would almost certainly have fatal consequences" Gregson agreed, glancing from Sherlock to Joan as he spoke. "Interpol believe that there is another man associated with their new allegiance. An American national who is the orchestrator of this meeting. But we don't know who he is or why he has arranged the meeting. All we know is that the parties are flying in in the next few days" Gregson continued. "Which is where you guys come in." Sherlock and Joan looked expectantly towards Gregson, whose expression had altered slightly since he last spoke. Sherlock eyed him quizzically, narrowing his eyes slightly as he clasped his hands tightly in his lap.

"What do you want us to do?" Joan asked amiably. Gregson turned towards her, before glancing briefly at Sherlock, and then focussing his attentions at the space between them both.

"We've got people following them outside of the hotel, wherever they may go" he began, gesturing with his hand as they spoke. "But we need people having eyes on them inside the hotel. You'll keep an eye on the three people we know about, and be on the look-out for the fourth" he continued.

"And those people cannot be the same people following them, as this will arouse suspicion" Sherlock stated simply. "If he notices the same people are around him inside and outside of the hotel, he will almost certainly assume that he is being followed. A man associated with what he does is bound to be paranoid and constantly on guard."

"So you want us to stay at the hotel for the duration of his stay, and keep an eye on them?" Joan asked. Gregson looked at her for a moment, nodding slowly in response, before leaning his clasped hands lightly upon the edge of his desk.

"In order to make yourselves seem... inconspicuous, and below his radar, you need to have a plausible cover story. The reason for you being in that hotel at that time must be beyond reproach and beyond questioning" he continued.

"Of course" Sherlock returned.

"You need to have established yourselves there as soon as possible, which means tonight at the latest" he continued.

"Fine" returned Joan, closing the file and holding it on her lap, as she continued to listen to the Captain.

"And in order to make yourselves as least conspicuous as possible, we have come up with a cover story that will explain your presence in the hotel, and justify the amount of time you'll be spending in each other's company" Gregson continued. Sherlock looked towards him with an analytical glare, as Joan tilted her head to the side slightly as she considered his words. There was something about the way Gregson was talking that had heightened the wariness of both of the consultants. There was more to this than he was letting on.

"And what is that, precisely?" Sherlock asked carefully. Gregson turned towards him and focused his gaze upon the consulting detective, who was watching him with alert eyes and a wary expression.

"We want you guys to pose as a married couple during your stay." He stated simply, his eyes drifting from Sherlock to Joan to gauge their responses.

Joan's eyes widened slightly, and she tilted her head to the side as she pressed herself back into her chair. She was considering the idea, thinking it through from a professional perspective. Such a cover story would allow them to spend a lot of time together without appearing suspicious. It would explain their absences and presence in certain events within the hotel and the city. It would mean that their presence in the hotel would be instantly recognised and understood, without causing much concern or suspicion amongst the newcomers. From an investigative point of view, it made sense. And yet there was something about the idea, the arrangement, that left her feeling deeply unsettled. And as she cast a furtive glance towards Sherlock, she felt certain that he was experiencing the same dilemma. Sherlock was sat straight-backed in his chair, his hands clasped tightly together in his lap as he stared at Captain Gregson across the desk with a blank, unreadable expression. Despite her ability to understand and read him, Joan found herself completely unable to gauge how he was feeling about the suggestion. His expression told her nothing, but there was something in his eyes, which were wide and glassy, that spoke volumes. If only she could hear what they were trying to convey.

"You wish us to pose as a married couple?" he asked in a low, even tone.

"Newlyweds, actually" interceded Bell, dropping a hotel flier before him. Sherlock glanced down at it for a moment, scanning it briefly, before looking back towards Bell. "The Lucia is well-known for its Honeymoon suites and marriage-related packages. They offer city-tours, wine-tasting events, restaurant parties and intimate dinners-"

"You are joking" Sherlock stated incredulously, staring hard at Bell, before turning his glance towards Gregson, who was looking at him with a deadpan expression. "My god, you're not" Sherlock breathed.

"Posing as a married couple will make you inconspicuous" began Gregson in a low, respectful tone. "It will instantly put you under the radar of these guys, meaning that your cover and your safety is secure. It will explain your constant presence together, your movements around the hotel, and the space you'll share" he began, sensing Joan and Sherlock's eyes weighing heavily upon him.

"The honeymoon suites are big enough for you guys to set up base so you can set up your investigative base and do your thing" Bell started, causing the consultants to shift their attention towards him. "Not the thing they'll think you're doing, but-"

"Yes, enough, Detective" Sherlock spat, his eyes half closed and his hand partially risen as he chided Detective Bell. A brief silence befell the room, which Sherlock used calm himself as he considered the reasoning of the Captain and Gregson which, although he would never admit to them, was fairly sound. "Watson" Sherlock stated, his voice much more relaxed and respectful than it had been. "Your thoughts?" Joan turned towards Sherlock and watched him warily for a moment, her gaze meeting his and then falling away instantly.

"It's a plausible cover story" she returned simply. "It would certainly put us below the radar and allow us to work with minimal suspicion" she continued reflectively, before once more allowing her eyes to meet his. "What do you think?" she asked simply. Sherlock watched her for a moment, his eyes running across her body analytically to search for any signs of discomfort or unease.

"Are you asking me to marry you, Watson?" he asked lightly after a few moments of silence, before adopting a more serious tone as he continued. "It would not be an easy task, there is much we would need to discuss and consider."

"You both lived together for almost two years, you know stuff about each other that no one else does, and your work as partners is always top-notch" Gregson began, leaning on the desk as he spoke. "You guys won't have any trouble posing as a married couple, trust me."

"You certainly argue like one" Bell added gently, in an unsuccessful attempt to lighten the mood. Neither Sherlock nor Joan acknowledged his comment, but were continuing to watch each other with unreadable expressions as they pondered the words of the Captain and of each other. Before either of them could speak, the sound of a manilla folder striking the desk brought their attention back towards the Captain. The folder was open on the desk, and from it spilled out the images of dozens of young women, all in their late teens and early twenties.

"Who are they?" Joan asked gently, drawing more and more images from the seemingly bottomless file with her fingertips.

"These are some of the girls whose disappearances have been linked to Dalton and his organisation" Gregson said simply, his voice low and respectful. "These images are from Interpol, the FBI, MI6 and other intelligence agencies" he continued, as Sherlock and Joan's attention was completely upon the faces of the women in the file, which they continued to explore. "And these are only the disappearances from the last year." Joan froze for a moment, and her fingers lingered upon the file as she looked up to Gregson will a solemn expression. Gregson acknowledged her look before glancing towards Sherlock, whose expression had changed marginally.

Sherlock looked up from the images in the folder and turned to Joan, who was watching him with a concerned and wary expression. He continued to stare at her for a moment, before a confident nod from her gave him the answer he was looking for, and he turned instantly from her and towards Captain Gregson.

"Very well, Captain" he said in a low, even tone. "Miss Watson and I will comply with your request" he added, standing immediately from his seat. Joan shifted in her seat and eased on her coat, before reaching down and picking up her bag. As she stood, Captain Gregson picked up another two files as he walked past the desk, handing each of them a small manilla folder.

"This is all the information we have on the people involved" he stated simply, as Joan placed the folder in her bag. "Your aliases, identification papers and other information are also included" he stated simply. Sherlock nodded towards him in acknowledgement, as he tucked his own folder into his jacket, which he zipped up.

"Your wedding bands are in there too" added Bell, pointing towards Sherlock's file. Joan looked towards Sherlock, who was staring at Bell with a remonstrative look. Before he could issue a cutting remark or witty response, Gregson continued to speak.

"You'll both need to go to your residences, study the files, pack" he began, glancing from Sherlock to Joan as he spoke. "You'll be picked up in two hours and driven straight to the hotel" he continued. "Any problems, any issues, you call me right away. Got it?"

"Of course, thank you" Joan responded after a few seconds, when it became clear that Sherlock would not. Joan stood still on the spot for a moment, watching as Sherlock's glance travelled from Bell to Gregson. "Sherlock" Joan called gently, causing him to turn immediately towards her. Without a word, he moved from around his chair and walked briskly towards the door, which he held open for Joan, moving to the side to allow her to pass through. As she walked through the door, Sherlock cast a final look back at Gregson and Bell, before closing the door firmly behind him.

"Was that really necessary?" Gregson sighed at Bell, as he walked back around his desk and took up his seat. "All your little comments, your digs?"

"Probably not" Bell conceded, turning towards the Captain as he spoke. "But if memory serves, the idea for them to go undercover as a married couple was all your idea." Gregson put his glasses back on and began to tuck the images of the missing women back into the file, before leaning back in his chair and tidying the rest of the manilla folders which lay scattered across his desk.

"From a professional point of view-"

"It was the right move" Bell stated, putting one hand out defensively as he spoke. "Don't get me wrong, you're right. It is the best way to infiltrate that hotel whilst keeping them both safe" he continued, watching as the Captain nodded once in acknowledgement. "But that's not the only reason you did it, is it?" Gregson paused for a moment, shuffling the files together and placing them neatly upon the desk. He removed his glasses and placed them on top of the file, before sighing lightly and sitting back in his chair.

"There are a lot of unresolved issues, regrets and disappointments floating between them" Gregson began. "And if they don't deal with it soon, it's gonna eat them up."

"So that's why you were so keen to have them go undercover as a married couple?" he asked incredulously. "So they could work stuff about between them?"

"Partly, yeah" Gregson sighed, mild annoyance entering his tone at Bell's apparent disdain for his idea. "They've been through a lot recently, over the past year or so. Especially Watson."

"They seem alright to me" Bell stated, considering how polite and courteous Sherlock had been towards his former partner in the previous meeting. Gregson leaned back in his chair and titled his head up to face Bell.

"They're not" he said simply, before turning his head back towards his desk. "But after spending some time together, just the two of them, working together under the same roof" he continued, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "Perhaps they will be."