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[johannapearljaynes]

[johannapearljaynes]

Oh, take me back to the start…

[johannapearljaynes]

[johannapearljaynes]

"Really? Would I be imposing Lucy if I asked you to play something?

"Y-yes? I swear I didn't touch it! I..."

Lucy nodded shyly as she looked at the instrument in front of her, “I learned how to when I was younger.”

[johannapearljaynes]

Johanna acted out a shocked gasp.  "Kevin Holt!" She said before letting out a small chuckle. "They never suspect the bar tenders. But you're switching things up. I don't blame you though." She said, giving the clock another look over. "It looks like it's been there since the eighties."

"Y-yes? I swear I didn't touch it! I..."

Kevin nodded and laughed, “Don’t tell anyone, but I was the one who broke the ugly thing.” He started to make her drink, “I mean look at that eyesore.”

[johannapearljaynes]

"Welcome back." Johanna greeted Hunter a little nervously. "You'd certainly done a disappearing act."

This place hasn’t changed since the 1600’s. Can’t say it’s not good to be home.

[johannapearljaynes]

Johanna had jolted instinctively when one of the bathroom doors slammed behind her causing her to smear her lipstick.  She looked down and frowned at it--groaning at the fact that she no doubt looked like a clown. When she looked up once again, she met Mrs. Blye's stern expression in the reflection of the mirror. 

Her remark had caught off her guard. Johanna didn't know whether it was a reprimand towards her, or a subtle jab at her mother, since it was known that Katherine and Ella did not get along. 

"Um...no Ma'am. Not so much these days, since I hardly see her. But I do kiss my daughter with these lips...you know...when they're not smeared with lipstick like this." She said, fishing out a towelette from her purse to wipe away the lipstick stain that had streaked towards her cheek. 

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

[johannapearljaynes]

[johannapearljaynes]

Johanna nodded and let him take his call. She tried not to stare or overhear his conversation as he talked on the conversation. Instead she looked up into the sky and tried to block out all the dark thoughts that were still lingering on the forefront of her mind and tried to focus on the star-speckled evening sky. Her thoughts immediately went to Molly. And how happy she'd been lately with her new tree house. Of course they both had Lance to thank for that. That day had been a hectic one for her but Molly told her again and again how and what she and Lance did together to put the treehouse together.

She turned to look at him when he'd finished his--feeling a sense of dejection and disappointment when he explained that he had to leave abruptly. "Oh, It's fine. I understand." Jo stepped aside to grant him the opportunity to walk past her. "Sure! We'll talk...sometime soon...I hope." She replied back, not quite understanding why it sounded so awkward. "See you around Lance."

Jo stood there on the sidewalk as she watched his retreating back disappear as it turned the corner while she still stood shuddering in the evening chill. She forgot to pass on her message to him from Molly. But she supposed for now she'd have to put it on hold.

Molly || LancexJohanna

He shook his head. “Oh no, believe me, I’ve learnt the difference over the years… It is one thing to have a passion for your line of work, a determination and a drive to ensure it is carried out properly - and entirely another to forego your life in favour of it. Work is never-ending,” he concluded, “- But mine ends when I say it does.”

Lance smiled at her words of encouragement however. “Thank you, Miss Jaynes. You are very kind to say so, and I do hope your faith is in no way misplaced. I shall endeavour to do what I can in order to be worthy of it. That said, there is something I wish to speak to you-” He was interrupted by the ring of his cellphone and fished it quickly out of one pocket as he cast an apologetic glance in Johanna’s direction. “My apologies, I must take this-“

So saying he placed some distance between himself and the nurse as he took the call. A few minutes later he returned however, a look of frustration in his eyes. “I am so sorry, Miss Jaynes. I am needed at the Sanitarium. An emergency, it seems.” Lance released a sigh, glancing down at his watch to gauge how much time he had left. None. “I must go. We shall continue this conversation - that, I promise you.”

[johannapearljaynes]

Johanna turned to look at him with a certain degree of wonder. "You remind me of my mother you know. A workaholic." She had to admit that she didn't understand this need by certain people to incessantly keep their hands busy with something. But she supposed it was better to spend one's time being productive, than frittering away. 

"Oh! I forgot to congratulate you on that." Jo said, when Lance mentioned the new position he'd earned as the head of the sanitarium. The very next moment though she fell silent--feeling a sense of chill come over her as the image of the previous head of the Hampton's Sanitarium came to mind. Johanna took a paranoid look about her and shuddered despite the fact that she didn't feel cold at all. Those images of bloodshed were circling around in her dreams now. And her imagination could not shake the thought that she had a very good idea of what his patients most likely must've suffered being at the mercy of his hands. "Right person?" JJ frowned at Lance. "I think the right person did just come along to over look that position." She couldn't find it in herself to express the plea that she could barely keep suppressed at the back of her throat. But she didn't want Lance to step down from the position he'd just come to acquire. "I--..I really don't think you should leave the position to anyone else...I mean the job requires a certain degree of sensitivity, and diplomacy...and y-you have it Lance. Besides, think of the patients..." Could it be that if he stepped down that River would re-stake his claim? Seemed like a silly notion to her she knew, but perhaps it was her own fears surrounding River right now. 

But where a break was concerned, she did agree with him. "A break is more than just stepping down from the position of dean of Sanitarium, you know." She chuckled. "Would about a vacation? Getting away from it all for awhile?"

As for herself, she had very little she wanted to share. "Let's just say, the year hasn't exactly started off on the right foot yet for me." She said, leaving it vague for now. 

Molly || LancexJohanna

"New Year, new beginning. I am quite pleased with how this one is turning out thus far, Miss Jaynes. Busy, and yet I would not have it any other way." He cast a glance in her direction as they walked out of the building, "not that I wouldn’t like a break… When the right person appears to replace me at the Sanitarium, I think I will gladly step down." Still, that seemed like a long way off considering the credentials being sought for the position. "And yourself?"

[johannapearljaynes]

Johanna nodded as her gaze swept over the beautiful black grand piano. She'd had fantasies about learning to play one day. But none of those ever actually came to life. "Can you play?" She asked Lucy curiously. 

"Y-yes? I swear I didn't touch it! I..."

"I’m not going to do anything," Lucy answered with a shrug, looking at the piano in front of the pair. "I mean it is beautiful, isn’t it?" She ran her fingers lightly over the keys with a smile.

[johannapearljaynes]

JJ let out a sigh of relief. "it was?" She looked back at the unique looking wall clock that had fallen off it's hook when she'd approached it. She thought it was amusing--a special type of cocktail for every hour, but wondered why it was mounted at such a low point on the wall that someone could walk into it. "I gotta get me one of these. A honey-dew mimosa sounds really good to me."

"Y-yes? I swear I didn't touch it! I..."

"That was long broken before you got near it," Kevin spoke with slight amusement in his voice.

[johannapearljaynes]

Reassured by Lance, that the absence of one vase amongst many would not be noticed, Johanna allowed herself to relax. Weeks had gone by since the Christmas ball where so much had gone wrong--and yet she was still on edge. Still afraid of running into Sebastian, or River, or Meredith. And somehow being on edge always made her embarrassingly clumsy. Lance, however, was safe ground. She didn't have to worry about having a nervous break-down around him. Which is why when he asked whether she cared to accompany him, she more than willingly obliged. "Gladly! So how is your new year's panning out so far?" Jo asked him. She was afraid of lapsing into awkward silence, and felt the need to say something. "Made any New Year's Resolutions?"

Molly || LancexJohanna

Lance couldn’t help but chuckle when he caught sight of Johanna’s guilt-ridden expression. One would think she’d committed a crime worthy of a state penance. “Fret not, they have more than enough vases if this room is any suggestion of the total amount. I daresay they will not even notice its absence.” He took in their surroundings at that before bringing his eyes to rest on Johanna once more. “-And if they do, perhaps they will see it as an opportunity to redecorate; a blessing in disguise.” He noted with subtle humour. “Yes, I was indeed on my way out. Care to accompany me?” He offered, remembering the topic he’d been wanting to discuss with her since before the Christmas Ball.

[johannapearljaynes]

Johanna raised her eyebrows at Lance when he said that it seemed that they were both here under similar circumstances. “So you were coerced into attending as well?” She asked, out of curiosity, wondering who’d forced him into attending and why.

She was grateful for his help with the vase. He was the one with the real talent at discreetness, she realized, as she watched him discard the vase without drawing any attention. “I feel like I now owe them a vase of flowers.” Johanna said out of guilt, grimacing before turning her attention back on him. “Were you just on your way out?”

Molly || LancexJohanna

Lance couldn’t hold back a smile at the comment as he watched her dab at the growing pool of water. “Something tells me your efforts will not be enough. Here-” Lance reached for the vase, balancing it gently in his grip before striding over to a plant at the far corner of the room and tipping the water out. He cast a glance at the array of people in the room before subtly tossing the vase into one trashcan, figuring it wouldn’t be missed. Having done so, he returned to Johanna. 

"Hopefully that takes care of it then… Ah, and so we are here out of very similar circumstances… The symposium was a recommendation for me as well; hardly one I find worthwhile." He added with a disappointed sigh.

[johannapearljaynes]

"Oh mannn." Johanna grimaced when the flower vase toppled on it side and cracked. She let out a self-deprecating laugh when she was caught by Lance. "heh, you know me, an expert in the art of discreetness." She muttered absently as she grabbed a few napkins from the refreshments table situated nearby and began soaking up the water that had begun to leak out of the cracked vase.  

She was, however, equally surprised to find him there. It came as sort of a relief to at last come across a familiar face at this incredibly dull symposium. "Uh, yeahh...our head nurse Allyssa strongly recommended that we attend. With a rather strong emphasis on that recommendation, actually. She is not one to be argued with." But judging by the lack of other junior nurses, she seemed to be the only one intimidated enough into attending. 

Molly II LancexJohanna

Lance had been made to attend the health and nursing symposium; more an unsubtle hint rather than a suggestion by a board of researchers with which the hospital was associated. The discussions had been long, the panel - rather dull, and the proceedings pedantic. Although he’d hoped to learn of new advances in the field, there was very little he didn’t already know about from his subscription to the major scientific journals in the field. 

All in all, the conference was somewhat forgettable. Lance was on his way out when he heard a small crash from a nearby display table and turned to find Johanna as the culprit. 

"Miss Jaynes!… I did not know you were in attendance." He said, smiling at her as he strode over. His gaze swept over the cracked flower vase and the water clearly seeping out of it. "… And, we should take care of that.” He noted wryly.

[johannapearljaynes]

"Y-yes? I swear I didn't touch it! I..."

[johannapearljaynes]

Confession: Sebastian and Jo need to get a room and fix all their problems in time for the New Year. Then again, I’m loving the tension.

By: Anon