London let the curtain fall back, crossing the room to shrug on his coat and whispered to the dog. Hudson turned her attention from the window to follow him down the stairs, giving him a curious look; it wasn't entirely unusual that he take her out in the middle of the night, but she was intelligent enough to know when he intended to go to bed – and had probably been anticipating more sleep herself.

London slipped his keys from a hook near the front door and stepped outside, crossing the silent street in the mid-winter darkness.

He kept away from the streetlights, using the poor illumination to foil the security. There was no need for Alexander to witness this – but then again, the security had probably been redirected to other views before he'd even arrived.

"Hi," Benjamin said, stepping up next to him, giving him a cheery smile, breath hanging in the air in front of him. Hanson sniffed him, on alert. She didn't growl, but London noted the way she stayed standing and kept close to him.

"Does Mary know you're here?" London asked, letting a cool note dip into his voice that he ignored.

"No," Benjamin said, shrugging slightly.

"Bit risky, don't you think?"

"I'll tell her," Benjamin replied. "She doesn't have to approve everything I do before I do it, but she'd find out anyway. Better she learns it from me."

"Easier to ask forgiveness and all that," London drawled, and Benjamin grinned. "Just stopped in for a chat?"

"Came to see how you were, yeah," he replied. "How's the head?"

"Healed," London said stonily.

"Glad to hear it. Obviously a hospital visit was out of the question, but I was worried."

"Very kind of you, I'm sure," he replied.

"Not for nothing I saved your life those two times," Benjamin pointed out. "I wouldn't want that to go to waste."

"In that case, perhaps you'd advise your boss about hitting people on the head and then leaving them to die in a burning building."

"She did what she had to do," Benjamin said with a shrug.

"Yes, I imagine you all live by that philosophy."

"Better than dying by it. Besides, I suspect you're not much different."

London didn't deign to reply, arching an eyebrow instead.

"How's Elliot?" Benjamin asked.

"All the better for you asking, I'm sure," London replied.

"And who's this?" Benjamin asked, glancing down at Hanson, wisely not extending a hand to let the dog sniff him.

"Our dog."

"Is she friendly?"

"Generally yes, but she may make an exception. Best not to test it, I think."

Benjamin nodded, as if receiving sage advice, and kept his hands in his pockets.

"Why are you here?" London sighed.

"It really is to see how you are," Benjamin said.

"I'm fine," London replied shortly. "We're fine. Now."

Benjamin studied him carefully; London kept his expression deliberately neutral, refusing to give anything away.

"Good," he said after a moment. "I am glad to hear that." He paused, regarding him almost curiously. "Will you tell Elliot I stopped by?"

It wasn't a hope or an instruction, but a genuine question.

London bristled, and tried not to let it show.

"Yes," he said.

"When?" he asked with that same sincere curiosity. London hardened his expression and said nothing – he could leave it at this, and Elliot would never know. He could mention it a week or two from now, in passing, as if it had slipped his mind. He could wait until morning, under the guise of wanting to let Elliot sleep.

But he would go upstairs and wake Elliot and tell him. Benjamin would be long gone by then, but it didn't matter.

Some things were important.

"Suit yourself," Benjamin said.

"I always do," London replied, annoyed when he grinned again.

"Good. Take care of yourself, Holmes. And of Elliot." He turned to walk away, leaving him with an unerring certainty that this was the last time either of them would see him.

A few steps later, he turned back, regarding him for a long moment.

"She's not here anymore. Thought you might want to know that."

"Where is she?" London replied.

"Good try," Benjamin said with a smile. "Merry Christmas, Holmes. Same to Elliot."

"Merry Christmas," he echoed, surprised to find he meant it. Benjamin gave him another smile and was gone, a figure fading into the winter night.

He watched him go until he'd vanished into the darkness, then sighed, glancing down at Hanson, who looked up at him expectantly.

"Come on, girl," he said quietly. "Let's go home."