"He looks like he wants to strangle her," Abby pointed out, grinning a bit.

"He does," John agreed with a grin. "That's exactly why she's good for him."

Abby snickered.

"And she likes messing with him," she said.

"I thought so." John snorted. "Too bad she won't be in England, he'll be nearly insufferable when we go back."

"What about you?" Abby asked softly after a moment, looking at him.

John looked at her. "I don't normally have dates go this well," he said. "It will be good to get home but I'll miss your company."

Abby grinned.

"If this is a date going well, I'd hate to hear about the ones that went badly," she said.

"Normally when something like him happens during a date, it doesn't go nearly so smoothly," John said, waving vaguely in Sherlock's direction and noting only idly that he seemed to be glowering at Elena again.

"'Something like him'?" Abby echoed. She grinned. "God, he really is your best friend."

"He is," John agreed with a brief grin. "Fortunately for him. He's ruined more dates than he knows."

Abby grinned and linked her arm with his.

"Well, hopefully we can finish up this date well enough to make up for the interruption," she said.

John grinned. "Lead the way, then," he told her, not at all minding letting her take charge.

Abby grinned and walked with him, heading to a small park.

"We can finish lunch here," she suggested. "And then find a place for those drinks after."

"Sounds perfect." John settled down and set out the food again, watching her.

"You know, you don't seem all that upset that Sherlock interrupted us."

Abby paused for a moment, and then took out the box with the rest of her lunch in it.

"Honestly? I'm just glad we're on a date at all," she said. "I'm used to plans being cancelled at the last minute, so I really don't mind taking a bit of a detour if it means things aren't ended early."

John nodded sympathetically. Sherlock had cost him a few girlfriends, and it was nice to find a girl who didn't get offended so easily.

"It's kind of why our dates have been a bit last-minute, as well," Abby added, flushing a little. "I'm just so in the habit of not giving anyone time to cancel on me."

John chuckled. "Well, to be fair, I've had more than one girl break up with me because of him," he said with a little grin.

"They probably had normal social lives beforehand," Abby pointed out. "Lucky for me, I didn't. So we're good."

John grinned. "Oh, watch this, this is usually entertaining." He could see Sherlock's head bobbing along until he got to the edge of the crowd, and then he set off at a run for the nearest taxi, waving wildly. "Probably off to talk to the sister, I'd imagine. He does that."

"Must be nice to be so tall," Abby commented as she watched Sherlock. "He's got to be at least a head taller than everyone else." She paused when he started flailing and running after a cab. Then she started snickering.

John grinned as he watched. Yup, that was Sherlock. Typical. He shook his head.

"He does that all the time."

"I guarantee it'll be all over the internet by sundown," Abby said, grinning. "Look at all those smartphones following him."

"I'm not surprised. He still doesn't understand why people are so fascinated with him." John shook his head.

"I'm thinking he really doesn't get people, does he?" Abby asked. "Not on a social level."