Miny met John and Sherlock the next day on the way to her next session with the Joker to return the money he lent her, arranging to meet afterwards for coffee. From then on, the three met up most days and became close friends; John liked the fact that she refused to let Sherlock intimidate her, and loved her old-fashioned habit of calling everyone 'darling'. Sherlock admired her intelligence and sharp wit... although he did have slightly ulterior motives.

"I know exactly what you're trying to do, y'know." Miny pointed out one day as they sat around a plastic table outside a small cafe.

Sherlock frowned with a practiced confusion.
"What?"

"You're trying to figure the Joker out from what I say. I'm a psychiatrist, darling, and a pretty good one at that. I can tell!" she grinned, putting Sherlock at ease slightly; he was not used to being caught out so easily!

"I'm curious; I can't help it!"

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. I know exactly how you feel; why do you think I got into this job? I find psychopaths fascinating, and I relish a challenge. And, yeah it's a cliche, but I do want to help. It makes the world a bit better if we try to help these people instead of giving up on them and just locking them up or killing them." Miny smiled.

"That's not the only reason though, is it?" Sherlock said. John frowned slightly, realising what he was about to do.

"Oh is it not?" Miny leaned forward. "Go on. Impress a girl."

"You were treated by a psychiatrist yourself." Sherlock said bluntly. Miny looked slightly surprised, and Sherlock smiled with a hint of smugness, "I'm a detective, darling, and a pretty good one at that. I can tell."

"Go on."

"You went through some pretty bad trauma; sexual, at a guess, judging by your protective stance. You started self-harming; in fact you still do self-harm. And you tried to kill yourself two- no... three times. So, naturally you sought the help of a psychiatrist. Obviously someone who inspired you to follow their path-" Sherlock rattled off.

"Sherlock, stop." John butted in. He was no psychiatrist or detective, but he could tell that Miny was feeling uncomfortable. The young doctor held her calm composure, but her fists were clenched on her lap and her eyes were filling with shadows.

"Pretty good, Holmes. Although the 'trauma' wasn't what triggered the self-harm; I've been self-harming most of my life, that incident just made it more... extreme, shall we say?" Miny's face stony and expressionless; a line had been crossed, and Sherlock realised this.

"I'm sorry." he said quietly. John glanced at him, surprised. "I shouldn't have gone so far."

"It's fine. It's not something I'm ashamed of; it was just... a bit of a shock to be exposed like that." Miny smirked, "That's supposed to be my job!"

"For what it's worth, I think it's really great that you do this job; that you turned that experience around and used it to help people." John said.

"I suppose so. It does help to have some baggage when doing this job, I think. And God knows, I've got enough of it." a fleeting expression of pain flickered across her features, then she stood up with a grin, kissed them both on the cheek and walked briskly away. Both men watched her leave in silence as she weaved through the crowd, seeming to glow in her white dress.

"I just can't figure her out." Sherlock muttered.

"What?" John turned to him, wondering if the great Sherlock Holmes had really admitted to that. But he shook his head.

"Nothing. Lets go."