Author's Note: I guess this is a good enough place to mention that I do not own Sherlock, nor is this for profit. It is written to satisfy my Sherlloly needs!
She could see the irony in her decision, and if she wasn't so nervous, she'd probably find it hilarious. After so many years of pining and wanting, she finally had what she desired. Well… sort of. The choice was not an easy one to make, but after wrestling with the idea for the past week, she realized it was the right thing to do. Summoning all the strength she had, Molly Hooper closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and uttered the phrase she never thought she would say…
"Sherlock, I think we should stop seeing each other."
It was no secret that Molly had strong feelings for Sherlock pretty much from the first time she saw him. Yes he could easily grace the pages of GQ, but what she admired most was his exceptional mind. However brilliance such as his comes at a price, and sadly for Molly it meant he would not succumb to the frivolities of emotions and relationships. It was fine, she learned how to deal with it, and she happily accepted whatever he offered. In this case, his friendship.
The road to friendship between the consulting detective and pathologist was not an easy one. However when Sherlock came to Molly for help in faking his death, nothing else seemed to matter. And so after years of unrequited feelings (Molly) and hurtful deductions (Sherlock) that suddenly seemed trivial, they were able to move on. To Molly, having his trust made up for every wrong doing imaginable. To Sherlock, having that kind of loyalty was humbling. Upon his return after dismantling Moriarty's network, the two slipped into a comfortable and familiar camaraderie. Though she was no John Watson, Molly proved to be a very good assistant. Sherlock came to depend on her, coming to her for advice, and even took her on several of his cases (nothing too dangerous of course). Molly assumed he did this because he was lonely (or he enjoyed showing off), but if he was being completely honest with himself it was because he truly enjoyed her company.
At some point that camaraderie turned into an understanding; no labels, no declarations of love, just togetherness. They continued their working relationship, took their meals together, and hung out whenever Sherlock was not on a case. It was only when Sherlock suggested that it was 'time they had sex' that Molly even knew their relationship had changed.
And it was fine. For eight months it was fine, until one day it wasn't.
Sherlock was looking at samples through his microscope when he heard Molly. A bit annoyed that he was disturbed, he looked up at her for the first time since she arrived at Baker St… three hours earlier.
"What was that Molly?"
"Oh, um- I said that I think we- er that we should stop seeing each other." Molly replied timidly, purposely averting her eyes. Had she been looking, she would have seen the hurt in his eyes before he slipped on his mask of indifference.
"Why? Did I do something wrong?" He asked coolly, with just a hint of sadness.
"No Sherlock believe me, you haven't done anything wrong. In fact, you've been surprisingly wonderful."
"Well then…"
Molly inhaled and readied her nerves. "When we started this," she began, gesturing between the two of them, "we said we would take it day-by-day until one of us wasn't satisfied anymore. You made it perfectly clear of what you were capable of giving me, and it's been great, but I find myself wanting more." She took the opportunity to get closer to him. "I thought this would be enough for me, I mean I've wanted you for so long, but I want a relationship. Somewhere down the line I would like to get married and have children."
Sherlock sighed and stood up from his make-shift lab space, slowly approaching her. "Molly I-"
"No, I know that you don't want those things. And I won't ask you to change just for me. You've given me more than I could have ever hoped for. You gave me a chance, and that's all I really wanted. But I need to be fair to myself too, and if there is a possibility of finding what I want then I should take it; even if it isn't with you." She bit her lower lip, trying to fight back the tears and let out a sad laugh. "Oh I can't believe I'm doing this. I must have gone mental…"
"No Molly, you're being considerate," Sherlock said taking her hand in his. "I can't say I'll like this, but I can appreciate that you are accepting my limitations."
They stood facing each other, hand in hand, for several minutes. To anyone observing the scene before them, it looked like two people trying to memorize each other's face; and maybe that's exactly what they were doing.
Sherlock was the first to break the silence. "Molly, can I still-"
Molly rolled her eyes, knowing exactly where this conversation was headed. "Yes Sherlock you will still have access to the lab."
"Um that's good, but that is not what I was going to ask."
"Oh sorry. What were you going to say?"
Sherlock released her hand to ruffle his hair. It was his go-to move when he was feeling frustrated, or worse, uncomfortable. "Well what I was going to ask- um that is- I wanted to know… Are we, can we still be friends? It's just that, as you know, I don't make friends easily. I can't afford to lose any." A small smile graced his face, attempting to lighten up the moment.
Molly giggled, "Yeah you really are rubbish at making friends… or, you know, interacting with people in general." Sherlock snorted. "In all honesty, I don't think I could ever not be your friend. But you have to give me time, Sherlock. Time to get over you. And until that time comes, I don't think we should be around each other. I'll still help you at Bart's, of course. But please respect my wishes." He nodded solemnly, "yes, I'll try to be respectful."
"Good. Thank you," she replied softly while headed towards the door. "You know, this is probably the most 'adult' break up I've ever had. And it was with you! Who would have guessed?"
"I don't know why everyone thinks I am incapable of behaving like an adult," he responded incredulously, as he followed Molly out. She turned around and quirked her eyebrow as if to say 'really?'
Sherlock rolled his eyes, before stopping her at the door. "We had a good run, didn't we?" he asks almost wistfully.
"Yeah we did Sherlock." She reached up and kissed his cheek. "Goodbye Sherlock Holmes."
It wasn't until he heard the front door close that he whispered, "Goodbye Molly Hooper."
End Note: I am still new to this, so I would appreciate any advice/critiques you all have to offer. I haven't decided if this is a one-shot, or a multi-chapter fic, so please review and let me know what you think (ideas welcomed too)! Thanks! :)
