The sky was dense with clouds and it looked as if it would rain at any moment. Molly didn't concern herself with the weather at the moment because she was busy with her job and performing her latest autopsy. It was just a simple homicide but the police needed the bullet to be extracted. There wasn't any sort of motive to the killing and that made the police confused.
It didn't take long for her to finish her work and she was ready for her shift to be over. Removing her gloves, she wiped her brow and sighed before looking at the clock. With a smile, she walked over to pick up her things and walk out of the morgue.
She had planned on going home later and to sit on the sofa with Toby for the rest of the night but she had to make a quick stop first. She headed to the nearest flower shop and bought a single red carnation. She knew the symbolism behind it and thought it was perfect for him. She didn't need to hurry; it wasn't as if Jim's grave was going anywhere.
Sebastian Moran was currently on a rooftop and watching his target. He had become a freelance sniper since Jim had died and his current mission came in from an anonymous client. He still ran the empire but it was not nearly as vast as it once had been. He was comfortable in Europe and certain parts of Asia right now and he was happy to keep it going in memory of the Irish bastard.
Moran pulled the trigger and watched the target fall to the ground through his scope. He smiled as he took the pieces of his rifle apart and placed them into his duffel bag. Slinging the bag over his shoulder he calmly climbed down the fire escape and disappeared into the flow of people. No one was even aware a murder had taken place in the building next door and it would be a few days until they did.
He calmly walked down the street and passed a liquor store. He paused in his tracks before walking inside and buying a bottle of scotch and continuing on his way. 'It's not a long walk,' he thought to himself looking down at the bottle he just purchased. He just hoped it would be good enough.
About twenty minutes later, Sebastian was walking into the cemetery and looked up at the sky. He frowned at the clouds being so dense but he couldn't help that. He was just hoping for a sunnier day.
He walked among the headstones in search of his prize before finally stumbling upon it. It was just a simple stone. Nothing flashy about it which is probably the only thing that was never extravagant about the man. The headstone was written simply. Nothing inscribed on it except Jim's name, year of birth and death date. Jim never saw a need for a fancy grave when he was dead and gone.
Sebastian sat his duffel bag to the side and sat down in the grass in front of the grave. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a shot glass and the scotch. He opened the top and poured half the bottle out over the grave then poured some into the shot glass. "It's always nice to have a drink. Wouldn't you agree, you sick Irish bastard?"
Sebastian downed the shot and sighed heavily. He looked to the bottle before shaking his head and pouring the rest out over the grave. He felt that Jim could use it more than him. This was a tradition to Sebastian. After every successful mission, he would share a drink with Jim. Even now, after the man was gone, Sebastian continued that tradition.
Sebastian was about to get up and leave when he heard footsteps approaching. He slowly reached back into his bag to grab a silenced pistol when he turned to look over his shoulder. He visibly relaxed when he saw it was only a girl. "Can I help you?" He asked in a condescending manner.
Molly had arrived at the cemetery just in time to see the tall blonde man with a duffel bag approach the same grave she planned on visiting. She stood back and watched him from a distance as he began to pour some kind of liquid over the grave. Molly assumed it was alcohol but she couldn't tell from where she was.
It took some time but Molly found the courage to approach the grave while the man was still seated. When she heard the man speak in a rough voice, she stopped in her tracks. She twirled the flower in her fingers for a moment, feeling a little intimidated by the larger man.
"I- I just came to visit the grave is all. I knew him at one point in my past…" Molly explained but didn't really want to reveal how she knew him right now. Although he lied to her when he was working in IT, she still had feelings for him and thought his memory needed to be respected.
Sebastian slowly stood to his feet to get a better look at the girl. He looked her over and noted she seemed nervous, small in frame, and she worked at Bart's going by her lab coat. It didn't take a genius to know that this was Molly Hooper. The sniper recalled Jim telling him about the mouse of a girl and how innocent she was but he never imagined he would meet her. "Yeah… I knew him too. Good man, although his choices were questionable."
"Yes, I have to agree," Molly nodded her head. Jim was a good man and nothing could change that. He always went after what he wanted and Molly respected that.
She felt even more intimidated by the man now that he was standing to his feet. He looked much bigger now. Molly didn't bother wondering how he knew Jim for she knew he was most likely an employee of sorts. She took a few steps forward and offered out a hand to the man, "I'm Molly. Molly Hooper. It's nice to meet you, Mr…"
"Moran. Sebastian Moran," he replied and shook her hand. He thought her hand felt very fragile in his own but that was part of the description Jim had given him when describing her.
Molly felt a tiny smile cross her face at knowing his name. She looked at him again before slowly stepping around him to place the red carnation on the grave. "It means that I miss him very much…" she mumbled. The red carnation was a symbol of an aching heart and missing something or someone that is no longer around. "He… he was very nice to me."
He didn't understand why she was telling him the symbolism of a flower but he didn't question it. He understood the morgue girl cared for Jim and still cared in some form or another. "He could be nice when he wanted to be," Moran muttered and ran a hand through his hair. He sighed before a smile broke out across his face and he looked down at Molly, "He would have these nicknames and some were just awful but others I didn't mind so much. He was fond of calling me Tiger."
Molly couldn't help but chuckle at Sebastian's nickname. The mere thought of this man having a nickname made her realize he must have been close to Jim in a way she couldn't imagine. "He called me his little mouse at times. I always saw myself as a mouse and thought it was cute. I guess we were his pets in a way? He called me that sometime…"
"Yeah but I always said if he called me a pet, he would wake up with a nasty surprise in his bed," Sebastian laughed in return. He had made good on his threat as well. After the first time Jim had done it, Sebastian had taken a stray cat and let it into Jim's room. The animal shed all over Jim's bed and even defecated on the sheets. Sebastian had his pay docked to cover the cleaning but he thought it was funny in the end.
Molly laughed along with Sebastian as she remembered her own memories about Jim and wondered how many more Sebastian might have. She didn't want to bother him anymore so she gave tiny wave of her hand, "It was nice meeting you, Sebastian. Maybe I'll see you again?"
"Y- yeah…" he mumbled and looked to the ground for a moment then back up to Molly. He thought she was nice and wanted to talk with her longer but could tell she wanted to go. Picking up his duffel bag, he began to walk away from Molly but stopped. He quickly jogged back over to her and stood in front of her to keep her from moving any further for now, "Do you want to go get a coffee sometime? Share stories, maybe have dinner as well?"
Molly was surprised to see the man had jogged back around to stop her and even more surprised when he asked his question. ]She wondered what other people would think if she was seen with someone else so soon after her breakup with Tom. She pondered it for a moment before deciding on her answer. "I would love too… Tiger," she smirked at the use of his nickname and Molly couldn't help but notice he was smirking as well.
Over on the other side of the cemetery, the dark clouds parted long enough to reveal someone watching the two next people to the plain headstone. If anyone had been looking, they would have seen him but no one ever sees him unless he chooses to be seen. Leaning against the tree, Jim Moriarty sighed just as the clouds covered him in shadows once more, "How long have you been watching me?"
Sherlock Holmes walked up behind Jim and looked past him at Molly and Sebastian conversing. He kept his eyes trained on them as they walked out of the cemetery and into a cab. "Since they arrived. Never thought you would actually care about them and play match maker."
"We've been over this before. You're me and I am you. If you feel sentiment towards your friends, then what does that say about me?" Jim replied without turning around to look at the detective. He didn't think it would be too difficult of a problem to understand.
Sherlock pursed his lips as he took in Jim's words. He was silent for a minute but he finally broke the silence with a revelation. "Serendipity. That's what they will think brought them together. Just a lucky coincidence… An assignment from an anonymous client a murder without a motive. Easy enough situation to manipulate and bring people together, although I do have one question for you. Why?"
Jim closed his eyes to think before finally turning to look at Sherlock. He gave him a knowing look before reaching up and patting the man on the face, "You and I both know the universe is never so lazy and you know why, darling." He didn't say another word as he walked away from the cemetery and the detective.
Sherlock did know why. Two people that cared too much and deserved to be happy needed each other. Molly and Moran needed someone in their lives and Sherlock understood precisely what Jim had done and why he had done it. With a tiny smile, Sherlock turned on his heels and decided to take his own advice and be happy. He quickly jogged to catch up with Jim and didn't say a word as he hooked his fingers into the 'dead' criminal's. Jim gave the detective's hand a gentle squeeze before pulling him towards a waiting car.