Summary: The day after Sherlock returns from the dead, John pays a visit to Bart's without him. The day after that, John gets an unexpected visit from Mycroft.

Two missing scenes from The Empty Hearse, starting later in the day after Sherlock appears in Molly Hooper's locker room mirror.


Pathology Lab at Barts. Molly Hooper sits at a lab table, dissecting a liver and preparing to inspect a sample of it under a microscope. The lab door swings open to reveal John Watson. Molly looks up startled, then glances expectantly from John to the lab door and back, but John is alone.

MOLLY (nervously): Oh, hello John.

JOHN (deliberately): So, he's back then...

MOLLY: Right. Sherlock. Wonderful news. (Her tone is cheerful, but her expression says she's feeling anything but.)

JOHN: Yes. Back. From the dead. (puts careful emphasis on "dead".)

Molly cringes, puts down her scalpel and pulls off her latex gloves, turning to face John directly.

MOLLY: I'm so sorry John. I tried. I tried to tell him what it would do to you...

JOHN (fuming): Two years. Two years, Molly! And you knew. You knew the whole time.

Molly closes her eyes and her chin starts to quiver. She's clearly on the verge of tears.

MOLLY: I'm so sorry. I wanted to...

JOHN: You know the rub, Molly? I thought... (he pauses, swallows hard, fighting to keep control of his emotions) ...I thought you were avoiding me because you were angry with me.

MOLLY (surprised): Angry? Why would I be...

JOHN: Angry that I didn't stop him. I thought you blamed me, just like I blamed myself.

MOLLY (makes a little strangled noise): Oh God, John.

She presses her fingers to her lips, a tear slides down her cheek.

MOLLY (crying): I...I couldn't. I was so scared. I'm such a horrid liar...

JOHN (angrily): Horrible. Liar. Yeah. Yet, he trusted you. YOU. I'm his, his...friend. He didn't trust me, but he trusted you. (John presses his lips together in a thin line, his jaw tight, his hands balled into fists.)

MOLLY: He said you'd be in terrible danger. If anyone, even you...especially you...ever found out. He knew you'd go looking for him. I thought...He was trying to protect you. I shouldn't have let him convince me to lie to you. I know how cruel it was.

JOHN (understanding beginning to dawn): ...but you trusted him, didn't you? (She nods and he continues in a calmer tone) You trusted him enough to follow him...to do something you knew was wrong. And, you still do. You'd do anything for him, wouldn't you?

MOLLY: Wouldn't you?

John squeezes his eyes shut, scrubs a hand over his face.

MOLLY: Can you forgive him? And me?

JOHN: I don't know.

MOLLY: I won't ever lie to you again, I promise.

JOHN: No. Don't. That's not what I want from you.

MOLLY (confused): What then? I want to set things right.

JOHN (slowly, deliberately): Promise me you'll always help him if he needs it. Just like you did do. Because what he did was (swallows, searches for an adequate word and fails) ...bad. But, I'm pretty sure that without you, he would really have died. I don't know if I can forgive what he, you...what you both did. But Molly, because you helped him, at least I have that chance.

MOLLY (softy): You know I will. Always.

John meets her eyes, holding her gaze for a long moment. Then he nods, turns on his heels and exits the lab. Molly stares after him.


Author's Note: John and Molly have so little actual interaction on the show, but I really like the idea that they really get each other because they both care so strongly for Sherlock, like they're two sides of the same coin. Hope you enjoyed! Please review!