I want you all to know that I am first and foremost a Mystrade girl. To me Greg belongs with Mycroft and that is it. If anyone else out there feels differently I respect that. We are all in this fandom together, hoping to lose ourselves in their lives, in their stories. I know I do.

This may begin as Mollstrade but it is not. I've read so many that say Greg should go to Molly after season 4 and they belong together and I am sorry. I don't agree. Greg deserves better than her, he deserves better than to fight for her attention and love every time Sherlock is going to enter a room. He will always know deep down that he doesn't measure up, that he may make her first in his life, but she is making him second. I keep thinking what if they go out and it gets serious. Like marriage? Is she going to imagine him at the alter or Sherlock, deep down. If she gets in trouble is she going to call Greg or Sherlock? The answer is Sherlock and that is why I will never put him with her.

This story and idea has been haunting me since the episode aired and the first "Mollstrade now!" made the social media stream. This isn't to discourage or offend anyone; this is my version of why Mollstrade will never happen, to me at least.

Second Best

Chapter 1

Greg entered the flat the big bouquet of flowers getting more and heavier with every step he took. They have been dating for about four months now and he enjoyed her company. It was a new chance of happiness for him. As he walked into the flat he could hear her in the kitchen, she had a bad a bad day so he was hoping he could cheer her up with her favourite movie and some flowers. He closes the door behind him and made his way into the hallway towards the kitchen. He could hear her phone ringing but she didn't pick up. It stopped and then rang again. Probably Sherlock, he is always doing that, doesn't understand too busy to talk.

"Hello, Sherlock. Is this urgent cause I'm not having a good day." Greg shook his head, he was right, off course it was Sherlock. He didn't mean to eavesdrop but he could hear the resolve in her voice. She was tired.

"Oh, God. Is this one of your stupid games?" Greg started to get angry, what part of not having a good day didn't the twat get, he should just get in there and tell him to back off, and hug her close. He stepped closer to tell her he was there to give her some moral support. They continued talking and he started to get more upset, Sherlock better not be playing games, they were all tired of it.

"Please don't do this. Just…just…don't do it." Greg stopped, what is Sherlock busy with? The pain in her voice was unbearable and he just wants to hold her close. A woman like her does not deserve to feel like that, she does not deserve this pain he is putting her through whatever this is.

"I can't say that. I can't…I can't say that to you." Greg closed his eyes, he is having a dreadful feeling, and his stomach is turning to lead. What is happening?

"You know why." Why what? Greg stopped in the doorway her back towards him and he could see the tension in her shoulders. He wanted to go over to her, he wanted her to know whatever this is, and she is not alone, that she does not have to submit to Sherlock's games and experiments. He has hurt her too much in the past and she deserves some happiness. Which he will give her.

"I can't. Not to you." Greg closed his eyes, the flowers heavy in his hand, just like his heart.

"Because it's true. Because…it's…true, Sherlock." Greg eyed her, she didn't even hear as he lowered the flowers on the floor, his body heavy with dread and his eyes burning, whatever it is, it is breaking her, and he knows it is going to break him too.

"It's always been true." Greg turned so that his back rested against the wall, he knew, he just knew that one day this was going to happen. First, his ex, then Mycroft and now Molly. With resignation and dread he listened to the rest of the conversation.

"You bastard." Greg agreed, Sherlock was a bastard, one that he would never level up to, he was second best, the consolation prize. Just like Tom.

"You say it. Go on. You say it first." Forget it Molly, he'll only say it to one person and that is not you. Why do you do this to yourself, to us?

"Say it. Say it like you mean it." Oh bloody hell; do you have to force him? Is that the only way you will feel worthwhile? Who's experimenting now? Who is playing a game now? Greg closed his eyes, his heart breaking for him, for his relationship with Molly but most importantly for the heartache and grief she is putting herself through. How many years does it have to take for her to accept the truth? How many pain and grief and self-deprecation to you have to put on yourself before enough is enough?

There was a silence when nothing happened and Greg wondered if it wasn't if fact several minutes and hours that has passed. He was tired and he felt like crying and giving up. If this is how he felt he can only imagine what she must feel. The air was thick with emotion, with the inevitable dread that is surely about to take place.

"I love you."

There it is. The moment that Greg once again realized that he was to be second best to someone who loved someone else. Every person except Mycroft who tried to use him as a substitute he was tired of it, no more. In fact when he wondered about the pain and grief and longing that Molly submits herself to with Sherlock, should be directed to him as well.

He wasn't sure about Molly but he had enough. Taking a breath he turned back to the room, she was bend over, crying silently. The phone forgotten on the counter, he picked the flowers up and put it down next to her phone. Molly jumped when the flowers hit the counter and she took a step back. Her eyes wide as she looked at Greg. She quickly wipes her tears away trying to hide it from him

"Greg. Hi...I...didn't expect to see you...what...are you doing here?" He didn't answer her, he looked to the phone.

"Who was that Mols?" He tried to keep his voice soft. She tried to laugh it off.

"Oh that was nothing..." Greg stepped back, his pain making way for his anger.

"So you telling Sherlock you love him are nothing?" Her eyes caught his and widen, she must have seen the anger and pain and tried to touch his hand.

"It was an experiment..." He pulled his hand away as if he was burnt a hollow laugh escaped his mouth.

"You will cover for him no matter what, the rest of us be damned."

"It's not like that!" She tried but he stepped away.

"It is exactly like that, now I know why you try so hard to keep our relationship a secret, but you know what? I'm done."

She looked at him with frighten eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"You might be okay with making me and every other man your substitute for Sherlock, but I won't do that to myself. I really thought you were over him, I mean it's almost seven years now, and I was under the impression that you would realize he doesn't feel the same, that you would actually move on, but you won't. You will always compare every man to him and you know what, I am man enough to know I'll never measure up to him. I just wished you didn't give me this false hope, this pretence that we could work." Greg was feeling emotionally empty; he was tired and had enough. He looked to the flowers.

"I heard you had a bad day today and wanted to cheer you up, guess it didn't work out so well."

She was crying now, again.

"I'm sorry; I really thought I moved on, I wanted to." She tried but he was having none of it, a part of him just wants to run away, the other part wants to return some of the cruelty she put him through.

"But you can't he will always be your number one...you do realize he will never return your feelings right?"

"He said he loved me." She cried out and he laughed, he couldn't help it, the situation and the whole thing was just changing him into something different, something cold.

"Because you forced him too, he said it was an experiment right, do you honestly want a love declaration as part of an experiment, and for interest sake, if you didn't asked him too, would he have done it, ever?"

"Why are you so cruel?!" She yelled out.

"Because what you did to us, to me, is just as cruel. I don't deserve to be your consolation prize, the second best...how is this going to go, what if I wanted more, become public, ask you to move in, are you going to run it past him, if we are together and in the same room are you still going to be with me, or are you going to wish you were with him in your mind. Today with these flowers do you wish it was he who gave it to you, or me?" The look in her eyes told him everything and he could feel his heart breaking even more, not that there was much left to begin with, but still. He stepped to the door he had enough of this, this relationship, as brief as it was, was over. He was done, there was nothing left of his heart to give. Three serious heartbreaks and shattered it beyond repair. At the doorway he turned back to look at her, he was going to say something cruel, but he need her to face the fact.

"You know, we tried for what, four years to get him clean? To make him a good man and we failed, all of us, until one person stepped into the scene. One person changed him in less than a year that we've been trying to do for four to five years. We are not the one he truly loves Molly, and you should do yourself the favour and admit it to yourself." He could see the confusion in her eyes and then the realization; he didn't wait any longer and made his way out. He is going to the pub to get absolutely shit faced drunk.