Disclaimer: I own nothing of Sherlock BBC and this story is loosely based on The Case of William Smith by Patricia Wentworth.
Molly Hooper felt the overwhelming need to take a long-deserved break so the pathologist requested a three-month long leave which was approved as St. Bart's did not want to lose their best. Packing what she deemed was essential; Molly boarded the train headed towards the countryside. It was a small town where practically everyone knew each other and being a stranger, the pathologist gotten a few curious glances from the locals when walking on the cobbled streets with her luggage.
This was the kind of place that seemed to come out from Agatha Christie's crime novels minus the crime; Molly had enough of that thanks to Sherlock. Her heart clenched at the thought of the world's only consulting detective. He had been dead for almost two years now and from what she heard from Mrs. Hudson; John had starting seeing someone which was a sign of him recovering from the loss of his best friend. No one would ever forget about Sherlock Holmes, whether one saw him as a friend or a plain arsehole but it was time to move on.
After checking in and refreshing herself, armed with the innkeeper, Mrs Mackenzie's suggestions of the more popular sites in the town, the pathologist decided to take a little tour around the neighbourhood. One of the shops' window display attracted Molly's attention and she admired the exquisitely handmade wooden toys that consisted of an array of mostly farm animals. The doorbell rang and the shop assistant looked up from his work. "Welcome, feel free to look around," he said with a bright smile.
Molly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, an unconscious habit when she's nervous and smiled shyly. Unable to hold back her giggles when the pathologist came across a jovial-looking bulldog and an annoyed cat purposely put together, the man left the counter and walked to her. "Erm, you are not from around here?" Molly shook her head. "I'm from London. I heard from a friend that this is a nice town and I always wanted an on-the-spot trip. These are incredible," the pathologist gestured to the toys.
"Thank you. I'm still an apprentice and they were mainly made by the boss but he's away for the time being so I'm tending the shop for him." She took the bulldog and cat, placing them on the counter. "I'm not an expert but judging from your work, you must be very talented." Looking at her and then his unfinished work, the apprentice blushed, "Thank you. I'll wrap them up for you, Miss."
"I'm Molly, Molly Hooper. I'm actually staying at the inn down the street and aside from Mrs Mackenzie, you are the first person I talked to in this town so do you mind if I visit you tomorrow? That's the point of travelling right? Getting to know people that you would not have met had you not step out from your comfort zone. Am I being too forward and shocked you?" He eventually realised that whatever was in his mind was not spoken out loud and hastily rectified the mistake.
"I would be honoured if you would visit me tomorrow. Can I call you Molly?" the pathologist nodded and he continued, "I'm glad that you chose this place for your trip, Molly. Oh, I'm William Smith by the way." She grinned, "Nice to meet you, William. I would see you tomorrow then," and left the shop. With his back to the door, the apprentice was doing his little victory dance behind the counter and did not hear the bell ring so his arms were still in the air when Molly reappeared, "I, err, forgot about my dog and cat, sorry." Hugging the paper bag, she quietly made her way out. Great, there goes the lady of his dreams.
William slapped his forehead each time he recalled of his silly antics in front of Molly. The bell rang and without thinking, William greeted the customer, "Welcome…" Biting her lips, the pathologist asked unsurely, "Did I come here too early? Or did you not really mean it when you said I could come and visit you today?" The apprentice snapped out of his daze, "No! I just thought I would not see you anymore after you caught me…."
Instead of laughing at him, Molly's cheeks were tinged red, "I managed to withhold my victory dance until I reached my room but I nearly broke into a run towards the inn so I guess that makes us even?" William looked down and his lips curled up into a smile. All hopes were not lost then. "Because I need to tend the shop, I'm afraid that I would not be competent enough of a tour guide for you, Molly." The pathologist shrugged, "It's alright, I could explore by myself during the day and you could show me what it's like at night. The same place is different after the sun sets."
They only met a week ago but to him, it felt like they had known each other for years. "When I woke up in the hospital with no memories but my name which was supplied to me by the staff there, I was lost. Was there any anxious family member or friend trying to find me? No, no one came looking for me but the man who saved me, Mr Wilkins said he found me along the road, gave me a job and a place to stay. I always dreamed during sleep, perhaps they were flashes of my memories, and you were in it, Molly."
William stopped walking, "Fanciful I might be but I saw this as a sign. Maybe there was a reason why I lost my memories, why you came to this town, why we met. For now, I don't know the reason but ultimately I would. You would think that a man who could not remember his past would have nothing to worry about but life is not only short and also very unpredictable. Who's to say I would live to see the next sunrise so I learned to not let go of every chance, every opportunity that comes my way."
He held her shoulders tightly, "Molly, when I'm with you I could envision my future. You are my future and I simply could not see it any other way. I know I'm just a shop assistant, an apprentice and you work at a hospital in London but I would work hard for our future. I have nothing to offer you, only my name and heart but would you still marry me, Molly Hooper?" The pathologist thought she lost all hope on finding love yet William Smith proved otherwise. How could she ever say no to him? "Yes, yes I would marry you, William."
The wedding ceremony was simple and she could not have asked for more, all Molly needed was him. After much discussion, the couple decided to buy over the shop from Mr Wilkins with the pathologist's savings, "William, my money is yours too and you are mine so it's a rather fair bargain, don't you think?" and when she returned to London, Molly would tender her resignation, "I'm not giving up anything, it's not a sacrifice, William. I want to be with you 24/7 and what better way to achieve that than to work with you side by side in this shop?"
"It might sound cliché but I'm the luckiest man alive, Molly." The apprentice murmured and kissed her forehead. She considered for a moment and said, "Yes, it's cliché but I like it." The pathologist wrapped her arms around William's neck, pulling him closer for a kiss. Like a lighted matchstick that dropped into a room doused with gasoline, the newlyweds burned. The intensity of their kiss escalated and both were radiating with desire.
More.
Wanting to feel more of each other, clothes were rapidly discarded. "I love you, Molly." Theirs was a whirlwind romance and until now then did William say the three magic words but that's alright, they have a lifetime ahead of them to say it as often as they want. "I love you too, William. You don't even know how much I love you or what I would do for you." The apprentice believed his heart would burst with the love he has for his wife. As long as she is by his side, the lost memories matters no more, not when he could create new ones with her.
William Smith was finally able to find his place in this vast world; it was with Molly Hooper, now Molly Smith. Sliding smoothly into the pathologist's core, he was blown away by how well they fitted together. She was his safe haven yet also managed to drive him crazy, the apprentice thought to himself as he increased his pace with Molly following his rhythm. The pair found their release with a shout as their eyes and minds filled with magnificent fireworks. Feeling like he was on air, William draped his arm lazily around his wife's waist and went into a peaceful slumber. For the first time, the apprentice was no longer afraid of his forgotten past, volatile present or unknown future because William has Molly now.
He noticed something was amiss with Molly because in the past she would not walk out of the shop to answer a call and when the pathologist came back; his wife had an uneasy expression. "Are you alright, Molly? Did something happen?" Molly smiled, "It's nothing. Umm, we ran out of bread so I'll go get some since the shop's not too busy right now," then she stepped out. William bought some bread yesterday and his heart skipped a couple of beats.
The apprentice knew he should trust his wife but he was also concerned for her. Changing the sign to 'We're closed', William hurriedly locked the door and shadowed Molly. The apprentice did not realise how little he knew about her. He knew that Molly is a pathologist, she lives in London and both of her parents passed away, that's all. William did not know where she works, which part of London she lives in, who are her friends or if she already has a lover before him. No, he swiftly dismissed that last thought. Molly would not cheat on him; she's not that kind of person, but just how much did William really know her?
Very little, it would seem as the apprentice, from a safe distance away, watched Molly met up with a man who he did not recognise and kissed his cheek. He even wore a bloody three-piece suit. Who wears such a thing here? William hated his perfect eyesight when he saw the man covering Molly's hand in a familiar manner and she smiled back. The apprentice's heart turned cold and not willing to face the truth, William walked away from the painful sight. Minutes later, his wife returned empty-handed.
"I thought you were going to buy some bread?" Molly was caught off guard by her husband's question. "Oh, the bakery ran out of it and asked me to come back later for a fresh batch." William laughed bitterly to himself; they did not pass by the bakery. His wife could sure think quickly on her feet. The funny thing was he still wanted to believe Molly. The apprentice asked again later during the night, "You know, I was thinking of going to London with you after your leave ended. I would like to meet your friends."
Please say yes, even if you are just lying to me, humouring me, I don't care. I would believe you. Whatever you say, I would believe you. If love is blind then so be it. Please say yes
"What about the shop? One of us needs to stay here. Besides, I would only be gone for a short while and there's no rush in meeting my friends right?" The pathologist snuggled up to her husband and listening to his steady heartbeat, she soon fell asleep. If only Molly could hear his heart bleeding because of her 'wrong answer'. Yet it did not stop William in holding her closer to him. Let me enjoy for one more night before I lose her, before I lose everything.
When he woke up the next morning, the apprentice remembered his past. He recalled everything. For a moment, William tightened his hold on Molly before he released her and got out of bed. The pathologist stretched like a cat and sat up with a bright smile on her face, "Good morning, William." Molly frowned at her husband for not turning around to give her a morning kiss as he always did. "Is this some kind of a scheme between you and Mycroft? Did you enjoy seeing me making a fool out of myself? I never thought I would say this but you repel me, Molly Hooper."
Her face was ashen, "William, I can explain. Please, William...Sherlock!" Could she really explain her actions, that Molly deceived him, that the pathologist knew who he was all along? Staring hopelessly at the consulting detective's retreating form, it dawned on Molly that she had truly lost her husband.
Author's note: Enjoy!