Chapter 1

Another trip to St Bart's was in order it seemed. Another murder that needed to be solved - this one was rated only a six, but John had encouraged him to take the case as work was scarce and clearly Sherlock was becoming irritable.

" You cannot seriously expect me to give up smoking if you insist on using such obvious hiding places. I mean the skull? Really John have I taught you that little?"

John muttered something about punching Sherlock as the taxi drew to a halt outside 221B. Anxious of giving in to every instinct telling him to break Sherlock's nose, he spoke.

"So, thought any more about this case then? Could be interesting."

"Hardly- I'm only here because you practically dragged me out of Baker Street" Sherlock huffed.

" Because you were driving me round the twist you stupid git! Sherlock bloody Holmes - the world's only consulting detective and the only man who ceases to behave like a human being unless there is a corpse involved!"

"Well at least a corpse provides for better intellectual conversation."

"You really are an arse sometimes Sherlock and it really surprises me that no one in the force has tried to off you!" John spat, still fuming at Sherlock and his uncalled for insults.

"Oh please that's sooo two years ago."

Chapter 2

The cab reached St Barts and the pair headed straight to the morgue where Molly was waiting for them.

"Hi Sherlock. How have you been?"

"Where's the corpse?"

"Oh... it's right over there."

Sherlock's face lit up as he tore off the sheet and began to examine the body. Meanwhile John stood in the doorway with Molly because it was clear that, once again, Sherlock's insensitive behaviour had upset her.

"I'm sorry Molly he's been like this all week."

"It's ok really... I'm fine."

They stood in silence while Sherlock continued thoroughly examining the corpse. Poor Molly, thought John. Being head over heels in love with a high functioning sociopath can't be easy. True, she had never admitted this but the looks she gave him made it pretty clear - the long, lingering stares and the way her eyes lit up when he spoke to her, even if it was only for a second.

"Molly?"

"What is it John?"

"I need..."

But he was unable to finish his sentence due to a rude interruption from Sherlock - on cue as always.

"John! I require your doctoral opinion."

"What do you need?"

"How do you suppose he died?"

"Umm... blunt trauma to the skull? From maybe a candlestick?"

"Close enough. Come on John we have work to do!"

And with that Sherlock dashed out of the room, leaving a lonely looking Molly and an unimpressed John. He made his way briskly out of the room, only stopping briefly to say bye to Molly. Molly's eyes followed him out of the room and, only once she was certain they had left did she curl up into a corner and weep.

Chapter 3

Outside, Sherlock had already managed to hail a cab and was sitting in the backseat looking utterly bored once more. John joined him and they set off. Sherlock's manner had changed - what an interesting case, he thought to himself. Definitely a seven if not an eight, especially if his suspicions were correct.

"Are you ok Sherlock?"

"What? Yes fine, I was in my mind palace."

"Well can you come back to the real world for a minute? We need to talk about Molly."

"Molly? What could you possibly have to say about Molly Hooper that is more important than a case?"

It was clear that Sherlock was becoming irritable once more. John had forced him to take this case to relieve his boredom (because apparently shooting the wall and smoking was unacceptable) and now he wanted to discuss Molly? They had both seen her at St Barts and she was clearly fine and didn't have a dangerous boyfriend at the moment and -

"She likes you."

He froze.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me... somehow despite your ability to constantly offend her she is head over heels in love with you."

"But...I...she can't be! There are no signs!"

"For once Sherlock, it is you who are only seeing. Maybe you need to look a little closer."

Sherlock's mind was reeling. Ever since he was a young boy, he made a point of deleting all unnecessary details from his mind, it allowed him to concentrate on what was important to him such as cases. Christ, he didn't even know that the Earth went round the Sun until John pointed it out to him. Love was one of the first emotions to go from his mind palace. Sherlock had never been in love - or had he? What about all those times he had been with Molly? When she had wrapped his present at Christmas in the nicest paper, and when she had allowed him into the morgue whenever he required it... was that love?

"Stop the cab!"