You know the case must've been draining when Sherlock Holmes accepts a client's offer to use his Mediterranean villa for a holiday, along with his private jet ferrying them to and fro London and Rome, and further private transport to Capri.
Getting rid of the Moriarty twin had resulted in a windfall of gifts and offers from all quarters. Other than raise Sherlock's celebrity value, and getting a full pardon from the British Government, it had also resulted in official requests from other EU governments that the Holmes boys could not ignore. So when after almost a month long tour of Europe, John, Molly, Mary and Greg were just informed to pack their bags and be ready, not many questions were asked. And boy, were they glad they listened to Sherlock!
Molly relaxed in the pool, with her head on her arms resting by the pool's edge, overlooking the Mediterranean. It was their fourth evening in the Italian Riviera, but she still was as mesmerized by the golden sunset as she was the first evening. She could hear Mary cooing over and laughing with her daughter inside the villa. The entire setting was very relaxing. She next heard a splash as someone dived into the water but she couldn't be tasked to turn around and see who. In a few moments, the mystery was solved as Sherlock emerged next to her, shaking the water out of his hair and standing next to her.
"That was one long nap you took, Sherlock. You must have one messed up body clock right now," she smiled, looking out over the sea.
"Who cares if its day or night? I have no criminal to catch or mystery to solve. Yet. So I catch up my sleep."
She just smirked and continued gazing out.
"Do you even come out of the pool? I've only ever seen you inside. You can atleast go to the beach!" Sherlock admonished her.
"What for? I will not get this opportunity again, this villa is gorgeous! And as you say, I am not on a schedule. So go figure."
He shrugged and turned away and started swimming laps. As planned, she avoided looking at him while he was in the pool. Sherlock was such a smooth swimmer, for want of a better word, and she wanted as little memory of bare shoulders and wet curls as possible.
They had reached, what she thought, was an understanding in their relationship. Molly knew that he could, or rather would, not get involved romantically with anyone, especially after the horror that was the case of the Moriarty brother. All of Sherlock's friends had escaped unscathed but it was not for lack of trying on Moriarty's part. She knew they had had a lucky break and Sherlock seemed to acknowledge this every moment.
So she was determined to take what he gave her, a friendship if that's all there was, and make the most of it. If that was what it took for him to be in her life, she was ready to accept it. It should have been a relatively easy task, considering she had been trying it for the past 7 years, but all he had to do was enter the room for Molly's heart to flutter. Yes, that flutter had calmed down, but it was still very much present.
"No need for any more ammo, dear girl", Molly murmured to herself as the sun finally set and she turned to swim towards the pool's edge, finally ready to get out. As she was about to climb out, Sherlock swam up to her. He stopped for a moment, shook water out of his head, murmured something and went for the next lap, giving Molly a view of his broad and muscled shoulders that she knew she would have a hard time erasing from memory.
Shaking her head, she climbed out of the pool, grabbed her towel and sat next to Mary, who had now come outside. After exchanging a few words, Molly left to change for her foray into Capri. The others had decided to dine in the villa itself.
Wearing a strapless dress that reached her ankles, she was driven into town by the villa's chauffeur. Selecting a relatively quiet restaurant that had been recommended by Sherlock, Molly was seated by the sea. It was going to be full moon tonight and the seaside looked absolutely divine. She was approached by a handsome fellow diner, but smiled and turned him away. Handsome Italian men were the last thing that she needed. Actually maybe they were exactly what she needed but right now, she was enjoying herself too much.
After dinner, Molly wandered around town, soaking in the relaxed atmosphere. The locals were lovely, the men flirting non-stop but in a manner that was more friendly than troubling.
When her phone rang, she was delighted to hear from Mary the entire gang was in town to go dancing. The baby was finally asleep and with the babysitter. Molly happily agreed to meet them at the designated club.
She was surprised to see Sherlock at the venue, somehow assuming that he would be avoiding this social outing. "Of course he refused to come when I asked him. But I have my ways of persuading him and as always, it worked", Mary proudly declared.
Wearing a light pink shirt with a dove grey suit and slightly wet curls, he was already attracting attention from the patrons at the club. Rolling her eyes at his disdainful expression, Mary grabbed his arm and led him inside. Molly followed, accompanied by John and Greg.
The place was just about starting to fill up, so they found excellent tables and ordered their drinks. The setting was semi-enclosed, so they were able to enjoy the sea view as well as have excellent view of the dance floor.
They had barely ordered their drinks, when Greg was approached by a willowy blonde, asking him to dance with her. Winking in their direction, he left to dance with his new partner. The silver fox seemed to be in great demand on their trip here. Molly was very happy for him; he deserved all the breaks he could get.
The evening progressed and the dance floor started to heat up. Mary dragged Molly to join her for a couple of dances, and they were then joined by a slightly tipsy John. Sherlock was being approached frequently, but he had refused every person. He was sitting with a scotch and watching the dance floor, as if waiting for something.
During a break, when Molly returned from the washroom, she was welcomed with Mary and John watching the dance floor with stunned expressions. Turning her head to see what was so fascinating, her mouth actually dropped open.
The song being played had a bit of a 70s sound and Sherlock was grooving to the number without a care in the world. And like everything else he did, the Holmes boy knew how dance well and was setting the floor on fire.
"Is that Sherlock, dancing? And being polite to women around him? Polite? He is politely telling them to back off…politely!...Is he drunk?"
Mary laughed heartily at Molly's stunned ramblings. But she got what Molly was trying to say. More than a few women and men tried to dance close to him, but were actually, calmly warded away.
The next song had Sherlock actually remove his jacket, throw it at their table and literally just take over the dance floor.
Being cheered by one and all, many who had recognized the famous Consultant Detective by now, he was literally letting it go and losing himself to dance. He was being slowly but surely followed in his steps by the people dancing around. It looked a site from the movies, with the lead dancing and the crowd following.
This made all three members at the table join growing crowd on the dance floor. Then when the DJ played Daft Punk's Give Life Back to Music, it was like Sherlock hit another gear! A stunned Mary was twirled around, twisted and even lifted up by him, all masterfully done. He then looked at John, who very sternly held his hands up. Winking at his friend, Sherlock then turned towards Molly.
Her heart was in her mouth when Sherlock held her hand and twirled her around the floor, similar to Mary, but the steps somehow seemed more intimate. Looking straight in her eyes, Sherlock smiled slowly at her, his first smile of the evening. The entire effect was so smouldering, Molly was sure she would've tripped and fallen down had he not held her close. She wasn't sure she wasn't melting already. There were audible sighs of disappointment when Sherlock continued to dance with her. Many disappointed women and a few men turned away from the dance floor.
No matter how fast or slow the song being played, Sherlock led her and she, as always, followed him. He held her firmly, never letting go of her hand. And if he did, his eyes held her gaze.
And she knew then, that no matter what he offered her, whether scraps of affection or an ocean of love, she was always going to be a happy recipient. She wasn't sure what this said about her as a person, but she knew one thing for sure; come what may, she was doomed forever by this man since the moment she laid her eyes on him. And in this dance of life, there was no way she could waltz with another partner.