Wow, where has the time gone and how is it Christmas already! Just over a week to go and for those of you who celebrate it I hope you've got all your presents ready and wrapped under the tree...I'd love to say I have but...umm...nope.

Anyway, it's the time of year when all the Sherlolly Christmas fics appear and I couldn't not write one so here is the start of my contribution. A little bit of ansgst, a big dollop of fluff and a lot of smut...hopefully just how you like it.

Merry Christmas.

Chapter 1

'Merry Christmas Molly Hooper.'

Molly sighed and looked around the empty morgue. Is this what she had come to? Saying Merry Christmas to herself because there was no one else to say it to.

'Well, it could be worse, I could be saying it to the bodies.'

The sound of her voice seemed to echo off the cold, metal cabinets that housed the people who hadn't quite made it to Christmas and the fact that she had did little to cheer her up.

The last few months had been fairly quiet after all the trauma of losing Mary, followed by Sherlock's descent into drug use and finally the horrific incidents caused by the sister that no one had known he had...well, apart from his weird older brother. Molly had met him a couple of times and she wasn't really sure whether she liked him or not. He was always painfully polite to her but he was icy coldness where his brother was fiery heat. Molly knew that Sherlock had tried to copy his brother's lack of emotions but she had also always known that they were there simmering below the surface; breaking out when he wasn't concentrating on suppressing them.

She sighed once more and threw the cloth that she'd been using to polish the autopsy tables into the cleaning bucket that she'd brought down with her. She was officially bored and beginning to regret volunteering for the Christmas Eve shift. Everyone else was probably enjoying themselves and pissed as a fart by now.

She turned around and put her hands on the cool surface of the table and then hitched herself up so she was sitting on the edge, kicking her heels together as they swung underneath her like she used to do as a child.

It wasn't as though she hadn't had any offers for the Christmas period because she had. Her mum had invited her over to spend it in Nottingham with her and her new boyfriend. He was OK and Molly was glad her mum had him but he wasn't her dad and spending Christmas with him still didn't feel quite right. Then John had asked her to join him and his sister but she just hadn't been able to face it. All that forced happiness when happy was the last thing she was feeling.

She wondered where Sherlock was spending Christmas. Probably with his family like he had done in previous years. She hadn't seen him for over a week and she missed him. It was like an ache deep inside her. They'd been in a difficult place recently but she had been hopeful that once they'd got the business of THAT phone call behind them it might help to strengthen their friendship. At least that was until the Barts Christmas party.

Her mind drifted off to that evening...the evening that had changed everything and potentially ruined her life.

One week earlier

Molly had been excited for days about the invite to the Barts Charity Yuletide Masquerade ball. She'd been offered tickets in previous years but this was the first time she'd been able to attend, normally work had got in the way...or there was the year when she was with Tom and he'd refused to go because he'd said he'd feel out of place amongst all her work colleagues.

She'd spent the lead up to the ball shopping for the perfect dress, wanting something to give her a boost after everything that had been going on over the last few months. Her biggest regret was not being able to drag Mary round the shops with her to get her opinion. Instead she'd played the game of 'what would Mary say' to each choice she had tried on.

In the end she bought herself an above the knee fitted dress in a dark, cranberry, red colour, it was a satiny material with a lace overlay and it made her feel very grown up. It also had her booking in to her local hairdressers in the afternoon before the ball so they could put her hair up properly. Meena was due to come over a couple of hours before to her her do her make up and so they could get ready together and she already had a bottle of prosecco chilling in the fridge in readiness.

The time the two girls spent together dressing and preparing was full of drinking and giggles. Meena was determined to find Molly a man to spend the night with.

'Come on Molly, it's been months since Tom. You're going to forget how to do it at this rate.'

Molly had rolled her eyes and took another sip of her drink whilst she peered into her hand mirror checking her eye liner was on straight; it wasn't something she was used to using.

'Isn't it supposed to be like riding a bike...once you've done it you never forget? Anyway, you know I don't want another relationship.'

'Did I say relationship? I'm talking about a good shag. You know Nick Pendleton in Gynaecology would oblige. I heard he's single and he's always asking after you.'

Molly wrinkled up her nose. 'Eww but imagine all those women's bits that he's seen. I'd feel like he was judging me.'

Meena snorted with laughter in a very unladylike way and poured out more of the prosecco. Molly took another sip and acknowledged to herself that it was going down just a little bit too easily. She needed to try to pace herself so she wasn't throwing up by the end of the night. She had a sudden memory of a conversation with Sherlock 'light-headed good' and her reply 'urinating in wardrobes, bad'. She smiled to herself, things with Sherlock had been...complicated in recent weeks.

As if reading her mind Meena moved on. 'What about Mr obnoxious but tall, dark and handsome? Will he be there?'

Molly wanted to query who she was talking about but they both knew it was Sherlock. Meena hated the fact that she was still hung up on him after all these years.

Still she made a pretence of not being sure. 'You mean Sherlock? No, he won't be there. I know him and John received an invite because John mentioned it...well, I asked him. He said Sherlock got one every year and never went and that he didn't have a babysitter for Rosie so he wouldn't be going either.'

She felt her heart drop a little as she passed this on. It was the same way she'd felt when John had confirmed that he and Sherlock wouldn't be there. Even after all this time and all the rejection Molly had still wanted to see him in a different setting, at a party, as if she had a chance with him. Her feelings for him seemed to turn her into a teenager.

'How's things going since he fucked you about in that phone call?'

Molly gave Meena a look. 'Come on, I told you why he had to do that. It wasn't his fault.'

Meena sat back in her chair and picked up her glass. 'Fine, but you always seem to be the one that ends up hurt when you have dealings with him and I hate seeing you upset.'

Molly fished about in her make up bag looking for her mascara but also avoiding eye contact with Meena. Even just thinking about that call had her welling up a little. It had been two months ago now but the memory didn't seem to be getting any easier and each time she'd seen Sherlock since then their interactions had been awkward and difficult. It was as though their friendship had regressed and it was easier for them both to stick to just work subjects. She missed him...it was like a permanent ache inside her and she hated it.

Fifteen minutes later and they were both making their way down to the waiting cab. The mood had lightened again after thoughts of Sherlock and they were both giggling and laughing as they made their way over to the hotel which the hospital had hired for the event. Molly was starting to wish she'd booked herself a room so she wouldn't have to worry about getting home but it was a bit too late to be thinking that now.

As they got closer they both pulled out their eye masks which were obligatory for the event. Meena helped tie Molly's on, as it was held in place with ribbons, before pulling on her own. They then finished up by taking a selfie so they could see how they both looked with them on. It was strange, Molly felt a kind of confidence that only came with anonymity as she looked at her picture; she could hardly recognise herself with the new hairdo, the make up and the mask. She felt a bubble of excitement welling up inside her at the possibilities tonight could bring. Maybe she should throw caution to the wind and hook up with someone. She had to admit she did miss sex...that feeling of intimacy with another human being even if it was just fleetingly.

The excitement just grew as they drew up outside the hotel. There were a few other people arriving and Molly had no idea who they were. The masks were all shapes and sizes, from full face ones to eye masks but they all seemed to give the night an air of mystery and intrigue.

The two friends paid the cabbie and linked arms as they made their way into the large room where the ball was being hosted and Molly's mouth fell open as she made her way in. She could hear the Christmas songs playing and see people already dancing and it looked magical.

All around the room were Christmas trees decorated in reds and golds with twinkling fairy lights on every tree and table. It was like walking into a Harry Potter film set. She could almost imagine that this was the great hall and that Dumbledore had magicked all the decorations into existence with a flick of his wand.

They made their way over to the bar and Molly was pleased to see that it was large enough for the room and well manned. It only took a minute or two before they were served and they walked away with their drinks looking around and trying to recognise someone they might know.

Most of the tables were starting to fill up but there were also leather settees and comfy chairs set up between some of the Christmas trees and it was over near one of those that she spotted a familiar silver head of hair. She nudged Meena. 'Look, over there. Isn't that Lestrade...you know, from Scotland Yard...he said a few of them would be coming along.'

They made their way over to a small group who received them warmly once identities had all been worked out. Lestrade had kissed Molly on the cheek rather too warmly and complimented her on her outfit and she had quickly recognised Donovan and Anderson. She wasn't overly sure if they were together or not given their on again off again affair and she figured she'd ask Greg if she got a chance later. Mike was also in the group with his wife and he quickly offered to buy Molly and Meena another drink...waving away her concerns about already having one. 'I'm your boss and it's Christmas Molly, you'll drink it soon enough.'

She smiled and watched as he made his way over to the bar and then she frowned as she saw him stop and talk to someone...was that John? It looked like John but without seeing his face she couldn't be sure.

She turned back to Greg who was swaying along to the music. 'Hey, are John and Sherlock here?'

She had to shout a little to be heard over the music and he leant in towards her to hear.

His response was a shrug. 'I don't think so, haven't seen them. You know what Sherlock's like...unsociable prick, I doubt we'll see him.'

Molly smiled at Greg's insult. The two normally got on quite well but she'd heard Sherlock having a go at him only two days ago when Greg's team had missed some evidence at the robbery the two of them had been investigating. As far as Sherlock was concerned the case was only a four and beneath him but he'd been bored. He'd come into the lab to analyse some soil samples and Molly knew the case had been all cleared up within 24 hours.

There had been one odd moment though, where she had looked up from her paperwork to find Sherlock staring at her. He hadn't looked away when she'd caught his eye and she knew she was colouring up under his gaze and she'd had to clear her throat and ask him if there was a problem...her hand already moving to her hair wondering if it was all out of place or if she had pen marks on her face.

He'd seemed to come out of a reverie and shook his head before looking back into his microscope. 'No, no problem Molly...just thinking.'

He'd left soon after and it had been Greg who'd told her the case was wrapped up when he'd been in checking up on a patient who was under arrest up in A&E...they'd bumped into each other in the canteen and chatted for a moment.

'Do you want to dance?'

The question brought Molly back to the ball and she looked round to see Greg smiling at her eagerly. She hadn't really expected him to ask and now he had it made her feel a little uneasy but she didn't want to be rude so she nodded her head, took a final swing of her drink and then she followed him out onto the dance floor.

Thankfully the song was quite a lively one and they moved about quite happily without having to touch each other. Molly had to admit that Greg was quite a good dancer and she found she was enjoying herself more than she expected to, laughing and replying to Greg's odd bits of conversation.

The alcohol was starting to have an effect on her mood and the lights seemed brighter, the event more fun and Greg more interesting. She hadn't really looked at him as a man before but he was quite good looking and they had certainly always got on well in the past. She knew he'd finally split up from his cheating wife about a year ago and as far as she knew he was single but surely a night in the sack with him ran dangers of either damaging their friendship or it might lead to an expectation of something more.

She didn't object to a second dance though and nor did she object when he linked arms with her to move back towards where they'd all been gathered.

When they got there Molly noticed there were a couple of new additions to their group one of which was most definitely John.

'Hey Molly, I thought I saw you two dancing...make sure you save some energy for a dance with me.'

He kissed her on her cheek and then passed her a full glass. 'Mike said this was yours.'

Molly thanked him and made an internal decision to slow down the drinking but it was still going down too easily and she was already feeling a little tipsy.

'I didn't think you were coming tonight. Is Sherlock here?'

She felt her stomach flip over as she asked and she couldn't help but look around at the crowd to see if she could see him.

John rolled his eyes. 'Not sure. Would you believe this was his idea to come? He fixed up for Mrs Hudson to babysit...said he'd pick me up in a cab and then ten minutes before he was due to arrive he texted to say something had come up and he'd meet me here if he could.'

John took his phone out of his inside pocket and glanced at the home screen but there was no new message.

Molly excused herself and made her way to the ladies. She knew exactly how she was feeling about this news and it wasn't good. She felt hopeful and she didn't want to. Every time that she'd felt hopeful about Sherlock over the years she'd always ended up disappointed. She knew he didn't want a relationship with her or anyone so why did she always feel like this. She wished her emotions had an off switch because if they did she'd be flipping it right around now.

She bumped into Meena in the toilets and they caught up as they touched up their make up.

'Ooh Molly I think I've struck lucky. The new doctor in Radiography, you know the one with the cute butt...well, he asked me to dance and he's currently buying me a drink. What about you? I saw you dancing with that policemen that you know. He's a bit old but cute...maybe he'd break your duck for you.'

'Meena...he's just a friend that's all. Anyway, it would be weird. If I was going to hook up with anyone for a one night stand I think I'd go for someone I don't know.'

'Aha, so you do want to hook up with someone.'

Molly knew she was blushing as she made her way to the door. 'Stop it.'

Meena laughed, following her out and started singing to her. 'Molly wants a sha-ag, Molly wants a sh-ag.'

And so of course it was just at that moment that Molly walked straight into Sherlock.

I think Sherlock would look especially hot with an eye mask on, what do you guys think? Anyway, the scene is set...hope you like the start. Let me know xx