Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own any of it. Just my own personal copy of the books and DVDs :(
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Look who's come for tea.
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Molly Hooper was an idiot!
She knew she wasn't stupid. Sure she knew she wasn't the cleverest person about, but she was by no means what you would refer to as thick. That's why she was so unsettled by the realisation of what a ridiculous mistake she had made. How could she have been so foolish? Clearly the drugs had still been muddling up her brain, because really what other excuse did she have? What had possessed her to act like such a colossal moron? All of this was swimming at the forefront of her brain as she stared up at the well dressed man holding the umbrella who was standing in her doorway. She had immediately realising why he was there and how it was entirely her own fault.
"Good Evening Miss Hooper. Do you mind if I come in? I believe we have much to talk about." He didn't wait for a response as he moved past her and in to the living room. How he knew the layout of her flat was beyond her, but right not she had bigger things to worry about. "A cup of tea would be lovely if you don't mind. I have a feeling this may take a while." He told her.
Molly blinked seemingly coming too.
"Oh right yes tea of course." She muttered shutting the front door and making her way towards the kitchen. "Erm would you like any milk or sugar?" she called as she busied herself filling the kettle.
"Milk one sugar please."
Right milk one sugar she could manage that. Dear god she was screwed! All the effort to keep everything quiet, keep it all secret and she had ruined it all with one damn absent-minded moment, one ill thought-out reckless action. She was an idiot. Right now though she needed to pull herself together and go face the metaphorically music. So picking up the cup of tea she went through to the lounge and handed it to her guest before sitting herself down opposite him.
"Thank you." He said. "And may I ask how you have been? It has been a number of months since I have had the pleasure of seeing you. I believe my brother's funeral was the last time."
Molly could feel herself going red, he clearly did not intend to beat around the bush.
"Oh I've um been well. Busy but good. How about you?"
Her voice was timid and her words rushed.
"It has been hard." He admitted with a frown. "However I have found that in the last few days my mood has changed considerably. Something has come to my attention that has greatly changed my perspective on certain events. Do you have any idea what that could be Miss Hooper?"
Molly gulped. Yes she definitely knew, however she remained silent.
"Is there anything you wish to tell me?"
He fixed his eyes on her, making her turn her head to avoid his gaze.
"I'm sorry." She said after a few moments. "I am so sorry."
"I believe you Miss Hooper." She felt herself letting go of a breath she didn't even know she was holding. "However that does not take away from the fact that not only were you aware that my brother was alive, but most likely had a considerable hand in convincing everyone else to of contrary." He took a sip of his tea. "Do you know I could quite easily expose you, have you arrested for fraud and have your medical licence revoked Miss Hooper?"
Horror and fear flooded Molly's face. He couldn't could he? He wouldn't? Molly began to feel herself starting to panic again.
"Oh do not fear Miss Hooper, I will not be turning you in. I do however wish to know where my brother is."
"I don't know" she replied honestly and in haste. "I haven't seen him since last July."
"And you have no knowledge of what his plans may have been, where he was headed?" He questioned, peering at her over the top of his cup.
"I only know that he was after someone named Moran."
"Sebastian Moran?" he asked, only the subtle repositioning of his body indicated how important and invested he was in this. Of how much that name meant to him.
"I um... I think so. He never really mentioned his first name just that he had to be stopped."
He nodded in understanding. "I do not suppose you are aware of why he felt the need to make such a spectacle of himself and jump? Or why he felt it necessary to fool an entire nation?"
This Molly did know.
"Snipers," she replied. "Moriarty had snipers positioned to shoot Mrs Hudson, Detective Lestrade and John if he didn't jump."
Mycroft took a moment to let the information sink in.
"And Sherlock always said he didn't have a heart." His lip gave a little twinge, as though he was going to smile but thought better of it. "I presume that he will not be returning until Moran is no longer a threat then?"
"I suppose. I mean he never really said." She was biting her lip, a habit she had had as a child for when she was nervous and had never been able to kick. "He does plans on coming back though," she added. "Or at least that's what he implied."
"What my brother says and what he means can quite often be very different things."
"I know, but I don't think he could stay away forever. He would miss John and Mrs Hudson and the cases too much."
"What about yourself?" He gave her a questioning look. "Do you not think you would factor into his returning?"
"Oh I'm not important. I was just there at the right time and place." She replied dismissively.
"I believe you underestimate your worth entirely Miss Hooper. Both my brother and I owe you more then we could ever repay."
"I don't need any payment. I was happy to help."
And that was true.
Despite how much it had hurt to lie to everyone, despite how horrible she had felt standing at his funeral knowing that he would be in her flat upon her return, she would have done it all again. The outcome far outweighed everything else.
"Still you have my eternal gratitude." He told her. "I must admit I am impressed by how well it was planned, how well it was all hidden. Indeed if it were not for a set of paperwork I found on my desk this morning, which proved my brother must have been alive late July, I would still be completely unaware."
Molly found herself swallowing heavily.
"Yes of course, I clearly wasn't thinking straight, I slipped up. I didn't realise what I was doing, I just was caught up in the moment I guess."
"I do not hold it against you Miss Hooper. If anything I am glad you slipped up, as you call it, it has taken a great burden off my shoulders. I have of course taken precautions to correct your small oversight so that no one else becomes privy to my brothers continuing existence. Now that I am aware however I believe that you shall need greater security."
"If you have sorted it so no one else finds out, why?" She asked perplexed.
"Because ensuring your safety is the least I can do." He replied matter of fact.
There was a pause between the two which seemed to drag on as each thought through what their next move should be.
"May I see?" he asked almost nervously, as though he feared being denied.
"I um... yes of course. But you'll need to be quiet."
He nodded and they both stood, making their way silently down the hall and into the darkened room at the end. She beckoned him forward and he couldn't help but stare.
"She is beautiful," he whispered, "She looks exactly like Sherlock."
Looking at his face in the half darkness, Molly Hooper reassessed her earlier view. Maybe, just maybe she hadn't been such an idiot after all.
She had never seen the great Mycroft Holmes look as happy as he did now, transfixed and smiling down at his sound asleep week old niece.
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AN: This has been going around my head for ages! I just had to write it. In case anyone is confused the paperwork Mycroft found was the birth certificate. I did some date checking and from what I can tell Sherlock jumped on June 12th. In order for him to have fathered the child Molly would have had to have been pregnant for over 10 months (in which case the doctors would have induced her long before letting that happen), or Sherlock would have had to still have been alive late July. I like to think Mycroft wouldn't question whether Molly was lying or not, because well it's Molly! (Also the baby looks just like Sherlock).
Thank you so much for reading. I really hope you enjoyed it.
- anotherlife x