Into the Night (I'll Be With You)

Synopsis: Sherlock is leaving them all behind, all their happiness and all the joy it is unbearable for him. He expects to just do that, it's what he's good at. He should have known that she would be watching and she would want to be near him to be sure. He's not okay. Of course, she knows.

Hello again! So another episode inspired fic for you all. I posted Always & Never a couple days ago. Now we have this one which follows up on the ending of The Sign of Three. If you haven't seen it yet, it's best not to read this one yet. If you have well bless your heart, enjoy this emotionally driven thing here. Let me know what you think, please?

much love,

day

P.S. This is one is also in the POV of Sherlock, because that's becoming something I feel absolutely in need of doing. :3

there's a weaker heart I've laid to rest
the darkness in you
there's a vicious storm inside my chest
that's hiding the truth

I sleep with the monsters in the corner of my mind
my mind

I miss the beat of your heart
but you ended right where I start
I miss the still of your soul
but mine's not gold

- Savior; Ally Rhodes

He was quite aware that most didn't understand the effects of what the day had done to him as a whole. There was the speech most importantly. Several had been looking forward to that. He had pulled off much to his delight. It hadn't been easy, there were too many people. All watching him, waiting for him to say something off or wrong - he had done that much. Only to prove a point. He had faltered more times during that speech than any normal day doing his actual work. It had truly been a matter of making the words come out without sounding like an idiot.

He had succeeded and this was all good and proper. However, it hadn't been the end of the day. He had other obligations to uphold. Or more like he had a gift to present to the happy couple. After the whole ordeal with Major Sholto. He felt in his element moving through that without any hiccups. He had been able to calm down for that bit. It was like walking - easy, and routine. Playing his violin was where he found solace in times of hardships. This was not one of those on the surface - or at least it wasn't supposed to be.

The niggling in the back of his head was silent as he moved his fingers and strung his bow against the right notes, completing it. It was only after it did he seem to have a lost of what he was supposed to do. Dancing. Most would think it was not his forte. It was in all actuality. He had been forced to do many things as a child and dancing lesson was on the list. He hadn't hated it. In fact he loved it. As he had shown Janine earlier on before the speech was fumbled through. He just didn't find enough moments to find it useful. Dancing was useful at events such as weddings, right?

Wrong.

He had been hoping to have a dance with Janine as this was something expected of him. However, that hadn't exactly worked out the way. His smile faltering a bit as he stood in the midst of all the liveliness of everyone who had took to the dance floor for a more upbeat tune. He had been truly happy for the newly-wedded Watsons however. He had told them this already. With the added bonus of more blissful news. Any other friend would have been elated for the rest of the night.

Sherlock Holmes was not an every man no matter how much he could try to be. He had surely been trying all night. He had done nearly all the things he was supposed to do, yet he felt immensely discontent and unsure of why he was still there. He had even thought about cutting in a dance with a certain pathologist of his, but she had looked just as happy as the others. Or at least that's what he had thought for the better part of the day and now into the night.

It was at that moment that he decided to leave. It wasn't something he was supposed to do, people weren't supposed to leave weddings. This wasn't a wedding anymore however. This was the reception and a part of him knew that it wouldn't be ending any time soon. He rather leave while he still could. No one was going to notice his departure anyways. Everyone was too distracted. This was a good thing. He could grab his coat and roll out into the cool night. Take a walk, probably. It would be good to be able to have time to simmer on his thoughts and figure out a few things before going back home.

He needed to be alone. It's what he wanted.

How he had managed to stay so long? Well, he had hopes for the evening beyond being a great best man - great friend. They all seemed to be slipping out of his grasp and he was left with what? Himself, alone.

Alone is what protects me.

John had once negated that. Friends protect people.

His friends were all happily dancing along inside not worrying about him anymore. That was the truth of the matter and he would leave them to it. It was one of the main things that he wanted more than anything; for them to be able to be happy, to find happiness but there was a large part of him that wished that he too could find it. Janine had told him earlier, "I wish you weren't...like that." He had silently agreed with her, it would have made things a lot easier for him to adapt if he was normal; a common man.

He detested slinking into that however. He had a brain and he never wished to do away with it. It's why he was different. He actually used his instead of letting his heart doing the thinking for him. Intellect and rationality was something of a gift for him and a bit of a curse in the same right. It could be construed that it might have been the scientist in him as well. He could accept that, too.

He slipped through the door with his coat on his shoulder. He began to tighten the collar around him as he took more steps away from the jovial party inside. This was the easy bit; walking away.

He had gotten past a tree when he figured it be alright for him to slip into his mind a little. Not too much that he couldn't see where he was going. He knew the area well enough. There were a few major factors that he needed to figure out. John and Mary were to be expecting a child. Molly was getting married to that - stop - Molly was getting married. She hadn't scheduled a date as far as he knew. He had been trying not deduce her too much. Which was why when he went to her about the stag night he had had trouble not offending her; he failed for a small bit.

John would be focused on Mary and the baby when the time grew closer, which resulted in having to be on his own a bit more. He had been on his own for much more than most would expect since his return to his friends. For a brief moment, he begun to think that perhaps that his brother had been right when they were talking earlier. Except he hated admitting anything such as that. Mycroft was wrong...most times.

Sherlock had gotten down to the corner and was about to make a turn when he heard the sound of someone yelling for him. "Wait!" Panting...he stopped and waited to see if he could blink away the thoughts to be able to decipher if he would truly need to be turning around. "Sherlock!"

Oh. Perhaps so.

He knew that voice but what was she doing here?

He slowly turned around and stared at the running form headed straight for him. Dammit. He cursed silently as he took his hands out of his coat pockets and reached out to catch her before she tripped into him as she came closer. "What are you doing?" He asked immediately. He looked past her into the long stretch of walk way that she had run along to get to him. There was no sight of him.

"Where are you going?" She said instead of answering him. She was careful to not touch him once he had put her on her feet. She did look a bit off. She hadn't brought her jacket! "Where is your coat, Molly?" He muttered, giving her a very stern look as he begun to unbutton his jacket. At least he had a suit on under this. She was sleeveless. What the hell was she thinking?

He handed it to her and she looked at it before taking it, thanking him before returning to look at him. It was then that he realized that she had tears in her eyes.

What did Tom do? Did he do anything? Why was she crying?

"Molly..." He said softly, she spoke hurriedly then as took to buttoning a few of the buttons on the coat. She was swimming in it really. At least she was covered. John would be proud of him for acting so quickly. Molly was a tiny person, especially for a woman. It wouldn't take long for her to get sick standing like this in the cold frigid air.

"You look sad."

He didn't move as he watched her. He didn't know what he was supposed to say. She was right, of course. She would see what everyone else couldn't. She had noticed it before when he was about to die. He bit the inside of his cheek as he waited if she would give him a small hint of what else she needed from now that she pointed it out.

"I know you would have left if I hadn't stopped you."

"I'll still go, Molly." He muttered, swallowing as he went back to looking over his shoulder. If he saw that man he was going to dash off. He didn't feel like having a confrontation. This was one of those nights where he was sure to lash out on the idiot. He was most certainly that. Molly knew this too. He had seen her reaction to his "brilliant idea" as to how the murder attempt had been done during the reception. He was not him, he didn't see things like he did. In fact he was worse than most coppers he had met. What was she doing with him? He shut his eyes for a moment clearing his head. Now was not the time to be thinking about this. She was standing in front of him.

"I'll go with you, you know." She surprised him.

He opened his mouth, closing it, opening it again before gritting his teeth. She would do so much for him and yet he couldn't count a single thing that he had done right for her. How was that fair? He sounded like a child and he knew it but nothing made sense when it came to Molly Hooper. Especially not now.

"Don't be an idiot." He said, there was infliction in his voice when he grunted that out. Pain. Yeah, that was what it was and she caught it.

It was as if she was on some sort of streak of wanting to continue to startle and surprise him tonight within a matter of minutes. She reached out and looked to be going for his face but instead slid both her arms around his neck pulling him down. His hands were in his pocket at the time but they slipped out - not exactly on accord with his mind. He left them on his side as he felt her warm breath against his neck as she continued talking. "I'm always an idiot when I'm with you." She was quiet about it.

He swallowed feeling an extreme tightness in his chest because of two things. First, she was holding him and secondly, she was telling him things that he didn't need to hear right now. She had a ring on her finger for crying out loud. What was she trying to do? "I don't know what you want..." He spoke. It came out thickly and rough.

He shut his eyes again, trying to settle all the warmth that was emitting from inside of him due to all the sensory overload at what was going on and the things that were not going on but in his head he was seeing things. They weren't real.

Molly turned her head and he opened his eyes, her fingers were rubbing slowly up against his neck slipping through the loose curls at the bottom. "Let me come with you."

"Tom?" He asked.

"Let me come with you." She repeated.

There was something almost desperate about her plea. It wasn't as if she wasn't happy with Tom. He knew from what she had discussed with him briefly that she was satisfied with him. He couldn't completely see the word happy when he looked at her. There was something in her eyes that triggered him to not question it. Just like he chose not to tell her the truth when it came to the man as well. There might have also been some fear on his part about attempting to truly discuss that matter with her. He didn't know what would happen. The fact that she was standing, pressed up against him like this spoke a little more to him now.

He couldn't deny her. Not right now.

She had seen him when no one else had bothered to look at him. He could use her company. He required it, even.

He took in a deep breath as he slipped his arms around her waist, embracing her lightly. "Okay." He mumbled. "Okay." He repeated.

"It's going to be okay." She whispered against his neck, before slipping down to the ground. He was a bit taller than her but the heels had helped for the most part. She looked at him. The sadness was heavy on his face. She looked down at his hand and slipped hers into it. "C'mon." She told him quietly.

He nodded numbly.

She was too good, entirely too good for him but he would take this moment with her over being alone. She was what he needed right now. He was sure of it.