The ticking of the wall clock in Bart's lab rapped noisily as if it were amplified by a bullhorn. Molly and John sat next to one other on a lab bench with their feet dangling off the floor as they awaited some spark of life from Sherlock who hadn't moved in several minutes. His face was still frozen in a deep frown as he stared vacantly at the opposite wall. Molly clucked her tongue and took a sip of her tea. John checked his watch.
"It's been awhile since he's done that," John muttered. "I forgot how unsettling it can be."
Molly's hands started trembling. She put down her cup and crossed her arms. "Um, should I be doing something? I feel like I broke him."
John chuckled and scratched his chin. "No, no! He'll come out of it eventually. He just experienced a processing glitch and needs to reboot."
"H-How long do you think it will take?" She chewed her lip nervously.
John tilted his head as he assessed the detective. "Dunno, but I imagine it might be for a spell yet. Peckish at all?"
"Yeah, I probably should replace my stomach contents. Sorry about that earlier. I didn't mean to run out in the middle of our conversation."
"It's completely understandable, Molly. Mary experienced the same sort of thing when she was expecting," John hopped to the floor and held out his hand. "Shall we?"
She nodded absentmindedly and glanced ruefully at Sherlock as she slid from her seat. "Should we leave him?"
John waved his free hand in his friend's direction. "Bah, he'll be fine. If he comes out of it before we return, he'll find us, of that I'm certain."
Molly took his arm and strolled with him out of the lab and down the hospital corridor and into the bright outside world. For a minute or two, they walked quietly together in the afternoon sun looking for a cab.
"Congratulations, by the way," John squeezed her arm.
"Thank-you," she replied softly.
"Is …is it happy news for you?" He asked.
Molly nodded. "Yes, yes of course, but it was unexpected. I'm a bit terrified."
"Oh, that's understandable, seeing as you broke up with Tom and all. Do you think he'll step up and help you take care of the baby?"
Her steps came to a grinding halt. "John … Tom's not the father."
John blinked at her through rounded eyes. "Oh, bollocks, I'm sorry. Who is it?"
She frowned at him in confusion. "Erm, I thought that was kind of obvious back in the lab …"
John scrunched his face for a moment before his eyes bugged from his sockets. His mouth dropped open.
"Holy Mother of Sherlock's Child! Oh. My. God!" He started laughing hysterically and snatched up Molly to twirl her in his arms. "Brilliant!"
Molly giggled as he set her down again. "Do you think so?"
John shook her by the shoulders. "Are you serious? I ship you two. That's a thing, by the way. I am so happy I could … well, I could do a jig."
He stepped away from Molly, bowed and performed a few silly dance moves right there. Molly covered her mouth as laughter bubbled up.
"John, you're too much," she panted.
He stopped, clapped and rubbed his hands together. "God, I'm so blind. It all makes perfect sense now."
Molly raised her brows. "What?"
John waved his hands around. "The excuses to visit the lab every chance he got, the way his eyes followed you when we visited, the cat hair on his Belstaff …"
Heat scalded her face. "Toby likes to curl up in his coat."
John wiped a tear from his eye. "Priceless."
He sniffed and shook his head. There was actually quite the sheen in his eyes. Molly rubbed his back.
"Oh, Sorry, Molly. I don't mean to get so, well, you know. It's just, I have been so happy but I've also felt such guilt for moving on. If there is one thing I could have asked for that man, it would have been that he experience the same sort of happiness. This is just, exactly, exactly what I would have wished."
Molly wrung her hands. "Oh, well, I rendered him nearly comatose, John. I-I don't know if he's happy."
A deep voice interrupted them. "I am."
Molly spun to face Sherlock still looking a bit pale, but at least conscious. "Y-You are?"
He dipped his head in a slow nod, his eyes fixed on her face. "Forgive me, I had thought I told you that and much more but realized I might have neglected to actually speak the words aloud when I became aware you both had left."
She nodded and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Don't cry," he said quickly and pointed a finger at his friend, "that imperative applies to you as well, John."
"Shut up and hug your girlfriend," John sniffed.
"Girlfriend? What a wholly inadequate term for Molly," he strode towards her and pulled her into his arms.
Molly squeezed him back. "What would you call me then?"
"I don't know," he mumbled in her ear, "how about, 'my everything'?"
She swallowed. "Th-That will suffice, thank-you."
A second set of arms embraced them both.
"Oh, good God, John!" Sherlock bit out. "Control yourself!"
"Nope! I'm too happy!" He chirped and hugged them tighter. "Oh, wait 'til Mary hears about this!"