"Just stop." Sherlock stood in the middle of his living room John ready to give Sherlock a severe tongue lashing that he most definitely deserved. Mary was sitting on the sofa soothing her daughter who was beginning to fuss no doubt feeling the tension in the room between the three adults who were facing each other.
"Sherlock I know that you don't want this love I have for you and that while you don't get my name wrong like you do Greg's I know that more than once you have winced at pronouncing my humble name." Molly picked up her purse that she had dropped upon entering 221B Baker Street. "I know Sherlock. I know that you will never love or want to love me but I will love you none the less and besides whom does my loving you hurt?" Molly turned to look at John and Mary, "I do appreciate you both very much but don't worry about me. Tomorrow or perhaps the day after I will wake up to find myself alone but for now I am happy. I am aware that this is a fantasy a dream but let me live it nonetheless." She turned to walk out the flat and head down the stairs to the street outside. "Sherlock I am aware that you are not for me that I came too late into your life maybe if we had met sooner you may have loved me but all I ask that you do not disparage me. The only difference between you and I Sherlock is that if I were in your shoes I would love me." She turned to look at all the occupants in the room gave one last smile, "I will see you all soon, goodnight.", and with that Molly left Sherlock's flat. He had called to ask for some fingers for an experiment he had been working on and she had arrived not as promptly as he had requested and as such felt the need to remind her of her sole importance in life. She was tired and she realized as she waved down a cab to be awarded with a black car with tinted windows instead she agreed to enter. Mycroft sat inside drinking tea and offered Molly a cup which she shook her head no to. "Dr. Hooper I do want you to know that…" and Mycroft trailed of what he could honestly say concerning Sherlock's behavior. Molly put up her hands, "Mycroft thank you for the assistance in getting me home but concerning your brother. It doesn't hurt as much as it once did. A time will come when I no longer feel as deeply as I do for him and I will smile and find my sunshine somewhere." Molly answered with a small smile and when the car stopped stepped and wished Mycroft a goodnight.
Sherlock may waste his time by not accepting her love. His cruelty towards her feelings was a sore spot for all their common acquaintances but one can't help who they fall in love with. Not today and definitely not tomorrow but Molly felt it deep down to her bones someday soon she would move on and find true happiness right now she needed to feed Toby.
Juan Gabriel
Molly had been in such a rush this morning that now that she had a moment to sit at her desk the odd things started to make sense. She had received several calls from her mother, brother, sister, friends and even passing acquaintances but had not much of a chance to check her messages and no one had left a voice mail. Her co-workers had given her a wide berth upon her entrance to the hospital and no one seemed willing to make eye contact as she rushed to the morgue, so she began her day and now before her stood her supervisor with a hot tea in his hand and the newspaper folded under his arm.
Molly got a sinking feeling; she did not want to hear what he had to say. "Molly." His voice sounded so broken she had to grip the desk before she fell, wait she was sitting, why was the room spinning. "Molly I don't know what to say but I made you this tea and if you want to talk about it I am here for you." Mike placed the tea in front of Molly and opened the newspaper to show Molly the front page news. There was Sherlock with a woman hanging of his arm. He was looking at the woman and smiling blissfully, the headlines read Love Blossoms for Consulting Detective.
Molly held her breath and read the article he knew the woman in question. In fact, she had introduced them and now here she was occupying the place she had confided in her friend she had always wanted to be in. The lab doors opened and Mike turned to look to see who had arrived. When he saw that it was Sherlock he looked to Molly, "I will take care of it don't worry if you want to take a couple of days off too I will understand." Molly sat dumfounded was this really happening or was it just a bad dream she put her finger in the tea and it burned, no she was awake. Mike look startled at Molly but she held up her hand as she wiped her finger on a napkin, "It's alright Mike it was bound to happen sooner or later. I will take care of it but do wait for me here please." Molly took the paper with her as she approached Sherlock and placed the paper next to the microscope he was using. Sherlock looked at the paper then her and was about to say something but Molly shook her head and simply said "Sherlock what do you know about her?" Sherlock was insulted how she dare ask him what he knew of course he knew her but once more before he responded Molly began.
"Sherlock I am going to give you a little advice this woman who sleeps in your bed, who is a lady to all who see who seemingly asks you for nothing but will only accept the best. Who undoubtedly has told you more than once that she loves you, who never seems to say no and who claims she would give her life to make you happy. She was once my friend."
Sherlock was growing bored with this conversation and was attempting to stand up but Molly placed her hand on his shoulder and shoved him back into his seat. "I say was once my friend because she has stolen that which I love the most for nothing but pure ambition. The day I presented you to her is now the worst day of my life "Molly took a couple of steps away from Sherlock but never broke eye contact with him. "I can see why you find her interesting she is beautiful and seemed almost blessed an angel but know this she is perdition." Molly wrapped her arms around her midsection and spoke softly to Sherlock, "She is mean, all she knows to do is to cause pain, she loves no one, she lies and is poison and her caresses are an insult to any positive feelings you may truly have towards her." Molly stood erect and brought her arms to her side and approached Sherlock once more, "Sherlock she doesn't love you she is just playing with you she is every bit treacherous as your most hated nemesis." At this point Molly did walk away and walked towards the windows that faced the hospital courtyard and took a steadying breath before she continued, "She will tell you she loves you for all her days and without restrictions and fill you with kisses and she will give herself to you promising eternal love but Sherlock don't you see that those lies are part of her enchantment and when she is done with you another one will receive the same ministrations." Molly turned to look at Sherlock and leaned her back against the table, "Ooh Sherlock, she is playing with you and when she leaves you it will be too late."
Molly walked towards her office, grabbed her purse and coat and whispered to Mike that she would be taking more than a couple of days off and would keep him posted. As she approached the lab doors she said one final goodbye to Sherlock and began her trek back home.
Gloria Trevi
Greg Lestrade sat at his favorite corner table at his favorite pub sipping on his favorite beer and contemplating Sherlock's question, what was the difference between caring and loving. Greg took a long swig from his beer and inhaled deeply after it was done. He was a bit uncomfortable answering such a loaded question. Besides Sherlock was grown and he had an older brother a father for goodness sake he had a best friend Greg was sure that someone had provided this answer before. "Do you not know the answer?" Sherlock grabbed his gloves off the table and made to stand, "I didn't say I didn't know the answer but why not ask John? Mycroft? Your dad? I'm sure they have better answers for you, answers that you would understand." Sherlock turned to look at Lestrade once more. Greg took one more drink from his beer and began his answer.
"Sherlock everyone knows how to care, like or whatever moniker you want to give it but very few know how to love because the differences between caring and loving is that when you care it is joyous but to love to love is to suffer." Greg took his wedding band off and placed it on the table and stared at it as he continued. "When someone loves they live to love and give their life but those that care pretend to live and never know suffering." Greg picked up his ring and placed it in his palm as he picked up his beer with the other and took another drink. "When you are in love you can't think straight you give everything without hesitation but when you just care you forget that someone must falter and don't cry for its loss for it was a brief encounter. But when you love Sherlock it never ends it is heaven it is light and when you are loved in return it is fulfillment, glory and peace all rolled into one." Greg placed his wedding band back on, "When you care for someone it is just lust and looking for the next dark corner to fulfill wants and burns hot and fast but all the same it dies." Greg pulled his wallet out and placed a couple of bills on the table. Before he walked away he turned to look at Sherlock, "I hope that answers your question."
Jose Jose
"Sherlock." Molly couldn't help the anguish, the sadness, the despair from creeping into her voice when she spoke his name. She had spent the night thinking of this moment. Of the moment when she walked out of her bedroom and it would be last time she would perhaps ever see him. Sherlock had stopped collecting his items and stood in the middle of her modest living room and looked at her, "I know that perhaps this may be the last time we see each other but I want you to know that I do wish you the best of luck and for John's sake and all those that you do hold dear that you do return to them and soon." Molly stepped back into the shadows of her room and closed her door. She leaned her forehead against it and begged her tears not to come until he had gone she did not want him to hear her cry. From this point forward her days would be filled with sadness until his possible return. He was not hers but she could hardly wait until his return and perhaps then she would have the courage to hold him just once. It would feel like an eternity until his return but deep down she knew that he had never been hers and upon his return things had to be different for both of their sakes, her sanity and her heart could not take much more. She heard the softest of clicks and knew he was gone, "Goodbye my love." Molly whispered to the silence of her bedroom. It would not be today but soon, soon she had to wake up and move on but not today.
Juan Gabriel
