Special Note: 5/11/19
I am adding this note to the beginning of my story in order to address a private message I received where the person felt concern about my story content as a professing Christian and that I am condoning practices that go against what the Bible teaches for us as Christians, in particular, the issue of living together before marriage and pre-marital sex, especially in the context of my Molly also being a professing Christian.
Although this story progresses to having Sherlock and Molly living together before marriage, this is not something I personally advocate. For the premise of the story, Molly agrees to move in with Sherlock when he wants to protect her. At the time he is also not yet a Christian.
Choosing to live together before marriage as a Christian is a slippery slope which can have consequences, especially in regard to giving into temptation. The struggles that I show between Sherlock and Molly in their desire to be together is intended to make people aware of that. They are human, not perfect, and make choices of a questionable nature, as we all do. There is no such thing as a perfect Christian. However, in writing that story, I also wanted to show their commitment to waiting for their wedding night to be intimate, and they succeed – sorry for the spoiler.
For more information on my faith and writing style, please check out my profile for additional information. The above explanation is also now included in my profile.
Author update 9/21/18
As of today, this story is complete. To those of you who may come to this story late, please know that your feedback is just as important as that of those who read and reviewed it as the story progressed. Your response is important to me, and it is my hope that this story will be a source of inspiration and comfort to all those who read it.
If you are a fellow Christian, please consider these words from the Bible:
1 Thessalonians1 5:11-12 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (12) Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord...
Every time you leave a review on someone's story, you are showing them that you care, and you are building them up as well as encouraging them. If it was important enough to be mentioned in the Bible, it is something we should be actively doing at all times as Christians.
If you are coming to this story simply out of interest in reading a truly unique portrayal with Sherlock and Molly, your feedback is still just as important. I respond to all reviews.
Three days. It had been three days and nothing, not a phone call or even a text from Sherlock.
Molly sat at her kitchen counter as the untouched cup of coffee in front of her cooled. She sat there, miserably reflecting on the phone call she had received the previous day from Mycroft Holmes. He had gently, yet firmly, explained to her the sequence of events that had led to Sherlock asking her to say "I love you" to him over the phone. Apparently it had been an elaborate scheme by Sherlock's "secret" sister to embarrass him and play with his emotions.
Molly and her feelings had just been unintentional collateral damage.
Molly had been in love with Sherlock for years now. During Sherlock's two year absence after his apparent suicide, Molly had attempted to move on with her life. Although she had been instrumental in helping the famous detective fake his death, Molly had fully expected to never see him again.
When she had met Tom, a tall young man who dressed similarly to Sherlock and who vaguely resembled him, Molly threw herself into the new relationship, even going so far as to accept Tom's marriage proposal. Of course, once Sherlock had revealed himself to her and resumed his "normal" life, it was just a matter of time until the pathologist had felt a resurrection also of her feelings towards the handsome detective. Tom had been smart enough to see the writing on the wall and had somewhat amicably released Molly from their engagement.
Since that time, Molly had had eyes only for Sherlock, and their friendship had developed to a point where the brooding detective counted on her and trusted her. Molly had been content to keep her feelings to herself and just enjoy whatever time she was able to spend with Sherlock. He had told her himself that she mattered to him.
Then, three days ago, everything changed and Molly's world was turned upside-down. First came that inexplicable phone call. Sherlock had sounded tense, and his request for her to say "I love you" was so strange and out of character.
Obviously something was going on, but what? The desperation in the man's voice as he begged her to respond had been her undoing. After her confession of love, making Sherlock actually say the words first had been the only thing that saved her from feeling completely humiliated. Then, there had been a feeling of utter confusion as the call was disconnected almost immediately after she uttered those fateful words.
Until the call from Mycroft had shattered Molly's hopes and dreams, she had dared to hope Sherlock's words of love had been sincere, especially when he had said them twice.
Molly's eyes filled with tears for what felt the hundredth time since Mycroft Holmes had delivered the devastating news of the forced love confession his brother had felt he had to make in order to save her life. She picked up the now cold coffee cup and poured its contents down the sink, then turned the kettle on again to boil the water for a fresh cup. Maybe next time she would actually drink it, not that she really needed the caffeine, after two nights of barely being able to sleep.
A knock at the door startled Molly and she hastily brushed away her tears with the sleeve of her jumper.
"Molly, let me in. I need to talk to you, to explain..." came the voice of the man she loved, and her heart skipped a beat.
"You've been crying." Sherlock remarked, as Molly opened the door to let him in.
She ignored the comment and said, "I was just about to make myself a cup of coffee, would you like one? Black with two sugars, right?"
''Yes, but I didn't come here for coffee. I came here to talk to you about the other night," he said.
Molly turned her back on him and busied herself with making two cups of coffee and adding sugar to both. "There's no need to explain. Your brother called me and told me what was going on." Molly tried to keep the tone of her voice steady, not wishing to betray her anguish.
"I don't know what Mycroft told you, but I'm sure it wasn't the whole story. There was a coffin, and I deduced that it was meant for you. On the lid of the coffin were three words..."
"You really don't need to tell me," Molly interrupted as she placed a coffee cup on the table in front of Sherlock and gestured for him to sit. "I mean really, there's no point, is there? I know you were forced into the situation. I admit, it is also my fault for making you say it first." Molly seated herself across the table from him and took a small sip of coffee, trying to act as if her heart was not being torn in two.
"Would you please just let me tell you the whole story?" pleaded Sherlock. "I think you will be glad to know everything."
Molly sighed, bracing herself for the convoluted story that was sure to follow, which would still result in her broken heart. "If you really need to unburden yourself, go ahead."
"I do," responded Sherlock gravely. "My sister Eurus had a coffin placed in a room, and I was able to figure out it was meant for you. On the lid of the coffin was a plaque inscribed with the words 'I love you'. Eurus informed me that your flat was rigged to explode in approximately three minutes, unless I could get you to say those words as the release code. I was not allowed to inform you of the danger, or she threatened to end the 'experiment' and your life immediately."
"I understand Sherlock, and I don't blame you for doing what needed to be done," said Molly flatly.
"Will you let me finish?" asked Sherlock in an irritated tone.
Molly lifted her hands in a gesture of surrender, then stared down at her beverage as he continued.
"Molly, we've been friends, good friends for a long time now. You are always the person I come to for help, my confidante, my conscience." Abruptly, he stood and walked to where she sat. "Look at me and pay attention," he commanded. "Until this crisis, I was happy with the way things were between us. I knew I could count on you whenever I needed something, but when I thought you might die and leave me forever..." he broke off, emotion washing over his features.
Molly looked into Sherlock's fathomless turquoise eyes, hardly daring to hope that he might, after all, have deeper feelings for her than she had thought.
"Another thing, my sister had somehow had cameras rigged to show you in your flat so I could see you, even though you couldn't see me. I wasn't just talking into a vacuum, I was looking at you, seeing everything I was putting you through." As Molly flushed with embarrassment, realizing he had seen her anguish, Sherlock continued, "After I got those words out, it hit me, the feelings I never knew I was capable of having. Eurus did me a favour in the end because she made me face the possibility of living the rest of my life without you." Sherlock drew Molly gently from her chair so she was standing directly in front of him. There was a look in his eyes that she had never seen before. Then came the words her heart longed to hear. "I do love you, Molly Hooper. When I told you that the second time, I knew it to be true."
As Molly felt joy spread through her, Sherlock drew her close to him and leaned down. His lips met hers, gently and a little uncertain. When Molly put her arms around him, responding to the incredible feel of Sherlock's lips on hers, their kiss deepened in intensity. Molly felt she was drowning in it, the feel of his lips tender yet firm. It was heaven; it was bliss. Was this really happening to her? She had dreamed about it for so long, but never thought it would come to pass.
Molly pulled back from Sherlock's embrace and asked, "Are you sure about this, Sherlock? Are you sure you aren't still traumatized by your sister's machinations? If you truly love me, why did it take you three days to contact me?"
At this, Sherlock pressed his lips to Molly's forehead. "I needed time to figure out what I was going to do next. Molly, I had to work through these emotions I had suddenly unlocked and decide whether I could be the man you wanted me to be. After all, I'm a high-functioning sociopath, and I am pretty good at hurting people - sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. I'm by nature selfish and arrogant, and I know I've hurt you in the past. I needed to make some decisions about my - no, our - future."
To Molly's utter astonishment, Sherlock put a hand in his pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box.
"I know we've never gone out together, unless you count those times I've enlisted your help. Maybe you'll think I'm insane - I probably am. All I know for sure is I don't ever want to risk losing you to someone else." Dropping down to one knee in front of the bemused Molly, Sherlock opened the box and exposed the exquisite heart-shaped diamond solitaire ring nestling within. He then withdrew the ring and held it towards her. "Molly Hooper, will you do me the extraordinary honour of consenting to marry me? I know I'm not the perfect man; I'm far from it. You undoubtedly deserve much better than me, but you are the only woman I could ever contemplate sharing my life with."
"Oh Sherlock," Molly whispered as tears fell unashamedly from her lashes. "I can't believe that an hour ago I was imagining a future without you, and now you are here, asking me to marry you. Of course I'll marry you! But how are you going to tell John? Won't he be upset about you adding me to the 'inner circle?'"
Sherlock grinned at her in a carefree manner she had never seen before. "Who do you think helped me find the perfect ring in such a short time? He was there during the whole Eurus situation and knew almost immediately after my conversation with you that I was in love with you." Having said this, Sherlock rose to his feet and placed the ring on the third finger of his new fiancée's left hand. It was, of course, a perfect fit. Then he sealed the deal with a passionate, yet sweet kiss that left Molly breathless. She wrapped her arms around Sherlock's neck and kissed him back with all the longing her heart had held for him these past seven years.
He was hers, incredibly, at last. "So, what do you think your brother's reaction will be?"
Sherlock grimaced. "Let's not worry about him for now. I think it will be more fun to go back to my place and tell Mrs. Hudson. I guess I should also let John know you said yes."
Author's note: This is my first ever fan fiction story. I was originally planning just a one-shot, but found I didn't want to stop there. What do you think of my first effort? Are you brave enough to continue the journey?
