Ciao Sherlollians! (and non-sherlollians, maybe? :D)
Last night I was watching "His Last Vow" with my mother and when we reached the end I just kept thinking that it bothered me that they didn't show Sherlock saying goodbye to Molly. So, as soon as we finished it, an tiny-not-so-good idea came into my mind and this one shot was soon born!
So, this is how I imagine Sherlock and Molly's goodbye. Hope you enjoy this tiny one-shot! (yeah, I like the world tiny a lot)
Oh, yeah. SPOILERS FROM SEASON THREE FINALE AND THE WHOLE SEASON THREE. I warned you! :)
Disclaimer: I do not own BBC's characters and ACD owns his own characters.
A/N: English is not my first language and this story was not beta'd.
The plane took off and Sherlock watched as he left his world behind.
Green lands became smaller and the people he knew – and cared about – became little soldiers to him, soldiers that would keep fighting in a world where he would never step again.
He breathed, slowly, while he still could.
He never properly said goodbye to her.
She ran between those white walls that were all the same for her. No sign could make them different and even if it did, it wouldn't look different to her. But when they told her she wasn't allowed to get it, she pushed the guards aside and ran. She already went there once, almost three years before, so when they told her he was penned in a room and that no one was allowed to get it, she just ran. Because she knew where he was.
So even if they all looked the same, the walls guided her to him.
"Ma'am, you're not allowed to be in this area!" a man with black glasses said. She didn't care and went past him, opening the door. Mycroft was right behind her and never tried to stop her.
"Tell me this is just one of your stupid jokes" Molly said, stopping dead in her tracks. Sherlock slowly turned around, his hands still behind his back. "It's not funny, Sherlock".
"I'm afraid it's quite true" Sherlock replied. He was fighting to keep his voice balanced but it cracked a bit.
"Miss Hooper, as you know, you're not allowed to stay here" Mycroft said. "No one can".
"I don't care" she replied. Sherlock smirked a bit.
"Could you please leave us alone, brother?" Sherlock asked. Mycroft raised his eyebrow and laughed, softly.
"I'm not leaving you two alone in here" he replied. "Three years ago you asked her to help you fake your death, there's no chance I'm leaving you alone. This time it's serious, Sherlock".
"Oh come on, what do you think she's going to do, hide me under her shirt and take me out?" Sherlock answered back. "There are guards outside and this room has no windows. I'm not planning to break out, I just want to talk to her". Mycroft didn't move. "Alone".
This time, Mycroft snorted and Sherlock got impatient.
"Five minutes, that's all I ask" he asked, trying not to sound desperate.
"If that's all you need" Mycroft said and quickly glanced at Molly. "I'll see you outside, Miss Hooper".
He closed the door and they were alone.
Molly had tears running down her face and she didn't bother to hide them.
"So that's all you need" Molly said, trying to make a brave face. "Five minutes is all you need to say goodbye to me".
"You know I'm not good with words" he said. "And I wish we had more time".
"You could've asked for more, I'm sure he would've granted you even fifteen minutes if you only had dared to ask" Molly answered back.
"You know that's not what I meant" Sherlock replied.
"Then what did you mean?" she asked. Her voice broke with silent tears. Sherlock took a few steps forward but he still kept his distance.
"I wish we had more time together" he said.
"Sherlock Holmes would never say that" she answered back and he smiled.
"I believed I've changed a bit" he said. She wept away some tears.
"You've changed a lot" she said and lowered her eyes for a moment. "You saved John Watson and his life. You saved Mary. The Sherlock I had a crush on would've never done that for just anyone". She looked right into his eyes and smiled. "The Sherlock I fell in love with would, though".
"I can't give you what you want" he replied.
"You said you wished we had more time" she pointed out. "Doesn't that mean you wanted to try?".
"If we had more time then maybe, yes" he replied.
"You tried with Janine" Molly said, her eyes on the ground.
"It was never real" he replied almost desperately. "The only reason I got into a relationship with her was because I needed her to let me in. I just used her".
"Like you used me" Molly said. It was an arrow thrown into an open wound but if that was the last time they were facing each other, then she didn't want to leave with regrets.
"Yes" he admitted, sighing. "Like I used you. But believe when I say that I regret using you like that".
"I believe you" she replied. This time, she got closer and knew that seconds were precious and didn't want to waste them by enjoying the silence around him.
"Where will you go?" she asked.
"Mycroft is sending me away in Eastern Europe for an undercover mission" he replied. The baritone in his voice made her shiver inside.
"For how long?" she asked.
"Six months, according to Mycroft" he replied.
"And then?" she asked. "What happens when you end it?". Sherlock didn't answer and Molly let her tears fall down like a waterfall. "They end you". And it wasn't a question.
"I'm an assassin, Molly. There's only one fate for people like me" he replied.
"John has killed different men" she said. "A lot of people kill other people but they surely don't deserve death, especially when the person they killed wasn't a good man!".
"It's different, you know it".
"That doesn't change anything! They can't just kill you!".
"They can and they will if they have to".
"Time's up". Both turned around and saw Mycroft standing in front of the now open door, two men dressed in black behind him.
"One more minute, Mycroft, please" Sherlock asked.
"I'm sorry" Mycroft said. The guards approached them and Molly took a tight hold of Sherlock's shirt.
"I can't let you go" she whispered. "I tried and I can't".
"You have to" he replied. "And you will".
Mycroft raised a hand and the guards stopped halfway. Sherlock knew that signal: it meant he had thirty seconds to say everything he wanted to say. But he decided that he had said enough words.
"I hope you'll be very happy, Molly Hooper" he said, approaching her. His hand gently lifted her chin and brought her lips closer to his. "And I'm sorry I won't be there to make it happen".
He pressed his lips on hers and his mind palace worked like mad. He tried to memorize the feelings, the images, the sensations. It was the last thing he was going to remember about her and he wanted to remember everything. Her touch, her smell, her almost dry tears joining his fresh ones.
Then, two arms took her away, a crying woman with a kiss on her mouth, and he was locked away from a world he wished he had a chance to know.