One Step to the Right
Summary: Despite working in the same places, Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hooper have never met. Just barely missing each other by moments, it isn't until Molly takes a step out of her usual routine that she meets the famous detective. It doesn't matter what leads them there, Sherlock and Molly will always meet. One step can change the future, but it can't change fate. Sherlolly (a little AU)
I just have to tell you that at first this story frustrated me so much because I was taking out all of their moments! Every time they would have had a moment, could have met, I had to avoid it. It made me want to cry. They do finally meet though! And I hope you enjoy it.
Also I changed Stamford and John's meeting place to be more similar to the original because a coffee shop just worked better.
It's amazing how only a matter of a few degrees can change the results of an event so drastically. One degree left or right on a plane's path can be the difference between getting somewhere safely and crashing into a mountain. A few degrees could leave you warm in the sun or in desperate need of a jacket. One step or stumble to the right can cause an unfolding of events that you didn't even think possible.
A STUDY IN PINK
Molly Hooper was grabbing some coffee on her day off when her boss came up in line behind her. She supposed it was inevitable that she would see one of her coworkers since the coffee shop was just around the corner.
"You're the second person that's told me that, today." She heard his voice before she noticed him.
"Really? Who's the first?" She was going to turn around to be polite and say hello, but then thought better of it. He was in a conversation, maybe now wasn't the time. They all stepped forward in line.
"He's at Bart's right now actually. I'm going back after I get the coffee. You can come along and I'll introduce you."
"Well. Alright. Might as well." The man sounded hesitant and a bit sad. Possibly depression, Molly thought as they took another step.
"Oh, hello, Molly!" She turned around and smiled at Dr. Stamford.
"Hello," she said, looking between him and the shorter man he must have been talking to.
"What brings you here? It is your day off."
"Oh just out running errands. You know this place has the best coffee."
"Aw, yes, so it does. Well it's nice to see you out of your lab coat; you work far too much." He turned to the other man. "This is Molly Hooper, the best pathologist in my department, possibly the best in all of England."
"Oh thank you, sir." She blushed a bit in embarrassment and Mike smiled proudly.
"This is a colleague of mine, John Watson."
"Nice to meet you." The man switched his cane to his left hand and held out his right.
"A pleasure, I'm sure," she responded, shaking his hand. Turning back to her boss she said, "I thought you were supposed to be teaching today." They all took another step toward the front of the line.
"I was, but I got a call from that Holmes fellow. He's in there now, beating up corpses," he whispered. "Can't stand the sight of it. Told him I'd go get us some coffee."
She smiled, trying not to laugh. It sounded so barbaric, it was almost amusing. She glanced at John and saw a similar expression on his face.
THE BLIND BANKER
Mike sat down at their table, looking a little disgruntled as Molly out of the corner of her eye caught sight of someone in a long black coat sweeping out of the cafeteria.
"What's wrong, Dr. Stamford?" asked one of the nurses.
"I'm supposed to teach a group tonight, but that detective just asked me to wheel out a couple of cadavers whose paperwork has already gone through."
"Couldn't you have just said no?" Molly asked.
"He would just get a warrant from Lestrade since it is a murder case. They'd probably come right in the middle of my lesson."
"Well, I'm sure it's for a good cause then," she said encouragingly. How could he say he wouldn't help if it was for a murder? They had all got into this field because they wanted to help people this way, didn't they?
Leaving the lab that night, she passed the tall man with the black coat heading to the morgue.
THE GREAT GAME
"I went to the lab to see you today but you weren't there," Jim said after he paid for their chips and they sat down at a table.
She and Jim had met from her blog initially, but had formed a quick relationship. He was a great guy. He was sweet and polite and he watched Glee with her. But still something was wrong. Something in her gut told her the relationship was off. Maybe he was gay or something?
"Oh, I must have been on my break," she said before popping a chip in her mouth.
"Yeah, there was this other guy working though, but I don't think he's an employee..."
"Oh that's probably Sherlock Holmes. Mike is always complaining about him." Honestly, she was sure that most of the hits on her blog came from mentioning Mike's struggles with Holmes. That man was becoming famous. She was surprised Jim hadn't asked about him sooner.
"Why's that?" Jim's eyebrows were arched in an almost eerie way.
"Oh, he's just always wanting into the lab or doing an odd experiment or wanting to see the bodies. He's a detective, so I guess it's all for cases and stuff."
"A detective?"
"Yeah, you haven't heard of him? The papers keep talking about him, him and John Watson. John has a blog about their cases, I guess. I don't really read much since I know how rude he can be to Mike. I'll probably just be annoyed by the praise if I know he's not a very nice person in real life."
"So you've never actually met him?"
"No."
"I would think you would have, considering you practically work in the same place."
"He'll only work with Dr. Stamford, considers him 'the most capable and least annoying' according to him."
"Well, he hasn't met you." He kissed her hand. She smiled, but again felt that drop in her gut that said this needed to stop. She needed to end this relationship.
A SCANDAL IN BELGRAVIA
A quiet Christmas at home was just what she needed, Molly Hooper told herself. Her mother was visiting her sister in America, and she was stuck alone at her flat. She hadn't been invited to any parties, by coworkers or colleagues. She didn't really have a ton of friends, and the few she had were doing things with their families. She just couldn't afford the transatlantic flight to be with her own.
Maybe I should have taken an extra shift at Bart's, she wondered.
(AFTER) THE HOUNDS OF THE BASKERVILLE
Molly held onto the little piece of paper with the new coffee boy's name and number. She tried not to smile to herself. He seemed a little old to be working in a coffee shop, but he was cute so she let it slide. She looked down to glance at the boy's name again just as a sudden gust of wind blew through the street and took the paper with it. She turned to catch it, almost running into a lamp post, throwing her off balance. She stumbled, one foot landing off the curb and a hand catching the lamp post. Just as she caught herself, a large hand encircled her upper arm and pulled her back to the sidewalk. At the same time, a cab came skidding past, stopping just ahead of where she had been leaning out into the street. Her feet stumbled a bit more being close to whoever had pulled her to safety.
"I'd advise you against stepping out into the street," said a deep voice above her.
"I lost my balance." She looked up with an annoyed expression.
"I saw." She blinked a few times in surprise. This man was strangely beautiful. He had prominent cheek bones and bright blue eyes. His hair was black and curly; she would be amiss if she didn't say she felt like twisting a strand around her finger.
"Thank you," she said, trying not to sound out of breath as she realized they were still fairly close. "Molly Hooper." She put some distance between them by holding out her hand.
"Sherlock Holmes."
"Sherlock Holmes from the papers?" He looked a little annoyed at that, raising an eyebrow towards her. "Mike talks about you a lot," she tried to explain. He cocked his head, his demeanor changing. "Mike Stamford, at St. Bart's."
He gave a large nod. "Nothing good I assume."
"Oh well… not always," she admitted. "He does admire your work though, Mr. Holmes."
He gave her a short peculiar look before melting back to something more stoic. "Well… I appreciate his services in pathology. How exactly do you know Mike?"
"Oh, he's my boss. I'm a pathologist at St. Bart's as well."
He raised his eyebrows. "Oh."
"I'm actually just heading there now…" She decided she should probably end this and took a step forward, the scrap of paper far from her mind.
He followed her movements. "I am as well. I suppose we could accompany one another."
She nodded and shrugged.
While she felt completely awkward in conversation with this man, it was also very easy. Maybe it was because she asked about why he was going to Bart's, which launched him into an explanation about his case. It was very interesting. He seemed to like having a sound board, and honestly, she was glad to be one.
As she went to gather her lab coat and things to prepare, Sherlock went to see the current pathologist in the morgue. Apparently this was an unexpected visit since she didn't see Mike anywhere. When she finally entered the morgue, she found Sherlock standing there patiently with his hands behind his back.
"Sherlock, what are you doing? Wasn't Dr. Williams here?"
"Yes, he went to the lab to do some more work. If you don't mind, I'd like you to repeat the autopsy. And if I could possibly observe…"
"Oh! Well…" She looked at her clipboard, listing her duties for the day. "I suppose I could. It is for your case."
"Excellent!"
Just as she finished the autopsy and put the body back into the freezer, Dr. Williams returned. Both of them turned to see the man walking into the morgue.
"I thought I gave you what you needed, Mr. Holmes," he said, eyeing the two.
"I wanted a second opinion; you seemed to miss quite a few things." Molly blushed. He had been quiet through the whole process, sometimes cocking his head or making humming noises. She hadn't realized he was comparing them.
"I…" the other pathologist started to say.
"Don't worry about it. I'll be working with Dr. Hooper from now on."
The man looked a little relieved. "I'll let Dr. Stamford know."
"Yes, you will." Sherlock tilted his head in a serious manner, and Dr. Williams dashed out of the room.
I assume the rest will go just as canon and that's okay with me! ^_^ Also I realize autopsies can't be that fast, but I needed the story to move along. Anyway, thank you for reading!