A/N: This was inspired by a Sherlolly photo manip by the amazing Olya, kstewmanipulation on tumblr. Therefore, it is dedicated to Olya.
Disclaimer: It all belongs to the BBC.
"I love you," she whispered into her mobile and the line immediately disconnected. Molly stared at her mobile in disbelief. After what he said? After what he made me say? "No, no, no, you cannot do this to me, Sherlock!" She called him back but the call went straight to voicemail. He turned off his phone at a moment like this? At the beep, she left a teary message, begging him to call her back.
When he hadn't responded half an hour later, Molly went to Baker Street only to find out that a bomb had gone off in the middle of Sherlock's sitting room. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Sgt. Donovan, who oversaw the investigation, told her that Mrs. Hudson was staying with her sister for the time being and that Sherlock hadn't been seen since the bombing.
Even more shaken, Molly went home. It was still hours before her bedtime but she was bone-weary after the events of the day. She tried calling Sherlock one last time but it went straight to voicemail again and she didn't bother to leave a message. Feeling as lost and vulnerable as a small child, she dug in the back her bedroom closet until she found her prize – a pink Care Bear her mother had given her when she was young. Changing into her red-and-black plaid pajamas, Molly climbed into bed, clutching the bear to her chest as she quietly cried herself to sleep.
The feeling of the mattress dipping and an arm wrapping around her waist woke her briefly during the night, but it wasn't enough to alarm her and she was soon asleep again.
Molly woke up the next morning to find the arm still around her waist and the Care Bear still in her arms. I thought it was a dream… She recognized the arm and debated over facing the rest of him or pretending to still be asleep.
"Do you want to talk about it face-to-face or would you rather not look at me right now?" Sherlock murmured in her ear.
So much for pretending. "The latter," she murmured. "Why did you make me say it, Sherlock? And this time, I want the truth."
Sherlock let out a painful sigh then proceeded to tell her everything. Molly could feel her heart breaking a little more with each painful revelation. By the time he told her about finding his sister in her old room, she was weeping. Molly slowly turned to face him and she could see his eyes were wet. She hugged him tightly and he buried his face in her hair, finally letting his tears flow. They held each other through their tears.
When they had both calmed down, Molly asked softly, "You meant it? You didn't just say it because I told you to?"
"I meant it," he said firmly. "I think I've loved you since you first offered to have coffee with me, but I ran from my feelings. I'm not running now, Molly." He smiled weakly. "If you could see yourself building a life with me, I swear I'll be the man you've always dreamed of."
Molly smiled softly. "The man I've always dreamed of belongs there, in my dreams. I don't need you to be perfect, Sherlock. I just need you to be yourself because you're perfect for me. I love you. I always have. I always will."
Sherlock gazed at her for a moment then he kissed her softly. Molly kissed him back and felt herself relaxing for the first time since the phone call. When he pulled back, he was holding up her Care Bear and smirking a bit.
"What's this one's name?"
Molly laughed softly. "What makes you think it has a name?"
"All of your stuffed animals have names. Even the taxidermy mouse in the kitchen has a name."
"Love-A-Lot."
Sherlock grinned. "Appropriate."
