kelseyrare on tumblr asked for a Beauty and the Beast Mythea with rings instead of the flower... this is what I did. Enjoy.

I own nothing - MrsMCrieff looked it over for me... she rocks.

Molly and Sherlock exited Mycroft's office and Sherlock hailed a cab. They had been riding for about ten minutes when Molly spoke.

"Sherlock, Mycroft and Anthea wear matching rings on their right ring fingers," she said, it wasn't a question.

He had wondered when she would notice that, she was a great deal more observant than John Watson. He was surprised it hadn't happened sooner. "Well, they both wear rings. Not sure if they are matching," he said trying to seem like he didn't care at all.

Molly rolled her eyes. "You know I can usually tell when you're lying, right?"

Sherlock huffed. "Unfortunately," he said flatly.

"So?"

The cab was silent for several minutes while Sherlock tried to decide if it was appropriate to disclose this kind of information to Molly Hooper. He knew he could trust her, this however, wasn't his secret to share. But he and Molly were clearly entering into new territory as far as their relationship was concerned, even if she was, thus far, unaware of it. Her trust was imperative. He needed to know if he could tell her a deep and somewhat dark, family secret. He sent off a quick text.

"Thank you for helping with this investigation Molly, I couldn't handle dealing with Mycroft's imbecilic excuse for a pathologist any longer," he said, attempting to buy some time waiting for the response from his brother.

"You know I don't mind helping you Sherlock. Now, if you don't want to tell me about Mycroft and Anthea, I do under..." She stopped speaking when Sherlock received a text and starting reading it, completely ignoring her.

Once he was finished he looked up at her. "You were saying," he said.

"I said, I understand if you don't want to tell me about your brother. It's really none of my business anyway." She turned to look out the cab window.

By this point they had just about reached Molly's flat. "It's early still, mind if I come up for tea?" he asked.

"Sure."

Once inside, Molly set about preparing the tea and Sherlock sat down to think about how he'd tell her about his brother and Anthea. It would be a difficult thing to comprehend under the best of circumstances, but why he was willing to share such a secret, was even more important.

When Molly returned, he took his tea and thanked her. He gave himself a moment to collect his thoughts, then he spoke. "Molly, do you believe in magic?"

She smiled. "I do Sherlock. But I don't for a moment believe that you do."

He smiled back. "What do you know of it?"

"My gran, she dabbled. A bit of 'healing' she called it. But my mum said it was magic, nonetheless. Why? Why are we talking about magic, of all things?"

"The rings Molly."

"Oh."

He nodded. "So about eleven years ago Anthea was still a field agent. She was involved in an assignment, a dangerous one. I won't go into details, but the point is; she was injured, badly. There was an explosion. She had burns covering half of her body. Besides looking horrific, she was in constant pain. Mycroft was in contact with every doctor in the country, nothing helped. He couldn't stand it, watching her hurt was killing him, slowly. I've never seen him like that before. I-I didn't know he..." Sherlock paused. "Well, he obviously loved her. So, when everything else failed, he contacted a... professional."

Molly's eyes were wide. "A witch?"

Sherlock sighed and rolled his eyes. "A warlock."

"Wow."

"Yes, so the rings. They, bind them, in a way. The spell keeps her pain and scars at bay, as long as they are both wearing the rings."

"How?" Molly asked.

Sherlock paused, this was the hard part. "Mycroft absorbs her pain Molly, and her scars."

Molly gasped. "Oh my God," she whispered.

"He did it willingly. He couldn't stand seeing her like that. Not the scarring, but the pain. He could take the pain away, so he did."

Molly's eyes were filling with tears. "How could she let him do that? I mean..." Then the realisiation hit her, at full force. "She doesn't know."

Sherlock shook his head. "No."

"Oh, Sherlock." She buried her face in her hands.

Sherlock gathered her up and held her into his chest. "I know Molly."

"S-she'd want to know," Molly sobbed out.

"She can't, Molly or the spell will be broken."

They sat like that for several minutes before Molly spoke again. "Sherlock are they..."

"I don't know. My brother is a very private person, as you well know. I have my suspicions, however."

Sherlock gave Molly his handkerchief and she thanked him. "Sherlock what would happen if Anthea took the ring off? I mean, surely she would clean it or..."

"You and your inquisitive mind," he laughed. "It's part of the spell. She won't, she's compelled to keep it on."

She nodded then got an odd look on her face. "Why did you tell me about this? You didn't have to, I mean... I-I don't understand."

Sherlock smiled. "I did ask Mycroft before sharing this with you Molly, the text in the cab."

"Okay, but why?" she asked.

Sherlock tucked a stray hair behind Molly's ear. "Well, family should know these things, don't you think?"

Molly stared back wide-eyed. "Family?"

"Yes, as in you and Mycroft."

She smiled. "That's an odd way of proposing Sherlock."

"Well, no one ever said I was conventional, Molly."

She shook her head. "We've gotten a bit off topic."

"It seems we have," he said.

"There's more, what are you not telling me?"

"Nothing gets past you," he said with a sad look on his face. "Yes, Molly there's more. Things like this come at a price."

"The pain isn't enough?" she asked.

"No, that's to be expected, the pain has to go somewhere. No, he... there was an exchange. Information. The professional," he hated using the term warlock. "was someone you knew." He took a deep breath. "Moriarty."

Molly gasped.

He gave her a minute to take that in before continuing. "Yes. In order to save his lovely Anthea, my brother had to turn himself into monster in exchange, figuratively at least." He couldn't help thinking that he had gotten a bit too poetic there.

"That's why Mycroft gave him information about you, to help Anthea."

"Of course. That is something John Watson will never be able to forgive. And, I'm afraid, you got caught up in it as well."

"I- I..." Molly stuttered, obviously overwhelmed.

"I know. It's a lot to take in."

"You knew," she said.

Again Sherlock wasn't shocked, so much as impressed by Molly's ability to deduce a situation. "Yes, I did. I didn't however, anticipate him becoming such a formidable advisory." He paused and took her hand. "So, you have the whole ugly story, back to my question..."

"I heard no question," she interrupted.

He cleared his throat.

"Fine," he huffed. "Would you..."

"Dinner, first Sherlock. It's customary to take a young lady out to dinner before asking such a question."

Sherlock rolled his eyes and shook his head. "How many dinners have we shared Miss Hooper?"

She smiled knowingly. "Okay, fine. Ask your question."

"Well you've ruined it now Molly, not sure I want to ask anymore."

"I don't think you really have a choice. I seem to know a Holmes family secret. Best we keep it in the family, don't you think?"

He cupped her cheeks with his hand and pulled her in for their first of many kisses. When finished he asked, "Molly Marie Hooper, will you marry me?"

"Of course I will Sherlock Holmes."

Let me know what you think. Come visit me on tumblr, same name.