A/N - Hello everyone, I have come to the conclusion that unless it's completely finished on my laptop or it's a oneshot I'm not to upload anything because I look momentum and I don't want to let people down. So here's a wee Sherlock oneshot cause I'm on a binge for that show at the moment and am loving Sherlock/Molly season 3 made me down the Sherlolly ship and I shall stand by it! This idea's been bouncing about in my head for a while and I hope everyone's not to out of character so here you are my lovelies...Danni

Carol Summers, 8 years old and taken from her bedroom 1 week ago simply vanished without a trace or so the police thought. But then they were idiots and as usual I was being left to solve the case while they scratched their heads in bewilderment. Of course I was on the case for all of three hours and I had figured out it was the disgruntled father who had been absent from the girls life because he was abusive to her and her mother. I also deduced that he was keeping her at an old fishing merchant's warehouse by the Thames because he used to work there and if we didn't get there in time he was going to stow away on a friend's fishing boat to Ireland.

"You're sure?" Lestrade asked me and I rolled my eyes "I need to ask Sherlock a girl's life is at stack."

"I am acutely aware of this fact George" I snapped "which is why I made quick work of cracking this case wide open for you, your welcome by the way."

I could feel Sergeant Donovan's eyes glaring at me in the reflection of the rear view mirror but I ignored her as I usually do. Lestrade sighed but didn't say anything else as we raced through London sirens blaring to allow us a clear path. I chanced a look at John and saw that he still wore that stoic detached look that told me everything I needed to know, this case unsettled him and his thoughts, no doubt kept going back to his three month old daughter Lily sitting at home with wife.

"John I think you should focus on finding Dean Harper with Lestrade and let Sally find the girl after all she's more likely to response to a woman approaching her than another man."

My best friend looked at me with suspicion clearly thinking I have an alter motive but the detective inspector spoke before he could. "That's a good idea Sherlock you just sniff out Harper with us and Sally can lead the backup in the search for the girl." John was silent for a moment looking between us with a weary expression before he nodded stiffly and we sat in silence for the rest of the journey.

On arrival at the abandoned warehouse I could tell with just one look that it's solitary existence had been disturbed recently so I marched from the police car popping my collar up as we entered through the door that hung limply from the hinges. I vaguely heard Lestrade shouting "Sherlock will you wait!"

I took a quick look around the open plan area examining the old rusted machinery trying to notice something that would be out of place. I had just started to categorise my findings when John came up behind me "Harper's car is outside so Greg thinks he's still here so we need to be quiet alright?" Who's Greg? Oh yes Lestrade well whatever he says I guess and I nodded before slipping further into the space "Sher- wait Sherlock!"

I ducked under a raised conveyor belt noticing scuff marks on the disturbed layers of dust on the floor, he'd dragged her back here against her will probably terrified. I heard the familiar click of the safety of John's gun which I think he still brings out of habit even if he's not suppose to have it. There was a crack of broken glass up ahead of us as someone's steel-toed boot crushed an ancient light bulb under foot. We both froze before a shriek rose from the back end of the warehouse and there was the thundering crack of a gun being fired.

I barely registered John swearing under his breath or the raised alarm of the entering police as we took off towards the back of the space. I saw a dark figure running away towards the flight of stairs that lead you to the offices above and John steered himself to follow him but I kept running to the back the sound of laboured breathing becoming more apparent as I neared a small heap on the concrete ground. My shoe splashed something slick making me look down and I saw a trail of blood leading to said heap. I moved around it and saw in the dim light a small figure curled up in a ball whimpering. I fell to my knees over her pulling her long tangled and dirty auburn curls away from her face "Carol can you hear me?"

Bright green eyes turned to look at me and as I pulled into my lap laying her on her back I saw it, a bloody great hole in her stomach blood smearing her thing pyjama top. He'd shot her, his own daughter and he'd blown a hole in her when he thought she'd become a liability "I'm cold."

I swallowed hard, god what was I suppose to do she was clearly dying and I'm not good with comforting at the best of times. I pulled her a little bit closer placing my hand uselessly against the wound trying to stop the escaping blood. The little girl closed her eyes again her skin sallow and sunken from malnourishment "open your eyes Carol you need to stay awake."

I shook her gently and her eyes fluttered open again "are you here to take me home?"

The hope in her voice was crippling because I knew she wasn't going home but I nodded "yes the police are here your Mum was worried sick."

She smiled "she always worries I don't mean to-"

"Irrelevant as it's not your fault" I butted in not sure I could listen to her apologises weak and feeble as they are. There was another crack of a gun somewhere and Carol stiffened in my arms but I hushed her "it's alright he's gone that is my friend making sure he can't hurt you again."

That was apparently the wrong thing to saw however as she burst into tears loud and harrowing burying her face against my shirt. My stomach churned uncomfortably as she sobbed against me and the only thing I could think to do was hold her close still trying feebly to staunch the flow of blood from her stomach.

"Jesus Christ!" I heard a familiar voice and looked up to see Sally Donovan looking down at us in horror. She lifted her walkie talkie "I need an ambulance -"

But the rest of her words were lost to me as a small hand took hold of the lapel of my shirt and I was pulled down closer to her tear streaked face. "I'm frightened" she whispered and really didn't know what to do as more tears slipped down her pale cheeks as I opened my mouth and closed it pointlessly.

"Carol I'm sorry" I said weakly and she managed to smile.

"Can I just sleep please?"

Knees fell heavily on the other side of her and Sally's hand soothed her hair "no sweetheart you just stay awake okay?"

I shook my head as her eyes closed, she was too far gone lost too much blood to stay conscious and even as I realised this her eyes slide closed but not before I caught sight of her eyes roll into the back of her head. There was pregnant pause as Sally searched for a pulse and as she went limp in my arms I knew she was gone and the Sergeant fell back on her knees covering her mouth with her hand.

"Donovan! Donovan where...oh Jesus" I heard Lestrade's racing footsteps falter and then I felt hands pulling me away only vaguely aware it was John. I didn't let her go though not prepared to just leave her on the floor but Donovan's hands pried mine free leaving John to pull me away.

"Come on Sherlock get up" he encouraged as I stumbled up watching Donovan lay Carol's lifeless form gently to the ground sweeping stray hair from her face.

"The paramedics will call it" I heard Lestrade say and as I managed to find my feet again I pushed away from my friend taking off ignoring the shouts for me to stop. I raced towards where I had seen Harper take off after shooting his daughter and ran up a small spiral staircase towards the offices above. I had to ask him why, what had been going through his clearly mentally challenged brain that thought shooting her was a good idea.

I found him crumpled in a heap on the floor with a bullet lodged in her calf which was slowing him in his attempt to crawl away, should have known John wouldn't go for a kill shot. He had Carol's auburn hair but his wide agony filled eyes were dull brown and as they swivelled to stare at me I've never felt such loathing. I moved towards him quickly before slamming my foot onto his wound making him shriek and writhe on the floor as I heard frantic thundering footsteps on the metal steps "she's dead." He was muttering but it wasn't for forgiveness it was for mercy because my foot was still pressing down on his bullet hole which annoyed me more so I lifted my foot only to kick him squarely in the head "SHE'S DEAD!"

My voice echoed in the empty space just as I saw John appear on the landing his eyes wide with shock a frown gracing his lips. "Sherlock come on now let Lestrade arrest him let him pay for this" he was trying to reason with me but I knew what people like Harper were like if he felt no sympathy for shooting his daughter as a free man then he'd not feel any differently about it in a prison cell.

I leant down over the vile creature who was whimpering at my feet and an unhealthy rush of power took over "you don't even care do you?" The brown eyes looked up at me in terror before I pressed my foot on his wound again making him cry out "why did you even take her if you were going to dispose of her at the first sign of trouble?"

I wasn't expecting an answer but I enjoying watching him gasp through pain as he tried to speak "Sherlock stand back or I'll have to restrain you." It was Lestrade's voice but when a small hand grabbed my arm to pull me away I shook myself free and turned to glare at Sergeant Donovan who's eyes were red and puffy from tears.

She took hold of my arm again and pulled me away "come away Sherlock he's not worth it." I wanted to argue wanted to tell her that of course he was, I wanted to inflict as much pain as humanly possible but I allowed myself to be lead back.

Everything was a blur of action after that, the ambulance arriving to take away Harper, then the coroners van for...for Carol who looked lost in the large body bag they carried her away in. I had to make a statement of course, so we were simply waiting to go back to the station.

John looked tired and defeated as he leaned against the squad car me standing beside him "god I just want to go home" he muttered. It didn't take my deduction skills to tell me he wanted Lily in his arms probably to reinforce the fact that she was alive and well with Mary who he no doubt wanted just as much.

"I don't Lestrade will need a statement from you if you want to head home" I said with a shrug but he frowned at me. I rolled my eyes "you don't need to stay for me John I'm not a child you need to babysit" my tone was biting and I didn't mean it to be.

"No but I also know that no matter what you say what just happened in there has effected you and I'm not about to abandon you."

His tone was final as he held my gaze until I couldn't look at him any more so I turned my head away with a nod. It didn't take long for Lestrade to finish up with the scene and walk back towards with a heavy head and a sigh "right we'll head back to the station get a quick statement and then I'll get the both of you home."

I shrugged and got back into the car with John but as we left I saw Sally looking at me from the lines of yellow police tape that surrounded the scene and for once I couldn't decipher what emotion was playing out on her face.

"He's been gone for two weeks Greg I don't know where the hell he's gone" John was all but hysterical as we stood in my bosses office. Greg rubbed his forehead in frustration probably a headache on the way as John continued "after he finished his statement did he say anything do anything out of the ordinary?"

My boss looked at him incredulously "this is Sherlock we're talking about John he's always doing things out of the ordinary." The army doctor glared at the DI making him sigh "look he gave his statement all calm and composed like always then I walked him to the door he got into a taxi and buggered off I assumed he went home."

"Mrs Hudson says he's not been back since that night" John was clearly worried "I-I've checked all his usual places with Mary and we can't find any trace of him."

"Yeah Mycroft's come up empty as well" Greg sighed and not for the first time I got the feeling that my boss and the older Holmes brother were closer than they let on. He ran his hands through his grey hair "all the bloody CCTV in London and he's not popped up once."

"So he's hiding in one place and hasn't left" I interjected making both men look at me as though I had just magically appeared in the room.

John nodded slowly "but we've checked all his known bolt-holes."

I nodded "you're sure?"

My question made him bristle "of course I'm sure" and he listed all of them frantically confirming my suspicions.

He had missed one.

"John I'm sure he'll turn up" I tried to shrug casually moving towards the door "he's probably just on another case."

The man glared at me "thanks for your sympathy Sally can always count on you." The sarcasm in his voice was almost cruel but I bit back a remark simply leaving and grabbing my coat as I walked past my desk.

I had never known Sherlock Holmes to hide from anything but if my guess was right he was hiding and in the one place he'd never told anyone about. In fact the only reason I knew about it was because I was sort of friend's with the person who owned the place and they had told me when he went missing after being shot. I knew he would go there because he thought nobody knew about it and if that was the case then he wasn't just hiding he was burying himself, never wanting to be found and I'll be damned it he'll get away with that...again.

I waited patiently after ringing the doorbell, hearing the flurry of feet moving down the hall and soon the door creaked open. Molly smiled at me nervously not opening the door any more "hey Sal what you doing here?"

I smiled back at her "just fancied a girls night just finished the long shift so I brought wine."

I lifted the bottle in my hand that I had bought on the way over and just as I thought her face fell "well I'm actually a bit busy tonight Sal sorry" she said with her best apologetic face on making me frown.

"Molls I know he's here and I need to talk to him" I said cutting straight to the point making the pathologist blush.

"I-I don't know -"

"Let her in Molly" a familiar deep baritone sounded from the flat and Molly turned back obviously not agreeing with this statement. There was a pause as they had a silent conversation when Sherlock finally sighed "it's alright Molly."

She pulled the door open more and allowed me in and I froze at the sight of the consulting detective in front of me at the other end of the hallway. He looked like hell, unshaven for at least a week if the stubble was anything to go by, paler than usual and his eyes were bloodshot but not from crying and the long sleeves of his top made me shake my head "fuck sake Sherlock."

"I'm not using" he said defensively and I looked at Molly who on closer inspection looked as wrecked as he did exhaustion written all over her face.

"Well not after he turned up on my doorstep a few days ago" she muttered and walked into the living room.

We were silence for a moment Sherlock looking anywhere but me as he scratched his arm through the material of his top. I continued to look at him as his eyes flickered to the living room every few seconds and I smirked "you shagging yet?" He glared at me and I chuckled "I'll take that as a yes then" and I placed the bottle of wine in my hands on a small phone table before crossing my arms over my chest "John's worried about you."

He snorted before pushing himself off from Molly's bedroom door frame and I noticed as he walked further into the hallway that he was covered in sheen of sweat the smell of body odour rank and strong "he always worries."

"Well I think if he knew you were going with withdrawals he'd be pissed not worried" I pointed out as he walked into the living room. I followed him in and saw that he had walked right into the kitchen at the back and I saw him in the doorway leaning against Molly who was washing dishes in the sink his head resting against her shoulder. My friend seemed unmoved by his proximity which made me smile, she really had got over her schoolgirl crush which I hoped had made the clot appreciate her more.

Soon they both emerged from the kitchen Sherlock taking shaky sips from a bottle of water while Molly carried two glasses with "well where's that wine then?"

I retrieved it and she poured us very generous glasses of the cheap white wine I'd purchased before we all sat down. I took my usual seat in her armchair by the large front window while they sat on the sofa and we were silent for a moment. I took a long sip of my wine my eyes catching Molly's as I did so and I asked her silently for a moment with the idiot. She nodded before kissing his forehead and moving out the living room again, another testament to Molly's devotion for him if she could kiss any part of him in that state.

When she was gone he turned to look at me with narrowed eyes "so why are you here? If you figured out where I was hiding why didn't you just tell John so he can play white knight?"

"Because you don't need a white knight Sherlock you need a good slap!" I snapped before placing my wine glass on the coffee table in front of me. "Do you know how many cases I've dealt with were a victim has died in my arms?" He just glared at me and I continued "Sherlock Carol Summers death was not your fault."

"I am aware of that" he snapped "I didn't put a bullet hole in her if you remember."

"But if you had got the case earlier, if you had figured it out where he was keeping her sooner or if you'd found him that split second quicker -"

"Stop it!" He warned and I noticed the plastic bottle in his hand was starting to be crushed under the pressure before he flung it onto the sofa.

"You don't think those thoughts go through every police officers head when it goes wrong when we don't make it in time?"

"I'm not a policeman and I've seen many dead bodies Sally so I really don t see how you're making a connection" his tone was mocking but his eyes were dull and held now of there usual harshness.

"Oh yeah you've seen dead bodies plenty you're girlfriend slices them up for a living but Sherlock you've never been there when someone's slipped through your fingers it's different I don't care what you think or say."

He looked at me for second and it honestly felt like he'd never properly seen me before and then his face crumpled "I keep seeing her face and I keep thinking..." He growled deep in his throat gritted his teeth "the bastard didn't even care and I just keep thinking about something my brother told me."

"And what's that?"

"Not to get involved and that all lives end so caring wasn't advantage" he was staring down at his hands "it used to be so easy to not see a person and I blame John for making me weak."

"That's bollocks!" I snapped but I didn't get a response "Sherlock I'd known you for 3 years before John came on the scene and for all that time I thought you were a cold heartless bastard but your not." He opened his mouth to ague but I beat him to it "you were lonely, it didn't matter if Greg was there and Molly would do anything for you because you didn't know how to react to it so you might as have not known them. Then John came along and pushed you into the real world that's not a bad thing."

"I protected myself I didn't have to worry about anything else but my own welfare and now I -"

"You have a cracking best friend, a gorgeous God-daughter, a small group of friends who would and have commit felonies for you and a woman that has always seen you for who you are and didn't run screaming the other way where's the problem?!"

"If I didn't have any of that then I wouldn't have nightmares about Car- about that girl, I wouldn't have run straight to a fucking crack house the moment I left the station that night and I wouldn't be terrified of leaving this place in case I fail again!"

He had shot up to shout at me towering over me but it wasn't intimating it was sad, he looked lost on edge and ready to bolt like a frightened rabbit. "You don't fail Sherlock" I said simply and he collapsed back to the sofa and I saw something like panic in his features.

"But I did fail she died, I couldn't save her John could have saved her you could have saved her I just sat there like an idiot."

"Her father failed her Sherlock not you, he shot her not you and when you were holding her because she was terrified and didn't want to be alone he fucked off like the coward he is."

"But she died" his tone was strangled and he genuinely looked heartbroken.

"And you caught the bastard he'll rot in prison it's not good enough it won't bring her back but it has to be something Sherlock or you'll drive yourself mad."

I think if he had been feeling like himself he would have been able to deduce from my tone and body posture that I wasn't thinking about Carol Summers I was remembering my first murder when the victim's kids cried and hugged me round the middle with despair. He probably would have been able to tell that my words were not original either but in fact the words Greg Lestrade spoke to me while he gripped my shoulders as I sobbed.

"I'm not a hero" he whispered and I raised an eyebrow at him in confusion "'the Reichenbach Hero'" he sneered. "The detective with the funny hat national celebrity" he licked his lips staring into the distance "Magnussen called me a hero right before I blew his brains out."

I winced at his blunt tone but managed to keep my voice steady as I spoke "we never thought you were a hero Sherlock, Greg thinking you're a great man and John knows you're more human than you let on but we never thought you were a hero."

"Then what do you think I am?"

His gaze was steady and open so I gave him the most honest answer I could "I think your an insufferable smartarse but I don't count what counts is that all the people who do care for you are tearing their hair out with worry because your hiding from them." Sherlock nodded at me and I knew he wasn't going to correct me about not counting, I wasn't Molly who thought she didn't matter to him when in fact he loved her, even if it took him a while to realise he was in love with her. No I was just another person he had to put up with "you know what else I think Sherlock?" I added making him look back at me again "I don't think you're a socoipath I think that's just a convenient cover for your lack of social skill and being emotionally retarded."

A smirk played on his lips "oh is that right?"

I nodded "yeah I think it is" I stood quickly before walking round the table abandoning the remains of my wine "and I think you're brother can't follow his own advice about caring not being a good thing."

"Oh I know that" he snorted "after all how long has he been shagging your boss?"

I shrugged "I'm guessing about 5 months" and we grinned at each other feeling like we'd caught our parents at it. I stood for a second longer at the living room door "just remember what I said Sherlock and stop being a prat alright?"

"I'll try my best sergeant Donovan" he waved a hand as though in dismissal making me roll my eyes before leaving. I smiled at Molly who was leaning on her bedroom door looking grateful and with that I left them too it hoping that I'd managed to make a dent in his think head.

It was very next day sitting at my desk when the double doors to our office floor burst open and in strode Sherlock freshly shaven, hair washed and curls bouncing around his head and he was back to his usual expensive suit and ridiculous coat. An exasperated John was following him his words low and clipped "but where were you?"

The consulting detective seemed to be ignoring his friend instead striding towards Lestrade's office just as my boss came out to see what the noise had been. On sight of the pair Greg sighed "where the hell have you been?"

"A case" he said simply "but I read the papers today and saw a nice new murder and I'm here to ask why you didn't call me?"

"We have been calling you" Greg said placing his hands on his hips "it's you that's not answering."

"Well I'm back now so if you can take my to the crime scene Molly was good enough to allow me a copy of the autopsy report so I'm up to speed." I smirked at that and he caught it "yes there are advantages to sleeping with the head pathologist."

"WHAT?!" John and Greg shouted making me burst out laughing.

""Yeah well if you hurt her I'll de-bullock you myself" I warned but I was still smiling at him as Greg turned to look at me wide eyed.

"You knew?"

I shrugged "I'm pretty friendly with Molly and she knows about me and Dimmock so..."

Sherlock raised an eyebrow "does he know what he's getting himself into?"

"Watch it Freak!" I glared at him and Sherlock smirked back.

"I only mention it because your last boyfriend had a mental breakdown and became a conspiracy...enthusiast" he shrugged again.

I gave him my best unimpressed face before looking back at my computer but I caught John giving me a funny look. But Sherlock was moving back to the case at hand "so the crime scene I do hope your techs haven't completely destroyed all the evidence."

That started off the usual bitchy argument between my boss and the consulting detective so that John came to lean on my desk "you knew where he was didn't you?"

I looked up at him innocently "no but I remember telling you he'd turn up he probably just swanned off somewhere out of boredom."

He nodded but when he spoke there was an accusing tone "you were there, you know that death affected him more than he'll ever admit." I didn't answer him "but whatever you did thank you" and with that he moved forward again to break up his two friends "alright ladies put your handbags away!"

I smiled after him before looking back at my screen before Greg spoke again "Donovan you hold the fort I'm taking his nibs here to the scene."

I nodded as the three men walked away again but before they disappeared through the door Sherlock hung back to let John and Greg pass him before he looked back at me. His face was serious and even from across the room I knew he wasn't completely over what had happened that night in the warehouse but he inclined his head to me in thanks and I simply nodded back.

I may never be friends with Sherlock but at least I can say for certain now that he was in fact human which was always nice to know.

So I actually achieved the un-achievable and finished something short and sweet hopefully not to out of character, R&R people please...Danni