PART II
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On the Way to Molly's flat. One Month and One Day After Eurus' Game
"I don't know if Meena told you, but I was engaged a few years back." Molly says looking at the pavement as Andrew walked her home. "We broke up. There were lots of reasons why, but I guess the main one is that we went into the relationship too fast. Sorry, I know you're not supposed to talk about your past relationships on your first date and I really like you but I – "
"You don't want to rush another relationship." He interrupts. "I understand. Meena told me about your engagement, so you don't have to worry about that. To be honest, it's kind of the reason why I agreed on this. I haven't told you about Jane, have I? She was my fiancée. She died a few years back. Car accident. It's not like I can't move on. I mean, it's been more than two years and I'm better than I was before. But still. The scars that remained after she left are still with me. I just figured that if I'm going to try meeting new people again, I want to start with someone who would be able to understand what it is like to have that kind of baggage. Someone who won't rush into anything after the first date. Sorry. It's weird, isn't it? I probably said too much." Andrew says.
Molly smiles. "No, it's fine. It's kind of nice, actually." They stop walking. "Maybe we should try being friends first?" Molly asks.
"That would be lovely." Andrew says. He kisses her cheek. "See you again, sometime, Molly." He leaves her on her doorstep.
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St. Bartholomew's Hospital. One Month and Two Weeks After Eurus' Game
Sherlock spends more and more time in the lab. Molly doesn't ask what he's doing. He does not ask for her help. Instead, they pass each other by, each doing their own work. Sometimes, he hovers in the morgue, not doing anything in particular. He assists her in her work (She doesn't ask. He just happens to know when she'll need a scalpel or bowl or an assay kit or something and prepares them for her. She doesn't have enough energy to tell him off.). Sometimes he even brings her food when she's having a long day and she forgets to eat.
"You don't have to do these out of guilt, Sherlock." Molly said to him once. "I really am fine. I guess I just needed time. I don't resent you for not loving me the way the loved you. I just needed time to process it, that's all. I'm fine now. I meant what I said. I'll still be your friend. I'll still be your friend even if you're not doing these things for me."
Sherlock does not reply immediately. Molly is already too preoccupied with her work to hear him when he says, softly, "Maybe I just want to do these things for you."
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Hyde Park. One month, Three Weeks and Six Days After Eurus' Game.
"Sometimes I feel like Jane took this huge part of me and buried it with her." Andrew says. He is sitting on a park bench, coffee cup on hand. They begin to see each other more often these past few days. They go out for coffee, have dinner. They don't do anything much but talk though. They did agree to start being friends first. Molly does not mind. She likes his company and she feels he likes hers, too. "Sometimes I feel like I can never love someone as fully as I loved her because I have given too much of myself to her."
"I know what you mean." Molly says, before taking a sip in her coffee. "Maybe that's a side effect of loving someone for too long. Even if the person you love is gone, even if they reject your love for them, a huge part of your heart irrevocably remains with them. In the end, the only thing we can do is realize that although we can't take that part back, the parts that remain with us can still love even if they're a bit broken. Then maybe someday, although parts of our heart still remain with the people from our past, we'll find ourselves loving another as fully as we did them."
Andrew looks down on the pavement, thinking. "I don't regret loving her though," he says after a long silence between them.
"I don't regret loving him either." Molly says before she can stop herself.
"Hmm." Andrew looks at her curiously. "Thinking of your ex-fiancé?" he asks teasingly.
"No, actually." Molly looks at him, smiling. "Someone else."
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St. Bartholomew's Hospital Cafeteria. Two Months, One Week And Five Days After Eurus' Game
Andrew starts coming to work to have lunch with her on his day off.
This particular day, Andrew brought her Chinese food. They sit on one of the cafeteria table, chatting about work.
She is telling Andrew about the recent arrival in the morgue when she feels Sherlock Holmes stand near their table.
"Molly," he says. "Could you help me analyze the blood sample I got from Ms. Fairfax's apartment?"
"Couldn't you do it by yourself?" she asks, a bit stunned by his request. It's not because she haven't done things like these for him before. It's because these past few days, he seemed to avoid asking her for anything at all. For him to ask anything from her now seems a bit odd.
"I would, but I have more important things to do at the moment." Sherlock says.
Molly nods. "Okay, "she said. "I'll just finish this up first."
Sherlock looks at Molly and then to Andrew, his gaze lingering a bit more on the latter.
"Okay, then." He says, after a few moments. "But do hurry up," he adds, a bit impatient.
Molly Hooper looks back at Andrew when Sherlock left. "Now, where was I?"
"Who's that?" Andrew asks. "He looks familiar."
"That's Sherlock Holmes." Molly says.
"Sherlock Holmes? Isn't he the detective who jumped at the top of this hospital and then turned out to be alive a few years later?"
"Yeah. He's my friend." Molly says, not wanting to elaborate more.
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's Hospital. Two Months and Two Weeks After Eurus' Game
"You never told me about you and Sherlock Holmes." Andrew says. They planned to go to dinner together after her shift. He has been waiting for her on the hospital lobby for a few minutes before she came down.
It is raining outside, and Molly wears her coat as Andrew continues on. "Funny, I didn't see the connection between you two. Meena told me you used to be really close and that you used to have a crush on him. Some people here say you loved him. I've even read somewhere that you helped fake his death."
"Is that jealousy I'm sensing from you?" Molly says, teasingly.
"No," Andrew says, though his tone was not as convincing as it can be.
Molly looks at him incredulously. "Look, I won't lie to you. I did have feelings for Sherlock. To be honest, I loved him for a very long time. But he doesn't love me that way. He never would, and that's fine with me. We're still friends, but that's all there is. Now, could we please decide where we'll eat? It's been a long day."
Andrew studies her. For a moment, he looks as if he'll say something more but then the expression vanishes. "Fine," he says. "You know, you must be the only person I know who still has a big appetite even after looking at dozens of corpses a day." He adds playfully.
"Speak for yourself." Molly says. "You have an even bigger appetite after a long day's work."
"Touché." Andrew says as they walked out of the hospital, umbrellas on hand.
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221B Baker Street. Two Months, Three Weeks and One Day After Eurus' Game
She visits Baker Street to celebrate the reconstruction of Sherlock's flat.
"Oh, hello Molly, dear!" Mrs. Hudson said, welcoming her in. "So glad you can come."
Molly kissed the older woman on the cheek. "It's not every day we can get together like this, Mrs. Hudson. Of course I would come."
She looks around the flat and sees that Lestrade, John and Rosie, and surprisingly, Mycroft, have arrived. She gives her housewarming gift to Sherlock.
It feels good being with them, not doing anything in particular, but just exchanging stories. For someone who doesn't see their family as much, these people have become almost like family to her.
"A newly renovated flat. A new beginning." Mrs. Hudson said in between the small talk. Molly can't help but smile at the statement. A lot has happened these past few months. Mary's death still looms like a heavy cloud on them. The wounds opened by Eurus' game still remains. Still, at this moment, as they are gathered together in 221B Baker Street, it's as if everything is starting to fall back into place, back into their old rhythm. It's not as though nothing has changed and that no one is hurt, but it's getting better.
Sherlock appears to be more appreciative of the guests' presence in his flat. She can tell that he would much rather start his new projects on his first day on his newly reconstructed flat, but he attempts to welcome them here nonetheless. He even tries his best to small talk.
He follows her when she takes the used plates out to the sink.
"I'll take care of that, Molly." He says.
"Since when do you do dishes?" she asked, looking at him disbelievingly.
"Since Mrs. Hudson threatened to beat me with a stick if I don't and after she 'accidentally' threw my experiment on decaying liver after I let her do it." Sherlock says nonchalantly.
"Really?" she said, looking at him, smiling.
"Yes." Sherlock says. "Besides, if I stay out there any longer I might not be able to hold my tongue and tell them all that Mycroft finally gave in to his long-term attraction to someone from his office this morning."
"What?" Molly said. "You mean - "
Sherlock nodded. "It's been going for a while now."
"Oh my gosh. I'm happy for him," Molly says between laughs, and Sherlock smiles at her. Maybe things between them can turn back to normal, after all.
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Molly's flat. Three Months, One Week and Two Days After Eurus' Game
Andrew kisses her one cool night after dinner while walking her home. He pulls away before she can react, leaving her stunned and confused.
"Goodnight." Andrew says, leaving her at her doorstep before she could decide what she thinks about his kiss.
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St. Bartholomew's Hospital. Three Months, One Week and Five Days After Eurus' Game
"Shouldn't you be downstairs, Molly?" Sherlock says. "Your boyfriend might be waiting for you."
"What?" Molly says, looking at him as she removed her pipette's tip.
"Your boyfriend. He usually comes in here around this time for lunch." Sherlock says, moving a bit closer to her.
"Oh. You mean Andrew?" Molly says, looking back at the sample she was diluting. "He's not actually my boyfriend. We're – " What exactly?, she thinks. Friends? Could they still be called friends after he kissed her three days ago? Andrew still hasn't contacted her since that day. She's still not sure what the kiss meant, or whether or not she likes it. She's still too scared to ask. "Um, I mean, he did not text me today, so he's probably busy."
Sherlock looks at her worriedly, but he does not say a word.
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Tokyo Diner. Three Months and Two Weeks After Eurus' Game
Andrew takes her out to dinner after five days of being silent. He meets her at St. Bart's, and they take a cab to the diner. It's almost as if the kiss between them didn't happen.
They fall silent throughout dinner, each lost in their own thoughts.
"I had dinner with Sherlock Holmes a few days back." Andrew says, breaking the silence.
"Sherlock?" Molly says. The sound of his name ultimately shook Molly out of her thoughts.
"Yeah." Andrew says. "To be honest, I found it a bit weird when he visited me at the hospital after my shift and offered to have dinner with me. Still, I went with him to this Italian place. At first, he talked to me about his latest case, about how daft the victim is or something. I didn't know what he wanted me to say, so I just nodded and offered him some comments here and there. Then, the conversation somehow shifted to you."
Molly focuses on the food, allowing Andrew to continue. "He told me that you've had your fair share of unsuccessful relationships, and he's glad that you've found someone like me. I was about to correct him and tell that we're not actually a couple yet but then he started barking out facts about my life and my day. He pointed out that given the things he knows about me, I might be the perfect person for you. He said that to ensure that I won't mess this up, he'll give me rules to follow when I'm with you. As a doctor, I have a good memory, so I'll recite them for you:
"'One, laugh at her jokes. It may be a bit odd and not at all funny, but laugh at it anyway.
"Two, take care of yourself. She notices a lot about the people she loves. She'll know when you're not well. Don't let her worry by putting yourself in danger.
"Three, accept her life as it is. Don't try to change it just for it to suit your own.
"Four, tell her she's beautiful, because she is.
"Five, take care of her. Sometimes, she gets too lost in her work or in taking everyone else that she forgets to take care of herself.
"Six, make her laugh.
"Seven, keep your promises. Don't give her false hopes. She already had a lot of disappointments in life. She doesn't need much more.
"Eight, listen to her. She observes very well. It's not uncommon that she'll see something you fail to notice, so always respect her opinions.
"Nine, don't keep any secrets. Tell her everything. She's a good listener, and she'll love you no matter what, so you won't regret it.
"Finally, always let her know that she matters. She's prone to thinking that she doesn't even if she's the one that matters most, so always make sure she knows that she does.'
"He didn't say much after that."
"Why are you telling these to me?" Molly says. She can feel confusion brewing in her chest and tears forming in her eyes.
"I don't know." Andrew says. It is his turn to focus on the food. "I felt that I should." He pauses. "Do you know why I kissed you that day, Molly? You told me once that although we have irrevocably given a huge part of our heart to someone from our past, the parts that remain with us are still capable of giving love. I started loving you like that Molly, or at least, I wanted to. I kissed you because I believed I started loving you with the parts of my heart that remain. I hoped that one day I'll love you as much as I loved Jane, and that you'll start to love me as much as you loved someone from your past." He looks at her. "But now I realized that I cannot go on loving you like that. Not when I believe there's already someone who loves you as much as I loved Jane. Someone who you've irrevocably given a huge part of your heart already."
"I don't know the whole story between you two, but I know it's not resolved yet." Andrew continues. "Whether or not the resolution includes me is up to you. I'm not holding on to much hope, though." Andrew says, before smiling weakly at her.
They don't talk the rest of the dinner up until the way home.
"I'm really happy that I met you, Molly." Andrew said as they stood at her doorstep. "You've been a good friend," he says, and kisses her on the forehead.
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221B Baker Street. Four Years, One Week and One Day After Eurus' Game.
"So what's your plan, now?" John Watson asks as he entered 221B Baker Street, only to find Sherlock Holmes in a mess of the flat, looking frantically for something. "Sherlock?" John says, a bit worried now.
"I can't ask her today, John." Sherlock says, looking under a chair.
"Oh no." John says. "Are you telling me that after all those times you called in the most inopportune times, bothering me for ideas on how to pop the question, you're backing out? No, Sherlock. Just bloody ask her. She wouldn't mind if it's not perfect. For the sake of my sanity and your well-being, you have to ask her today."
"No, that's not it, John. I lost it." Sherlock replies, running around the room, looking under everything on the flat.
"You lost what?"
Sherlock Holmes stands up and faces his best friend, his eyes full of worry. "I lost Molly's ring."
A/N: Some of you might be familiar with the rules scene. It's actually from the 2001 Korean movie My Sassy Girl. I do not take credit for that idea. I just thought it fits the story. I hope you find this and this story okay. Thank you!