edit posted 1/31/2018

Part Two

There was a certain type of feel to this new environment. Molly had felt it the very second Sherlock guided her into his family's manor. Yes, manor that was a much adequate term for this new space of living she found herself in. She did not believe that she belonged here.

If going by the state of her dress, she was holding onto the truth in her bare trembling hands. Sherlock had been so nonchalant about everything. Just walking about, his hands in his trousers as he showed her the ground floor. They were currently in the library - a space Molly felt she could only dream about. She did put her hand out a few times as they walked about the skyscrapers of shelves. There were so many, she had been scared to touch them though.

Only smiling shortly as he glanced her way while they walked deeper into the recesses of this grand room. It seemed like it never would end. She had noticed the ladders of steps that wove around the main area of literature but stuck near her companion. He, although very cryptic in nature was a safety net for her. She had decided this not even an hour ago when he had ushered her into a really regal looking town car.

Sherlock Holmes would be the only person she could trust in this place, she was positive of that.

They were walking through a door now, Sherlock's face had grown a bit less morose as he entered. It was as she trailed behind him she discovered why. This would be one of her safe havens. It was a room dedicated to the research of science and medical knowledge.

If she was drooling, she couldn't bring herself to mind as she walked eagerly along the room. Everything seemed to catch her attention. That was most obvious to Sherlock as he stood near a table that served as a desk. He had to hold back a smile as he observed her happiness at this room of wonder. He, himself stayed here many days combing through all of the knowledge at hand.

"Is it to your liking, Molly?"

Molly turned as if realizing she wasn't alone for the first time, opened her mouth to reply only for another voice to not reach out for another person had joined the duo. "Hello, dear. I see you've brought a guest with you."

Molly looked down in unease at the way the woman spoke of her in such distaste. It was in her tone if anything. This wasn't going to be a walk in a park, this was clear.

Sherlock's voice was clear and concise as he addressed the other woman. "Hello. Mother. This is Molly and she's going to be staying with us."

Molly tried not to make a reaction to the fact that one she was in the same room as one of the most influential women in the Holmes family (and this world) or that Sherlock was telling her with no argument that she was to be living among them. Instead Molly was trying to find a way to breathe properly as she was clearly being overwhelmed by the situation she was now in the middle of. Even if she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. It made her feel nervous and slightly afraid of what was about to happen.

Mummy Holmes spoke again though, and this time it was clear that there was indeed much trouble ahead. "Oh, is that so?"

When in the presence of her own mother Molly would never say anything against her. Here in a room with two who were kin and very alike in appearance and by blood it felt different. There seemed to a bit of a war that she seemed to be recruited on to be a soldier on Sherlock's side. The next words to leave his mouth were simple enough. "Yes, I've already talked to father. He has reserved a room in the west wing for her."

There was much more underlying in the way they both talked. Each with confidence and an arrogance that seemed to just about roll off their shoulders. It reminded her of the looks her mother would shoot her when she opened her mouth to tell her that she was wrong (she was more than once) but it would just send her into silence. In the face of this battle, she almost wanted to run away. Sherlock's suddenly holding on her wrist made it nearly impossible for her to do that.

He was pulling her out of the room and away from his mother. She had said something else, she had heard it even though she had been a bit distracted by thoughts. "Take her down to Mrs. Hudson. I think Molly will be more comfortable there than up here. If looks are anything to go by."

Molly couldn't exactly stay quiet once they were out of earshot of the older woman. She had to ask him a question. "Is she always like that? I don't mean to offend you but she reminds me of someone."

Sherlock was quick to retort as they began walking side by side, he dropped her wrist and stuffed his hands back into his trousers. "Your mother, you mean. Yes. I suppose she is always like that. If you want the truth she wasn't always so demeaning to people of lesser value. She used to be a commoner…or whatever they used to call normal people who weren't wealthy."

There was a brief pause as they turned around a corner and Sherlock gestured for Molly to go ahead of him down a set of stairs – there were about six small steps. Once they were down to the floor he continued.

"I wouldn't like to admit it but she may be right. This area is a bit more like what you're used to. I used to come down all the time when I was a child."

Molly had half a mind to wonder why he felt he had to explain any of this to her. She wasn't really that important. She was merely someone who would be used to help him. He didn't have to talk to her. He had almost gone out of his way not to do that until a few nights ago when she was supposed to be leaving him and the job, she silently added.

Now she was here in the place where he had grew up and she was expected to stay and help him continue to not die as he found another 'sport' to fuel his time with. All the while she was going to be going to school – college for pathology and she would be starting that in a few weeks' time. It was almost something out of a really odd book. These things just didn't happen for someone like her.

They were standing in the midst of chaos now, in a kitchen. It wasn't a lot of space but it seemed as though there was enough for what needed to be done. There was a woman whom was very round and but moved fluidly around the kitchen placing sauces on platters and stirring things in pots. She was aided by two children. One who looked about nine years old and the other in their teens. One boy and one girl. The girl was the eldest and she had a head of brown curls. The boy's hair was pulled back and away from his face. Very long just like his sister. Their eyes were the same vibrant green.

The woman stopped the moment Sherlock stepped into the fold. Molly hung back a little and stood there watching as the two of the interacted. "Mrs. Hudson," He called her as she wiped her hand on the dish towel and circled around the island to come greet him. She wrapped her arms around him in a short embrace. If she had been anyone else, Molly was sure it would have come off as unwanted and awkward. Sherlock had circled his arms around the woman and gave her an affectionate peck on the cheek before stepping back.

"This is Molly Hooper." He said as he gestured for her to come into the room a bit more. She felt a bit like she was intruding on something but continued on as such until she was standing by him and in front of Mrs. Hudson. The woman beamed as if finally seeing something truly wonderful.

"Molly, it's so nice to finally meet you."

There were a few things that caught her eye in the few seconds that happened during this exchange. First, Sherlock suddenly turned a bit red in the face and coughed as if he was uncomfortable. Then there was the word finally which means he had at least spoken about her with this woman before. She decided to not say anything about it at all, instead she just took the woman's extended hand and smiled. "You too."

Sherlock cleared his throat after a moment. "Mother would like her to stay down here…if you have the space. I had a room upstairs for her however, plans changed." There was something more genuine about the way he spoke to this woman in comparison to the tension that was there when talking to his own mother. This was something Molly had already noticed. You don't just hug people and speak willing about affairs that would be deemed more personal to just about anyone, do you?

"We always have the space. I can show her to it. I have a feeling you'll be stuck in a meeting very soon, dear."

Sherlock just frowned at that but nodded all the same before peering down at Molly. He moved to turn to her as the older woman went back over to the stove where her daughter (she assumed) was stirring something in the pot. He took a step forward until he was pretty much all up in her personal space and even then he placed his hands on her shoulder, it wasn't any kind of normal touch. He was trying to give her some sort of reassurance but the way he looked ready to retreat already with just a few fingers overlapping on each side of her made it clear he didn't do this, ever. She tried not to smile at his discomfort but it was even harder once he began talking to continue his reassurance as if she was afraid.

She wasn't.

"I trust Mrs. Hudson and her family to make sure you're safe. You'll be fine down here." If she didn't know any better he was also trying to tell himself that the last bit was true.

She wouldn't pretend to know anything about how he was or what went through his mind but one thing was clear, he was very wary of her presence. It became more apparent in this place. This new world.

He was doing things he wasn't accustomed to do in the slightest. She wanted to tell him that he didn't have to go out of his way to make her feel like she belonged here. She could learn to navigate it all on her own. She had done a good job of that on her own for a couple years now. Being isolated isn't all that new to her. She was used to certain things; sure. She wasn't going to fall apart because one thing didn't fall the way it should have. She could adapt.

He had left her stand there though before she could get a word in edgewise with a promise to see her at dinner. She wasn't entirely sure how that would all work out but nodded before turning to the family who had stopped what they were doing and now were looking at her.

"Hi." She said quietly as they all came round and stood in front of her.

"Welcome to the underground!" said the boy. "I'm Maximus, you can call me Max though. This is my older sister Lilith. We just call her Lily."

"Yes, it's nice to meet you Miss Molly." Lilith said quietly as she twirled a strand of her hair in her hand.

"You don't have to call me Miss. Molly is fine. It's nice to meet all of you. Do you all live down here?" She inquired as Mrs. Hudson whose name was Martha she was informed by the woman herself (she was allowed to call her Martha, if she liked) started to take her away from the kitchen and down the hallway which was narrow by several standards.

"Yes. I was brought in by the Holmes' when I was finishing up my schooling to look after their youngest – Sherlock. I had a husband but he died a few years ago. It's just me and the children since then. The Holmes' are a very kind family under all of this. They just show it in very odd ways. I've learned to just accept it. They've been very understanding about Lilith and Maximus. I probably would have gone long before if they had a problem with them. I love them so very dearly. I do care for Sherlock as well, you should know. He's a very special young man."

She smiled as they journeyed to a set of doors. She told her that the first two were for the children, and the last on the left was her own. On the left side there were two bathrooms and another bedroom which would belong to her.

"It seems someone has brought your things down here…" Martha's voice trailed off in suspicion. Molly tried not to think anything of it. She hadn't had much to begin with. A duffel of clothes, a box of books, and case for her journals and medical things among other small things. Not too much.

"This is nice." Molly murmured as she looked about the room. It did remind her a bit of her own home but a bit larger. There was a bed, a wardrobe, a dresser which she had plenty of room for her things, a table with a chair that she could use for a desk. It was all very homey. Very nice, indeed.

There was yelling coming from down the hall. "I should go see what all the fuss is about. Get yourself sorted, I'm sure you're a bit tired so resting would be fine, I'm sure. There really isn't much going on until dinner. I'll be figuring out what we'll be doing for that very soon." She gave her another smile before leaving her alone in her room, shutting the door on her way out.

Molly sighed as she sat on the bed. This was a bit more than she expected actually. She laid back and shut her eyes temporarily forgetting that she should sort her things and just took a deep breath. This was all very enthralling in a very surreal type of way.

Dinner was in a couple hours she suspected. She wondered what that would be like.