Continuation of "Scattered Scenes" by Camille

Scattered Scenes from pretend Episode Two, Series Five.


A few months have passed since the first episode.


Scene opens at John's place - it's later in the day.

"Would you?" asks John facing Molly, who is carrying Rosie on the side of her hip.

"Would I what?" she looks up.

"Mrs. Hudson's birthday." He walks over to Molly and she hands Rosie over to her father. Rosie's growth gives a good idea of how long it has been since Sherlock's conversation with his mind palace Mary.

"Oh... I don't know, John," she shakes her head.

"Come on, Molly... it's a big one, too. Eight-O," he exaggerates. "Just a little get together in the flat with a few people, that's all. Oh!" he remembers, "it's a surprise."

Molly smiles but is still unsure. "It's been months since..."

"I know," he nods as he looks at Rosie. "But you should come. Mrs. Hudson would want you there."

Molly opens her mouth to voice more concern but John cuts her off.

"There! Mrs. Hudson would want you there... now you're obligated to say yes," he smirks, "and that's the end of it."

Molly smiles. "Alright, well... I should get home." She points at a piece of paper on the side table as she picks up her heavy bag, "I've written down when she last ate."

John and Rosie walk Molly to the door. "Thanks, Molly. I really do appreciate all you do for us," he says sincerely as Molly walks out the door and turns around.

"John... it's my pleasure. No need to thank me." With these words, she smiles and turns on her heel.

"There really is a positive change about Molly," John thinks as he watches her a bit as she walks down the steps and in the direction of her home. He then looks at Rosie and asks as he turns back into his home, "Did you have a lovely time with aunty Molly?"


On the day of Mrs. Hudson's birthday – daytime.

Sherlock is in his chair, and on his phone typing away as John enters the flat with two grocery bags. He sets them on the table and takes a quick peek at the crib to make sure Sherlock hadn't lost his daughter while he ran some errands – specifically to buy some stuff for Mrs. Hudson's surprise. He notices that the place hadn't been decorated as Sherlock said he would! It hadn't been decorated at all.

"Sherlock!" says John in frustration. "You didn't decorate. I've been gone for one and a half hours."

"I couldn't find the decorations," Sherlock continues to type into the phone.

John clears his threat and points at the box (filled with decorations) he had left just next to Sherlock's chair.

Sherlock stops typing for a second and looks at the box next to him. "Oh," he says and quickly goes back to typing as he makes another excuse. "Besides, I anticipated Mrs. Hudson coming up for a visit - and if I had decorated, her surprise would've been spoilt."

John continues to take the contents (party cups, plates, and whatnot) out of the bag. "You could've occupied her downstairs by asking her to watch Rosie."

"I guarantee you, John, Mrs. Hudson will be up here to ask us about afternoon tea. Therefore, I suggest we do not decorate so we can still make it a surprise."

"Fine," John gives in. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Have a conversation with me but still effectively tweet or twit, or whatever at the same time?"

"God given talent, John. Although, I don't..."

John nods and finishes his sentence, "don't believe in God. Got it."

"I cannot stop now, my reputation is at stake. A fifteen-year-old dimwit just challenged me. Why do you ask?"

"It's quite the skill you've got there. It's mad," he stresses, "but impressive."

John continues to arrange the party stuff on the table.

"I feel like you're missing something," says Sherlock still engaged in a Twitter war with a random teenager.

"Like what? I think we've got it all covered. Just need for everyone to show up at six." He remembers and says nonchalantly, "Oh, and Molly is coming."

Sherlock stops typing into his phone and looks up, "What?"

"Molly Hooper. I invited her."

"But why?" asks a half-serious Sherlock.

"She is a friend. She and Mrs. Hudson are friends... I thought it appropriate to invite her."

"Of course, it's appropriate, John. I'm just surprised she said she would."

John smirks a bit, "Me too." He turns around to look at the contents on the table.

Sherlock tries to process this news of Molly attending a party at 221B Baker Street as he nonchalantly says, "You forgot the birthday cake."

John throws his hands in the air as he realizes how idiotic that was... to forget the birthday cake for Mrs. Hudson's surprise birthday party. He looks at Rosie, "Daddy will be right back!"


Later that day…

A few people were sneaking into the flat. Molly shows up at the door with a giddy grin, trying to contain herself from the excitement of surprising the landlady of 221B Baker Street. Sherlock, of course notices her presence in his flat.

"Come over here!" whispers Lestrade as she spots a few people gathered by the fireplace. "John's bringing her up now."

Camera follows Molly as she joins Lestrade, a couple of unknowns, and... Sherlock holding Rosie.

"Hello Sherlock," Molly's grin slowly vanishes as she stands next to her (once) favorite human being.

"Molly," nods Sherlock.

"Shh," says someone in the group.

Mrs. Hudson enters the flat with a blindfold, aided by John. He unties the blindfold.

"You may open your eyes, Mrs. Hudson." says John.

As she opens her eyes, she sees a table in the middle of the flat... atop, gifts and beautiful flowers in a vase with a balloon attached by way of a red string.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Mrs. Hudson!" shouts all.

"Oh!" She cries in surprise. "On dear!" She holds her chest to contain her surprise.

Scene cuts to later...

Everyone cheers as Mrs. Hudson blows out the candles on her cake.

Molly turns around from the tiny group to see Sherlock by the window, looking out. Having successfully avoided any conversation with him, she wonders if she should join him.

She does.

"So... this is lovely," she says not quite nervous as she usually is.

Sherlock turns slightly to acknowledge her. "Yes, John insisted."

"Oh, Sherlock... I'm sure you had something to do with it, too." She smiles.

Sherlock is pleasantly surprised by her willingness to converse with him and so he turns to her and looks at her eyes. "It has been a while, Ms. Hooper."

Molly suddenly becomes aware of their height difference and looks down to compose herself before continuing. "I know. I've been busy..."

Sherlock cuts her off as he smiles, "Oh, that's not the only reason."

"No," she admits.

Sherlock tries to admit as well, "I too have been..." he pauses.

"Avoiding me?" Molly chuckles.

Silence.

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way, Sherlock..." she starts to say. "But time away from you has helped me. You know, helped me move on."

Sherlock silently listens.

Molly briefly turns her head to the group on the other side of the flat to make sure they aren't privy to their conversation. "I mean, I feel happier," she chuckles again. "Not in the way I pretended before with a random boyfriend or whatever to make up for not... well, for not having you."

Sherlock subtly shakes his head, "Molly, you don't..."

But Molly continues. "I feel happy, Sherlock. For myself."

Realization again hits him. Not only has he avoided Molly in hopes he'd be able to let go of his friend... but Molly's attempts to move on from him seem to have succeeded. He sees neither pretense nor doubt in her admission and so he acknowledges her with both genuine happiness and unexpressed sadness.

Silence.

"Well," she begins to break the silence. "I will be leaving London soon."

This prompts a surprised Sherlock to ask, "What do you mean?"

"I love my work, my friends," she gestures at him and John and others around, "but I think I need a big change. And I've always wanted to travel."

"It's overrated," says a still-stunned Sherlock.

"It's time, I think."

"Does John know?"

Molly nods, "I asked him not to say anything."

Sherlock looks over and sees John keenly watching them. His expression is that of someone apologizing from afar for keeping something key from his best friend. He looks back down at Molly.

"He wanted me to tell you, I think. That's why he insisted on me coming to this thing, and of course for Mrs. Hudson."

"Does she know?" he asks.

"Not yet," she turns to witness Greg and John entertaining Mrs. H with their humor. "I should probably tell her now."

She looks back at Sherlock and smiles before she turns away to join the rest.

Sherlock isn't sure why this is causing confusion in his mind. Is it because John didn't tell him something important? Or maybe this is a twist he didn't see coming but he should have? Or maybe... it's because he was genuinely sad and possibly upset by this revelation. "Molly is leaving us. Leaving me," he thinks.

Still standing by the window, he looks over at the people in his flat. Their voices aren't clear from the distance, but it appears Molly has shared her news to which people go from shock to happiness within seconds. "Happiness. Happy. Happy for Molly." he thinks. "That should be the normal response. But why am I not happy? What am I feeling?"

To add to an evening of realizations, Sherlock begins to ponder on how his relationship started with Molly. It was entirely one-sided at first, the admiration. "I needed something from her. But she admired me." He continues to analyze how he had gotten here. Why he had been so careless with her. "I dismissed her longing stares, took advantage of her eagerness to help, treated her as the background character of any over-produced film who is always referred to as 'an extra'. But... she admired me. Admired. Past tense. I'm admired no longer by Molly Hooper."

His mind goes silent and he turns to face the window as the celebration continues behind him.

"I deserve this," he thinks.

Scene fades.


Thank you for reading! :)

I think this might be it - not sure. I don't want to impose my view (or what I was thinking when I wrote the above) as I'd like for the reader to draw his or her own conclusions.

However, I would, of course, appreciate your reviews - especially to learn your thoughts.

Thank you, again!