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Chapter 3
She had been wrong.
She did count to him. She had always counted and he had always trusted her.
Looking back on their encounters however, he did understand how Molly could have come to a different conclusion. In not looking up from his binocular microscope when she relayed information to him, simply calling her 'John', not paying any attention to her otherwise, he had encouraged that thought in Molly. He had disregarded her on many occasions, had brushed her aside or flat out offended her. Many instances had occurred before John Watson becoming a part of his life, before he had taken to pointing out his social inadequacies. Remembering hints and pointers from John, he mentally examined even long past encounters he'd had with Molly Hooper and found himself lacking. At least in the eyes of John Watson.
He had been unsure. Had she lost her faith in him? Her trust? Had she ever really trusted him or just been attracted to him? Would she be true to her word and help him or had he overstepped one time too many?
As she had come out of the adjacent room, he had spoken up. His voice barely above a whisper, heavy with emotion. He had not been playing her like the many times he had done before. He had genuinely feared her loyalty to have shifted, her willingness to help him to have had dwindled. But as he had feared for his life, had let his usually unmoving shell crack and show a vulnerable side of him that indeed was not okay, she had stood by him.
"What do you need?", she had asked. His mind had raced, so much had gone through his head before he had answered, seemingly without hesitation. 'To be honest with you', he had thought. 'To for once not coerce you into doing what I want from you. For you to only be doing what you want, because it is truly what you believe you should do.'
He had been afraid of her answer. He made people do his bidding without them realizing it, he was a master manipulator, he knew how to always get his way. He knew how to make Molly give him exactly the answers he wanted to hear. And he had stood there, afraid of what her answers might be if left entirely up to her.
"If I wasn't everything you think I am, everything I think I am - would you still want to help me?", he had asked, his furrowed brow displaying doubt.
Unwavering she had looked up at him, not averting her gaze in the slightest, answering a bit quieter but no less sincere with a question in return: "What do you need?"
He had fought the urge to blink, for his eyes to betray him even more, the slightest hint of tears welling up as he stepped closer to her, overwhelmed with gratitude at her selflessness and loyalty. She had locked her eyes on his and he could read honesty and determination in them. "You", he had simply said and it had not been followed by blushing or the stumbling over hushed words. She had simply held his gaze and nodded. He had grabbed her shoulders, bending down slightly, moving even closer. She had clearly not anticipated that, but he would have had expected an entirely different reaction from her to a situation like this not long ago. Then however he had not been surprised to have her eyes still firmly fixed on him while she had listened intently to his plan and her involvement in it.
John had been right. Alone was not what protected him, friends did. And at that moment he was grateful to have been wrong, to indeed not being alone, but having a friend in Doctor Molly Hooper. To have her protect him, save him.
Not before long he had left Molly behind to prepare as he himself had to get ready to face Moriarty on the roof. He had almost reached the door, only to swivel around and make his way back to her. Without hesitation he had bent down, his lips gently brushing over her cheek as his right hand had hovered just next to her hip. "Thank you, Molly Hooper", he had whispered. Unlike the kiss at his and John's flat at their Christmas gathering, this one was not met with disbelieve. She had smiled up at him with confidence as she had taken his hand into hers to give it a reassuring squeeze.
"See you later, Sherlock Holmes."