I walk alone

Every step I take

I walk alone

My winter storm

Holding me awake

It's never gone

When I walk alone

I walk alone-Tarja Turunen

The last week had not really been easy for Molly. Even if Sherlock had left the day after his sleepover and had not got in touch with her again, it still stressed her. She could think of nothing else than him sleeping in her bed. Maybe the fact that he had not shown up again was more a problem than it was a relief because she now felt kind of exploited and thrown away after she had done what he had wanted her to do.

Then again, what had she expected him to do? Had she really expected him to act differently towards her because she had helped him to fake his death? Because this was really foolish and absolutely empty. She looked down at the corpse in front of her and took some scissors to cut open the clothes of the middle-aged woman. She probably had died from poisoning but she could not be absolutely sure yet. There were some characteristic bruises around her mouth and on her neck. However, this was not enough to prove a point. Nothing could prevent Molly from the necessity to cut her open as well.

One and a half hour later Molly washed her hands under the water jet in the laboratory sink. It might sound disgusting to anyone else but she really felt more relaxed after the autopsy. Due to her absolute concentration on the progress she just never had the time to think about anything that stressed her. Otherwise it would have even been hamper for her job. One wrong cut and important evidence could be destroyed. Greg would not be happy about it since the body was a main proof in his newest case. It was unbelievable that he had even been allowed to continue working as a DI or even with the police in general. After Sherlock had admitted that he had been nothing but a fake, that he had lied to everyone around him, even to John and Mrs Hudson the discussion had been immense but not really controversial.

DI Greg Lestrade had given him access to so many cases, to so much confidential information that he had to be punished for that in one way or the other. The only thing that had saved him from being suspended completely was that he nonetheless was a very talented Detective. He had solved many cases on his own and the London Police could not afford losing him. So he had only been degraded and that had been worse enough. She might have dated Greg once or twice-well, more like 5 times- in the last 4 months. It had all been absolutely harmless, a diner at a restaurant, a thoughtful walk along the Themes. It had almost broken her heart to see how much he was suffering under the circumstances. He did not want to believe that Sherlock had been a liar but he could not find any evidence that was strong enough to prove the consulting detective wrong. He had admitted it so it must be true. Sometimes Molly could not even cope with knowing about Sherlock, that he was alive, that Moriarty had been real. However, Greg had distracted her from all her dark thoughts in the moments where he had not been riven by grief and self-loathing. He just could never chase away the image of Sherlock on her head long enough. The detective would always come back to her mind, hunting her in her daydreams as well as in her nightmares.

Greg and Molly would never be a couple, they did not even attend to become one. There were just two stranded people with no way out of their misery. They had found themselves in times of struggle and agony and they clung to each other like a drowning person would cling to a rock in the churning sea. They were constantly lying to each other when they said they felt fine but they knew so it was okay.

Her phone rang and Molly dried her hands with a towel before she picked it up to find, that Greg had messaged her just in this moment.

I know that you´re working right now but I thought you would like to be informed that the divorce is official now. Jen and I won´t be married for much longer. Please call me as soon as possible.-Greg.

Molly starred at the small screen of her mobile phone for about two minutes. The feelings were overhelming because no matter how careless this text sounded she knew that his heart must be torn apart. She had never talked to anyone about meeting Greg Lestrade because she knew that it would have only provoked rumors. Her love for Sherlock was no secret and if she was now caught dating the man he had exploited this could turn the scale to Greg being fired irrevocably. She struggled very much thinking this way but she had to if she wanted to understand what here actions might cause.

Molly took a deep breath, put her phone back into her trousers pocket and left the morgue after she had covered the body of the dead woman again. One of the assistants would pop in later to bring her back into the fridge. She signed the autopsy as done on the general paper and put on her jacket.

The very moment she left the hospital she dialed Greg. She waited, let the phone ring. After five rings he picked up.

"Hi, Molly. Thank you for calling." His voice was husky like he had cried. At first she did not knew what she should say. She could not even imagine how he must feel. Of course she had experienced a broken heart more than once in her life but this was nothing compared to losing the wife you had loved for almost your entire life without even being able to do something against it. It had not even been a violent separation. She was not dead or something she had just decided that she did not want to live with Greg anymore. Thanks to God they did not have children.

"Would you like to come over?" She asked.

"I don´t want to intrude."

"You´re not intruding. By the way, I still got some pork steak of yesterday´s diner. Petra wanted to come but then she did not and now I am here with all this meat and I don´t know where to put it. Maybe your mouth´s the right place for it." Wow, that sounded weird. But she would not start to stumble an excuse. Her relation with Greg was really relaxed and amicably. With him she did not feel the need to seem perfect or to assimilate her way of speaking to his in any way. That was one of the problems she always had dealing with Sherlock. He made her feel like an idiot whereas Greg made her feel like a wanted and admired person.

"It´s okay, Molly. You don´t need to convince me. Consider me at your flat in an hour."

"Fine, see you, then."

"Yes, see you."