The Past, The Present, and Perhaps a Future
Chapter Four: His Name is Nikolai
Flashback
"Wife?" Molly reiterated to John as Sherlock and Talis disappeared downstairs.
John chuckled, "That's the exact same reaction I had." He topped off her glass of wine. "I honestly don't think I'd believe it if I hadn't seen how he is with her, she's been a dramatic influence on him already."
Molly nodded in agreement, "I've never seen him show any type of attraction to women aside from that awful Adler woman, and the Janine debacle. Up until now I figured he just wasn't interested in romantic entanglements at all."
"I always wondered what he saw in Irene Adler, I mean she's smart and beautiful, but she's not the first intelligent beauty he's been around," he looked pointedly at Molly who felt her cheeks flush at the compliment, "But the more time I spend with Talis, the more obvious it is." Molly cocked her head to the side, allowing him to elaborate, "Talis and Irene have many similar traits. Except Talis is a bit more like you," he offered, "A bit softer, less evil." He grinned boyishly as her cheeks flushed pink. "I think it's just nice to know that he is capable of emotions other than annoyance and pride. I always hoped he was capable of feelings, but I'm not sure I ever really believed he was. Seeing it first hand has been interesting to say the least."
Molly smiled and tipped her glass in his direction before a realization dawned and she buried her face in her hand, "Oh god. I can't believe I've been flirting with a married man all this time." Molly took another gulp of wine, knowing she probably shouldn't be drinking this last glass, but what the hell.
John gave her that puppy dog face of his as he reached out for her hand, "You didn't know Molly. Hell no one knew."
"He didn't even tell you?" Molly looked shocked.
"Nope," John sipped his wine, "Went so far as to say he never would've told me if she hadn't reappeared in his life." He sighed, "Apparently she fooled both him and Mycroft into thinking she was dead. I think his ego is a bit sore that someone bested him."
"My goodness…" Molly swirled the remaining wine in her glass, "I wonder why she had to fake her death and why she had to stay away for so long." She moved to the window as she noticed Sherlock get into a cab and leave. "I wonder why she came back?"
"That Dr. Hooper is the million dollar question."
"I'm not here to shoot up with your brother, if that's what you're worried about." This time it was Talis' eyes that narrowed.
"Reassuring to hear, but unfortunately not what I'm here for." He leveled her with his most piercing stare, "I need you to leave."
Well that was unexpected.
"What?" she blinked.
"Leave London, disappear once more, make sure my brother never finds you." The elder Holmes remarked flippantly. "I'll pay you of course; make sure you're set up financially to your standard of comfort."
"No." the word was fierce and final, "I won't do that to him, it was devastating enough the first time around, for both of us, I won't do it again." She glared at Mycroft, "Besides, now that he knows I'm alive he won't let me just disappear into the night."
"He did the first time." Mycroft pointed out smugly.
If possible, Talis' glare intensified, "You and I both know the only reason he let me go then was because he thought I was dead. He won't be so quick to let me go again."Even as she said the words, some deep recess of her heart wondered if it was true. A lot had changed for both of them in the years since her disappearance, perhaps he didn't feel the same way he once did.
Her anger fled as she saw the flinch in Mycroft's carefully crafted façade, "Why does it bother you so much that he cares for me?"
Mycroft sniffed and looked away from her wounded gaze, taking note of the taxi following them a few cars behind, knowing full well that Sherlock was seated within.
"No," he sighed in concession, "I don't suppose he will." Mycroft acknowledged her statement yet ignored the question, "You know I hold a minor position within the British government-"
"You are the British government." She snorted as she leaned back.
Mycroft ignored her outburst and continued, "I could move you up the transplant list, make you next in line for a new heart if you agree to leave."
"And literally take the heart away from someone who's been on the list for months maybe years waiting for one? How cruel do you think I am?" Talis was offended he would think her so callous. "Besides they don't give organs to former addicts.
"Red tape easily cut through."
Talis sighed heavily, running a hand through her short hair she took a moment before facing Mycroft once more. "Believe me, if it was just about me, I might consider your offer, but there's more than just my life in the equation. Secrets have been revealed, the least of which is my resurrection. I can't walk out of Sherlock's life now. It's just not possible."
Mycroft scrutinized her much like Sherlock had earlier that day, before his eyes widened in surprise. "Bravo Ms. Jordan," she rolled her eyes at the use of her maiden name, "I know several spies that could not keep a secret of that magnitude as well as you have. Perhaps instead of trying to pay you to stay away from my brother all those years ago, I should have recruited you."
Talis let a smile slip, "The British government wouldn't have been able to afford me."
"Or control you I'd imagine." He returned her smile with a small quirk of the mouth.
They pulled up to her hotel, the ever luxurious Mayfair and Talis thanked Mycroft for the ride. "I know you don't care for me Mycroft, you never have for whatever reason, but please know that it is not my intention to hurt Sherlock, I'm just trying to do what's right."
She moved to open the door, but Mycroft's voice halted her exit. "My brother does more than just care for you Talis." Mycroft spoke softly, but surely, "He loves you, even if he didn't realize it all those years ago when you were together, he figured it out when he thought he lost you." He gazed out into the night. "My concern over my brother caring for you, loving you, isn't that he does, it's what will happen when he loses you again."
Talis softened and reached out to squeeze his hand, a move that startled the stoic government man, "I'm not naïve enough to think that when I do die this time, it won't affect him, because it will." She stumbled a bit on the words, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself she had come to terms with her diagnosis, she still got tripped up over revealing her mortality out loud. "However things are different this time around. He has found a small but fiercely devoted group of friends that will help him get through it, and I know that he'll get through it because he's stronger than he was 10 years ago. He's better than he was 10 years ago."
Mycroft took in her words and nodded, "I hope you're right Ms. Jordan, I hope you're right."
Talis once again rolled her eyes at the use of her maiden name, and patted Mycroft's hand twice before exiting the vehicle, before she could get too far the window rolled down a touch, "Have a good night Mrs. Holmes."
Talis turned around in time to see the black sedan slip into the mildly busy London street.
Sherlock watched as his brother's sedan drove easily through the city traffic, when he noticed Mycroft's car waiting for Talis, he had debated going with them, he wasn't sure he wanted to leave the two of them alone together.
Mycroft had always blamed Talis for his drug use, even though it had been he who corrupted her. Mycroft had argued that if she hadn't stolen him away to wherever it was they went during their "Lost Days" he would have been able to put a stop to his drug use before it got out of hand.
Sherlock suspected Mycroft was more annoyed that he had absolutely no clue what Sherlock and Talis had been up to in the 10 months they had gone missing than the fact that Sherlock had gotten addicted to drugs. Sure he was concerned over the drug use, but there was nothing that Mycroft hated more than not knowing.
Even now, all these years later, he still hadn't told Mycroft what he had done away from home for so long, and Mycroft, with all his political and international black ops reach hadn't been able to find out much, which amused Sherlock to no end.
Sherlock was pulled from his musings as the sedan pulled up in front of the Mayfair, and he couldn't help but roll his eyes, of course she'd be staying here, she had come from a wealthy family as did he, however she had always been a bit more attached to her creature comforts than he was, he supposed somethings never changed.
He paid the cabby and waited behind a pillar for Talis to exit the sedan. He was just about to go and intervene when she emerged, a small smile in place. The next words out of his brother's mouth had shocked them both.
"Have a good night Mrs. Holmes."
Mycroft had never referred to her as a Holmes before, perhaps this was his subtle way of accepting the fact that she was in Sherlock's like once more? Sherlock made a mental note to visit his brother before the week was over, Mycroft was up to something, and Sherlock was determined to find out what it was.
She was still staring at the disappearing sedan when he approached her.
She knew he was behind her even before he spoke.
"I want to meet him." Sherlock was nervous when she remained silent, with her back to him. He gently reached out and turned her to face him, and he was graced with a smile that had always been reserved for him. Biting her lip to contain her enthusiasm she nodded.
"How do you know it's a him?" she raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow.
"You have an envelope from Harrow in your bag, it's too thick to be an employment offer, so one can reasonably assume that it's an acceptance letter. Harrow is a prestigious all boys school, there's no other possibility."
Talis smiled, she never tired of his deduction abilities.
"I want to meet him." Sherlock stated once again, this time with more confidence.
"I'd very much like that," she looked up at him through hooded lashes, "However, I'd like you to take a little time to think it over." She touched his cheek gently, "You need to fully understand what you're about to get yourself into, this isn't something you can walk away from when the novelty wears off. This is the rest of your life." Her nimble fingers traced his cheekbone, "Once you commit to this, there's no going back."
Sherlock looked down at her, losing himself in her eyes, before accepting her concern, "Fine," he nodded once, knowing that she was just looking out for his best interest. "I have a lot of questions that I need answers too."
Talis nodded, "I expected as much."
"Are you available tomorrow?" she nodded, "Can you come by around 9 for breakfast? We can sort everything out then." He gently took her hand from his cheek, squeezing it tenderly.
"See you tomorrow Sherlock," she smiled softly as she ascended the stairs to the hotel.
"What's his name?" his voice cut through the night air.
Talis turned to him, another special smile gracing her lips as her eyes danced playfully, "Nikolai."
The name sent Sherlock back in time to a night spent in the city of Angels where they had discussed their favorite inventors, she had surprised him by naming Nikola Tesla as her favorite.
"You remind me a bit of him actually…" she had trailed off as they lounged in the pool of their secluded Hollywood Hills rental home. "He invented for the sake of invention, not for money, fortune or fame, unlike that conniving money grubber Edison." She face contorted in anger for a moment before softening, "He was in the inventing game for the purity of it, furthering science for the benefit of the world, not his bank account. It's like you and your need to solve mysteries, you do it to uncover secrets, to reveal truths not for fame or money. You and he both did/do what you do for the purity of knowledge, uncovering the unknown, a quest for knowledge in it's purest form."
Sherlock had blushed at the grand compliment she had bestowed on him with that statement.
"That and he was a bit off his rocker, kind of like you." She laughed at his mock offended expression before he tackled her towards the deeper end of the pool.
Later that night she confessed that if she ever had a boy she'd name him Nikolai in honor of Nikola, if she had a girl, she'd name her Tesla, Sherlock had called her barmy, to which she had teasingly questioned whether or not his parents had been high when they named him and Mycroft.
He lobbed on of the chocolate dipped strawberries at her which instigated a food fight that resulted in an additional $2,000 cleaning charge when they left the home a couple weeks later… Red wine and chocolate were apparently the bane of white interiors.
Talis watched Sherlock as he zoned out, she suspected he was recalling their time spent in the Hollywood Hills, and the conversation they had regarding the name Nikolai. The small smile on Sherlock's face when he came back to the present was enough to reassure Talis that everything would work itself out.
Alrighty, I think most of you already guessed that a child was involved, but here's your confirmation of that!
Some of you have expressed concern over Molly playing second fiddle to Talis and are worried that she'll be a consolation prize for Sherlock after Talis dies… As I mentioned in the first chapter this will be ANGST filled, and the characters will go through the ringer before happy endings are reached.
I understand your concern, I do, but I see Sherlock as emotionally stunted. He shut down after Talis died the first time, locked away his emotions so he couldn't get hurt that way again. First loves, first cuts, they're always the deepest. We all know that Sherlock cares for Molly, yet he can't/won't let it go beyond that, and his back story with Talis has a lot to do with it. Sometimes you have to confront your past in order to embrace your future.
Talis is a plot device to show that he is capable of feelings. In my mind, Molly hopes that someday Sherlock will show affection towards her, yet she doesn't really believe it could happen. (Does that make sense?) And I understand what Nietzsche said, that "Hope is the cruelest of evils, for it prolongs the torment of man." Which is where I see Molly, she hopes and it's why she gives Sherlock carte blanche over everything.
Seeing Sherlock with Talis allows Molly to know that Sherlock is capable of love, and it only ignites her feelings further. Most people portray Molly as a mousy person who lets others walk all over her, however in my experience it's the quiet ones you have to watch out for… She 'lost' Sherlock to The Woman, she's not prepared to do it again.
As for Talis, she loves Sherlock, but she's not stupid enough to think that 10 years away hasn't changed anything, she knows that sometimes when things are broken, they can't be put back together again. Doesn't mean she won't try, last chapter she revealed a little bit of her character, perhaps she's a bit more like Irene Adler than even she wants to admit.
Hope that clears some confusion up. Like I said, this will be an EVENTUAL Sherlolly, but there's a lot of angst to muddle through before we get there. By the end, if I've done this story and it's characters justice, there will be no doubt that Sherlock loves Molly because she's Molly and not because he can't have Talis.
To the guest reviewer, I really wished you would have logged in! If you're going to take the time write such a well crafted (albeit critical)review, you should at least have the courage to stand by your words and not hide behind anonymity.
To everyone else who reviewed, Rocking the Redhead, crooney83, thedragonaunt and lavanyalabelle, sorry I didn't have the chance to reply to you individually!
Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween/Dia de los Santos/Dia de los Muertos!
Getting2KnowL
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I don't own Sherlock or any recognizable characters from the brilliant minds of Sir Doyle, Mr. Moffat or Mr. Gatiss, however I do own Talis... and Nikolai
