Chapter 4: Mind palace

Author's note: So obviously I own nothing Sherlock. I mean I bear no resemblance to Mark Gatiss or Steven Moffat (believe me I double checked.)

Alright so for the next chapter I wanted to take a look into Sherlock's head. I'm a bit worried about keeping him true to character but I'm gonna do my best. Please review and let me know how I did.

P.S. As much as I love a good Sherlolly this isn't one. For this story Sherlock and Molly are just friends. Well as much as anyone can be friends with Sherlock. Anyway he's in here to help me set up things I need later in the story not for a romance of his own. Although I do have an idea for his own romance it would be a different story.

P.S.S I recently read through what I had written so far and was appalled at just how many spelling and grammar errors had managed to slip by me. I apologize profusely for that. I apparently own the only computer in the world that doesn't have spell check. That being said I think it's high time I think about getting a betta. If anyone's interested please send me a message. I would be eternally grateful for some help. Thank you.

So here Chapter 4 enjoy!

The look in Molly's eyes as she glared at Sherlock was gut-wrenching. She had always been an easy woman to read and now everything he could see about her spoke of how close she was to the edge of breaking. Part of Sherlock looked at her and thought that this was what caring and sentiment got you in the end and how thankful he was he never put much stock in those sort of emotions. But another part, a part that had been nurtured and forced to grow by his friendship with John Watson could not help but ache at the sight of her. As much as it pained him to admit it he knew he was responsible for a large part of what she had been through. He wouldn't apologize for the way he acted around Molly. As she had said they had known each other for years and he had never behaved any differently around her. It would be ridiculous to start now. However the entire Moriarty debacle was his burden of guilt to bear. The only reason Molly had even crossed paths with Moriarty was because of him. Because of Moriarty's sick obsession with him Molly had been lured into the game and left to suffer as a result.

Sherlock knew he had to do something to snap Molly out of her depression. If she carried on the way she was it was quite likely the girl would just drop dead one day soon mid shift. He couldn't let such a thing happen. After all not only would he lose his valuable morgue access there was also a strong likely hood that John would never let him hear the end of it. These were obviously the only reasons he considered trying to help Molly he thought to himself quickly silencing the small voice that told him he just might miss his mousy pathologist if he were to lose her. As much as the thought disturbed him he had to admit however reluctantly that in some small manner he did indeed consider Molly a friend. No where close to the kind of friendship he shared with John Watson obviously but enough. Her unwavering loyalty to him had always been a balm to his soul however much wanted to deny it. In the years he had known her Molly had never turned away from him and she had indisputably seen him at his worst.

He didn't often like to think about his days as an addict. They were not a time he was particularly proud of in his life. He was well aware of the suffering he had brought to the people who cared about him but he had been far to absorbed in bringing some kind of clarity and calm to his always chaotic and cluttered thoughts. There were times however when he lost control over the drugs and sunk to deep into the high. Those times when he had no place to go and no one who would help him he had always known that he could show up on Molly's door with a smile and a compliment and be able to use her couch for a night. She would always stutter and blush and spend the rest of night fixing him tea or coffee and shoving food down his throat. Molly was always there when he needed her to guide him through the worst of his highs and then Sherlock would slip out before she awoke the next day. They never spoke of those times and always acted like they never happened but she had never turned him away.

Molly had always trusted him and believed in him and the thought that Moriarty had finally been the one to force her to lose faith with him filled Sherlock with a deadly rage. Moriarty had said that he would burn his heart out and Sherlock had played as if he didn't have one but they both had known it was a lie. John, Mrs. Hudson, Lestrade, Molly, even Mycroft all meant more to him than he would have ever cared to admit. The idea that Moriarty had wrecked this much pain and anguish on Molly while twisting her into thinking that Sherlock would ever do the same made him all the more determined that this game had to end as quickly as possible. The more pressing problem however was how to get Molly to snap out of whatever this was and get back to being herself.

Sherlock looked at Molly and a dozen ideas flashed through his brain at lightning speed. He quickly examined and discarded each as some flaw was found until finally he paused on one. Could it work? Yes he thought to himself but it would have to be delicately done. Smiling suddenly Sherlock tipped his head to Molly and walked out the door John following behind him calling for him to wait up. He waited at the lift for John and was silent as they rode up. John looked like he wanted to say something and he didn't heave long to wait before John got started.

"Well that could have gone better. Honestly I don't know what we were thinking. I blame myself as much as you. How could we possibly think everything could just go back to normal after all that Moriarty has done and is likely to keep doing? It was stupid of us to think that Molly could just brush of everything that's happened and forget about it. We both know how fragile she is." John ended with a defeated sigh." Bloody hell Sherlock how are we going to fix this? She needs help."

Sherlock gave John a sharp look. "First off John never think that Molly's weak. Yes she's in a precarious state at the moment and needs help but that woman has a quiet strength to her that most people could only wish for. Believe me I've seen it though I would never tell her that there would be no point. Secondly I already have a plan on how to help her." He finished this with that same smile that he had given Molly before he'd left. That smile that said he was smarter than everyone in the room and would take care of everything. The same smile that made a part of John Watson want to run for cover. "Oh lord Sherlock what are you planning?" John groaned.

Well there we go hopefully I did a good job with Sherlock. I was trying really hard not to make him seem to mushy but I think that whether he admits it to himself or not he kind of is with people he cares about. Well at least in his head where he doesn't have to admit it to anyone. Anyway hoping you liked this chapter and what you've been reading so far. Please review I'd love some feedback. Positive, negative doesn't matter I just what to know how you feel about what I've got so far.