A/N: Alright everyone. I'm terribly sorry that it took me nearly two and a half months to update this story. Time got away from me and things have been hectic in my life... it happens. But before I could continue on with this story, I had to rewrite this chapter but it just didn't sit well with me. Here's the newly rewritten eighth chapter, hope you guys like it better!
Really, it wasn't fair. Sherlock didn't understand why he was banned to Molly's living room. He hadn't even done anything wrong, in his opinion. He was naturally curious by nature, and the fact that Molly hadn't heard a single knock puts her in the wrong. She really ought to get her hearing checked out…
He let out a long sigh and reached for his cell phone. After a moment, he put it to his ear and waited. "John." He finally said. There was a long silence on the other end of the line before John responded, rather vehemently.
"Sherlock, what the hell? Where are you? Lestrade is furious at you for just leaving and –"
"John, please." Sherlock put his fingertips to his temple and briefly closed his eyes. "I'm in a bit of trouble, apparently." He cast a glance down the hallway to see if Molly had emerged from her room yet. No sign.
"What did you do." It wasn't even a question, it sounded more like a statement, and Sherlock frowned.
"I did not do a single thing." Sherlock's tone was clipped and precise. "It seems that I stumbled upon Molly right as she was exiting her bath and caught her at a rather awkward moment." Again, there was another moment of quiet from John.
"What?" John's tone was incredulous.
"She was…" Sherlock stumbled for a moment. "Ah. Without clothing." His speech was interrupted by an incredibly loud snort of laughter. He pulled the phone away from his ear in distaste, and held it at arms length until John's chortling had died down. It took several minutes.
Finally, John was able to speak properly, although this voice quivered every so often with suppressed humor. "How exactly did you manage that, Sherlock?"
"I wasconcerned. Her door was unlocked and opened freely by my hand, so I simply wanted to make sure she was alright." It startled him to realize that what he had said was true. He had been worried. Sherlock was only too aware of how many enemies he had in the world, and he wasn't sure if they had decided to target Molly or no. The thought of her in danger gave Sherlock a most peculiar feeling in his chest and he became acutely aware of how hard it was to breathe suddenly.
Something in Sherlock's voice must have alerted John that this matter was more serious that he originally thought, and he quieted down. "Is she?"
"Is she what?"
"Okay. She wasn't hurt or anything?"
"No, no. She was perfectly fine, although spitting like a mad cat when she saw me standing at the bathroom door. God, John, it was –"
"Sherlock! Spare me the details." John cut in hastily.
"Please prevent yourself from thinking of anything crude and distasteful about this affair, John. I simply was going to state that it was a relief to see her safe." Sherlock's voice was cold.
"Right, I didn't –"
"Sherlock?" Molly's voice wafted down the hallway, strung high with tension and nerves. Promptly he hung up his phone in the midst of another one of John's lectures about his behavior. He would be able to explain later.
Her head peeked out from around the corner, a blush still staining her cheeks a rosy pink color. Sherlock abstractly thought that it was quite a becoming color on her… before effectively shutting down that line of thinking. This is an experiment. He could hear Mycroft's aloof voice, saying that he was loath to mingle with such common folk and what was Sherlock even thinking?
Quite frankly, Sherlock didn't want to end up like his brother: alone and increasingly bitter towards the world. Perhaps he was not going about socializing in a normal fashion, but he felt he deserved merit for trying.
"Molly." He acknowledged her with a head nod and she eased her way into the room. With a little sigh, she plopped down into a chair across from Sherlock. Studiously, she avoided his gaze and sucked on her lower lip. Something of amazing interest was catching her eye in the corner of the room.
"You – you didn't have to stay, you know."
"Would you like me to leave then?" He began to rise from his seat on the couch. Startled, Molly fluttered her arms at him and shook her head.
"No – no. No. I just." She broke off and frowned. There was a long silence. "Are you feeling well?" She eventually blurted out.
Momentarily perplexed by her line of thinking, Sherlock automatically responded. "I'm very well, thank you."
"Well I don't believe you!"
"You work in a hospital, generally speaking. Would you care to examine me?" Sherlock's tone was dry.
Molly had regained enough of her composure to shoot him a dirty look. "Don't be so daft."
He held up his palms in a gesture of mock surrender. "Then I do implore you to explain yourself."
She hesitated only for a fraction of a second, too terrified to lose what little nerve she possessed. "What exactly are you doing here?"
"Would you not consider this a social call?"
"No." She said bluntly. "No I wouldn't. Not after what just happened." Molly saw the corner of his mouth twitch and a fresh wave of warmth bloomed on her skin. "I mean all of this." She gestured vaguely with her arm. "First, you blatantly offer to me that you wish to conduct an experiment on me. Then you cook me a dinner – fabulous, by the way – and now you just happen to appear at my doorstep for a so-called social call." She paused to take in a breath. "I may not know much about you Sherlock Holmes, but I can gather enough to say that this behavior isn't normal."
Sherlock was silent.
Molly took notice of his lack of response and emitted a nervous, shaky giggle. "If I didn't know any better, perhaps I would go as far as to say you've developed… developed some kind of feelings for me, Sherlock."
She was waiting for his instant rebuttal of "Don't make jokes, Molly" but still he remained unnervingly quiet. The air in the room buzzed with the electricity generated by her nerves. Here she was chastising his strange behavior when she hadn't physically confronted a person in her entire life! Unusual behavior indeed.
In the quiet moments between Molly's hectic bouts of speaking, Sherlock's brain was rapidly thinking. Should he deny her accusations? Should he state that she does in fact know nothing about him and so she should not be so quick to assume? Perhaps he should leave in a most grand fashion, shutting her apartment door behind him with a click as he smoothly pops his collar…
Or.
He mentally began to scold himself. Surely someone like him – a high functioning sociopath – should not, would not, and could not develop such things as "feelings" for a person of the opposite sex? It would wreak havoc on his life, right? It was impossible. Wasn't it?
"Right. Just ignore me, really. I babble on about all things when I've had a fright and –" Her words were cut off by the sudden appearance of Sherlock standing in front of her seat. She swallowed and looked up at him.
Without a word, he extended his right hand as a way to help her up. She quickly grabbed it. He pulled her to her feet and brought her against his chest in an awkward, but surprisingly comfortable hug. As Molly tried to match her thoughts with the actions going on around her, Sherlock tipped up her chin and smoothly brought his mouth down on hers.
So. SPOILER ALERT: I've started to watch the third season of Sherlock and I do not give a damn that Molly is engaged to some other twit. I have high hopes that perhaps she will eventually dump him for some unknown reason and things will fall into place between Sherlock and her. That kiss in the first episode - I swooned. Rate and review please! Promise to update more regularly. :)
