A million thanks to the people who have reviewed/added this story/me to their favs/alerts. I know its been ages since the last time I updated. I have no idea why I just sat on this chapter. This is the last chapter, dear readers. There will only be one more update after this : the epilogue. So for now, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer: The characters don't belong to me. Just the idea of the story.
"Dr. Watson."
John looked up at the voice. It was the landlady Mrs. Hudson. He gave her a warm smile.
"Yes, Mrs. Hudson?" he asked politely, inviting her to sit down with him and Sarah.
"That's lovely of you Doctor, but I'd rather stand," Mrs. Hudson replied as she watched the couple. "Now, who would this lovely young lady be?"
"Ah, pardon me, Mrs. Hudson, this is my girlfriend Sarah," John said quickly with the appropriate gestures. "And Sarah, this is my landlady Mrs. Hudson."
The two ladies smiled at each other.
"I've heard quite a wonder about you, Sarah dear," Mrs. Hudson said.
John's eyes widened. What in the world did Mrs. Hudson mean? And ever since when had he even talked to her about Sarah?
"Oh, really, that's – " began Sarah looking at John.
But John cut her short. "Mrs. Hudson, what in the world do you mean?"
"Dear Dr. Watson, Sherlock and I just had a little chat over tea and biscuits one hot afternoon while you were out at the clinic," Mrs. Hudson explained.
"What?!"
"Perhaps, Sherlock had forgotten to mention this little bit to you given the recent turn of events in his life."
"Oh my god. That bastard really – "
"He's the reason why I stopped by to talk to you."
John sat up straighter. Now, what had Sherlock done for Mrs. Hudson to come over to him during a Christmas party?
"Have you seen him around?"
John shook his head. "No, the last time we saw him, he was talking to some lady."
"You mean Molly?"
"No," Sarah offered. "It was some other lady. Rather regal-looking."
"Wow," Mrs. Hudson replied, surprised. "I never knew Sherlock had many women at once."
"Mrs. Hudson!" John exclaimed. "Sherlock doesn't have any woman!"
"I know, I was just teasing you." Mrs. Hudson beamed at John and Sarah. "It must be the sherry that's acting on me. Well, see you later dear."
John watched as the little old lady walked off. She was definitely a little tipsy but her search for Sherlock made John a little tensed. Where was Sherlock and what in the world was he doing at this time?
"Sarah."
"Yes, John?"
"Where is Sherlock?"
"No idea, dear."
"Where is Molly?"
"She went – "
"Somewhere, right?"
"Yeah."
"Do you think, that maybe – "
" – Sherlock went after her? Why not?" Sarah said with a smile forming on her face. "I don't see any reason why we should rule out that possibility.
"I'm hoping that's the case, Sarah."
Sherlock looked down at Molly's peacefully, sleeping face. Her breathing was slow and even. Sherlock smiled. He was extremely glad that he was able to arrive in time before the weird stranger did – who knows what he might have done. Sherlock tucked a lose strand of hair behind Molly's ear and closed his eyes. Yet again, he had to admit, his actions were based on the emotions – damn those blasted things – he felt.
He remembered very clearly that after talking to his friend, he had scanned the crowd for Molly and thought he would have found her seated with John and Sarah. But she was nowhere to be seen and neither John nor Sarah knew where Molly had gone. He panicked immediately and went in the direction that John had pointed.
It was purely based on his gut feeling that Sherlock managed to find Molly. The weird stranger had been cornering her and in an instant, Sherlock felt his body move on its own accord. Before he knew it, the stranger was running out of the room and Sherlock was carrying Molly in his arms to the seat, placing her in a sitting position and then leaning her against his shoulders as he sat down.
Sherlock closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the seat. Right now, with Molly's head resting on his shoulder, Sherlock could feel his heart beating faster than normal. What about Molly, Sherlock wondered as his hand reached down to Molly's hand.
Her skin was so soft but a little rough at the fingertips. Sherlock drew little circles on her fingertips, thinking about how dedicated Molly was to her work. His hands stopped at her wrist. He tried to feel for her pulse and found it to be at quite a normal rate. Not any longer, Sherlock thought smugly, smirking as Molly stirred.
It took some time for Molly to take in her surroundings and when she finally realized that she was leaning on Sherlock's shoulder, she scooted to the end of the seats and looked down at her hands, nervously twisting them.
"Um, Sh-Sherlock, why was I – "
"Resting?" Sherlock completed, interrupting Molly's question. "You became unconscious."
Molly nodded quickly. "What happened before I lost consciousness?"
Doing her best not to make it obvious, Molly tried shifting herself further away from Sherlock but angling her body to face him partially. She saw Sherlock's eyes shift and grimaced inwardly. He realised what I was trying to do, she thought and froze completely where she was.
"You're about to fall off the seat, Molly."
Molly bit her lip and looked up at Sherlock. Amusement was etched in every line of his face as he tried to hold back a tiny smile.
"W-well," Molly stuttered.
"Molly, I saved you from an absurd guest who had set his sights on using you for his personal pleasure."
"Oh, oh. Thank you very much, Sherlock."
She decided that she ought to move closer to Sherlock instead of making him feel uncomfortable.
Sherlock watched Molly closely as she shifted towards him. She was really beautiful tonight. Her skin shone softly in the light. As she looked up from beneath her lashes, Sherlock felt something stir deep within him. Damn it, he thought angrily, why did he have to react to such things?
He suddenly felt acutely aware that Molly was just inches away from him. All he had to do was just move his hand and he could reach her.
No, thought Sherlock. What kind of hellish trick were his thoughts trying to play on him?
Molly looked up and her eyes widened. Sherlock, curious, followed suit and wished that he had picked a better spot to sit underneath. Right above them hung mistletoe. It had a mischievous air about it and seemed to bring the two of them closer together.
"Mistletoe," Molly whispered looking at Sherlock with slightly wary eyes.
"I know," he replied.
"It's tradition, you know?" she said.
"Yeah."
Sherlock felt himself move towards Molly. His lips met Molly's expectant ones. It was a gentle kiss, nothing extravagant. But the moment their lips broke apart, there was a feeling of need, of wanting more. Before Sherlock could logically grasp what was happening, Molly's lips met his again and, needless to say, all logical and sensible thoughts flew out of his head.
Molly's eyes filled with tears as she and Sherlock moved apart. The look in Sherlock's eyes told her what she had always known from the time she realised she had quite liked Sherlock. She knew that she would never be able to be with Sherlock. No matter how much she liked him, no matter how much effort she put into trying to make Sherlock fall for her, she wouldn't ever be able to be with him.
It was not that Sherlock disliked her or hated her. No, it was none of that. It was a matter of the type of people they were. She wasn't intelligent or quick-witted. She would be of use to Sherlock for his work but she couldn't stand the thought of being second to his work. She smiled sadly.
"Molly."
Molly looked up to find Sherlock looking at her thoughtfully. His cheeks were faintly pink. She smirked inwardly. So Sherlock does have some feelings and emotions in these situations.
"Sherlock."
Molly knew what Sherlock was about to say. It was written in every line of his face.
"I really like you. I really do, Molly. But you know and I know that some things can't happen. I wouldn't be able to give you the kind of happiness you deserve. I'm much better off married to my work than being in a relationship with you and not being able to be a good partner to you."
Molly smiled. It was a sweet, painful smile. "I know, Sherlock."
Sherlock raised an eyebrow. "Ever since when did you know?"
"Just. It just came to me after we…"
"Yeah," Sherlock nodded.
They sat in silence for some time, enjoying the companionship they were able to offer each other.
"But Molly, the future is uncertain. So, you never knew what may happen."