Meant to mention in the last part: Irene mentioning the hospital with "shady plastic surgeries" was meant as a little wink to "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows". Funny, 'cause I didn't really care for that film. But I like referencing all sorts of Sherlock mythos.

As always, I love you all so much for your reviews of my story! It really encourages me to keep going! Replies:

coloradoandcolorado1: To get the dialogue, I try very hard to hear the actors saying it in my head. If I can, I'm pretty sure it's a good line.

Murmeltierchen: I think I can probably swing that! He most definitely did enjoy himself... She did too, he just doesn't think she enjoyed it enough! He was a virgin... He had to be a bit crap.

Nocturnias: Oh, Sherlock would NEVER let Molly get to him... Never, ever, ever...

Stixer111: Thanks for the info! I'm not terribly familiar with Much Ado myself. I did get to see David Tennant and Catherine Tate in it when I was in London last year, but it's not a Shakespeare play I've studied closely. And we all like a bit of nerd info around here.

Vitawash: I loved the idea of Sherlock being kind of a typical guy in wanting to be awesome in the sack right away. Plus, he's got an ego the size of Montana. But you know, he was a virgin who lives in his head and everything has to be thought out. But that's not what sex is like. It's very in the moment.

Spyder: Picturing Benedict Cumberbatch in any position is okay in my book.

Sherlolly4ever: Your wish is my command.

myleneSW: Funnily enough, Irene didn't really grow on me until I started writing her. Now, I adore her. She's sassy.

PurpleYin: Molly is in love with Sherlock. She wouldn't really be in love with him if she couldn't accept his weird quirks.

PART TEN

Molly let out a small whine as she walked through the halls towards the office. She pulled out her phone and wrote a quick text:

This isn't going to work.

In a few heartbeats, there was a reply:

It will if you just keep your
head. Just do everything I
told you. Don't tip your hand.
SH

Molly scowled at the phone before tucking it away in her coat and continuing to the office. She rapped lightly on the door. "Hello?"

Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade looked up from his work and gave Molly a small, weary smile. She had not seen him since before Sherlock's 'death'. She had heard that Lestrade had been on suspension for several months and even now was still relegated to desk duty. Normally, Molly would have come by to see him, but she had been so preoccupied with Sherlock most of the other aspects of her life had been shunted aside.

"Molly," Lestrade stood up and sighed as he looked the woman over. "Come in, please."

Molly stepped hesitantly into the office, holding a file folder. "I told Sergeant Donovan I had some papers for you from the mortuary."

Lestrade nodded. "I guess Sergeant Donovan hasn't been kept up-to-date with Barts. I heard what happened, Molly. I'm sorry. Please... Sit."

Molly nodded and sat down across from Lestrade. "Well... I suppose I'm not the only person who has taken abuse because of Sherlock." She looked around his desk.

Lestrade sighed and sat back down. He ran a hand through his greying hair. "Could have been worse. I'll get out of the dog house eventually. What can I do for you, Molly?"

Molly opened her mouth to respond when her mobile dinged. She smiled apologetically and read the message.

Don't say anything about
Moriarty's 'suicide'.
I was the only one who
knew about it.
SH

Molly rolled her eyes, thinking this was obvious and put her phone away again. "I actually wanted to talk to you about my dismissal from Barts."

Lestrade shook his head fractionally, his gaze narrowing on Molly in confusion. "I don't know why you would come to me, Molly. That is an internal matter with the hospital.

" Molly worried her lower lip, her fingers digging into the file she held. "I don't think it was entirely on the up and up. The man who was investigating me, Sebastian Moran. I don't think he really works for Internal Affairs." She squeezed her eyes shut. "Well, he does... But I think he's... I don't know, infiltrated."

Lestrade arched a brow. "Infiltrated?"

"I have reason to believe that Sebastian Moran works for James Moriarty," Molly said quickly, holding out the file folder to Lestrade. "I have evidence that..."

Lestrade took the folder, but held up his free hand. "Molly, James Moriarty doesn't exist, remember?"

Molly sighed, shaking her head. "Detective Inspector... You know that's not true. You of all people!"

Lestrade looked away, his hand tightening into a fist. "As far as Scotland Yard is concerned, James Moriarty doesn't exist. I've gotten into enough trouble as it is, without digging further into it."

Suddenly, Molly's mobile dinged again. She looked down at the text.

If he's resisting,
try flirting with him.
He thinks you're cute.
SH

Molly didn't think flirting was really going to help with the situation. Just then, a second text came in.

It always worked on you.
SH

Molly felt herself start to turn red.

"Molly," Lestrade said firmly, "Just who in the world-" His expression changed to a mixture of shock and fury. "That bloody bastard is still alive, isn't he?"

"What?" Molly squeaked. She shoved her phone deep into her pocket. "What are you talking about? What bastard?"

Lestrade rose to his feet and loomed over Molly. "Molly, don't play around with me."

"I don't know what you're-" Molly jumped up as Lestrade strode out of the office. "Where are you going?"

Molly trailed after Lestrade, feeling a pit deep in her stomach with each step. This was not at all a part of the plan. Sherlock had told her on no uncertain terms not to hint that he was still alive.

Of course, if Sherlock had just trusted her to do her bloody job, maybe it would have worked!

Lestrade burst out of the department. Sherlock had done very little to disguise himself, only donning a hat to cover his dark curly hair. Even then, he still wore his signature coat. At lease he had omitted the scarf. He held his phone in front of him.

"Ah, Detective Inspector," Sherlock said, not even looking at Lestrade. "I had a bet with myself as to whether or not you would figure it out. Come with me."

He started to walk, still not looking away from his phone. "So did you flirt with him, Molly?"

"What?" Molly was still in a state of confusion. Was Sherlock jealous? "No... Uh..."

"Good, you are rubbish at it." He waved a hand in dismissal. "Come on, you two. Probably not best for the dead, disgraced detective to hang around outside Scotland Yard."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Lestrade bellowed. He sped up, managing to get in front of Sherlock and stopping him in his tracks. "Do you mind telling me what the hell is going on here?"

Sherlock finally looked up from his phone. He tucked it away in the pocket of his coat. "I sent Molly here with evidence as to Sebastian Moran's connection to James Moriarty in an attempt to clear her name and to bring to light Moriarty's crime syndicate, which I do assure you, Lestrade, is very much not an invention of my own making."

Lestrade poked Sherlock in the chest with a finger. "You are supposed to be dead."

"Clearly, I am not," Sherlock replied.

Lestrade's gaze shifted to Molly. "You?"

Molly couldn't look Lestrade in the eye. In fact, she shifted herself so she was shielded by Sherlock's tall frame.

"Do not blame Molly, Lestrade... It is impossible for her to say no to me." He glanced over his shoulder at Molly. There was a gleam in his light eyes and a small smile on his lips. "For anything."

Molly felt herself turning red anew. Was Sherlock Holmes flirting? Really and properly?

"Should put you in cuffs right now," Lestrade said firmly.

Sherlock shook his head. "But you won't. You'll come with me. We have a lot to discuss."

They found themselves in a dingy pub several blocks away from the department. Sherlock had his back to the crowd, keeping his face mostly obscured.

Despite asking about a dozen times before they sat, Sherlock refused to give away the secret to his continued existence. Molly took her cue from him. If Sherlock was not going to answer, she was not going to give anything away either.

Molly had her own questions for Sherlock. She glanced over at him, shaking her head. "Why did you have me do that?" Her voice was slightly squeaky from panic. "If you knew the Detective Inspector was going to figure out you were still alive, why didn't you just contact him yourself, rather than drag me into it?"

Sherlock's light blue gaze raked over Molly. "Are you not enjoying this? I thought you would like being included in my investigation."

Sherlock's reason for everything became crystal clear and she thanked every deity she knew it was dark enough in the pub that her blush was hidden.

This was the Sherlock version of a date.

"I..." She looked down. "You could have given me some warning."

Sherlock arched a brow at her. "Seemed more fun this way."

Lestrade looked back and forth between Sherlock and Molly. "Can one of you please explain just what's going on? All right, so you don't want to tell me how you faked you death... Do you want to explain to me why... And why the hell you chose to let me in on the fact that you did?"

Sherlock leaned in close. "You are a good man. And you are a good detective. You know what they said about me doesn't make any sense. You've always known. You might have entertained the notion for a moment, but after everything we did, you couldn't believe it."

Lestrade remained quiet, just watching Sherlock.

"I needed to fake my death, to allow Moriarty to think he had won. Give myself time. I don't need time anymore. I need you. Very soon, Moriarty and I will have our final meeting. I need the only detective in London I trust on my side."

Lestrade looked down at his folded hands. "Sherlock, I just got off suspension for working with you before. I'm still on desk duty!"

Sherlock's face was impassive. "I would think bringing in the most notorious criminal in London would go a long way to polishing your tarnished reputation. Like it or not, our notoriety is interconnected. If I'm vindicated, so will you."

Lestrade looked through the file folder Molly had given him. "This Sebastian Moran... You really think he has something to do with all of this?"

"I do," Sherlock replied. "A man of his calibre makes no sense in administration at Barts. I believe him to be one of Moriarty's lieutenants. Moriarty is quiet upset at Doctor Hooper. He underestimated her abilities and Moriarty hates to be wrong, as it happens so rarely."

Lestrade shook his head. "Molly, I don't mean offense, but... As long as people believe Sherlock is a fraud, your dismissal is not unexpected. I thought I might lose my own job!"

"Molly never did anything wrong," Sherlock insisted, his voice dark and dangerous. "And Moriarty has made it clear to me he is focusing his attentions on her."

"It sounds like you're making some incredible leaps again," Lestrade said with a sigh. "Not really helping clear your name. What proof do you have that Moriarty is coming after Molly?"

"The gun he put at my head," Molly piped up.

Lestrade's eyes widened as he looked to Molly. "What?"

"He came to Barts," Molly explained. "Put a gun to my head." She leaned in to Lestrade, taking his arm. "Everyone wanted to disbelieve Sherlock because he's-" She looked to Sherlock for a moment. "-An arrogant, horrible prat."

She caught the faintest hint of a smile on Sherlock's face before she turned back to Lestrade. "I think you do believe Sherlock. But if there's a little bit of doubt still there, then believe me. I would never lie to you about something like this."

"Just about Sherlock still being alive," Lestrade sighed. He then nodded slowly. "What do you want? You want me to bring in this Moran?"

Sherlock shook his head. "Not yet. There's not enough to hold him and we can't let Moriarty know we've met."

Lestrade swallowed hard. "All right. What do you need from me?"

"I need you to be there when I call you." Sherlock got to his feet. He looked to Molly and she scrambled up to follow after him. "I'll be in touch, Lestrade."

With that, he swept from the pub, Molly close on his heels.

They made their way back towards Molly's flat. They remained silent until they arrived at the door of her flat. As she fumbled with her keys, Sherlock glanced down at Molly and gave her an appraising look. "You did well today, Molly."

"Didn't really do much," Molly said quietly, the blush rising in her cheeks. "Just talked to Lestrade. It's not like we were running after bad guys or being shot at."

"Seems rather extreme for a first date," Sherlock replied.

Molly looked up as she opened the door. "I thought that's what this was for you." She let out a small laugh. "Then how many dates did you and John go on?"

"I never did this with John." Sherlock leaned in and pressed his mouth to Molly's. She let out a happy sigh against his mouth as he guided her into the flat.

They parted as the door finally closed. Sherlock pulled himself back up to full height. "You know, I don't know how much longer this game will last, Molly. I have the feeling something big will change soon."

Molly worried her lower lip and gave a small nod. She was not worried about the outcome. She knew, in the end, Sherlock would win.

What worried her was the aftermath. What would happen to them when their lives returned to normal?

Post-Notes: LESTRAAAAAAAAAADE! Sorry, I had to get that out. I love Lestrade.

I think I might take a couple of days before posting the next part. You have all been so wonderful and I've been so immersed in Sherlock, I've been working on this story pretty solidly. To the neglect of my comics (Writing & drawing indie comics is my job). Not good. Been fun, but... Work should come first. Must throw myself into those for a bit. You all are terrible, terrible influences on me (I love you for it though.)