Mrs. Hudson just exited her flat when the front doors of the building opened and a couple walked in. She instantly smiled widely at her former tenant and his lovely wife. She just loved when Mary and John came to visit Sherlock. It meant he wouldn't do anything destructive in the upper flat during that time because he wasn't bored when he had company.
"Evening, Mrs. Hudson." Mary said with a smile and killed the older woman's cheek.
"Oh, I'm so glad you decided to organize this little get together. He shouldn't be alone tonight."
John frowned, "Alone? Isn't Molly upstairs with him?"
The older woman shook her head, "I'm afraid not. She phoned him earlier, said she was called to work."
Mary, who was the last going up the stairs, sighed, "Why couldn't anyone else do it tonight?"
"Because they are used to have Molly work at odd hours and holidays. They figured she lives alone and has no family so she doesn't have anything better to do." Three of them heard Sherlock's voice even before entering the flat.
He consulting detective was pacing the length of the sitting room, still irritated by the news. Those imbeciles need to learn Molly Hooper isn't someone they should just take advantage of because it suits them and because she is willing to help.
Sherlock paused his pacing when he realized he did the same thing for years but then he huffed and continued. He was performing experiments in his free time and required Molly's assistance while she was already in the lab. Those fools are paid to do their jobs and they have Molly do it for them because the timing doesn't suit them.
His phone ringed and Sherlock reached for it right away. Looking down on the screen he smiled, as expected it was Mycroft.
"Well?" he asked without greeting his older sibling.
"Good evening to you, too." Mycroft said sarcastically.
"Did you do it?" Sherlock asked after sighing, his brother was wasting his time.
Unknowingly to him Mycroft rolled his eyes, "Of course I did. Doctor Davidson is on his way to Saint Bartholomew as we speak. I even took the liberty of sending a car to pick up Molly Hooper and drive her to Baker Street. Will that be all?" the sarcasm was dripping from the question added in the end.
"Yes." Sherlock answered before adding, "Thank you, Mycroft."
He had a feeling his tongue would fall out for saying those words but it was for a good cause. His brother's connections paid out this time quite well.
"What was that?" John asked as Sherlock disconnected the call and placed his cell phone back on the table.
"That was Mycroft." The consulting detective answered.
Mary Watson rolled her eyes as she took a seat on the couch, "No shit, Sherlock. What just happened?"
"I asked Mycroft to find out why Molly suddenly had to work for New Year's Eve when she obviously had a day off." Sherlock explained shortly before walking to the kitchen.
Mary sighed. Sherlock either shared more information then anyone wanted or you had to pull them out of him with pliers. It all depended on the situation and how much you actually wanted to know. Either way it was irritating.
"Are we to presume Molly is coming after all?" Mary asked before adding, "And get me something sweet!"
Seconds later Sherlock came to the sitting room carrying a plate with a piece of chocolate cake, "I hope this will do. Although you shouldn't eat sweets before diner."
Mary didn't comment on his taunt. She just took the plate from him and right away dig in the delicious desert.
"So Sherlock, is Molly coming?" Mrs. Hudson asked with a smile on her face. She loved the pathologist and the fact she made Sherlock happy.
"Yes. The idiot that supposed to work tonight and tried to get out of it will be starting his shift shortly and transportation is already waiting for Molly at Barts. She won't be long now."
"So we only need to wait for her since Greg won't be coming tonight." John said, lounging in his old armchair.
Sherlock looked at his friend and frowned, "Who?"
When Molly stepped into the upper floor flat of 221B Baker Street she found John and Sherlock deeply focused in a tense game of Operation. One that John was obviously winning.
"You made a mistake when you challenged a doctor." John taunted his friend and Molly smiled. One would think Sherlock would have learned by now after she beat him several times already.
But instead of answering Sherlock glanced towards the couch where Mary was sitting and asked, "What's wrong Mary?"
John instantly turned towards his wife, afraid there might be something wrong with the baby, and jumped when a BEEP sounded in the room. He sent a glare in Sherlock's direction before looking down on the game between them. The nose was illuminated. He lost.
"You cheated." He accused and Sherlock merely smiled.
"You should know by now he doesn't like to lose, John." Mrs. Hudson's voice was heard from the kitchen and Molly realized the landlady was the only one preparing dinner. So she lowered her bag on the floor next to the couch and went to help her out.
"Why am I not getting a 'thank you' for getting you out from work where you shouldn't have been tonight anyway?" Sherlock called after Molly.
She smiled and peeked back in the sitting room, "Because Mycroft did all the work. How did you get him to do it anyway? I thought he was still not speaking to you after what happened for Christmas."
Sherlock shrugged, "I agreed not to interfere in the investigation of who killed Magnussen and that was it."
"Do you know who it was? Is that why you agreed?" Mary asked and the consulting detective shook his head, a frown on his face.
"No, I don't. He made so many enemies narrowing down the list of potential shooters will not be easy. Not to mention most of people he blackmailed were wealthy enough to hire someone. I don't know if it would ever be solved."
Mary nodded absently, she knew Sherlock was right. That man blackmailed too many people; it was only a matter of time until someone decided he wasn't willing to live under his thumb anymore. She sure knew that feeling.
"Need any help in the kitchen?" she eventually asked and both Molly and Mrs. Hudson answered she should remain sitting where she is.
"Those two on the other hand could set up the table." Mrs. Hudson stepped in the sitting room and sent the two grown men a look they were all too familiar with after living in Baker Street for years, "And Sherlock, didn't you said you would clean up the mess from that table so we can eat in here?"
Sherlock turned towards the table on his left and noticed several stacks of paper, a laptop, few books he still hasn't returned on the shelves they came from and a roll of decorative paper he used to wrap Molly's Christmas gift. He sighed.
Mrs. Hudson shook her head, "Fine, we will eat in the kitchen then."
Mary was moaning during dinner, she loved every single dish. It was delicious and she didn't have to cook herself, so that made the food even better. Molly would smile from time to time after Sherlock frowned but no one said a single word.
"I know I shouldn't eat this much but Mrs. Hudson this is the most delicious thing I have ever eat." She said as she added a bit more of the side dish on her plate. She had no idea what it was but it was so good. And a bit greasy.
"Oh, thank you dear, but I just followed Molly's receipt. She made them before I just finished the dish. What did you said it was called again?" Mrs. Hudson turned towards the pathologist who just took a mouthful of salad and had a trouble swallowing with everyone looking at her.
"Um… I had a mate in uni who taught me how to make it. Usually she would buy them but she couldn't find any in the shops around London. It's sort of a dried flatbread that you just break into smaller pieces, pour boiling salted water over it, drain and mix into the fat left after meat was finished baking and just fry it briefly in the oven. Ana called the dish mlinci."
Sherlock's head snapped and he turned towards Molly. Everyone noticed the sudden reaction. But John was first to react.
"Everything alright, Sherlock?" he asked.
The consulting detective nodded. He didn't feel like talking about it at the dinner table. Or in general really. No one knew all the details about what happened those last few months he spent dismantling Moriarty's network. Molly knew some of it because she has seen the scars but she didn't know everything. She didn't know about the cold nights he spent sleeping in storage sheds, about the time he was chased and the only way to run was over a still existing mine field that was one of the reminders of the war that ended two decades ago, Molly had no idea that the dish she and Mrs. Hudson prepared was the last thing he ate before he was caught.
He didn't even realize that was the same food, it didn't taste the same as it did then. It was probably in his head but tonight everything seemed to taste so much better.
Must be the company.
The TV was on, showing one of the New Year concerts, but no one really paid much attention to it. They were all sitting around and talking about the new addition to their strange little family. Mary was absolutely glowing.
"And just to think it feels like yesterday that we found out about the baby." She smiled to her husband.
"I know, I can still vividly remember the moment when Sherlock figured it out and informed us." He confirmed.
Sherlock rolled his eyes, "I didn't 'figured it out', I deduced it."
"And you did a good job with it." John smiled, he knew his friend didn't like when his deductions were called by any other name. Which made it more fun.
"The countdown is starting." Molly suddenly said, noticing the numbers on the screed.
Everyone stood up and turned to the TV in the corner but then the image froze for a moment and stated to flicker and skip. Sherlock frowned when an outline of a person appeared behind the distortion but his eyes widened the moment the snow cleared and he came face to face with Jim Moriarty.
"Did you miss me?... Did you miss me?... Did you miss me?..." he dead criminal kept repeating.
"Sherlock…" Molly mumbled and he glanced at his partner. She was frightened, and for a good reason.
The sound of the phone ringing made everyone jump and Sherlock grabbed the device from the table. The name on the screen said the caller was Mycroft.
"What is doing on?! Why is Moriarty on my TV?"
"Not just on yours, brother dear." Mycroft answered.
"What?"
"The image of Jim Moriarty appeared on every single screen in UK. I don't know how but he is back. I need you to-"
"I'll take the case." Sherlock interrupted him, "But I'll need information. Like from where he image originated, to accomplish this he would need-"
"I am already assigning men to track down the signal. I'll inform you once we get the information."
Sherlock disconnected the call and looked at the faces of those around him, those most important to him. Behind him the program on the TV continued like nothing out of the ordinary happened.
"How is it possible?" Mary was first to find her voice again, "I thought he was dead."
"I don't know. But I won't let him harm anyone." Sherlock answered honestly before focusing on Molly, "It might be for the best if you remained in Baker Street for the time being. Safer."
Molly nodded silently, agreeing with Sherlock.
Mary on the other hand somehow managed to find a trace of humor in the whole ordeal, "Sherlock, this isn't one of your strange plans, is it? If you want Molly to move in with you all you needed to do is ask the girl." she turned towards Molly and smiled at her only for her face to instantly show terror as a red dot appeared on the pathologist's forehead.
Before anyone else had a chance to react John tackled Molly who was standing next to him on the floor. And not a seconds too soon because even before their bodies hit the hard ground a sound of glass breaking made everyone else duck as well.
Mrs. Hudson screamed and Sherlock covered her with his body before looking in Mary's direction. The pregnant woman in the best position, under the table between the windows, out of direct sight of who ever shot at them. He had no idea how she managed to squeeze underneath is such a short time but he was grateful. He didn't want anyone to happen to her or the baby.
"Sherlock." John called his name and the consulting detective turned towards his friend just in time to see Molly crawling in his direction and wrapping her arms around him as much as she could.
And then the phone ringed again.
It was Lestrade.
Less then tan minutes later the team from New Scotland Yard was in the building across the street, looking for evidence, after someone on the street called the police after witnessing the gunshot. The witnesses couldn't describe the shooter, said they only heard the sound of window breaking and ran into Speedy's that was still open at the time and hosting a small party.
It was no surprise to Sherlock that no evidence of the shooter was found. Who ever he was he was careful. And he made sure they knew who was his target.
He picked up his cell phone again and called Mycroft.
No matter what happens next Molly Hooper needs to be safe.
Yes, mlinci is a real dish. It's delicious and I wish I could send every single one of you a package so you can try it.
As you may have noticed the story has reached the point where shit is about to hit the fan so grab umbrellas and hold on.