A/N: As always all rights to Doyle, Moffatt and Gatiss.

Thanks to everyone that reviewed: The Mad Squirrel, MarvelDC superhero fan, annie, SteamPunk'93, Yeedle, TruffleHead,ThisLooksLikeAJobForMe, Ericat15, lvPayne, chironsgirl, Vitawash, PrincessSYS, superlc529.

Also if anyone wants to design an image for the new story cover thing, private message me. I'm awful at that kind of thing and think it would be eif one of you could do something for it...

Sorry for the long author's note. Please read, enjoy and review. DFTBA #believeinSherlock

Small Steps

Chapter 11

After hanging up the phone Sherlock returned to the plastic chair, ignoring Lestrade's question he just sat there in silence, waiting. He maintained his position, chin resting on his arched fingers, until Molly's doctor, Dr Fletcher, returned.

Again Dr Fletcher spoke only to Lestrade. "Dr Hooper is going to be taken through to surgery in about five minutes. She's still unconscious, but her boyfriend." He gestured towards the still seated Sherlock. "Can see her briefly if he would like?"

Lestrade turned towards Sherlock expecting him to comment on the doctor's use of boyfriend, however Sherlock didn't, he immediately stood and entered the ICU. Lestrade thanked Dr Fletcher and then followed Sherlock.

Upon entering the room Lestrade saw Sherlock already stood above Molly's bed, staring intently at the injured woman. He could imagine the look in Sherlock's eyes as he looked down on Molly, Lestrade had instantly realised how much Molly had changed Sherlock. When they had met in the pub earlier that day the changes in the detectives personality had been obvious, Sherlock had been happier and more carefree. Lestrade had watched him interact, with both Molly and her son, in a manner he would never have expected from Sherlock.

"I'll give you a minute Sherlock." Lestrade said, Sherlock gave no indication that he heard, not responding in any way to the Inspector's comment. Taking the silence as Sherlock's approval, Lestrade left the room.

Now alone with Molly, Sherlock began pacing around her bed. She looked so innocent and fragile, he thought. From the distinct bruise on her right cheek, Sherlock could tell the attacker – male, mid-thirties had been wearing a ring. The mugger was six foot three and had easily been able to overpower the short doctor.

Sherlock continued his pacing until the nurses returned to take Molly to theatre. Before leaving the small room, Sherlock quickly bent down and kissed Molly's forehead, lightly pressing his lips to the only unbruised skin he could find.

Re-joining Lestrade in the corridor he resumed his pacing, this time up and down the narrow passageway. Again Lestrade attempted to speak to Sherlock, eventually resorting to stepping in front of the detective, forcing him to halt his striding.

"Sherlock, what have you done about Ben?" Lestrade asked.

"It is sorted." Sherlock replied through gritted teeth. "Here he is now." Abruptly Sherlock turned again and marched towards a woman standing at the end of the corridor. "Anthea." He said tersely, immediately taking Ben from her arms, careful to avoid waking the sleeping toddler.

"Sherlock." Anthea said, glad to no longer be holding the child. She brushed herself off before continuing. "Your brother sends his regards."

Sherlock snorted quietly and took the baby bag Anthea offered.

"Mycroft says to call him if there is anything else you need." With that she left, her blackberry out before she had gone through the door.

Sherlock slowly walked back up the corridor, focussing on Ben instead of Lestrade's confused stare. After reaching the inspector, he spoke quietly. "Mycroft had fixed it so I can look after Ben. Social Services will not question it." He sat down again and cautiously repositioned Ben so he was more comfortable.

Ben only remained asleep for another fifteen minutes; as soon as Sherlock felt the child begin to stir he started pacing again, a trick that had always calmed Ben before. However it didn't work this time, Ben seemed to sense that something was wrong, out of place. Maybe it was some unknown mother-child bond, Sherlock wondered. No, the stress of the situation must be getting to him, he thought, it wasn't some mystical bond; Ben just didn't like strange places. Sherlock considered taking Ben back to the flat then, but quickly thought otherwise, he wouldn't be able to bring himself to leave before knowing that Molly had got out of theatre, that she'd be okay.

Ben continued crying, but luckily the outright screaming slowly changed to silent sobs and eventually, after tiring himself out Ben fell asleep again. Sherlock finally looked up from the now peaceful toddler, Lestrade was watching him. Sherlock could see that Lestrade was shocked by his actions, in the past he had always been careless in the way he treated people, often shouting at distressed witnesses to save time. Molly and Ben had changed his outlook on feelings completely. Sherlock realised that the completeness of this change was only now becoming apparent to the inspector.

After another hour of pacing Molly returned; wheeled back down the corridor by two porters. Sherlock quickly scanned the beeping machine attached her bed, drawing on all the medical knowledge stored in his mind palace; he satisfied himself that the readings were satisfactory. She would survive.

He waited patiently for Dr Fletcher to return, he realised that the doctor's belief he was Molly's boyfriend would be solidified by his holding of her son, but he didn't care. If it meant he would find out about Molly's condition he was happy to uphold the role.

Sherlock stood by the door to the ICU, allowing him to see Molly, but keeping Ben from the beeping and whirring of the machines within the room. The toddler had almost woken when Molly had been brought back, but Sherlock had managed to rock the half-awake child back to sleep.

Lestrade approached Sherlock as he stood there, staring at Molly's unconscious form.

"Will you be alright with Ben on your own?" Lestrade asked.

"Of course." Sherlock replied abruptly. He had been on his own with Ben before, when Molly had to shower or change. I t wouldn't be very different; Ben always slept well and was very little trouble for Molly, from what he had observed.

Dr Fletcher arrived then, preventing Lestrade from continuing with his questions. "The surgery went well." He said. "The internal damage was not as bad as we first thought, hopefully Dr Hooper will regain consciousness by the day after tomorrow, and she should only need to stay in hospital for six or seven days. You may see her now if you would like?" He then led the way into the room.

Sherlock looked towards Lestrade. "Will you take Ben?" He asked.

Lestrade nodded and carefully took Ben from Sherlock, competently holding the child to his chest.

Sherlock entered the room and rapidly took in the details he had been unable to see from the corridor. Molly's bruising had developed during the operation, he could now clearly see handprints on her wrists. Sherlock clenched his fists, he would happily punch the person that did this to Molly.

Now away from Ben Dr Fletcher continued his explanation of Molly's operation. "We made a four-inch incision here." He pointed towards Molly's stomach. "There was some serious damage to her spleen, but we managed to…"

Sherlock tuned him out he had already learnt all this from the chart hung on the end of Molly's bed. Instead he finished his examination of Molly. He was momentarily glad that he could not see beneath the sheet covering her body, he was unsure of how he would react if he could see where the surgeons had cut into her, where her broken ribs were causing her pale skin to purple. He could normally rely on himself if nothing else, but Molly Hooper was invoking such strong emotions in him he now doubted himself. If he saw the rest of her bruised and broken body, would he be able to stop himself from hunting down the man that did it. He knew he shouldn't, he needed to return to Ben, but would that stop him.

After the doctor finished talking, Sherlock robotically thanked him and waited for him to leave, his eyes never leaving Molly's face. As Dr Fletcher left Sherlock moved closer to Molly, crouching down by her side. Tentatively he took her soft hand, examining the bruises forming on her knuckle from when she had tried to defend herself. He remained in that position until he heard Lestrade's soft knock, indicating that he now had to leave as well. Again Sherlock touched his lips to Molly's forehead, squeezing her hand gently as he did it.

Sherlock re-joined Lestrade outside the room. "They're going to move her now." Lestrade nodded towards the porter and nurse entering the ICU. "She's stable now so they're taking her up to the ward."

Sherlock just nodded and held out his arms, Lestrade passed Ben back to him. Sherlock held Ben close to him. "I need to take Ben back to Molly's flat." He stated, and slowly began to walk towards the hospital's exit, Lestrade following him.

"Okay. I'll take you back." Lestrade offered. "Save you getting a cab."

In due course they reached the flat, Lestrade as Ben began to wake up, promising to return the next morning to take them back to the flat.

After Ben fully woke up, it quickly became apparent that the night wasn't going to be as easy as Sherlock had originally thought. Try as he might he was unable to calm Ben down. He tried everything he could; even managing to find some of the classical music Molly liked to play around the flat.

Once Ben had once again cried himself to exhaustion and fallen asleep, Sherlock sat down on the sofa. Finally he had a chance to analyse the day. People were mugged every day, but he had never imagined that he would care when some insignificant person was attacked, however Molly was far from insignificant. Over the past few months she and Ben had grown to be important to Sherlock, but it was only today that Sherlock had realised the magnitude of this importance.

After another couple of hours, Sherlock found himself drifting off, still clutching Ben to his chest.