Disclaimer: I own nothing! I claim nothing! I'm just borrowing the characters for my own pleasure and the pleasure of whoever reads this!
Chapter Thirteen
Goldfish
John left shortly after making sure it was only Sherlock's ego that was damaged by the punch, and after making Sherlock promise that he could be there when Sherlock confronted Molly.
Sherlock agreed, rubbing his smarting jaw and giving John a piss-off look, which John returned before finally leaving.
Sherlock stripped, showered, and redressed. He wore a blood red button up, the last button at the top undone for comfort, and a pair of black slacks and black shoes.
He waited another ten minutes after dressing before he grabbed his coat and headed out.
He did not need a supervisor or a baby sitter when he and Molly spoke, despite what John might think. He would not be censored simply because he might hurt her feelings. Molly would be used to his words by now regardless.
He needed to do this on his terms, not on John's.
He hailed a cab.
"Saint Bartholomew's." were the only words he spoke for the entire ride.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
When Sherlock entered Molly's room, she was still asleep. Sherlock took the time to look her over.
He saw nothing he hadn't expected, an I.V., bandaging on her arms, a worn out expression even as she slept.
Sherlock skimmed through her medical notes. Everything looked normal. Except the final few pages.
Tests for a variety of sexually transmitted diseases were listed. Results pending, with other tests planned for a few months in the future.
No rape kit, however. STDs were transferred through the exchange of bodily fluids. Semen, blood, saliva. No open wounds were seen on Daniels, and the report and prior information of Daniels told him it wasn't rape. Not in his M/O. So, saliva.
Sherlock looked back up at her, pieces connecting.
He put the report back in place, and pulled out his cellphone.
He called. Two rings.
"Are you still speaking to me, brother dear?"
"I want you to make Xavier Daniels disappear. He never existed. Do it, or I'll do it myself."
He hung up without waiting for a response, and turned back to Molly.
Her eyes were open, and she stared silently at him. He didn't need to ask to know that she had heard the phone call.
She sat up in the bed and looked down at her lap. Her fingers were knit together, and she worried her bottom lip in her teeth.
Sherlock put his phone back into his pocket and approached the bed, sitting in the seat closest. He sat in his thinking position, hands and steepled fingers pressed against his lips lightly.
Neither of them spoke for a few minutes. It was a confused, jumbled silence that was almost palpable for both of them.
"John would have rather he been here to smooth our meeting over." Sherlock said, breaking the silence. "I've elected to ignore his wishes. We have things to discuss alone."
Molly nodded, eyes still lowered. "We do. I... suppose you can start. I'm not really sure where to."
Sherlock nodded in return. He took a few moment, deliberating his words before he spoke. "You lied about several things, the least of which being the fact that you were employed by my brother and were not, in fact, a computer software program of any kind, though I'm fairly certain there was some programming involved."
"I did." Molly agreed. "And I don't really have any good reason. I needed the work, and I needed the chance he gave to me."
"What chance?" Sherlock asked, eyes narrowed slightly.
"A chance to fix things."
"Tell me how it all started."
Molly did. She explained everything. Her old job, the mix up with files that cost her her job, Mycroft approaching her less than a week later, a new start, the computer classes, and everything else between then and the end, when she was shut down and told not to search him out or all her expunged files would be retrieved and exposed.
"So, I found a loophole, because I... I wanted a chance to meet, to explain... He said I could never search you out, not that if we ever met by coincidence, I wasn't allowed to talk to you, and I knew you preferred Bart's to any other morgue. I knew you'd know me. I hoped you would." she ended, glancing up slightly.
Sherlock had a rueful smirk on his face.
"We've been played, Molly. Like a drum, I believe the term is."
Molly scrunched her eyebrows together in clear confusion. Sherlock elaborated.
"Mycroft knew you would be fired, which is how he contacted you so quickly. He set it up. He also doesn't leave loopholes. He wanted you to find it. He knew we'd met eventually. He knew that I, at least, would connect the pieces. Loathsome meddling man. He wanted me to have another goldfish after John moved out and married."
Molly frowned. "Goldfish?"
Sherlock shook his head. "Not important," he said simply.
Given what she knew of Mycroft, she highly doubted it was anything complimentary, so she didn't press, even if she had had the chance to.
She didn't, because a moment later, a completely miffed John opened the door.
Sherlock stood. "So glad you could finally join us. I wondered when you'd realize."
The time, he avoided John's fist with a smooth bounce-step backwards.
Molly let out a small sound of protest. "John, please, it's fine, really. We were just talking."
John's anger abated slightly, though he still glared at Sherlock. "Should have known you'd come here as soon as you got the chance, prat."
"Yes, you should have. Thankfully, you didn't, as Molly and I had things to discuss that needed discussing without you censoring my words." Sherlock said without remorse or repentance.
John ground his teeth together. "Did you at least apologize?"
Sherlock's scowl and the silence that followed answered that well enough without an actual response.
"He doesn't need to, John," Molly said softly. "Really, he doesn't, and I don't expect him to. I don't blame him for anything. None of it was his fault."
"Then whose fault is it that he was a complete and utter arse to you and everyone else for the last four months?"
Molly looked down, unable to answer.
"I am not going to apologize, John. Take it as a reaction to the high amounts of stress. We," he said, indicating himself and Molly, "have reached an understanding, and I've things to discuss with my brother."
Without waiting for a response, he swept from the room, leaving John and Molly alone.
John looked at Molly. Molly shrugged, smiling slightly.
"He might understand, but I'm afraid I've become lost again. It's his brother, though, from what I can tell. And something about goldfish..."
John had the same confused look she had worn earlier. Molly gave another shrug.
"I think... Mycroft just didn't want Sherlock to be alone anymore." she looked down at her lap. "I don't want him to have to be alone anymore."
John's expression softened. "I knew you were real, Molls. Knew you were good for him too. I'm glad he found you."
A nurse walked in, not one she knew. They worked different shifts, she supposed.
John took that as his cue. "I've got to get back to the Missus. I'll be around."
Molly nodded. "Thanks John."
He left.
Her bandaging was changed, and she was alone again.
Instead of sleeping, Molly thought. About everything. Mycroft was a cruel man if he really had gotten her fired. Still, she couldn't hate him entirely.
Because now she had new friends. She was alive. She had Sherlock.
So, she couldn't hate Mycroft Holmes, no matter how much of a truly cold man he was.
Soo... *Tiny bit of self-promotion* If you want to read Molly's full story, I'd like to direct you to Him. I've been planning this story for a while. It's basically Her from Molly's point of view. You see more on Sherlock and Molly's dynamic, More on Mycroft's entire role, And, of course, more on how Molly managed to pull off the deception :3 Hopefully *Fingers crossed* the first chapter will be out very very soon.
My reviewers! Oh, you lovely people - whenisayrun, Rose of Zakarisz, NiceNipps, Rocking the Redhead, MorbidbyDefault, Bellarsam Chrisjulittle, bekahleck, Lais89, Renaissancebooklover108, apedarling, trombone246, Stuck4aUsername, Brytte Mystere, AGirlAndHerPen, randomfangirling, and Devoglio S - You are all so amazing, Thanks so much for the kind words and for reading this story.
Until Next Time! :*