Higher 13

Day 56. 22:00hrs.

When John Watson asked Sherlock Homes to be his best man, the great consulting detective lost all capabilities of speech for several minutes only to be brought back to reality by the doctor's calling his name.

After Jillian Collins dropped her bomb of truth on him though, she disappeared (elated no doubt) leaving Sherlock Holmes to analyze how he could have not known that Molly hadn't been the one to end her relationship with her moronic fiancé.

Sherlock knew they'd met about five months into his mission to destroy all traces of The Spiders web at a pub for a celebration of some mutual friends engagement. That they had bonded quickly finding themselves thrown together for more celebratory obligations as a groomsman and bridesmaid. The relationship became official at the wedding when Molly had felt extremely aware of her single status and the interest that the bright-eyed man shown her.

From there Molly had quickly allowed herself to be taken over by his life. Tom's friends. Tom's sweet family that welcomed her so lovingly. Her old life was full of sadness and loneliness and with Tom she kept herself so busy that she didn't allow herself to think about how much she hated wasting weekends in the same booth at the same pub with the same boring people talking about their boring jobs and lives.

No one asked about Molly's. Too vile and morbid compared to teaching at schools and office work. No, she just sat and pretended that she fit in. As long as Molly reminded herself that this was he future she had always wanted complete with family and an adult relationship with a loving dependable man then she was almost happy with dull holidays and predictable weeks and equally predictable weekends. It all fell together as Tom proposed rather drunkenly at the pub after one late evening and she gladly excepted. It was all she had ever wanted after all.

And it had worked. She told herself that she was happy and she truly believed she was. All thoughts of her former infatuation were banished as to dangerous lest she slip up and tell his secret, and the crazy adventures it contained with late night calls to run tests and a handsome, commanding man who used of her flat and ate her food without asking and all the other parts that went along with being close to Sherlock Holmes.

She was happy. Molly Hooper had moved on. That was until Sherlock had returned at least. Suddenly it was if she had woken up from a long nap, unsure and ill at ease with where she was and how she'd gotten there. Sherlock could tell that she wasn't as happy as she imagined herself to be, but had known that she was much more likely to have the future she'd always wanted with an idiot like Tom. Above all he'd wanted her to be happy and if a boring man and a boring life did that he wasn't going to keep her from it. No matter how different he wished the circumstances were.

Sherlock had known to that Molly had fought the return of her affections for him. He'd watched her hold a finger on the ring on her hand far to often when they spoke. Felt the weight of her gaze as they'd spoken and worked together that was far to long to be anything but attraction. There had even been a moment when he looked at her during his best man speech where he would have sworn she decided to end it. He had assumed that was why she didn't follow or call him afterwards. She was ending it.

And the when he came into the lab, high he had noticed that the ring was missing and all signed of it ever having been there were fading. Even though he'd beef found high, smacked and scolded. Suffered through Janine's advances and Magnussen's mind games, ah yes and Mary's bullet it was still a good day. All because if that missing ring. Regret flooded him at the thought of how when Molly had finally become unattached once more necessity had called for him to not be. How different could their path had been if Magnussen's case not come up?

But he had been wrong about Molly's choice.

What happened? Who would know? Perhaps John had just forgotten to tell him. He pulled his phone and sent a quick to text him.

When was Molly's engagement ended? -SH

A moment later the response followed by others.

Christ how should I know? -JW

Why are you asking me Sherlock. Why not ask her?- JW

What awful thing did you say to her? What's happened? - JW

Tom's here. - SH

Why is he there? -JW

He's a groomsman. More specifically Molly's groomsman.- SH

Well that's Shit for luck.- JW

Is he trying to win her back then?- JW

No, apparently he was the one who left her. -SH

Wait, What?! -JW

How's Molly with all this. - JW

A wreck. Be proud. It's not my fault. -SH

It's not your fault THIS time Sherlock. -JW

There's a first time for everything I suppose. -JW

But why are you asking me what happened? Why not ask Molly? -JW

All she said earlier was that it was a fight about me. I will ask her. When I find her. She's sort of missing at the moment. Keep up. -SH

I'm in London you bastard.- JW.

Stop texting me then and go find her.-JW

Sherlock tuned again to see of he could see her when another alert sounded.

Molly said it wasn't your fault, but they broke up after a fight about you? Think that's it or could Molly be covering something up?-JW

And how the hell did we miss something like that? - JW

I was recovering from a near death trauma. What's your excuse?- SH

I was trying to recover from your near death trauma that my wife caused! -JW

Sorry that other people's social statuses weren't high on my list of priorities at the time. -JW

Forgive her John. I've said it 100 times already. I have. She did what she thought she had to protect herself, you and your unborn child. Get over it. - SH

Knowing John wasn't going to respond to that he tucked his phone back on his suit jacket and looked back at the event tent. He still was missing the why, when and where and was going to have to gather more data.

When he entered back into the tent his eyes quickly found Molly speaking to her family in low tones and while her cheeks held a great deal of color she seemed far calmer than they had previously. Quickly her eyes flashed up on him and she beamed a broad smile at him before schooling her looks and speaking quietly to her aunt. She made her excuses and came over to him. With a subtle tug she managed to slip her arm through his and pulled him down to so she could whisper in his ear.

"Ah here you are! I was wondering where you had gotten off too. According to my Aunt and Uncle I'm supposed to be chastising you for what you did during your speech. However, I enjoyed the look on Jillian's face far too much to even think of it. Thank you." Her lips lightly grazed his ear in what others might assume was an accident. Sherlock felt his eyes drift shut for a fraction of a second before remembering that he needed to speak with her.

Turning to look at Molly he said. "Outside now. We need to talk." Quickly concern washed over her face and Sherlock noted how she set her jaw a bit but she said nothing.

They walked out into the cooling night and Sherlock did his best to avoid her gaze and calm he felt as he felt her small hand slide down his arm to clutch his fingers reassuringly. He pulled his hand away and turned to study her.

"Tell me what happened?" He demanded quickly.

Molly looked slightly confused by the question but shook it away after only a moment began to speak. " Oh well Aunt Ruth cornered me after the speech and warned me not to let you out of my sight again. I reassured her that you are really terrible with names and that we have a mutual friend who you still call the wrong name every time you see him. She seemed to buy it and let us off... This time- well after I 'put you in your place' according my Aunt's wishes." She stopped and looked at him closer . "What is it? Is there a case? Why do you look almost... Almost scared Sherlock?"

Allowing himself to shake off the ridiculous claim he asked again more directly. "With Tom, Molly. What happened between you and Tom? That long story you mentioned, I need to hear it. And now. "

Moll froze and her high color drained from her face. "Oh." No further explanation came out she just kept her eyes on him as she began to look hurt.

"Molly..." Sherlock spoke in an almost desperate voice.

With a resolved deep breath, Molly began to speak. "We had a fight. It late at night after Mary and John's wedding and I was drunk. Really drunk. I... Said something I shouldn't have and Tom got upset and we

argued and then Tom asked for the ring back. " Molly said in a rush but she wouldn't meet his eyes. She was hiding something.

"You said this afternoon that it was about me. Why does your family think I am to blame for Tom leaving you?"

"You are not to blame!" Molly nearly shouted then, and closed her eyes tightly to avoid his gaze. "It was nothing you did. Nothing at all." A few guests who has been lingering outside having a smoke turned and looked at them. The both glared at the nosey men until they extinguished their cigarettes and made their way back to the tent.

She began again after the guest were far enough away to be out of hearing range. "Look Sherlock, it doesn't really matter what happened. I promise you that what was said"

"But it does!" Sherlock exploded. "It does matter." It shouldn't, but it mattered to him. It mattered a great deal.

"Why?"

"Whatever it was matters a great deal to your family." He lied easily. Molly however wasn't fooled however.

She looked at him incredulously and asked sarcastically, "You care that much what my family's option on of you is?"

"I couldn't care less what they think of me. What I want to know is why Bloody Tom was the one to end it and not you Molly." He said firmly. He watched as Molly processed what was really bothering him.

"Sherlock what are you asking me." Molly said is a calm low tone.

Sherlock's mind was reeling. Every instinct he had wanted to run, far away and pretend none of this ever happened but he knew the damage was done. They had to fix this or let it poison their... Whatever they were in the way to being. A dozen different questions flashed into his mind. What had been said to start the fight? How had she even been considering matrimony to the fool? Why would she try to be with someone who had been such a poor copy of himself?

"Where you really going to marry him? If he hadn't ended the engagement would you still be engaged to him today" He asked quietly but directly.

Molly's eyes traveled over his face taking in his earnest, and raw need. He knew she understood the real question he'd been asking. Was she intending on ending it and why hadn't she been the one to end it sooner.

"Why do you care? Does it really even matter Sherlock?" She questioned.

"Don't try to act coy Molly. Where you planning on still marrying Tom?" He demanded.

"No. Of course not!"

"Then why in god's name weren't you he one to end it?" It was THE question that mattered most. Because surely she knew or at least guessed that he

"You are angry that I didn't end it? What difference does it make Sherlock?"

"Because you didn't do it! You didn't make that choice Molly."

Molly stared at him. "Do you not want me now that I'm someone's cast off ?" She asked

"No. I mean, no!" His brow twisted in confusion. Why were these things so much trouble? How could she not get what he was saying, as surely it was sound logic. Women!

Silence surrounded them.

"That Sherlock. That right there is why I didn't do it Sherlock."

"That's not what I meant Molly-I"

"No, I think that's exactly what you meant." She accused.

"Molly-"

"Was this just about pity with you? Oh, you could handle being here with me when you thought you were making up to me for God only knows what. Throwing the poor single girl a few kisses to make her feel better about being her pity date. Or are your trying to prove how unhappy id be with anyone less that you?"

"That's not it. None of it."

"Then what!?" She yelled.

He stared at her.

"You said you didn't want me here Molly". He paused. "Would you have called him?"

"What?"

"Tom, would you have asked Tom to be your date if i had not of offered to come."

"No! Of course not. I never want to see that arse again." She paused and grabbed Sherlock's hand. "If I wanted to be with Tom, I'd be with Tom. But I'm not and I don't don't want to be."

"But you didn't end it. " he said softly.

"How could I? Not matter what, no matter when everyone would have assumed I'd broken up with him to make myself available to you. Even though that's the last thing I would want them to think. They'd all say it. 'Oh poor Molly she dumped the idiot thinking she had a chance with the man who doesn't even know she's a woman. What a fool she is.' "

Sherlock felt relief when he understood what she was saying." Molly...You... You made Tom end it?"

"Not... Exactly. It just sort of happened. Although now I wish I could take credit. It worked rather brilliantly." A tiny smile broke trough on her face.

"What did you say?" He allows his hand to tighten slightly in hers, letting him know that she was glad it was there.

A deep blush covered Molly's shadowed cheeks, and she broke eye contact with him. "Like I said, I was pretty drunk, and you were in my mind after disappearing. And well Tom and I were... Being I intimate and I... I screamed your name out when I..."

"Came?" He finished dead pan. But broke into a large grin a moment later.

"It just sort of came out! I was worried about you when you left." She admitted.

"But not enough to come after me." He chided bitterly.

"I did though. I came- I... went to find you but you were already long gone." She said softly.

"Oh."

"I was too late wasn't I?"

"Well I was leaving pretty fast. "

"No... With not ending it with Tom. I should have done it. "

"He's an idiot." Sherlock says , despite the fact that he feels like an even bigger idiot.

"But Sherlock, you must have known that if you'd said even the slightest word that you cared about me then I'd have done it. That's all you would have needed to do and I would have ended it." Molly said holding on to both his left arm and left hand.

Sherlock didn't respond to that statement but he didn't move away. Yes, he'd known that, but he can't give Molly what she wanted in the long term. Not that he could now, but the future wasn't his concern at this moment.

The two had drifted around the tent and were standing looking over the castle ruins and the light of a nearly full moon. Molly shivered and Sherlock pulled her into his arms. They stayed there holding each other for a few minutes in the moonlight.

"I.. Should be getting back." Molly said glumly.

"Don't."

"Mmm." Was all the acknowledgment she gave as she wiggles closer into his arms. Sherlock allowed his chin to rest against her forehead as they continue to take in the quiet view together. Molly kept shifting and became more and more agitated in his arms. Then it dawned on him; she was shivering. They'd come out without her wrap or coat. Pulling away gently he slipped out of his inadequate suit jacket and pleaded around her shoulders. It looked comical on her petite frame and he smiled warmly to her.

"Shall we?" And he offered her his elbow, and she's clung to him.

When they return to the loud party it seems that no one had missed them in the slightest. The wedding party dances together to popular music while the older guest laugh at tables.

They saw Tom rather artlessly and some pretty ginger woman while Richard and Jillian clung to one another to 'come on Eileen' all the while laughing happily together. Maybe it didn't matter about the future if you could be happy in the now.

"Do you want too-"

"Oh God yes."

The pair retrieved coats and bags and slipped away completely unnoticed. They walked hand in hand to the Funicular and Sherlock tipped the operator to let them take the car down without it being even half full. It's was them and a handful of other passengers and they were able to sit quiet and privately in the back. It was a quiet ride, nothing needed to be said to fill the comfortable silence that surrounded them. In the darkness back down the hill, Molly yawned gently and rested her head against his shoulder.

Yes, Sherlock decided the future was messy, but the now...the now was good.

A/N

Have you missed me? I've missed you! Not having anything worth updating with has sucked. This part of the story... Well I don't know why it's been so hard to get out but I'm optimistic that the next few chapters won't take as long... in the mean time. I've written, (daily even!) but it's things to publish a little later on. I'm not so happy with them at least . Which reminds me, I'm looking for a BETA. I admit it I need help! if you are interested to please send me a PM.

As always though a deep heartfelt thank you to my reviews, followers and all you beautiful 'favorite's of this story. I look daily at the views and you inspire me. So I mean it. Thank you!

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