Molly Kicks a Little Ass (and, naturally, regrets it)

Molly rearranged the sheaf of papers on her desk for the third time and stared blankly at them once more.

"They're really interesting, sort of post-punk with a bit of Jive Bunny, you know?" Rajiv was saying behind her, and she nodded without really listening.

She'd had a nice time with Donovan the other day, but now she was a little worried. She'd told the other woman so much, and it had felt good at the time, like a weight had been lifted off her. But now, she was worried.

"But, like, not really glam rock, just sort of inspired by glam rock. But, like, really inspired, you know?" Rajiv continued, and Molly nodded again.

Because Donovan truly disliked Sherlock, and probably wouldn't think twice about doing something she knew would upset him, like telling him that Molly was going to go out with John. She'd probably tease him about it. She decided that she ought to talk to John sooner rather than later, but how? She'd not yet managed to arrange to meet with him, but she might have to. She didn't really want to ask him out over the phone, not very romantic. Maybe she could go to Baker Street...no, that would be too forward. Wouldn't it?

"But anyway, they're having this concert on Friday and I thought...Molly?"

"What? Oh, I'm sorry, Rajiv. I'm not really very with it today."

"S'okay," Rajiv said easily. "I was just saying-"

He was cut off by a crash as the door to the office was flung open. Molly turned and, before she had really even registered who was standing there, she felt herself starting to frown.

"Sherlock, what are you doing here?" she asked, managing to keep her voice cool.

Sherlock opened his mouth to answer, then closed it with a snap and turned to look at Rajiv as if he'd only just realised there was a third person in the room. His keen eyes raked up and down Rajiv's body with the quick incisiveness that Molly had seen a hundred times before.

"Hey, look-" Rajiv began, but Sherlock interrupted him at volume.

"You think constantly that you can do better than your current job, but are unwilling to put in the effort required to achieve this" he announced in a rush. "You are unsatisfied with your personal life because you have a reputation as a player but you'd rather settle down with somebody and produce children. You are currently undergoing treatment for both athlete's foot and pubic lice, and you did something you're very embarrassed about two days ago. Would you like me to go into detail?"

"N-no," Rajiv squeaked.

"Then go away," Sherlock commanded, and reached behind himself to pull the door back open. Rajiv gave Molly a quick, nervous glance, before darting out the door as fast as his legs could carry him.

Assume the best, she told herself, getting to her feet. Usually he did this for a reason.

"What's the case?" she asked. "When did it come in? If it was the other shift, I'll have to-"

"What? What case?" Sherlock interrupted, and Molly, who was gathering up her papers, paused to stare at him.

"Well...why did you come rushing in here if..." Oh no. He wasn't was he?

"Molly, I'm here to talk to you about your attentions towards John."

He was. "Sherlock, you don't-"

He jerked his arm up and held aloft an imperious hand and, to her shame, Molly stopped talking.

"Molly, I have the...utmost regard for you as a pathologist, but I don't believe any good can come of you pursuing John. I don't want you to see him any more."

He pulled himself up and gave her a look that she'd seen many times before. It was the look that said 'hurry up and agree with me, I've better things to be doing'. Molly had always caved to that look before, but not this time.

"Fuck you, Sherlock," she said. Sherlock looked surprised, which she couldn't blame him for. She wasn't sweary usually. "I'm not going to let you tell me what to do, not in a situation like this. It's up to me if I ask John out, and if he accepts then that's up to him. But you don't get a say in it, do you understand?" Her voice got louder and louder as she spoke, and when she stopped, the silence seemed to ring in her ears.

Sherlock stared at her, his eyes like pale lasers, for what felt like a year. He was waiting for her to crumble. She clenched her fists and scrunched up her brows and decided he'd have to wait a long bloody time.

"No," he said finally. "No, I'm not having that. Molly, you simply must be made to understand-"

Molly snapped. "You're going to have to understand that you don't get to tell me what to do! Not about my own damn life, and certainly not in my own damn morgue! Now go away!"

Sherlock narrowed his eyes dangerously at her, but she ignored it and swung her arm out to point at the door. She didn't trust herself to say anything else, she'd probably turn the air blue if she opened her mouth. Very slowly, Sherlock turned, smoothed his coat over his hips, and walked out of the office. He heard his deliberate footsteps ringing out on the tiles in the corridor. Then the door swooshed, and he was gone.

Molly sank back into her chair and felt all the air whoosh out of her.

She felt...she felt a smile twitching in the corners of her mouth. She hadn't just told Sherlock off, or shocked him into silence this time. No, she'd actually won an argument! She felt proud!

But...oh god. It just occurred to her; there was no way in hell he was going to hold back now. Never mind telling John about when she threw up after that court hearing, Sherlock knew all sorts of embarrassing things that had happened to her! He was probably on his way to tell John now!

Calm down, she told herself. John's a reasonable man, and he knows that you can be a bit...daft. It's all okay.

But that didn't mean she wanted him to know about it!

Oh no, Sherlock might tell him about when the ferrets chased her.

Or when that old lady got locked in the lift and Molly split her trousers trying to help her out!

Or the time that trolley escaped down the hill! Oh god, not that one!

She'd have to get in touch, she decided. She'd have to get to John before Sherlock did.

::

Poor Molly, I am putting her through the wringer, aren't I. This is getting steadily closer to it's climax now, though there are a few more chapters to go.

In other news, rejoice! For I have begun planning out the plot for the sequel to The Adventure of the Consulting Woman! It won't be around for a while yet, as I've some other pieces I want to work on first, but it's going to contain Kirsty, her boyfriend Graham, a dash of Mycroft, a soupçon of Lestrade and a number of shifty underworld types. Oh, and it'll be John in disguise this time, though not as a woman. Also, please try to bear in mind that I'm a huge TEASE!

Luvs!

DG