PART 14

Molly was just about ready to pull her hair out. She sat on a squeaky, wooden stool - the same one she used fifteen years ago - as she looks through the paperwork on the latest victim. Courtney said that the man who killed the Thorntons also was a suspect in this killing. However, it made no sense for this victim, a 24-year-old male who had no connections with the suspect other that they worked at the same place for a month.

Her head hurt as she tried to think of a connection between the two, but her mind was on other things, like Theo's possible meeting with Sherlock. Molly sighed as she tossed the pen and blank paper she had in her hands onto the desk. Everything seemed to go back to Sherlock in one way or another. If she wasn't thinking about Theo, she was thinking about Sherlock, and if she wasn't thinking about Sherlock, she was sleeping and not thinking at all. She was so... attached to them both that it was unhealthy. Molly knew was too dependent on Theo.

I have depended on him to keep me sane, Molly thought, and now he is going to someone else, a different parent.

Molly felt tears start to well up in her eyes. She was thinking irrationally; she knew this. She did, deep in her heart, want Theo to know Sherlock. Every child should know their father, but she could not help but have a feeling that Theo would identify more with Sherlock than with her. It was a plausible idea. After all, Theo was almost a mini-Sherlock with her hair and nose. She had no doubt that Sherlock, being a man, could answer questions and help Theo in ways Molly never could. As much as it pained her to admit it, Molly knew she could not raise Theo on her own any longer. Her son - her handsome, compassionate, understanding boy - was no longer a baby, and he needed a man to teach him things, to be involved in his life.

A string of tears exited Molly's eyes, and she took a shaky breath. "So much crying lately," she grumbled to herself. She hadn't cried so often since she was pregnant with Theo, and it mentally drained her every time she did. Molly knew that she would have to get help dealing with her feelings, no matter how painful. She put away her feelings for so long, and now they were coming to haunt her. She distracted herself from her father's death with her job, and then when she met Sherlock, she distracted herself from the loneliness at work with her love for him. When Sherlock disappeared from her life, she focused her attention on raising her son. Her son was about to stop needing her, and nothing was left to adequately distract Molly. Her old ways of living were coming to an end, and she knew that the transition from having Theo all to herself to having to share him would be a hard one.

"Molly?" a concerned voice asked, breaking her from her inner thoughts. She looked up to see John Watson standing in the doorway with an anxious expression on her face. She made no attempt at hiding her tears and let out a small whimper. "Oh, Molly," John continued, walking towards her to put his arms around her, "what's wrong, dear?" She buried her face into John's chest, letting herself feel the comfort of another human being. She hadn't been held by anyone but her son for fifteen years, and it was nice to feel the security of another adult human being.

"I-I have just realized that Theo is no longer just mine," she mumbled against his jacket. No doubt she was getting her salty tears and mucus all over him. She made a move to pull away, but John gripped her tighter, hugging her to him. Molly was about six inches shorter than John, so she could not fight him.

She collapsed against him, letting her tears flow freely now. Molly knew that John would never judge her; no, he was not that kind of person. He would hold her and let her cry until she was ready to speak. "I-I just, I've realized I've become so dependent on Theo, on having to stay stable for him, that I've forgotten how to live independently, and n-now, he's going to know Sherlock. H-he's going to be s-spending so much time..." She trailed off, letting herself sob.

John gently ran his fingers down her hair, a comforting motion, and Molly felt rather than heard him speak. "Molly, it's okay to be upset that your son is growing up, and I understand the feeling because I have my Allie." He sighed. "However, I've never had to deal with sharing my child with a person I do not particularly like. Mary and I both decided to have children together, and we both love each other very much."

Molly nodded, pulling her head from John's chest to wipe her eyes and nose with her fingers. John stretched his arm towards the desk and handed her a tissue that he grabbed. She thanked him timidly before continuing, "I feel as if I have relied on Theo to keep my from falling apart. Now that he doesn't particularly need my help anymore, I feel myself ripping at the seams." She sniffed.

John shook his head. "Oh, Molly, you've been through so much. Sherlock played mind games with you for so long, and then when you finally thought that you'd gotten his heart, he broke yours. You move to a country where you don't know anyone and find yourself pregnant with the baby of the man who told you to go away. Now, fifteen years later, that baby is three years away from being an adult and wants to see the man who hurt you." John looked at her with his kind blue eyes and smiled softly. "It's okay to feel devastated. You've had to stay strong for so long."

She sniffed. "I-I still don't know what I should do. I can't break down every time Theo and Sherlock decide to spend time together."

John nodded at that. "Maybe you should see a therapist." He shrugged. "You know, I'm not the best at knowing what a woman is thinking, but I know someone who is - Mary." Molly looked at him curiously. "My original intent on coming here was to ask you if you and Theo would join Mary, the kids, and me for dinner tomorrow evening. It is customary for my family and Sherlock to have dinner once every couple weeks." John tried to go for an air of nonchalance, but Molly could tell that he desperately wanted her to come and meet his wife and family.

Molly nodded, thinking it over. "Sherlock will be there?" she asked hesitantly.

John seemed to deflate slightly. "Yes, and I know that you do not particularly want to subject yourself to him, but-"

She cut him off with her hand. "He is the father of my son, and I am bound to see him sooner or later. I'll come, and I know without a doubt that Theo will want to come."

"Really?" John asked with a smile.

Molly nodded, smiling meekly back. "Really."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Theo argued, crossing his arms indignantly.

Sherlock glared at his son with his blue-green eyes. "It makes perfect sense. Of course it would be the doctor who killed her!"

Both Holmes men sat on the uncomfortable napping couch watching the screen. They lounged lazily, their long, slender legs splayed out in front of them, watching the crappy television show with judgmental eyes. They currently tried to deduce the outcome of the show. Theo believed that the suspicious ex-boyfriend did it, while Sherlock was dead set on the shifty doctor. Both of them were locked in a battle of the wits.

The two had been sitting on the couch for at least four hours, both of them making small talk and getting to know each other. The tense faded from both of the Holmes' shoulders, and the energy became relaxed. Theo was surprised how easily they talked. He didn't know what he was expecting, but it wasn't this easy going talk.

Theo looked at the television screen suspiciously, watching the TV characters talk among themselves on who killed the latest victim. "No, that's not possible!" he insisted. "He was with Detective Izzy when she was supposedly murdered!"

Sherlock looked amused. "Have you ever thought that the cornier - who was an amateur, by the way - got the time frame in which she supposedly died wrong?"

Theo's eyes widened, looking at the television screen then back at his father. "I-I never thought about that."

"Of course you didn't," Sherlock replied mildly, turning his gaze back to the screen.

Theo watched his father closely. He bested me this round, he thought to himself. He turned to look out the window. Theo had been beyond proud of himself when he had deduced his father, even if he had gotten that little bit of information about the 'napping couch' from John himself. Sherlock did not need to know that, however. Theo was content with letting Sherlock think that Theo had gotten that from observation.

"Ha, I told you!" Sherlock said suddenly.

The younger Holmes stared at the screen with a put out expression as the lead detective cuffed the doctor. "Damn it all to hell!" Theo growled, standing up.

Sherlock simply stared at his son with a satisfied smile. "I win."

"We are watching another episode," Theo hissed. He walked to the kitchen. "Do you have water?" he called to his father.

Theo could practically hear Sherlock rolling his eyes. "Am I a human, Theo?"

"Yes."

"Then of course I have water in the house. Look in the fridge."

Theo walked over the old, beaten up fridge. He opened it lazily, planning on grabbing a bottle of water, but he stopped short when he saw something very... interesting - a bag of toes. He let out a shaky breath before shouting, "Um, do you always have a bag of toes in your fridge?"

A hand tapped his shoulder. Theo whipped around to see his father looking at him apprehensively. "I am sorry," his father whispered softly. "I did not realize that those were still in there."

"So... you always have toes in your fridge?"

Sherlock cracked a smile. "No. The body parts vary on my mood."

Theo's jaw dropped. "Wait... body parts?"

His father's grin widened. "Yes, indeed. Your mother used to supply me to me for my experiments." He let out a chuckle. "She always gave the best body parts."

Theo's eyes widened comically. He watched his father with a shocked expression before shaking his head. "You know what, why am I surprised? Mom was always quirky and weird, and you... you're just you. Seriously, no wonder you guys love each other."

Sherlock gazed at his son, his expression unreadable. Theo realized what he'd just said and covered his mouth with his hand. Before Theo could apologize, a loud ding! resounded through the kitchen.

"That is probably your mother," Sherlock said quietly.

Theo nodded, taking his phone out of his pocket. His father was right.

Everything going okay? x Mom

Theo tapped at his phone quickly. Everything is fine... I have a lot to tell you. -T

The reply was almost instantaneous. ...What did you do?

Theo let out a laugh. I didn't do anything wrong! -T

Good. We are having dinner at the Watsons' tomorrow. Are you okay? x Mom

He felt his heart race. Going to the Watsons meant seeing Allie. That's fine. -T

Okay. I will be home in an hour. See you then. x Mom

Theo sighed, pocketing his phone. He looked up to see his father watching him closely. "I need to go soon," Theo said quietly.

Sherlock nodded. "Only normal that your mother wants you home."

"She doesn't know I am here," Theo said quietly. "I was going to tell her when she gets home from work."

"Molly is working?" Sherlock asked.

Theo nodded. "Yeah, she's working. I don't think my mom is capable of not working."

Sherlock grunted, nodding sharply, gazing away to look at a wall. He glanced back at his son. "Do you want to visit me again?" his father asked quietly.

Theo bit his lip than nodded. "Yeah, I do. I had... fun."

Sherlock smiled widely. "Did you now?"

"Yeah, I did."

"When do you want to?"

Theo shrugged. "Why don't you text me when you're free, and I'll come over whenever you text me..." Theo paused, hesitating before he asked his unspoken question. "Can I have your number?"

Sherlock listed off a number, and Theo tapped it in. "Got everything you need?" Sherlock asked awkwardly.

"Yeah." Theo's voice was just as awkward.

Sherlock walked his son to the door in silence. Theo opened it with a sigh and turned to look at his father. "See you... whenever you want to see me."

"You will see me soon," Sherlock promised with a smile.

A/N: Alrighty, I hope you guys enjoyed the next installment! Leave your thoughts, opinions, etc.! It was surprisingly fun writing Sherlock and Theo talking. What do you guys think about the the dinner at the Watsons? Should be interesting, huh?

ANNOUNCEMENT: I am going to be updating only on Thursdays now. A family matter took me away from the computer this last Monday, and there will be no update next Thursday. Sorry, but as much as I love you all, I have to say family goes first.

PS: BIG THANKS TO MY BETA KATHMAK! She's such a dear!