A/N:

This is the big one- the one the entire series has been leading up to. This is the point of no return. Once you've finished the first paragraph, there's no going back.

Good luck, and don't hate me.

x

Molly rubbed her eyes and sat up.

'Oh God,' she thought. 'What a dream! Morris and Wilhelmina…' Molly couldn't help but smile, though. 'That's how I met Sherlock.'

She leaned down and kissed her fiancé on his cheek. "Morning, sweetie."

"Mmm. Morning, Molly. How'd you sleep?" he asked before yawning and sitting up.

She stretched and stood up. "It was alright," she said before walking to the wardrobe and taking out some clothes.

"Just alright?" he asked and walked over to her. Molly shrugged before he wrapped her arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "I love you."

"Love you too, Tom." She kissed him before walking to the bathroom to get ready for work.

As she pulled on her coat, Molly thought about her relationship with Tom. The last year and a half had been wonderful. She couldn't imagine getting through it without him. She grabbed her bag and slipped on her shoes before walking to the bathroom where Tom was brushing his teeth.

"I'll see you when I get home," she said and kissed his cheek.

He wrapped an arm on her waist and finished brushing his teeth before kissing her. "I love you."

Molly smiled at him and kissed her again. "Bye, love."

Molly arrived at work and took off her engagement ring. She slipped it in her pocket and started to get to work.
Work was still a little lonely. Sherlock hadn't been back for almost two years now. Of course she missed him. She hadn't heard nor seen Sherlock since she saved his life.

She imagined that she saw him, though. She daydreamed of Sherlock coming to see her. She dreamed of a relationship with Sherlock that resembled hers with Tom. She dreamed of Sherlock taking her to countries around the world. She imagined Sherlock loving her and caring for her. It was the supreme relationship based on an existing one but with more love on her end. Molly wanted her relationship with Tom but it was weak- weaker than the fabricated one with Sherlock.

Molly did take Tom to the Halloween party and John's surprise party. He had met her friends a few times. Tom had also met Julia and Percy, as well. It was that night, actually. He had come over, seen the kids, talked to Molly about how she should have told him that she'd have company, and he left. Molly had made the children hats and swords with the newspaper and had let them jump on her furniture.

It was natural that she would invent a fantasy in which Sherlock would adore children and be more than willing to entertain them. That's what she wanted and that's what she created. Tom's ring was flashy and bigger than she wanted. Sherlock had gone for a simple, meeker version which was much more Molly's style and suited her more.

Tom had told Molly that there was nothing he could do to look after her. He had work to do and he fell asleep while packing things up. He was in the process of moving his belongings in to Molly's flat at the time. Tom hated germs and sickness. He visited Molly a few times. In fact, Tom's mum had made her some soup, so he bought that over and they ate it for lunch. She got over it within a few days and then Tom was more than wiling to stay with her. Molly imagined Sherlock staying with her. He had very little commitments beside looking after her.

She was well aware that Sherlock's return would be awkward for her. Molly knew that he'd see what she did. Sherlock would grimace and tell her that he didn't want a relationship with her and she had to drop the ideas she had. They were dreams, fantasies, and that was all.

She walked back from work again and passed the place Sherlock had died. Molly looked at her phone and frowned. Of course he wasn't going to text her. He hadn't in over two years and he wasn't going to now. There was a text from Tom, though. He wanted to know what takeaway she wanted for dinner.

Molly couldn't help but compare Tom and her current life style to that of her dreamed up Sherlock and the events she imagined.

Places like Paris, Berlin, Disneyland, a train through Russia, and a ball in Finland were far away and unreachable. Nothing could compare to the make-believe dates, the spaghetti ice-cream, and the pillow forts.
She paused as she reached her front door. Like every day, she had to force these feelings and thoughts away as she came face to face with Tom.

Tom beamed at her as she stepped into her flat and he engulfed her in a hug and a big kiss. She smiled back at him, feeling a little disappointed in herself. He loved her more than she did him, and she was fawning after her created character. Molly was going to break his heart and Sherlock would break hers.

"I love you," he said, making her stomach sink.

Nonetheless, she smiled. "And I you."