Molly was humming as she worked. She was alone in the lab today because Kaitlyn was assisting elsewhere. There had been one post-mortem to perform in the morning, and Molly had recorded the results.

It had been an eighty year old woman, so it was not a traumatic experience for her. The Specialist Registrar had been performing autopsies for so long that she was immune to being overwhelmed by her task except in the rare cases of having to determine the cause of death on those who had not had a chance to reach adulthood.

When Sherlock's text had come in earlier, she had just been finishing up the post-mortem, and it had been a few minutes before she could get back to him. What she had read made her heart sing. He was asking questions; he was genuinely making the effort to understand what she believed. She could feel that the Holy Spirit was working on him, softening his heart.

When Sherlock had asked her what he should read next, she had suggested the book of John. She figured he needed to start learning about Jesus, the Son of God. After all, that was the basis for Christianity.

As Molly listened to the Paramore album she had downloaded from iTunes, she wondered how Sherlock's visit with his brother was going. Hopefully there was nothing amiss. She knew Mycroft had solicited his younger brother's help on many occasions and that Sherlock's life had been in danger at times.

She couldn't help feeling a little anxious about the possibility that the purpose for Mycroft's visit was to once again enlist his brother's help.

When another text came in from Sherlock at around half past three, she turned off her music and checked the message.

The message read, "Getting a ride to the hospital with Mycroft. See you soon."

Obviously, being with Mycroft made it impractical for the detective to tell her what he had been doing, therefore she contented herself with the knowledge that she would find out everything in person very soon. So she just sent a brief text back to her fiancé. "Can't wait."

Before long, Molly saw the tall, handsome figure of her man standing in the doorway to the lab. He was earlier than she had expected, and she still had to straighten things up in the lab before heading to the locker room to hang up her white lab coat.

"Need some assistance?" he asked. This was unexpected - Sherlock had never offered to help her in the past. She had always been the one to volunteer her help to him. This was yet another sign that her Sherlock was a changed man.

"Sure," she said. "I need to clean some of the equipment. Kaitlyn usually does it, but today it's just me."

"I'll take care of it," said Sherlock, "You can go take off your coat and get ready to go."

"Thank you," said Molly, giving him a peck on the cheek as she passed him to get ready.

A few minutes later, Molly returned to see the lab was in pristine condition and Sherlock was casually leaning with his back to the counter, waiting for her and looking as gorgeous and unruffled as ever.

"Wow," she remarked. "Nice job."

The detective shrugged. "Didn't want to delay our evening together. Now come and kiss me," he commanded.

"Demanding, aren't you?" grinned Molly, walking towards him.

His arms enveloped her, and he gave her a breath-stealing kiss that made her heart race. "Wow, what was that?" she asked dazedly, when the kiss ended.

"A celebration kiss," responded the detective. "Mycroft gave me some great news; in fact, I have a lot to tell you about his visit. I didn't want to elaborate when I was in his limo."

"I figured as much," said the pathologist. "So what are we celebrating?"

"I'll tell you over dinner," promised Sherlock. "We don't want to be late for our counselling session."

There was no sarcasm in the detective's tone as she might have expected when she had first told him about it. Instead, he seemed genuinely concerned with being on time for their appointment. "Carluccio's is only a couple minutes walk from here, are you okay with Italian food? I'd suggest Ribon, but it only opens for the evening at six o'clock."

"Ah, yes," said Sherlock. "I've been to that Japanese restaurant. I do like their chicken teriyaki. Their sukiyaki is good as well. Of course, you need two people for that meal."

"I like both of those too. Kaitlyn and I had the sukiyaki there once after work," explained Molly.

"Then we shall save that for a day when you finish work at six. There are several restaurants nearby to choose from. Carluccio's would be fine for this evening; let's go."

As they exited the hospital, Sherlock took Molly's hand,and they walked the short distance to the Italian restaurant. They were able to get a nice table immediately because it was still early.

After giving their orders to the waiter, Molly asked, "So what happened with Mycroft today?"

"A lot, actually. I have so much to tell you; it's hard to know where to begin. By the way, did I tell you how beautiful you look this evening?"

Sherlock was smiling at Molly in a way that threatened to distract her from the topic at hand. "Sherlock, I look the same way I always do. You are merely procrastinating."

"Just putting my thoughts in order," the curly-haired detective replied, lifting Molly's hand to his lips.

"No more distractions," said the pathologist. "Tell me what happened."

"Very well. My brother presented me with this." Pulling a cheque from his pocket, he laid it in front of his fiancée.

She looked at it in astonishment. "Oh my gosh, Sherlock, that is a cheque with a lot of zeros! What is it for?"

"Indeed it is, my love. Do you remember how you were helping me with the case involving the disappearing Tube compartment?"

"Of course I do. I had such a lovely day with you."

"As did I. Anyway, the cheque is compensation for solving the case and preventing the explosion that would have blown up the Palace of Westminster. Mycroft spent many months trying to ensure I received something for my work on the case."

"Well, you certainly deserve it," said Molly warmly.

"There's more," the detective said enigmatically, as he returned the cheque to his pocket.

"More what?" asked his fiancée.

"It is in relation to another case from a few years ago. I prevented a royal scandal involving a woman who had compromising photos of herself with a person in the Royal Family. Most shocking of all was the fact that those photos were of her and another woman. I was able to retrieve the phone with the incriminating pictures, unlock the password and prevent that woman from receiving her huge blackmail demand."

"Was that the phone I saw you examining in the lab one day?"

"Indeed it was." Sherlock looked into Molly's eyes. "My brother has seen to it that I am to receive the sum of £10,000 on the first of each month for the rest of my life. This is my reward for protecting the Royal Family from embarrassment and for also saving them a vast sum of blackmail money."

Molly's mouth had dropped open at Sherlock's words. "That's...incredible," she managed to say at last.

The couple's dinner was served right then so further conversation was limited until they had finished eating.

Once Sherlock had finished his meal, he continued the tale of Mycroft's visit.

"It may please you, my love, to know that Mycroft also informed me he will no longer be soliciting my help for dangerous cases that could prove life-threatening. My days of infiltrating foreign terrorist cells are over."

Molly looked closely at his expression to see if he was disappointed. She knew he had always thrived on excitement and danger. It seemed to have given him a high. The detective's eyes, however, held no regret. His gaze was steadfast and clear as he smiled slightly.

"I know how much you loved those types of cases. Why do you seem so calm and accepting of this change?" she asked curiously.

"Because I love you. Because Mycroft was right. You are now my priority, and one day, our children. I want to be around for you and our future family, to grow old with you. I don't feel the same need for excitement the way I once did. Thoughts of you consume me daily. I used to get bored easily; I have not had one moment of boredom since I realized I truly loved you. I have no regrets."

The pathologist could hear the conviction in his voice. When he had mentioned children, she knew he wanted his own as much as she did. "If we weren't in a public restaurant right now, I would kiss you for those words."

"By all means, let us get out of here. You can kiss me in the taxi on our way to your church." He flashed Molly a sexy smile.

Sherlock paid the bill, and the couple walked out of the restaurant. He hailed a taxi, and Molly gave the driver the address for her church.

As soon as they were settled into the rear of the cab, Sherlock took Molly into his arms and kissed her deeply and possessively. Molly knew she should be embarrassed that they were smooching like a pair of teenagers, but she didn't care. She could never get enough of the touch of his lips on hers. Her whole being vibrated to his every touch, every caress.

The cabbie pulled over in front of the church, and the couple reluctantly pulled apart. Sherlock was obviously affected by their kissing as well. There was a flush on his cheeks, and he seemed a little short of breath, just as she was.

The detective paid the taxi driver and then they stood outside the church for a few minutes, trying to compose themselves. Fortunately, it was not quite six o'clock. When the engaged couple had regained their self-control, Molly led Sherlock to the pastor's office around the back of the church.

Pastor Briggs was already there, sitting behind his office desk. He rose and extended a hand to Sherlock, after giving a friendly nod to Molly.

"Hello, Mr. Holmes," he said. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I hear you are the man who has been fortunate enough to capture the heart of this delightful woman."

"I certainly agree with that statement," responded the sleuth, eliciting a blush from Molly. "And please do call me Sherlock."

"Thank you both for being available so quickly for our session," said the pastor. "I normally conduct two to three sessions for engaged couples over the period of several weeks. As your wedding is only a couple of months away, I think we can manage with just the one session with a follow-up just to discuss final preparations for the wedding service programme. Of course, there will be the wedding rehearsal as well on the evening before your special day. At that time, we will make sure you know what to say and when to say it."

Molly looked over at Sherlock. He seemed to be completely relaxed. She, on the other hand, was feeling nervous at the thought of all they needed to do before the wedding.

"Please sit," invited Pastor Briggs, indicating two chairs across from the desk. The couple sat and Sherlock reached over to hold Molly's hand.

"Let's talk a little about you as a couple. What do you feel are the qualities you see in one another that make you certain you were meant to be together? For example, do you share common interests?"

Molly looked over at her fiancé and ventured to speak first. "Sherlock and I have known each other for several years. I guess I always felt an attraction to him, to his intellect. I admired the way he had a single-minded focus on his work. He is a graduate chemist himself, so has a great deal of scientific knowledge. In fact, there have been a few occasions on which we worked together when he needed help with one of his cases."

Molly blushed slightly as she added, "Of course, I have always felt a strong physical attraction to Sherlock as well."

The pastor nodded solemnly and said, "Physical attraction is certainly important, but I am glad it was not the first thing you mentioned. You certainly see qualities beyond that, ones which speak to your heart. That provides a good basis for a marriage."

He addressed the detective, "And you, Sherlock, what qualities do you find attractive in your fiancée?"

"I was unfortunately not so quick to recognize what a truly unique woman Molly is. I am ashamed to admit it, but for some time at the beginning of our friendship, I was rather insensitive to her. I took advantage of her and used our friendly relationship to further my own ends when solving cases. In the beginning, I always considered myself superior to others. I enjoyed the attention I received in showing off my deductive skills."

"So, what changed?" prompted Pastor Briggs.

"Well, I think the first time I realized how moronic my behaviour to her was, was when I made fun of a Christmas present she had carefully wrapped. I was showing off as usual, and I embarrassed her. The present incidentally was for me, and Molly had gone to a lot of trouble wrapping it. I felt so ashamed. I tried to be more respectful of her after that. She was always so kind, so willing to help me. Molly is a treasure. She has a gentle spirit and is beautiful both inside and out."

Molly looked over at Sherlock, blinking back tears as he squeezed her hand.

"The fact that you recognize these qualities in Molly is a good sign that you understand the kind of person she is. I'm very glad you were able to recognize those special things that I have seen in her during the years I have been her pastor. Your acknowledgment of your own failings in the past is also good. If we cannot do that, we cannot be open to change that would better us as human beings."

Next came the question Molly had been dreading, although she was not quite as worried now that the detective had confessed to believing in God after all.

"The best marriages stem from having the same principles and beliefs. Have you discussed those beliefs with each other?"

Molly answered first. "I have been talking to Sherlock about my faith and how important it is in my life. He understands and respects the values I hold most dear. He is even learning more about what I believe."

Sherlock nodded. "Molly has been very forthcoming about what she believes. Until recently, I was an acknowledged atheist. I was too arrogant to believe in anything beyond myself and my abilities. Molly's faith and some inexplicable miracles have caused me to reconsider my position. I'm still working my way through this whole Christianity thing. I have much to learn, but Molly has encouraged me to start reading the Bible. Just this morning I read Genesis, and I have started reading John."

"John is an excellent Gospel to read first in the New Testament. He was an eyewitness to the miracles of Jesus and the fact that Christ came into the world to be our Saviour."

"I don't really understand all of that," said Sherlock honestly. "Once I have finished reading the book of John, I will have a better understanding."

"You certainly will. If you have any questions at all, I'm sure Molly will be able to help you. If you need further clarification, I am only too happy to help you as well. I think you have made a fine start. It is not an easy task to forge a path that is different than the one you have always followed. I will be keeping you, and Molly too, in my prayers as you take this journey together."

Molly spoke for both of them as she said, "We really appreciate it."

"Before we move on to discussing the wedding service itself, I have one more question to ask of you, said the pastor. "Have the two of you discussed your expectations for each other as you begin your life together? For example, have you talked about having children?"

This time the detective spoke first, looking over at his fiancée with a tender smile. "we definitely want children. We also don't wish to wait too long. I'm not a very young man, and I'd like to enjoy seeing my child or children grow up while I am still fit enough to enjoy the experience. I believe my fiancée will be a wonderful mother. Any child we have will be lucky to have her as their mum."

"Any child will be lucky to have you as their father as well, Sherlock," said Molly as her eyes glowed with the love she felt for the handsome sleuth.

"Well, you have passed the test," said Pastor Briggs. He laughed at the couple's expressions of relief. "I'm just kidding, you know," he said, chuckling. "This session was not intended to be a test, just a chance for me to make sure you are completely committed to your union. I can see both of you love each other very much and want what is best for the other. That is one of the most important aspects of a successful marriage, unconditional love. The other is having God as the centre of your life together. I feel certain that you will both come to understand that and live your lives accordingly."

He continued, "Now it is time to discuss the wedding ceremony and order of service. Molly, I spoke with you last week about this. Do you have any Bible readings in mind, or would you like to choose something this booklet suggests?" He passed a service order booklet to the prospective bride and groom.

"Sherlock and I talked about this last night," said Molly. At his encouraging nod, she continued. "We decided to use two New Testament readings, Mark 10:6-9 and 1 Corinthians chapter 13."

The pastor nodded in approval. "Many people choose to only read through the first half of verse eight in the Corinthians passage. I feel there is merit in reading through to the end of the chapter."

"I do too ," agreed the pathologist.

Pastor Briggs made a note of the chosen readings. 'Do you have any hymns in mind for the service?" He offered a list of popular hymns to the couple.

"I'll leave that question to be answered by my intended," smiled Sherlock. "I have no idea."

Molly took the proffered list and read through it. "I really like 'Love Divine, All Love Excelling,'" she said. Turning to Sherlock she said, "It was sung at Prince William and Kate's wedding, but to a different tune. Pastor, I like the one we usually use in church."

"Let me just check the hymn book." Pastor Briggs pulled out a hymn book from a shelf behind him and searched for the correct hymn. Upon finding it, he said. "We use the Welsh tune of Hytrydol by Rowland Hugh Richard."

He offered the hymnal to Molly., tapping a finger on the hymn in question. "This is the tune, correct?"

The pathologist looked at the tune and hummed a few bars. "Yes, that's the version I would prefer."

"I'll make sure our organist knows the tune you want," said the pastor, making a note of it.

"You can check it out on YouTube if you want to hear it; just make sure you listen to the Hytrydol version and not the royal wedding one," Molly told her fiancé.

"No need. I'm fine with whatever you choose."

Molly looked again at the list and selected "O Perfect Love." "It isn't as well known perhaps as some other songs, but it was especially written as a wedding hymn, and the lyrics are beautiful," she said.

"Very good," said Pastor Briggs, making another notation. "There are two options for the vows. You can memorize and say the whole thing yourselves, or you repeat phrases after me. If you wish to also say personal vows to each other, I'd suggest the latter option."

"If Molly is okay with the phrase by phrase format, I think that would work. I believe we had a brief conversation about saying our own vows as well, isn't that right, love?" questioned the detective.

"Yes, definitely," answered Molly.

"Excellent," said her pastor, smiling at the engaged couple. "I have a pamphlet here with examples of wedding bulletin covers you can choose from. Why don't you take it home and decide on which cover you would like? Here also is the booklet with the order of service. When you get the chance, write down the members of your wedding party and their position in the wedding. Write your own full names as well for the wedding bulletin. If you have any personal note to add, write it down and it will be put on the back cover of the programme. If you prefer, you can actually email the details to Nancy Schmidt."

Molly took the booklet and pamphlet, saying, "Thanks so much, Pastor Briggs. When does Nancy need the information in order to type up the bulletin?"

"I'd suggest no later than four weeks before the wedding, so you have some time yet," responded the pastor. Standing up, he offered his hand once again to Sherlock and to Molly. "Thank you for coming and best wishes as you plan your wedding. I hope to see you on Sunday."

"We'll be here," promised the pathologist.

They walked back outside to the street and waited for a taxi to pass by.

1Suddenly Molly shivered.

"Are you cold?" asked Sherlock solicitously, as he draped an arm around her shoulders.

She snuggled closer to him. "Not really, I just had this odd sensation that there was someone watching me."

"Probably just me," laughed the detective, nonetheless turning his head to look around in the gathering darkness to see if anyone was in view.

Molly slipped her hand under Sherlock's coat and around his waist. "I expect I was just imagining it," she said. She still felt a prickle of apprehension, but she didn't want her fiancé to think she was being paranoid.

A taxi halted at Sherlock's hail, and the couple got in for the ride back to 221B Baker street. As the taxi pulled away, Molly thought she glimpsed a shadow of someone standing to the side of the church building. She blinked and the shadow was gone. Definitely her imagination, she assured herself.

Author's note: Is Molly being paranoid about thinking someone is watching her?

What did you think about the counselling session? Do you think I covered all the elements sufficiently?

I love reviews with responses to my questions!