Woo hoo! I'm finally bringing you another chapter! :)
Let's see what shenanigans these girls get up to in Paris! ;)
Chapter 29 - I'm Marrying a Groomzilla!
"Oh God, I'm marrying a Groomzilla!" Molly groaned as she hid her face in her hands. A bright and colourful drink was placed down in front of her.
"Molly Hooper!" Meena exclaimed loudly, already slurring slightly. "Now is not the time to be focusing on the fact that Ssshhhherlock is driving you batty! We are all here to enjoy ourselves in Paris and get deliciously drunk!"
Mary giggled as she took a generous sip of her drink. "It's true Molly! You need to just let go and have fun."
Molly dropped her hands away from her face and grabbed at the glass in front of her and took a sip. "You're both right, I'm sorry. I really should be reveling in the fact that I am having a weekend away from the mad git!"
As the night wore on the three of them progressively drank more and more. They didn't exactly become utterly smashed, but they were feeling pretty good. Molly had never been one to drink in much excess, except for a few times during uni. She knew that she would most likely regret it in the morning but she had decided to 'let go' as Mary advised, at least just this once!
The trio drank and danced the night away, not surfacing from the club until the wee hours of the morning. They stumbled about, sweaty and exhausted but decided to opt out on getting a cab, instead deciding to walk in the clear, early morning air. Mary and Meena walked with their arms about Molly, holding her up. Meena tried to sing Frère Jacques, but failed miserably, and only resulted in the three of them bursting into fits of laughter.
When they came to a bridge they walked over to the edge and looked down at the Seine. The fresh air was slowly helping clear their brains, not by much, but enough to let them realize that they were all famished. Molly hadn't looked at her phone the entire night, having turned it off long ago, and she most certainly wasn't about to look at it now.
"Where does one get something to eat at four in the morning in Paris?" Meena sniveled; she had the tendency to become a weepy drunk.
"Mary?" Molly pleaded, hoping that she could be the voice of reason, seeing as she was the oldest of the group. And also because Molly still did not want to look at her phone. Not until her head had cleared a bit more.
Mary leaned back against the metal bars of the bridge and whipped out her mobile, squinting and flinching slightly as the glare of the screen met her eyes. She stood there, swaying against the bridge as she typed away at her phone. Meena and Molly peered down at the water, waiting for Mary to tell them something, anything.
"Au Pied de Cochon!" she crowed, causing both Meena and Molly to jump. "They're open 24 hours, seven days a week!"
They got a cab, but telling the driver where to go took several minutes because Mary had apparently lost all of her French-speaking skills. Once she had figured out what to say, they settled back into the cushion and all three of them dozed sporadically.
Suddenly Molly burst into giggles and couldn't stop. Meena eyed her warily as Molly leaned forward clutching at her stomach as her giggles turned into a full guffaw.
"What is so funny?" Meena questioned.
"Yes, do tell," Mary chimed in.
Molly took several gulps of air, quieting her laughter. "A sudden thought just came to me. All three of us, our names start with M … we are the Three M-keteers!" She dissolved into laughter once more.
It took several seconds for the hilarity to sink in then both Meena and Mary joined Molly in her mirth, much to the chagrin of the cab driver. Upon arriving at Au Pied de Cochon they each ordered a coffee and from there proceeded to order nearly every dessert on the menu.
By the time that they were finished eating it was nearing six am. They were no longer quite so drunk, very happily stuffed with food, and it was now that true exhaustion was starting to slip in.
"My feet are killing me! Why did I let you convince me to wear these bloody heels?" Molly moaned as they left the restaurant.
"Hush now." Meena pawed at Molly's face. "No more talking."
Mary shook her head at the pair of them. They got another cab and returned to the hotel, upon reaching their room the three of them passed out upon the bed and sofa.
It was not until late afternoon that Molly woke. Her head was pounding, and it felt as if a small mouse had curled up into her mouth and died. She staggered about the room, as quietly as she could, and retrieved some paracetamol from her bag. After taking the pills and downing two bottles of water she began to feel slightly better. She pulled her phone out of her bag, and not wanting to wake the others, she stumbled slightly into the bathroom. She was rather grateful that the sun wasn't shining through the window. It looked like a cloudy, chilly day. She shivered slightly, pulling her dressing gown (i.e. Sherlock's) more tightly about her. After letting out a massive yawn she turned on her mobile. There were twelve texts from Sherlock, oh dear, and four from an unknown number. Deciding to forgo Sherlock's texts, she opened up the others.
This is your future husband. – SD
Attached to the text was a photo. Molly narrowed her eyes at the screen and opened the photo; it was of Sherlock passed out in a holding cell. He had his arm flung over his eyes, and his mouth was hanging open. Molly covered her mouth with her hand in order to muffle her laughter, tears coming to hers eyes. She then saw that there were two more photos attached to the text. She wiped away the tears as she opened the photos; one was of John in much the same position as Sherlock, and the other was of Greg Lestrade. She roared with laughter once more. Clearly these three were no longer allowed to go out drinking together.
Once her laughter had died down a bit she reopened the text and realized that it was from a number that she didn't recognize at all. SD. SD. SD. Molly chanted these two letters in her head, realizing that her fogged mind was not at its usual cognitive rate. Then it hit her, Sally Donovan! Molly fell into a fit of giggles again, knowing that Sherlock was going to be positively horrified by the fact that Sally now had these photos. Molly quickly set to typing out a reply.
Thanks for those. I think they just cured my hangover. – M
Had fun did you? – SD
By the way, the boys are safe back at Baker Street. Mrs. Hudson is currently clucking over them – SD
Molly continued to giggle, knowing that she would treasure the photo of Sherlock for forever. She opened up his texts and proceeded to read them.
I miss you. – SH
John told me I shouldn't text you. Geoff tried to confiscate my phone. – SH
Why can't I text my fiancée? – SH
My pathologist. – SH
My sexy pathologist. – SH
You should wear your lab coat at home more often. Your lab coat and nothing else. – SH
Molly began to wonder how drunk Sherlock had been as he texted her.
My cock aches for you. – SH
I want my cock inside you. – SH
Molly felt her cheeks begin to burn. Definitely very drunk.
I need you Molly. I neeeeeeddddddd you. – SH
Why did you leave me? – SH
Where did you go? – SH
John won't let me look for you. John is mean! – SH
Molly leaned her forehead on her hand, amazed that Sherlock had managed to type so articulately when he was so very clearly intoxicated. This was exactly why she had turned off her phone, not having wanted to be tempted to drunk-text Sherlock. Clearly he had done enough for the both of them!
After reading over the texts she closed her messages and saw that she had a voicemail from him as well. She listened to it. At first there was nothing then suddenly there was noise in the background. For a moment she thought that perhaps he had accidently called her and not realized it. Bum dialed. Nope. He had definitely been aware that he had called her.
"Molly -hic- Molly Hooper! Hooper? No. Not Hooper, Hooper sounds -hic- wrong. Holmes. It should be Molly Holmes! Why aren't you -hic- Molly Holmes yet? Hoollllmmmeesss ... just like my shhnnaaammme ... you shneed to have it changed. Why haven't you changed it?"
Molly covered her face with her hand then let out a laugh as she distinctively heard John's voice cut into Sherlock's, telling him that he was going to take his phone away from him now. The last thing she heard before the message was cut off was Sherlock calling out that he knew ash.
First the photos, then the texts and now this message; clearly the man should not be allowed to drink. She let out a snort and made certain to save the voicemail. When he was being a particular git she was going to remind herself to listen to it for a good giggle.
Taking note of the time she decided to give him a call, since Sally had told her that he was at Baker Street she could only presume that he was no longer passed out. He answered on the second ring.
"'Lo?"
"Hi Sherlock, how are you?"
"Why are you calling? You never call!"
"Sherlock, I wanted to hear your voice." Sober.
"Ahhh, well it is nice to hear yours."
She bit down on her lip before saying, "How are you feeling?"
"Fine. Why?"
"Well … the last time you had a Stag Night you ended up in prison."
He humphed. "Yes, well ahh … ithappenedagain," he spoke the last three words in a rush and Molly let out a snort. "How are you?" he questioned, ignoring her laughter.
"Mmmmppphhh, a bit hung over, but not too bad. I had a lot of fun last night, from what I can remember. Sherlock … ahhh … have you looked at your texts at all?"
"No. Should I?"
"Well, it's just; you sent me some very interesting ones."
"Oh."
Molly let out a bark of laughter. "It's quite all right. They're rather funny."
"They weren't supposed to be funny," he bit out a few minutes later. "And I meant every word that I wrote. I do miss you."
"I miss you too. I'll be back soon."
"I didn't happen to leave you a voicemail as well, did I?"
"Mmm … yeah, you did."
"Damn. I'm never drinking with John again."
Molly giggled. Then both grew silent for a time.
"Do you think we should have something else besides the flowers as the table centerpieces?" he suddenly asked her.
She rubbed at her left eye, counting to ten inside her head. "Sherlock for one, ONE bloody day can we not discuss the wedding?"
"But Molly! These are important decisions that have to be made!"
"What's more important right now is that I haven't had any coffee yet."
He let out a loud huff of air.
"We'll talk about it when I get home, all right?"
"Fine," he snapped.
"I love you."
A beat passed.
His tone softened as he said, "I love you too."
With a smile on her face Molly walked back into the bedroom, noting that Meena and Mary were waking up; both of them looking a bit worse for wear. She wanted to show Mary the photos that Sally had texted her, wondering if Sally had sent the one of John to her or not. But she decided to wait until Mary was a little bit more awake. At the moment her hair was sticking up in multiple directions, and her eyes were narrow slits.
"I think you two need some water and paracetamol," Molly said to them.
Meena only grunted in reply, pulling the sheet back up over her head.
"Yes please," Mary moaned.
Molly grabbed up two bottles of water and dug through her bag for the pills. She handed Mary a bottle and a couple of pills, then went over to Meena.
"How the bloody hell are you so bright and chipper this morning?" Meena growled at her, taking the offered water and pills.
Molly laughed slightly. "I didn't drink nearly as much as either one of you."
Meena swallowed the pills and drank half of the bottle of water before flopping back down against the pillows and letting out a rather dramatic groan. Molly rolled her eyes, used to such antics from Sherlock. She fought back a giggle when the image of him passed out in the jail cell came to her mind. "Well, it's too late for us to go down and have breakfast here in the hotel. How about I go to the cafe down the street and get us some coffee and food?"
Meena had thrown her arm across her face, covering her eyes. "Trois croissants, s'il vous plait!"
Molly walked over to the sofa. "Mary? Anything in particular that you want?"
"Lots of black coffee please. And anything that looks delicious. My mind is too fuzzy to be able to conjure up what I actually want to eat."
"All right, I'll just get dressed and I'll be back shortly!" Molly said to them as she grabbed up some clothes.
A little while later she returned back to the hotel ladened with coffee and fresh pastries. Mary and Meena were looking a little bit better, clearly the paracetamol was working. The both gladly took the offered coffee, and Meena's eyes lit up when Molly handed her the bag of croissants.
"Ahhh, bon jour ma cherie!"
Mary let out a snort, nearly spilling her coffee. "Meena, you really are too much!"
The three of them settled down to their early afternoon breakfast. When Mary started on her second cup of coffee Molly decided to ask her the question she had been holding back.
"Mary, have you looked at your phone yet?"
She shook her head. "No I haven't. Why? Should I?"
Molly shrugged. "I was just wondering if you got any texts, that's all."
Mary eyed her suspiciously then leaned over to grab her mobile. "Did Sherlock drunk text you? Are you wondering if John did the same for me?"
Molly said nothing; Meena looked from one to the other as she idly chewed on her croissant.
"OH BLOODY HELL!" Mary exclaimed.
Molly started to laugh. "Sally sent you the photos, didn't she?"
Mary's eyes were as wide as saucers, laughter bubbling up from her throat. "Sally took these? Oh my God, Sherlock is going to murder her!"
Meena peered over her shoulder then proceeded to spew croissant crumbs as she doubled over with laughter. "Oh my God! That's bloody brilliant!"
For the next half hour the three of them couldn't stop laughing. They would begin to calm down, then suddenly one of them would start to giggle and it would instigate the other two to start laughing all over again.
By the time that they had at last exhausted their laughter it was nearing mid-afternoon and they were beginning to feel a lot better. The sun was now shining; it looked like it was turning into a beautiful day.
"I think a shower for each of us and then perhaps a rendezvous at a nearby café for some real food is in order," Mary said as she stretched, "how does that sound to both of you?"
Molly and Meena both agreed. By the time they were showered and dressed and departing from the hotel the afternoon was beginning to slowly ebb away. The sun though was still shining brightly.
"Would you mind if I went to a bookstore?" Molly questioned them as they settled down in chairs outside an adorable little café.
"If you so desire," Meena answered with a wave of her hand.
Mary gave a contented yawn. "I'm comfortable; I think I could spend several hours here quite happily."
"Good, I'm going to go for a little walk then after I've had something to eat!"
Half an hour later Molly was pleasantly full of quiche and a cup of strong tea. The sun was shining on the seine as she walked along it; the water appeared as if there were diamonds dancing upon the surface. Molly took a deep breath of the fresh, cool air then turned about to face the bookstore Shakespeare & Co.She couldn't keep the smile of glee off of her face. She had dreamed about coming here for so long, having missed out on the chance to visit the shop all those years ago when she had first come to Paris. There were a few people mingling outside, looking at the books on the small wooden bookshelves that had been set up.
Molly slowly approached; Meena and Mary had told her to spend as much time as she wanted, they were quite happy sitting at the cafe together.
She allowed her gaze to move over the low bookshelves, taking note of familiar titles and some news ones. She then took a deep breath and stepped into the shop.
For a moment she felt extremely overwhelmed by the sight that was laid out before her. The shop was positively brimming with books, to the point of overflowing. She took another deep breath and moved forward, reminding herself that she needn't rush. She stood in front of one of the shelves and ran her fingertips lovingly over the spines. She wasn't entirely certain how she was going to manage to contain and prevent herself from emptying her bank account in this place. There were so many lovely books!
Suddenly her breath caught in her throat, her gaze and her fingers landing upon a book that made her heart jolt and a smile appear upon her face. It was perfect. She clasped it between her fingertips and slowly pulled it from the shelf. Her smile widened as she held it in her hands. Molly couldn't stop the giggle from bubbling out of her throat. She knew that Sherlock couldn't care less about being given a gift. She had learned that the hard way on that horrible Christmas, but she also knew deep down that he would greatly appreciate being given such a book; especially after their previous conversation. She giggled again, holding it close to her heart after noting that it had been printed in 1896 and was in fantastic condition for such an old book. It had been well taken care of by its previous owners.
She continued further into the shop, moving at a near snail's pace, taking the time to look at every book. She was perusing through an antique novel, when she felt something rub up against her legs. Peering down over the book she spotted a white cat at her ankles. The cat looked up at her and let out a meow. She smiled down at the animal and leaned over to give him a pet and a scratch behind the ears. The cat began to purr.
A few minutes later she was back to perusing the shelves. She felt her heart begin to quicken with excitement when she spotted an edition of Jane Eyre. She knew that she already owned four different copies, but she honestly didn't care. When she had a book that she loved, she greatly enjoyed owning multiple versions. This one was beautiful, another antique, printed in 1847. The binding was red with black fleur de lis on the cover.
It would have been all too easy for her to spend a small fortune in the shop, but she was able to contain herself and managed to only buy three books; the one for Sherlock, the edition of Jane Eyre, and a 1919 edition of The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley. After making her purchases Molly made her way back towards the cafe where she had left Meena and Mary.
The three of them returned to their hotel room in order to decide what they wanted to do that evening. Molly started thinking about an idea she had come upon earlier, she forced herself to hide a grin as she texted Sherlock.
Where are you? - Mx
Baker Street. - SH
With a client? - Mx
No. I'm alone. Bored. - SH
No experiments? - Mx
Only my spore cultures. - SH
I think I have a cure for your boredom. - Mx
Do you now? - SH
Yes. Just give me a few minutes. - Mx
Ok. - SH
Continuing to fight back a smile Molly set down her phone, before adopting a slightly irritated expression and beginning to rub her forehead.
"Are you ok Molly?" Mary asked her, her voice tinged with concern.
Molly scrunched up her nose, continuing to rub her forehead with the heel of her palm. "I've got a bit of a headache, probably still recovering from last night. I took some paracetamol but it hasn't kicked in yet."
Meena came walking out of the bathroom just as Molly finished talking. She frowned, giving her friend a worried look. "Do you not want to go out then?"
Molly stopped rubbing her forehead. "I'm not sure. I'm mostly worried about it getting worse, since it hasn't gone away yet. I don't want to ruin your night though, go ahead and go back out. I'll just relax for a bit and see how I feel. If it gets better I'll let you both know and then maybe meet up with you, depending on where you are."
Meena's frown deepened. "This is supposed to be your weekend, and here you are not feeling well!"
Molly shrugged. "Headaches happen, they just can't be helped."
"Well, feel better Molly," Mary said to her as she picked up her bag and jacket. "Maybe try a nap? Or another hot shower!"
Molly nodded. "Yeah, I was thinking about maybe a shower. That usually helps me a lot when I have a headache."
Meena pulled on jacket before saying, "Text us when you feel better, I'm not going to text you all right? I don't want to risk waking you if you've decided to take a nap!"
Molly nodded again. "I will! Hopefully it will go away soon."
The two of them left, and as soon as the door closed behind them Molly let out a pleased, little chuckle. She hadn't thought that she would be able to pull off a convincing enough act, especially with Mary. Perhaps though she had seen straight through her little charade, but had decided not to say anything. She wasa married woman, so it was possible that she understood what Molly was aiming for. She let out another chuckle as she sat down upon the edge of the bed and grabbed up her phone.
Ready to be cured of your boredom? - Mx
YES. - SH
Lock the flat door. You want to be certain that you won't be disturbed. - Mx
Done. - SH
Are you sitting in your chair? - Mx
Yes. - SH
What are you wearing? - Mx
Molly couldn't help but let out a snort when Sherlock replied with a detailed listing of exactly what he was wearing. It was clear to her that the man had no concept that she was trying to sext with him. This called for drastic measures.
Do you know what I'm wearing Sherlock? -Mx
She got up off of the bed as she waited for his reply, walking into the bathroom, before she began to take off her clothes.
I obviously do not Molly. And if you think that I can deduce your clothing, I must admit that I can only merely guess. Something that I hate to do. - SH
She let out another snort as she sat down upon the edge of the tub.
I'm not wearing anything. - Mx
She would pay good money to see his expression at that very moment. She was certain that he had his 'buffering mode' face on.
You naughty minx. - SH
She smiled, giggling slightly as she typed back a reply.
Would you like to see? - Mx
YES. - SH
Her smile widened as she tapped the Face Time button. The phone rang for several seconds before Sherlock's face appeared on the screen. He was glowering at her. She held her phone so that all he could see of her was her face.
"Are you deigning to torture me?" he all but growled.
She bit down on her bottom lip. "Possibly. Don't you miss me at all Sherlock?"
This time he did growl. "You know I miss you! Look at what you've made me do!" The screen shifted, moving downwards until she could see his hard cock in his hand, he was pumping himself furiously. "I'm wanking in my sitting room, like some lovesick teenager."
She was certain that she had never heard him use the word "wanking" before. She licked her lips, rather distracted by the sight of his cock. "Does this - ahhh - make you feel better?" She slowly moved her phone down over her breasts, then her stomach before allowing it to hover directly over her curls. She spread her legs and with her one free hand she slipped her fingers between her wet folds. She was positively soaked as she began to stroke her clit. She smiled again when she heard Sherlock's sharp intake of breath.
"Fuck! Molly!" he gasped out.
She tilted her phone ever so slightly so that she could see him continuing to pump his cock while he could still see her, now swirling her fingertip around and over her clit. He groaned, picking up the pace of his hand.
"That's it Sherlock, make yourself come! Just imagine that it's me, touching you like that, moving my hand up and down your aching cock, massaging your bollocks. Oh God! That's what I'm doing! Imagining that your finger is on my clit, stroking me ... Mmmm fuck! That feels so incredible! How does my hand feel on your cock Sherlock?"
"Damnit!" he hissed out. "Your hand feels so fucking wonderful on me!"
They continued to work each other up into a frenzy until Molly cried out his name, and Sherlock groaned out hers.
"Bloody hell Molly."
She gave a little giggle, reaching out to grab a couple of tissues from the nearby box to wipe her fingers clean.
"COME. HOME."
She smiled at him and shook her head before saying, "Not yet."
He grumbled and threw himself back into his chair, not bothering to clean himself up. "You are cruel."
"Perhaps so. But you're no better."
He hmphed.
"I'll be back before you know it."
"I'm counting down the hours."
"Why does that not surprise me?"
He let out a sniff.
"I'm going to sound like a broken record here, Sherlock, but now you have an idea of what I go through when you're away for a case. You can shut off your desires, forcing your mind to focus on the case and only the case, while I cannot. I'm always left behind worrying about you and wanting you, and missing you. Most nights I just lie in bed touching myself, thinking about you. I used to own a dildo; I know that you're aware of this fact. I threw it away though … want to know why?"
His eyes were widened with curiosity.
"It didn't satisfy me. It was a poor imitation of what I had become used to. I can only get off by touching my clit now, when you're not home. Put that in your Mind Palace … an image of me lying in our bed, the covers thrown back, my legs spread and my finger stroking me. That's what I do every night, and sometimes during the day when you're not there."
He breathed in loudly before exhaling. "What you said is not entirely true. I can't shut off my desire for you, it's always there in the back of my mind; I always want you Molly. Even when I'm working on a case that's a 9 or a 10, I still want you, I still need you. I've had to duck into a toilet every now and then to deal with a sudden erection."
Molly let out a giggle. "Have you now?"
"Yes."
"Mmm … I kind of like knowing that."
He gave her a smug smirk.
"How's Toby?" she enquired.
"Fine. The beast has taken it upon himself to sleep on the bed with me."
Molly's eyes widened. "Has he? And you're allowing it?"
"He meowed and scratched at the door incessantly until I let him in."
Molly chuckled then gazed out the window, noting that it was beginning to grow dark. "It's getting late. I should get cleaned up and go meet the girls."
"Oh. They're not there?"
She cast upon him a weary look. "No Sherlock. Do you honestly think that I'd do something like this with them in the other room?"
He shrugged. "Enjoy your night then. I shall be here, wallowing away in my boredom."
"Oh stop it. You'll find something to do."
He sighed. "Perhaps so."
"I love you."
He smiled. "I love you too."
Molly ended the call and turned on the water in the shower. A short while later she was dressed and texted Meena to see where they were.
So happy to know you're feeling better. We were thinking about going to Moulin Rouge, are you interested? – Mn
Absolutely! I'll get a cab and meet you there. – Mx
The three of them greatly enjoyed their night of champagne, dinner, and Can Can.
The next morning they managed to wake a bit earlier than they had on the previous day. The sun was shining brightly and it was slightly warmer in temperature so they decided to spend as much of it out of doors as they could.
"A visit to the Eiffel Tower is a must for today!" Meena announced, and the other two quickly agreed.
"I think we should have dinner there tonight, at the Le Jules Verne, the sunset must look beautiful from there," Mary said, a wistful look coming to her eyes.
"Oh yes please! Let's do that, it sounds like a fantastic way to spend our last evening in Paris," Molly agreed with a wide smile.
"How about a bit of shopping too? We need to get the bride a few naughty things for the wedding night!" Meena cackled.
Molly blushed deeply. "Honestly Meena …"
"Oh come on, shopping for negligee's can be fun! I looked up a few places and I think that Agent Provocateur is our best bet," Meena explained as she grabbed up her bag.
"But don't we have that in London?"
"Yes. But there's something about going to the shop in France that makes it sexier, don't you think?"
Mary laughed. "Do you think they will have anything that will help hide a post-baby body? Can't say that I've ever gone in there before."
Meena smiled. "Oh most certainly, they actually have some lovely things. They do of course carry a lot of racy items, but there are some that are rather pretty as well."
With a sigh, and a faint blush on her cheeks, Molly followed them out of their hotel room. A short time later the three of them were giggling as they looked over the items that were for sale in the shop.
"I think you should buy something to wear beneath your wedding dress, and something a bit naughtier to change into," Meena said to her with a wink as they made their way towards the bridal area.
Molly was pleased to find that they did in fact carry some very pretty lingerie. She managed to find a set of matching bra and knickers to wear beneath her dress. Meena though was determined to get her to buy something naughty.
"What about this?" Meena asked her, holding up a negligee that had barely any coverage.
"Good Lord Meena! I've never worn anything so risqué in my life!"
"All the more reason to do it. Help me Mary; convince her that she needs to buy this. There's obviously something about it that you like Molly, you won't stop staring at it."
Molly's blush deepened, not exactly wanting to reveal the reason as to why she thought it was so perfect. "I'll try it."
Once it was on her body she knew that she had to get it. It really was ideal. She could just imagine Sherlock's face when he saw her wearing it. She felt her heart flutter at the thought, and it made her wish that the wedding was all that much sooner.
Meena ended up finding a few things for herself, as did Mary. All in all it was a most successful shopping trip, albeit a slightly embarrassing one. Truth be told Molly rather despised shopping for under things; she always felt so awkward doing so. But the women in the shop had been very sweet, and helpful.
When Molly returned from trying on the items Meena took them from her. "Let me buy these for you … my treat! Think of it as my wedding gift." Meena gave her a saucy wink.
Molly was certain she had never blushed so much in such a short space of time. Mary put her arm around her shoulders and gave her a tender squeeze. "Shall we do something you want next?" she enquired.
Molly answered her with a nod. Once they had paid, they left the shop and began to walk down the street.
"Where to next?" Mary asked.
"The Vanves Flea Market," Molly answered firmly.
Meena gave a small sniff. "Fine."
They made their way towards the Porte de Vanves. In spite of the gorgeous weather it appeared that the majority of the bargain hunters had already gleaned their way through the many stalls. Meena quickly became enthralled; she really was secretly an antiques lover. Mary stayed by Molly's side as they slowly browsed. Molly came to a pause when they reached a table laden with jewelry. Her eyes were instantly drawn to a pair of vintage cufflinks.
Mary gave her a nudge with her elbow. "Buy them. I'll keep them hidden away at my flat; we both know how Sherlock likes to pry. You can give me the lingerie as well."
Molly smiled and reached forward to grab them up. The seller gave her a story about the cufflinks, in very broken English. Molly wasn't entirely certain how much of it was true, but she listened to him kindly as he wrapped up her purchase.
She tucked the cufflinks into the bag from Agent Provocateur, before they made their way to search out Meena. When they found her she was bargaining with an elderly gentleman. In the end the seller refused to drop down to the price she desired, and Molly managed to convince her that the candlesticks really didn't match the décor of her flat.
"You didn't really want those, did you? You just wanted to rile him up," Molly said to her with a slight glare.
Meena chuckled. "Of course! The old man looked bored! I wanted to liven up his day a little!"
Mary let out a snort. "I think he was more interested in staring at your breasts in that top."
Meena grimaced slightly. "Was he? I didn't notice. Quite glad I didn't. Why do I always seem to attract unwanted attention? I don't do anything on purpose! Why isn't your wedding sooner Molly? I want to meet Sherrinford, he seems like he is a decent bloke."
Molly took her hand. "He is. I think you two will go well together. And I know, I was thinking the same thing earlier, wishing that my wedding was sooner, not still a little less than two months away."
Mary smiled. "It will come soon enough. I had felt the same way then all of a sudden it was my wedding day, and then it was all over! Don't wish it sooner, it goes by so quickly."
Molly gave her an answering smile then her eyes widened when she spotted a familiar face in the crowd. "Oh my God, is that … Julien?!"
Meena's mouth dropped open as she followed Molly's gaze. "It is! It's definitely him! JULIEN!"
The young man they had been staring at turned towards them at the sound of his name being called out. He spotted them and smiled widely before moving forwards.
"Molly? Meena? Fancy running into the two of you here! How are you both?" He gave them each a hug.
"We are both very well." Meena answered.
"And you're engaged I see!" Julien said as he took up Molly's hand, the diamond glistening in the sunlight. "So what are you two doing in Paris?"
"We decided to turn Molly's Hen Night into a Hen Weekend!" Meena explained to him.
Molly smiled and introduced Mary. The four of them quickly settled in to comfortable chatter. That was the way it was with Julien; you were always instantly at ease in his presence and he made you feel like you had known him for years.
After a short while Molly told him that they were planning to go to the Eiffel Tower that evening and have dinner there. She asked him to join them. He gladly accepted the invitation. They parted ways after settling on a time and the three of them returned to their hotel to freshen up for their evening out.
By the time they were making their way to the Eiffel Tower the sun was reaching the horizon. There was still though a perfect amount of light to view the beautiful structure. Molly was certain that she was going to end up with a crick in her a neck from leaning her head back in order to peer upwards. She was also certain that no matter how many times she may return to this beautiful city, the sight of the tower would never cease to take her breath away.
Julien arrived a few minutes later and they got into a lift and went to the second floor. Molly's breath hitched in her throat. The view was magnificent. Julien smiled at her, his honey-brown locks falling across his forehead as a light wind blew over them.
"I've been living in Paris for the passed three years," he told her, "and every time that I come up here, I am overcome with a sense of awe."
"Hey guys!" Meena called out from behind them, "Smile!"
Molly and Julien turned around. He pulled Molly into his embrace and the pair of them smiled as Meena snapped a photo.
"Would it be terribly silly of me to buy Emily a teddy bear with an Eiffel Tower on its t-shirt?" Mary asked suddenly.
Molly smiled as she walked over to where Mary was standing in front of one of the shops. "No. Not at all. She's a stuffed animal fiend! Too bad they don't sell those t-shirts that say, 'my fiancée went to Paris and all I got was a lousy t-shirt!'"
Mary snorted with laughter.
"Ahh yes, your fiancée, who is the lucky bloke? No one I know, I suppose?" Julien enquired.
"Well … it's possible that you've heard of him. His name is Sherlock Holmes." Molly answered.
"Sherlock Holmes? The detective that wears that silly hat?" Julien's eyebrows rose.
Meena giggled as she tucked her phone away into her bag and followed Mary into the shop. Molly's cheeks blushed faintly.
"Erm … yeah. That's the one!"
"Huh. I thought he had a partner, John Watson?"
Molly shook her head. "Oh no. He's just his partner in the detective work; John is married to Mary."
"Oh! Bloody papers, can't ever get anything right! So how is it that you know him, then?"
Molly walked back over to the lookout, leaning against the metal bar. "Sherlock and I have known each other for six, nearly seven years. He helps Scotland Yard with solving cases, murders mostly, but I'm sure you've read all about that. I work at St. Bart's hospital in the morgue and ever since Sherlock has been working with Scotland Yard, he's been working with me. I usually end up performing the autopsies on the bodies brought in from his murder cases. We've spent a lot of time together over the years, working together really. It's only been recent that the dynamics of our relationship have changed."
Julien eyed her for a moment. "Didn't he fake his death?"
Molly's blush, which had mostly faded, now deepened. "Yeah, he did do that. And I, uhh, kind of helped him with it."
Julien's eyes widened. "Bloody hell, Molly. It sounds like this guy owes you a lot."
She couldn't help but smile. "I suppose you could say that he does. I'm really happy Julien, more than I ever thought I could be."
He smiled down at her before pulling her into another hug. "Well, I'm glad to hear it. We need to stay in touch from now on! It's terrible how easily we stopped communicating with each other!"
Molly returned his hug. "Most definitely! Whenever you come to London we'll have to meet up! I'll warn you right now though; Sherlock isn't the most sociable of human beings. You'll probably hate him when you first meet him. But he really is wonderful, once you get to know him and understand him."
Julien pressed a kiss to her temple. "You love him, so I have no choice but to love him as well. You know how I am."
Molly smiled. "What about you? Anyone special in your life?"
He grimaced slightly. "Sadly, no. I just ended a three-year relationship. Should have ended it much sooner, but ahh well. I'm going to fester and stew in my singleness for a little while now. Unless of course someone attractive happens to waltz into my life, you know me; I can't pass up a pretty face."
Molly let out a laugh, remembering all too well how this had been very true back in their uni days. A few minutes later Mary and Meena re-joined them and they made their way to the restaurant.
The evening was filled with laughter and reminiscing, a glorious sunset over the city, and a deluge of wine and delicious food. When the bill arrived Julien waved away their offers to split it.
He invited them over to his flat for after-dinner drinks. His place was sleekly decorated, a far cry from the disaster that his flat used to be.
"Thank you for not having any used condoms strewn about," Meena said to him as she sat down upon his black leather sofa.
Mary scrunched up her nose, and Molly covered her face with her palm. Julien had the decency to blush slightly.
"My days of marathon sex are long over. I've got a bit of a bad back now, probably thanks to all that," he said as he handed each of them a glass of wine. "Surely you still chase after the boys as strongly as you did back in uni. I see no ring on your finger."
Meena's cheeks darkened. "I've actually give up on men. Bloody useless."
Julien smirked as he sat down across from them. "They're all gits! The whole lot!"
They didn't leave his flat until the wee hours of the morning; thankfully they didn't have to check out of the hotel very early. When they returned to their room they decided to pack up their things so that they could sleep in as much as possible. By the time they were finished they were ready to collapse. It was a matter of minutes before the three of them were fast asleep.
The next morning revealed itself to be a rather gloomy day. They ate breakfast downstairs and by the time they exited the hotel and got into a cab it was drizzling slightly. When they reached the station it had turned into a deluge. Molly took out her phone, once they were safely inside, and texted Sherlock.
About to get on the train, see you soon. Love you. - Mx
You don't have to go in to work tomorrow. - SH
What? Why? I didn't take tomorrow off. - Mx
Spoke with Stamford. - SH
The fridge is fully stocked. - SH
You went shopping? - Mx
Yes. John accompanied me. - SH
Why did you buy food? You never buy food. - Mx
I have no intention of us leaving the flat for the next 24 - hopefully 48 - hours. I thought you'd appreciate having food readily available to eat. - SH
Molly couldn't stop a smile from coming to her face. It was incredible how thoughtful he had managed to become over the progression of their relationship.
Thank you. See you soon. I love you. - Mx
I love you too. - SH
During the entire train ride back to London she couldn't keep the smile off her face. Mary shared with her a knowing look; she too was anxiously waiting for the moment when she would be seeing her husband and daughter.
By the time they reached London it was nearing early afternoon. It was raining there as well, it being rather damp and chilly out. But the weather didn't put a damper on Molly's mood. She was far too excited about seeing Sherlock again to allow the lack of sunshine to get to her.
The three of them parted ways at the train station. They hugged and said to each other how much fun they had. Molly thanked them both, telling them that it was one of the best weekends she had ever experienced. Once she was in a cab Molly texted Sherlock.
On my way to Baker Street. - Mx
Good. I'm waiting. - SH
She leaned back into the seat cushion and closed her eyes. She had enjoyed her time away in Paris, but she had also missed Sherlock a lot. It felt strange to not be near him. She also had definitely not slept as well as she usually did. She held back a giggle when she thought to herself that she probably was not going to be getting much sleep for some time.
When she arrived a short while later outside Baker Street she quickly paid and got out, anxious to get inside and be in Sherlock's embrace. She let herself in, and hurried up the stairs, hoping that Mrs. Hudson wouldn't pop out to say hello (she didn't). As Molly reached the landing the door to the flat opened and Sherlock was there, standing, waiting for her. She barely had a moment to release her bag from her hold when he pulled her into his arms, slamming the door shut behind them.
She had expected him to begin removing her clothes straight away, desperate to make love to her. But instead he was only holding her close, his face buried in the curve of her neck. She held on to him tightly, reveling in the warmth of his body against hers, breathing in the scent of him. He smelled like home.
Suddenly she felt his lips brush against her skin, before he murmured to her, "God Molly, I've missed you."
.
.
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:)
Gah, writing about and researching all of these places in Paris really makes me want to go there even more! *sigh*
Any idea as to what the book is that Molly bought for Sherlock? It will be revealed in the next chapter! ;)
Oh … and … hehe … the naughty little negligee will also be revealed in a later chapter. They really do have some interesting items! O_O
Let me know what you all think! I really do love reading each and every review that I get :)
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