Author's note: Hello, dear readers. After a month's hiatus, I am back. In the words of Moriarty, Did you Miss Me? I have enjoyed my time away, not feeling the need to spend all those hours in preparing 2 chapters per week for publishing (and yes, ask any serious writer, preparing a chapter for publishing does take hours). But, I admit, I've missed the ongoing communication from the wonderful readers who regularly support my work with their reviews. During my absence, I have been working more on my revisions of the story I wish to publish professionally, and just writing a chapter here and there for various Sherlolly stories. I've also been dealing with seeing my oldest daughter back off to college, a slightly stressful thing in the age of COVID-19. I don't feel I want to be under pressure to do 2 chapters a week again for now, so I will probably alternate stories by week. Next week, I will probably do a chapter of Journey to a New Home, for those of you who are interested in knowing what is coming next from me.
Sunday, October 8th, 2017
Sherlock and Molly walked into 221B after church.
Molly was in a particularly good mood because another couple from church, Abigail and Caleb Hunter, had just brought their newborn baby, Grace, to church for the first time. The couple, who had sung The Prayer during Sherlock and Molly's wedding while they signed the register, were justifiably proud new parents.
After they ate lunch and had seated themselves on the sofa, Molly continued to enthuse about the new baby. "Just think, Sherlock, in about seven months, that will be us bringing our new baby to church! Did you see the way everyone crowded around her? I feel honoured that Abigail allowed me to hold her for a few moments. She's the tiniest little thing; so precious!"
He looked at her indulgently. "I'm sure our child is going to be fawned over just like little Grace. You can be sure my parents are going to be very attentive, just as Mrs. Hudson will be, so I hope you will be able to let them hold our new baby as well. Mary wouldn't let me even attempt to hold Rosamund for the first month."
"I can't say I blame her," responded Molly with an impish grin. "Did you even know the correct way to hold a newborn?"
Sherlock huffed. "Well, perhaps not, but I'm sure Mary could have made sure I did it correctly when Rosamund was a newborn. But no, I had to wait," he complained.
"So, when you were allowed to hold Rosie, what did you know to do?" asked Molly curiously.
Sherlock pursed his lips. Did Molly seriously consider him so dense that he would have treated the baby like a sack of potatoes rather than the fragile infant she was? "I know you need to support the baby's head carefully and watch the fontanelle where a baby's skull bones have not yet fused together," he informed her rather haughtily.
Molly leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean to be rude in implying you didn't know what you were doing. I have every confidence that you will be a wonderful father with our baby and very protective too."
Mollified, Sherlock pulled her close for a proper kiss.
They were interrupted by the sound of Mrs. Hudson's voice. "Hoo hoo. May I come in?"
Sherlock and Molly glanced at one another. It was rather unusual that she had asked permission for once, rather than trying to just come in as she had always done in the past. Of course, it made sense that she would want to make sure they were not interrupted at an inopportune moment as had happened before during their engagement. That time, though, they had been rather glad of the interruption, as it had served to cool their ardour which might have led them to the bedroom before the wedding night.
"Come in," called Sherlock. "The door's not locked."
Mrs. Hudson entered and approached them. "I was wondering if Molly would like to go shopping at Harrods with me. Ida called a little while ago and said there is a very good sale right now in her department on clothing."
Molly looked at Sherlock. "Would that be okay with you? I don't think we had any special plans today, did we?"
Sherlock shrugged. His only plan had been to enjoy his time with Molly, but that could wait. While she was gone, he could always read some more of her diary. It had been neglected for a week while he had been dealing with the problem of a troublesome mouse in 221C. "Fine with me. Go and enjoy yourself."
Mrs. Hudson clasped her hands together. "Ah, good. It's always much more fun to go shopping with someone than it is when you are alone. Can you be ready in a few minutes? I thought we'd just take the Tube."
"I'll be ready," promised Molly, and the landlady exited the flat.
Molly turned to Sherlock. "Do you think you might go downstairs and experiment while I'm gone?"
Sherlock grimaced. "I think I'll leave the experimenting for a couple of days until I can get the image of that bloody mouse that took me a week to catch, out of my mind. I still feel a little guilty in having to use a glue trap to catch him in the end."
"I know, but he was just too clever for regular mouse traps. Besides," here she gave him a cheeky look, "I was the one who dealt the killing blow, so if anyone should be traumatised, it's me."
He gave her a sultry look. "And I believe I compensated you adequately for that."
Molly put her arms around him and leaned in close for a kiss, then said, "That you did. So, how do you plan to spend your afternoon without me?"
"I think I shall continue reading your diary. I must admit, I am a little concerned about reading your thoughts on my drug usage during the Culverton Smith case, however. I may need you to distract me from my sober reflections on it when you return," Sherlock responded. He was curious to know how Molly felt about things during that time, but revisiting it through her eyes would not be easy.
"Well, when I get back, I'll do a little fashion parade and put on the clothes I've bought. How does that sound?"
Sherlock's eyes sparked with interest. "Are you planning on buying any lingerie, by chance?"
Molly laughed. "I highly doubt it, seeing as Mrs. Hudson is with me."
Sherlock sighed. "I suppose you are right. Well, you had best get your things ready to leave." He gave Molly's bum a playful tap and kissed her once more.
After she had gone, Sherlock pulled out the diary from beneath the coffee table as usual and was soon reading.
…/…/…/…/…/…/
April
Life is getting back to normal, sort of. John has found a child minder for Rosie so he could go back to work, a friend named Stella and her husband, Ted. I've stopped by to see him and Rosie a couple times to see how things are going. He's still obviously in a great deal of pain, and the only time he smiles is when he looks at his daughter. I asked if he has anyone to help him through his grief (hoping he would say that he and Sherlock were leaning on one another and that they were friends again), and he told me he is planning to see a therapist. I guess there's still no sign of them reconciling. I haven't seen Sherlock either, so apparently he is not working on any cases right now for the Yard. I have the distinct feeling he too is grieving about things. I thought several times about texting him, but Sherlock has always been very private with his emotions, and I don't want to overstep the bounds of our friendship. If he wants to talk to me, he knows my number.
My tail-spin into drugs had begun by this time, as you now know, or I probably would have contacted you. But I knew you'd try to talk me out of it if you knew what I was planning, so silence was my only recourse. I know, it seems foolish now, but I couldn't think of another way to get John to save me. I had to put myself in harm's way, as Mary requested. XOX
April
The oddest thing happened today. A package was delivered to me, and when I opened it, I saw it was one of Sherlock's coats. I was rather baffled, because there was no note, so I sent him a text asking why he had sent me his coat. Later in the evening, I received a response from him. It was the first time I'd heard from him in weeks, and it was the strangest thing. He requested my help in providing an ambulance for him at an address he provided, and he also asked that I bring his coat to that address and to please not ask any questions. That was strange enough, but even more weird was the fact that he was not asking me to do this immediately. He wants me to do it in two weeks. Of course, that at least gives me time to figure out how to procure an ambulance for him. But my goodness, what on earth is he up to now? I suppose he's in the middle of an important case again, which is good. Perhaps it will get his mind off the events of last month. I suppose in my heart I feel just a tiny bit honoured that Sherlock trusts me to help him, so of course, I will do my best.
And this is one of the things that makes me wonder why it took me so long to realise I loved you. I trusted you implicitly. You never let me down. You didn't ask unnecessary questions but were always there to help. When I sent you my coat, in which I had carefully placed three recording devices, I had the plan formed in my mind on how to catch Smith. I was still in enough control of my faculties most of the time to know I'd need your help once again. But I did lose control after that, Molly. Things went further than I anticipated. The drugs got hold of me, and I didn't resist the allure of it. I allowed myself to sink further and further to the bottom of a pit. I even told John I was never climbing out of it when he was sceptical about whether I was playing a trick on him to make him feel sorry for me. XOX
April
God help me, my heart is breaking right now. Sherlock is dying. Even saying the words rips me into pieces. He's back on drugs. I guess I need to backtrack.
Today is the day Sherlock asked me to go to the address I mentioned in my last entry. I was able to get the ambulance he required. There's an IT tech named Chelsea who coordinates ambulance dispatch. Fortunately, it was a slow day, and when I told her I needed help on a case that Sherlock Holmes was involved in, she was happy to help me. She put in the address as an ambulance request, bless her, and I rode in the ambulance. I brought along his coat too, of course.
When we got to the address, I knocked on the door and was so surprised when John answered the door. Then Sherlock came swaggering (and yes, I mean swaggering, although perhaps I should say staggering) out, saying I could examine him in the ambulance. I had no clue what was going on until John told me Sherlock was back on drugs, or at least appeared to be. He even made a rather crude remark by saying, "Tell me when to cough," as if I'd need to examine his, erm, private parts. Even the thought of doing something like that makes me blush.
Well, I went into the ambulance and did an examination (not including his private parts, of course), and was so shocked. I saw bruising and multiple needle marks on both arms. His heart rate was up, blood pressure sky-high. He looked as close to death as I've ever seen anyone on the slab who has died of a drug overdose. When I told John the results, that if Sherlock doesn't stop what he's doing, he's only got weeks to live, Sherlock was so cavalier about it. Oh, my heart is aching over this. And my goodness, why is it that despite him killing himself, I couldn't help still being incredibly attracted to him and thinking how hot he looked with that stubble. I've never seen him unshaven to that extent. He looked gorgeous, but at the same time it was another indicator that he has not been taking care of himself. Anyway, he put on his coat and went off with John, and as soon as I got home I had to write this all down.
Please Lord, save him. Don't let him die. I love him, God; I love him.
My precious, my sweet girl. How tormented you were over me! I didn't deserve your love or compassion. I can never apologise enough for what I put you through. Thank God, your prayers were answered, and I survived. I am very glad I placed my trust in you to help me that day, and I do apologise for that crude remark. My only excuse for being such a prat is that I was high at the time. I still wonder how I could not have recognised my love for you earlier. XOX
…/…/…/…/…/…/…/…/
Sherlock sighed and put the diary down. He felt a little melancholy. Revisiting that day through Molly's eyes was almost as difficult as experiencing it himself. He knew he had narrowly avoided death, both from the drug usage and at the hands of Culverton Smith. The fact that he had survived was yet another testament of God's grace. Every time he saw something in Molly's diary where it showed she had prayed for him, had loved him, it amazed him.
Needing a distraction from his thoughts, Sherlock decided to set up some client consultations for the coming week while Molly was at work. There was the usual assortment of emails for him to sort through with varying requests for his assistance. He missed the days when he and John had been a team, going out on cases together regularly. Unfortunately, John did not have the same freedom to pursue cases exclusively, and his doctor's practice kept him quite busy these days. Sherlock usually reserved his requests for help on cases of more importance, usually the ones supplied by Greg Lestrade through New Scotland Yard.
Sherlock looked at his watch after he had finished sorting through the emails and sending off replies. He still had some time before Molly would be home, so he decided to take a look at the duet he had printed out. First, he read a summary of the opera, Don Giovanni, where he discovered that the man was a womaniser who enjoyed seducing women. It was rather ironic that Don Giovanni was rather the opposite of Sherlock himself who had not had any interest in women at all before Molly. He read through the Italian words of the duet, mentally translating them into English. Oh yes, Don Giovanni was definitely attempting to seduce the rather innocent Zerlina.
Sherlock spent a little time imagining how he could act out the duet with Molly as he sang the seductive words. Perhaps a little kissing of her neck from behind, a little knead of the shoulders. Oh, it was going to be a lot of fun, especially if the result of singing the duet was a successful seduction, unlike the way it was thwarted in the opera.
Shaking himself free from these delightful thoughts of seducing his own wife, Sherlock did a search on YouTube via his laptop and was pleased to discover the accompaniment for the Don Giovanni duet.
By the time Sherlock heard Molly's footsteps ascending the stairs, Sherlock had practiced his part enough to have memorised the words. Singing was definitely more challenging for Sherlock than playing his violin, as he had discovered. He was glad that most of the runs in the piece were sung by the character of Zerlina. Sherlock was not sure his voice would be agile enough for those, and he was looking forward to hearing how Molly would sing her part.
The door opened, and he turned to greet his wife who was carrying rather less than he had expected, although he supposed he should not have been surprised. Harrods was a very expensive store, and Molly was not one to go out and frivolously spend a lot of money.
She set down her two bags of purchases and approached him. "Did I hear you practising that duet?"
Sherlock's lips quirked. "I had some time on my hands, so decided to make good use of it."
"It sounded lovely. I can't wait to sing it with you." She put her arms around him and lifted her face for his kiss.
Sherlock complied willingly, running his hands along her back as he did so. When their lips parted, he asked, "So, what did you end up purchasing, love?"
Molly grinned. "Less than Mrs. Hudson. Even on sale, everything at Harrods is rather pricey. Ida was kind enough to use her employee discount though, so I did buy several things."
She walked over to her bags and carefully withdrew a dress. It was a sleeveless summer dress, black with white polka dots. Sherlock immediately imagined Molly wearing it while they sang the duet, sliding the straps from her shoulders so he could kiss them. Oh yes, Molly would definitely have to wear that dress.
"It's the perfect dress for Zerlina."
Molly looked confused for a moment, then her expression cleared. "Oh, you mean I should wear it when we sing that duet together? Have you already been thinking about how we are going to act out the piece as we sing it?"
He gave her a sly grin. "Of course. Don Giovanni may not have succeeded in his quest to seduce the fair Zerlina, but I fully intend the outcome of our duet to be completely different." He winked, and Molly giggled.
She set the dress down on the sofa and pulled out another dress. This one was a deep blue evening gown, strapless and very elegant. The colour reminded him of the sapphires in the sapphire and diamond necklace his mother had lent Molly for their wedding.
Molly looked at him, and he could see she was a little apprehensive by the way she bit her lip before she spoke. "This dress was pretty expensive, even with Ida's discount. It was more than I'd usually be willing to spend, but Mrs. Hudson insisted I get something appropriate for evening wear, and she said this dress looked good on me." Her lips tilted upwards. "So, I thought it would be nice to have something really special to wear if we go to an opera or something like that. Maybe we could even see if there are any touring operatic companies who will be putting on Don Giovanni in the near future."
"I think that is an excellent idea. I look forward to seeing you wear it."
"I bought some black shoes to go with it as well." Molly reached into the other bag and withdrew a box in which was a pair of black shoes with very high heels.
Sherlock raised an eyebrow. "Will you be able to walk in those?"
Molly smirked. "If I can't, I'm sure you will steady me. Besides, I always feel so short next to you, and the dress is so long I need the heels so it doesn't drag on the ground. One of the disadvantages at being so short is that long dresses are always too long."
Sherlock took the shoe box from Molly, set it down, and put his hands around her waist. "I think you are the perfect size for me. Would you like me to demonstrate?"
He bent his head and kissed her before she had a chance to respond.
She pulled back slightly before he had the chance to really enjoy the kiss. "Don't you want to see what else I bought?"
"It can wait." He claimed her lips again, moving his mouth over hers insistently until she surrendered and sighed into his mouth, then placed her arms around him as well.
As usual, when Sherlock kissed Molly, everything else faded from his mind but the fact that he loved her, desired her. There was plenty of time for him to see the rest of her purchases. For now, he had rather more pressing needs.
Molly did not protest when he stopped kissing her only long enough to take her hand and lead her towards their bedroom.
Author's note: I hope you felt this chapter was worth the wait. Lots going on here.
For more on the mouse discussed in the chapter, see Sherlock and the Mouse.
For the diary entries, I thought hard about a believable scenario to explain the ambulance and Sherlock's coat. Hopefully it worked for you.
If you are someone who is also reading Journey to a New Home, this chapter provides some background for that story with the Don Giovanni duet information.
Incidentally, Molly's talk about her high heels is based on my experience in helping my daughter find a prom dress. She is the same height as Molly, and we had to get her very high heels so that her beautiful dress wouldn't drag on the ground. Ah, the disadvantages of being short!
I know already who is likely to respond to this chapter, and thank them in advance. I would love to also hear from those who don't usually leave feedback. Spending just a few moments to leave a review (even a guest one) on stories you read does make a big difference to the writer, I can't stress that enough. I am very grateful to have developed several friendships with readers in various countries thanks to fanfiction.
Until next time, God bless.