Today was the day of John and Mary's Christmas party. It was the 24th of December. John or Mary had not asked again since the first time if she would come.
Katie was just bending over some files and writing down her analysis and results. Most of her colleagues had left early and were probably on their way to their families. She could hardly concentrate. The paperwork was tiring, especially today. She also knew that it could wait until after the holidays. There was nothing in it that was in any kind of hurry.
In the meantime it was evening and the city was shining with Christmas lights. She loved Christmas and always loved to celebrate it with her loved ones earlier. And she had a chance to do it again. So she packed up her things, tidied up a bit and then walked out the door.
John had told her they were going to meet at 7. By now it was half an hour before 7. She would be late anyway. So she quickly drove home, showered and changed her clothes. She decided on a blue wool dress, including tights and long boots. She tied her hair together and put on light make-up.
Then she went to the subway station. Now it was half past seven.
Happy activity and laughter filled the house when she arrived. Everyone had come. Mrs Hudson, Molly and her fiance, Greg and even Sherlock. Sherlock was playing a Christmas carol on his violin for his landlady.
They'd decorated the place for Christmas. Warm light shone everywhere in the room. In the living room there was a festively decorated Christmas tree and a large table with all the delicacies on it. The windows were lit with fairy lights. A garland of fir trees was stretched over the door to the living room. It was festive but by no means exaggerated.
It was now just before 8 when the doorbell rang. John and Mary looked at each other joyfully before he stepped to the door and opened it. Katie stood before it and smiled at him.
"I hope you'll still want me around?"
John laughed and pulled her with him. He helped her out of her coat and hung it on the coat rack.
"I'm glad you made it after all. We're just having dinner. Come and sit down. I hope you brought an appetite," he said and led her to the table. She was placed between Greg and Mrs Hudson. Sitting opposite was Sherlock, who looked at her shyly and with a hint of sadness in his eyes. Or was it something else?
"Oh, yes and how! Hello to everyone and Merry Christmas" she replied afterwards and sat down in her chair. Then she turned to Greg.
"Oh, hello. I don't believe we've met? I'm Katie," she introduced herself to him and held out her hand.
"Greg, hello. Nice to meet you" he smiled.
Katie smiled and then turned to her hosts and thanked them for the invitation. During the meal, we mostly talked about trivial things. Katie and Greg spent most of the time talking about work and their plans for the holidays. She had told him that she had to work, but she wouldn't mind, as she no longer had any family to visit. Greg then said that he would spend the holidays working as well. He had divorced his wife earlier this year after she had cheated on him repeatedly. Then, at some point, he had got the courage to leave her. Katie looked at him sympathetically but Greg just smiled. It was probably better that way, he had said. Then he suggested that if they both stayed in London for the holidays, they could meet for dinner. Katie was just about to respond when a cough on the other side of the street upset her. Sherlock had overheard the conversation between the two of them and then choked on Greg's invitation to dinner.
Katie glanced briefly at the man opposite her. Greg had also noticed and glanced at him in annoyance.
"And Sherlock? What are you planning for the holidays? Solve a few new cases again?" he now asked.
"It depends on what comes up," he replied. His eyes on Katie.
Katie immediately shot the blood into the head. She turned away quickly and listened to the conversations of the others.
After dinner, she offered to help clear the table, which Mary accepted with thanks. The others moved back into the living room while Sherlock played his violin again.
Mary took advantage of the opportunity while she was alone with Katie.
"And have you spoken to Sherlock yet?"
Katie sighed and rolled her eyes.
"He came round to my lab a couple of weeks ago. Well, actually, he was more like stalking me."
"Oh, yes, I remember. John had told me that he had met Sherlock after that and he said he had never seen him like that before. He was kind of disturbed and sad. What had happened?"
"He was angry, he wouldn't let me go. And he told me that just before he was going back to London, he was going back to Chicago to see me.
Now she became curious.
"And then what happened?" The excitement was hard to hide.
"And... I told him I was pregnant by someone else!"
Mary slapped her hands in front of her face and moaned. Molly just came in with her empty glass to fill it up again.
"Oh, did something happen?" she asked, slightly worried.
"Our dear Katie here, screwed up, Molly!" and pointed her hands at the person next to her.
Katie was confused and looked back and forth between the two women.
"How screwed up?"
But Mary didn't answer. Instead, she looked at Molly with a look that said they had to do something.
"Katie, you know what, we're done cleaning up here now. Why don't you go back to the others?" she ordered and pushed her out of the kitchen decisively.
Katie was still visibly confused by the reaction of the two women, but let herself be led out of the room. There would be no point in discussing with them anyway.
She went back into the living room but where was she to go? Greg and John had just been engrossed in a conversation. Mrs Hudson was talking to Tom and Sherlock, yes, Sherlock was leaning casually against the wall and cleaning his violin bow.
Perhaps she should talk to him after all and try to ease this unpleasant tension between them again? After all, today is Christmas. At least she could compliment him on his violin playing to start the conversation.
Katie sighed inwardly and then went to him.
Meanwhile in the kitchen with Molly and Mary
"Molly, we have to do something. Nobody can stand this tension. Apparently there's something between the two of them, but I don't know what it is"
"I think so too. Katie had once told me that Sherlock had visited her in Chicago. He would have been completely different. He was polite, helpful and took care of her. And he had kissed her goodbye. And shortly after that she returned to London. She said she was very homesick at the time and would have missed us. But I think there was another reason!"
Mary's face lit up.
"I knew it. She's in love and Sherlock obviously has feelings for her too! Only they're both too stubborn to realise it."
She laid her elbows on the table, hands on her face and sighed.
"What can we do?"
Molly joined her.
"I don't know. Obviously, both don't want to admit their feelings but the kiss clearly triggered something in them.
Suddenly Mary sat up and grinned, no, she was radiant.
"Do you see what I see?"
Molly did not understand, then looked in the direction Mary was looking and saw both of them talking. Then her eyes went up further and she saw it.
There above the two of them Mary had hung up a mistletoe and they were standing right under it, not knowing it of course.
She understood now why Mary was so happy, but should they really do this? She knew how Sherlock felt about all these traditions, and she didn't want Katie to be humiliated as she always was if she refused.
But before she could tell Mary about her doubts, she had already stormed out of the kitchen.
"Now look who's standing under the mistletoe! You know what you have to do now. Tradition demands it," she exclaimed joyfully.
Everyone turned their heads in the direction of the two of them and grinned crookedly. John looked slightly confused at Mary and then at Sherlock. Instantly silence returned to the room.
Katie and Sherlock both looked up and then they saw it. Then he turned his gaze towards her. She didn't look at him and looked at her feet instead. For some reason, she didn't look excited.
Molly joined in too and stood with Mary.
"Maybe this isn't such a good idea after all. We'd better not interfere" she whispered.
But Mary waved away.
"Come on, Sherlock. It's Christmas and it's tradition. You don't want to break the tradition," she almost pleaded.
The eyes of the other guests were still on her. They were eagerly awaiting what would happen next. John knew that his friend didn't think much of such traditions and regret for Katie was spreading. But what he saw then made his faith drop completely.
Katie swallowed when she noticed Sherlock coming closer. He stopped just before her face.
"You know Mary won't give it a rest," he whispered so only she could hear and looked at her with a questioning look.
She thought about what he had said for a moment and knew he was right. Mary would not stop. Then she nodded tentatively. Sherlock smiled slightly and then put his lips on hers. Their mouths fitted together perfectly and when he realised Katie wasn't avoiding him, he intensified his kiss. He put both hands around her waist to pull her closer. She trembled all over her body.
Cries of astonishment rang out in the room and some clapped.
´Was it really such an event that Sherlock Holmes kissed someone?` he asked himself and twisted his eyes inside.
He detached himself from her and tried to deduce from her face what she was thinking at the moment and why she was trembling. But she looked down again. Her cheeks were wet and he recognized that they were tears. Why was she crying? Was he really such a bad kisser?
He tried to analyse what it was like with his last kiss with her. But he didn't know about her subsequent reaction, because he had left immediately afterwards.
Molly saw Katie's cheeks glistening in the light. She knew this image only too well. She walked up to her as quickly as possible and stood in front of Katie. She didn't want the others to see her like that. She faked some excuse where she needed their help and pulled her out of the room.
Katie was grateful for Molly's quick help. She didn't know why she was crying but she was very uncomfortable if the other guests had seen it.
Molly pulled her into the bathroom and handed her a handkerchief. She said nothing but waited for her to calm down. She had been equally surprised at Sherlock. She assumed that he would say something derogatory and then leave her standing there in front of the others, but the kiss hadn't been expected. Mary then drew sharply and kept poking her in the side with her elbow. Her gaze was something like confirmation of her suspicions. But she had not expected Katie's reaction.
Katie was glad that Molly was silent. She didn't want to talk about it and explain what was going on. She didn't know herself. Of course it was unexpected, especially after the last time, but the kiss was pleasant and obviously Sherlock had felt the same way. She had rather expected him to kiss her on the cheek, as he often did, and then turn away from her, but he kissed her, kissed her right and pulled her towards him. She had felt like she did when he came to her - in Chicago.
But she also knew that there would never be a future for the two of them. She had always held on to this thought.
She wiped the tears from her face and tried to fix her make-up. Then she turned to Molly.
"Maybe it's better if I leave now. It's way too late anyway and I have to work in the morning.
That was a lie.
"You lie. Tomorrow nobody will work for us. It's Christmas. And come on, don't let it spoil your evening. Nobody noticed but me. So let's go back inside and have a nice evening," she said and took her hand to pull her out of the room.
It was too quick before Katie could say anything back. When they got back to the living room, she saw that Molly was right. No one seemed to have noticed anything. Everyone was again engrossed in conversation and no one looked at her with a pitiful look.
She looked around the room and noticed that someone was missing. Sherlock was no longer there.
Mary came to the two of them with punch in her hands. She handed one each to the women. As if she noticed Katie's questioning look, she finally said:
"He had to go. Any case and then he was gone," she said, waving her hands absently in the air.
Katie stood there, gazing absent-mindedly into the room and breathing deeply. A sense of relief spread through the room but there was another feeling. Her chest tightened and she felt a stabbing pain in her heart. She was disappointed. Disappointed that he had left. But Molly was right. It was Christmas. She loved it and didn't want it to spoil her evening.