Molly had rarely seen Sherlock after that evening in the bar. It was almost like it was before his "death".
Shortly after that evening, she traveled with her fiancé to visit his parents and spent a few days there before throwing herself back into work. After that evening and her slip towards Sherlock, she began to feel uncomfortable being around him. She felt more and more a desire that she could no longer satisfy and so she took the only option that seemed right for her at the moment. Escape and resignation.
She hoped to rekindle their love through the days with Tom at his parents' house, but a certain detective kept creeping into her thoughts. His lips, so soft and tender that Molly longed for them more and more. His taut body that trembled under her touch and those sounds that Molly could elicit from his body with desire. She had never felt so close to a man as she did with Sherlock. Not even with her fiancé.
She knew she had to do something about it immediately, and so she used every free minute to be closer to Tom. But even then, Sherlock kept creeping into her mind.
Gradually, she became more and more desperate. She didn't want to give up on Tom. He loved her and literally carried her on his hands. But she couldn't let go of Sherlock either. But she also knew that if she didn't get Sherlock out of her head, she would gradually jeopardize their relationship.
But that one evening at home with Tom changed everything, and Molly was beginning to question her whole engagement.
It had now been three days since Molly realized that her relationship with Tom was not what she thought it was and only a few more until John and Mary's wedding. She needed to talk to someone about it. So, without further ado, she reached for her phone and dialed the number she knew she could count on for help.
"Hello Molly. What's up?" the voice on the other end asked in a concerned tone.
"Hey Rebecca. Why would there be anything? I just wanted to check in with you again" Molly replied, but could already picture her friend with an annoyed eye roll on the other end.
"Molly. It's only been a few weeks since we heard from each other. And in such short intervals, you usually only check in when something is on your mind. So sweetie, what happened?"
Rebecca was right. Molly always kept in touch reliably but usually at longer intervals. And yet when they spoke on the phone several times in a short period of time, something happened. And usually it was just about a certain person.
"Hello, Molly?"
"I messed up, Rebecca," she said, sighing heavily.
"Oh my God! You slept with that detective!" she squealed over the phone.
"REBECCA! No!" she screamed indignantly into the phone.
"Okay, okay, okay. I just thought since most of our phone calls revolve around this guy... So what did you do then?"
"Okay so, it has something to do with Sherlock but I didn't sleep with him. I was kissing him. Several times and the last time I almost moved on. And the worst part, I wanted to! Rebecca, I wanted to sleep with someone else even though I was engaged!"
"Hmm. And how was it? Is he a good kisser?" her friend teased her.
"REBECCA!"
"That's okay. Not a good time for jokes, huh? So, okay. You kissed that Sherlock guy, several times. You almost slept with him and you wanted to. You're engaged to Tom and so now you're not sure what to do." she repeated again.
"Are you in love with this Sherlock guy?" asked Rebecca then.
Molly didn't know how to answer that. She had thought several times about whether she still had feelings for Sherlock, and if so, what they were. After his death, she had moved on, started over, met someone, fallen in love, and gotten engaged. Then Sherlock reappeared and her feelings took a roller coaster ride. Long-forgotten and buried emotions resurfaced. And Sherlock was also different since his return. He was friendly and courteous toward her. And Molly felt that warmth enveloping her body again, at the thought of him. But was she still in love with Sherlock?
"I don't know."
"Okay, I'll try it another way. This Sherlock, did he return your kisses?"
"Yes."
"So he wanted to. That's great!"
"Rebecca, you're not being much help! You know I'm with Tom!" sighed Molly heavily.
"Yeah but Molly, do you love Tom or is he just a stopgap for someone you thought you could never have?"
"Even if I did. This is Sherlock Holmes we're talking about. You don't know him. Sherlock is...he's...different. He doesn't value relationships or anything like feelings. That could never work!"
"But how would you know if you don't try?
Do you remember how I met Oliver? I had broken up with Brian before that -"
"Oh yeah, that was a complete idiot!" interrupted Molly.
"True. But at the time, I thought he was the one for me. And then I met Oliver. He was a fifth-year resident. I couldn't stand him at first. He was so self-centered and arrogant and always harassed me with the humblest of tasks."
"I remember that. You used to just bitch about him on our phone calls back then. He was so mean to you"
"Yes but of course that was because he was secretly interested in me. I didn't know that at the time, of course. And then at some point he had asked me out on a date. I wanted to refuse of course but something kept pulling me towards him. Eventually I did get involved and it was the best decision I could have made."
"Yes, and now he's your wonderful husband, Rebecca. But how is that going to help me with my problem?" asked Molly, slightly impatient.
"My point is that you can never know what will happen if you don't try. I know how you always felt about that Sherlock, and when he died you were devastated. But now he's back and he seems to like you. So what are you waiting for? Go get him!"
"But what about Tom? After all, I'm engaged to him?"
Molly could hear her friend take a deep breath at the end.
"Oh, Molly. You know I just want you to be happy, right? But...but I don't think it will be with Tom. You know I like him but I don't think he's right for you. You deserve better. And that someone could be this Sherlock. And besides, you've been engaged to Tom for less than a year, which I think was pretty rushed, and you're already doubting it. You don't love Tom. You love Sherlock. Always have and never stopped. Just talk to him and tell him how you feel. And then you talk to Tom. I'm sure he'll understand.
Yes and if nothing works out, you just come to us in York and we'll find you a nice young man here."
Molly could clearly see her grinning face in front of her. But something about what Rebecca had said was true. She needed to figure out her feelings.
"Okay, Rebecca. You're right. I'll think about it."
"Okay, and Molly. If possible, try not to dump Tom until after the wedding. You don't want to show up there alone, do you? Nothing is more awkward than being at a wedding alone"
"Rebecca!" said Molly again indignantly.
"It's okay. I was kidding!" she then apologized.
"So sweetie, let me know what you decide and if there's anything else, let me know. I'm here for you!"
"I will. Thanks, Rebecca. And say hi to Oliver for me!" she said afterward, then ended the call.
Molly now had a lot to think about. She needed to go over this whole situation in her mind one more time, piece by piece. She had to realize her feelings for Tom and Sherlock. And she had to make a decision.