It had now been 3 days since their evening together on the roof. She had not heard from Sherlock since then. Katie spent most of New Year's Day wallowing in self-pity. He had told her that he was in love with her. Back then, before she had to go to Chicago.

But now, now they were just friends. Friends? She thought about that word. Were they really friends? Do friends do this for each other? She was at a loss. But she knew that SHE wanted more than friendship. But it was to remain one-sided. It made her sick and her heart ached. She wondered how it could have come to this. She had tried all her life to keep such feelings away so as not to get hurt. Sure, she was not as cold as Sherlock Holmes but she had always been careful not to let anyone into her heart. Until HE entered her life. She had let him in and she ended up getting hurt. She just didn't want to feel that way anymore.

Then she thought about how Molly had always felt. Her love was unrequited too and now? Now she was happy and even engaged. Maybe she should give it a try. Maybe she would meet someone here in London who would make her forget the detective and maybe it would be her husband for life.

She wanted it to stop. So she decided to make a resolution for this year after all. No more Sherlock Holmes! Well at least in connection with her heart.

Satisfied and determined to achieve her goal, she put aside the numerous empty ice cream packs, drank the last sip of wine from her glass and went to bed.

Tomorrow she would be working again and what is the best way to distract herself with a broken heart?! With work, of course.

Happy and cheerful she went to her workplace the next morning. She had decided to start a new life without the detective and was highly motivated to make it. Her colleagues were not to return to work until the following day. She was completely alone in the laboratory. Molly would probably work down in the morgue. She would pay her a visit later. To encourage her good mood, she turned up the radio and sang quietly to herself while analysing some samples that had been left over from the holidays.

After a few minutes the laboratory door opened and Greg and a tall young man next to him entered. He had brown hair and brown eyes. He looked good, he had to admit it to himself. Katie smiled as she saw the Detective Inspector.

"Good morning. Happy New Year to you. I hope you've had a good start?"

"Good morning, Katie. Thank you very much. I wish you the same. Well, it was more like a very bad headache," he said somewhat embarrassed and stroked his head with his hand.

"And you? What did you do New Year's Eve?"

"Ah, yes I see" she said and laughed.

"Nothing special." She didn't say anything about her "date" with Sherlock. She wanted to put all her thoughts of him out of her head. Then from the DI, she looked at the man next to him and then back again.

"Oh, yeah, right. Katie, this is our new Detective Constable. Mr. David Reid- Mr. Reid, this is Ms. Katie Wilson. She works here in the lab in the forensics department.

Katie took off her gloves, walked up to him, reached out.

"Pleased to meet you. So you'll be assisting Scotland Yard now?"

Mr Reid took her hand with thanks and smiled at her.

"Thank you. Yes, I hope to, once I'm settled in here. I only moved to London a week ago and I'm not yet so familiar with it.

"Oh. I've only been back here for a few months, too, and I need to get to know the city again. If you feel like it, we can explore the city together?"

"Thank you. I would like that very much. Perhaps we could start with dinner?" he asked cautiously.

"I'd love to. I get off at 5 pm," she replied and winked at him.

What was wrong with her? Was she flirting with the new detective?

Greg looked back and forth between the two of them the whole time and twisted his eyes in a playful way. Not even 5 minutes here and already he has a date' he sighed inwardly.

"Okay, I hate to interrupt you guys but we're actually here on another matter", Greg interrupted the two.

Katie looked from David to Greg.

"What's up Detective Inspector?"

He told her that Molly was going to have a body on the table this morning, probably a murder by poison. You need all the substances that can be taken from the body. There is a suspicion of a poison, which can only be detected for 10-14h and therefore it has to be done quickly.

Katie nodded and promised to get to work immediately. Then she said goodbye to both of them, smiled at David again and replied to Greg that she would get back to you as soon as she had found something.

For the next few hours she spent thinking about what had happened this morning. She didn't really know what was going on with her. She had quickly agreed to a date with the new Detective Constable but she wanted to forget about Sherlock. And Mr Reid was nice and extremely attractive, she thought. She was looking forward to her dinner with him and yes, she was sure she could forget the consulting detective.

She met Molly for lunch in the canteen. They talked about what their holidays and New Year's Eve were like. Molly told her that they had finally agreed on a date for their wedding. It will be September 1st and they want to have the ceremony at his parents' country estate. Then at some point Molly told her about her visit to the morgue this morning.

"Have you met the new Detective Constable yet? He came to see me this morning with Greg and I must say he looks very good" she grinned slightly.

"Yes. He also came by my place with Greg and asked me to process the samples you sent me earlier. And yes, he's really handsome and I've arranged to meet him today" Katie smiled.

Molly choked briefly on her drink before she found her words again.

"You did what?" she asked incredulously.

"I'm having dinner with him tonight."

"Wow. I never thought I'd see that. Wait, what about Sherlock?"

"What about him?" She was confused, but upset.

"Well, I thought that cos you were kissing at Christmas..." She faltered.

"There's nothing. We're just friends. And besides, that's what you all wanted. That stupid mistletoe tradition!" she hissed.

She felt the word "friends" sting her again.

"Yes, but -"

Katie interrupted them. She was angry.

"But nothing! We are friends and nothing more or less. And I am going out with Mr Reid tonight! Now, could we please change the subject!"

Molly lowered her eyes in embarrassment and gave a deep sigh.

"I'm sorry. I did not mean to offend you. I'm happy for you, of course, and I hope you have a lovely evening."

Katie smiled a little. Her initial anger was gone.

After the two had finished their lunch, the two of them went their separate ways. Katie finally had to continue to evaluate the samples. Greg was expecting her as soon as possible. It didn't take long for Katie to filter out the deadly substance.

She quickly wrote him a message.

It was a ricin intoxication

Lily-of-the-valley

Katie

Afterwards she continued her work from this morning. It was now 3 pm. She was done with her analysis. So she packed her things and went home. She wanted to take a quick shower and change into something more appropriate for tonight before she went back to the lab to wait for Mr Reid.

At 5pm sharp, he stood at the lab door, leaning casually to the side and smiling at her.

Katie took him to the changing rooms, where she swapped her gown for her coat and picked up her bag. They were about to leave the building together when Sherlock crossed her path.

"Did you -"

"Hello Sherlock, the evaluations are on my desk in the laboratory" she cut him off in his word and then dragged her companion with her.

Sherlock looked astonished as he looked at the two of them and only casually overheard what this man said.

"Was it this Sherlock Holmes? that consultant detective who helps out at Scotland Yard now and again?"

Then he turned around and went up to the laboratory to get the records.

He wondered who this guy was and what he wanted with Katie. Yes, he had told her that he considered them friends but secretly he had to admit to himself that it was a lie. His feelings had never really stopped. Since he was with her in Chicago, they stopped and became stronger. But he was never really sure with her whether she would feel the same. Once she was so distant from him and then again so empathetic and flirting with him. Not that he knew what that meant but he accepted it because he always watched the men when they talked to her.

After all, they almost had a child together, too. With this thought a strange feeling came over him. But not necessarily in the unpleasant way. He also knew that he seemed to have hurt her somehow that New Year's Eve, but he couldn't say why. And now she threw herself at the first person she met. He didn't like it and he had to find out who that was.

He could only think of one person who could answer his question. So he stormed out of the lab and down to the morgue.

He entered with verve and immediately began to speak.

"Who was that with Katie earlier?"

Molly was bending over a body lying in front of her on the autopsy table. With the scalpel in her hand and the screen in front of her face, she looked up.

"Sherlock, hello. Who are you talking about?" and pulled the privacy screen down.

"Well, tall, male, brown hair, brown eyes, brown suit."

"Ah, you mean Mr Reid. He's the new Detective Constable. Greg came by with him today to introduce him."

"And what does he want with her?"

Molly sighed and rolled her eyes.

"They're having dinner."

"Dinner" he whispered so softly, she couldn't hear. So it's a date?

Sherlock turned on his heels and stormed out of the mortuary again. She had a date and it was with a man she just met today. But she wasn't really the type. Or was she? Had he now lost her forever? An unpleasant pulling sensation was spreading in him.

He knew that he needed more information.