Chapter 3
"Together?", John looked at his friend with a startled expression "Your brother, the Ice Man, and our Molly?" he couldn't hold back a thunderous laugh that caught the attention of his little daughter Rosie playing on the carpet.
"I saw them, John" Sherlock said stubbornly, "At the airport and then they went to Mycroft's house" he specified sitting cross-legged next to his goddaughter "Is it possible Mycroft went to get her?" John suggested, "What nonsense, John! I offered to go get her, why would she ever want Mycroft to go? And he wasn't there to greet her, they were on the same flight…I checked" said Sherlock handing Rosie back a piece of her construction set.
"Then they might have met by chance. Your brother travels a lot on behalf of the government" John suggested an alternative explanation, "They were clinging to each other, hugging each other" Sherlock said lowering his head, "Her arm around his waist and his arm around her shoulders. I saw her stroking his arm, taking him by the hand. When she left his house, she was wearing different clothes and had taken a shower" he went on annoyed, "What is it you don't understand, John? Do I have to draw you a sketch?".
John shook his head "I can't believe Molly is having an affair with Mycroft…it's just impossible", he ran a hand through his blonde hair "That woman has been in love with you for six years, during which, let's face it Sherlock, you haven't always treated her kindly and you never ever given her a hope your friendship could evolve into something romantic. Yet she never stopped loving you. And I should believe that now, suddenly, she's in love with your brother?", John gave him a look full of doubts.
And added after taking a deep breath, "Do you know what was the last thing she said to me before embarking for Baltimore three months ago?", Sherlock looked up shaking his head in denial "Molly asked me to tell her how to stop loving someone when you don't want to love him anymore because it hurts too much".
"What was your answer?" asked Sherlock, "That you don't stop. And she replied that, in that case, she was doomed to love you for eternity", John shook his head again "So it can't be that she's with Mycroft", Sherlock smiled bitterly "I know what I saw, mate".
John observed him for a few seconds in silence "Even if it were true…why are you so bothered? You should be glad she has someone to love and that she is loved back, even if it is your brother", Sherlock stiffened "It's weird that Mr 'caring is not an advantage' and 'real people are goldfish to me', opened his heart to love" he answered keeping on to play with Rosie.
"And what is more, for heaven's sake, with all the women in the world, why he had to choose my Molly?", John didn't miss Sherlock's use of the possessive adjective 'my' combined with Molly's name, as well as his short sigh and the slight blush on the cheeks of the usually cool consulting detective, "Oh good God!" exclaimed the doctor, "You…you love Molly!".
Rosie grabbed a toy magnifying glass and yelled "Auntie, auntie Molly!" waving it in front of Sherlock's face, he laughed "Yes, yes, auntie Molly gave you this!" he said taking her in his arms, "Exactly five months ago, Sherlock, you swore that your 'I love you' was platonic, that the only feeling you could ever have for her was a deep and sincere friendship" he said looking him directly in his blue eyes.
"You swore it to me, after I saw you destroy her coffin, and you swore it to her when you told her what happened with your sister in Sherrinford", Sherlock nodded biting his lower lip "Uncle Sherl…uncle! Tv, tv please!" Rosie cried trotting away from him. John lovingly placed the child on the sofa and turned on the tv, "Half an hour, Rosie!" he warned her.
Sherlock got up and moved to the kitchen where John started setting the dinner table "Did you lie at the time?" John asked him taking the plates, "No! I was firmly certain of what I was saying. But then she left" Sherlock ruffled his hair in frustration, "Oh, God! Feelings are such a big mess! I don't think I'll ever be able to handle them!" he continued, "Welcome among us, mere mortals!" John laughed, moved by the bewildered gaze of his friend.
While Sherlock was taking care of glasses and cutlery, John checked the chicken in the oven "And did you realize you love her as soon as Molly left for Baltimore?", the tall man shrugged "Not exactly" he confessed, "The first days after her departure, I thought I missed our working partnership. You know I don't trust anyone like her" he looked at John and he nodded.
"For days every time I went to Bart's, the first stop I made was her office to greet her, to bring her a cup of coffee, to find out if she had had the results of a test I was handling, or something like that. As I usually did" Sherlock swallowed leaning against a cabinet and tugged his hands in his pockets.
"If I was in the lab, sitting under the microscope, I seemed to hear her laugh in the corridor or to hear her talking to her friend Meena, maybe remarking out on the episode, seen the night before, of a tv series in vogue at that moment" he filled a glass halfway with wine.
"If I was in the morgue I would imagine her dissecting a corpse wearing goggles and making soft jokes while remaining focused and respectful towards the dead body in front of her" washing the salad John listened to him fascinated…was it really Sherlock Holmes in front of him?
"Then I started thinking things that had nothing to do with work…things the two of us shared alone, especially…you know, when I used her flat as my bolthole", John nodded and asked "Like what?". It was hard for him to imagine what Sherlock could have done with Molly but be bored to death, but not for Molly herself who, contrary to the appearances, was a woman of great company, but for Sherlock's mood and his spinning mind.
"Things like…laughing, drinking tea, watching those stupid tv series, cooking" he chuckled at the memory, "We made a couple of pretty good apple pies. Or keep quiet. Me in my mind palace and she reading a book…you won't believe it but Molly is able to reread "Pride and prejudice" endlessly" Sherlock giggled again while sipping the wine, "Or play chess…you know, she's good at playing it. And when she defeats me, her face lights up and her smile show her dimples!", John nodded crossing his arms over his chest.
"I realized I missed her, not only at work. She started showing up in my mind palace, in my dreams" he glanced at John, "Every time I closed my eyes she was there. I started going to her flat, wandering around her rooms, touching her things, her clothes. I needed to be with her. I had…I don't know how to explain myself" Sherlock gave him a lost look "I physically need to feel her close to me" smiled blushing, "I slept several times in her bed just to smell her scent" he confessed in a whisper.
"Wow!" John widened his eyes totally astonished, "You're really done for, mate! What do you think to do about it?" asked the doctor as the doorbell rang, Sherlock shrugged and said with a sigh "Nothing. It's too late, John. I guess now it's my turn to have unrequited love".
John looked through the peephole "I disagree at all, but we'll talk about it later" he said with a nod then opened the door to their first two guests and friends, DI Greg Lestrade and Mrs Hudson.
Little Rosie quickly took over the old lady's full attention, "Granny, here!", who was happy to snuggle up with her on the sofa as the three men clear themselves in the kitchen. After about twenty minutes the doorbell rang again, Mrs Hudson was placing Rosie in her high chair for dinner and John threw a quick glance to Sherlock who didn't even hint to move, "I'll go" offered Greg.
"It must be Molly, right? Only she is missing…" in a few steps he reached the door and opened it, "Hey! Welcome back!" the cop shouted cheerfully and lifting her in his arms made her go in spinning in the air. Molly, taken aback, laughed "If this is the welcome that awaits me, I'll leave a little more often" she said when Greg put her back on the floor.
"Do not even think about it!" John admonished her hugging her warmly, "We missed you" he whispered in her ear, then took her beige coat and her black purse placing them on the coat rack. Sherlock, motionless by the stove, watched her closely as Molly was about to greet Mrs Hudson.
She wore a pair of black ankles boots, a skinny blue jeans that highlighted her fit legs and tight hips and a black turtleneck jumper that softly outlined her flat stomach and the rotundity of her small but perfect breasts.
She had recently cut her hair, Sherlock deduced, since the last time they had seen each other on a Skype video call, ten days ago, her hair was long as usual. Now, soft and bright brown hair, reached her shoulder blades and was slightly wavy and loose. Her face was lightly made up with a little blush, a touch of lip gloss and a hint of mascara.
He was lost in his reverie and didn't pay attention to Mrs Hudson who was calling his name, "Sorry, Mrs Hudson…you were saying?", his elderly landlady scolded him with her eyes "I was saying that Molly is lovely…isn't she?", he sipped the wine from the glass he was holding and held it up in Molly's direction as a greeting "Indeed, Mrs Hudson. Welcome back home, Molly".
Molly smiled at him "Thank you, Sherlock" she said and picked up Rosie who waved her arms and kept calling her "Auntie, you here! Auntie, you here! Not on screen!", "Yes little princess! I'm here, not on the screen!" she smiled slightly tickling her goddaughter who was now used to seeing her in video call on the laptop's screen.
Sherlock forced himself to turn to the stove, so strong he felt the urge to take her in his arms. And strong and pressing came the pain he felt in his chest at the thought her glow was due to his brother. He had to take a couple of deep breaths to calm his nerves.
John came over to drain the pasta and divide it into portion "Are you okay?" he asked in a low voice giving him a quick glance, Sherlock grinned ironically "Sure! Aren't I the coldest and the most calculating of human beings?", his friend passed him a plate to put on the table "Sherlock, you have to talk to her" John said under his breath, but he shook his head "Nope. Not a chance" he ruled and went to the table where everyone else had taken their seats.
The dinner passed peacefully with funny stories about Rosie and John's patients, Mrs Hudson's late husband, Greg's colleagues, Sherlock's cases and Molly's work experience in Baltimore. When little Rosie's gaze began to blur and her giggles to fade, Molly stood up and pulled her out of the high chair. "I think it's time to take her to bed" she said, then turned to John "Can I take care of her?" the man nodded and kissed his daughter on the cheek wishing her goodnight.
Sherlock slid the chair back and as Molly placed Rosie on her left hip, he walked over to both of them and looped an arm around Molly's waist then bent down to kiss his goddaughter on the forehead, "Goodnight sweetie" he whispered softly looking at Molly straight in the eye.
Sherlock saw Molly blink in confusion, felt her breath hold and noticed the pulsing point on her neck accelerate, "Well, I still have an effect on her" he told himself smiling, while Rosie threw her arms around his neck "Night, uncle! Night, uncle!". The sudden gesture of the little girl unbalanced Molly and Sherlock was forced to hold her tighter to himself to prevent her from falling.
John, who was talking to Greg, took a quick glance at the skit that took place before his eyes. Sherlock's gesture of looping Molly's waist and calling Rosie 'sweetie' while looking at Molly certainly seemed spontaneous to others, but John, who knew him well, was aware it was done deliberately. Squinting, he wondered what point Sherlock wanted to prove with that little staging.
Molly laughed, blushing a little and with Rosie sending kisses to everyone with her hand, she went upstairs and carried her into the bedroom. Once Rosie was settled, Molly sat in the rocking chair next to the little girl's bed "Come on, now lie down, Rosie. It's time for sleepy-bye" she whispered with a smile as the baby stood on the mattress and pointed to a picture hanging on the wall.
"This…granny" Rosie said putting her index finger on Mrs Hudson's figure and Molly nodded, "This dad, this mum and this…I" she continued looking at her. Molly stood up and leaned against her bed's bar "Yes, your mum is beautiful, isn't she?", the child nodded strongly "She…in heaven" she said, "Yes, she is" Molly confirmed stroking her blonde hair, "This…uncle Sherl, and this…you auntie" Molly nodded again.
Rosie put one hand to her mouth and giggled "Uncle Sherl…love auntie Molly" she said throwing herself on the mattress without stopping laughing, "Rosie! Don't be silly!" Molly told her and covered her with the duvet.
"Dad say…dad say…uncle love auntie" chanted the child, "Okay, okay. Hush, now" Molly whispered softly. She stood by her bed until Rosie was completely asleep, then turned on the baby monitor and left the room.