Chapter 6
John walked into his former apartment on Baker Street at exactly ten in the morning. In the main room he found Mycroft standing by the fireplace looking at his brother as if he were waiting for something, and Sherlock sitting in his chair wearing his camel dressing gown over his clothes staring stubbornly into void.
"Oh, finally Dr Watson!" Mycroft sighed, he looked at the two brothers "Whatever it is, keep me out" John warned them heading into the kitchen where Mrs Hudson was making tea as quietly as possible.
"It's just a family lunch, Sherlock" Mycroft reiterated, "The two of us and mum and dad" he added. Sherlock looked at him sideways and asked "If there's something you have to tell me, why don't you just say it?".
Mycroft moved towards the centre of the room "Do as you please. Mum and Dad will be sorry since they wanted to talk to you about Euros", he put his hand into his waistcoat's pocket to check his watch "Anyway, I have to go. I have a lunch date I absolutely cannot miss".
Sherlock jerked his head towards him, suddenly attentive "A lunch date? With the murdered girl's father?" he asked while Mycroft put on his coat, "No, brother mine. At 'Diogenes' with some of the members" he answered giving him a short smile then turned his head towards the kitchen "Goodbye Mrs Hudson…Dr Watson" he said and walked to the door.
"Okay, I'll come to lunch on Sunday" Sherlock said hastily, freezing Mycroft in the doorway, "Very well and…keep me updated" he greeted his brother with a nod and left. As soon as Sherlock heard the door downstairs close, he jumped to his feet and walked over to the window to observe his brother wait for the long black chauffeured car he used to ride.
"What the hell is going on?" John asked sitting down in his chair with a cup of tea in his hand. He looked at the wall behind the sofa, next to the painted smile were hanging papers and photos "Is this about the case that Greg called you last night?" he asked.
Sherlock turned to look at his friend with his hands in his pockets and biting his lower lip "We have to go" he said simply, getting rid of his dressing gown and taking his coat hanging behind the door "Did you come with your car?" he asked him and John nodded.
When he got up, Mrs Hudson came out of the kitchen "Oh, Sherlock! You came back four hours ago! You didn't sleep or eat breakfast!" she complained to him. Sherlock smiled at her adjusting his blue scarf around his neck "Mrs Hudson, you know I don't eat when I'm on a case", he gave her a quick kiss on her forehead and walked towards the stairs followed by John.
At the front door Sherlock stopped to put on his gloves "You have to follow Mycroft" he said to John, "Why?" his friend asked back, "Both Molly and Mycroft have an appointment for lunch. Mycroft's is at 'Diogenes' and being a men only club makes me assume he is meeting with George Sterling who may be hiding something that has to do with his daughter's death" he opened the door and went outside.
"Let me know who he sees and if he really goes to 'Diogenes'" Sherlock added raising a hand to stop a cab, "In that case his lunch would be with Molly. Is that what you believe?" John asked, "Precisely" replied the tall detective opening the cab's door.
"And where are you going?" his short friend pressed, "I will follow Molly" he answered putting a hand on John's shoulder, "I'll explain everything later" he said getting into the cab. John nodded and immediately headed for his car.
The two friends met a couple of hours later in a back street of the 'Diogenes', "So Mycroft's lunch is with Molly" stated John observing the slender figure of the woman standing in front of the secondary entrance of the prestigious men's club, "It seems so" Sherlock muttered, narrowing his eyes on her.
At that moment the door opened and Mycroft stepped out looking cautiously in both directions, then smiled at Molly and kissed her on her cheek. He took another look and placing a hand on the small of her back, he guided her inside.
"What do we do now?" asked John looking his friend in the eye, "We enter through the main entrance and spy on them from the office next to Mycroft's" he said walking towards the opposite side of the road, "Really? But there is no office near…" began him but Sherlock interrupted "As always John, you see but don't observe. Come on" he said with a firm tone.
The valet at the entrance greeted them both and nodded when Sherlock told him he needed to see his brother. Arrived at Mycroft's office, Sherlock stopped near a wall lamp, rotated the light bulb inside it and a sliding door opened in front of them.
Sherlock motioned for John to enter and closed the door from the inside. The room was very small and completely devoid of furniture, except for a medium sized mirror hanging on the wall. Sherlock walked over to it, pressed a small button on either side and Mycroft's office appeared "A monitor" John whispered.
The consulting detective nodded smiling "You can talk in a normal tone, they can't hear us" he said turning his attention to the screen, "But we can hear them" said his friend standing next to him. Sherlock nodded.
Mycroft was half-seated on the front of his desk and Molly was standing in front of him, thus turning her back to John and Sherlock. "You have nothing to apologize for" Mycroft was telling her as he run his hands up and down her arms, "I told you it could happen" he added softly, "It was my fault. I teased him. He…he just gave in" said Molly with a sigh.
"And I can't blame him" Mycroft said lifting her chin, the hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth, "You should blame me, actually" she said lowering her head, "Don't be silly, Molly" Mycroft hugged her tenderly.
That gesture of affection from Mycroft greatly surprised John who instinctively looked at Sherlock. He was motionless and his features betrayed no emotion. John looked back at the monitor and heard Mycroft ask "How long have you been in love with my little brother?" she sighed without answering.
"I suppose, I'm not an expert on the subject, that people remain fond of those they have loved in the past. It takes time to completely forget them", Molly turned away from him and the elder Holmes asked her "What are you going to do?".
The two friends in the adjoining room saw her shaking her head "Nothing. It won't happen again" she shrugged, "Molly, remember what I told you when we were in Baltimore" he whispered in a lecture tone, "And I'll tell you one more time. I. Don't. Believe. It" she stated pointing out every single word.
"I'll be his friend. This is what he wants, this is what he will have" she stated in a firm tone, Mycroft smiled raising his arms in surrender "Okay. We do as you want", Molly thanked him getting closer and laughing she said "You know who's in charge, right Mr Holmes?", an amused smile appeared on Mycroft's face "Absolutely yes, mistress!" he said taking off his jacket.
John turned to hear Sherlock hit the wall with one hand and say through clenched teeth "Damn it! All this is impossible!". He fell silent on hearing Molly say "We don't have much time, Mr Holmes. Take off your waistcoat and shirt" and his gaze focused again on the woman he loved and his brother.
John swallowed hard, wouldn't they have stayed and watched what was about to happen? Mycroft was now shirtless, Molly had folded up his clothes on one of the chairs in front of the desk, "Sit down" she ordered and he went to sit in the comfortable leather chair, turning the back of it to the monitor.
She joined him and knelt in front of him "Are you comfortable, Mr Holmes?" they heard her ask but did not hear Mycroft's reply, "Where did you have it, Mr Holmes?" her voice firm and clear, "In the bottom drawer, on your right" his voice slightly trembling.
They couldn't see what Molly was doing because the view was covered by the desk and the chair's high back, but they clearly heard a drawer open, something plastic being torn and then the rattle of something that sounded like glass, "Now, stay still and don't make a sound, Mr Holmes".
John turned off the monitor and saw Sherlock close his eyes and breathe heavily "John, tell me what to do because this" he pointed to the other room, "I can't stand it" he said in one breath. "First of all, let's get out of here" suggested his good friend and once they got in the car, he said "Something happened between you two last night, am I right?".
Sherlock nodded "We kissed", John interrupted him "And was she the one to start? Because from what she told Mycroft, she thinks she teased you and you as a… man, reciprocated", Sherlock leaned his head against the headrest "The kiss, yes technically started from her. But…" he sighed then glared at John and his cheeks turned slightly red "I touched her first…I gave her a neck massage" he explained.
"Honestly I think Molly is still in love with you, and clearly Mycroft thinks so too, according to what he told her" said John, "So why is he with her?" Sherlock asked puzzled, "Well, he could be so in love with her as to be willing to wait for the day when she won't feel anything for you anymore" replied the doctor parking near Baker Street.
"The point now is…what do you want? Molly? Then fight for her" John turned to look at him, "Let it be clear to you though that Molly is no longer the girl who fell at your feet, Sherlock. You may be disappointed in the end", he nodded walking with his friend at his side towards his flat "I know".
They had just walked up a couple of steps when Sherlock's phone rang. He looked surprised at the caller's name "Hi, Mum? Any trouble in Sherrinford?" he asked with a hint of concern since Friday was the day his parents visited his sister.
"No, darling. Euros is as usual" the woman sighed briefly, "I called you to ask what kind of person your brother's girlfriend is. You know, at Sunday lunch I wouldn't want to come empty-handed" his mother chatted away and Sherlock nearly choked on his own saliva "Mycroft's girlfriend?" he spat out raising his voice as John peeked out of the kitchen.
"Didn't he introduce her to you? Didn't he even tell you he had a girlfriend? Oh!" Sherlock heard his father's voice in the distance tell his mum that maybe now she had spoiled their eldest son's surprise, "Oh, my goodness, husband, I didn't really think about it!". Sherlock rolled his eyes letting himself fall into his armchair "Mum…mum! Was it Mycroft who told you he has a girlfriend?" he asked trying to keep his tone's voice as controlled as possible.
"Well, not really, darling. He told me that on Sunday he has to tell us something important and asked me to bring your grandmother's ring" said Mrs Holmes pausing before adding, "And you know who that ring is for, Sherlock" he sighed deeply, "Yes, Mum. It's the engagement ring grandmother left to me and Mycroft. The first of us to get engaged has the right to give it to his future wife".
"So there's not much to deduce, darling. Okay, come on, I'll find a little present for this mysterious woman. See you on Sunday, Sherlock" and with these words she closed the call. John, leaning on his chair's back, watched his friend pass a hand over his face and say "I only have two days to woo, whatever that means, and win Molly over".