Summary:

Molly's secret is out...but her humiliation over the entire matter is dragging her down. Sherlock's newfound emotional side takes hold as he realizes what he has to do for his..."friend"(?)

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Sherlock sighs, being brought back to the present when the cabbie yells and snaps his fingers at him. "EY! You getting out?"

He blinks and clears his throat. "Oh, yes. Yes, apologies." Sherlock pays the cabbie and takes a deep breath, looking at the sunny yellow door of Molly's home. It's become a sight that is both familiar and comforting, except now it's tainted with what he was forced to have her endure because of Eurus. He doesn't think he'll quite be able to look at her kitchen the same again, never mind her kind face.

Grabbing the hide-a-key (the one she put there in preference of him picking her lock and jamming it again), he unlocks her door and softly closes it, unsure if she is asleep yet.

"Molly?", he murmurs softly, not wanting to startle her if she is in her sitting room. He realizes the room is dark and then hears a noise coming from her hallway. He cautiously makes his way down her hallway towards the noise until he is close to the door to her bathroom, and he can hear retching.

"Molly?", he calls out, eyebrows furrowing in concern. It seems his deduction about her being sick was correct, but that was weeks ago. What could possibly keep her sick for so many weeks?

"Sherlock!? Don't come in!", she squeals, a mixture of pissed and scared.

"Are you alright? I-I just came to talk, and I heard you...a-are you sick?"

"It's just the flu. Please go, I don't want you to catch it."

"Oh please, you know I'm nearly invulnerable", he jokes.

"Not in the mood for your terrible jokes", she growls annoyedly.

"Right, sorry..."

He hears the water run for a while and then she steps out wearing a large fluffy pink robe and smelling like mouthwash. Her hair is a bit damp, and her eyes are puffy like she had been crying.

"What did you want?", she mumbles, standing at a distance.

"I-...I know it's late. I was just thinking about everything that's happened, and I realized that you seemed sick the last time or two that I saw you, so I got concerned. I figured you'd be okay by now, but I wanted to make sure."

"You...you wanted to check to see if I were sick?"

"Yes, essentially."

"Well I am, but I'm not dead, so...you can go now."

He swallows thickly, he knows that she is still peeved at him for the Sherrinford thing, despite all the conversation and the explanations, but he didn't expect her to be so short with him still.

"Right...alright." Before she can register what's happening, he leans in and gives her a hug, knowing she needs it the way she had known when he needed it.

Molly gasps and immediately freezes. Sherlock freezes as well, feeling something that has never been there before. He quickly pulls away and glances over her, his eyes widening.

Her eyes well with tears and she turns away. "Please just go…please", she chokes out, on the verge of a breakdown.

"Molly..."

"Don't worry about it, okay?"

"Y-You're pregnant?"

She hugs herself and tears drip down her cheeks with shame. "Guess the cat is out of the bag", she weeps.

Sherlock pulls her in for another hug, and this time holds her close, stroking her hair as she allows her walls to come down, sobbing hard into his chest. He doesn't need an explanation immediately, but he knows his friend (that he is apparently in love with) needs someone to lean on right now, and she comes first.

She sobs uncontrollably. "I-I d-don't want h-him back in m-my life...I c-can't handle th-that", she cries.

Suddenly it dawns on him. She's talking about Tom. He takes a breath, his heart feeling crushed. For a split second, he thought maybe...

"Shh...it's alright. It will be alright. You will be alright. I've seen you with Rosie, you're going to be a fantastic mother, Molly Hooper."

Shaking sobs wrack her body as Sherlock gently leads her to bed, helping her lay down and pulling her against his chest. "You can let it all out. You've been my confidante for years, it's all I can do to be yours."

Molly sniffles as her cries calm a bit, tiring her out. She takes deep, drawn-out, shaky breaths as she calms herself a bit, leaning into Sherlock's warmth.

"You have nothing to worry about, alright? Everything will work out. Isn't that what you always tell me? Plus, I know how long you have hoped to have a family of your own. This may not be the circumstances you wanted, but it's finally happening for you. You're going to have a child, Molly. And I've absolutely no doubt that your skills as a mother will be well above par."

Molly's eyes well with tears again as she looks up at him from her spot on his chest. "Thank you, Sherlock. I really needed that."

"You have nothing to thank me for. You've been here for me for the last decade or so, I think I just about owe you much more than this."

She can't help but let a chuckle escape her as she shrugs a bit. "Maybe, but I still appreciate it. It feels good to break the news to someone other than Mike to settle maternity leave..."

"Oh God, I'm the first person you've told basically?"

"Yes...I-I was ashamed at first..."

"Ashamed?", he looks confused.

Molly nods silently. "Because after I broke up with Tom you came over that night, when we both needed someone…remember...?"

"Yes? So?"

"So...", she sighs and sits up, rubbing her face. "Sherlock...I didn't know whose baby it was", she chokes up a bit. "And I never ever wanted to be one of those women. It's humiliating."

His eyes widen at the realization. "Ohh...well, the circumstances weren't like they would be with any other woman. He was an asshole who showed his true colors too late, and we didn't plan on sleeping together."

"It doesn't matter. I know everyone at the hospital essentially. There's no way I was going to go for a paternity test...and now...well, the point is moot. I mean, Tom and I were together a lot longer and it was more than once that last week, so the balance of probability says-"

"-that it's his..."

"Yeah...so I was going with that."

"But it's not impossible that it could be my child", he states blankly, looking bewildered.

She looks down ashamedly. "I suppose not. But I don't want you to panic about it either, it most likely isn't, and even if it happened to be I don't expect anything of you. It's not like I planned this or anything. I never meant-...I..."

Sherlock grabs her hand gently. "I know that it was a shock and I know this is difficult for you. I know you're telling the truth, Molly. Don't worry about it."

A few tears drip down her cheeks. "I feel like a horrible mother. I want to be happy, but with the circumstances, it's very difficult to be happy", she sniffles.

"You mean because of Tom and I...and how either way, it's not exactly a great result."

Her face heats up as a blush crosses her cheeks, at a loss of what to say to that.

"It's okay. I know the complications of everything, and I know there are things you aren't saying. Whether it's for my sake or yours, I don't know. What I do know is that tomorrow I'm taking you to a clinic to get a paternity test. Nobody has to know. Of course, if it's not a match to me, we know whose child it is."

Her eyes widen in terror. "But-"

"No buts, Molly. You need to know and frankly, I'd like to know. It will ease your mind to know so you can calculate the next step, right?"

"I-I guess so. Okay, I'll go."

"Good. Now try to get some sleep. I'll be right here."

"You don't have to stay out of any twisted obligation or anything. I don't want to do that to you and that's why I didn't tell you, Sherlock. You are not required to do anything for me or-"

Sherlock stops her with a soft kiss to the lips. She freezes for a moment before leaning into it and then pulling back in shock.

"You're right, I am not obligated. I want to stay. You still matter to me regardless and I want to make sure you're alright the way that you always do for me. Got it?"

Molly blushes and nods, settling back onto his chest, Sherlock's heartbeat soon lulling her to sleep.