Pytm 5

Sorry about my earlier mistake. I was at 221b and I'm running on minimum sleep. Here is the real chapter. Thank you for letting me know!

"Shame on you, Sherlock Holmes. For shame!" The woman's scorn raced ahead of her as she entered the lounge where the two men of the house sat chatting about their day over pipes in the glow of the hearth.

"What have you done now, Holmes?" Doctor John Watson asked with only a mild curiosity. After all this sort of allegation was generally given monthly, if not weekly by their housekeeper.

"Blast if I know." The man in question answered drawing in on his pipe. "Yes, Mrs. Hudson? What is it now?"

"The gall of you, you... You filthy cad! How dare you treat my sweet, innocent niece in such a foul manner. I never would have invited her to come into my home (yes, MY home Mr Holmes, that I'll have you kindly remember) if I had so much as thought for a single moment that you would be taking advantage of her!"

"Taking advantage! Surely you don't think he of all men-" Watson denied.

"Oh yes I most certainly do!" The older woman verily roared. "She told me herself that she was no longer to be employed as a housemaid but to be kept on for his...personal convenience!" Mrs Hudson moaned in anguish. " As if my Molly were some mere trollop!"Watson shifted his eyes to Holmes and noted that the man sat calmly puffing his pipe. "Holmes, what in heaven's name is the woman going on about?"

"Oh I'll tell you doctor, that poor excuse of a gentleman has made an untoward arrangement with my niece using some flowery language and promises in order to have her 'work' with him. And the fool girl bought into his charade and agreed to his proposal. Now she is to stay here and be his kept woman." Rounding back on Sherlock she ranted again," I am beyond disappointed in you sir and do be aware that I intend to write a strongly worded letter to your mother on this matter in my next correspondence."

Holmes merely nodded his head. "Oh good. Do send her my love and regards and Fathers health. That will save me the bother of sending a missive myself. Now do tell me, Mrs. Hudson, just where is your charming niece now?"

"You unbearable cad! Have you no shame?" The woman cried.

"Where is she, Mrs Hudson?" Sherlock demanded, his tone showing his irritation.

"She is down in her room. And you, sir, are not to be around her. If I catch you creeping down those stairs then I'll hit you in the head with a frying pan, so help me God I will!"

Heedless of her threats, Sherlock stood and spun out of the room and marched down through the house till he reached the corridor where Molly, (no not 'Molly' that was far too familiar for their new level of association) Miss Hooper's room was. With a heavy knock he loudly called out. "Miss Hooper, if you are not otherwise engaged would you be so kind as to join us in the lounge, swiftly if you please."

"Yes... Yes sir. I'll follow up in a moment."

"Do hurry." He charged before returning just as heavy footed up the two flights of stairs once more and back into the lounge where he stood to await M- Miss Hooper.

"You unbearable miscreant. Look at you marching down to her chamber just as brazen as can be." Mrs Hudson continued to rant at him as Watson did his best to calm the older woman down with little success. He kept eyeing Holmes with his ever constant irritated look, silently imploring him to appease the woman. Sherlock also noted the look held with it a hint of something that wavered between approval and strong disappointment. A look Sherlock answered back with a face that he usually gave when people said idiotic things to him then he went to the window to await Miss her familiar cadence on the stairs sounded and found himself curious to see how she would be attired. Her feet were bare he knew from her treading on the steps but he couldn't help but hope that her hair would be down again. "You wanted to see me?"

Spinning he answered before the other occupants could speak, "yes. Do please join us if you will." Sherlock motioned her to his large leather chair taking in the worry in her eyes. She must have been anticipating this late night meeting for she had yet to change from what she had worn all day. The only alteration to her appearance from earlier in the day was a freshly washed face and her forgoing the usual apron and maid's cap. While it wasn't as lovely as her hair worn down, the omissions went far to make her look more a lady that she was and not the housemaid who she had been the last time she entered the room. In fact she looked taller, more confident and Sherlock took peace in thinking that she looked more as if she belonged there.

Watson, fool that he was took in the alterations as well but in his usual form hastily jumped to the wrong conclusion entirely based on the changes. "Holmes, what have you done!" The doctor thundered.

Molly looked curiously at each person, seeking to find just what she was needed for. "Is there something going on that I should be aware of?"

"Miss Hooper, I'm afraid your aunt has objections to the understanding we have reached between us this morning. She is under the impression that I have, please excuse my indelicate speech, but your aunt believes that you have succumbed to my rather brilliant ploy to seduce you and you now are to be residing here as a kept woman to be used quite wrongly. Thus, she is adamant that such a relationship not take under her roof and certainly not with her own blood."

Watson murmured a prayer for sanity and Molly- Miss Hooper sputtered out an entirely undignified, "what?"

Sherlock continued on. "Therefore, if you'd be so kind as to go pack your things your aunt will show you out this very moment. I shan't soil you further by kissing your hand good bye, but rather I shall simply say good evening." He remained faced away the entire time he spoke, but he was oh so curious to see his new associates reaction and allowed himself to round to observe the fallout.

Mrs Hudson looked chastised, embarrassed and was babbling incoherently at her niece who wore such a look of scorn and worry as she sat waiting for the woman's answer to make it out. Watson looked between the women as if viewing a tennis match of great interest. When she determined that her aunt had no ability to answer, Molly finally spoke low and hard. "Aunt, what have you done? Did I not explain in full to you the nature of what Mr. Holmes proposed of me? And did I not answer him myself?"

"But Molly, child..."

"No! Do not Molly-child me! I am an adult and I am fully capable of making this choice."

"But you will be ruined!" Her Aunt cried out.

"What does it matter? I am already ruined, aren't I?" Molly laughed bitterly, an emotion the men were curious to behold. "I've already lost everything I have ever cared for; my father, the business our home…I am ruined."

"My dear, please. You do not seem to understand. What he says he is offering to you, the chance to work on the dead at crime scenes... it is not possible. Young woman like you will never be able to traipse about going hither and thither all because somebody has died in a curious manner. It's simply not done! And you have a reputation to think of! How does it look you being at the man's beck and call! I can not sit here and allow Sherlock Holmes to ruin you just because he says has a 'use' for you. A use! What about when you are no longer of 'use 'my dear? What then, I pray?

"No respectable home will employ you then to be so much as a scullery maid, let alone a housemaid. Your character will forever be tarnished. This is your future I am thinking of and why I must put my foot down."

"Molly-, do forgive me, Miss Hooper was it?" Watson waited for her nod and then continued on. "You see, I am at a loss. What proposal has Mr. Holmes made to you? And what brought about this change? I was still under the understanding that you were to no longer be a housemaid here."

"Doctor Watson, you'll recall our earlier conversation about whether I had any skills that Mr Holmes would find useful? Well, I wasn't entirely forthright with you. You see, I am skilled at understanding... Well in most cases, not all of course but in some ways, I can determine how a person has... umm... Expired." The woman got her words out finally. It had taken her a great many facial expressions to do so, Holmes noted half surprised to himself. She would be an open book when, or rather if he could learn them all.

"It's a secret then, something you don't wish the world to know that there are people like you who can interpret death itself! Are you some sort of witch then? An occultist?" Watson asked with squinted eyes. The man was determined to find some suspected evil in her it seemed.

"Oh for God's sake, Watson! The woman is obviously not an occultist! She's merely the daughter of a highly respected and quite popular mortician. Been around far more than dead bodies than either you or I, and she has extensive knowledge about them."

"A morticians daughter! But surely Holmes she was never involved in any real way. It is not something woman are good at Their sensibilities are far too weak for such horrors as the dead." Doctor Watson was then aware that Miss Hooper had turned her ire filled attention his way and he was feeling very much how much she disagreed with his presumption. "Although, I may be wrong." He finally garbled out.

"Generally you'd be correct. Both women and men too often seem to find death to be too much for them. And yet Watson our Miss Hooper here is in fact, a singular woman whose capabilities far outshine all others I have found in the field. Simply put, she makes that imbecile Anderson at the morgue look like a child has been dabbling in watercolors and Miss Hooper a master painter by comparison."

"But I asked her just this morning if she had any skills we were not aware of! She said no." John gapped.

"That you were not aware of? True. I however have known just who she is and where she came from since her first night here. I knew her skills maybe helpful but I did not believed her to be willing to use and share her knowledge. No, indeed she seemed to put every effort into becoming the invisible housemaid good for nothing but dusting and housework. I honestly thought her to truly be trying to let go of her past... That is until she slipped up today." He glanced her way and gave her the hint of what he thought was an amused smile, but instead came out looking quite predatory that she didn't return as it made her feel a bit like a caged animal. "Handed me my hautespauter scalpel, Watson. Knew it just by its name! Oh the look on her face then when she knew she had been discovered! It is one on all my years that I shall never forget. She looked as if she's just discover commuting the most she egregious of sins and that all of damnation were to descend upon her at that moment!" At that moment he began to be aware that he had now become the newest subject of Molly's displeasure. Almost subconsciously he straitened both himself and his speech up. "And you mustn't hold her dishonesty with you against her. Self preservation you'll agree is a strong motivation and her actions as misguided as they were because she felt she'd be shunned for them. That her scandal would taint us. No doubt her aunt aided her in that erroneous decision. Thus her little act as a forgettable housemaid. Simply Molly. No dangerous last names when all your assumed to posses is a first moniker. It was her guise to hide from the scorn and ridicule she feared from her past."

Miss Hooper's anger was nearly tempered down by the rest of the speech, but not fully banked he knew. She held to much ire against the entirety of the room to expect that. Mrs. Hudson had reached across murmuring lowly for the 'dear child's' forgiveness, insisting she had only done what she thought was best for her.

"So, to clarify Holmes you want the girl to assist you? In a professional, work capacity?" Watson asked, still seeking clarification.

"Us Doctor, to assist us. Never fear, I am not replacing you so do please calm yourself. Miss Hooper, I know will be quite useful in our future endeavors. Can't you see Watson, how much time she will save us by not having to do Anderson's job for him?"

"Yes. I'm sure that knowledge would be a great asset and yet..." Watson stood and walked closer to Sherlock. Speaking a whisper into his ear. "Holmes, what I can not see is how you propose to actually do anything of the like with the girl! Are you suggesting we simply stroll up to the scene of a horrendous crime with a lady on our arm and let the gents of the yard stand by as we let her tell us what has happened?"

"Quite simply: yes." Sherlock answered.

"Oh Sherlock..." Mrs Hudson moaned. "The shame of it!"

"What shame?!" Holmes thundered out.

"What do you suppose the reaction will be? What sensation you will cause with a woman awaiting you." The older man queried. "How will Miss Hooper be treated there? With respect and kindness? No mate, no. They'll not be agreeable to a woman doing a man's job, not at all. You surely must know this to be so. Have you considered the cost Miss Hooper would pay if you made her do this?"

"Hang the cost! Why should the fact that she's a woman matter? What difference does the variety of her sexual organs have in her work? Molly Hooper may very well be the best at determining a cause of death out of anyone in the city. Am I'm supposed to ignore her guidance because she had the misfortune of being born a woman? That is lunacy!"

"Well... Yes!" Watson answered causing Holmes to groaned aloud at his friend. "I'm not saying that it is right that she be treated in such a manner. But Holmes, you know they'd do their damnedest, (do forgive my use of the language ladies.) Watson turned to them immediately rounding back to Sherlock. "They would do anything to discredit her, dismiss anything she says as inconsequential. Slander, abuse we've both known some of them to use tactics of less than pure ethics to implicate those they want the evidence to show guilt upon. Do you wish Miss Hooper, our dear Mrs Hudson's own niece to suffer? For suffer she would. Dearly."

Mrs Hudson gently sobbed and held a hanky to her face while a she clutched at the said nieces hand while Molly contemplated the matter her mouth set in a grim line. Her deep, dark eyes remained on Holmes awaiting his response. The standing mans own light eyes stayed locked on hers as he internally debated the matter, even as her aunt spoke again. "Oh Molly, how could you even consider throwing away all hopes of a future? No man with any sense at all would consider accepting you as his wife and to Mother his children if you had that sort of blight on your name."

Doctor Watson nodded stepping away from Holmes to look again at Molly. "I'm inclined to agree. The services you performed with your father is a credit to you as a devoted daughter. But to perform such actions as a single woman to support herself would be abhorrent to those men who may wish to marry you. Not having to work with the dead any longer is a blessing, I'd say!"

"Why is it what I wish to do with my own future has naught to do with this discussion!" Molly suddenly burst out. "You all sit here debating and deciding my future and what is best for me as if I were a child still. I am adult in possession of a good strong will and mind. Also, I'm not some harpy given to fits of whimsy or delusions. I make sound judgements. Therefore, I wish you all to allow me to take the path that I choose."

"There, you see! Miss Hooper has made her decision. She is aware of the dangers to her but is up to the task." Holmes chuckled and grinned. To him the matter was settled.

"Mr. Holmes?" Molly softly spoke, drawing his attention

"Yes?" He asked with half his attention. The other part of his mind was busy forming plans.

"The offer... I fear that I was perhaps too hasty in giving my answer this morning."

"You can not mean to actually listen to them?" He asked astounded. "Truly, I thought more of you than that, Molly."

"Sir, please. You must see too the points that they have are, for the most part, valid." Molly spoke with a dagger filled glance at Watson. "All I would simply ask you for is some time... Time to consider fully the paths before me that I may make the best decision for my future. Whatever that may be." Her heavy glance now rested on her aunt looking for her approval.

Huffing, Sherlock nodded. "I suppose I must grant you your request. And yet I should like to remind you of how much you will be able to assist others when you allow yourself to use your knowledge. That you would be working for the greater good. The lives you will save; the peace of mind only you will be able to give grieving families."

The young woman nodded twice. "I will bear that in mind sir."

Silence surrounded the room. Heavy and oppressive with the multiple layers of strain upon each occupant. They sat equals where just this morning one had been subservient to the rest, Watson mused. None of them would have ever dared describe Mrs Hudson with her duel title of landlady and housekeeper as a mere servant. No, the dear lady would occasionally find herself having a nightcap with her tenants as they told her of their exploits.

The tension he knew now was all do the lovely (he would admit it willingly) addition of the young lady. A single, young lady who was currently residing under the same roof as two eligible bachelors Doctor Watson realized. "Miss Hooper, if I may also add to your thoughts. Should you except my friends unorthodox proposal, where would you be residing?"

"Why she'd be here of course! Where else would she be." Holmes demanded.

Mrs Hudson groaned aloud once more, "oh Molly." Whilst the young woman had the self-respect to look properly chastised.

"What?!" Sherlock continued to demand, his dark mood was returning with remarkable virility.

"Two unmarried gentleman and a single woman living together, Holmes, it's not done in proper society." The elder man spoke as if he were reminding a child of his manners.

"Of course it is done! We see it all the time, Watson." His indignation flashed.

"Right. Yes, of course. We see it in illicit assignations and in murders and spouses convinced that their wives of husbands have strayed.

"We are ridiculed and scrutinized enough just the two of us. And a pretty young thing like Miss Hooper in the mix of the Baker Street residents and I shudder to imagine the rumors then."

"What of it!? She has already resided here for nearly a fortnight! It was no danger to us then."

"The difference was her status." The doctor wearily attempted to remind Holmes of the ways of the world. "There is an insurmountable difference between Molly and Miss Hooper. It makes no difference that they are one and the same person. It is the title and its distinction that matters to the world."

Sherlock watched Miss Hooper's breaths grow tight. She was indeed concerned over her fragile reputation. Which meant she would not consent to assist him. He'd lose the chance to work with her brilliant mind at his disposal and the loss turned him into an overgrown man child. He stomped to the adjoining study and yanked a chair out before heavily flopping down into it and crossing his arms. Such actions would have earned him a whipped tail as a child, but he felt such exercises were warranted if Molly Hooper was to once more forever give up her vocation as a... Well to be honest he didn't know what her title would have been. Something I'd have had to invent, he decided then what a pair we two will be. The consulting detective and his to-be- determined consulting... Something.

Not that it mattered now. She was going to assist you. And Sherlock would have to do without her.

"Perhaps it be best if I retired once more for the night." Miss Hooper gently spoke. "You have all given much for me to consider. I shall endeavor to have my answer to you tomorrow by this time, Mr Holmes. Goodnight, Doctor Watson, my dear aunt." Watson smiled his doctors smile at her once more, while patting her hand. Sherlock Holmes simply ignored her and looked deeply into the flames of the study's hearth. With him seeming to have said his peace she nodded at him before she bent and pressed lips to the woman's cheek before making her way toward the door.

"You know I would consider all three of you some of the finest minds in all of Great Britain and I'm worried that out of all of you I'm the one that had to come up with a solution to this problem." Mrs Hudson spoke, her confidence obvious. They all turned to look at her, waiting for her to continue

"Go on, Mrs Hudson. Astonish us with the solution to the plight of not just Miss Hooper but to all women who wish to hold a specialized vocation." Groused the man in the study.

"My dear boy, I don't flatter myself to be able to assist all woman but for our special needs the answer is obvious." She held a baited breath, as if awaiting the rest of the room room catch on. "My niece should remain in her position as housemaid."

"That seems rather anticlimactic, aunt." Miss Hooper intoned.

"No, but don't you see!" She motioned to the three. "Is the best place for her. She has a suitable employment an acceptable residence…" The three younger adults looked at her with obvious disappointment. They clearly were missing what she was implying " Even if it were in name only..."

"Then Miss Hooper would be able to stay here with her reputation unblemished but still be able to work with me as needed." Sherlock stood fast as a bolting mustang striding back into the sitting room in no less than two strides of his lengthy legs coming to pull Molly to face him, gently squeezing her arms in his excitement looking at her closely to see her receptiveness before he dared restore his hope. "You'd have your time free too to be at the ready."

"It still wouldn't solve the problem of a woman at the crime scene." Watson challenged.

"I... What if you were to need something delivered to you at the locations? An urgent correspondence or... Something." Molly finished dumbly, more than a little flustered to be held in Sherlock's arms again, even with space between them. Particularly when he looked at her like he was; as if the whole of his future happiness depended on this one decision.

"That wouldn't be believable past two or three occasions." Holmes predicted. But still it was a chance. If Lestrade could just see she was worthy and capable perhaps… just perhaps...

"We could sneak her in?" Watson shared. "Something we could come up with something. That's if you decide you still want to be involved, Miss Hooper."

She thought a moment, but truly the decision had been already made. How could it not be? Molly smiled a bit of mischievous smile at the man who held her, but addressed her words to Doctor Watson. "Molly. Please, call me Molly."

The smile Holmes gave to her answer made her heart feel as though it had slipped a beat but it was insignificant compared to the sensation she gave as he shocked the room by kissing her temple and spinning her with near glee in a rare show of exuberance. "Fantastic, Molly!" He then pulled Mrs Hudson up before doing the same to her, kissing both cheek and praising her.. "You marvelous, marvelous woman!"

Meanwhile, Watson stood and came to stand near Molly, watching the unguarded expression of infatuation that had slipped into her face completely unawares. "Have a care though, Miss Molly." He lowly whispered. "The gentleman is not to be given to romance."

"I have no idea what you mean, Doctor Watson." She spoke quietly, soothing her hands on her dress.

"Just do have a care." He let one corner of his mouth drag up before holding one hand out to her, not as a well trained man would to a lady but as a man to another man. "To our new partnership!" He spoke loudly.

"Oh this calls for a toast!" Mrs Hudson rushed to the decanter and poured four brandy's. "To the unique partnership of Holmes, Watson and Hooper!"

"That's Hudson, Holmes, Watson and Hooper, my dear lady." Sherlock kissed the older woman's hand. "You have saved the day. You are one of us!"

Laughing like a debutante, Mrs Hudson raised her glass, "oh well then, to us!"

"To us!" The other three repeated and downed their own drinks. They smiled gregariously and relaxed, feeling settled; as though they'd finally reached the end of a long journey. It wasn't until the older gentlewoman and doctor noticed that their younger companions were holding each other's eyes with a soft tender look that the two elders shared their own significant glances.

An:

Thank you for your patience folks! And a special thank you to thenewjefferson for a beta read. Any mistakes are my own. I appreciate your reviews, follows a a favorites. You make my days.