A/N: I have recently started re-watching Sherlock and was inspired :) This is set some time during/after ASiP as it occurred to me that we never see John officially meet Molly. Hope you like it :)
John
"John, this is Molly, my pathologist. Molly, this John, he'll be working with me in future," Sherlock announced as he breezed into the morgue with John on his heels.
Molly looked a little bewildered as Sherlock went to inspect the body on the autopsy table. Rolling his eyes at Sherlock's abrupt manner, John moved to join her.
"It's nice to meet you," he said, giving her a warm smile and extending his hand.
"You too," Molly replied, returning his smile as they shook hands.
"I think we saw each other briefly before, but we weren't actually introduced," John continued after a short pause.
Molly nodded at the memory, "Yes, I thought you looked familiar."
The pair shared another smile before falling into an easy conversation. Neither noticed Sherlock eye them suspiciously in the background as he finished up his observations of the body.
"Text me the results of the toxicology report," Sherlock said brusquely, cutting into their conversation as he made for the exit as abruptly as he'd entered.
"See you around I guess," John said as he made to follow Sherlock who was waiting by the door expectantly. "Have a good evening," he added shooting a confused look at Sherlock as – in an unprecedented move – the latter allowed him to precede him out of the room.
"You too," Molly called after him, "goodbye Sherlock," she added as he followed John out, barely acknowledging her farewell as he did so.
"Molly seems nice," John commented idly, once he and Sherlock were in a cab heading back to Baker Street.
Sherlock regarded him out of the corner of his eye, but otherwise gave no sign of having heard him.
"Is she single?" John added, still aiming for nonchalance but unable to keep some of his interest from slipping into his tone.
Sherlock narrowed his eyes, "Molly is off limits," he said flatly.
John looked at him in surprise, "Oh, sorry, I didn't realise that the two of you were-"
"We're not," Sherlock interrupted firmly, "we work together and a romantic attachment between the two of you could jeopardise that."
"I wasn't-"
"You think she's pretty," Sherlock stated baldly, cutting off his protest.
"Well, of course, but-"
Once again Sherlock ignored his attempted explanation, "And you spent enough time with her to realise that she's also intelligent, capable and kind. Thus sparking your interest."
John raised his eyebrows, "Sherlock, I was just making conversation."
"It was a thinly veiled attempt to find out whether she would be worth pursuing," Sherlock retorted, "and I've answered it: Molly Hooper is off limits," he repeated firmly.
"All right," John conceded, "there's no need to be so defensive about it."
"I'm not being defensive," Sherlock protested, "Molly is merely someone that I can work with and that can be hard to find."
"There's a shock," John muttered, earning a glare from Sherlock.
John held his hands up in surrender, "All right, I've got it," he assured him, "Molly is off limits because we have to work with her."
Sherlock gave a satisfied nod and resumed staring out of the window.
"But I still reserve the right to think she's pretty," John added after a moment with feigned innocence.
This time the look Sherlock gave him was murderous and John struggled to hide his amusement. Clearly he should have noted the subtle hint in the phrase 'my pathologist.'
