Chapter 6

John cleared his throat for the third consecutive time in attempt to draw his travel companion's attention. Sherlock was sitting across from him with his nose buried in a newspaper pretending not to hear his slight cough.

"I don't mean to be nit-picking, but have you noticed you are reading upside down?" John asked sneering, "Or is it one of your many talents?". Sherlock lowered the paper and snorted in annoyance, then gave John a tired look and folded the newspaper in a makeshift manner "Any news from Wiggins?" John asked staring into his eyes.

The train taking them back to London was about to enter the station and Sherlock's good mood for successfully solving the case had faded as soon as he received a text from his faithfully Bill Wiggins, "He only mentioned he lost Molly's track near the Palm House in Kew Gardens" he answered with a deep sigh, "He is waiting for us at the station for a report of her movements in the last two days" he added looking out of the window.

John frowned and after a few seconds asked "Kew Gardens did you say?", Sherlock nodded narrowing his eyes on him, "If she's hiding something as you think, can't she be hiding it at the Kew Gardens blind greenhouse? Does Molly know that's one of your bolt holes?", Sherlock's eyes lit up "You're right! Why else go there today? Maybe she was supposed to meet there the person she was on the phone the other day".

Molly flattened herself against the wall just around the corner not far from the tube exit. Her heart was beating so hard she could hear its rumble in her ears. The moment she had always feared had come. Whoever was chasing Irene and Sean was following her. She brought her bag up to her chest, mentally thanked Irene for persuading her to take self-defence class, and prepared for a counterattack.

As soon as her tracker's footsteps got close enough, she suddenly came out around the corner hitting him hard in the face with her heavy bag. The young man staggered back from the blow and she prepared to kick his groin, "Missus, please! Missus, don't hurt me!" the man whimpered covering his aching nose with one hand. Molly froze on the spot hearing that nickname, because there was only one person calling her that, "Bill?" she asked, blinking in disbelief.

She brushed off the hair had fallen over her eyes and he pulled down the hood of the jumper he was wearing under his jacket, "Bill Wiggins! Why am I not surprised?" Molly said with a half-smile catching her breath, "Sorry Missus, 't was Shezza. He said keep an eye on you" he replied rubbing his nose again and looking at her with lost puppy eyes. Molly retrieved her bag from the floor, "Since when Bill?" she asked.

"Two days ago. He saw you, at Hamley's…by chance", she rolled her eyes with a sigh. Damn! He had almost certainly seen Sean and Mycroft as well. "Calm and cool" she told herself trying to quickly think of some diversion for Sherlock to report, maybe she could use Bill in her favour.

"Okay. What have you told Sherlock so far?", Bill took two steps back moving his hands in negative sign "Nothin', Missus. I swear!", Molly crossed her arms to her chest "Bill!" she whispered giving him an indulgent look. "Well" he mumbled nervous at her, "Only you saw Mrs H.". Molly narrowed her eyes on him "Don't lie to me, Bill Wiggins".

The young man looked up sharply, he knew what Shezza's Missus was capable of and not wanting to be slapped like Shezza had been, Bill said hastily "I swear, Missus. Shezza has a case…you kno', no distractions when works" he swallowed hard, "I hav' update him…later".

She rubbed her hands and smiled sweetly at him "Well, then here's what you will tell him", Bill nodded meekly. He didn't really think about disobeying Missus Molly! He much preferred to face Sherlock's anger rather than that of the Missus slicing up cadavers!

Once she was certain Wiggins had taken the subway to the city centre, Molly walked to Irene's house as she quickly typed texts

HI, BISHOP. JUST FOUND OUT KING'S KNIGHT FOLLOWED ME IN THE LAST DAYS. SAW ME WITH YOU AND MY ROOK – MH

YOU REALLY ENJOY USING THE CHESS LANGUAGE, RIGHT? HOWEVER, WERE YOU SUCCESFUL IN MISDIRECTING HIM OR NEED MY HELP, GRACEFUL QUEEN? – MH

Molly let out an amused laugh

EVERYTHING SORTED OUT…DEEP DOWN I KNOW YOU ARE HAVING FUN TOO, BISHOP – MH

YOU'RE RIGHT. WAIT FOR NO MORE THAN SEEING KING'S FACE TONIGHT, MY QUEEN – MH

ME TOO, BISHOP. ME TOO – MH.

After talking to Wiggins personally Sherlock's mood worsened, "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, "How do you explain they meet so often? You heard Wiggins didn't you? Yesterday they saw each other six times!" he exclaimed in exasperation raising a hand to stop a cab.

"Is it possible Mycroft has a case that needs Molly's advice?" John suggested, "What nonsense, John! And even if it were why lie about the day of her return?", 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, "No, there's something behind this".

"Molly loves you, Sherlock, none other than you. And are you aware that you love her?" he said looking him directly in his blue eyes. Sherlock nodded as he settled into the cab. He was silent for a few seconds then confessed "I figured it out that day in Sherrinford. And it became clearer to me after she left. The first days after her departure, 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 the seat and clasped his hands in his lap.

"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 went on giving a quick glance at his friend.

"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" 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, "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.

John smiled enthusiastically "I'm so happy for you, mate. You have to talk to her, say something…", Sherlock smiled at him infected by his friend's enthusiasm "We'll see John, we'll see". The cab stopped in front of 221b "Now think about bringing Rosie home so she can meet Santa!" he said paying for the fare and taking the key to the door out of his coat's pocket.

"You look great" Irene's voice took her away from her thoughts and Molly looked away from the mirror turning to her who was leaning against the jamb of her bedroom door, "Are you serious?" she asked, "You're beautiful, auntie!" chirped Sean half hidden behind his mother, "Have you heard?" Irene said taking a few steps forward as Sean rushed to hug Molly.

"Oh, thank you darling! Shouldn't you be resting after the injection?" the little boy shrugged "I feel fine and mom promised me I can wait for Santa up this year!" he announced with a bright smile, "Which is why, my angel, now you go wash your hands so we can have dinner" his mother chimed in, affectionately ruffling his hair, "Too bad you can't stay with us, aunt! Mom ordered a lot of good stuff!" both women laughed.

"Aunt Molly has a more important thing to do tonight" she revealed to her son with a knowing smile and he put a hand over his mouth giggling "Yeah, yeah…with her almost-fiancé-Sherlock!" and, still giggling, Sean ran out of the room.

"Thank you for your gift" Molly said taking one last look in the mirror, "To be honest there was another dress I wanted to buy for you, but I said to myself maybe it was to risqué for the evening ahead", Molly blushed violently imagining what kind of dress Irene had spotted.

"Next time" promised Irene helping her to put on her coat, "Have a nice evening, Molly, and remember…just be yourself" The Woman squeezed the hand of her unhoped-for friend tightly to encourage her, "Uh, text me if you two should…have dinner" she whispered softly in Molly's ear making her blush again.