Molly could not believe what was coming into her morgue. Lestrade had already called ahead, as a warning. Sherlock was on his way to the crime scene and all the victims were coming to her. He wanted this case as open and shut as possible so it would only be her looking and touching and preforming the autopsy.
She was elbows deep in crushed bones and jumbled remains by the time Sherlock appeared. "Can you believe it... a 12." He smiled at her and she just gave him a nod before going back to the bones. "So, what have you found so far?" He gloved up and walked closer, inhaling deep before looking at the giant table of mixed remains with glee in his eyes. It was making Molly sick. "Come now Molly just give it to m all at once, the most interesting things first."
"There aren't 7 bodies... there are 12... all children." Molly said quickly and looked away, at all the shredded organs and such things. "By the amount of bones versus the amount of guts for a lack of a better term... that body count will rise." she felt the tears then, she turned away from Sherlock, still disgusted with his lack of effort to conceal his happiness.
"Ages?" Sherlock knew the moment she didn't return his excitement that this was a different sort of case. But them all being children just made him dread working hard to find clues. But it made it all the more exciting for when he found the son of a bitch who did this.
"The five I have put together in my head already are less than 8 years of age." It was quiet for a moment and she took a deep breath. "Sherlock there are no strips or clothes... these are kids... chopped up, and tortured... with no clothes on." Sherlock ripped the gloves off, turning Molly into his chest and letting her cry about this. The one and only other time Molly had been this upset was when they had found a baby caught in a drain pipe.
That too had been a 12 on his scale. Anything that involved mass murders, children or babies were a 12.
"Molly... I know what Lestrade told you... but can you handle this?" Sherlock asked softly and rubbed her back until she nodded against his chest and finally pushed away from him.
"Yes. Grab the bowls, I will organize by organs. Just get enough. I will do blood analysis and DNA testing, get anything and everything squared away. The bones should be easy to do..." He heard her sniffle as she started to babble. He got what she asked of him, started to rinse and test for her. Sh mostly focused on the skulls and other defining bones before setting each one up at different stations.
John came into the room, flustered, ready to work, and armed with coffee. "I take it Rosie is with Mrs. Hudson."
"Yes. I fell asleep in her room, phone was on the charger and I left the Tele on all night." He told them before getting a cover and then gloves on as well.
"It's fine John, Molly and I have done a lot. I am sure we are both going to be thankful for coffee in a couple hours when things have stopped.
"You must be happy. A 12 Lestrade messaged me on the way here." John said and before Sherlock could say something Molly's head snapped up and she advanced on John.
"Get out of here." She told John and his eyes went wide and he looked to Sherlock like she hadn't spoken simple English to him. "Go Dr. Watson, and unless invited again do not enter this morgue in my presence."
"John, just step out for a moment." Sherlock nodded to him and while John grumbled about women on the way out Sherlock took his gloves off. "He doesn't know what a 12 means." He called over to Molly and she just kept her back to him. "Molly..." He called and he saw her doing a swab of a lung and he watched her put things down in the right place and before she could swab the next one he grabbed her wrist and started to take her gloves off. "Take a 15 minute break. Drink the coffee. I will take John to get food and tell him all about what is going on."
"I should get these kids sorted-" Molly stopped when Sherlock grabbed her chin and stopped her from talking.
"We will. But we both know exhaustion can cause mistakes. Drink the caffeine. I will bring you back one of those blueberry muffins from the cafe. do not restart up without me. Or I will make you sit for longer when John and I come back." Sherlock made her agree before he walking her to the desk she had kept clean and neat and he set the coffee in front of her before moving towards the doors.
"What the bloody hell did you do to her? Molly has never talked to me like that. How long have you been here? I know this case is a 12 but really? Why do you have to be here when she works, I knew that you would piss her off too much one days." John shouted, clearly not knowing a thing. Sherlock stood there, taking the blame for all but a moment before giving John a deadly glare.
"John... did it ever occur to you why a 12 is so high?" Sherlock's voice gave John a pause. When he did not answer Sherlock rolled his sleeves down. "You've seen me at an 11. Fascinated... but a 12... it's reserved for three things. Babies or kids, Mass murders or a combination of the two. This happens to be the combination. At first I thought it was just mass murder. it wasn't until I came to help Molly did I realize t wasn't 7 adults, but 12 children. That is what upset Molly. You coming in there so happy to be on a important case. You coming in there cheerful at all. You're a doctor John. You should have looked around and know what you were walking into. You see but you do not observe." Sherlock seethed before walking past his friend and didn't wat for him to catch up.
"I wasn't thinking. And I am sorry for thinking this was all on you." John whispered as Sherlock looked for Molly's favorites.
"You should know that the last time I had a 12... Molly didn't come to work for three weeks." Sherlock said with a sigh. "Baby in the storm drain. It broke her John. And seeing her lash out... seeing her like this-"
They didn't have to say it. It was already a thought in everyone's mind. Molly would need a lot of cheering up after this. Sherlock would need to solve the case after they figured things out, and the only thing coming to his mind was that Rosie should be her salvation. At least until they came back.
They got what they needed, and then they headed back down. Lestrade was standing outside the door, turned at their approach and Sherlock pushed his way in and saw Molly wiping her face furiously. Trying to hide that she had been sobbing only moments before.
"Here." Molly took the muffin and tissues from Sherlock. "Eat before you pass out." He told her before shoving some Ginger Nuts in his mouth for sugar energy.
Before Molly knew it, things were done. she handed her reports to Lestrade, she had let John help and while they all worked in silence the only one who spoke to her was Sherlock. Ordering her around. Being a hypocrite when it comes to eating. She went home, showered, cried herself to sleep and woke up to someone ringing her doorbell.
Mrs. Hudson came bustling in muffins in hand telling her how dreadful all this mess was and that was when she saw John and Sherlock pushing Rosie's things inside her flat.
"Come." Was all Sherlock said as he held his hand for her. She looked overwhelmed and he needed to talk to her.
"Why are they here?" She asked and he pulled her into her room, closing the door and pulling her into his arms.
"Mrs. Hudson can't stay... she only wanted to check in on you. John was hoping that I could convince you to watch Rosie while we are off solving this case. And I know what happened the last time I had a 12 Molly. A 12 is more than a case... it's something that stays with me... and you... and Greg. I don't want to lose you for another three weeks or longer Molly. Promise me something and I will vow anything you want." He said, taking a step back and taking her hand in his, rubbing his thumb over her overworked wrists and when she nodded he breathed out. "Promise me that wheN i catch this guy you will come and stay with me at Baker Street."
"Why would I go there?" She asked clearly entirely confused.
"Because we will both need each other." He told her and leaned down to kiss her cheek.
"What was the vow?" She asked as he moved to open the door.
"You'll have to wait and follow through on your promise." He gave her a wink.
Sherlock walked out of her flat 5 minutes later. he was gone for nearly 2 weeks tracking this guy down. He had figured out who had done it as soon as three of the victims were identified. it was just the matter of finding the city he was hunting in now.
When he came back John was with him, collecting Rosie. Hugging and thanking Molly who didn't look too horrid anymore.
Sherlock had kissed Rosie but he stayed behind and helped collect Molly's things. Stamford had agreed that a month and a half leave was just what she would need to sort her mind out again. So after the two weeks she was set to live with Sherlock for another month.
Sherlock kept his promise... now it was just time to give her his vow.