Chapter 8 - The Midnight Guest
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Molly was awoken by the sound of loud banging coming from her door. She grabbed her phone from her beside table and squinted to adjust her eyes to the brightness…3am. Who on earth would be knocking on her door at this time of night?
"Sherlock." Molly mumbled as she stumbled out a bed and put a robe on. She was too tired and too annoyed to try and make herself look presentable. They had just parted a couple hours ago when she was dropped off, the least he could do is text and notify her he was coming over. She shuffled out into the hall and walked towards the door. The door was still being knocked on incessantly. "Alright alright Sherlock, I'm coming."
She looked in the peep hole as she slid the chain of the door. She did a double take and gasped.
"What do you want?" Molly demanded through the door.
"Please, I need your help."
Molly was about to put the chain back on but hesitated as she heard the desperation. She slowly turned the lock and slowly opened the door.
"Come in." Molly stood back and watched suspiciously as Irene hurriedly slipped past her. Molly stepped out in the hall to check if anyone had followed her and quickly shut the door. As Irene pulled a hood down from her head she said, "Thank you, I had no where else to go."
Molly gasped as she saw her face. She had a swollen eye a deep cut on her lip and her neck was covered in bruises. She was wearing dirty soil stained clothes that were ripped and she cradled her bump protectively.
"Follow me." Molly said. Molly turned and went to her bedroom and Irene followed hesitantly. Molly wordlessly dug through her drawers and found a pair of pyjamas and thick wooled socks. She then went to the closet in the hall and handed her a worn but soft clean towel. She showed her the shower and said "Take a shower and then you can join me in the living room where we can talk. I'll pop the kettle on, have you eaten? If you haven't I can heat something up for you."
"No, I haven't. Thank you. Why are you being so nice to me?" Irene asked.
Molly ignored her question and stepped out of the bathroom into the hall, shutting the door behind her. Molly waited until she heard the water turn on and sagged against the door. What was going on? She wondered if she should text Sherlock…she went to grab her phone but decided to wait until she heard what Irene had to say. She looked completely different than she did almost a couple days ago. She looked less like the dominatrix she was and more like a homeless woman living on the streets.
Molly walked to the kitchen and made tea. She then heated up the Shepards Pie she made earlier. As she set the plate down on her dining table, Irene came around the corner and stood unsurely in the entrance of the kitchen. She looked exhausted. Now that she was clean Molly saw that her bruises and injuries were worse than she first thought.
"Have a seat. Eat this and then I want to take a look at your injuries. That bruise by your temple looks really bad." Molly turned towards the kitchen and started cleaning up while Irene shoved the food in her mouth. It looked like she hasn't ate in days. Molly's mind was running a mile a minute. Deep in thought she didn't hear Irene come up behind her with the now empty dish she just ate from. Molly jumped as Irene passed her at the sink and slowly washed her dishes.
"Let's go into the living room." Molly suggested. As they sat down Molly saw Irene wince. She checked over her injures and noted that she had a broken rib, two fractured toes, along with swelling and bruising on her arms, leg and face. "We should get you to the hospital, I need to make sure you have no internal bleeding and make sure the baby is ok."
"No!" Irene shouted while clutching her stomach. "I just can't, they will find me." She stood up and like a caged animal she backed herself in the nearest wall.
"Ok. It's ok. We don't have to go anywhere. I was just worried about your injuries. Let me at least bandage you up and then you can tell me what's going on. You can sit back down, I'll just get the first aid kit from the bathroom." Molly spoke in soothing hushed tones. She didn't want to spook her more than she already was.
After Molly finished cleaning Irene's cuts and scrapes and as she starting crumpling up the wrapping from the bandages Irene spoke,
"As you can see I'm pregnant. I was paid to get close to and sleep with the Prime Minister to gain certain intelligence and report back to my client. I didn't plan on getting pregnant and now for the first time in my career I don't have the upper hand."
"Who did this to you?" Molly nodded towards her injuries.
"My client." Irene said coldly.
"Why would they do that" Obviously you got close to him so that means you did what you were supposed to."
"When I relayed all the information I had gathered they decided to change the conditions of our agreement and informed me that they would also like the child I'm carrying. I told them no as I've grown rather fond of it." Irene smiled softly as she stroked her belly.
Molly gasped and put her hand to her chest in disbelief. "Why would they want to keep the baby."
"I think to provide further leverage against the Prime Minister."
"Thats bloody awful. Would the Prime Minister give in if they used your baby as leverage?
"Yes, apparently he has fallen in love with me. I believe he would do anything for the child especially since he and his wife could never conceive naturally on their own. Which is why the British Intelligence wants to get rid of me and the child altogether…The Prime Minister keeps his reputation and my clients would have no further leverage against the government."
"Do you love the Prime Minister? Molly asked curiously as she set down the first aid kit on the ground.
"No, but I did fall in love with his wife. She's more my type." Irene said with a salacious grin.
"Wait, what?" Molly gasped and sat up straight.
"I know I know, I'm sorry about what happened at Sherlocks apartment. He's so easy to tease and I'm used to acting a certain way with everyone I come into contact with, its hard to turn off. He can normally see through my charades unfortunately so that's why I go to him for help."
"So to be clear you don't have a thing for Sherlock?"
"No, I'd quicker have a thing for you. I can understand why he loves you." Irene rubbed Molly's leg suggestively and winked.
Molly blushed and looked down at her lap and pulled away from Irene. Hoping to change the subject Molly asked, "Who is your client?"
"It's best and safer that I don't tell you.
"Okay, well should I call Sherlock?" Molly wondered. She felt like she was way over her head. This is a lot more involved than just patching someone up and sending them on their merry way."
"No, Mycroft is the reason I got captured. Sherlock is too close to him."
Molly wondered if this is what Sherlock and Mycroft were arguing about in Edinburgh. It had to be. "So what's the plan then?"
"Well I was wondering if I can stay with you? Just until I figure something out. I need to find a place to lay low until the baby is born." Irene pleaded.
"Uh I don't know. This all sounds dangerous. Plus Sherlock and I are kind dating now and he's going to find out. You know how he is."
"Wow, he grew some balls and asked you out. How exciting."
Irene yawned, stretched her arms over her head and winced. Molly was also extremely tired so she said, "Look how about we decide the best course of action to take later. It's already 6am and we both need some sleep."
"Ok sounds good." Irene stated.
They both stood up. Molly showed Irene to her guest room and turned to walk to her own bedroom when she felt Irene grabbed her wrist and said "Thank you for all this. You've been kind to me when you didn't have to be. No one has ever helped me with out wanting something in return. I won't forget it.
"Molly nodded once and solemnly said, "You're welcome.
She went into her room and shut the door.
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Molly woke to a more pleasant way that just a few hours earlier. She could smell coffee and bacon. She stretched and then reached over to her phone to check the time…1:30pm. She knew she was exhausted but she didn't expect to sleep this late. Suddenly last night came back to her in a flood. She quickly pulled her robe on and padded over to the kitchen. Irene was standing at the stove making bacon and eggs, still in the pyjamas Molly had given her. She turned around just as Molly came into view.
"Morning. Whats all this?" Molly asked pointing towards the various plates of pancakes, bacon and eggs.
"Sort of a thank you. For helping me and letting me stay…hopefully."
"Coffee first before the begging please." Molly yawned as she poured herself a cup.
Once they has finished eating Molly asked tentatively. "Can I ask why you do what you do?"
"It's a long story but I grew up in foster care because my father killed my mother when I was twelve years old. I was in the room when it happened and I remember the smell of the blood and my mother crying out for him to spare her life. I saw how weak my mother was, she cowered herself like an injured gazelle and it got her killed. I knew then that I would never be so weak."
Molly couldn't hide the mixture of pity and disgust that crossed her face.
"I'm not a saint Molly, I know what I do might seem awful to you. I don't have any regrets."
Molly was about to respond in agreement. That she was disgusted but before she could, there was a knock at the door.
"Are you expecting anyone?" Irene urgently asked.
"No." Whispered with same urgency.
Irene rushed to kitchen and came back with a knife. Molly's face turned white and then she asked, "What the hell are you doing?!"
"The people looking for me will kill me or take me and probably kill you. Im being prepared."
Molly wanted to throw up. She crept to the door and looked through the peep hole. Molly turned towards Irene and reported,
"It's Sherlock."
Irene took a deep breathe, clutched the knife tightly and said, "Let him in."
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