Hey ;) So here comes the new chapter and with it the resolution :)

Review

Thanks to Sherlock's help, Molly could be freed from Bridget's clutches.

As it turned out, Patrick Fitzgerald was the mysterious sender and the party really was a trap. She remembered sitting tied up in a chair. In front of her Bridget pointing a gun at her.

Molly had already thought it was over now when she suddenly heard a voice familiar to her.
She recognised Sherlock, who was now slowly moving towards Bridget. He seemed to taunt her. Then Molly saw that the gun was pointed at her again. She looked at Sherlock, who looked at her reassuringly.

"Everything's going to be all right" seemed to be the look he gave her.

Then suddenly a shot rang out and the room felt dark. Molly saw nothing more. At that moment all she heard was a person being thrown to the floor.
'Please don't let it be Sherlock,' Molly thought to herself.

She felt her face burn slightly and again a warm liquid was flowing down in some places. She was probably hit by shattered glass from the lamp above her.

A short time later, she felt someone tampering with her restraints and finally releasing her from them. She recognised those delicate, soft hands and long fingers all too well and knew it was Sherlock.

"It's over, Molly" he tried to calm her down and finally lifted her into his arms.

"Sherlock? What about Bridget?" she asked and cuddled closer to his body.
She shivered.

"She won't hurt you anymore"

"Oh, my God. You don't have it, do you?"

Sherlock, startled, turned his face to her.
"What? No, of course not. She's just unconscious. When I ran over her and knocked the gun out of her hand, she must have hit the wall. But she's alive."

"Okay" Molly breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, Sherlock should not have any more blood on his hands. The thing with Magnussen back then was enough.

Then she thought back to the last minutes. How she had thought she would die and never see her love again. Contrary to her reason and her obligations, she had finally made a decision.

"Sherlock" she whispered. She was weak and felt the pent-up adrenaline slowly draining from her body.
"I will return with you."

Then she fainted.

Sherlock looked at her in surprise, but saw that Molly was now unconscious in his arms. He carried her out of the archive room as quickly as possible. Just at that moment, no less than five policemen rushed into the library at gunpoint.
Only now, in the light, did he realise that Molly had some cuts on her face. She was probably hit by some flying fragments when Officer Thomas shot the lamp. He was supposed to aim at the woman with the gun, but was apparently too nervous and hit the lamp instead. However, no matter how Sherlock managed to incapacitate the attacker and free Molly.

"You will find the culprit in the next room. She is unconscious" he signalled to the men and immediately ran further towards the exit.

Officer Thomas had informed him that an ambulance was waiting outside the building.
Sherlock took her outside and immediately handed her over to the care of the rescue services.

While he waited outside, hoping that Molly would recover quickly, the young officer stepped to his side.

"Now Mr Holmes. We owe you all a great debt of gratitude."

"Not at all," he said casually. His eyes still fixed on the car.

"She seems very important to you, doesn't she?" the officer then asked curiously as he saw his worried look.

"I love her" whispered Sherlock softly.

"Ah. So what are you going to do now? Are you staying here in Dunmore or are you both going back to London together?"

London.
And then it suddenly came back to him. He had to go back to Baker Street. Back to his friends and his goddaughter Rosie. He wanted Molly to come back with him. He wanted to be with her. Live with her in London. And a few minutes ago, she had told him she would.
But after all this, he was beginning to wonder if this was really such a good idea?
After all, she had risked her life, and only for a case. He was afraid for her. And if she would stay with him, he would feel that fear all the time. He knew that the people at his side could never be safe. Dealing with him always brought with it a certain danger. But did he want and could he expect this from Molly? No...

Even if it hurt him, he had to leave Molly. He had to return to London alone.

But how could he tell her?

He knew that if he told her the truth, she would still go with him.

There was only one way. When he thought about it, his stomach turned.

There was nothing else he could do. He had to hurt her again. So much so that she wished she had never met him.

Sherlock was about to reply to the officer's question when suddenly the doors of the ambulance were opened and a rather exhausted Molly stepped out.

She stepped forward with a soft smile.

"The doctor said it was just a few abrasions and a mild concussion from a blow to the head. I should rest, but I can go home safely. Would you perhaps accompany me?" she then asked hopefully.

"If you need rest, that might not be such a good idea," he replied. He wanted to sound cool.

"Oh, that's no problem. I want it. Please," she then said and almost begged.

Sherlock gave a deep sigh. That would be hard now. He knew that. Carefully he grabbed her by the shoulders and brought her away from the crowd.

"Molly... look. I don't know what you're thinking or wishing for, but this is never gonna happen with us."

Molly didn't understand and stared at him with her mouth open and her forehead wrinkled.

"B...But you said..." She could not finish the sentence.

"It was only a game. Just a game, you understand? I just told you that so you'd loosen up and take it seriously. It was all about the case!"

And then he said something that shattered everything in her. He knew that it would destroy her and she would hate him forever but that was the best and safest way for her.

"I don't love you!" he said. His eyes turned away from her. He could not bear to see the pain in her eyes. To know that her heart was breaking again because of him was painful enough.

Molly looked at him with horror on her face. He was not looking at her. She froze when she heard what he had just said. Tears slowly gathered in her eyes.

'Was he really serious? A damn game? Just one of his cursed games?!' she thought and slowly felt the anger rising inside her.

Anger at him! But also anger at herself. She was angry that she had fallen for him again. That she had fallen for his stupid game and let him into her heart again.

'How could I be so stupid? Of course Sherlock doesn't love me. He loves no one but himself, maybe!' she shouted in her thoughts.

She slowly felt the anger and pain take hold of her completely. And then, before she knew it, her hand landed in his face with full force.

It wasn't the first time she had slapped his face. Only this time she put all the pain and everything he had ever done to her into that slap. She realised that it must have been a violent blow, as there was still a slight mark of her hand to be seen. But she did not care. He should calmly feel how much he had hurt her with it, again and again.

"Sherlock Holmes, you're a bloody bastard! I never want to see you again!" she screamed at the top of her lungs and then ran home as fast as she could. She just wanted to get away. Away from Him.

So, as you can see, I did not let dear Molly die. I would never do that! :D I still want it to be a love story with a happy end ;)

I hope you won't take it too badly that I made Sherlock an absolute bastard again and that the two of them haven't found each other yet...

By the way, with the alternative chapter the story would have been finished ;) But this way, you can hopefully look forward to a few more chapters ;)