Hey Everyone, I'm back from a couple of days on the Isle of Wight where I had a really relaxing time but am sad to report I didn't bump into Benedict at all (even though he apparently has a holiday home there).

I'm glad you're all enjoying this story so shall we crack on with the next chapter.

Chapter 3

Everything was noisy and scary and chaotic. Molly had never been in an environment quite like it. Her heavy face mask was digging into her skin, blistering her cheeks and her nose. The heat was oppressive and she could feel sweat trickling down her spine. When Mike had asked her to help out in ICU she hadn't really known what she was agreeing to.

Her own breathing was jagged and she had to focus really hard on what she had been asked to do in order to stop herself descending into a full blown panic attack. The only things keeping her going were the patients. They needed her to be there, to monitor their oxygen levels, to alert the specialist nurses and doctors if anyone started to deteriorate.

It all made her long for her morgue. This...this was why she had chosen the path she had. The reality of working with living, breathing people was the constant fear that you would get it wrong and lose them.

She shook her head feeling her visor slip a little and she had to push it back in place with a gloved hand. She was kidding herself, the real reason she'd gone into pathology was that she enjoyed solving the mystery of someone's death. But the peace and quiet of the morgue was a definite bonus and one she was longing to go back to.

But there were too many people, too many patients and she wasn't the only doctor who had been pulled away from their normal day job in order to help out. You could tell the ones who weren't familiar with ICU they were all wide eyed behind the clear visors, looking at each other in fear and confusion.

Just monitor the oxygen levels. First patient, second patient, third patient...Molly went bed to bed and tried to ignore the gasps for air, the terrified expressions on the patients in the beds. She wasn't sure which was worse…the conscious patients or those in an induced coma intubated and attached to a ventilator breathing for them. She only had another hour and then she'd be finished, she could go back home to Sherlock.

She closed her eyes for a moment and thought back to the night before. They'd made out on the settee like teenagers and even just the thought of it had Molly smiling...her heart beat increasing a little for a whole different reason other than stress.

They had been kissing and his hand had crept under her jumper as he'd half leant on her. She had felt his weight as he lay on her, his leg nudging between her own as they'd kissed and she had felt so aroused. This was becoming a reality now. Each day she would go to work and in the evenings she come home and tell Sherlock all about it. He was solving most of his cases from home with only the occasional visit to Scotland Yard but even so crime levels were so much lower and the boredom of being cooped up in his flat was driving Sherlock mad. He'd welcome her return and any distraction she could give him.

There was a shout behind her and Molly jumped with shock, coming out of her reverie. One of the patients in the beds behind her had gone into cardiac arrest and the ICU doctors had gathered round to try to save them. She could hear their shouts for equipment, nurses, readings until one by one they all fell silent and stepped away. Another patient lost...another one going down to her morgue. Molly was just glad it wasn't one of her patients...she had nothing to reproach herself for. It didn't stop her eyes from welling with tears; claustrophobia almost making her want to tear off the layers of protective clothing...God she just wanted to get out of here. Forty minutes left.

MHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMH

Molly showered as soon as she left ICU wanting to wash away the stink of her own sweat and fear as well as any sign of the virus. She changed her clothes and made her way home, catching a cab for once...just needing to be there already.

When she went up to the flat there was no sign of Sherlock and she made her way into the bathroom shedding the clothes she'd worn back from the hospital before having a second shower. She couldn't be too careful today. She had no idea how the staff who normally worked that ward coped and she had more than a new found respect for them.

As she exited the shower and wrapped a towel around herself she could feel her limbs shaking; the effort of holding herself together for so long starting to visually show itself. She could feel her emotions equally letting go and she took a shuddering breath trying not to break down.

She made her way out of the bathroom wrapped only in a towel and into the kitchen at the same time that Sherlock made his way into the flat.

'Good, you're back. I was just down with Mrs Hudson stealing biscuits. I...what's wrong? Molly?'

She saw the concern on his face as he moved towards her and it was all it took to break her. She felt herself starting to collapse and Sherlock's arms moving around her to hold her up, hugging her to him.

'What is it? What's happened?'

Her voice broke as she cried, letting the tears soak into his shirt.

'It's nothing, it's me, I'm being silly. I...I had to do ICU today and it was...it was just so real. So many people Sherlock...'

He held her to him and let her cry, he didn't offer her platitudes. Didn't tell her that it would all be alright and for that she was grateful. He just let her be as he held her close.

It didn't take long for her mood to start to change though. Her towel had slipped as he'd moved to hold her and her naked front was pressed against him and she could feel his heat. He was warm and solid and so alive and she needed him, she needed him so much and she had had enough of teenage fumbles.

Her hands had moved to undo his trousers before she'd even stopped crying. He let her go a little in his shock and it just gave her the room she needed to take hold of his zip and draw it down.

'Molly...I...oh...'

He stumbled a little as her hand slid into his shorts and wrapped around his cock. A cock that was already hardening to her touch and she turned them a little so she could lean on the kitchen table.

Her other hand went to his neck and she pulled him down to her so she could kiss him, swallowing his words, silencing his concerns before he could voice them.

It took him a moment to engage but then she felt his arms wrap around her and his hands on her naked flesh and all she wanted was to be intimately linked with him. She didn't want to wait...not any longer. Life was too short and neither of them knew what the future would hold, especially in these uncertain times.

She leant back further on the table and wrapped her legs around his hips as their kiss became even more passionate. She would have been happy to have sex right there and then but it seemed Sherlock had other ideas.

He straightened up pulling her with him as his hands dropped to her backside and then he was lifting her, carrying her through to his bedroom.

'I don't know about you Molly but I don't want our first time to be on a table. Tell me now if you're not sure...'

His voice was low...rough...and damn sexy. She smiled and kissed his neck, sucking his skin into her mouth for a moment. 'I'm sure...God, I'm so sure. I want you...I need you.'

He pushed through the door and laid her down onto the bed covering her body with his own, pressing her down into the mattress. She could feel him hard against her core and it had her reaching for him once more, not wanting any more delays. She didn't need time...or foreplay...she just needed to feel so intimately connected with him that she wouldn't know where he ended and she began.

She managed to release him from his trousers and she positioned him at her entrance already urging him forward and she heard him swear.

'Fuck Molly just...just give me a moment...'

She could feel his breath hot against her neck and his heart beat thumping against her chest and then slowly but surely he started to enter her...his hips pressing forwards until he was fully inside her and for the first time in hours she felt a stillness...a release from the chaos.

Sherlock lifted his head and looked into her eyes and she saw such a look of need and desire in his eyes that she'd never seen before and it had her reaching up to kiss him.

As their mouths moved together she could feel him starting to rock his hips ever so slightly back and forth and it sent shockwaves through her body. She could already feel her climax starting to build and it just had her wanting more...more of him, more of this. Sex had never felt so desperate or so good.

He broke off the kiss and started to move more thrusting into her and showing his own urgency. She could hear his heavy breathing and occasional grunts as he started to chase his own orgasm and it was too much. She came, clawing at the skin on his backside and crying out his name and in response she felt him come, pulsing deep inside her; his body pressed against her own as he let out a deep groan which sent aftershocks of desire skittering through her body.

A couple of moments later he sagged against her and she wrapped herself around him wanting to keep him her with her forever but it was all too soon when he pushed away from her and started to stand.

She leant up on her elbows and watched and she couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that he hadn't even had a chance to lose any clothing. What he was wearing however was now looking wrinkled and a bit dishevelled and he started to strip off as she watched. She knew she needed to go and clean herself up but the sight of his naked body was too enthralling.

Finally he pulled on his pyjamas and he smirked at her. 'So, I take it that worked. You don't seem so upset now.'

She smiled and pulled his sheet around herself suddenly conscious of her own nudity. She wasn't yet that familiar around him.

She ducked her head. 'Yes, it worked. Thank you.'

He frowned. 'I don't like you working in ICU. Not if it upsets you like this.'

She shrugged. 'It is what it is. We all have to just muck in I suppose. I'm sure it will get easier.'

He narrowed his eyes and his only response was a quiet 'hmm'. Then he left the room and Molly made her way through to the bathroom to clean up.

After that she started to sleep in his bed but bar that first night they didn't sleep together...not properly. Molly's shifts moved to nights. It meant she didn't see as much of Sherlock but on the upside she seemed to be needed in the morgue and Mike told her someone on the day shift was now covering ICU.

A small part of her wondered if Sherlock had said something to Mike but she found herself reluctant to ask either one of them for confirmation. If she found out he had she would have felt duty bound to ask Mike to change it back and she couldn't quite bring herself to do that.

Please know I have no medical background at all so I hope the descriptions in the story are loose enough to not wind up those of you who are.

I also hope you enjoyed the sex. Not the most romantic of first times and that will be explored in the final chapter but hopefully steamy all the same.