Special note: I wanted to make sure I got this chapter up before Christmas (despite coming down with a cold at the last minute, ugh). I wish you, my dear readers, a blessed Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. May the joy of the season be with you throughout the coming year. How appropriate that in this chapter Molly even talks of her faith to Sherlock.
Sherlock glanced down at the woman in his arms, marvelling at her softness and her warmth.
What an arrogant fool I was, he thought to himself, thinking a bed warmer at night would be as good a substitute as the warmth of a beautiful woman.
he kissed her hair. "Did I hurt you, my sweet?" he asked her tenderly.
Molly moved her hand from his chest where it had been resting, to touch his face, raising her own to his and smiling with utter contentment. "Not at all, my love. You were magnificent, in every way," she declared softly. "I never knew it would be possible to feel like that, to feel such...ecstasy."
Ecstasy, that described it exactly. "Nor did I, my little love. You have evoked in me feelings I never knew existed. How is it possible that I should have found a woman such as yourself, someone so perfect, so selfless?" His voice held a note of passion in it that was impossible to conceal.
She gazed up at him with her limpid chocolate coloured eyes, furrowing her brow a little. "Do not put me on a pedestal, Sherlock. I am not perfect." Then she quoted, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." *
"I assume that is something from your Bible?" he guessed, remembering she was a woman of faith.
"Yes it is. It is something I learned as a young girl. But I also learned to put my faith in our Saviour, Christ Jesus." Her tone was sincere, even as her gentle smile was.
Sherlock blinked in astonishment. These were the words of a woman of devout faith, who apparently lived by them. He could not dispute that something had apparently led her to him, to save him just in time. "You will have to share more about what you believe with me, my precious. But for now, I suppose we should get some sleep. There will be many things to take care of before we return to shore." He stroked her hair and she made a murmur of contentment. Then they both slept.
Several hours later, Sherlock woke to find his body burning with desire once again. It was so strange, so unexpected. Molly was still lying curled into him with her arm on his chest. He used his free hand to feel the softness of her body. His light touch awakened her and she smiled at him, lifting her face to invite his kiss.
He kissed her sweet lips with lingering kisses that demanded a response from her. She pressed her body against his eagerly, and he acted accordingly, lavishing her with touches and caresses until she was begging him once again to make love to her, which he gladly did, pouring his love for her into physical actions that confirmed how much he loved her, adored her, driving them into a world where nothing existed but the two of them and their love.
Once again they fell asleep in blissful contentment, and when next they awoke, it was morning.
Molly stretched and yawned sleepily, then turned, cuddling into Sherlock . "What did Captain Lestrade mean yesterday by saying you wanted to keep me, and that you saw me first?"
Sherlock groaned inwardly. He had been hoping this topic of conversation would not come up, that she had been too traumatised by the events of the previous day to think about it. "It really isn't important, my love. Just forget he said anything," he hedged.
Molly moved away from Sherlock's embrace and frowned at him. "You are my husband and we should have no secrets. I want to know why he said what he said."
Sherlock sighed, there was nothing for it but to tell her the truth and hope she would forgive him yet again. "We had a conversation about you shortly before things went down with Moriarty. It was when I was still convinced I had made a mistake in marrying you."
Molly's lips thinned. "So when he said you saw me first, that seems to indicate you offered me to him because you didn't want me." Sherlock reached a hand towards her, but she brushed it aside.
"Listen to me, my darling," he said desperately. The last thing he wanted was for there to be a rift between them when they had just experienced the most perfect night he could ever have imagined. "I didn't offer you to him. He offered to take you off my hands, to marry you instead."
Molly's mouth opened in horror. "And you considered that a viable option to get rid of me?" Tears shone in her eyes and she raised a hand to slap his face.
Sherlock caught her hand easily, and used the opportunity to pull her towards him. "Look at me, Molly!" he demanded, and she complied, with trembling lips. "I hated the idea. I didn't agree to it. We were interrupted mid-conversation with the news that Moriarty's ship was coming closer. I was already having confusing feelings in regard to you. I believe, given a few more minutes, I would have realised at that point that I loved you." He turned her hand over and kissed the palm. "Forgive me just once more, my love. Please, Molly." He bent towards her and thankfully, her expression cleared.
"I forgive you, I'll always forgive you." She moved close to him once more, and he took possession of her mouth in a lingering kiss, running his hands along her body, thankful that everything at last was truly in the open, and that she loved him so much, despite his faults. "God, how I love you, my sweet," he murmured.
"As I love you, Sherlock," she responded passionately, moving her body against his invitingly, temptingly, and he did not waste the opportunity to seek fulfillment with the woman he loved once again, taking them both to the heights of ecstasy.
Sherlock would have liked to stay in bed with Molly all day, continuing to explore this newfound love and passion he felt so deeply, but he knew there were matters to attend to.
Some of the pirates were very young, and Sherlock felt they could turn their lives around if given a chance. He wished to speak with those men and determine if some of them would like to help crew The Sherrinford, while some of Lestrade's trusted men brought The Black Pearl back to Dover. Several of those men were already preparing to transfer to the other ship, but it would leave both ships a little undermanned. Even the use of half a dozen extra men would be helpful.
Quietly, so as not to disturb his wife, who had returned to sleep, Sherlock got out of bed and dressed. He then went to see Captain Lestrade.
A few hours later, The Black Pearl was dispatched towards Dover with enough crewmen on board to man it successfully. The Sherrinford, with its steam engines, would easily be able to overtake the other ship, so Sherlock was in no hurry to begin the return journey until he had interrogated the prisoners.
Several more hours later, Sherlock and the captain had successfully recruited eight of the younger pirates to help with the running of The Sherrinford, in exchange for lighter sentences once they returned to shore. Then the schooner too was underway. The return journey would not take more than three days if they plotted a straight course, which they had been unable to do earlier while looking for Moriarty's ship.
Sherlock had just finished speaking with the young men and instructing them on what he expected from them, when John walked up to him. He dismissed the young men to their tasks and they scurried off. Then he turned to John with a smile.
"This has been a very successful mission, has it not?" he remarked with a grin.
John stared at him. "You certainly seem a changed man, Sherlock. I do not think I have ever seen you look so happy."
"John, it is not happiness I feel, it is joy. That is something I have never experienced in the past, and now I have it with Molly. I can scarce believe it myself that I should finally have come to understand what you have talked about for so long."
John grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "Didn't I tell you having a woman to warm your bed is far preferable to a bed-warmer? I am rather surprised you have not spent the whole day with your sweet lady wife."
Sherlock flushed slightly. "I would have certainly liked to do so, but my duties to the ship and crew had to come first. Now however, all that is settled and I anticipate we should have a smooth journey home. I hope you will forgive me if you do not see much of me before we return to Dover. After all, I have certain duties I must attend to with regard to my wife."
John chuckled. "You have certainly earned it, mate, and I am glad of it. Should I have Mrs. Hudson bring trays to your cabin so that you need not leave it until we reach port?"
Sherlock gave his friend a grateful look. "I should be in your debt if you would make those arrangements. It appears I have many years of catching up to do when it comes to learning about how to please a woman."
John merely shook his head in amusement.
For the next three days, the schooner was fortunate enough to be untroubled by poor weather. Due to the steam engines, it was expected to arrive in Dover a full day ahead of The Black Pearl, which it had overtaken within the first day. Sherlock did indeed spend the entire time in his cabin, getting to know the sweet young woman who was now his wife. They made love frequently, exploring one another's bodies and enjoying their uninterrupted time together. When they weren't making love or sleeping, they could be found playing chess or reading and discussing the Mendelev book together. Molly had also begun to open Sherlock's eyes in regard to the truth of the Bible which he had dismissed as ludicrous fiction in the past, but had come to understand held wisdom that he had not ever considered.
On the third day, there was a knock at the cabin door, and John's voice could be heard. "Sherlock, the harbour is in sight and we should be docking within the hour. You had best make sure you have everything packed. You know your brother is going to want to debrief you on the mission. Won't he be surprised to know you are married?"
"Thank you for letting me know, John. I'm sure news of my marriage has reached his ears already, thanks to communications between the ship and shore. In fact, I should not be surprised if he is waiting as soon as we disembark," Sherlock called back to his friend. He was not in a state to answer the door, because he was naked in the bed, having shortly before enjoyed the delights of his wife's body once more.
He listened for the sound of retreating footsteps then sat up, pulling Molly up with him. "I suppose we should get dressed and get ready." Then he noticed that Molly was biting her lip nervously. "What ails you, my love?" he asked in concern. This was the first occasion in which he had seen a pensive look on her face, since they had been sharing the marriage bed.
"I am worried about what might happen when we go ashore. I wouldn't be surprised if my stepmother knows by now that I escaped aboard your ship. What if she is waiting for me to return, to punish me?"
"Your stepmother cannot harm you now, Molly," he assured her confidently. "We are wed, and once Lestrade files the paperwork to make it official, she will not ever be able to frighten you again. If it makes you feel better, we shall also post an announcement in the newspapers to say we are wed."
She nodded, but Sherlock could see by her troubled expression that she still felt anxious.
In under an hour, the ship had docked and the gangplank had been lowered. Molly had been watching the shore already, while Sherlock made sure everything was ready for their departure. He joined her at the railing."Will you be glad to return to dry land?" he asked her, putting an arm around her shoulders.
She turned her head and looked at him with a smile. "I suppose so, but considering I have never been on a ship before, I think I am a reasonably good sailor, except of course when there is a bad storm."
"Well, I must admit, I am rather glad we had that storm, because that is when I learned that you were a woman." He kissed her lightly, then looked out to the shore and narrowed his eyes. He was not surprised to see his older brother standing there waiting. Undoubtedly Mycroft would be wanting a full report from him with all the details of what had happened. He gave a little sigh.
"What's wrong, Sherlock?" Molly asked, leaning her head back against his shoulder to peer up at him.
"I see my brother, and that means I shall be required to immediately give him a report on what transpired during the voyage. I suppose I will have to have John accompany you to the inn."
"Are we…are we staying at The Fox again?" Her voice trembled a little as she spoke, and he realised she was still fearful of her stepmother.
"I wish we had another option, my love, but The Fox is far and away the best Inn in Dover. It has been over a week since we left, so your stepmother will most likely no longer be there. I shall have John make inquiries about her also, to make sure she is no longer staying there." He gave her shoulders a comforting squeeze.
"Very well," she answered, and he knew she was trying to be brave.
As soon as they disembarked, Mycroft approached the couple. "Well, brother mine. You never cease to amaze me. You leave on a mission as a woman hater, and return with a wife."
Sherlock flushed. He had known his brother would take great enjoyment out of mocking him for his earlier views on sentiment. "Laugh all you want, Mycroft. I concede that my earlier notions were foolish. And now, I would like to introduce you to my wife, formerly known as Lady Molly Hooper."
Mycroft took Molly's hand and kissed it perfunctorily. "I am very pleased to meet you, Lady Molly, and may I say, I am also most gratified that you have taken the care of my brother off my hands."
Molly gave a delighted giggle. "Please, just call me Molly. I am your sister-in-law now, after all." She glanced up at Sherlock, then back at his brother. "I am the one who is fortunate that he chose me, and I look forward to taking care of him for the rest of my life." She spoke in a soft little voice that throbbed with passion, and Sherlock's whole being vibrated to it. How he loved this woman. He was truly the most fortunate of men.
Mycroft gave her a rare smile, and Sherlock knew his brother approved of his choice. "I shall look forward to getting to know you better, Molly," he said sincerely. "For now though, I hope you will forgive me if I take your husband away for a short time. We simply must discuss the mission and the events surrounding it."
At that moment, Sherlock spotted John, who had just disembarked as well. "There's John now," he said, raising his hand to get his friends attention. He turned to Molly and said, "I will leave you in John's capable hands as soon as he gets over here, and once I have finished speaking with Mycroft, I shall be along."
Molly nodded as John joined the little group. "Did you need something, Sherlock?" asked the doctor.
"Indeed I do, John," answered Sherlock with a nod. "I must go with my brother now and discuss things. I was hoping you would take Molly to The Fox and get her settled in. I would also like you to make inquiries about her stepmother, and make sure she is no longer in the vicinity."
John nodded his acquiescence. "I shall take care of it, Sherlock."
"Thank you my friend." He placed a hand briefly on John's shoulder in thanks, then looked once again at Molly. "Tomorrow, we should go shopping and find you some women's clothes to wear for now, until we return to London. Then I intend to take you to the best establishment and order a whole trousseau for you." He then looked at Mycroft. "I assume the reward for the return of the treasure is still the vast amount you were talking about?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Indeed, brother mine. You will be wealthy enough to retire from these dangerous missions, and I have a feeling that now you might actually consider doing so."
Sherlock smiled. "I think you may be right." He turned to Molly and gave her a last, lingering kiss, then watched as she gave him a parting wave and accompanied John to the waiting carriage that would transport them to the inn..
Once the carriage had departed, Mycroft turned his attention to Sherlock. "I am most anxious to discover how you managed to find yourself a woman at last."
Sherlock grinned. "It's a long story."
Then he followed Mycroft to the place that had been arranged for his debriefing. He hoped it wouldn't take too long, because he was very anxious to get back to his wife. Unfortunately, by the time everything had been explained to Mycroft's satisfaction, including how he had managed to meet and marry Molly, it was almost two hours later.
Mycroft had arranged for food to be brought for them, and Sherlock ate hungrily. Finally, however, he felt anxious to leave and see Molly. He could not leave Dover immediately, because The Black Pearl was only due to arrive the following afternoon, and he needed to be on hand for its return. After the treasure was safely brought to shore, Sherlock fully intended to take the fastest carriage back to London and enjoy an extended honeymoon with his wife. As he ate, he noticed the sky darkening outside the window and suddenly, the heavens opened and he could see rain coming down as it drummed on the roof of the building.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Mycroft," Sherlock informed his brother, before taking his leave to make his way back to the inn and Molly. He had to shield his eyes with his hand as he made his way to the carriage, and noted the ground was already becoming muddy.
Sherlock settled himself gratefully into the seat of the carriage, and it set off for the inn at a slower pace than usual, due to the pelting rain.
Author's Note: I must credit Mamabear04 for her suggestion about Molly wanting to know what Lestrade had meant with his talk the previous day about Sherlock wanting to keep her, and her subsequent feelings of anger that Sherlock would even consider passing her to someone else. I hadn't even thought of bringing that up again, but I think it turned out okay. Even the best relationships have conflict!
If you are familiar with the term love languages, my primary one is: Words of affirmation – using words to build up the other person. An example of this is: "Thanks for doing the laundry." Not – "It's about time you did the laundry." Positive reinforcement is an important aspect to feeling productive and creative, (although I'm happy to receive constructive criticism of my work also).
I like to use words of affirmation for others, and I find I respond best when I receive the same. Feedback from my readers puts the bloom on my rose, and I give thanks to those of you who understand that, because I assume that may also be your primary love language :) I might just write a one-shot about what I think Sherlock and Molly's love languages may be!
A tip for you: If you read in a place where reviewing is not possible/easy, you can always leave feedback at a later time. I almost always do that with the stories I read. Take a few moments to "tip" your favourite authors when you have the chance :)
* Romans 3:23