Hey guys! Sorry it took so long! Finals! _ Did I mention I was actually getting credit for posting here and on Tumblr? Studying social media for your degree is awesome! So glad the semester's over though. Anyway, enough about that; here's the fourth chapter!
Molly coughed, salty water coming out of her mouth. She turned on her side to let it out onto the sand.
"Oh thank Poseidon!" Meena exclaimed from a short distance away. "Molly are you okay? You were out for a little while."
"Y-yeah," Molly responded, sitting up. "I'm fine." She pulled her knees to her, then stopped. "Meena!" She splayed her legs out in front of her. Her white skin was blinding against the black sand. "I have legs, real human legs!" She wiggled her toes and giggled.
"I noticed." Meena fought her smile. She was excited for her friend, but worried about the repercussions of what she had done.
Molly tried to stand. Sand stuck to her wet legs as she wobbled and fell several times. Once successful, she moved to walking. She was shaky but managed.
"Molly, I can't believe this!" Meena exclaimed.
"Meena, help me find something to wear! Humans don't go walking around like this!" Molly said exhaustedly, realizing she wasn't wearing any clothes like the humans did. She looked around the beach, but there wasn't much there. She walked along the coast, Meena following in the water. After some time, they thought they saw wreckage washed ashore down the beach.
"Why don't you at least hide in that cave over there?" Meena suggested. They were lucky to be at a section of the beach where no one seemed to venture. "I'll go see what's there."
Molly sighed. "Okay."
She carefully wandered into the cave while Meena swam upstream, searching for some kind of covering. Following the curve of the wall, she moved right and left and right again. Just as she wondered if the maze would stop, she felt open space before her. She assumed she was in a larger portion of the cave and stepped forward.
Something hit her face and she let out a brief shriek. It was thin and felt like rope. As it hung limp in front of her, she knew it couldn't be some kind of animal. Curiosity won out and she pulled on it. Lights immediately illuminated the space.
Her jaw dropped. Inside this dark and dank cave was some kind of work space. The amount of clutter reminded her of her grotto. A couple of tables stood in the middle of the room and shelves lined the rock walls. Glass flasks similar to Prince James' sat at various places, and propped up on one table was a large board with many pictures and paper.
A cabinet was near her and she decided to start exploring there. She opened it, expecting more small objects like the ones around the room. Instead she found - Clothes! Molly pulled the white cloth out, trying to figure out how to put it on. She hadn't realized she would be so successful in finding clothes just by 'hiding'. She slipped her arms into the sleeves, but found it difficult and uncomfortable to button the back. After a while, she pouted, her arms starting to hurt from stretching around herself. Her new feet were starting to ache as well and she wondered if there was a place to sit. She spotted a chair at the end of one of the tables and wobbled toward it.
"What are you doing here?!"
Molly spun around to face the new comer, nearly falling in the process. She steadied herself with the table, jolting it a little. "I-I'm sorry."
"Who are you?" She finally looked up at the angry man, and nearly fell again. It was her prince. Sherlock stood there, and all she wanted was to leave the room in her embarrassment. "I asked you a question."
"M-Molly. My name's Molly."
"And what are you doing in my lab?"
"I…" What had she been doing? "I was looking for clothes." She held up her arms to show him. He blinked at her then furrowed his eyebrows.
"That's…not how you wear it." His voice sounded less angry now. He had deduced quickly enough that she had no clothes on underneath his lab coat. She had obviously been in the ocean from her wet hair, but not from some casual skinny dipping. No, possibly another ship wreck, judging from how frightened and unstable she seemed. She needed help whatever reason.
"Oh, I…I'm sorry," she apologized again and started to shrug off the coat.
"No, no! Keep it on. That's okay." Sherlock's eyes widened, realizing the awkwardness of this situation. "Just turn it around." Molly still looked confused, and he stepped forward and coughed. "Here." He barely touched her shoulders as he took the coat and looked away, holding it up. He squeezed his eyes shut for extra measure. She slipped out of it, then realized what he was doing as she looked at his own black clothing. The buttons were in the front. Oh! She turned and put her arms in again. Much better, more comfortable. She buttoned the coat quickly and turned around just as Sherlock opened his eyes.
"It, uh, suits you," he said awkwardly.
She gave a shy smile. How was she going to do this? How could she get him to fall in love with her when she couldn't even talk to him?
He looked as if he was thinking about something. "We haven't-we haven't met before have we?" It was the faintest of chances but… there was something familiar about her. She couldn't possibly be the girl from the beach but she certainly held similar features.
She took a breath as if to answer, then shook her head.
Meena went back to the cave empty handed. This task was proving much harder than she had hoped. She was about to call for her friend when a man came out of the opening in the rock. It was Molly's human! He was wearing a black coat and seemed to be preoccupied with something behind him. She hid behind a rock.
She didn't know whether to be relieved or just worry more when she saw Molly stumble out next. Luckily it looked like she had found something to wear. Actually it looked quite fitting, Meena thought. Sherlock caught her and spoke.
"That's the thousandth time you've tripped since we left the lab; you must have gone through something traumatic. Not to worry. My good friend, Watson is quite a capable doctor. I'll have him see to you as soon as we get to the castle."
"Thank you," Molly said, holding onto his hand a second longer than necessary. He didn't seem to notice as he turned and started walking down the beach. She swiveled her head, looking into the ocean and the surrounding beach. When she caught site of Meena, she looked slightly relieved. She pointed at Sherlock's back with a grin and gave her a thumbs up. Meena smiled back. Her friend was okay and it looked as if the prince was taking care of her now. Molly shakily jogged after him, his long strides already taking him much farther ahead.
The two managed to sneak into the castle without being seen. Molly had only stumbled a few times in the process. She was slowly getting used to her land legs. Sherlock took her to the study where he and John usually would and should be at this time. John was reading in a chair when they walked in.
"Oh, hello!" he said with surprise. "I didn't expect you back so soon."
"John, this is Molly." Sherlock introduced. "I found her in my lab. She may have been in a ship wreck. She has memory loss." He directed his next statement to the girl. "Go ahead and tell him what you told me."
John questioned Sherlock's purpose in bringing her here. Anyone could make up a story. He supposed there was some deductive reasoning involved. Of course, the woman did look very similar to Sherlock's description of the woman who saved him only a few days before… Sherlock would deny it, but John had noticed the man acting differently since that day. Nothing to support some kind of head trauma, but John wondered at his friend's new behavior.
"Well, um," Molly started. "I was on a ship - at sea and - next thing I knew I was on the shore, everything gone." She blushed.
John looked at her, taking notice of Sherlock's lab coat. Well… if Sherlock said she needed his help… It wasn't much of a story… "You don't remember anything else?"
"There may have been a storm…but not really, no."
"Well, luckily I have my doctor's equipment right here." He patted a bag next to him and gave a courteous smile. "I never know what kind of condition Sherlock will come back in." Sherlock coughed. "Why don't you get her some clothes, Sherlock?"
"Of course." He hurried from the room and John started his examination.
While he shined a light in her eyes, she asked, "What did you mean earlier? When you said you didn't know what condition Sherlock would come back in? What kind of duty does the prince have to land him in so much harm?"
"Oh well, well let's just say it's not really my secret to tell, Miss," he said distractedly, then gave her a kind smile. He was secretly pleased by Sherlock's accomplishments and he had wanted to share them for a long while, but he knew he should be cautious. "I can tell you he works with the police, and sometimes… it gets dangerous. That is all I meant."
"Oh. Why is it a secret? Isn't the prince supposed to help protect his people?"
"Well, well yes, but…" John paused as if confused. "Like I said it's not really my secret to tell."
Sherlock wandered the halls. Where were the maids when you needed them?! Down one corridor, a door opened and someone stepped out.
"Mycroft!" Sherlock hurried up to him.
"Brother mine," Mycroft greeted.
"Do you know where the maids are? Or where we may keep extra or worn woman's clothing?"
Mycroft raised an eyebrow. "This isn't for another disguise, is it?"
"No, I have-" He stopped, realizing how his statement may be taken. "There is a woman downstairs with John that is suffering memory loss and seems to have lost all of her possessions, including her clothes."
"You let a naked woman into the castle?! Dear G-"
"NO! She's in one of my lab coats."
"Oh, well that makes it okay, then," Mycroft said sarcastically. "Do not tell me how you even got into this predicament, Sherlock."
"Just tell me where the maids are!" Sherlock glared at his brother, a slight heat on his neck.
"In the kitchen, where they always are this time of day. They're preparing for dinner, no doubt."
"Thank you," he ground out as he headed for the kitchen.
"Mary! Thank goodness I caught you before you went back in." Sherlock jogged up to the maid standing at the door to the kitchen. Clanging and a general hustle and bustle could be heard on the other side.
Mary curtsied and asked, "What can I do for you, your highness?"
"You wouldn't happen to know where any of my mother's old clothes are? I have a guest that needs to be dressed properly for dinner."
"Oh." Sherlock saw the smirk behind her eyes. "Well, they should be in one of the store houses, sir. Anderson will have the key."
Sherlock frowned. He hated dealing with the head butler. He wasn't even that great of a butler. Why they kept him, he had no idea, but Philip Anderson was the bane of his existence.
"So you know everything there is to know about the human body?" Molly sounded fascinated as Sherlock entered the study, holding a cream colored gown.
"Well, for the most part yes," John replied. "There are some things I'm not as well versed in and there are always new studies coming out. I have to stay up-to-date to keep my license."
"Wow. Could you teach me?" John's eyebrows rose before he glanced at Sherlock.
The prince coughed and Molly turned around immediately. "I trust she's in perfect health?" he asked the doctor.
"Yes, she is." John smiled and Sherlock caught his brief glance at Molly as if trying to communicate with him. He had no idea what the man was trying to say. "The memories will most likely return with time."
He turned to the girl and held up the dress. "This is one of my mother's old dresses. I hope it will do. I forced Anderson to give me the key to the store house so we could return for more after dinner. They all seem to be in perfectly good shape."
"Oh, i-it's beautiful. Thank you," she said.
As she gathered the fabric into her arms, Sherlock told her, "I have a maid waiting for you just outside. She'll take you to your quarters and can help you change."
"Thank you," she repeated with a nod and walked out the door.
"If you had a maid, why did you bring in the dress?" John asked, fighting a grin.
"Because she has all the other frivolous things girls apparently need to get dressed," he grumped.
"Sherlock, she seems rather odd."
"It's shock, John. It'll pass."
"Yes, but Sherlock, maybe you shouldn't be allowing a stranger in the castle…"
"Really John. I do something kind and you berate me for it. She's harmless. If it makes you feel better, I am making sure someone is with her at all times."
John sighed. Sherlock may act irresponsibly at times, but he was actually quite capable when he put his mind to it. For now, he would have to trust him.
"Oh, stop fussing! You look beautiful!" Mary said as Molly tugged at the skirt of her dress. She had never worn something like this. It truly was beautiful. The cream color offset her pink skin nicely, and it looked good with the color of and slight waves in her hair. She had never seen her hair dry before. She kind of liked it.
She smoothed the front of the dress again. It had a high neckline around her collarbone and no sleeves. The skirt portion ended just below her knees, and probably would have been longer if not for all those other human things. Who knew how much work humans put into dressing for the day? All those petting coats and slips, she thought Mary had called them. Not to mention the makeup. Mary hadn't put on much since she could tell Molly wasn't very sure about the products and the girl was beautiful without them, but Molly still felt odd with some of the stuff on her face.
"Thank you, Mary," she said and turned to the maid, who was rummaging through the bag she had brought with them.
"No problem, sweetheart," she said sweetly. She straightened as she turned back to Molly, holding a pair of slippers that matched the dress. "Sherlock said you weren't exactly steady on your feet yet."
Molly blushed. "No, I- Thank you." She took the shoes and tried to put them on. Luckily they weren't too hard to figure out. She didn't want to have to ask for help again.
Once she had slipped them on, Mary put her arm on her back, turning her to the full length mirror. "See, beautiful! The prince is a very lucky man." She winked. "Now let's get you down to dinner. They might have started without you!"
How are mummy and daddy going to react to Sherlock bringing a girl to dinner? I guess you'll have to see next chapter!
Thank you for reading and following and all the fan love!