Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who is reading. Two chapters in one day... Wow! I must like you guys.

Sorry for more angst... but she did get brutally attacked and all. Hoping to throw in some humor to the next chapter, since, after this post, I have finally gotten to the part of the story that I did not pre-write.

Thanks so much for reading and hope you enjoy and please do review.

Disclaimer: Please know that I don't own these characters. The world of Sherlock Holmes belongs to Moffat, Gatiss, BBC and, of course, Sir A. C. Doyle.

Molly hadn't spoken for days. Sherlock and John have. Constantly it seemed...non-stop... almost as if they were trying to fill the silence or trying to chase any bad thoughts from her mind. They seemed unnerved by her just sitting on John's bed each day, curled into the corner against the wall and the headboard with a blanket around her shoulders and knees to her chest. She just stared into the distance...not making eye contact...not saying a word...not eating or drinking... just sitting. Occasionally, John or Sherlock would come sit by her or shove a cup of tea or water into her trembling hands but it was obvious to both of them she was in shock.

'John - She must be in shock. Look! She even has a blanket! You're the doctor. What do we do?'

John was unsure what to do next. Medically, they had done what they could, but he wasn't a psychiatrist. Sure he had seen people in shock before...he was in Afghanistan after all but this seemed different. He really believed she just needed some rest and some time to process this. She wasn't without thought. She would still get up when she needed the bathroom and occasionally she would take a drink from the the many cups he had balanced in her hands. She just seemed to be numb... almost blocking everyone and everything out, like she knew she was safe in her mind and didn't want to leave it if she didn't need to.

'Let's just let her rest, Sherlock. That's all we can do.'

But even that didn't seem to come easily for Molly. She seemed scared to sleep...scared to close her eyes and leave herself defenseless not only to the world around her but to the demons who hid behind her eyelids. She knew John and Sherlock would keep her safe but they couldn't fight off the men for her in her dreams. But, eventually, her eyes started to droop and her head started to nod. Each time she started to nod off, she would pull her head back up quickly and shake it trying to ward off the sandman, but soon sleep overtook her.

ooOOooOOoo

A scream swept through the apartment again. Sherlock and John looked at each other and ran up the stairs again toward the bedroom.

Upon entering, they could see Molly pinned down to the bed by her own mind. She was screaming 'No - Don't - No - Please...' Sherlock stood at the foot of the bed watching but John rushed to her side and knelt on the floor next to her. She seemed to be reliving the attack, which was apparent not only from her screams but by the grimace on her face, her hands swatting away the imaginary monsters and then going up around her neck straining to breath.

'Molly, wake up.' John said as he reached to capture her hands away from her already bruised neck. 'Molls...it's John. It's okay. Wake up.'

Hearing his voice, she turned her head but remained asleep.

'John. Save me. John - you have to help me.'

'Molly. It's me. Wake Up. You're having a dream. You're safe. We're here. It's all over. Just wake up.'

She woke with a start and saw John staring at her. She looked around as if trying to figure out where she was and it all came back.

'John? Oh my...' She whispered in a ragged voice. She put her shaky hand to her mouth and tears began to fall along the salty paths that already streaked her face. She trembled uncontrollably and John, whose heart broke to see her like this, reached out to bring her into a hug. She shrunk away quickly and butted up against the wall the bed was shoved against.

'No...' she pained...scared to be touched.

But this is John. She thought. He was her one call. John is safe, right? John wasn't like those men...John was just John...so patient...a friend...someone she could trust...touch...allow to help her.

John sat back on his heels and stared at her. She was obviously warring with herself as much as he was warring with himself. He wanted to comfort her, hold her and help her. He wanted to know she was safe but he understood her sudden fear to be touched. He would let her come to him or more likely Sherlock, the one she really cared for. He glanced at the man at the end of the bed and then back to her.

She looked like she had come to a resolution and crawled across the bed. She swung her legs off the bed and slipped down to the ground and sat on her heels in front of John. She reached out a hand and grabbed his...His strong callused hand which she knew could protect her as he had his fellow soldiers overseas but could heal her as he did everyday at his job.

'John. I trust you. You see me. You'll protect me...right?'

'Of course, I will, Molls.' John said to her almost in a whisper as he brought his other hand to her cheek.

She looked like she might pull back back from his touch but instead she closed her eyes and leaned against it. Then, she leaned forward and buried herself into his chest. She threw her arms around his waist...shaking and trembling while she clung to him as if he were a life raft.

'Of course I will.' he whispered to her putting his arms around her.

He looked Sherlock's way. Molly turned her gaze too and saw Sherlock at the corner of the bed staring at her. She trembled more as those piercing blue eyes bore into her trying to figure her out and figure out what to say. Obviously concerned, he seemed uncertain what to do.

She turned back to John and buried her head back into his chest blocking out the world. At which point, Sherlock walked out. He didn't necessarily feel like a third wheel but he felt John had this under control and he could tell Molly was still scared...even of him. But why? He was the one that found her...He was the one that saved her...not John. John didn't even answer his phone when she called...he did. Why was he not the one she trusted?

ooOOooOOoo

John came downstairs about half an hour later.

'She is finally asleep.' He announced.

'Did she say anything else?' Sherlock asked.

'No. I just held her while she cried for a little while and then she crawled back into bed, turned away from me and essentially willed the world away and herself to sleep.'

'Do you think she will have another nightmare tonight?'

'No. I think she is too exhausted to dream again.'

'Good.'

'Good? Well.. yes, good. But why do you say it like that?'

'Oh, John. Do keep up.'

'Mrs. Hudson!' Sherlock yelled down the stairs.

'Damn it, Sherlock. You'l wake her.'

'Sherlock, Dear... What is it? What was all that screaming?' Mrs. Hudson said as she entered the flat.

'Mrs. Hudson. You're finally back from your trip. You're sister's I would suspect.'

She nodded. She looked to John for guidance, who just shrugged, and then back to the detective.

'It's Molly. She has been hurt and is upstairs asleep. John and I must go out now. Can you stay here in case she wakes?'

'We're going out?'

'Yes!' Sherlock turned to the older woman with his eyebrows raise awaiting an answer 'Mrs. Hudson?'

'Well... of course, Dear. Of course. The poor girl. Will she be okay?'

'Yes, but I don't want her to wake with no one here.'

'Of course. Off you two go then and I will as they say 'hold down the fort.'

'John' Sherlock said impatiently as he grabbed his coat and scarf.

'Right.' John said looking around and grabbing his outwear 'Right.'

ooOOooOOoo

It wasn't until they were in the cab that John said 'So where exactly are we going?'

'Molly's'

'Molly's?'

'Yes - her flat, John. We need to see if there are any clues to lead us to the men who did this or even more so Moriarty himself.'

'Right. You know they only went on three dates, Sherlock. It's not like they were living together and all his stuff will be there. In fact, it's very unlikely anything of his will be there at all.'

'You never know, John. You never know.'