I'm so glad you are all enjoying my little story. I love writing Sherlolly it just seems so right.

Have just seen the promotional picture for the Sherlock special (where are his curls) and live in hope that there is another small Sherlolly moment to keep us going until Season 4. Just a shame they both seem so long off into the future.

Chapter 3

Over the next couple of weeks Sherlock found his thoughts turning increasingly towards his small, shy pathologist. It started the next time he was kissing Janine when he started to wonder what Molly's lips would feel like, what she would taste like.

He'd used the excuse of a case for as long as he could to reduce or cut short his time with Janine who was becoming increasingly predatory. In the end he had had to tell her that he felt strongly about only having sex after marriage to which she herself had joked that they had better get married quite quickly then.

He had taken to watching Molly as she moved around the morgue and the lab in a way that he hadn't before. He was enthralled by the quiet calm manner with which she did her job. She always dealt with people in a kind, thoughtful way...the complete opposite to himself but she seemed to get results. People wanted to do things for her. He found himself making excuses to be there. She calmed him in a way little else did. He felt when he was with her that he was in the eye of his own storm. Normally he was swirling around, driven on by his overactive brain, but here, with her was stillness.

It came to a head, almost literally, when Janine was being particularly hands on and he shocked himself by realising he was hard, for the first time in months. What was even more shocking was because it wasn't due to Janine, no in his head it was Molly who was touching him, kissing him. He stopped what they were doing immediately feeling...guilty, yes feeling guilty ...it was as though he were cheating on Molly.

He explained, feigning shyness, that he felt they were at risk of crossing a line and having sex and asked her to give him strength to resist by leaving. She was so flattered by his 'reaction' that she complied.

Ten minutes later he was in a cab on his way to Molly's.

MHMHMHMHMHMHMHMH

Molly had been enjoying her first night at home in four days. She enjoyed her job but the shift working was hard sometimes. She stretched out on the settee remembering back a couple of weeks to when it was Sherlock lying here. She smiled sadly to herself. Yes they were good friends now but she'd resigned herself to the fact that they would never be more.

It was just hard at the moment, knowing that Janine was enjoying all the things she'd always wanted from Sherlock, his touch, his kisses. Yes, she knew his feelings for Janine weren't real but that didn't make it any easier.

She opened her eyes in surprise when she heard his key in the lock. She hadn't been expecting to see him anytime soon. Maybe something had happened with the case, she sat up as he came into the room.

'Hi, do you need anything? What's happened? You look...' Molly was surprised, he looked, dishevelled. Normally he was buttoned up, hair in place but his shirt was half undone and pulled out of his trousers, his hair looked as if someone had been running their hands through it...oh.

'You've been with Janine, haven't you?'

Sherlock's heart physically clenched at the sad look in Molly's eyes. How had he not seen how this was affecting her? He suddenly wanted to make it right, to never see that sad look in her eyes again.

'I..yes, I have, but that's not important. I wanted to see you...needed to see you.'

'OK,' Molly looked up at him expectantly.

He sat down opposite her on the coffee table and took her hands.

'Tell me what's wrong, Sherlock? You're scaring me now.' She giggled nervously, looking down at where their hands were joined.

'I'm not good at this Molly, but, I've come to the decision that I...we...we should be together.'

Molly sat in shock, of all the things she expected him to say, this was not one of them. He continued, 'this isn't sudden, I've been thinking about it for a while. And then tonight, I was with Janine and all I could think was that it was you I wanted to be with, you that I wanted to kiss. May I kiss you Molly Hooper?'

Molly felt dizzy, 'oh...I...yes, yes you can.'

He leant towards her slowly cupping her face with one of his hands. She closed her eyes leaning into his hand slightly, relishing the feel of his skin against hers. When she opened her eyes again his face was right in front of her, he was all she could see. His eyes flicked down to her lips and she licked them in anticipation.

She could feel her heart beating in her chest, pounding away. As his lips touched hers she closed her eyes again and lost herself in the kiss.

At first it was just the press of lips against lips but gradually he tilted her head deepening the kiss. She opened her mouth to him, again feeling dizzy and almost disbelieving that this was real. That she was really kissing Sherlock and he was kissing her.

She tentatively raised her hands to touch him. One hand feeling the curve of his cheekbone and jawline the other twisting into those soft curls. The two textures, the soft curls and the sharp, angular features made heat flood down her body. She groaned and clutched him closer to her, desire flooding through her.

She felt him react pulling her closer, one arm tight around her waist, the other still holding her face.

Eventually they broke apart both breathing hard, 'oh God, Sherlock, that was...that was...'

'Mmmmmm', was his only response before he pulled her back for another kiss.

Molly thought she could spend the rest of her life just kissing Sherlock Holmes. He was even more intoxicating in reality than he was in her dreams.

Before she knew what was happening he was on the couch with her, his body covering hers as she lay under him. She could feel him hard against her thigh and she squirmed against him. He broke off again, his forehead resting against hers. 'I'm...I'm not ready for more...not yet. I..I hope that's...'

Before he could finish Molly had put one finger on his lips, 'it's fine, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere...there's no rush.' Then she drew him back down for another kiss.

SHSHSHSHSHSHSHSH

He ended up spending the night albeit chastely in Molly's bed. It was a completely different experience to the one he had with Janine. On this occasion he wanted to be there.

Molly had tentatively asked whether he was still faking a relationship with Janine and he hadn't liked the answer he'd had to give her.

He assured her it wouldn't be for very much longer. He was hoping to access the office by using a proposal. He just had one more element of his plan to sort out first.

Again, he didn't mention the details to Molly because he didn't think she would approve.

He needed to be seen in and around some drug dens in order for Magnusson to think that drugs were his weak spot. The only trouble was they still were.

Dun, dun, duuuun. OK not much of a cliff hanger but hey it's not that kind of story. Thank you for reading and giving me such delicious feedback I get such a thrill when I see the messages ping up in my email account. The Christmas story is also being written as we speak but I'll start posting it mid-December.

Keep giving me your thoughts and ideas and most of all be happy!