The door fell shut leaving her alone in the locker room. Molly stood there still breathless and shocked from what had just happened, but also beginning to worry. Never mind that he had said to her before leaving. How could she? It had been the best thing that had happened to her so far. Sherlock coming back from the dead, seeking her out to tell her he's back and then kissing her senseless? That was what anybody dreamed of or well what she had dreamed of more than once.

And that made her come back to reality and want to slap herself now. Sherlock was back, yes, but she had sworn to herself not to get attached again, because she had buried her feelings for him, hadn't she? He had been gone two years and she had moved on. She was engaged now! What did it tell about her that she still fancied another man, that she had liked him kissing her more than her own fiance and that she had literally wished for this to happen? Molly Hooper was the worst fiancee ever. Which made her wonder why Sherlock hadn't noticed the change... He was always so perceptive of so little things why hadn't he noticed her ring? She had worn it the whole time, when nervous she liked to fidget with it as she had done several times as they had talked and last but not least she had grabbed his dark, silken... hair – Focus! – with it and he must have felt it, mustn't he? Why hadn't he said anything? There hadn't been any ounce of notice as had been the case any other time she had dated someone, which wasn't that often. He clearly must have been out of his mind in the literal sense. The great Sherlock Holmes driven out of his deductive mind by non other than the little, unremarkable Molly Hooper!

That last thought made her smile and head home in greater spirits. Lucky for her Tom wasn't going to be home until late and she could wipe that smile of her face without ruffle or excitement.

After only about an hour at home though she received a massage from Sherlock:

Please come visit me if convenient – SH

P.S. If inconvenient come anyway

She sighed and at the same time her heart rate quickened. What did he want from her now? Did he want to talk? Did he want to ask her out for a date? Did he maybe want another kiss? All those possibilities were equally unlikely and her mind already knew what her heart denied namely him just wanting help or other trivial things from her. So when she finally got to 221b Baker Street Mrs. Hudson invited her in with a kind but conspicuous smile and as she went up the stairs the door to Sherlock's flat stood already open. Molly went straight in finding him standing at the window with the back to her.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked uncertainly, not sure how to approach him after what had happened.

Sherlock only hesitated a second. He would just forget that her earlier encounter had happened, not mentioning it at all, although him inviting her here said more than a thousand words could. John had dumped him and he had needed an assistant and Molly had been the first one on his mind. He was not sure what to think of that fact as he had buried the earlier encounter, the kiss, ... AND would leave it there! Sherlock chided himself for being so stupid. He wouldn't let love rule his head and obscure his senses. Little did he know that Molly already had led to that with no turning back...

"Yes!", he finally turned around, put a smile on his face and approached her, "Molly..."

"Yes?"

"Would you..." , he stopped himself to shortly over think how to ask her all the time staring on the ground and not into her eyes. He sensed it was an awkward situation both of them were in and he didn't know how Molly thought about what had happened. He should have thought about this before calling her to him... She clearly had misunderstood the whole thing and now had made up silly hopes he wouldn't be able to fulfill...

"Would you like to..." he finally looked into her eyes – so beautiful, bright and full of hope.

"Have dinner with you?" – "Solve crimes... with me?"

He had known it all along. Her thoughts had went in the completely opposite direction. But who was to blame her? It was his fault, his stupid fault. He hadn't wanted this to happen. Well the kiss yes, he couldn't deny that, but what followed afterwards. Sherlock just couldn't cope with those human emotions and expectations and seeing his life he didn't wish anyone to be dragged into the danger it held especially not Molly. And wasn't that what caring meant? Protecting the ones you... loved...? Moriarty might be dead, but there were still some of his men around and now this new terrorist group... It just wasn't safe to let anyone into his life except for John who knew the consequences and could deal with threats. So he had to keep a distance between him and Molly, but because he still wanted her around this was the best opportunity to do so.

Molly on the other hand chided herself for her stupidity. Having dinner with her? Why did she always have to be so prompt and thoughtless. As if he would ask her out. Sherlock had other things on his mind she could clearly see that by the pictures on the wall and his thoughtful appearance. Moreover he had clearly told her to forget the ordeal as if it never happened and that said enough about his intentions and thoughts on the topic. Her head had known that all along, but her heart needed to betray her like always and now it made her ache although she didn't have to feel hurt. It was Sherlock and she knew him for being so inconsiderate and ignorant to human emotion. She guessed that was why she liked him so much in the first place. He wasn't like any other man and he certainly was a difficult match. That's why she loved Tom, but also didn't love him. He was kind and amiable, but he was just like any other man – once he had won her heart he stopped there and just went along with it and she on the other hand didn't have to do anything at all except for accepting him into her life. But with Sherlock there was always a fight. A fight for attention and some sort of affection and it was certainly not easy. That was the reason why although she knew better and should have stayed away she agreed to help him, because that was the only thing granting her time together with him. After two years without him she really needed this.

And so she went with him to investigate and it was quite an unique experience. Although he was better than her at such things he didn't judge or criticize her when she dared a try and examined at first the skeleton then the video tapes. She noticed his restlessness and the clear sign that she wasn't John and that he rather wanted him to investigate alongside him, but she didn't tell him so. He didn't blame her for it either and tried to make the best of the situation. There was yet one positive thing the day had proven them: Molly had risen in his esteem so much that he had accepted proposals from her and one look of disapproval had led to him apologizing to the train-loving witness they had visited. Next to the fact that she had had time to intently watch him and he had only noticed it once. She still was the woman standing on the sidelines, silently watching, but he now knew that she was there, he finally noticed her.

When the day was over all to soon and their investigations finished she even got sort of an invitation to eat out with him. But before they could go she gathered all her courage to confront him, because she couldn't let it rest any longer: "Sherlock what was today about?"

He stopped in his tracks to look back up to her, while she still descended the stairs, and said almost matter-of-factly: "Saying thank you!"

"For what?" she asked and felt insecure again. Maybe she shouldn't have asked him after all. But then again maybe he would finally open up and speak to her about what had happened in the morning and today all in all.

"For what you did for me."

His voice got this low rumble to it as he spoke the words and it made her shiver. She quickly pulled herself together and put herself opposite of him to get a little bit of space between them.

"It's okay... It's my pleasure", she simply stated looking on the ground instead of his eyes.

"No", there was an edge to his voice when he said that simple word and it made her look up, "I mean it!"

She mumbled again, unsure what to say to that: "I didn't mean pleasure... I mean... I didn't mind... I wanted to..."

Sherlock stopped her right there telling her: "Moriarty slipped up. He made a mistake. Because the one person he thought didn't matter at all to me was the one person that mattered the most. You made it all possible."

Molly was totally taken aback. Such words out of Sherlock's mouth! It was the closest expression of affection she would ever get from him and it took her breath away so that she couldn't answer him right away. Sherlock took this opportunity to to get back to terrain he was used to before this was getting out of hand again.

"But you can't do this anymore can you?", he knew that he couldn't use Molly anymore the way he had and would have done it two years ago – her crush on him the perfect opportunity to get her to help him. No, he acknowledged her now as a human being, as his friend, as a strong and independent woman.

Molly had to pull herself together with great effort and manged a smile although she wanted to scream and cry. With a weak voice she finally told him: "I've had a lovely day... And I'd love to I just..."

It was just that it was time to move on for he clearly wasn't going to talk about their kiss and how he felt about it any more. It was time for her to finally grow up, leave thoughts of him behind and start acting like the woman, who was soon to be a wife of a loving husband. She had built herself a new life those last two years not to have it ruined by Sherlock just stepping into the picture again. Molly had to admit to herself that Sherlock was and never would be in her reach, that Tom was the one she should dedicate herself to and that everything concerning Sherlock were only far-flung hopes, childish dreams and never going-to-be-real wishes. That's why she now made the decision to never let him in again and wrap her around his finger whenever he needed her.

Sherlock confirmed her internal thoughts by saying: "And congratulations by the way."

Hadn't she known Sherlock better she would have thought he really meant it and just stated it as a matter of fact, but she caught the edge of his voice, the slight tang of emotion to it. He had just recently or only minutes ago noticed the ring and his mind was still processing the information as also what it meant in retrospective concerning their kiss.

Sherlock didn't want to admit it to himself but seeing that ring on Molly's finger made him ache. Of course it was first and foremost a relief. Molly had found someone. She was going to have a normal, happy life and he wouldn't have to think about their kiss any more and had all reason to forget it happened now as it was inappropriate. But he couldn't deny the fact that he felt all kinds of emotion he wouldn't have thought himself possible to feel. There was rage, something he thought was called jealousy and then there was a sort of sadness. He didn't know what to think of this pool of emotions and it made him mad because it clouded his mind. He needed to get it over with and away from Molly as fast as possible or he would explode. But Molly didn't make it any easier when she started talking about him, who he was, how they met what they did in their free time. It only increased the pain, he stoically hid on the surface. Molly herself didn't even know why she told him all this, because she sensed that it bothered him. But never would she have thought of it hurting him. She just thought her rambling about it annoyed him...

"I hope you'll be very happy, Molly Hooper", he told her then, the most difficult words he had ever said, "You deserve it."

At least it was the truth. He really wished her all the best although a part of him wanted it to be him who made her happy. But that wasn't possible and this way he at least knew that she would be happy and safe.

Before he could stop himself he added: "After all not all the men you fall for turn out to be sociopaths... No..." – he had said it to reassure her and himself that she was better off without him and to both include him in the process as being a sociopath but also exclude him again.

She really messed with his mind. In her presence he couldn't think clearly and said all the things he wouldn't normally say and act on pure impulse. As he now did by leaning down and kissing her cheek. He wanted to kiss her lips so badly, but everything he had achieved until now would then have been in vain. Moreover it wasn't fair to Molly. He couldn't just ruin what she had built herself while he was gone. And he had to live with the fact that it hurt, because it was his fault that it did. He quickly straightened again, and left the building before it could get more out of hand as it already had. Moreover fresh air would certainly help get a clear mind again. He guessed that eating Fish & Chips with Molly was out of the question now so he made his way home again, leaving her behind to cope with all the feelings that flooded her on her own. Still not sure what had just happened Molly watched Sherlock vanish in the distance before she went home, too, all the way thinking about it, but coming to no conclusion as to what it all meant for him, for them and for the future.