Hi guys! Here's another chapter! I am OVERHWHELMED by the support of this story. You guys are the best! Sherlock fans are the best! Hugs, love, and kisses to all of you!
TIME REVIEWER: Yes woman, a shameless plug directed at you! Since you love all things Lord of the Rings...I'm assuming you love all things Hobbit so I wanted to tell you that I have started a new fic called "If He Had a Heart" staring Smaug and Tauriel! Read it when you get a chance and let me know what you think!
"John please attempt to calm yourself." Mycroft Holmes said with an expression that was a mixture of amusement and compassion. "All will be well, you will see."
"How can this possibly be well? You're idiot brother just whisked her off over his shoulder like he was a bloody cave man! She's never going to forgive him for this and all this planning and agony on our part is going to be for bloody nothing." John managed to yell out in one long breath.
Mycroft looked at him with a raised brow. "Are you quite finished?"
"Yes as a matter of fact I am. I'm going home. This is all bloody disastrous and Sherlock is a…."
"Bloody wanker?" Anthea offered helpfully still fully engaged with her mobile.
"Yes thank you. "John said momentarily startled. "When did you get here?"
"Oh I've been here all the time." She said smiling pleasantly.
"No you bloody well have not!" John insisted.
"Yes I have, I assure you." She said.
John turned to look at Mycroft and started to speak when he noticed the expression on Mycroft's face as he looked lovingly at Anthea.
"No…you two…really?" John sputtered.
"Yes we two!" Mycroft said tightly. "And why not?"
"No reason. I'm just surprised. I wasn't sure she'd have time for someone else in her life…you know…since her love for her mobile runs so deep." John shook his head. "Anyways, what about this damn fine mess?"
"John trust me. It has all been taken care of. I have foreseen this ridiculous behavior from my brother and though it is a bit of a nuisance, I have made preparations for such a thing. Everything is going to be just fine." Mycroft stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled something small out to hand to John. "Here, have a peppermint, most refreshing they are."
John looked down at the peppermint and back up at the smiling face of Mycroft and sighed. "Fine, I'll just enjoy this peppermint and you can all go soak your bloody heads!"
And with that John opened the candy, popped it in his mouth and made his way through the masses of people and sat down in a chair in the corner of the ball room.
"Bit of a high strung fellow isn't he?" Anthea remarked while still texting.
"Yes he can be. Nerves of steel and as calm of a hand as one could get in times of war or disaster, but given day to day situations and my brother, quite a high strung fellow indeed."
"Perhaps he just needs a good shag?" Anthea offered trying to be helpful once again.
"Could be. And after tonight, I am quite certain that I will be in need of one." Mycroft said smiling at his beloved again.
Anthea paused her texting and looked up at him under her bangs. "I think John is already in a committed relationship Mycroft."
Mycroft blinked several times. "What? I didn't mean with him! I…" His words faltered when he saw the teasing expression on her face.
Mycroft laughed. "Oh you are the naughty one aren't you? Just begging to be put over my knee."
"I have been a very naughty girl this year haven't I?" She asked finally pocketing her mobile and reaching up to put her arms around his neck.
"You have indeed and I for one have enjoyed every second of it." He answered before placing his lips against hers.
"Sherlock!" Molly screamed again as he carried her down the hall stopping when he reached a room. He ignored her struggles, holding her easily with one arm around the back of her knees. He pulled the key card from his pocket, pushed it into the slot and unlocked the door. Once inside, he kicked the door closed with his foot, carried her to the couch and placed her gently onto it.
She was on her feet in an instant. The resounding slap that she delivered to his face bounced of the acoustics of the hotel walls.
"Fair enough." Sherlock said rubbing his stinging cheek. "I deserved that."
She opened her mouth to speak, but shut it abruptly. She narrowed her eyes and raised her hand, slapping the other cheek. "You bastard!" She bit out through clenched teeth. "How dare you behave in this way? How dare you treat me like this? You have got some nerve Sherlock Holmes!"
Sherlock winced as he rubbed his other cheek. "Molly please, will you let me explain?"
"No I will not. You have had your chance, several times over and you have blown everyone! Now I am going back down to the party with Sebastian and you stay the hell away from me."
Sherlock's eyes narrowed at the mention of Sebastian. "Actually, you aren't going anywhere until you hear me out and I certainly refuse to let you continue your acquaintance with that fool."
"You have nothing to say on who I do or don't spend my time with!" She stepped closer to him and looked up at him, a small funny little smile on her face. "And Sebastian and I are so very far from acquaintances Sherlock."
She made to shove past him, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "I'm sorry." He said softly.
"It's too late for that Sherlock! This is beyond contemptible behavior. You have…"
"I'm not talking about tonight!" He interrupted. "Well I am sorry for grabbing you away and…" He paused. "Actually no I'm not. I have to talk to you Molly. I have things that must be said and if kidnapping you was the only way for me to be able to do this, then no, I am not sorry for how I have behaved tonight."
"Sherlock you…" Molly began, but Sherlock grasped her arms and walked her backwards to the couch, forcing her to sit down. He shoved the complimentary newspaper onto the floor and sat down on the small table in front of her.
"I know I have no right to ask this of you, but I am going to anyways. Please Molly, hear what I have to say. Please, just give me a chance."
She stared at him, breathing deeply through her nose, her lips in a small tight in a thin line. Sherlock could see the struggle in her eyes and it cut him to his core. She loved him deeply. She still, even after all that he had put her through, loved him.
But mixed with that love were pain, mistrust, and exhaustion. He knew that this was it for him. This would be his final chance to make her see how he felt.
Despite her love for him, she would suffer him no longer and would let him go if he could not convince her.
"Dr. Watson?" Came a masculine voice from behind John. He turned and looked, seeing Sebastian Wilkes approaching him with a drink in his hand. "What in the blazes are you doing here?" Sebastian said in a cheerful voice. "I never took you for a place like this."
John regarded him evenly. "I am a doctor in practice. I can afford a nice hotel should I wish to stay at one."
Sebastian smiled. "Oh I'm sure you can. Surgeon aren't you? I bet you do make quite a living with that. God bless you for it. Cutting and slicing into people." Sebastian shuddered. "Not my cup of tea at all. No, what I meant was, I never took you for a swinger."
John blinked. "I'm sorry?"
"A swinger, you know." Sebastian smiled widely as if showing off a new set of teeth. "The switching game…switcheroo…changing partners and all that."
John still stared at him with a blank expression when a knowing look came over his face. "You mean this is a….swingers party?"
"Oh yes. I was shocked myself, pleasantly so, but still shocked. It's the only damn hotel that I could find on such a short notice. First, my flight was cancelled, some bloody emergency or some rot. Then I tried four of my regular hotels around London and every bloody one of them was filled up. This was the last place I tried and they told me a convention was going on, but I booked anyways. Then when Molls and I get here, it's a bloody swinger's convention." Sebastian explained still smiling.
John began to wonder just exactly how much of this evening was coincidence. He also began to wonder just exactly how small Mycroft's position was within the British government. He began to think it wasn't very small at all. John smiled. "So where is Molly?"
Sebastian's forehead creased. "That's the thing. I can't find her in here with all of these people, she's so small. I'm sure she's around here somewhere."
John nodded. "Yes, somewhere alright, but not in here." He said softly.
"What's that?" Sebastian asked.
"What?" John replied. "Oh nothing." He paused. "I can't believe that Molly would be willing to stay in a place like this. Swinging doesn't seem to be something that she would be interested in."
"Oh she doesn't realize. I'm hoping to break her into the idea gently. There's this lovely woman I just met at the bar. She's gorgeous and has a body to die for. I was talking to her and she let me know right away that she was into absolutely anything. I mean all things go for her." He said smiling lecherously at John while raising his brows up and down. "A professional dominatrix she is and though she swings both ways…she prefers women in the bedroom."
John tried to hide the look of disgust on his face when his eyes lit up. "Wait…she's a professional dominatrix?"
Sebastian nodded. "Yea and she's hot for Molly. Saw Molly when we came into together."
John struggled to keep his face impassive. "This dominatrix has a name I presume?"
"Oh yes. Irene." Sebastian said smiling. "Irene Adler. And as I was saying, she's hot for Molly."
John felt himself become tight and his blood pressure began to rise. "If you think for one moment that Molly Hooper would be involved with anything as sordid as that, you have no idea what kind of a woman she is." John said struggling to keep his temper and need to protect Molly at bay.
"Oh I know that!" Sebastian said waving a dismissive hand. "She's a wonderful girl and has a high sense of morals. I plan on getting a few drinks into her, you know, lower her inhibitions a bit, and see where that takes us. Irene told me she could be very persuasive."
John couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and stepped towards Sebastian. Before he could say or do anything, he felt a presence beside. "Ah John. Lovely party isn't it?" Mycroft Holmes said with a pleasant expression on his face. "Hello Sebastian, it's been awhile hasn't it?"
Sebastian smiled and held out his hand, which Mycroft took and shook. "How the hell are you Mycroft? I never took you for a place like this either."
"Yes well, I wear many hats." Mycroft replied. "I actually came over here to find you to tell you that there is a rather lovely woman waiting for you at the bar. I happened upon her when I was getting myself a drink. I offered to buy her one and she said that some other gentleman had already bought her one, but he had left her all alone."
"Oh!" Sebastian said perking up. "Yes, that would be the lovely Irene. If you will excuse me gentlemen, I'll be off. Oh and John, if you see Molls, send her my way." He popped John on his arm. "There's a good mate!"
John clenched his fists and for a moment started to go after Sebastian, but Mycroft grabbed him back. "Now now John. We mustn't let our emotions interfere with the plan."
John whirled around and looked at him. "What plan? What bloody plan could you be talking about? Did you know that this place was a swinger's convention? Did you know that he plans on trying to get Irene to seduce Moll…" John abruptly stopped speaking and peered at Mycroft. "Of course you knew didn't you?"
Mycroft shrugged and smiled.
"Irene Bloody Adler…" John said with a small smile. "How in the world did you manage her?"
Mycroft's expression became mildly serious. "Well, my minor position in government does give me certain sway. It also provides me with certain opportunities from time to time."
"Minor position my ass." John said under his breath.
"What was that John? I do hate mumblers. Please don't do it again." Mycroft admonished.
John searched the room and found Irene and Sebastian leaning towards one another in an intimate conversation. Sebastian's back was to John, while Irene was facing him. John chuckled softly when he saw Irene suddenly look at him and wink.
"That woman will eat Sebastian alive Mycroft."
"Oh I am well aware of that. And she was particularly keen on the opportunity too. So John, shall we get another drink and let the night unfold as it will?"
"That sounds lovely." John said. "Wait, where is Anthea?"
"Waiting for me in our room hopefully wearing absolutely nothing." He looked at John. "I shall be very cross with her if she is." He looked back towards Irene and Sebastian. "After all Doctor, I don't imagine that this will take very much longer.
There should only be one more chapter after this...and next one will be a doosey!
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