Hi ladies! I'm back with another installment to this craziness! Hope you all enjoy. It should be only one or two more after this one...depends on if I decide to give my next chapter a little Mycroft and Anthea action as well :)
Sherlock sat in front of Molly trying to compose himself. He was nervous and truly was not sure what he would or could say to make her understand and trust him. He had behaved terribly and had embarrassed her. He had behaved selfishly and treated her as if her feelings mattered little to him. Truth be told, her feelings did matter to him, but not enough to simply let her walk away from him. She was angry with him for forcing her to come with him, but she had also refused to talk to him and he was desperate. And desperate men do desperate things.
"Sherlock just let me go. This is ridiculous." She said softly. "I am tired, so tired of your games. I just want to move on and be happy."
"No!" He said quickly. "Just give me a moment to put my thoughts into words. I just…I have so much that I want and need to say. I'm not good at things like this Molly, you know that. Please…just give me some time."
She sighed. "Alright Sherlock."
He stood then and began to pace. "I…over the last year…I mean I…I've grown to…it's just…"
"Sherlock this is…"
"No, just listen!" He said forcefully. He sat back down on the coffee table and took her hands. "I've grown to care for you deeply. I think that I might love you Molly…but I don't know because I've never felt this kind of affection before. I have known love…I love my mother and my even my blasted brother. I love John as if he were my own brother and I love Mrs. Hudson, she's always been like a second mother to me. I am even fond of Lestrade…I think I could even say he's like a brother to me. So you see, I know that kind of love, but romantic love, it's so new to me and it's…"
"Frightening…uncertain…vulnerable…?" She offered.
"Yes that…but I feel other things too." He said blushing slightly.
She bite back a smile. "What things?"
"Excitement…butterflies in my stomach whenever I know that I am going to see you or do see you. I look forward to hearing your voice, the soft sound of your laughter. I notice things that even I have never noticed before. I notice how you talk to yourself when you are doing your paperwork. I notice the care that you take when performing an autopsy, how kindly and gently you speak to the dead. I notice that when you are not feeling well or are feeling down, you tend to wear purples, blacks, or dark blue. When you are happy or excited, your nose crinkles when you smile. I notice how lovely and delicate your neck is when you wear your swept back."
He turned her hand over in his and traced the shape of her fingers with his. "I notice how small and delicate your hands and fingers are." He looked up at her face. "And how fresh and peach in color your skin is. I notice how bright and beautiful your eyes are. The shade of brown is so smooth; I imagine it would be like swimming in the richest, smoothest chocolate." He picked her hand up and held her wrist under his nose, inhaling deeply. "And I notice your scent Molly; it's the most lovely, delicious scent of lilac and rose. I think the smell is unique to you."
"Sherlock…I…" She started to speak, but he put his finger to her lips.
"And I know that you don't trust me and I have no right to expect you too. I have been cruel and horrid to you in the past. I just wish you could understand and believe me when I say this…when I behaved in that way with to you, it's because I didn't want to see what my heart was trying to force me to see. I have always been a man of cool intellect and cleverness, of science and deduction. I have always told myself that it is because I never wanted sentiment in my life. I didn't want to allow the weakness that it would cause to cloud my mind or pollute my ability. You must understand, I have a great need to feel in control…to be in control of myself and every situation always. I could not and would not allow anything inside of me that would change that. You see what happened when I allowed myself to care for John, Mrs. Hudson, and Lestrade. I very nearly lost them to a lunatic. And when I think that you had been alone with him, at his mercy, it makes me literally ill to think what could have happened. If he had known, if he had even suspected what I felt and feel for you…I can barely stand to let my mind think on what could have happened to you."
She tried to speak again, but he wouldn't let her. He was afraid if he did not say all he needed to say then he never would.
"And I know that is a selfish and poor excuse. I know that you had and have a right to decide if you want me in your life. I made the decision for you by treating your cruelly and pushing you away. Which sometimes made you push even harder and then I would panic. I would be even colder and crueler, hoping that you would give up and stop, that you would give up on me. To be honest, I never believed you would and I felt like I could have my cake and eat it too. I could have you in my life, but only on my terms, and still keep myself from feeling vulnerable by keeping you away."
He paused and looked at her. He pulled her hands to his lips and kissed her fingers. "I could feel you as of late pulling away from me and it scared me. I panicked. And coward that I am, I used this damn party as a way of trying to pull you back in. I even sent John to ask you to come, too afraid of letting you know how badly I wanted you there myself. I took all the risk of myself and put it on you. And when you refused, in my arrogance, I just couldn't imagine that you would refuse me."
She sighed. "And so you decided to act like a caveman in the hopes it would bring me around?"
He winced slightly and dared to look at her. He was relieved to see a small smile on her face. "I panicked…I didn't think…and I was angry to see you with another man. My pathologist with another man…especially that man."
"And you are a bit spoiled." She added smiling.
"Yes that too." He admitted. His expression became serious. "I want to try Molly, with you. If you are willing. I know it won't be easy. I'm impossible sometimes."
"And obnoxious…" She said laughing.
He cleared his throat. "Yes, that too." He smiled at her. "But I know what I feel is real and though it may scare me at times, I don't want to lose it and I don't want to lose you. I want you in my life, for always Molly. I…love…" He swallowed hard, his cheeks tinged with pink as he spoke. He took a deep breath and looked her in her eyes. "I love you Molly Hooper…I think I am…no, I know I am in love with you and have been for some time."
"Am I really your pathologist?" She asked softly, not quite able to look him in the eye.
He laughed softly and tilted her chin up to face him. "Yes, you are my pathologist…my Molly…my heart…" He finished softly, leaning in to kiss her lips.
John finished his fourth drink of the night as he sat in his chair in the corner beside Mycroft. "How much longer Mycroft?"
"It looks as if she's moving in for the kill as we speak John. I don't imagine it will be too much longer." Mycroft said pleasantly.
John watched Irene as she worked her magic on the poor unsuspecting Sebastian. John was startled when a man and a woman approached him. They stood in front of him blocking his view from Irene and Sebastian. "Yes, may I help you?" John asked slightly annoyed.
"We were just wondering if you and your friend switched." The man said leering at the oblivious Mycroft.
"I'm sorry what?" John asked.
The woman spoke. "Well my husband is bi and he thinks your friend is just scrumptious and I find you scrumptious, so we were wondering if you were interested in having a private party back in our room."
"No, oh God no." John said looking at the woman as if she had lobsters crawling from her ears.
"Now John, we mustn't be rude." Mycroft said. "I'm afraid that my friend and I have already made plans in our own room for the evening." He said smiling at John's horrified expression.
"Pity…" The woman said smiling, pulling her husband on.
"Why in the hell would you say that?" John asked.
"Because I find you amusing, now hush John and watch." Mycroft admonished, nodding his head in the direction of Irene and Sebastian. Irene had taken Sebastian by the hand and began pulling him up and out of the banquet hall.
Mycroft looked at his pocket watch. "Let's say about thirty minutes and then we'll go see the damage, shall we?"
"How do we know what room she's taken him too…and never mind, of course you'd know. Booked it didn't you?" John said smiling.
"Actually Anthea did, she's always so much more organized than I am with matters like this." Mycroft said smiling fondly. "She is my top girl."
John stared at Mycroft and shook his head. "You and Anthea…I never would have seen that."
"She keeps me on my toes." Mycroft said smiling. "And in other ways."
"Yes, I'm sure, please do not elaborate." John said with a slight grimace. He sighed. "I wonder how Sherlock is doing with Molly."
Mycroft sighed. "Yes, well, I hope he doesn't screw this up. It will be his last chance with her."
"Carrying her off like that didn't help his case." John huffed.
"No, I'm sure it didn't, but as you know, my little brother has always been a bit of a dramatic." Mycroft looked up and smiled. "And there is my little brother now with his lovely lady on his arm."
John looked up. "Thank God, now we can get the hell out of this freak show."
"Not so fast John. As you recall I have a room and a lovely naked woman waiting for me. Also, I thought you'd be interested to see how Mr. Wilkes makes out." Mycroft said standing as Sherlock approached with Molly in tow.
"You set this up." Sherlock accused when he reached them.
"Yes I did." Mycroft said with his brow raised.
Sherlock smiled. "Thank you Mycroft." He said genuinely. "You saved me from losing the most important thing in my life."
"Always happy to be of help Sherlock. I am your elder brother, it is my responsibility to move you back on track should you stray." Mycroft said favoring Sherlock with a smile that held tremendous affection. "We were just on our way to check in with Mr. Wilkes, care to join us?"
"Oh!" Molly squeaked. "Sebastian! I forgot about him." She stood on the tips of her toes, hopping, using Sherlock's arm for stability as she tried to see over the crowds. "Where is he?"
"With Ms. Irene Adler." Mycroft said.
"Irene Adler!" Sherlock said. "Why is she…oh never mind…you are good brother mine….very good."
Mycroft smiled. "Of course I'm good. Am I not a Holmes also?"
"But I'm better." Sherlock said under his breath.
Mycroft snorted. "Ha! If you were better, you'd have bedded and had a ring on this young lady's finger a long time ago."
Molly's eyes snapped open wide as she stared at Mycroft, her face flushing.
"Oh don't be so self-conscious Dr. Hooper, we're soon to be family…"Mycroft turned to narrow his eyes as his younger brother. "Aren't we Sherlock?"
Sherlock swallowed hard and colored. "Well I…um…I hadn't really thought that far and …I …"
Molly laughed and took pity on him. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that Mycroft any more than Sherlock is."
Mycroft nodded. "Fair enough. Now, as I was saying. Off to room 432 to check on Ms. Adler's progress."
"You didn't ask her to kill him, did you Mycroft?" John asked.
"Don't be silly John. That would take a man of considerable more political power than I have. After all I do only hold a minor position within the British government." Mycroft said leading the way through the crowd. Sherlock and Molly followed.
"Minor my ass." John said to himself and followed them out.
So yea I'm a tease...what are you going to do about it...author sticks out her tongue at all her lovely readers! Hugs!
Time Reviewer: Chap 22 of my Loki story is up :)