MOLLY'S PUB

Well hello there. I had so much fun writing the first part of this that I of course had to come back for more. I don't think this will be as long as the first bit but I think it's just as enjoyable. Or at least I hope so. I have a lot of fun with this little AU. There could be more of it. Be sure to let me know what you're thinking about it when you finish reading and maybe suggest something that I could do for the next bit of it, possibly? I like requests/suggestions. Do enjoy. – day

Molly's Pub three weeks ago was a place of chaos and shattered pieces of wood, not to mention glass shards nearly over the entire vicinity of the establishment. Now, it looked close to its former glorious. Possibly even better if the owner was being honest. It had been closed for two weeks for repairs which she oversaw all the way. She didn't need any more screw-ups to happen because she wasn't around. Molly Hooper was happy to say the least to be back home.

The past two weeks have been exhausting but she felt like it had been worth it in the end. Between all the help she had got with the reconstruction of it and all the phone calls that had come from people as far as Ireland who wanted to let her know how upsetting it was to them to hear that it had gotten demolished in a large part of it during the brawl was very encouraging. Besides that she had a great team of men who were there to help get it done. Contractors were good but she felt better knowing that she trusted the people who were doing it.

John, Greg and Sherlock, among the fray of men like good old man Charlie who knew a thing or two about construction and reassembling pieces back together were quite the crew. Now, she stood inside of it with Sherlock who was starting to bring in the new glasses and such for behind the bar out of the truck. "Nice work, huh?" He asked quietly as he passed by her to set the first couple boxes down on the bar.

The suit and dress shirt that she had grown accustomed to seeing him wear had been shed after the first day that they started this whole process. He wore a snug pair of jeans, dark trainers on his feet and a grey cotton shirt. "Yep," She nodded in response to his comment a few seconds ago. She walked around the bar to get behind it, grabbing the box and the box cutter that sat on top of it and sliced it open quickly. She fished out one of the glasses. They were covered in paper to make sure they didn't break during the delivery. They were good though. She used the same company that the others were from. They were still the best kind that she has ever come across.

She looked up to see Sherlock staring at her with a blanked expression on his face. "Right. There should be a few more. I have a feeling it's going to be a full house tonight." She told him as she begun to take out the rest of them. She would have to load them into the dishwasher in the back and wash the others so that they would at least have a little wear to them for tonight. It was the special re-opening since the fiasco with Jim's group.

Molly had half expected another group like that to try to come around and spoil it before it even happened. No such thing has happened as of yet, but it could happen. It was something that was sitting in the back of her mind ever since they decided that the place was finally ready for re-opening. She was hopeful that it wouldn't be so bad.

"More than likely, it will be. There aren't many pubs or bars for that matter around here that stay opened very often especially with surroundings like these. Plus it's homey, that seems to set the correct atmosphere for people or so I've heard." Molly just shook her head at him. The way he talked sometimes made her wonder where he had come from exactly. He didn't even look like he grew up in these parts. I didn't do a lot of talking about life outside of this. To her, this was her life but the way he stare sometimes told her he knew more about her than she knew about him. It didn't really matter to her honestly.

He was just a guy who happened to cause this sort of spiral to happen and now here they were picking up the pieces albeit together. However, they weren't together. He was an okay bloke, she could admit that. However that was all she would be admitting for some time. She like her friend Mary was wary of men and their unpredictable ways. However Mary was okay with flirting with Sherlock's friend John. John was nice enough so she didn't have to worry about her too much. Molly on the other hand wasn't sure how to do that with anyone let alone Sherlock Holmes. He was from a different world and she doubt he would interpret it as anything other than what it could be. So, she stayed away from that.

He didn't say anything more but she could hear him as he walked across the floor back out to the open door to grab more things. She focused on the glasses and unwrapping them so she could continue getting everything ready. It was still fairly early; 11:35PM to be exactly. Not noon but close. If they finished before two it would be splendid. Everyone could go rest until five when the guests started coming through for their drinks.

Molly's Pub had also been written about in the paper. A big one for the northern lads who had money. She hadn't the slightest clue how that happened but she had a feeling that perhaps Holmes had something to do with. Why he would go that far? She hadn't the slightest clue. She decided not to ask in order to not get any hopes up for what he could say to her. It would most likely be something odd like "I want to see this place flourish. It's a good establishment." He had said something like that before to John when they thought Mary as well as herself were still out grabbing a few tools form the hardware store. Alas, they were not and heard just the last bit of it before making their appearances known.

It didn't take too long to get the crates of alcohol in either within the next two hours and by two everyone was ready to take a little reprieve. Molly had a change of clothes in the back, so she would be staying to make sure that everything was good to go but sent everyone else away. Or at least when she went to the back to grab a few more towels to wipe down the tables and booths with a little Pledge furnishing cleaner from a can which she kept in a closet towards the back where there were also a spare room to lie down when there was someone to cover for her at the bar if she was having a particularly bad night. Which does happen every so often when there are guys like Seb and Jim who decide to be a bit more than pleasant. It's nice to have a little cot and a room away from it all to go back to and try to cool yourself before you do something equally as idiotic.

Molly always kept her cool no matter what. It didn't matter if someone tried to talk her down especially if they were drunk. She kept a kind face and dealt with it. She imagined people thought she was bit too nice at times but that's why she had Mary around her. Before she knew her, it was a bit worse for her. Having her around is probably one of the best things about coming to this place and dealing with unkind people. She always has her back and if Molly can have hers, she does. It's just not always as noticeable.

When she came back out she came to a shocking halt when she saw Sherlock standing over by the jukebox that had been brought it two days ago after the wall had dried from the paintjob that had to be done. It was the same one that was always there. "I thought you had left with John."

"No. I'm not tired." He mumbled but hadn't turned around to talk to her directly. She didn't really pay him any mind as she begun to wipe down the tables with the lemon scented wood polish. Everything was made of wood pretty much. It would take a good hour for her to get to it all and that just fine. It kept her mind off the big deal that came with tonight. It shouldn't really be a big deal but when a business isn't open for three weeks let alone three days people start to wonder if it's called it quits. She hoped to never have to do that. This was a part of her family's heritage and she loved it immensely.

Molly had just started on the third table when she heard the crooning sounds of an old blues singer. It was a slow song with a bit of a tempo to it. She had heard it before, but couldn't place the name of it. She opted to look up to see what Sherlock was doing since he had been the one by the jukebox and no doubt had picked the tune himself. The surprises kept coming for he was standing beside her which caused her to nearly stumble back if it wasn't for him reaching out and yanking her towards him. "Are you always so startled?"

"Only when I'm not paying attention. Besides I didn't think you would be right there. You were just all the way across the room. That's kind of scary, Sherlock." She told him quietly as she pulled herself away from him to stand on her own two feet.

He smiled shortly. "Allow me to show my fancy footwork then." He stated, extending a hand out to her. He was clever, she thought as she placed her towel which really was a rag down on the table. "You want to dance, right now?"

"Now would be a good as time than say tomorrow." He stated, gesturing with his hand that was extended for her to grab it. Molly rolled her eyes at him but placed her hand in his anyways. He really was a really strange man.

"That's not the right way to encourage someone to dance with you." She told him as the song came to a close and another one took its place. It had a bit more kick to it and as the came to a halt near the same space that was usually used for the odd dance or two and sometimes performers if anyone came through and had a tale to tale through songs.

Molly wasn't all that prepared for what followed but tried to keep up as best as she could as she gripped his hand as they did all these odd ends of turns and dips. It was all so different than what she had seen before. She wasn't much of a dancer in the traditional sense nor was she one to get down with the rest usually. She could attempt to though. This was eye-opening though. "Where did you learn to do this?" She asked him as he pulled her back up towards the end of their dance.

"What makes you think I took a class?"

"You're very polished." She told him quickly as he pulled her back to him and just held her there, the words only just escaping out of her mouth.

"Thank you." He told her with a tight smile. She was confused but gave him a short smile as she separated from him and quickly went back to her task of wiping down the tables. "However, yes my mother did have me take lessons when I was younger. I detested them."

"Then why ask me to dance?"

"You needed to relax a bit."

"I doubt that helped." She told him as she started to work along the wall where the booths started to circle around the room.

"Probably would have been better if I had a violin. That's usually more relaxing. Was that stressful?" He asked as he took the can out of her hand and one of the cleaner rags and started to work at the next booth.

"Not much as very enthralling."

They work silently for a bit before Molly decided to go ahead and head to the back to get ready. She had at least another hour and half before everything would start. Sherlock was going to head out to get properly dressed himself but stopped her before she could disappear from view. "That's a good thing, you enjoyed the dance?" He seemed to have decided to continue the conversation that had been having an hour ago. She gave him an odd look. To decide to just continue it as if there hadn't been a break in between the time was something else.

"Yes…." She trailed off eyeing him as she started to walk around to the back.

He nodded before turning abruptly and left.

Molly shrugged as she turned to go get dressed.

Three hours into the celebration and Molly had a good momentum going between talking to guests and filling orders as they came in. Everything was going great and though she hadn't a proper break since allowing the first few in once everyone was there, she was happy. Nothing was going wrong and that made her happy. She didn't need anything to. This was a success.

Sherlock sat at the bar with John and Greg who had brought his girlfriend with him. His eyes roamed around the room as he tossed back his shot of scotch. He wasn't looking for anyone in particular just seeing how everything was going. He very rarely did that when he came here for a drink with his companions. It was pleasant to see people actually enjoying themselves for once and soon enough people were dancing. His thoughts moved back to a few hours ago when he had swooped Molly onto that same space of floor and danced with her. He still didn't understand why he felt like he needed to do that. He had just done it. He didn't feel any certain way about it but it had seemed good to have someone to dance with.

He didn't dance all that much anymore. He didn't see the point of it.

There was something he was still trying to figure out about Molly Hooper, the owner of this establishment. She wasn't a woman who belonged in a place like this but she seemed to fit there almost perfectly. He had realized it the moment he first stepped foot in this place and was introduced to her a few years ago. Now he knew for certain. The somewhat careful grace she held when chatting with the guests or the way her smile lit up on her face when someone was saying something kind about her aunt the actual Molly in Molly's Pub. It was everything and he wasn't sure where to place her a person.

She wasn't a nobody. Her appearance was adequate at best but the smile changed her completely. It made her seem as if she was floating on the edge of everything all the other men looked for. She was breathtaking and interesting. She had always been in the four and half years that she had been in his presence. She never stayed still all that much, he noticed which is why when most of everyone decided to dance he was surprised to see her stop over beside him and take his shot which had just been refilled and toss it back.

"I need that." She told him as she leaned against the bar.

Molly didn't think she was bold or anything for doing that. His was the only glass that was still full and he didn't look to be planning on finishing it any time soon. It was merely a coincidence. She could pour him another shortly. "You should rest more." Sherlock's voice broke her from her trance at watch all the people who were enjoying themselves and having a good time dancing along to a rather hip hop-esque song.

She giggled at that. "Yeah, and you should I don't know be more like John."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Because he actually goes after what he wants." She muttered gesturing to the two of their friends out on the dance floor dancing rather closely together.

"And what do I want?"

"I wouldn't know. You're still a mystery to me."

"Likewise, Miss Hooper." He told her coming close to brushing up against her, nearly pinning her to the bar except not entirely seeing as he was still a gentleman but they were close enough in proximity, only for those rambunctious friends of theirs to come up smiling goofily muttering drunkenly how much fun the night is. In the end Molly wasn't sure as to what he was about to do but she did know that she had been very red in the face for the entire night until they closed and even after she got home to her small flat.