Back to a bit more Sherlock. I miss him when he's not in the chapter much. Have a good weekend xxx

Chapter 5

Sherlock was sat outside the pub with a pint when they got back. Molly joined him and after ordering a drink she filled him in on the events of her day. Sherlock was particularly interested in the burial mounds and the possibility of underground tunnels.

Molly was a little horrified, 'you don't think they're keeping the poor girl underground somewhere do you?'

Sherlock looked unperturbed, 'well, it would make sense, it would be an ideal hiding place. I can do some research online to see if there are any maps of the area showing the tunnels. Maybe we can check some of them out tomorrow.'

She also told him the gossip about Hugh Bennett and Meredith and the fact that there were some men in the village leading double lives. 'Unsurprising, you'd be amazed how many people seem to carry on extra-marital affairs with either the opposite or their own sex. Not many seem to actually believe in their vows. I don't know why people even bother with marriage, it seems to be purely for show and legality.'

Molly couldn't help but feel sad at Sherlock's views towards his fellow man but maybe sometimes his ability to deduce people wasn't such a good thing. It meant all he ever saw was the bad in people, the things they tried to cover up and didn't want others to see. Molly always tried to see the good in people. She couldn't help but feel positive and hopeful about life.

They soon went into the pub as the rain, which had threatened all day, started to fall. Their meal passed off uneventfully and Sherlock actually ate which was a novelty. It seemed even he had to succumb to his bodies needs every so often. She wondered if that was the same when it came to sex but she was too embarrassed to ask him. He wouldn't be likely to tell her anyway, 'oh yes Molly I masturbate twice a week, thank you for asking.' She couldn't help but giggle a little at the thought and Sherlock looked up from his salmon with a questioning eye.

They ended up retiring to their respective rooms quite early. Sherlock was liaising with Greg and wanted to catch up on various lines of enquiry as well as researching the tunnels. Molly had asked if there were anything she could do but he'd been quite dismissive.

It was only when she was back in her room that she remembered the strange feeling she'd had earlier in the day. That sense of being watched. She tried to ignore it and put it down to her just being overly sensitive. But after she'd showered and changed for bed it kept playing around at the back of her mind. It didn't help that the lamp cast strange shadows in the corners of the room and the drumming of the rain on the roof and window added to her feeling of foreboding. Twice Molly thought she saw something move out of the corner of her eye, her heart racing each time.

When she finally turned out the light and lay there in the dark all she did was lie rigidly in the bed listening to the rain coupled with the creaks and groans of the old building. She found herself jumping in fright at each and every one. She started to recite medical terminology to herself to take her mind off it but was distracted when she felt an icy breath of air on the back of her neck. She sat bolt upright scrabbling to switch on the light feeling as though her heart was trying to leap up into her throat. She looked around just in time to see what looked like a dark amorphous shape melt into the shadow.

She sat for a moment contemplating what to do, almost rocking with fear. All of Adrian's tales of demons and witches and death flooding into her mind making her more and more scared. She tried to reason with herself and tell herself that it was all in her imagination but when she turned out the light within minutes she swore she felt fingers slide over her skin and a cold, clammy hand gripped her ankle briefly. She pulled her foot away and tried to scream but the terror seemed to rob her of sound. This time when she put the light on she didn't hesitate. She just picked up her dressing gown and left the room.

She tapped lightly on Sherlock's door hoping he was still awake; closing her eyes briefly to give a thank you to the gods as she heard him moving to unlock it. As soon as he did she was over the threshold and had her arms wrapped around his waist needing to feel something solid and warm and real.

'I'm sorry, I'm sorry,' she muttered as she held onto him. Gradually she felt his hands come up taking hold of the tops of her arms. He hesitantly moved away from her looking into her eyes with concern, 'what's wrong Molly? What's happened?' He looked over her shoulder into the corridor as if wondering whether something or someone was following her.

'Nothing, it's me, I'm being stupid.' Molly moved away and sat down on the edge of his bed as he moved to close the bedroom door. It was only then that she noticed he was dressed for bed in a t shirt and pyjama trousers. If it had been any other time she would have been filing that image away in her memory banks but she was still too freaked out to care.

He sat next to her, 'it's not like you to be stupid, well no more than most people anyway. What happened?'

Now she was with him she was starting to feel a little ridiculous, there was no way Sherlock was going to take her fears seriously. If the roles had been reversed she knew what her own reaction would have been but she also knew there was no way she was going back into that bedroom tonight.

She tried to tell him as clearly as she could but she could tell by his expression that he was getting exasperated. In the end she played a low card; the only ace she had, 'you said once, many years ago that you trusted me, that you'd always trusted me. Well prove it, trust me now when I say there is something weird going on. But please, please don't make me go back into that room.'

He was silent for a moment assessing her before he relented, 'fine you can sleep in here with me. We're both adults, I'm sure we can be respectful of each other.'

Molly tried to crack a smile, 'is that your way of telling me to keep my hands to myself.'

He followed her lead at trying to lighten the atmosphere and countered with, 'you never know I might be the one with the roving hands in the night.'

This time when she settled down to sleep the only thing keeping her awake was the knowledge that Sherlock was lying less than a foot from her. She felt safe and secure but also hyper aware of his breathing and movements in the bed. He fell asleep quite quickly and she listened to his breathing, feeling him next to her in the bed. She almost had to clench her hands to stop herself from reaching out for him. Images of him stood in his pyjamas now came into her mind tormenting her and making her bite her lip and squeeze her eyes shut trying to calm her breathing.

In the end though she did fall asleep and when she awoke in the morning it was to an empty bed. Looked like Sherlock had awoke before her and fled rather than face some awkward pillow talk. For that she was a little grateful, she wasn't sure she would really have been up for that either.

When she went back into her room to change for breakfast her fears from the night before seemed a bit daft; she hoped she would feel a bit more comfortable in the night to come. After all she'd slept in here fine the first night, maybe she just needed a few extra drinks to take her mind off it.

MHMHMHMHMHMHMHMHMH

Molly found Sherlock drinking his coffee in the morning sun. He was sat in the beer garden attached to the pub. She ate lighter this time just choosing cereal and croissants whilst finding out Sherlock's plans for the day. He had only found vague references to the possible tunnels and was waiting for a call back from Lestrade to see if his team had been able to find out more. Nevertheless he was planning on the two of them exploring some of the burial chambers to see if they could uncover anything.

Molly couldn't help but frown a little at his outfit which unsurprisingly was spotted by Sherlock, 'do you have a problem with what I'm wearing Molly?' He asked, looking down at himself as if he might discover something untoward.

'Well, no, not really...'

'But?' He raised an eyebrow.

'Well, a suit doesn't seem the best outfit for tramping around fields and mucking around in a burial mound.'

'As I'm not planning on "mucking around" as you so delightfully put it I'm sure I'll be fine. Have you not finished eating yet?'

Molly rolled her eyes but picked up her croissant to eat on the go.

It didn't help that fifteen minutes into their walk the heavens opened effectively drowning the two of them. They ran the last five minutes and ducked into the grass covered entrance of the first mound they saw. Sherlock flicked on his torch and shone it around the small enclosed space. The tunnel into the mound was about six feet long and then opened out into a larger domed space about fifteen feet in diameter. It was completely empty though having long since been ransacked of both bodies and any valuables that might have been left with them.

Sherlock stamped about trying to see if there were any points on the floor with a different resonance but they came up blank, he moved on into the adjoining second chamber whilst Molly was looking at some carvings, taking the light source with him. Almost immediately Molly felt the air sticking in her throat, it was as though she couldn't breath. The darkness consumed her and all she could feel was the weight of all the stone and earth pressing down on her. She had always suffered from claustrophobia as a child but it had been years since it had affected her this much. A cold trickle of numbing fear slid down her spine.

She couldn't even call out to Sherlock, all she could do was close her eyes, her hands against the cool stone for stability and try to concentrate on just breathing. A moment later Sherlock was back complaining that there were no entrances or exits that he could find. The crushing sensation lifted as soon as his torch light flashed across her and she kept her face turned from him not wanting him to see how badly affected she had been. Last night had been embarrassing enough without him thinking she was scared of the dark and claustrophobic as well.

It was the same disappointment for Sherlock in the next four mounds that they visited, though Molly made sure to stick a little closer to him and not get left alone. He was getting increasingly grumpy but Molly was saved by the bell when his phone rang.

'What have you found?' Was Sherlock's curt answer. He listened for a few minutes, barked a couple of instructions and then hung up.

Molly couldn't help but chime in, 'you know it wouldn't hurt once in a while to say please or thank you.'

Sherlock narrowed his eyes, 'will it save Lily's life if I say my Ps and Qs? No, I don't think so, if it's not relevant to the case, it's not important.' He turned away as though the conversation were ended but Molly persisted.

'Maybe it's not relevant to the case but it's important to the people you need help from. If you treat them like dirt the day may come when they don't help or don't act as fast when you call, then that could jeopardise your cases. Anyhow, didn't your parents bring you up better than that...what would your mum say?'

Sherlock just grunted but led them back out into the fresh air. At least this time it had stopped raining. 'Lestrade says there may be some connection to the passageways from the church in the village. He's making contact with the vicar to ask him to meet us there. Apparently there is a crypt below the church which may help us.'

He ploughed on ahead with Molly half running to keep up. Life with Sherlock was certainly keeping her fit.

Hands up who wanted sexy times from them sharing a bed together. Well, can't move things along too fast. It's not called a slow-burn story for nothing. Patience ;).