I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS!

Chapter Five: "You said dinner!"

Sherlock stud outside of the Mari Vanna waiting for Molly. The more he thought about it maybe he should have borrowed one of Mycroft's cars and sent it to get her, but it was too late now she would have set off. Never mind. The usher had been watching him for ten or so minutes. He clearly was trying to figure out if he had been stud up or not. Things where just starting to get a little awkward when at last Molly turns up. The usher steps forward to open the taxi door, but Holmes is already there offering his hand.

As the pair walk up the red carpeted steps to the restaurant door. He mouthed to the man in the top hat who held it open "There's your answer."

"Madam."

"Oh, thank you."

Sherlock smiled at the small blush on Molly's face that seemed to grow when the young waiter who took her coat and pushed in her chair for her as she sat down.

"What?" Molly laughed

"Nothing, Molly."

"Your menus and the wine menu as well sir."

"Thank you."

"You choose the wine Sherlock. I'm sure you have a better idea of would a decent wine is like compared to me."

"As you wish. What are you having to eat? Fish or meat?"

She ummmed and arrrred and then she decided on one of the lamb dishes.

"Lamb? Okay then."

"Has sir decided?"

Molly hide her giggle. "Yes we'll have this last dry white on the list. Thank you."

"And your food choice?"

"Molly?" Sherlock hinted to the waiter to remember his manners, ladies should always first. And Molly seemed to agree with Sherlock on reminding the twenty-something of how he should be acting.

"The Lamb please, though tell the chef to hold back on the garlic." Before the boy could say a thing she butted in "Thank you dear." When he turned to Holmes she winked with a cheeky smile.

"The same on both counts, thank you." Holmes handed the menus to the boy and looked at Molly. "So what do you think?"

"Between you and me? I love it. And I could definitely get used to It." she laughed.

"Oh, really."

"Yes."

The night went on well until Molly noticed something very off. Every two minutes he would look up and into the mirror. It was if he was watching the other table behind him. Or Sherlock had suddenly decided to become as vain as Tom was. It then twigged. This was part of a case. 'That bastard!' she thought.

"Sherlock!" she growled under her breath.

His eyes snapped away from the mirror and looked over her face for a clue as to why her temperament had changed so drastically. "Yes, what's wrong?"

"You're on a bloody case aren't you?"

"Molly…I…"

"No, Sherlock." She pushed the rest of her food to a side and closed her knife and fork. She had been brought up in a house where only when you had done that could you excuse yourself from the table. Her mother was always strict when it came to table manners. "I can't believe you. How could you do this? I know it's nothing special between us, but for god's sake Sherlock why tonight?"

"Molly, it is the only time I can do it. Plus don't you think it would look a bit odd if it was me and John having an intermit dinner for two in a restaurant?" Molly raised one of her elegant eyebrows at this but said nothing for the moment. "Especially on the exact night that the suspect was dinning here?"

"Well you could have posed as a waiter again." She smirked.

'Forgiven?' he thought. "Oh, John told you about that?"

"No."

"Sorry?"

"It was Mary. When she told me I wasn't surprised." Her eyes seemed to once again shine with happiness.

"Really and whys that?"

"Sherlock, I've known you for eight years. You're a drama queen. I noticed that the very first time I met you." Sherlock's eyebrow arched up in surprise and amusement. He gave a little cough and Molly gave in. "Yes okay I wasn't to bothered about your personality when we first met. I was more bothered about….."

"My backside." He added casually.

She couldn't not giggle at his little statement. Any other time she would be embarrassed, but when it was just the two of them she was more herself. Or at least she had become more herself around him after that night of plotting and planning before the fall. "…I was going to say who the hell you were and why you were in my Lab. Actually."

"That may have been what you were going to say tonight, but it wasn't what you were thinking when we met." Holmes sipped at his wine with a smirk on his face.

"Smug git. But all this doesn't mean that I'm still pissed off with you Holmes."

"I know. But will you help me?"

"For a genius you can be pretty think sometimes." She shuck her head a little in wonder at how he had missed it. She could see he still didn't understand so Molly reiterated. "If I wasn't going to help you I would have left as soon as I found out. I would have said a thing I would have just left. Maybe knock your wine onto you for good measure, but I wouldn't have said a thing."

"Ah."

"Yes you idiot…..So are you going to tell me what's going on or are you going to the whole I'm Sherlock Holmes so only I can know thing?"

"Stop reading John's blog Molly."

"Why?"

"It's annoying the things he puts on there even though he's married. The wording is terrible and your starting to speck how he writes." He gave her a look that a fed up child gives their mother after they've been forced to go shopping.

Molly just laughed and told him that she would think about it. They continued the night like nothing was said. Though Sherlock did continue to look in the mirror every ten minutes, but Molly didn't mind so much now she knew what was going on.

…..

Two weeks had passed since Sherlock had taken Molly to dinner. That he was on that night still hadn't been solved it was beginning to annoy him. He needed more information on the couple that were sat behind him that night. He had found out that they had been working for Moriarty at one point in the last three years. If Moriarty was back he needed to know how close these two were with him and find out, if he could, what Moriarty wanted.

He hated having to ask his brother for favours for multiple reasons, one being that Mycroft would not let him hear the end of it if it was to do with a case, but this time he 'needed' his annoying big brother's help.

…..

"Hello, brother dear."

"What do you want now?"

"Now, now do I have to have a reason to phone my big brother?"

"Sherlock I'm busy."

"Your work out can wait Mycroft. I need you to put my name and Molly's on your friend's guest list."

"Molly?"

"Mycroft."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Yeah do you want to go? You don't like parties. You don't like people."

"Case." Sherlock could hear his brother sigh at the other end of the phone. "Mycroft."

The other Holmes knew what his younger brother was up to. He was right about Lord Summerfield. But at a time like this Mycroft could not afford for information to be leaked about the government and its relationship with the case on Moriarty. "Sherlock for goodness sake. If anything goes wrong I can't help you." 'Oh here it comes.' But the snide comment about sentiment never came not this time.

"Are you doing it?"

"Give me a minute. I'll email Anthea the…"

"Have you done it yet?"

"Done…done what?"

Sherlock chuckled loudly at his brother's innocent confusion. Or not so innocent depending on how you look at it. "Does your 'Goldfish' know about the party list?"

"Drop the subject Sherlock. Now!"

"Fine, but will you hurry up some of us have murderers it catch." He hung up and sat laughing in his chair. Mycroft was so easy to windup.

…..

Another few days passed by as plans were made on how to get both Miss Hooper and himself into Lord Summerfield's house party. And once he was happy with everything Holmes set the wheels in motion.

Molly – SH

? – Molly x

Fancy helping me again? – SH

I'm always helping you. :) – Molly x

With the case I told you about…. – SH

You're still on that? – Molly x

I thought you said it was Moriarty? – Molly x

Yes. But it's not completely rapped up yet. – SH

What do you want me to do? – Molly x

I need you to come to Baker Street. – SH

….

"SHERLOCK!"

"Kitchen."

"So what do you need?"

"Will you marry me?" Sherlock asked casually over his microscope as he analysed a piece of inner lining from the victim's jacket pocket.

"WHAT!" Molly couldn't believe what she was hearing. Did Sherlock Holmes really just purpose to her?

"Will you marry me? Or will it be long term partners? Mycroft wants to know."

"What?"

"Ah. I did tell you about the party?"

"Nope." Molly dumped her bag under the table as she often did and pulled out one of the chairs to sit on.

"I could have sworn I text you? Oh… it might have been Mycroft."

"Great Sherlock. You're comparing me to your brother. Thanks."

"Hmmm? What? Oh never mind that. You said you wanted to help, so I managed to get our names on the list…."

"Let me guess….the same couple that where sat behind us are hosting a party or are going to one and you think Moriarty may be there?" Molly rolled her eyes and sighed at him.

"Too much of a good opportunity."

"So we're getting married then?"

"Engaged. Yes."

"Sorry?!" John had the most comic timing. The things that must have been going through his mind in that moment. Molly wished that she could see his thoughts in little bubbles around his head.

"Oh, hello John. Cup of tea?"

"What's going on? You're getting married?"

Molly smiled as she knew what was coming next. 'Bad move John.'

"Ah there you are you just answered your own question."

"What I don't understand."

'T-shirt.' Sherlock thought.

"Yes, John we are getting married. Well getting engaged anyway."

"Sorry what?"

Molly sighed and put the kettle on. John watched her every movement closely. He began to imagine things about the pair and their 'friendship.' Whereas Sherlock was simply figuring out what style of text would suit John's new piece of clothing.

It took the pair about half an hour to explain to their kind-hearted, but slow minded friend what was going on. John still didn't fully understand it, but it sounded legit so he went along with it. That night when he told Mary about the whole thing it still sounded strange saying "so Sherlock and Molly are getting married."

….

The night came and Molly once again looked stunning. She was nervous at wearing the dress she had worn to that awful Christmas party, but Sherlock seemed to like it this time. As they got into the taxi Molly asked, "So what I'm having to call you?"

"Sorry?"

"Well can't turn up as Sherlock Holmes. Mycroft wouldn't let you." It was true. Mycroft wanted nothing to do with this. He didn't want his name implied in anyway. "So come on then."

"Tim."

"Tim!" Molly couldn't help but laugh. She knew Mycroft wouldn't let Sherlock get away with something normal so it was most likely to be 'Timothy."

"Shut up Molly." He looked at her. She could be so annoying.

"So I'm still Molly? Thank god for that." she was still giggling slightly as the car turned the corner of the drive. "My god! Look at this place Sherlock. It's beautiful. What I would give to have a place like this."

"I've seen better."

"Of cause YOU have." She said stepping out of the cab with one hand on the handle and her other in his hand.