Chapter 7

It was a beautiful July day in London. Everybody was so eager to finally get some sun that the parks were invaded by hordes of picnickers and sunbathers.

But Molly Hooper was not one of them. She was on a bus, on her way to Baker Street.

She had offered John to give him a hand packing.

After much hesitation, the doctor had finally decided to move out of 221B. Mycroft was paying the other half of the rent and had assured him that he could stay as long as he needed. But the place carried too many memories, and he needed a fresh start.

He discovered that Sherlock had left him a large amount of money in his will. It was enough to afford a small flat in Kensington, near the practice where, somewhat to his surprise, he had been offered a partnership (even if he suspected Mycroft had had a hand in it).

Life was going on, at least a different one. But he missed Sherlock of course, and the adrenaline his flatmate had brought into his life.

He was still in touch with Lestrade, meeting him once in a while to take a beer at the pub and speak of the good old times.

And he was keeping a close eye on Molly. He thought Sherlock would have wanted him to. Or maybe not? Maybe he wouldn't have given a damn about the poor girl?

John had been spending more time with her lately, and he enjoyed her company. She was a smart girl, a doctor. But men had always been her weak spot. First there had been Sherlock, using her feelings for him to gain access into Bart's morgue. And then "Jim", who had charmed her in order to perform his little show.

However, she was stronger than he had imagined. He was actually amazed at how quickly she was recovering. Of course there were still ups and downs, and she would sometimes burst into tears at the least provocation, but hormones were also to be blamed for that.

^/^

Molly knocked at the door and was welcomed by Mrs. Hudson.

"Good afternoon, I'm here to see John"

"Oh come in, come in."

The landlady closed the door behind them and gave her a warm smile.

"He's been working hard since this morning. I was going to bring some lemonade upstairs - you must be thirsty my dear, it's so hot outside".

"I'd love some, thank you".

"I remember you, you know."

"Really?"

"Well, I saw you a couple of times… visiting Sherlock". She gave her a knowing wink. "I might be an old woman but I'm not blind!"

Molly was blushing slightly.

"Oh don't worry dear; I thought you were such a sweet girl!" She lowered her voice, and continued in hushed tones: "John told me about the baby; congratulations. You know where to find me if you need a babysitter".

Molly laughed. "Don't worry, I'll think about the offer".

The two women were interrupted by John's voice coming from upstairs:

"Molly, is that you?"

"Yes, I'm coming!"

^/^

They worked for two hours. John was busy dismantling some furniture while Molly was packing books into boxes. They finally took a well-deserved break around a cup of mint tea that John had learned to prepare during his time in Afghanistan.

"What about Sherlock's stuff?" asked Molly.

"Mycroft said to leave it there; he will take care of it. Speaking of the devil, have you heard from him lately?"

"He calls me once a week, 'for news'. But I don't doubt he already knows everything I have to say. His agents are waiting in a car near my building 24/7."

John rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't worry, I have the same downstairs. I know it's annoying but they still haven't get Moran so…"

"...Yeah…"

Molly tried to change the subject: "So, Sarah couldn't come today?"

"Well… Sarah and I aren't doing so well."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I hope it'll get better, she's really nice."

"Yeah, we'll see… So, how's the baby doing?"

"Good - I'm starting to feel it move now. It's a bit… weird. By the way, I have my second scan next week. Er...I was wondering if you could… come with me?

John smothered a smile, turning slightly pink."If you want, sure, it'd be an honour. Do you want to know the sex?"

"Yes, I can't wait! But I'll be happy either way", she said enthusiastically.

He looked at her for a moment, mouth twitching.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just good to see you smile."