As Above As Below 7
Molly bit back the scream that was threatening to form and forced herself to think rationally. She said goodbye to Mary about a minute ago. She had last checked on Sherlock three minutes ago and he had been focused on something in the sandpit. How far could a six year old go in the course of approximately four minutes?
Molly tried not to think that Sherlock was anything but a regular six year old. She checked the playground thoroughly, making sure he was not just hiding somewhere near the slide or the obstacle course. She was just about to panic when she spotted John the teddy lying underneath a particularly tall oak. She all but ran there, scooping up the teddy in her arm, eyes darting here and there searching for Sherlock. A snap of twigs high above her caused her to look up sharply.
"Sherlock!" she hissed as soon as she spotted the six-year-old once consulting detective three or four branches above her; moving along the branch with feline grace. She would have shouted but she didn't want to startle him and cause him to lose his balance.
The boy glanced at her dispassionately. "Hullo Molly." He refocused on the object in front of him; moving stealthily along the branch once more.
"How on earth did you get up there?" Molly said with increasing impatience. "And what are you doing?"
"Looking at bees, you should come up too. The tree's easy to climb," he said, pausing to look down at her, legs swinging beneath him as he sat down.
"Bees?" Molly asked, hoping that Sherlock hadn't found a hive up there.
"Yeah, there's a hive up here. Can I take it home with me?" He blinked his pale blue eyes, but Molly was having none of it.
She put her hands on her hips. "No, you can't take a hive home, Sherlock, now get down!"
"Make me." Sherlock declared, standing precariously on the branch, one arm holding the tree trunk for balance.
"Sherlock Holmes, you get down this instance before I call your brother," Molly said in her most authoritative voice.
Sherlock snorted, "I'm not afraid of Mycrwoft."
Molly released a breath, "Alright then. Stay up there. I was going to let you watch Doctor Who tonight, but-" Snap! Molly's reflexes acted on their own accord, snatching Sherlock's small body out of the air before he could crash to the ground. "Oh God, Sherlock, are you alright?" Molly asked nervously, holding him close to her and feeling him for injuries. Her frustration with his petulant behavior from earlier vanished.
"Yeah…I…uh…I did that on purpose. I knew you would catch me." Sherlock said, but clutching at Molly's coat regardless. She could feel his heart racing.
"Really? You did that on purpose?" Molly raised her eyebrows and moved away from the tree, with Sherlock in one arm and the bear tucked under another.
"It was the fastest way to get down." Sherlock glanced back forlornly at the bee-hive before saying, "Now can we get home and watch Doctor Who?"
Molly laughed and Sherlock grinned. He said, "But next time, I'll take the bees home with me."
"Why do you like bees so much?" Molly asked with interest. She hadn't known about this before. She was learning lots of things about the mysterious man she'd loved for so long.
"When I grow up, I'll be a pirate bee-keeper!" Sherlock declared, his face lighting up with glee. Molly beamed at him. "Sure ove, but what about being a detective?"
Molly nearly laughed at the way Sherlock scrunched up his tiny face in concentration. "Oh, that…" Sherlock said, "Can't I be all three? I'll be a detective at night and a pirate bee-keeper by day!" He smiled at her, proud at finding a solution.
Molly laughed and nodded; though there was a pang in her heart when she realized she wouldn't have this young lovable Sherlock, the Sherlock who hugged her and at times cuddled up next to her, for much longer. "Molly, are you alright?" Sherlock said, squirming in her arms until she let him down from her arms. He automatically held her hand though.
"What do you mean, love?" Molly said, trying to banish her sadness.
"Well, you got all thoughtful…and your eyes went distant and you weren't smiling anymore." She forgot who she was dealing with sometimes. "I like it when you smile, Molly. It's pretty." He said, a flush coloring his high cheekbones.
Molly stopped and lowered herself to his level (It was head spinning sometimes; looking down at those eyes.) and kissed his cheeks. "You will grow up soon, Sherlock, Mycroft said so last night."
"So?" Sherlock stated, as though he didn't see the problem.
"So," Molly said, covering his tiny, thin hands with hers, "I'll miss you. You'll go away when you are back to your normal size."
"No I won't," Sherlock said confidently, "I'll stay with you."
"And who'll fight the bad guys?" Molly said, biting her cheek to keep from laughing. He really was so sweet like this.
Sherlock thought for a while before answering with pride, "I'll take you with me then. We can be heroes together!"
"Really?" Molly asked, bemused and hoping someone would video tape this Sherlock and show it to the older one.
"Yeah! I'll be the pirate king and I'll need a queen! You can be her, you're much smarter than a lot of girls!"
"Alright, then, Your Royal Pirate-ness!" Molly said, standing up and taking Sherlock's hand once more. "Will you take your Queen home now?"
"We'll need a ship's doctor too!" Sherlock said, happily skipping along with her, "We can take John; after I get bigger, I'll ask him to join us and he won't be so sad anymore!"
Molly's heart clenched. "Yes…we should do that. John would love that very much."
His looks of such blissful happiness made Molly's heart just…ache.
Later
Molly curled up on the couch, cup of tea in hand and more than ready to relax after the hectic night before and the excitable day. Sherlock was still a bundle of endless energy; except this time he had taken up the sonic screwdriver replica Molly had and was brandishing it around the room; claiming it to be more useful than a pirate's cutlass. Molly watched him gambol around the room, alternatively talking to John the bear in all seriousness and with a frightening resemblance to his older self to the real John. She was just getting comfortable when the bell rang. Wondering who on earth it could be and more or less expecting Mycroft, she buzzed the intercom. "Hello?"
"Molly, hi, it's me Greg. You know, Greg Lestrade. Mind if I come up?"
A/N: I don't feel bad at all for the cliffhanger again. And maybe the fact that this week has been all about Doctor Who is kinda showing in my fic :P Anyway, much love to all those who read, alerted, faved and reviewed- magicstrikes, GuEsT, Lucy36, Lady Nuit, MorbidbyDefault, friend2friend1, Ssmill, Beth-TauriChick, Lono, Zora Arian and 173'dliketobe167! I wish I could thank you all personally, but this week has been rather hectic and...disappointing.
Much love and lots of thanks to my lovely beta A Pirate By Any Other Name! Also, lots of love to NoveraDeMedeci!
Now go and show love to my other fics (self advertising!)
Thanks for reading and hope you review!
love,
Adi x