NEW SCOTLAND YARD, 10PM...
At the station, John and Lestrade sat with the families of Annie Bridges and Arnold Peterson. They had just found out that the killer of their loved ones had been caught and would be facing trial in China for murders they'd committed there and for Annie and Arnold's murders.
"At least my dad can rest in peace." Mr. Peterson's son breathed, while his sister started to sob tears of relief in his arms.
"My poor baby... She didn't deserve this." Mrs. Bridges wept while her two surviving children hugged her comfortingly, shedding their own tears for their late sister.
Lestrade shook Mr. Bridges' hand. "Once again, I'm so sorry for your loss. I was a big fan of your daughter's work." he apologised.
"Thank you, Inspector. It makes me happy to know that my little girl was loved by so many." Mr. Bridges replied, clearly relieved that his daughter's killer had been found.
John shook James' hand. "At least now you can sleep a little easier at night, Mr. Stone." he smiled sympathetically.
James nodded. "If you and Mr. Holmes hadn't solved the case, I don't know what I'd have done... I just hope Annie's happy wherever she is now." he sighed. Dark shadows were visible beneath his eyes and he was physically and mentally exhausted.
John nodded in understanding. "If you ever need our help again, you know where to find Sherlock." he replied.
Once the two families had gone to finally get a chance to grieve, Lestrade ran his hand through his hair. "I hope that Stone guy's gonna be alright. He clearly loved Annie." he sighed with a sad smile.
"S o do I, Greg. So do I..." John nodded. After a brief silence, he turned to the inspector. "I don't know about you, but I could really use a coffee." he began.
"Sounds like a plan. It's been a long night for both of us." Lestrade chuckled, walking with the former army doctor to get some coffee.
TWO WEEKS LATER; MOLLY'S FLAT, 7:30PM...
Molly was pacing around in her front room. She was clearly nervous, and for good reason; tonight was the night of the "social experiment", and at the moment, the pathologist was mentally thinking about any worst possible situations that could occur.
Watching her pace backwards and forwards was Mary, whose eyes darted from right to left, left to right and so on. "For crying out loud, Molly, get it together! You're starting to make me motion sick!" she exclaimed in frustration finally.
"Sorry, it's just... I've been dreaming about this night for years, and I... I don't want to ruin it." Molly apologised. She'd dressed in the black and white dress from that disastrous Christmas party, and it didn't help that things had been strangely awkward between her and Sherlock since the incident with Lien.
Mary sighed and got out from where she was sitting, Toby immediately jumping into the spot and making himself comfortable. "I know, Molls. But, look on the bright side; you won't have to dream about it anymore!" she beamed, trying to make her feel better. She rested her hands on Molly's shoulders. "Now, repeat after me; I am a beautiful woman." she began, making sure she had the nervous woman's attention.
"What're you doing?" Molly asked, looking confused.
"Just repeat what I say! "I am a beautiful woman"." Mary answered.
Molly took a deep breath. "I am a beautiful woman..." she breathed.
"I am successful and good at what I do."
"I am successful and good at what I do."
"I am going to make sure Sherlock Holmes gets the surprise of his life."
Molly looked suspicious at Mary's choice of words. "Mary, you do know he'd deduct me, my dress style and my manners in just seconds, right?" she asked.
"I am going to make sure Sherlock Holmes gets the surprise of his life!" Mary repeated through gritted teeth.
"I-I am going to make sure Sherlock Holmes gets the surprise of his life." Molly replied.
"And I will not care what that sod says whatsoever!" Mary concluded.
"And I will not care what that sod says whatsoever!" Molly exclaimed, adding emphasis on the last word.
"Atta girl, now let's take a good look in a mirror, shall we?" Mary encouraged, taking Molly to a nearby mirror.
Molly looked at her reflection. "Well... how do I look?" she asked.
The former assassin gave her friend a motherly smile. "You look like a woman who's about to make her biggest wish come true. Knock him dead!" she answered.
"Can't promise you anything, but I'll try." Molly giggled. She looked at the clock and ran to grab her coat. "Wish me luck! And thanks for taking care of Toby while I'm out!" she called as she made her way downstairs.
"No worries; have fun!" Mary answered, waving her off. Once the front door had closed, she turned to the very content cat relaxing on the couch. "Well... It looks like it's just you and me for now, Tobes." she chuckled.
Molly soon arrived at the restaurant Sherlock had made their meeting point. She saw him waiting in his usual coat and scarf and waved over to him to try to catch his attention. "Sherlock!" she called.
Sherlock looked over when he heard her voice and checked his watch. "You are exactly on time, Dr. Hooper. You seem eager to get this experiment over with as soon as you can." he began, having started his deductions already.
"Right... of course. So...shall we go in?" she asked, handbag in hand.
"Very well, though I trust you have brought a notepad in order to record your findings?" he answered. She nodded, and Sherlock led them inside. "The owner owes me a favour after I disproved his involvement in a robbery." he explained.
"I see... Well, it's good to know that clients appreciate you." Molly smiled kindly. She was quietly pinching herself to check she wasn't dreaming.
"Yes, all for sentimental reasons of course." Sherlock answered, turning to the maître d'. "We have a booking for a table for two; surname Holmes." he began.
"Ah yes, of course. This way, Mr. Holmes." the man answered, checking his list of reservations. He led the detective and the pathologist to a table that was far from the other diners.
"Goodness; dinner by candlelight. Isn't that nice, Sherlock?" Molly smiled, seeing that there were two candles lit on the table. She thanked the maître d' and took her seat. Carefully, she removed her coat and hung it on the back of her seat.
Sherlock looked over and immediately recognised the dress. For a moment, a look of regret crossed his face as he thought back to the Christmas party; the look of utter sadness on Molly's face at his deductions still clear in his head. "I see you're wearing that dress again..." he began.
"Oh, yes... Is that going to be a problem?" Molly asked, looking worried.
"No, it's... fine." he replied, turning his attention to one of the menus.
Molly looked relieved and also started to look through a menu. "Wow... There's so much choice in here. I don't know where to start!" she breathed.
The owner of the restaurant saw Sherlock and came over to greet him. "Mr. Holmes, so good to see you again!" he grinned.
Sherlock gave him a small nod in greeting. "It would seem that your brief stint with the law has done nothing to harm your business, Claudio." he replied coolly.
"And I see you've found yourself a girlfriend." Claudio smiled, gesturing towards Molly.
Molly looked embarrassed at Claudio's statement. "Oh no, no, I'm not his girlfriend! I-I'm just..." she began, blushing.
"She is my pathologist and my companion for the evening. Our relationship is one that is strictly business, Claudio." Sherlock answered, seeing that she was feeling rather on the spot.
"Ah, shame. You two actually would make quite a couple. But, never mind. The food and drink are on the house tonight." the restaurateur beamed. "You two let one of the waiters know what you want, and I'll make sure they're cooked to perfection." he added.
"Alright, thank you." Molly smiled politely. As soon as he was gone, she looked towards Sherlock. "Is that what you think about me, Sherlock?" she asked quietly.
Sherlock looked over to her. "You're upset that I see you as only a friend." he replied.
"What? N-No, but... Oh, never mind. Let's just order something and eat." she mumbled, turning back to her menu.
But the detective knew that something was on her mind. "Molly, you are clearly upset about something. If it is something I've done, at least say it to me directly." he began.
Molly's hands started to shake a little and she let out a faint chuckle. "You... You don't get it, do you?! I've been trying my hardest to show you how much you mean to me for years, yet you still don't understand it!" she exclaimed.
Sherlock looked somewhat alarmed. "Molly, you may need to lower your voice. You're catching unnecessary attention." he whispered, trying to spare her any embarrassment.
"I don't care! I'm way past caring now! I-I'm in love with you, you bloody idiot! I've loved you since the day I met you. Even when I got engaged to Tom, I couldn't shut off my feelings for you!" she cried, sounding like she was close to tears now.
Sherlock watched her in silence, trying to take in Molly's sudden confession. He could see the pain in her expression. She'd been holding back everything she'd felt about him, and now they were like a geyser that had just burst out of her. "Molly..." he began.
"What, Sherlock?!" she snapped. She turned and saw that most of the diners were staring at her. Looking down, she slunk back into her seat.
The rest of the night was painfully awkward for both Sherlock and Molly. Molly hadn't said a word to Sherlock aside from brief comments about their food since her sudden confession about her love for him, and Sherlock was trying to process the same confession through his mind palace. Eventually, they arrived outside the building where Molly lived.
"See you later, Sherlock." Molly sighed quietly as she climbed out of the cab and made her way to the front door.
Sherlock climbed out of the cab as well. "Molly, wait..." he began.
"It's alright, Sherlock. I-I just had a moment of weakness, that's all. I'm fine, really." she interrupted.
The detective suddenly took her hand. "Molly, you should know that... both Mycroft and I view sentimentality as a weakness. However; unlike my brother, I am starting to better my understanding about it with John and Mary's assistance." he began.
Molly looked confused. "I-I don't understand..." she blinked.
"When you took that bullet that Lien shot at me, I was in complete disarray. Nothing has made me act like this... except for you, Molly." he sighed.
The pathologist's expression was still one of confusion. "Sherlock, what're you trying to say?" she asked.
"Lately, my body has begun to react differently whenever I am around you. At first I believed that it was either stress or some underlying illness. However, after John gave me some pointers in the right direction, I now realise that these reactions can only be attributed to something that my mind palace has yet to fully comprehend; love." Sherlock explained, making sure he held her gaze as he spoke.
"Sherlock..." she began, covering her mouth.
"I am the only consulting detective in the world; I am antisocial, unable to understand the most basic of emotions... and a "bloody sod". My mind palace is a place where I hold the most valuable information; but I know that there is one person I know who can be able to bring some source of light to it; you. I may not be able to understand how I feel about you, but I can try to understand; for you, Molly Hooper." he promised.
Molly's eyes filled with tears and she started to laugh with happiness. "That... is the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me." she cried.
Sherlock gently stroked her tears away and then gently kissed her on the lips. It was surprisingly tender and not too short or too long, and Molly could feel herself melting under his kiss. After a minute or so, he gently pulled away and straightened up. "Alright, Dr. Hooper, what are your findings for our experiment?" he asked.
"W-Well, I'd say we hit a rough patch, but we got there in the end. How about you?" she asked, clearing her throat.
"I believe that this experiment, despite the negative mood towards the end, was a success." He answered.
"So... do you think we can work then?" she asked, looking at him with hope.
"Is that a subtle way of asking me out on a "date", Dr. Hooper?" Sherlock chuckled.
Molly giggled. "Why, I do believe I am, Mr. Holmes!" she replied. She let him take her into his arms and rest his forehead gently on hers. "Goodnight, Sherlock..." she whispered.
"Goodnight, Molly." he replied. After he gave her a quick kiss goodnight, he started to make his way back to Baker Street. He knew that when the two would announce to their friends that they were now a couple that both Mrs. Hudson and John would be pleased for them, but Mary would be especially thrilled.
And as he headed home, he had a small smile on his face. Whatever challenges he and Molly would face in their relationship, they would meet head on, for Molly would teach the consulting detective a new lesson; that sentimentality... was a strength.
The End
Well, that's the end of the story! I had so much fun writing this story, and I'm sad to see it end!
Thank you to everyone who've read it, reviewed it or favourited it; it really means a lot to me, and I can't believes that it's got so many views!