edit posted 2/2/2018
Part FiveMolly Hooper had spent weeks in this monstrosity of a home. Though she found parts of it lovely, she grew wary of certain pieces of it. The ideas of the people who resided in it made her feel smaller compared to what she had before all of this. She knew if she wouldn't have accepted the terms that had been laid out for her that she would be gone from this place. A part of her wouldn't have minded but the part of her who had begun to see the good parts of it would have wept.
Every morning since her classes had started at King's College she would wake up, get ready for the day and make sure she had all of things she needed before joining the Hudsons in their kitchen for a small bite to eat. From there she would accompany them into town and Martha would drop her off a block away from the main campus and she would walk the rest of the way. This wasn't an everyday occurrence but it happened enough that there was a small routine to have formed ever since.
On days when she had her labs and lectures inside of the pathology building Molly would almost always find another way to get to the college. The work for that day would always take place much later than she would allow for anyone to willingly take her in their car. Most of these days she would walk there. The Holmes' mansion wasn't particularly far away but it was still close enough that she had that option. However, this day she was met by a surprise upon closing the door to the house and beginning to walk down the steps.
Sherlock Holmes was waiting for her. She hadn't seen much of him lately.
They would see each other when he came down to where she resided or the rare times when she found him in the library which she had to slowly work her way up to going into just because it was so huge and intimidating. Sort of like those people in the room that day. She had started to think about what had happened there more and more.
She hadn't a real reason to brush aside the idea that she would be doing more inside the home besides being Sherlock's nurse. The act just hadn't come up as of yet. Martha had told her that her role would be instated soon enough. There was this big dinner coming up. She hadn't thought much about that either,but figured it was a big deal. Most nights she would come in late and would find Martha waiting up for her with a plate of food that she stowed away in the fridge for her.
She appreciated the woman more and more every day.
"Hi." She said, joining him at the bottom of the steps. He had on a pair of sunglasses on his face. She couldn't see his eyes but could tell she had his attention.
"I can drop you off. I'm going to that side of town for a little while." He told her nodding as a hello as he gestured for her to follow him to his car which was parked a bit further down than the last time she had gotten into it. There was also a lot of mud caked on the wheels of it. She knew he had been out of the house for a couple days at least.
Martha had discussed with her how he would just disappear for some days at a time. He would come back when suspicion would be at it's most high. Molly never asked for these little insights into the man who seemed to always show up at the oddest of times, but she found it the slightest bit interesting to learn about it.
"Where are you going?" She asked him as he revved up the engine and pulled out of the driveway.
"To check out something that surfaced recently in the area. I've been too busy until today. Studies going well, I suspect." He stated quietly; it wasn't a question. He was making an observation, switching gears quickly as they navigated through the throngs of cars and pedestrians.
Molly nodded, slowly not sure whether or not to bring up a little problem she was having at the college. Deciding that talking about that was not good conversation for the morning she chose to talk about the dissection she was going to do today. "I get to slice into a brain today."
"Human?" A small difference in his tone at the turn of subject.
She smiled. "Not yet. It's a lamb's brain and possibly a pig's as well. It depends where I get seated."
"You prefer the lamb, however." He told her, turning to her as they entered the district where most of the institutions crossed each other. Small ones nearer than the much larger ones.
"How would you know that?" Molly mumbled reaching for her bag as he made a quick right onto the street that held the building for the science department, the labs resided inside of them. The pathology department with the morgues were behind it. The car came to a halt as Sherlock parked and turned to her.
"You mentioned it first. If you really wanted to dissect a pig's brain you would have mentioned it before not after. So you hope that you'll get to try a hand of the first or possibly both if at all possible. It's possible." He told her confidently.
Molly looked at him marvelling at his quick observations. "Yes, well…thank you for the ride. Enjoy whatever it is you'll be doing." She said in a rush as she opened the door and slipped out of it. She walked around the front of his car to get to the sidewalk/ Sherlock rolled down the window to address her.
"I most certainly will. If you're done by five forty-five, I'll be around to come get you. If not there will be a car."
Before she could even tell him that that wasn't necessary he gave her a smile and then he was off.
She had to stop herself from smiling at his behavior. He was an odd man but she appreciated his actions. He wasn't particularly cruel about any of that, so she couldn't complain.
"So,the rumors are true. You are quite friendly with the Holmes' or at the very least their very attractive and seemingly untouchable son."
Molly let out a sigh as she turned, the smile leaving her face at the trio of women who stood there in front of her. The problem was here.
Hours later when Molly had finished with her lecture for Intro to Anatomy and her dissection lab where she got to dissect both specimen's brains as Sherlock had said, she walked out of there smiling for a little while. It was nice to have a first cut even if it was something that had already been taken out of another body. It was fascinating to see all of the different pieces that created the grey matter of two different species. It was thrilling to her.
It had been a good day of course work and she was feeling better than she had been after Sherlock had left but the day was not ending. Instead, while walking out of the building her phone started ringing in her bag. She stopped just as she passed a set of trees to figure out where it was. She usually put it in the pockets but might have been caught in rushing during the switch from her lecture to the labs. They were in the same building but on two different sides of it. It was quite massive.
She had to squat down, put her bag on the ground and move lots of journals and books out the way before she found it directly between an apple and a lime colored beanie that she had been given by her nana when she was still alive. She answered it in a huff.
"Dad?" She asked when she heard the gruffness of her father as he choked out slur of words. Something had happened to her mother and brother. A nurse had come in while he was eating supper and told him that they were both just admitted into the ER. "Where are you, Molls?"
"I've just got out of class. Do you need me to come? I can find a way there." It was as if she was talking but she herself was having trouble processing what going on. There was an accident possibly.
There also seemed to be tears leaking out of her eyes but she couldn't exactly feel it. Her body was reacting so traumatically to the news. Her dad needed her, they needed her.
She had bent down to grab her things as she listened to her father talk. He was a mixture of distress and calm. Much like herself. That was where she and Sherlock were the same. She didn't know much about his father or his family but there was something there that was so similar to her own family that she couldn't help but want to know what it was. She knew she couldn't possibly fix it, but knowing would help her understand why it was the way it was.
She began to walk out to the sidewalk where she had been dropped off by Sherlock. She hadn't expected to see anyone. A car maybe but certainly not the man standing before her.
He had forgotten the shades that he had on his face earlier. Now, he stood against the car leaning back as his eyes searched the area. Several people milling around, some looking but it didn't seem like he was paying much attention to any of them.
When his eyes landed on her he smiled shortly. Molly looked away from him as she continued talking to her dad. "Yeah, I know." She told him, gripping her bag on her shoulder to secure it. He had just told her that he knew that going to see either of them wasn't going to be easy. None of them gave her an easy time, the fact that they were in pain and injured wouldn't make them any more tolerable. Especially if she was to go there on her own.
"I'll be fine Dad. I'll come to see you after I check on them,okay? I know you're worried about them." She mumbled as she looked up and saw that Sherlock wasn't standing near the car anymore. He was nowhere to be seen. She turned around only to nearly brush into someone very lean and well built. She looked up to see him standing there. His head tilted to the side as his eyes moved from side to side. He was concerned but trying not to appear so.
She wiped her face with her hand as she heard her Dad end the call with an "I love you. See you later."
"Hey." She said to him as she stowed her phone away this time in the pocket where it usually was.
"You need to go to the hospital."
If Molly hadn't been going through an ordeal right now and wasn't about to have a complete breakdown she'd probably asked him again how he was able to just know what she needed or anything in relation to her at all. However instead she just said,"Yeah."
"Is your dad okay?"
"He's fine." She muttered as she got back into the car. She didn't give him any more than that and she figured he took her silence as a way of him not to pry for the moment. She needed to think about other things. Things like what awaited her the moment she would go back to the Holmes'. That was much more detrimental to her health than visiting her family who may or may not scream at her because they were in pain.
So she thought back to that meeting where she his father and the other son and got reacquainted with his mother:
The first thing she had thought upon entering the room was that she had been assembled to take part in some sort of assessment. They all looked so well put together. So intimidating, especially the young man who looked to be a few years older than Sherlock. His hair was brushed back away from his face. He sat in a chair off to the side of his mother. She sat there with button up shirt that screamed elegance, the collar set off in a shade of lilac while the rest of the ensemble slid down her slim frame in shades of navy and black. On any other person that probably would have looked odd but on a woman with such finesse and regal stature it looked quite lovely on her.
His father sat behind the desk a pair of horn shaped glasses on his face and pen in his hand as he wrote on a piece of paper. He looked up briefly once seeing that she was there. "Miss Hooper, nice of you to join us. It shouldn't be too long of a meeting. I'm sure you have other things to do. My wife thought it was customary that we meet our newest house guest. She unlike me had been surprised by your arrival. Sherlock had mentioned it to me a couple days before his retire from that sport. He didn't say much but I asked to get a file from Michael about you before you were hired the first time. You hold a lot of promise."
"So much promise." The son muttered. Molly's eyes flickered to him briefly as she assessed his gaze on her. She had met him before, several times in fact. He held the same look as he always did. He didn't like her for some reason. It didn't exactly deter her. She was used to people having a negative opinion of her.
"Yes,and that's why beyond whatever it was Sherlock has asked of you we have one more thing we feel will be more than adequate for you skill set. If not, you can learn from Martha and that daughter of hers." The mother spoke in a tone that Molly had to try not to make it obvious she hated. Contempt, she held a lot of that for Molly in particular. She and Mycroft were the same. They felt she wasn't worthy of being allowed here. Period.
At least they had something in common. Molly refrained from uttering a word as she listened to the new set of guidelines she was to follow.
"You will help with the serving and clearing away of dinner."
"A simple dress will be provided for you to wear during this time, you will wear nothing different. All help, has the same attire."
"When in the presence of those who are guests and not, refer to any as "sir, madam, miss, etc.", it allows some sort of welcoming that is not any different from anyone who houses elsewhere."
"Finally, do not fraternize with those above you if you are not spoken to directly when working or otherwise."
The last one was going to be harder for Molly than anything else. She had already done so on a few occasions already when it came to Sherlock. She still didn't understand why that rule had been stated. She wouldn't harm him or anyone that may come in or out of the house. She wasn't one to meddle in things that she wasn't directly a part of.
"Do you understand all of the above rules and regulations, Miss Hooper?" The missus asked again as Molly had seemed to space out for a moment. Molly gave a terse nod and slowly got to her feet.
"I understand." She told her carefully. She eyed each of them with care as she began to leave the room. It was full of such old fashioned ideals, not only what she had come to see and hear but the entire look of it. Max(imus) had been correct. That was not a good place to ever be called to.
As she reached for the doorknob to leave them she heard the cool voice of his father speak in a much more soothing tone. "Welcome to the manor, Molly. I do hope you enjoy your time here."
Molly gulped as she let herself out only to come face to face with her one and only relief and source of conflict; Sherlock Holmes.
Molly watched Sherlock as he took the key out of the ignition and even when she told him that she didn't need him to come inside the hospital with her. She would be fine, she found herself being helped out of the car and being led inside. She took the forefront of their pair – talking to the nurses to find out what floor her brother was on, pressing the button to go up but she wasn't ever on her own. Sherlock had declined her idea that he would leave her alone to deal with this. He stayed near at all times.
She wished to tell him that this wasn't a good idea. Him wanting to be around her so much. The idea of telling him what his family had laid out for her in and out of the house was something she didn't think she would like being a part of. He would find out sooner or later. Sooner if she knew what she would have to do at the dinner. A piece of this game that she hadn't the slightest clue was beginning.
It wasn't until they were back in the house and Lilith had practically dragged her away from Sherlock who stood there looking down right confused about why there was so much force on the youngest daughter of Mrs. Hudson into getting her away from him and down to their quarters.
He hadn't even gotten a chance to fully discuss anything with Molly.
He had stayed outside the doors of the rooms where her mother was and around the corner of the one her brother slept in. They both had been asleep but Molly had stayed an hour in each of their rooms. He had heard her speaking to them even if they had no way of hearing any kind thing she had uttered to them like the sweet daughter and sister she was. Even when the odds of them returning the sentiments back, she showed herself to be just as caring as always.
It was only during the time with her father that Sherlock entered a room. He had been around the man a few times since Molly's residency at his home. He joined her on three of the six visits and now here was the fourth one. He smiled at him and sat against the wall as Molly spoke to him about her brother and her mother and about the dissection today where yes, she had done both specimens. He held back a smile at how happy she seemed to be discussing such bleak matters with her father.
He didn't stay on the wall too long as her father had called him over to talk about something he had seen on the news.
Two men had died from a seemingly fatal dose of antihistamine. He asked him questions about it, having realized the man might have known more as he had seen him with a paper a few times looking through it. He had heard of it but hadn't really made many inquiries about it. They talked for a little while before a nurse came in with his nightly dose of medicine and told them that they would have to leave. The hospital was closing for visiting hours.
"Rest well, sir." Sherlock told him awkwardly as Molly pressed a kiss to his forehead before stepping back and walking towards the door with him trailing behind her.
Now, he stood at the staircase getting ready to head back up to his room to dress for dinner as he knew this one was supposed to be a big deal. He wouldn't be wearing anything different but he might need a new pair of trousers and a new shirt. He had torn a piece of it during his time outside today and now he would need to get them mended or throw them away.
Upon getting up to his room and opening his closet, he took the dark purple shirt out knowing his mother would at least appreciate it seeing as all the showy stuff was because of her. His father couldn't care less and seeing as his brother had made a reappearance just for the occasion he would just want to show him that he was capable of doing things right even if he was present. Not that he really cared what his brother thought.
He began to unbutton his shirt and winced as he pulled it off. He looked over his shoulder to see the tear in his own skin. It wasn't bleeding that much anymore but he would need to put something over it until dinner was over and he could get Molly to look at it. He trusted her more than any of the others.
If not her, if she was too tired he could get Mrs. Hudson to do it. He'd rather Molly at this point because he still needed to talk to her. Actually talk to her. He hadn't done that in a long time.
He reached over into the drawer on his work table where he kept a small amount of gauze and bandages for instances just like this and made quick work of it. Slipping on his shirt and finishing off his ensemble with his jacket. He inspected himself in the mirror before going down.
There were several things he didn't expect to see upon sitting down for the meal. One being the woman who plopped down next to him. He had been doing so well at avoiding her and her advances which only seemed to be encouraged by his own mother. Didn't she understand that he didn't like this? It made me uncomfortable.
He fought to remember her name as he said hello to her out of politeness than the fact that she was basically on his arm jabbering away like someone trying to get you to sell something. He glared at Mycroft who seemed to be all that more amused at the look of annoyance on his face as he had to pretend to actually be listening to any of the trivial things that was coming out of the woman's mouth.
Ah, yes her name was Carroll Meredith Pearson an old family friend of his mother's middle child. They met when he was eleven and forced to attend a party with his mother. He had stuck to her side, his mother not the girl. She did make it a point to try to drag him out to the other children that had been in attendance.
He had run away from her. At one point he could faintly remember shouting at her at how irritating she was and that had finally gotten her away from him. Only to meet him again a few years later when they were both in high school at the academy.
Sherlock had done nearly everything to get his parents to allow him to have home studies. In the end he graduated from the private academy and then begun to take his uni courses at home with a teacher who knew a variety of intriguing subjects. Well, he had went through four before that one. Now, he was working on a bit of a solo load of work where he didn't require much as far as instruction went.
Caroll- girl now a woman sat next to him being nearly as annoying. Except there was the added bonus that they were around family so he couldn't say anything rude. He had wanted to.
He had nearly decided to excuse himself during the first course when the second surprise came into the room. Molly Hooper was there, of course but she was dressed just like Martha and Lilith. A simple black dress fitted around her. It was a very unappealing garment but she seemed to wear it nicely enough. Her hair was pulled back away from her face. She did look tired among things but that's not what bothered him the most.
She had tray in her hand and quickly begun to set down glass after glass of Chardonnay and sparkling water for those who had not be at the age to drink just yet. She moved about in a hurry and he was almost sure she would trip up. She had the habit of being clumsy at times. She seemed to be running on adrenaline.
It was as she finally came around the long table to his side that he made his dislike of this known. Molly had just reached over to set down a new plate of food for Carroll that Sherlock took her wrist in his hand,pulling her to his side. Molly let out a breath as she turned her attention to him. "Yes,sir?"
The last word fell flat out of her mouth as she glanced slightly at the woman who was sitting next to him. She focused on him as he asked, "What…what are you doing?"
Molly knew that he knew what she was doing but she answered him anyway.
"Working." She told him as she slid her hand from his grasp and turned back around, nodding to Max who was watching her closely as she sighed and headed back through the side door where Martha was waiting with a glass of water for her.
"He's upset dearie. When he invited you here I don't think he understood that he would have to see you this way."
Molly nodded knowing that that's why he reacted that way and why she was sure he would act even more negatively towards his family later after this dinner was over.
"Go on, we can handle the rest of this. Go out to the garden. It's quite lovely. I don't think you've been there just yet."
She drunk the water slowly before handing the glass back to Martha and handing Lilith her empty tray. She walked down the hallway to her room and kicked off the heels she had on for her flats. She half stepped out of the room before deciding to grab her grey cardigan because it was rather chilly out tonight and she followed the trail up to the opening between the trees where the garden flowed in rows and rows. There was also vegetation on the ground but it was the flowers that captured her attention and she sat on her knees in front of a row of lilies and she cried.
This was not a good day and she needed to let it go.
Sherlock Holmes was furious. He had stormed into his father's office mere moments after dinner was concluded. He knew that's where they would all go. They always came up here. As if they were plotting more of the wrongs that they could do.
His mother was the worst. He couldn't look at her as he continued to pace. He wasn't sure what to start with. There was too much to cover and he didn't know how to not just start yelling at them. If he was any other person he was sure this would seem as if the roles had switched. The parents were supposed to be doing the yelling. They were supposed to be the one furious over something the child had done.
That's the thing, he hadn't done anything wrong since obliging with their wishes for him to stop boxing. He had stopped and was going on with his studies within their home. "Has she done something wrong?" He started.
"No." His father was the first to answer. He knew exactly who his son was talking about. He had already known how unsettling the news would come to Sherlock in regards to Miss Hooper and her new duties.
"Then why is she doing that?" He huffed, stopping mid stride. He turned to all of them, a glare deep in his eyes.
"Every person in this house has a role, Sherlock. We all have to do our part." His mother spoke. A frown set on his face at her wording.
"She has a role with me mother. What are you trying to do?"
"Sherlock, Miss Hooper has made no objections about it." Mycroft stated.
"Well of course not, Mycroft. She doesn't like to disappoint people even if she feels uncomfortable. She feels that she owes you all something."
"How do you know that?" His mother asked while his brother said something completely different. "I would say her feelings are ample in their assumption. No one lives for free."
Sherlock walked towards his brother,his hands coming to grip at the lapels of his coat. He was leaving again, he knew. "I'm sorry I didn't quite hear what you just said."
"SHERLOCK!" Both of his parents shouted at him. He held his older brother up there for a little longer before letting him go, his hands straightening him up a little bit before walking away.
"It's not okay what you're doing," He muttered looking at his mother. He knew she was the one to blame for this. She always had to meddle into affairs that had nothing to do with her and make them worse or what she thought was better. It was the same reason why she had invited that imbecile to come dine with them tonight.
"I would have thought you'd put your foot down about this matter when you and I discussed her coming here and what would happen. You're a man for crying out loud, dad." Sherlock growled at his dad.
His dad held a look of great sadness in his eyes as he watched his youngest son go. He turned to his wife and stood up. He let out a deep sigh. "You have no idea what you've started. Sherlock is right. Molly Hooper isn't some young peasant as you so adeptly called her that day when she left the meeting with the three of us. She is a bright young woman who has plenty of potential for what lays ahead for her. Stop this now, or I will do something you really won't like." The underlying tones of his dark message was just as fiery as the son who had left his company.
He would go to him now, Mycroft knew. That was the thing about the two brothers. Each parent had picked one of them. It wasn't about favorites, it was more about who reminded the other of whom. Who would less likely cause conflict for whom and lastly which one of them held more potential in the eyes of the mother or the father. Mycroft detested it but always sided with his mother because to him her ideals mattered more than anything that could ever come when it concerned sentiment.
Sentiment would get you nowhere. Caring was not an advantage. He had learned that the hard way. Not that Sherlock knew anything about that. He was never around to.
Trevor Holmes was a man of many faces. He wore a mask most days to hide away the confliction that he dealt with on a daily basis. He let the mask fall when in the presence of only those who counted to him. Sherlock Holmes counted more than anyone. He was so much like him, it pained him to see his youngest of two boys so upset over something that used to matter so little. If he knew the story of how he met his mother he would think differently but alas he didn't care to share that. It would only turn Sherlock away from him more. He was trying to avoid that the best that he could.
"Sherlock," He called to him, he had tossed away his suit's jacket and was heading out to the garden when he found him. Sherlock stopped knowing that his father only came out when he felt like he needed to address something that troubled him. That was Sherlock's part in his father's life. He was always there to listen to him and at times give feedback into what he thought was happening.
Sherlock locked eyes with his father and saw the way his face fell as he watched him. The boy's shoulders were tense and he looked ready to pounce on anyone.
"What do you have to say now?"
"I'm sorry son. I know you came to me before asking Miss Hooper to come stay with us and told me all of the things that you thought I needed to hear about her. It is as clear then as it is now that you care about her a great deal despite so little interaction between the two of you. It's to be expected after all, she did tend to you for quite some time. However it isn't acceptable to use someone in order to try to back out of a situation you knew would soon come to you. Your mother only wants the best for you despite the way she does it. She doesn't want our family to crumble."
"You think Molly is a hindrance to whatever you want from me the moment my studies have completed itself. I can honestly say,that she is not. It is true that I hold her with high regard and am grateful for her continuing to tend to me as I navigate through different recreational activities outside of our home but you don't understand why. You hold mother at arm's length and I am attempting to do the same but Molly Hooper is something different. She isn't like any of us. I am fascinated by it…" Sherlock trailed off not sure where he could go with this. He doubt that no one truly understood what was happening to him.
"You always get so fascinated by the littlest of things. Always have, just don't let it ruin you. You have so much ahead of you Sherlock."
"I've already told you that I don't want any of it. I'd rather drown than get mixed in with what you do. It's so dull and boring. I like puzzles and mysteries."
"Yes, I am aware. I have a friend who would like to meet you to discuss an opening elsewhere for you to dabble in all the mysteries you could ever want but that won't happen until you do what you need to do. We need you here, Sherlock."
"Why couldn't you just choose,Mycroft? He's more than capable to do all of this. I'm sure he would love to do it in fact. It's not too late to change it."
"Your brother has already exceeded the age limit required for this position in our family but it was offered to him. He was the one to decline it. He also has an occupation now outside of this family. One that requires his full attention."
Sherlock let out a sigh,"Whatever." He mumbled as he head back towards the gardens where he had been headed to long before his father decided that they needed to talk. He had just made matters worse.
Sherlock wished to be left alone now. He didn't need anyone bothering him.
Sherlock stopped when he came to the rows of strawberry trees. They looked more like single branches that sprouted out more and more but they held small bits of fruit that was growing. He reached out to take one when he heard a sniffle not even fifteen steps away. He turned at it and called out the name of the only person who he could think would be out here at this time of night and crying. "Molly?"