edit posted 2/4/2018
Part Nine
It felt like her heart stopped when coming face to face with her mother within the foyer of the mansion that belonged to the Holmes. It just made it seem real, that she hadn't ever been able to immerse herself fully in this world when she had family that had never stepped foot inside this place. Molly never imagined that anyone from her life outside of it would ever need to come here. That didn't mean it bothered her all that much however.
When Michael had come down dressed for dinner, he didn't eat with the family but he stood close enough that he too needed to look presentable Molly hadn't known what to think when he had pulled her aside. It was never an issue that he would do that. For him, it seemed greatly out of character. Then again they hadn't shared with each other as much as they had earlier on in the day as they had then. It didn't mean she expected him to go out of his way to come to her or that they would continue to talk to each other but it had been a bit of a shock to have him do it just after Sherlock had left her presence. She imagined they must have crossed paths on the way down.
It only made her happiness grow bleaker as he stood within arm's reach when she came to a halt in the foyer staring at her mom. She was dressed in a more relaxed manner than she had ever seen her. She was out in a pantsuit and her hair was let down out of the pins and barrettes it was usually constructed with. Her face which was softly tightened at the sight of her daughter.
Molly didn't say anything at first, looking at her mother. She looked perfectly normal like this and it unnerved her but she didn't think it was important to talk to her about it at the moment. There was a reason why she had come.
Something had happened to her dad.
"What's happened to you, Molly? Are they hurting you…?" Molly heard Michael scoff behind her but she knew he had a reason to have that reaction. Beyond the head of the Holmes family having a strong dislike for her they were more than pleasant when it came to how they treated her. It helped that she didn't really venture into the other parts of the house where they might be.
"No." Molly whispered, "I'm…what's happened to dad?"
The question of her husband seemed to sober her from the bad thoughts that she was thinking while seeing the cuts and scrapes that marred her daughter's face. They might not get on as well as most would expect from a mother and daughter, but she did care about Molly. She had to.
"Yes, well he's not doing well. He'll tell you that he's fine of course but I've spoken with the doctors and he is slipping into dangerous territory. It could happen soon darling, you do understand don't you?"
Molly took a few feet forward so that she was standing in front of her mother, shying away from the prying eyes of Michael or any of the other people who could see her.
She reached out for her mother's hand, her eyes wet from the tears that started to fall from her eyes. "Let's go." She said urgently and her mum for one of the first times in her life embraced Molly as she turned her away from the foyer and they began to exit the large house.
They couldn't have left quickly enough for Sherlock was there, having come down to ask for some assistance with his necktie. He hated the things but his mother was adamant that tonight be a coat and tie affair.
"Was that Molly leaving?" He asked hurriedly, he turned slightly to the door which had closed short a few seconds shy of his descent down the stairs.
Michael thought about not saying anything at first but he knew that Sherlock would notice her disappearance at dinner. She and Maximus were supposed to be serving the table.
"Yes, it was. When will you learn to do this on your own, Sherlock?" He grumbled as he had Sherlock turn towards him and he made quick work of tying the knot perfectly.
"It isn't important. I won't wear them." He responded as he went to button his jacket. "Where's she gone and with whom, I heard voices?"
"Her mother." He sighed, the look of irritation that had slid onto the younger Holmes' face shifted onto a mix of anger and confusion.
"Her mother…what's going on Michael?" He questioned eagerly, just as his mum came down and dashed over to him as quickly as she could.
"Now don't you look dashing? I'm sure your date will love it."
Michael tried to hide a smile at the sight of Sherlock's quickly apparent annoyance at the mention of his dinner date. He would lie through his teeth about how thrilled he was to be in Miss Carroll's presence again. His mother was not fooled by it but she tried to seem appeased that he tried to appear jovial about the young woman. They certainly weren't looking to inviting a certain worker who lived with the Hudsons to dine as his companion.
Mrs. Holmes kissed Sherlock's cheek before dashing inside towards the sitting room where she would wait for their other guests.
"Don't be smug, Michael. I have a favor to ask you." He trailed off looking away from the look of amusement on his bodyguard's face.
"I'm not even going to deny you this time because I too feel something close to worry for Miss Hooper. I will try to find out as much as I can while you entertain your missus."
"She's not my missus!" He shouted indignantly before sauntering after his mother.
Michael enjoyed to toy with Sherlock even if he had already warned him of finding an interest in Molly Hooper. It wouldn't aid his parent's conquest to make him the new head of the company in a year or two. It certainly wouldn't help with the next part of their plan that though they hadn't shared with the equally observant charge of his or Michael himself. It was just the way of the wealthy types that gave him a large hint as to what would be happening next and it would only lead to more heartache if he continued to pay mind to both Molly and Sherlock and how they danced around each other in ways that he knew quite well.
He drew out his phone while it was quiet in the front of the house. There would soon be a lot of racket where he stood. A lot of eager parties would soon be flooding in. It was time he called in a favor from an old friend. He was sure she would be delighted to be of some use now.
-x-
Molly watched her mother closely as she rode in the passenger seat of Lorraine – it's what her father called his car. It had been a long time since she sat in a car that her mother was driving. Even more significant was that it happened to be a vehicle that she had claimed to hate for several different reasons. Molly had never took her words to heart. Not when it came to her father. If there was one thing she knew about her parents it was that they loved each other, even now.
They might not have agreed on everything but they still adored each other. This was one of the reasons why she was entirely surprised to see that she still sat with her dad when he was on his deathbed. She had heard stories of women who only came in when there was some sort of scare but her mother had never been the kind to leave when things got dire. It mattered little that they had a very estranged relationship, most that involved her hopelessness for Molly every amounting to anything greater than the women she called friends' own spawns had.
Molly knew it shouldn't have mattered either, but she did try to appease her mother. It had to be some kind of rule that most children wanted to be loved and appreciated by their parents especially their mother – the one person who had brought them into the world and loved them unconditionally.
"Did he ask for me?" She decided to ask as they slipped into a long line of traffic.
The streets were busy at this time of night. She expected them to arrive in about half an hour if they were lucky. Molly was met with silence at first. It wasn't that her mother was cold towards her, it was the opposite actually. In this instance she was attempting to shield her from something.
"He didn't, did he?" Her throat was thick with the emotions that she rarely tried to show when in her mother's presence.
"I'm sorry, but no." Molly had turned towards her as they sat waiting to move forward in the throngs of traffic. Molly looked down at her hands. "Why would you come get me if he doesn't want to see me?"
"Molly, you and I both know that that is as far from the truth as anything. You are his favorite as your brother is mine. He is weak and he doesn't wish for any of us to see him like this especially you. His heart is heavy with the idea that one day one of us will come in and he'll have already passed on. Of course, he hasn't said that exactly but it's clear to me that it pains him to be suffering this way. For making us all suffer because of his illness." Molly didn't take her eyes off of her mother. Gone was the chill of her contempt, instead lay a suffering that Molly knew was burrowed underneath the surface of her mum's façade.
"I don't wish for him to leave us." She admitted moving to look over at her daughter with the shining of tears that echoed the only other person in the car.
In this moment they had come to an understanding. They were both suffering heavily. Molly sniffled, "Me neither."
The silence resurfaced for a little while as they drove on towards the hospital. Both women batted away tears that seemed to be trying to spill over as the minutes passed. Molly hated to think what would happen on the day when her mother's words rang true. It seemed to be coming soon, she grew increasingly worried for her mum. For a few minutes she sat in the car with her as she came to a stop in a reserved parking space for visitors of patients and she finally asked her a question that she hadn't been sure of when it would be better to ask.
"Mummy, are you okay?" Her voice broke at the first word but she let the rest of it come out as fluid as she could.
Her mother's hair swisher to the side as she turned to Molly. She could see so much of the little girl who she had tried to teach so much at a young age. She hadn't called her Mummy in years and it left an ache in her chest to know that it was because she was in pain and that she felt at ease enough to feel okay with returning to her childlike ways. She didn't know if she could ever tell her how much she wished things had turned out different. How much she wished that she hadn't tried so hard to push her in a direction that seemed good at the time but she had always known that Molly wasn't like all the other girls. She was different and perhaps that hadn't been so wrong, but she didn't want her to suffer in that way. To be picked on and judged for her love of sciences and morbid things.
The way she chose the most unflattering garments to wear. The way she decided to carry herself in general.
She looked at her now and realized how much of a failure she had been towards her as a mother. She had become her biggest critic and her worst supporter. She didn't know how to answer her daughter in this moment. The truth was that she wasn't okay with anything but she didn't want to cause more havoc within Molly, by the lines that marred her daughter's face and the places she imagined that were covered up by her clothes she knew that not all was well with Molly either.
She settle for letting out a long sigh and reaching out to touch Molly's cheek. The softness was still there but the weariness was present in the one person she had failed and she hated herself for it, but she sucked it up like she should have all those years ago while smiling and telling her as much of the truth as she could.
"No. I haven't been okay in a long time." She stopped before the rest of her thoughts could leave her lips. It was not the time for her to confess all the ways she had harmed Molly but she had wanted to tell her (I am sorry for how much I've burdened you. You are stronger than I am and for that I am happy.) "We should go inside. I think he needs you right now."
Molly nearly made her mum stop her movements of moving away from her and getting out of the car. She could tell there was something else that she had wanted to tell her but it was not the time for it. Not in her mother's mind. Molly wanted to know what it was. She yearned to know what it was that her mother finally wanted to come clean about. She had never seen her so affected by something in her life and it seemed she was finally coming to grips with it, and thinking things through. For this Molly was grateful but she was also worried. What was it that her mother needed now? Would she be able to help her with it? She wanted to, she knew as she stepped out of the car and met her at the trunk.
Molly surprised her mum as she took her hand and walked with her in short steps towards the entrance. When they got up to the floor where her father was being taken care of Molly withdrew her hand from her mother's. It wasn't because she didn't enjoy the small ounce of connection that it gave the two of them for a little while. She was eager to see her father even if she ended up getting sad about it. It was one of the greatest comfort to see someone when they were unwell.
There was so much that wasn't said between Molly and her mother but she knew that one of the reasons that she went to find her was because she knew that she could comfort her dad through his suffering and in some light it would ease Molly's ache about her father's condition. Not by much granted but just enough that it she would feel some solace.
When she stepped into the room Molly stopped short. It hadn't been a lie that her dad was unwell, this was already a proven fact but she hadn't exactly anticipated how much frailer he looked. Weak was the word her mother had chosen to use to describe his well-being but Molly had a slew of other words that would have served adequately enough. Many that seemed to course through her body as she hurried over to him and brushed his brow from the perspiration that was marring it.
"Oh, Dad." She whispered as she pressed her mouth against his forehead.
"Molly…" He sounded shocked to see her yet it felt lackluster in its deliverance. He could barely produce a whisper and that made Molly weep.
"What are you doing here?" He questioned after a few moments.
"Mom came and got me from the Holmes'. She was worried." Molly told him as he shuffled over slowly so that she could sit with him. He struggled to do just that while weeks ago it wouldn't have been that hard.
"I'm alright. She shouldn't have done that. I'm sure you were needed there."
Molly cut him off before he could continue to try to deflect her concern for him. He was not well. "They'll manage just fine without me. You're not okay, Dad. You can barely move, just let me stay with you for a little while." She pleaded with him.
He looked between his wife and Molly for a few minutes before he nodded slowly. "Yeah, alright. What happened to your face Molls?" It was that same concern that her mother had showed her upon seeing her that had her sighing. She didn't exactly want to go into detail about this but knew that he would pester her about it.
She looked at her mum who moved to sit on the other side in a chair that had been sitting there for a little while. She didn't look angry or annoyed, she looked conflicted as she gestured for her to talk. She too wanted to know what had happened to Molly.
"I got into an altercation with some peers of mine. I'm not trained to fight people so I got nicked a few times."
"A few?" Her parents said at the same time.
Molly had to try to fight down a smile at the two of them. She had never seen the both of them on the same side when it came to her. It made her feel lighter than she imagined she was supposed to be right now. Her dad was dying and yet having this moment with the two of them did something to her that she couldn't put into words.
"Yes." She said quietly. "I'm fine though." It wasn't an entire lie but she didn't think it was the time to talk about this no matter how much she knew it probably would have made her feel better to discuss it with anyone, not just her parents.
"Are you sure? This happened while you were in the house with that Holmes boy." Her mother mumbled causing her dad to focus his attention back on his daughter. He grasped at her arm and beckoned her closer so that he could talk to her quietly enough.
"Did it happen while you were in the Holmes' house?" Her parents – her dad especially was highly protective of Molly. He had been the one to hug her when she had a bad day at school or in the park when he had been busy talking shop with one of the other parents that were around. He had always been the one to just be there for her and it was this reason alone that she trusted him. He had been her confidant.
Now, she visibly swallowed as she looked at him with the notion that soon enough she wouldn't get to have him around to hold her and tell her how exceptional she was.
"No." She breathed, snuggling into his shoulder. "I wasn't anywhere near the mansion or Sherlock. He was just as troubled as you when I came back and I was worse off. He threatened to do bodily harm to whoever did it."
This was the first time Molly had ever processed the fact that that was what Sherlock had told her he would do. It had comforted her at the time but she had never talked about it with anyone before.
"I knew I liked him." Her dad told her. Molly started giggling. Her mom smiled at the two of them before her phone started ringing, she apologized.
"I know I'm not supposed to have it on in here but I was expecting a call from your brother. I'll take it outside…" She shuffled out quickly and Molly turned back to her dad.
"Has he been back here to see you?"
"Sometimes. He usually comes when he knows Mom will be here. I think between the two of you we have a difficult time deciding which one is comfortable around whom."
"You mean you have favorites?"
"No!" He started to shout but he erupted in coughing. Molly rose up a bit off his shoulder to try to ease his suffering.
"Take it easy." She told him getting worried as she ran a hand up his back as he turned over to cough away from her.
"What I mean is." He breathed, "We both love you and your brother very much. The thing about us is that we had to teach you about the world in different ways and while not every way made you love us completely, it didn't mean that we never cared. Parents have a way of showing they care in different ways, your mom included. Same with me and your brother, she spends more time with him so he doesn't know how to be around me. He probably doesn't know how much I love him." He paused for a moment and Molly waited for him to continue.
"Do you remember the song I said reminded me of your mom?"
Molly smiled wistfully at the memory of her dad crooning away to her one late summer night.
"Of course." She cleared her throat as she quietly sung to him the first few lines.
"Something in the way she moves, attracts me like no other lover…" he took his daughter's hand as she lay back against him and sung the rest. "Something in the way in the way she woos me. I don't want to leave her now, you know I believe and how".
Molly felt the roughness of his lips as they pressed against her and she cried a little.
"I'm going to miss you so much." She told him through the thickness in her throat.
"I'm not going anywhere, Molls." Molly shook her head.
"Don't do that, Dad. You're suffering and you can't pretend with me." In the same way Sherlock tries to hide his feelings about everything and shield her in the same manner. It was something she first saw in her dad and it hurt knowing that everyone felt like they had to protect her. "I can see you hurting and I want to help. I just don't know how."
He sighed. "I know you do. You always try to help everyone, even when you can't."
Molly tried to stop crying before it got too bad but somehow hearing her dad say in his own way that she wouldn't be able to save him from dying broke something inside her again. She managed to hold it off for a little while longer before her dad told her that it was alright.
"You can cry. I'd prefer you do it in front of me. No one seems to want to…it actually makes me feel a lot worse when you just hold it off for so long."
"Oh Dad." She sobbed as she turned into his shoulder and wept. Even when he was in pain he still sounded like the father she knew. At least he hadn't ever lost himself as his health dwindled.
He held her as close as he could and for as long as he could before his arms started to give out on him.
Molly stayed for two more hours before the nurses came back in to give her father his meds and her mum decided that they should head out for the night. She didn't immediately go back to the mansion though she thought about it briefly. Her mother took her to a small café that stayed open late and they shared a large bowl of chocolate covered almonds and hot chocolate on a bench outside.
It wasn't too cold but they were both in warm coats. Molly's had been an old one that her mum had apparently picked up while she had left for that phone call with her brother. It hadn't been cold earlier when they left from the Holmes' place, but it had gotten a bit chilly as the night came near.
The two women didn't talk all the much, just taking little pieces out of the tin that sat between them as they sipped their drinks. It was only broken when her mum posed a question to her that sounded so normal it almost made her forget the fact that they had been at arm's length for so long. "How is school going?"
"Oh, um, it's good. I've been…" She stopped short knowing that it probably wouldn't help smooth anything if she started talking about dissections while they were chewing on nuts. This could turn into something nice. "I've done some nice assignments. I enjoy it a lot."
"Have you made any friends?"
"No…" Molly turned away slightly to take her drink back into her hands and sipping it hurriedly.
"I'm sure you could. You're nice enough." There it was again. Molly steeled herself as she turned to her mother nearly decided to speak her mind about the way her mother talked to her about her but then she saw the look on her face. She looked so odd, it wasn't the same look that she had seen her use when she was a child. She was trying to tell her something nice towards her but it might have come out clipped and phrased wrong. "I just mean you're a nice girl Molly, there aren't enough people like you in the world. I imagine that's why the boy likes to have you around."
"Why do you keep going back to Sherlock?" Molly mumbled as she took another three almonds in her hands and shifted them around.
"He's different than the boys that I remember who paid any attention to you. There is something that makes me remember your father in him. He's talked to you about me before. He's told me that much. Do you care about Sherlock?"
"Well, yes. I suppose I do." Molly said quietly.
"In what way Molly? I just don't want to see you hurt if something ends up happening that collides with the opportunity that you have been given. I may not agree with what you want in your life but I do truly want the best for you. You know that right?"
"It's what every mother wants for their child." She mumbled in reply. "I do understand that though." Molly left out the part where it was the same thing that Sherlock's own parents experienced when trying to shove a way of life in his face as if it could change his destination or plans for his life. That would be saying too much. She was still deciding how she felt about the fact that her mother was being so open with her now.
It was a good thing, she knew but it made her uneasy.
Molly decided to ask a question that kept slipping over her tongue and under it. She wasn't sure how it would change anything but she needed to know the answer to it. "Can I trust you, Mummy?"
The way she sat there blinking at Molly, taking pause was something that should have given her the correct answer yet she waited. She didn't get up and run off though she could have. She wanted to hear the words come from her mother's lips. She wanted to see how sincere she could get in one day when it came to her.
She couldn't say that everything was behind them but she felt like she needed to see if there wasn't salvageable about whatever was left of their connection. They could always rebuild. This was their starting point. Her dad had a way with bringing the best out of people, it was something she had gotten from him she supposed.
"I want to say yes, but I know you want believe me. I'll tell you this instead, if you find yourself wanting to come home I won't turn you away. I think it's time I showed you how much I can care for you and should you ever need something I will do my best to aid you in the best way I can. Is that good enough for you, Molly?"
Her gaze hadn't wavered on her daughter nor did she give her any blank expressions that would tell her nothing but lies or that she had just been saying that to appease her. She had been honest in that moment and Molly couldn't help but feel okay with what she was offering.
Molly nodded as she took one last pull of her cocoa. "Yes."
-o-
For the next few days Molly spent time split between helping Mrs. Hudson prepare the meals, in the Holmes' library though usually when not many people were lurking around to the point that she would be noticed and at the hospital with her parents to spend more time with her dad. She saw Sherlock in brief increments which usually led to him being swept away by someone before he could make any inquiries about her well-being or her father's for that matter. She had just accepted that right now both of their lives were pretty hectic and that they would eventually find time to spare a moment for each other soon enough. At least she thought so. She had no idea what went on in Sherlock's head but Michael who had been so kind to take her to the hospital for the past couple days had divulged a few hints at to what was keeping him at bay. It had become clear that it wasn't his fault really, he had been trying to get word to her through someone but he usually was turned in a completely different direction before he could manage a note or message of any kind.
Molly had just shrugged it off but found it nice that he was still very much aware of her and what she was on about. The next time they saw each other was in the library. Molly had been spending time there because she needed to look into some medical texts for a huge assignment that would decide which courses she would need to take next semester. Winter break was upon them and she couldn't really slack for this reason.
Though she made no inquiries about whether she was allowed in there she remembered her first day in the mansion and the fact that Sherlock had been the one to show her where to look for the things she would need and she had went for it. No one seemed plussed by her time inside. No one was ever inside except Mr. Holmes one day when Molly was just about done reading over some material for one night. He had slipped in and nodded at her but he hadn't say anything.
He had a surprised expression on his face that she was inside but he didn't immediately tell her to go. That had been her decision a few minutes later. She told him, "You have a vast collection of medical jargon. It's quite helpful, thank you." She had thought about apologizing for using it but he hadn't seemed bothered by her presence as he took to the far wall to get a book on the history of aristocracy. Molly thought that was an interesting choice but much like the head of this household she was mum on the subject.
She made sure to put all the books she had used away before leaving. She was courteous and it was something that she didn't see changing just because she had the opportunity to slip through the cracks unseen. It was a gift but she would do what she must to make it easier for the people who didn't see it the way she did. She hadn't gotten that idea from the older Holmes man however. If there was anyone in this house that reigned in the higher tier of the family that didn't have a problem with her completely it was Sherlock's father.
She truly appreciated it.
When she crossed paths with his son Molly had been completely surrounded by books up on the second floor of the library. She had come to take her work up there in order to stay out of the way should there be company. There was a hidden door that led to the second floor of the house that she could slip out of if completely necessary. The occasion hadn't arose yet. She had been making progress at a large chunk of the portion that focused on the human heart.
There were about four different books opened littering with information and diagrams of the organ. Her eyes took in each one as she jotted down notes that she found useful in one notebook while she roughly drew sections on notecards for later use. She had been about to put most of the texts up when he reached her, she heard the voices first so she didn't have much time to move nor could she bring herself to stop writing at the time.
Sherlock wasn't alone. The young lady who had been attached to his side for some time with him was inspecting one of the sections on romantic literature. Molly tried not to judge but she wasn't too surprised to see her looking through those works. Sherlock spoke with her shortly before turning to see Molly.
He quickly left Carroll's side and slipped over to her. "Molly…" He started.
"Sherlock." She said, not looking up as she began closing books, she finished the majority of what she had been trying to get to today. She didn't really want to be here in the middle of whatever was going on between Sherlock and the woman. It was clear that he was trying to show her around and she had so much clutter around.
"Would you like some help?" He asked as he skirted to the side as Molly pushed back with a stack of volumes in her arms and began to take the steps down. She tried to mumble something back to him at the time but it was lost due to the stack that was in her mouth's view.
She let out a sigh as she sat the books on a small table so that she could grab the ladder that she had moved closer so that she would be able to climb up to the section. She sat them near the middle of it before starting to climb. She had put three of the five books back where they went when she got a little unbalanced.
She tried to regain her footing, but it didn't work out that way. Her hands fell short of the ladder or even a ledge of the bookcases and she began to fall. She expected it to hurt, she had been up at least fifteen feet but instead she had made it safely into someone's arms. She blinked up at Sherlock as he mumbled, "Yes, you most definitely needed my help."
"You have company…" She said as she let go of his neck. She hadn't realized she had looped onto it when he grabbed her. They were pressed quite close. His hands were wrapped around her waist, tightly. She carefully pushed away from him and let out a little cough.
"Well, you looked like you needed more assistance than her right now." Molly appreciated his effort but she knew a few things about the way things worked here, and if anyone had seen him doing this – holding her like that there would be hell to pay. Or a visit to the office on one of the higher floors.
Molly looked at him for a minute. "Thank you. The rest of them are on the lower shelves." She told him before moving to go back up to finish it off. Sherlock didn't let her go that easily though he could feel Carroll eyeing the two of them closely. He took half of the load and helped Molly put the rest up before taking to going back to his guest though the way he kept trying to eye her, Molly knew that his mind was elsewhere and she wasn't sure how to deal with that.
She had managed to keep her emotions in check when he was touching her but, now that she had a moment to herself she felt herself flush. She made quick work of grabbing the rest of her things, putting them in her bag before leaving the two alone. She didn't get too far before she heard that irritating tone that Carroll took as she tried to be conspicuous as she started talking about her.
"It's unusual for people to aid the help."
Molly decided not to stay there much longer to hear whatever excuse Sherlock would say. The thing about him though he detested all of this, he would try to make good of the situation. It made her feel conflicted about how he truly felt around other people. He had to use this mask and even though they hadn't really seen or talked to each other in days – nearly weeks now she knew that it would tear him up later.
Molly pretended that nothing happen later when she stayed to help serve dinner with Lilith this time instead of Maximus. Both of the children had tried to argue about who would get to have the "pleasure" but Molly made a little compromise. They would both get to help tonight. Lilith would get to help for the first half and Max would take the latter courses and dessert. It seemed easier that way.
She enjoyed how doting they tried to be when she was struggling with other issues. It meant a lot to her.
Sherlock had done something completely unbecoming of the character that was supposed to be in place at these dinners. When Molly had made it around the third time to refill drinks while Lilith took dishes away and replace the others with one of the larger courses, he stopped her by taking her wrist as she hovered nearby to refill Carroll and her parent's glasses with the rich wine. "How is your father doing, Miss Hooper?"
Molly stopped for a minute and so had everyone else. She looked to Lilith, as she panicked. She wasn't supposed to talk to them at dinner. Not really ever if Mrs. Holmes had anything to say about it and it looked like she might if it wasn't for Carroll's mother who had smiled at her sweetly and told her "Go on, answer him."
"He's doing better. Thank you, sir." She gave him a half smile as he withdrew his hand and Molly scurried off back into the side door. She had caught Michael's eye from the other side of the room where he was stationed, he had broken his usual stoic expression for a full second. He gave her a half smile and a knowing look.
Molly didn't know what to do really. She really wasn't sure how to take any of it. It was possible no one would say anything about that but there was also a large possibility that she would be called up to see Mrs. Holmes who would have words about it.
In her opinion there was little she could do to remedy the situation. It wasn't like she just dashed off without word. She had been prompted to reply and she did her best to make it short before moving away.
However, just like before in the library she found herself almost wanting to stay in the space where he had touched her.
Her fingers brushed over her wrist where he had held her in place in the dining hall. It was only for a few minutes before Maximus called for her so they could take the rest of the food out. She managed to hide any feelings about it for the rest of the night and the rest of the dinner went off without incident.
There was eyes on her movements though, from the Holmes' to their other guests. It had made her feel almost important to have so much attention on her. It had been Sherlock's doing however. He was the one who decided that he would try to talk to her while she was supposed to be working and silent. She could admit that it was thrilling for a moment to feel so rattled, even though it could mean nothing at all in the end.
She ate with the Hudsons for a little while, her appetite was minimal but she enjoyed every little morsel of food while in their presence. They were so happy and overjoyed with the night and so Molly felt just the same.
When they began to clean up, Molly decided to take a few moments outside. She didn't want to go to the garden. The last time hadn't been so nice really, she just needed a moment to sit alone and think by herself and she hoped she would manage it just fine.
She did for a little while, her thoughts weighed heavily of her father again. She hadn't been entirely truthful when she had told Sherlock that he was doing better. He had probably realized that too but she didn't want to make a fuss at the table, nor did she expect anyone to attempt to inquire anymore of her or of her familial problems.
This was why she felt better laying her head in her hands and crying out into them. It was so quiet out that she didn't really care much for making a scene. No one was around. Everyone was busy with other things and she needed this moment for herself. She stayed there for a while, weeping and trying to catch her breath. The latter rarely happening for some time as she just lost it for the first time since her mum had first come to her here earlier in the week.
It was when she had started to reign everything back in, her crying minimal and her sobs turned into silent whimpering that she felt the soft fabric of a coat being draped against her shoulder. She didn't really want to know who it was, though the person sat next to her a few seconds later. She sniffled as she wiped her face. It took her a few more minutes to be able to talk and though the idea that this could be a repeat of the last time in the garden she spoke out anyways. "He's going to be gone soon."
"I know." The quiet murmur came from the one who kept constantly popping back up when she least expected him to. Sherlock.
Molly let out a sigh. "You shouldn't be here." She told him as she spied a glance at him. He had given her his jacket and rolled up the sleeves on his shirt. The tie he had been wearing earlier was missing and he looked as close to being done with the day than anyone else.
"I needed some fresh air." He replied, looking forward despite the slight amused look on his face.
"I could go in." She mumbled nearly getting to her feet on the steps when he reached out and pressed her shoulder down.
"Stay." He said, the sound coming from his voice was so strained and tortured. He was pleading with her.
She looked at him again and he was staring at her. She didn't know what to say to him. He looked so weary and tired, yet he wanted to sit here with her and chat?
"You need sleep, doctor's orders."
"You're not a doctor yet." He breathed. His hand stayed poised over her shoulder though he had stopped pressing down on it.
He sighed, "I know that though. I've been busy…" He trailed off.
"Get some sleep, Sherlock." She told him again as he scooted over to her. He wasn't being nearly as reluctant as he should be. She was the one trying to get out of this situation because she was unsure of what was going on, or what it meant. She stayed still as he withdrew his hand.
"Later." He whispered. "I want to talk to you for a few minutes. I miss…" He paused as if he wasn't sure if he wanted to say it. "You. Yes, I miss having you around." He told her.
Molly swallowed, fiddling with her hands.
"You have a companion, what would you need with me?"
"She bores me. It's not real for me. My parents…you already know. I just, stay please Molly." He said it again. Molly let out a sigh.
"Okay…" She nodded at him and they sat there for the most of the night talking. He complained most of the time but he grew increasingly excited whenever she mentioned her labs. It felt nice to be able to talk about all the things she wanted to talk about, she didn't have to censor anything because the one thing Molly knew about Sherlock Holmes was that he understood and he loved hearing her talk about all those morbid and often gross details. It made her smile a little as they sifted through this and that and in the end when it came time for her to depart from him she felt a little shaky.
She didn't want to leave.
"Goodnight, Molly." He told her when they stopped at the staircase that would take her down to her room. He looked chipper than when he first came to her again. Molly smiled at him, replying in kind before moving to head down for the night. She heard him call out to her as quietly as possible as to not wake the others, "We should do that again sometime."
Molly tried not to laugh too hard. She didn't know if he knew it but that was usually something someone would say to someone they wanted to see again, on a date. She shook her head but told him, "Yeah, okay."
As if she could ever be allowed to date Sherlock Holmes. It was a funny thought though. It kept her truly happy as she fell asleep that night. It was a rare thing for Molly Hooper but she would have the memory when times got tough. They would, Molly was sure of that.