Molly sat in front of her computer reading the daily paper while Toby sat in her lap purring gently as she stroked her companions head. It had been two weeks since she was released from the hospital and already she was feeling better. The doctor had given her at least another week off from work but with all that free time on her hands Molly had no idea what to do. She hated taking time off work, mostly because she had nothing else in her life going on besides catching up with her reading and the episodes of Doctor Who she had missed while at work. She had always been the one to work holidays and weekends while everyone else was out carrying on with their lives or spending time with their families. It was times like these where Molly was painfully reminded that she had no one.

A knock on her door caused Molly to jump up a little in her seat, Toby clearly annoyed with this sudden movement jumped off his owners lap and disappeared into Molly's bedroom. Molly shut the laptop and crossed the room to open the door. To her surprise the eldest Holmes stood in her doorway, in his hands he held a black briefcase and in the other an umbrella.

"Oh, hello! Um, would you like to…would you like to come in?" Molly asked in her quiet mousy voice. Molly silently cursed her awkwardness and stepped aside allowing Mycroft to step inside.

"Thank you, Miss Hooper." Mycroft replied stepping into the small flat.

Molly gestured towards the sofa hoping Mycroft would sit but instead he seemed to look around and surveyed the surroundings. She noticed that he took everything in like his youngest brother did and she couldn't help but stop and stare. Just like Sherlock he had the look of a deduction on his face and as his eyes scanned her flat she could picture him putting the pieces of the puzzle that were her life together just like Sherlock had been able to do.

"Charming," Was all he had to say.

After a moment's hesitation Mycroft sat in the lounger across from Molly and placed the briefcase in his lap.

"Now Miss Hooper-"

"Molly," she interrupted. "Please call me Molly."

"Alright, I'm sure you know why I'm here."

"Is it Sherlock?" Molly asked, her voice laced with concern and worry. "Is he alright? Is something wrong?"

"I assure you, Miss Hooper everything is perfectly fine with Sherlock."

Molly breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god. Sorry, would you like some tea? I seem to have forgotten my manners."

Mycroft smiled and shook his head. "No thank you, Miss Hooper."

"Please Mycroft, call me Molly. It is my name after all." Molly began to giggle but stopped abruptly remembering how much it had annoyed Sherlock when she laughed like that. She could only assume that it annoyed the eldest brother as well.

Mycroft gave Molly a reassuring smile. "It's quite alright Molly. Yes you are right, I am here because of Sherlock but also because of you, I need to ask you a few questions."

"What kind of questions?" she asked quietly.

Mycroft turned his attention from Molly and focused it onto the briefcase on his lap; he opened it and produced a thin file from inside. On the side in elegant writing was her name, Margaret Cora Hooper.

"Don't be surprised Molly, we have files on all of Sherlock's associates, you are certainly not the first and you certainly won't be the last." Mycroft said answering the question that lingered in Molly's mind.

"Do you always keep track of Sherlock like that?" she asked. "You just keep tabs on him and all his friends, isn't that a bit creepy?"

"I work for the government, if you want to see creepy I'll give you a tour around the office sometime." Molly gave Mycroft an awkward smile and let him continue. "Anyways, I need to ask you about that night."

"What night?"

"The night Sherlock left you for dead."

The words left Mycroft's lips but seemed to linger in the air before Molly had registered them. His voice was calm, cool and collected almost like he had practiced saying the words in front of a mirror to make sure his voice was void of emotion. Sitting up higher and straighter she folded her hands in her lap and met Mycroft's eyes. "What time are you referring to?"

"The latest incident, the one that lead to your pneumonia." He answered.

"And what about it?"

"I need to know what happened, I need to know why he left you and-" Mycroft leaned in closer and cleared his throat. "I need to know you're okay."

Molly's eyes darted away from the eldest Holmes quickly. It was one thing for Sherlock to tell her that he cared for her but another for Mycroft. In the very few meetings they had had together he seemed to give the impression that he wasn't interested in her or her wellbeing, he was too busy being focused on his brother.

"Why do you care anyways?" she asked, her tone a bit harsher than she meant.

"Things have been…complicated since my brother has reappeared."

"How so?"

Mycroft placed the file back into his briefcase and took a deep breath before continuing. "Miss Hooper, Sherlock's war isn't over yet; it isn't even close to being finished. And of course like any war there will always be enemies, spies, loyal followers and causalities. You have shown yourself to be a heroine when this all started but lately I am getting the impression that you will be a causality, after everything that has happened since his death I need to make sure I can protect and keep away the right people."

Molly considered his words for a second. What he was saying couldn't be true, Sherlock was back! That meant that his fight with Moriarty was over with and now he can finally move on with his life! Why was Mycroft so sure this wasn't the case?

"I don't understand," Molly says avoiding Mycroft's eyes again, "Sherlock's war is finished! Everything can go back to normal-"

"Molly," his voice is honey sweet and makes Molly's eyes dart back to his, "please believe me when I saw this, nothing is never truly over. There are still dangers to be fought, there are still monsters lurking in the shadows waiting for their opportunity to attack. I need to make sure the right people are protected, and you Molly Hooper are one of them."

Molly felt her breath hitch and the tightness in her chest returned. How could she be so foolish to think that everything would be over like that? Sherlock had made many enemies but she thought that without Moriarty they would leave him alone she thought that they would let him move on with life. She had been so foolish.

"Sherlock never left me for dead," Molly spoke slowly paying extra attention to her voice making sure it didn't fail her. "I just happened to drink too much and passed out outside. It happens to people all the time!"

Mycroft raised his right eyebrow. "Miss Hooper is you believe me a fool then by all means please continue with your story."

"I don't know what you want me to say! Sure I tried to follow Sherlock after he left but I must have tripped and hit my head or something, really it's not Sherlock's fault."

Mycroft allowed a pregnant pause to pass before he spoke again. "Molly six months after Sherlock faked his death Sebastian Moran broke into your flat in the middle of the night and almost killed you, unfortunately he escaped. You could have died, you're lucky you didn't. Most people who go against Moran seem to have their mortality revoked, very few live to tell the tale."

"Yeah well I survived, Mycroft so-"

"You survived because my people saved you, if it were not for my creepy surveillance you wouldn't be sitting here in front of me, perhaps you could have gone with the same headstone as my dear old brother. I'll give you the number for future reference."

Molly could feel anger bubble within her small body, she could feel the blood rush to her face, she wanted nothing more than to scream and shout at Mycroft. She wanted to kick him out of her flat and tell him to stay the hell away from her- but she couldn't. Every word that Mycroft spoke was true, without him she would be dead. And despite the hate and anger she felt towards him she owed him a debt.

"You're right, you saved my life and for that I owe you a debt."

"No Miss Hooper, you saved my brother and were there when no one else was so for that I owe you a debt. Anything you require please feel free to contact me."

Mycroft produced a small white business card with the initials M.H on it in italic font with a mobile number below and placed it gently on the ottoman separating the two. Mycroft gave Molly another quick smile before standing up and walking out of her flat without a word.

Molly waited until the black sedan rounded the corner before grabbing one of the cushions on her couch and flung it out into the hallway. She kept throwing things until she heard the sound of broken glass. It matched the sound of her broken heart.

Hey everyone! Sorry I took so long to write this chapter I've been really busy lately! Hopefully I'll have more stuff for you guys soon!

-Lemon