Sherlock story
Deleted Memories, Chapter 110
Warning: post Reichenbach spoilers. Hope you enjoy
*As always thanks for reading, a special thanks to all of you who take the time to review, comment, and favorite.
"I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, but through it all I still know quite certainly
that just to be alive is a grand thing."~Agatha Christie
Present Day
A knock at the door interrupted the would be confessional.
"Come in," John said suddenly aware of his appearance.
Molly came in the door then stood just inside the door. John thought that he heard Sherlock whispered a "Good Lord," under his breath but John could not be sure. John looked at Molly, it was obvious that she had a crush on Sherlock; he doubted that Sherlock even noticed apart from scientific curiosity on the effect of infatuation on behavior.
Molly was dressed simply in black slacks, a white button front shirt, and sensible black heals. Her hair was in a neat ponytail. A fitted black jacket and green scarf finished the look. She had applied some makeup and lipstick but it was tastefully done. John was not used to seeing her without her lab jacket. The clothes that she wore was well fitted, instead of the baggy loose fitting clothing that she used to wear. He had noticed that since the reappearance of Sherlock she had been making more of an effort with her appearance. She looked cute even pretty.
"Hello Molly," John said aloud with a smile. John then leaned closely so that only Sherlock could hear and whispered, "Be nice, we'll talk later."
John then walked up to Molly and kissed her on the cheek as he excused himself to his bedroom to prepare for a shower.
Molly stood unmoving in the doorway grinning widely while holding a package of what could, by the smell, only be oatmeal cookies.
"Molly," Sherlock said. He stood and walked over to her. He came close and stood directly over her. Molly smiled became impossibly wide as she looked up at him.
"Hello," she said simply. Although, they spoke several times on the phone since he had come back, and text frequently when Sherlock wanted something, this was the first time that she had seen him since a week after she had helped him to fake his suicide.
She looked him over her smile fading now. She now had the serious look of a scientist as she took in his appearance. It unnerved Sherlock.
He was surprised when her free hand reached up to his face, gently turning it. She had a serious expression of concentration as though she was in the lab trying to solve a mystery.
He was used to nervous stuttering; follow his commands without question Molly, this more confident bolder version was not something he was used to.
"Is that for me?" Sherlock was surprised at how gentle his voice sounded.
"Sorry, yes," her hand dropped almost reluctantly.
Sherlock took the bag and was grateful for a chance to retreat from the examination. He briefly wondered if that was how other people felt when he was making his deductions, almost as if the soul was standing naked and exposed. Sherlock quickly dismissed the questioning thought.
He sighed then returned.
"Well Molly, thank you for dropping by, I wouldn't want to make you return from your lunch late."
He smiled falsely and put his hand on the small of her back guiding her to the door.
"Oh don't worry, I took the rest of the day off," Molly said happily.
"Marvelous," Sherlock said with a tight smile. Sherlock gestured with his hand then walked over to the sofa and sat. Molly sat beside him. They sat in silence for a minute as Sherlock wondered if one was expected to make tea in these situations. Molly again stared at him as if he was an unsolved puzzle. He was grateful at least that she did not say anything cliché or ask a stupid question.
"How are you?" Molly asked. "There, we are, the stupid question," Sherlock thought.
"Fine," he said annoyed.
"How are you?" Molly asked again more gently this time.
Sherlock looked directly in Molly's eyes. This time he decided to be himself. That should get her to leave; she was starting to unnerve him. Sherlock smiled condescendingly and spoke with just the right touch of sarcasm.
"I believe I've answered you Miss Hooper. Now I really have things I have to attend to." Sherlock stood so that there would be no question that he was expecting her to leave. He no longer had a smile, false or otherwise.
Molly stood but made no move to leave. "I didn't ask you to repeat some empty words that we both know that you don't mean. I asked you how you really were."
Sherlock invaded her personal space and towered over her. "Do you want a different answer? What would you like to hear, that I'm not okay, but scared, angry, terrified, angry. That I wake up screaming or dread going to sleep. That I worry about the people that I care about. Yes, even the freak, the psychopath, has a heart. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
Sherlock ended speaking with a raised voice. He was shaking with anger. Sherlock closed his eyes now suddenly tired.
Sherlock felt small hands slip under his suit jacket and wrap around his waist. He opened his eyes to find Molly's head against his chest.
"Molly?" He questioned with a shaky voice.
"Yes Sherlock that is what I wanted to hear..., Honesty. Thank you… Oh… am I hugging you too tight. I don't want to hurt you." Molly looked into his eyes with her chin resting on his chest.
"Um… you're fine," he replied with a small smile, and a shaky, husky voice.
"You do realize that you can be quite annoying at times Molly Katherine Hooper." Sherlock did not realize that he now had his arms wrapped around her as well. He stared into her eyes studying her. Now she was the puzzle that had to be solved.
"All part of my secret charm, she grinned into his chest, I missed you Sherlock. I missed my friend."
"I missed you too, Molly." Sherlock was surprised to hear himself say the words. He was even more surprised to realize that he meant it.
He leaned his chin on the top of Molly's head and closed his eyes as he allowed himself to take whatever Molly was giving.
John walked back, fully dressed but drying his still damp hair with a towel. He vaguely wondered how long it took Sherlock to push Molly out the door.
He paused at the end of the hallway, and stared. Sherlock and Molly were embracing and by the looks of it, there were no plans to part any time soon.
John realized that maybe he should stop staring; he turned to walk back to his bedroom.
A smile slowly spread on John's face.
"Good for you Molly." He whispered as he walked, "Good for you."
A/N: I hope these chapters were okay. I had different versions of these chapters with a different outcome. I hope I picked the right ones. Let me know.
Love to all. Zacha