A/N: New chapter after a busy week. Phew.
Warnings- hmm…well I sometimes forget some people are homophobic. I introduced Harry and Anna earlier of course, but if a lesbian couple being cute and coupley bothers you—I'd leave now. No need to flame me since I warned you. Thanks!
Sherlock could hardly believe it. Staring down at finalized paperwork. Alex was officially his. His responsibility. His ward. His…son? Did he think of Alex as his own son?
Mycroft had called minutes after everything was finalized to ensure Sherlock was aware that social services could still check up on him if there were any complaints, and to still make sure he was doing a good job caring for Alex.
But so far things had been running smoothly for a few months. Alex had been taken in for his cast removal. He'd gotten through the fixed exclusion without too much trouble, and his Taekwondo classes did seem to be helping.
Molly, however, was puzzling him. Life had been running smoothly up until the process was finalized. They'd been relatively happy together. But suddenly she seemed…distant.
He'd noticed it shortly after he had the process finalized. Molly hadn't seemed altogether happy about it. Sure, she'd given a few smiles and such, congratulated Alex and Sherlock. But there was something missing in her eyes when she said the words.
To Sherlock's continued worry, Molly also started taking strange phone calls. She usually went out into the hall to take them, but he could pick up a word or phrase or two. He heard her talking about how much she "liked the sound of him" and how "this has always been my lifelong dream" and how "he's a doctor, which is perfect you know. Only the best as you always say, Meena."
Meena. Molly's "best friend" who always had said Sherlock wasn't good enough for her. The words and the person Molly was speaking them to didn't bode well. And when he looked at her hand the next day, he noticed she was no longer wearing his ring.
Stealing her laptop one day he noted she had also been looking at other flats around London. Bigger ones than the one she'd had before they'd moved in.
The signs were becoming clearer. Molly was interested in moving on with her life. From the sound of things she'd already met someone else. She was going to leave.
Sherlock tried not to let it bother him. Honestly, there really wasn't anything bad about Molly leaving. It was a logical thing to do now that Alex had been officially adopted, they could allow their sham of a relationship to end. She'd probably grown tired of his peculiar habits, even if she hadn't said such. She most likely wanted a man who could give her all the sex she wanted. Be the cuddly, loving, romantic type that most women wanted.
Sherlock tried to convince himself he didn't care. Molly had offered him a level of help with Alex, but as the boy was gradually become older and more mature that would grow to be less necessary. In time, he wouldn't need either of them really.
As though to prove his point, Molly informed Sherlock that she was going on a trip to visit her brother for a spell. Sherlock initially expected her to put Mrs. Hudson in charge of things, but instead she assured Sherlock she thought he was perfectly capable, though she did leave him some emergency numbers and suggestions.
The only thing he didn't consider until Molly left for her trip, was the fact that unlike previous times she'd left him with Alex, this time, there was no school to make his life easier. This time, it was summer.
Alex normally was skilled at occupying himself. He didn't become bored too regularly, or at least from what Molly had told him about spending time with other children. However, summer, with only a few Taekwondo lessons to go to, left Alex with more time than he could truly fill. That being said, within four hours of the first day, he was downstairs begging Sherlock to help him find something to do.
"Please, Sherlock," Alex pleaded. "I don't know what to do anymore. I did some reading. And I played with my toys. Can we do something? Like at least go to the park? Please please please please please."
Sherlock sighed and closed Molly's computer. He looked outside to see that it was still pouring rain. He shook his head before turning his full attention onto the boy.
"The park, and what about after that? I have a feeling that won't be quite enough to alleviate your inability to find something to do. Besides, it's pouring. If you get sick Molly will have my head."
Alex pouted. "Can we build a fort then? You liked that last time. And you could do work in it while I play!"
Sherlock thought for a moment before smiling. "I think we can do better than a fort. Come on, help me move some furniture."
Alex's face lit up and he immediately set to work following Sherlock's instructions in moving pieces of furniture around the room.
Within a half an hour, they'd formed the creation Sherlock had envisioned. Alex stood to the side, examining.
"What is it?" Alex asked, looking at the strange arrangement, both tables pushed together in the middle of the room, the sofa and chairs surrounding them in a circular formation. Sherlock pulled the coffee table up and then the smaller end table on top of that before adding Toby's scratching post to the top of the already precarious tower.
"Isn't it obvious? It's a pirate ship," Sherlock said. He kicked off his shoes and stepped onto the sofa, hauling himself up onto the table. Standing on the new ship's deck he reached down a hand to Alex. The boy quickly took it, clambering up to stand beside Sherlock next to the smaller table stack, their new mast and crow's nest.
"Ooh!" Alex said suddenly. "Wait, I need some things. Be right back!"
He jumped down from the deck.
"Watch out for sharks," Sherlock ordered.
Alex giggled as he ran for the steps. Sherlock listened to him going up them, there was a moment's silence as he clearly arrived at his room, and then a few minutes later he was coming back down. Sherlock realized he should probably lecture on not running on stairs, but given the boy's excitement he couldn't manage it.
Alex popped into the room with a pirate hat and two bandanas, two toy swords and a pistol, and Toby all bundled in his arms. He clambered on board and set his treasure trove down.
"Toby wants to be a pirate too," Alex exclaimed.
The cat gave Sherlock a most disgruntled look, but he put up with Alex picking him up and tying a bandana around him before lifting him to be set on the crow's nest. Even after several months of adjustment, Toby had still maintained a deep dislike for Sherlock, so the detective kept an eye on the cat. Alex handed Sherlock the hat and sword before tying the second bandana on his own head.
"We ready to set sail, captain?" Alex asked.
"Indeed, the game is on, matey," Sherlock said with a roguish smile, setting the hat in place.
The two played for hours. Trying to find the dread pirate Moriarty to take back their old ship. Searching for buried treasure. Avoiding storms and sharks and other ships trying to take them down. They had sword fights and canon battles that shook their rickety boat.
They were stopped only by Mrs. Hudson popping her head in and saying she was heading out and not to expect dinner from her.
"What have you done to the place?" Mrs. Hudson said, staring around at the strange furniture arrangement.
"Sherlock made a pirate ship," Alex exclaimed with a grin. "And we're having adventures."
"Well, you be careful not to break your arm again, love. Wouldn't want to be taking you to the hospital again so soon. And Sherlock, you be careful. I'll be back in a few hours, dear. Make sure Alex gets something to eat."
Sherlock sighed and stepped down from the ship, moving to help Alex down as well. Of course, a rudimentary exploration of the kitchen showed that there were minimal choices for dinner.
"How does peas and popcorn sound?" Sherlock asked.
Alex giggled but agreed that sounded fine.
"Oh and toast. There. That's a little more well-rounded."
The detective made up the meal before they headed back over to the ship to consume their meal onboard. They then proceeded to play for a few more hours, until Alex started falling asleep on the deck and Sherlock carried him up to bed.
The next few days were much the same. Sherlock found amusing games to play with the boy. One day it was crime scene, using several of Alex's soft toys as suspects for a brutal murder. Another day they were sitting on the sofa trying to think of something to do when Sherlock suddenly leaned across to Alex and whispered, "The floor is lava." And they then proceeded to spend a good few hours trying to get to different places in the flat without touching the floor. With the exception of Toby, who Alex decided was a lava monster. And of course they did end up building another fort to play in at one point.
But in the quiet moments Sherlock was left with time to consider. Things were going smoothly with just him and Alex. Mrs. Hudson had told him his meals were a bit strange, but she had to admit he usually did fine with making sure Alex had more than just junk food. They'd had no accidents, a few episodes of whining but no temper tantrums, and he hadn't been late one day for picking Alex up from Taekwondo. He could manage quite well. He'd become much more practiced at this, and he was succeeding.
But that left him with the question of Molly.
In the evenings, when they'd sometimes put the furniture back in normal formation, Sherlock often found himself glancing at Molly's empty chair. At night when he finally decided to retire to bed, he found himself looking at the empty side of the bed. Even in a week, there were moments when he was surprised by how much he missed Molly's presence. Not because he needed her help, but because he wanted her there.
He wasn't the only one of course. On the fifth night with her gone, Alex came down to his bedroom.
"Toby's acting weird," he whispered. "He keeps meowing and it's scaring me."
Sherlock glanced at the cat in the boy's arms.
"He probably just misses Molly."
Alex frowned and nodded. "I miss her too. She's coming back soon, right?"
Sherlock swallowed but managed to answer in the affirmative. She would be coming back. But after that he wasn't sure. He didn't have the heart to tell Alex Molly was probably going to be leaving them.
"Can we sleep with you tonight?" Alex asked.
Sherlock sighed and scooted over a bit, moving the blankets aside so Alex could climb in. The boy set Toby at the foot of the bed, where he soon curled up, though his yellow eyes were still staring at the both of them.
Alex yawned and snuggled under the covers before quickly drifting off. Sherlock was left awake and alone, trying to figure out his next move. Trying to figure out how this of all things had left him feeling so completely helpless.
Molly returned from her visit to see her brother looking tired but happy. From what Sherlock could deduce, her brother had just removed himself from a bad relationship and Molly had been dealing with the aftermath. But from the small signs he was picking up it hadn't been too terrible. Grains of sand on her shoes showed him they'd been to the beach, and Molly always talked about how much she loved the seaside.
Still, the tiredness made him worry about approaching her on the issue of her moving out. But the sooner he made his request, the sooner Molly wouldn't have to deal with wasting time planning. He just wanted to make sure he understood why she was choosing this. If she truly had met someone else, he understood. He wasn't an ideal candidate for a boyfriend after all, and he'd never had traditional feelings for her. But he appreciated her companionship. And he didn't want to let her go just yet. Not if it could be prevented.
Of course, first he had to wait for Molly to stop talking with Alex. The boy had installed himself on her lap and was busy chattering away about all the things they'd done. Molly kept smiling at him, occasionally remarking that it sounded like he'd had a fun time.
Once Alex went up to find a place for the ceramic lighthouse Molly had bought him, Sherlock turned his attention to his "fiancée."
"Molly, I think we ought to talk."
She nodded at that. "Alright, what about? No problems while I was gone? Worried a bit about you two, but you really have gotten a better handle on things in the last year or so."
"Oh, no, everything went smoothly. You're right, I've become more adept at handling Alex," Sherlock hesitated a moment. "No, I actually wanted to ask about your plans to move out."
Molly stiffened. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Yes, I am planning on moving out. I'm going to look for a place of my own."
"Why?" Sherlock asked.
She sighed. "You've got Alex now, you don't need me. You're handling him just fine on your own. I figure now that our little charade as an engaged couple is done, it makes sense. Besides, I've been thinking more lately about what I want to do with my life and I realized there are still quite a few things I want to do…and time is against me on that."
"I…Molly…the thing is I've come to appreciate you being here. And while I know I'm not the best boyfriend and certainly don't really give you as much romantic attention as you'd probably like, I want you to know that I would love to continue living with you. You're very…dear to me." Sherlock wished he was better at reading emotions in that moment. He couldn't tell what Molly was thinking.
"I know, Sherlock. You're very dear to me too. But I need to figure out what I want in life. And I'm just not sure…I have a feeling that some of what I want isn't what you want. For that reason, it's probably better if I move out in the next month or so. Don't worry, I'll handle telling Alex."
Sherlock's brow furrowed. "What could you possibly want that I wouldn't? Is this because I won't marry you? Because if that's the case I'd go through it. It seems a bit silly to me, but I would do it for you."
Molly gave a half smile, and he thought he saw tears in her eyes.
"You're so wonderful, Sherlock. You really are. But I don't want marriage. You don't have to worry about it. It's my life and I'm figuring it out."
Sherlock was considerably perplexed. "What could possibly be your problem with this then? If it's not about marriage or me being a better boyfriend…it's because you've met someone else, isn't it."
"No," Molly sighed. "Sherlock please, there's nothing you can do about it."
"Molly, you have to tell me why or—"
He broke off as Alex appeared in the doorway.
"It's great Molly. I put it on my desk," he told her.
"Sounds perfect," she said with yet another watery smile. "I don't think I got a proper hug. Come here."
Alex grinned and rushed over to throw his arms around her. Sherlock watched the two cuddle for a minute. This was one mystery he was certainly determined to figure out. Whatever was going on with Molly, he wasn't going to allow her to slip away so easily. Not when it was so obvious how much love she had for Alex as she offered to take him to the park that afternoon, gazing at him with an adoring smile. No, Molly needed his help for some reason. He had to show her that he was willing to do whatever it took to keep her. She couldn't just slip away. He'd lost his closest friend before. He wasn't going to allow it to happen a second time.
Two weeks later, and he was no closer to cracking the case than before. Molly hadn't told Alex yet, but she'd told Sherlock that she'd settled on a new flat and would begin leasing soon. It was only a matter of time before she began the actual moving out process. All that told Sherlock was that he was running out of time.
If only he had someone who was good at knowing about human interactions. He'd asked Lestrade out on the job one day, and the man had been a bit clueless. Said that last time he'd seen Molly she'd seemed quite happy. He was nervous about telling Mrs. Hudson, but he did ask her opinion about if she thought Molly seemed all right. The woman had just mentioned something about everyone having ups and downs in life and that Molly might just need some space. Other than those two, Sherlock wasn't sure he had anyone else to ask.
In the meantime, he was stuck at a party at Anna and Harry's trying to pretend everything was fine with Molly when it was quite obvious everything wasn't. Though Sherlock was mostly trying to focus on Alex, who was eagerly telling him how brilliant the party was going to be and how excited he was to meet Ella, his cousin.
Harry and Anna had been trying to have a baby for a while. Apparently they had a close friend who'd volunteered himself to help father the baby, and after a few tries, Anna was proudly carrying their baby.
From Sherlock's few observations, the two had been doing well. Harry's drinking had improved some. From everything he could see, the three were likely to be very happy. Of course, making Alex very happy at the thought of having a new cousin to play with.
Sherlock watched as Harry gave Alex instructions on how to hold her. Alex was simply in awe, eyes wide as he stared down at the small baby in his arms, allowing his aunt to move his hands and help him support the baby's neck.
"She's so cute," Alex said with a smile.
Sherlock didn't bother correcting the silly comment on beauty (since that was, after all, nothing more than a social construct).
"She looks quite healthy," he instead agreed. "Congratulations to you both."
Harry grinned and leaned over to kiss Anna on the mouth. The other woman gave her an adoring smile, moving in to accept a side hug and staying there with her head resting on Harry's shoulder.
"She's got her mummy's eyes," Molly cooed. "Are you both mummy to her?"
Harry smiled. "We just decided to tack names on. So she's mummy Anna."
"So perfect," Molly said warmly.
"Look at her, Molly," Alex said, holding her a bit higher. "She's so tiny!"
"She'll get bigger fast," Molly assured him. "In just a few years she'll be following after you and you'll have to teach her all kinds of new things."
"Think I can teach her Taekwondo?" Alex said with a smile.
"Maybe when she's older," Molly told him.
Ella started squirming and let out a wail. So Anna let go of Harry and came over to take her.
"You were doing fine, sweetheart," she reassured Alex. "She's probably just tired from all the guests fussing over her. You can come over again sometime soon and hold her lots."
Alex nodded at that and smiled at his cousin one last time before asking Sherlock if he could go have some cake.
"One piece," Molly told him before Sherlock could even answer. "No spoiling your dinner."
Alex bounded off into the crowd.
Harry wrapped an arm back around Anna, looking down at her daughter with a smile. She reached a finger out to stroke along one chubby cheek. Sherlock decided maybe now was the best time to leave rather than having to face more visions of domestic bliss while he tried to figure out his own problems with Molly.
However, he was interrupted before he could excuse himself.
"You two ever going to have kids?" Harry asked. "Besides Alex that is."
Sherlock frowned. "No."
However, at the exact same time, Molly said, "Yes."
Sherlock froze, turning to glance at Molly who's expression of joy had faded quickly.
"Oh, er…I meant it would have to be considered," she said with a nervous laugh. "It's not all that important."
Harry and Anna exchanged a glance, probably noting the awkwardness.
"Well, I think Anna's parents just arrived. Probably going to want to see the grandbaby again as always. We'll catch up soon."
Sherlock's mind was working madly, trying to put together the pieces that were suddenly fitting in a logical manner for once. Molly looking at a bigger place than her old flat. Molly telling him she wanted to do more with her life, saying "time is against me." Molly talking with her best friend about how "this has always been my lifelong dream."
Her discussing a man and saying he sounded perfect. There was no personal connection in how she described him, merely as an ideal specimen. Merely as an ideal father for her child…likely through a sperm bank…through artificial insemination. All the love Molly had showed Alex was still very much real. But it was in many ways just that that was causing the problem. Because Alex was making Molly realize how much she wanted children.
It's kind of nice being around kids…always thought I'd have them by now. Her words echoed in his mind, confirming it for him. And while they'd never talked about it, Molly was likely aware he didn't exactly enjoy children.
As he followed her over to where Alex was putting far too large a piece of cake onto his plate, he tried to regather his focus. But at the same time, he couldn't think. The problem was too perplexing. It brought to question how devoted he felt to Molly. What she wanted was something he didn't. And it logically made sense if that was the case they should end their relationship. But was logic what should rule him in this moment? Looking between the two people he'd come to care for most in the world, Sherlock wasn't so sure of an answer. But he knew he needed to find one soon.
A/N: Thanks for follows, favorites and support! Keep it coming!
I have the most comments on this story of any of my others (including the one with the most followers). So thank you all for being so awesome and supportive. I'm so glad you guys have been so great in giving me feedback, it's really helped me want to continue!
That being said, thanks especially to Icecat62 (you are so awesome and I always appreciate your frequent reviews and great advice), and Denethorian (also wonderful in reviewing frequently, it's been great hearing your colorful commentary…and on your last comment yes something like Lanie from Castle another one of my favorite shows!), and last but not least BelieverofManyThings!
You're all awesome! Thanks again!
Might have a short break while I go on vacation in two days. I don't know that I'll be able to take my laptop with me. I'll try to update as soon as I can!