Travel with the Doctor had been fairly normal since the Christmas party and the subsequent trip to revolutionary Russia. Well, as normal as life on the TARDIS could ever be. There were still planets to save, aliens to stop, danger to be had. But still, life went on, and as time passed, she found herself being really, truly happy. The TARDIS was her home, more than anywhere had ever been, and she was doing something worthwhile with her life, with the best friend she'd ever had. She was pretty sure she would be happy if she could do this for the rest of her life.
Of course, that was when Sherlock called and everything changed.
Molly was in the console room when he called, with the Doctor fiddling with the controls. They were on their way to the beaches of Netherly, where the sand was the color of flames and the sea a deep purple. She'd been looking forward to it for a few days now, after a few slight detours that dropped them right in the middle of a gladiator fight in ancient Rome and to some sort of alien ritual that turned out to be dedicated to the Doctor. The Doctor had just been about to send them off to Netherly, planning to actually get them there this time, when the call came.
The pathologist bit back a groan when she saw the caller ID, but picked up the call nevertheless. "Hello Sherlock," she greeted dully. The Doctor looked up with surprise, eyes narrowing at the mention of the detective. They hadn't seen him since the disastrous Christmas party, and they hadn't exactly been planning on visiting anytime soon.
The voice at the other end went straight to the point, as per usual. "Meet us at St. Bart's in ten minutes." There was a low voice in the background, probably John. He must have been scolding the detective, because a moment later he tacked a reluctant, "Please." onto his request.
Molly rolled her eyes at the detective's lack of tact. "Sherlock, I don't work there anymore, remember?" she reminded him curtly. "Whatever you have to work on, someone else can help you with it."
She was contemplating hanging up when Sherlock's voice came again. "It's Moriarty." Molly froze, something cold clutching at her chest. The Doctor watched her expression with concern, but she didn't offer an explanation, not yet. She still had to process this. "He's back, and he's kidnapped two children. I need your help finding them."
Molly felt a brush of the old unconfidence she'd had when she'd first boarded the TARDIS, the uncertainty of a girl who'd spent her life living in other people's shadows. She hadn't been in love with Moriarity or anything like that, but she'd still cared about him and trusted him, and he'd turned that on her in the cruelest way possible. Being strapped to that bomb was probably one of the most terrifying things to happen to her since she'd started traveling with the Doctor. She'd been forced to say those awful things about herself, with a bomb strapped to her chest ready to explode at any moment, controlled by the whims of a madman. It made her far more helpless than when she'd been staring down Daleks and Khaynens, and she'd hated it. She'd gotten past so many of her issues since coming on board the TARDIS, but somehow thinking about Moriarty seemed to bring back all of them.
Still, she knew she'd never forgive herself if she let two kids get taken just because she had issues to work through. Besides, maybe this was what she needed. Facing Moriarty again, and finally beating him. Maybe it would help.
She sighed. "I'll be there in a few minutes." The line went dead – presumably, Sherlock had been satisfied with her answer and had seen no further use in continuing the conversation. Holding back another sigh, she looked up at the Time Lord, who immediately tried to busy himself and look as though he hadn't been eavesdropping. The Doctor's antics helped to lighten her dark mood, at least a little, giving her a reason to smile as she told him, "Sorry, Doctor, but can we hold off on Netherly beaches?"
The Time Lord paused, turning back to her with a careful expression. He hesitated before asking, "What's up?"
Molly hesitated, not particularly wanting to talk about Jim again, but the Doctor had the right to know. He hadn't gone after her for her own sake after all – he'd only kidnapped her and gone after the other companions to get to the Doctor. "It's Moriarty," she admitted quietly. "He's back."
The Doctor stiffened, cold anger flashing in his eyes at the mention of the criminal. Molly knew that in going after all of his companions at once, Moriarty had crossed a line seldom crossed by even the Doctor's worst enemies. "What's he done this time?" the Time Lord asked in a measured tone.
The pathologist sighed. "Kidnapped two kids, apparently." The Doctor's eyes grew even colder to hear that children were in danger. "Sherlock needs me to be at St. Bart's in ten minutes."
The Doctor frowned, not seeming pleased with the idea. "Are you really sure you want to do this?" he finally asked.
Molly raised an eyebrow. "Doctor, it's not exactly like I have a choice. I can't just let two kids get taken and do nothing."
"That's not what I meant," the Time Lord argued. "Molly, he's not the only one who can investigate. We can go after those kids ourselves. There's no reason we have to work with Sherlock." She could hear the unspoken meaning behind his words. There's no reason to let him hurt you again.
Molly appreciated his concern, but it really wasn't something she wanted to discuss. "Sherlock Holmes has contacts all over the city, not to mention the closest thing a human could possibly have to Time Lord intelligence. He'll find the kids, he always does, we just need to help him, then it'll be over." When the Time Lord still looked unconvinced, she added, "I want to do this, Doctor. I'm not letting Sherlock Holmes or James Moriarty get in the way of me helping people. I can take care of myself."
The Time Lord sighed, his resistance melting in the face of pride for his companion. "Yeah, I know you can," he said with a slight smile. Without warning, he headed back to the console, beginning the flight sequence. "But," he threw over his shoulder, "Netherly first."
"Doctor, he said ten minutes," she protested.
"Time machine," he reminded her smugly. "We'll be there in plenty of time, and you, Miss Hooper, deserve to have a little fun first. I promised you Netherly, and I never break a promise."
Molly couldn't help but chuckle at the Time Lord's insistence. Maybe he was right. Just because Sherlock decided to drop in on her life again didn't mean she had to go running right away. She'd been promised a beach of flame and a crystal sea, and she wasn't letting Sherlock keep it from her. Not anymore. "You know what, you're right. To Netherly."
The Doctor grinned back. "To Netherly."
SCENEBREAK
Netherly was just as amazing as she'd imagined. The beach itself was stunning, the sands varying from light gold to deep red, giving the illusion of a wide flame, or a sunset, across the beach. The sea was a deep purple with blues and pinks thrown in, making the water look like crystal. It had been just warm enough outside, and the water had been heavenly. Molly's spirits were impossibly high when they finally left, and she felt ready to take on the world, never mind Jim Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes.
They met the detective and his roommate at St. Bart's ten minutes after their phone conversation, using psychic paper to get in and use the lab. She hadn't worked in a lab like this in almost a year, but she was able to get around well enough to help Sherlock get what he needed. The Doctor insisted on sticking around, presumably to watch Sherlock and make sure he didn't say anything too rude. She doubted the Time Lord's presence could really stop Sherlock from being his ever-charming self, but she appreciated the gesture.
She thought she'd want to get out of there as quickly as humanly possible, but something caught her attention. Something in Sherlock's expression. He seemed more tired, almost defeated, but only when he thought no one could see him. There was almost something fearful about him, something she never thought she'd see in the detective. Did Moriarty really have him that scared? Or was it something else? The way he kept looking at John, the way they were closer than Sherlock ever seemed to be to anyone. Was Sherlock afraid for someone else's sake for the first time in his life? Was that why Moriarty was getting to him so much, because of John?
Molly slipped in quietly beside Sherlock as he was bent over the microscope. In a low voice, so neither John nor the Doctor could hear, she told him, "You know, when I first met the Doctor, he reminded me of you. You know, brilliant, eccentric, the only one who had any clue what was going on."
Sherlock didn't even glance up from his microscope as he snarked, "Molly, please don't feel the need to make conversation."
The pathologist resisted the urge to throw something at the detective and continued, "But the more I traveled with him, the more I realized just how different you two are. But you still have your similarities."
She looked up at the Time Lord, who had been distracted by something shiny in the lab and was scanning it with his screwdriver. A slight smirk found its way to her lips. "The Doctor acts like this cosmic twelve-year-old sometimes. I've never met anyone as cheerful as him. Everywhere we go, every new planet or time, he always finds something beautiful in it, no matter where we are. I've never seen someone who takes so much joy out of life."
"Molly," Sherlock warned irritably.
"Except when no one's watching him. He's almost a thousand years old, Sherlock, and when he thinks you can't see, it's there in his eyes, the weight of every year. He's seen so much, done terrible things. And he blames himself for all of it, for every loss he's ever suffered. But he doesn't want anyone else to know, so he covers it up with a smile, with a joke. But when no one's watching, it's there." Her voice softened as she told him, "You look sad like him, when you think he can't see." By "he," she meant John. Of course she meant John, who else had Sherlock ever cared about in his life? Certainly not me, she thought sadly.
Sherlock stiffened, apparently not having expected Molly's words. He looked slowly up at John, that inexplicable sadness flashing in his eyes again, before he turned to look at Molly with curiosity and wariness.
Molly smiled sadly at the detective. "Are you alright?" she asked gently. The detective opened his mouth to talk, but she saw the dodge coming a mile away and interrupted somewhat irritably with, "And don't just say you are, because I've been traveling with the Doctor for a year now. Don't think I can't tell when someone's in pain and doesn't want to share it. I'm pretty sure I could qualify as an expert on the subject by now."
The detective's brow wrinkled, making him look puzzled. "You said it's when no one can see me, but you see me," he pointed out.
The pathologist felt a pang of sadness. "I think you've made it pretty clear how much regard you have for me," she told him coolly. Guilt flashed in Sherlock's eyes, taking her by surprise, but before he could say anything she cut him off again. "Look, it's fine, don't worry about it. I've got the Doctor and the TARDIS, I don't need you too. But I think you need help, and that's what me and the Doctor do, we help people who need it. So if you need anything, just know I'm here."
Sherlock didn't seem to know what to say to her offer, or rather her shrewd assessment of him. Finally, he slowly asked, "What could I need from you?"
She felt a flash of irritation at his rudeness, and let it bleed through in her tone. "I don't know. You're the genius, you figure it out." The pathologist started to walk away, back towards the Doctor, but after a moment's thought she turned back to Sherlock. "There are other people who care about you, Sherlock. You need to start appreciating that before you lose them."
SCENEBREAK
There were many reasons the Doctor wasn't Sherlock Holmes's biggest fan. For one, he was a generally rude and unpleasant person to be around. He alienated the people around him and was determined to always be the most clever person in the room, even when he wasn't. The only person he seemed to have any regard for was John, who seemed to serve as his companion. Everyone else was worthless or less.
But the worst of it was, of course, his treatment of Molly. She had been his companion for a year now, and the Doctor had become fond of her as he did all of his companions, but also very protective. She'd started out so unsure and insecure, he'd wanted to do everything he could to protect her from negativity and assure her that she was worth it. Now that she'd grown in confidence, he still felt that instinct to protect, even if she didn't need him to anymore. He wasn't sure what that was called, but the closest he could come to describing it was when he'd become human, and she had been his little sister.
Therefore, Sherlock Holmes, with the way he walked all over Molly and tore her down, was not among the Doctor's favorite people. Still, Molly was becoming increasingly capable of defending herself, so the Time Lord forced himself to back off, settling for glowering unpleasantly at the detective from the back of the lab. He was more glad than he could say when Sherlock discovered what he'd needed and they were able to head back to the TARDIS.
When they returned to the ship, Molly still seemed a little out of it, irritated and worried at the same time. The Time Lord watched her worriedly. Had Sherlock said something to her? "Are you alright?" he asked aloud.
Molly looked up with surprise. "Hmm? Oh yeah, I'm fine, it's just something Sherlock said."
Anger pulsed quickly through the Time Lord. "Anything I should hear about?" he asked lightly.
He must have looked visibly angry, because Molly looked at him with a snort of amusement. "He didn't insult me again, if that's what you're asking," she told him with a smirk. "Well, not much anyway. No, it's just, he seemed scared. I think Moriarty's really starting to get to him."
The Doctor was surprised at Molly's assessment. The detective hasn't seemed scared to him; then again, he hasn't been paying attention to his mood, rather to his attitude toward his companion. "Really? I didn't think the great Sherlock Holmes got scared," he snarked.
Molly chuckled. "Me neither." Then she sobered. "It's weird, Doctor. I think he's in over his head for the first time, and that terrifies him. He's never been out of his depth with a case before. And I think he's scared for John."
The Time Lord shrugged, trying not to feel too sorry for the detective. "He's clever, he'll figure it out."
His companion gave him a knowing look. "Being clever isn't always enough," she reminded him. "And if Sherlock's scared, then it's serious."
The Doctor had to admit, she had a point. Moriarty's return couldn't possibly mean anything good. They'd found enough to get those children back, but he had a feeling that this was far from the end of it. The consulting criminal was far too clever to let the discovery of two kidnapped children put much of a wrench in his plans. Maybe it was even part of some twisted plan of his. He and Sherlock both seemed to have a thing for tangled, convoluted plans. They were almost worse than the Master.
He felt another pulse of anger, his hands gripping the TARDIS controls more tightly. Besides what Moriarty had done to the children and to Sherlock, he had his own score to settle with the consulting criminal. Not only had Moriarty gone after Molly, strapping her to a bomb and threatening to blow her up, but he'd gone after every companion living on Earth. That, more than anything, was completely unacceptable. His companions were off-limits, and going after them all at once was something even the Daleks hadn't dared to do. Moriarty couldn't be allowed to get away with it. At all.
Molly sighed, turning to look back towards the door. "This isn't over," she said quietly. "Moriarty wouldn't come back for nothing. There's more to this, and I've got a feeling we're all going to get mixed up in this before it's over."
The Doctor couldn't help but hope she was right. Whatever Sherlock had planned for Moriarty would seem tame once the Doctor was through with him. He could feel the Oncoming Storm raging inside, the fury of a Time Lord boiling in his blood.
James Moriarty had no idea what was coming for him.
Yep, here we are with the Reichenbach Fall. In case you're looking for some of my usual mixing it up and departing from canon, I'll let you down now and say that I'm basically sticking to canon with this one.
Also, this is looking to be a very short, two-parter episode. I don't exactly have a lot of Molly scenes to work with. Oh well, the next episode should be longer.
Also, I'm going to take the time here to reply to some guest reviews, which I haven't done since chapter seven, so bear with me, and sorry for waiting so long!
BloodLily16: Your messaging in disabled, whether by choice or by some sort of age restriction, I'm not sure, but if you want I can reply to your reviews in the author's comments. Just say so if you want me to, but if not I won't.
Guest (who commented on Chapter 35 congradulating me on my award): Thanks! And thanks for reading and reviewing.
Guest (who commented on Chapter 35 with the longer comment): Yeah, maybe I wasn't so clear about the water. I went back and edited that a bit after your review. Hopefully it's a bit more clear now. Thanks for pointing that out, and for reading and reviewing. :)
Blood-red Tardis: Thanks! And congradulations, it's exciting to be graduating. :) I will try to update again soon.
thestarlitrose: Aw, thanks. :)