AN: I had wanted to write for John but with inspiration just not coming I thought I'd do a quick pass at Sherlock. It's short but I think it suits.

If anyone has suggestions for other chapters please feel free to shoot me a piece of mail, otherwise I may consider this little snippet complete. Goodness knew I meant it only to be a one-shot :)

Thanks to everyone for their support (or honest dislike), it means a lot that you took the time to comment!

Cheers,

Voi

It hadn't been a secret, so it baffled him why it seemed to surprise everyone.

They even had the gall to sound upset that he hadn't mentioned it before, though in this he figured they were just being absurd.

What did it matter that Molly Hooper was genius when she had so many other talents to recommend her?

"Yes of course Molly Hooper is a genius. She always has been, and likely always will be."

He repeated it for the third time, feeling (not for the first time) like he was trying to communicate with a patch of turnips rather than the decently-intelligent people he knew they were.

"I don't understand why this is news." Brow furrowed he tried valiantly to understand John's surprise, "Surely you could tell she was intelligent."

"There is a difference, Sherlock, between smart and being smarter than you."

On some level Sherlock could appreciate the frustration, if just because it stroked his ego to know his best friend found it impossible to believe anyone could rival his intelligence. But in the grand scheme of things, what did it matter?

She was still the same pleasantly helpful pathologist who had always made working at Bart's his preferred place of research.

"Why didn't you mention it sooner? You mentioned everything else about her!"

Sherlock blinked at the accusation. He hadn't considered how his words were viewed by his friends, but he liked to think he was always deliberate with his comments.

He decided to raise the issue several hours later when he and Molly were on their way to their usual chip shop (should he have mentioned this weekly tradition as well?).

Walking in companionable silence, him at a slower pace to allow for her shorter legs, they made a handsome couple. But Sherlock was not interested in the admiring gazes of the other women so much as asking his particular female companion about the dressing down he had received.

Two blocks away from the chip shop he finally turned to her and asked.

"They didn't know about you."

He stopped walking as he asked, drawing Molly to a stop as well.

"Why did they not know?"

It was such a simple question, but Sherlock wondered if maybe it wasn't too simple.

"It wasn't a secret. Was it?" Frown deepening in confusion, Sherlock sighed, large hands carding through his curling mass of hair.

"No, it wasn't a secret."

Smiling tenderly as her smaller hands gently brushed the curls away from his brow, Molly gave him that quiet look that made him press just slightly further.

"So then, why?"

Molly shrugged as a small grin fluttered over her features, "Perhaps because they see, but do not observe."

It had been a phrase he had picked up from her many years ago, but it had been a while since she herself had used it. Its appearance now was enough to make him snort in amusement.

"Typical."

Shaking his head, Sherlock paused a moment more before extending his hand and gently taking her own. Fingers lacing together with familiarity, they made their way towards the chip shop once more. And just before they crossed the street Sherlock glanced at her with one last smile, eyes glittering with humor as he matched her own private smile.

"As if you could be anything less than genius."