The dawn's first sounds found them in the bed they had shared for so many times before. They were facing each other in the semi-darkness. Molly's one hand cupped Sherlock's cheek, the other was slowly playing with the short curls on the back of his head, while Sherlock was lazily stroking along the curves on the side of her naked body with his fingertips.
'I wish,' he started in a husky voice, 'I wish I had let you near sooner. I wish I didn't...'
'Hush,' Molly gingerly stroked along his lips with her thumb. 'I don't regret anything,' she continued and replaced her finger with her mouth, pulling herself closer to him. 'What would happen if you didn't have to leave?' she whispered against his lips like she didn't even want him to hear the question which was, indeed, followed by a long silence.
'I won't lie to you, Molly,' he started with closed eyes. Molly felt her deep breath stuck in her lungs for seconds till he continued. 'I am insufferable for most of the time. I can't keep people in close proximity for too long, not that I've ever really wanted to.' His eyes were now searching her face. 'There are exceptions, of course.' He smiled shortly. 'I would estimate our time together for a few months, a year at most. I would ruin you. And you would loathe me.' His voice broke at the end of his sentence.
Molly smiled sweetly, gently stroking away a mop of hair from his forehead. 'You underestimate me, and overestimate your ability to scare me off,' she said in a voice full of affection.
'Hmm...Possibly.' He leaned forward to bury his face in the crook of her neck. 'What would you say?' he murmured.
'I would say...' Molly started first plainly, or at least tried, but her voice broke and betrayed her. 'I would say we've proven several times that we are a good team. Hmm, in several ways too.' She felt Sherlock smile against her neck. 'I think we would last pretty long. I would want to spend the rest of my life with you.' At this point she had to stop. She felt her throat clenching and was fighting to hold back the tears. 'I would want a baby with you.' Her last words came out as a whimper. Molly was sobbing while was grabbing strongly Sherlock's shoulders. She would never give herself out like this if that wasn't their last night together. But it was, and it was her last chance to show him how loved he was, nothing else mattered.
Sherlock kissed her temple and caressed the back of her head following along her silky hair. 'You would want a baby with me?' In his voice there was honest surprise and emotion.
Molly pushed away slightly to look into his eyes. Her face was serious and determined. 'Yes, I do want a baby with you. I will never love anybody else the way I love you. If I ever want anybody's child, it's yours.'
'You mean...?' Sherlock frowned questioningly.
'Yes.' Molly quickly nodded with wide eyes searching his face for any sign.
Sherlock slowly turned to lay on his back staring at the ceiling. His left arm was still resting under Molly's head and he was absently drawing circles on her bare shoulder.
This was something he had never thought over before properly. He had never even pondered on the possibility that anybody would want a child from him. He knew exactly how most people saw him and he happily came up to their expectations. Cold headed, insensitive, rude machine. Though there were a few who sneaked under his shell, and neither of them had intention to leave. Still, the most amazing among them was Molly, because unlike the others, he did everything to make her go. But she stayed and waited, waited for him to come on the long way to her.
He turned back to face Molly, his hand reaching her cheek gently.
'Molly, you do understand that you would be alone in this, don't you? There is no possibility that I ever return.' Sherlock spoke clearly. There was no place for lies and pretence between them anymore.
Molly nodded decidedly and whispered 'Would you want to have a child with me?'
He looked deeply into her eyes with his heart beating faster. 'I want to give you anything you want.' Sherlock leaned forward to kiss Molly but she stopped him raising her hand and touched his lips with a serious expression.
'No, Sherlock. I want this only if you do too. I don't want you to feel entrapped or tricked somehow.' She shook her head as an affirmation of her words.
'Molly, I haven't done so much good in my subsistence, but giving an opportunity to a new life to be your child, to have a caring, loving and brilliant mother like you, would be one of them.'
Sherlock finally closed the gap between them and kissed Molly's tears away.
Later when they were both balancing on the thin line between sleeping and being awake Sherlock was hugging Molly tightly, her head resting on his chest.
'Promise to wake me up if I fall sleep. Promise!' she murmured against his skin.
'I will wake you,' he answered and pressed a kiss on the top of her head.
When the time came Sherlock did indeed woke Molly up. They had a shower together, using all the time remained for them. After dressing silently, steeling short touches and kisses they were standing tensely in front of each other at the front door.
'Are you sure you don't want me to come?' Molly asked carefully. She felt like crying but didn't have any more tears.
'Yes. John and Mary will be there.' Sherlock looked at the ceiling with his red eyes trying to pull himself together. 'I really don't want him to be jealous.'
Molly sobbed out a chuckle as Sherlock winked at her with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
Then Molly's expression suddenly became serious. 'Oh, God! He doesn't know, does he?'
'N-no.' Sherlock swallowed hard, shaking his head.
When his mobile rang at exactly six o'clock Molly gasped and threw herself into Sherlock's arms. Her mouth immediately found his for a last loving kiss.
Sherlock pushed her away gingerly and looked at her, like he saw her for the first time, wanting to remember every detail of her.
'Good bye, Molly Hooper.' Sherlock felt his voice weak, not trustable at all. He then turned and walked out the door without looking back, leaving his Molly behind.
Hi, dears,
First of all, thank you for the kind words and impatience. These are the things which make me write. (:
In my profession we have an absolute truth. Amateurs need inspiration, professionals need deadline. ;) (Not that I think I am professional in writing but I certainly got used to this kind of working method.)
I know it was a relatively long wait, so sorry for this. To be honest most of the chapters were written weeks ago but now I am only one chapter ahead of you. And I need to check them for a few times.
So I hope you liked this one in a painful way. Let me know.