Mr Holmes and Miss Hooper - a Sherlolly Story

Chapter 35

John barely even registered Molly moving until she stumbled as she tried to walk towards the building, his arms shooting out to steady her instinctively.

"Molly! Molly, wait."

"That was a gunshot, John. A gunshot! Two!"

She could hear the hysteria in her scratchy voice but she didn't care. She just needed to know if Sherlock was okay. She tried to step towards the building once more but John's hands stopped her again and all of a sudden it was all too much. She collapsed into her friend's arms, the sobs escaping her faster than she could breathe. John rubbed her back and held her as she cried, keeping his eyes on the entrance and willing Sherlock (and Mary), to appear.

He smiled through his coughing in relief when he finally saw his wife's bobbing blonde hair coming through the smoke. She was pulling something with her and it didn't take John long to recognise the huge form of Sebastian Moran. His arm was twisted uncomfortably around his back as Mary ploughed him forwards, his other was pressing into a non-fatal bullet wound in his shoulder. John's smile turned proud as Mary locked eyes with him, unscathed. She put Moran on his knees and pressed his wound with her fingers, whispering a threat to him through gritted teeth. He nodded and she seemed satisfied as she began running over to John and Molly. Molly hadn't even realised Mary had been in the building but embraced her friend tightly as her arms snaked around her shoulders.

"Sherlock?" John whispered the question to his wife and watched as she tightened the hold on Molly before shrugging her shoulders.

"The smoke was too thick." Mary coughed as she spoke, "I didn't see Sherlock. Only Moriarty."

"You mean he was still in there? They're both still in there?"

Molly had lifted her pounding head from Mary's shoulder to ask the question and shuddered a breath when John and Mary replied with only nods.

Molly didn't have time to react further as her quiet crying and the insistent coughing plaguing the three of them were drowned out by sirens. Molly turned her head to see a stream of blue flashing lights heading towards them. She watched in stunned awe as firefighters rushed out of their trucks, a chief shouting out orders and taking control of the scene immediately. Police cars and ambulances followed and a team of police officers bolted into the building behind some firefighters where it was clear. Molly's eyes blurred with tears once again when she saw Loo sprinting from one of the cars towards her. John and Mary finally let her go as she padded towards her sister.

"Molly!"

Loo's voice echoed in the ringing of Molly's ears as her sister catapulted herself into her arms. She let out a wince as Loo connected with her chest but she didn't care what hurt, she just cared about letting her sister know that she was safe. She held her tightly and pulled herself back together again as Loo broke down into her chest.

"I'm okay, pumpkin. I'm okay, you found me. I'm here."

Loo had never felt so overwhelmed with so many confusing emotions. She was filled with relief at her sister being alive but marred with sadness and worry after seeing the state of her. Anger at that monster was bubbling low in her gut but her heart wanted nothing but to make Molly laugh so that she could see her sister's bright smile. Loo just wanted to make everything better for her, and here Molly was comforting her. Forever putting others before herself.

A group of paramedics rushed over with oxygen masks and medkits and Loo reluctantly let Molly go so she could breathe in some pure air. John and Mary took a mask each and for a moment there was silence as the weight of a near-death experience settled over everyone like a bucket of ice-cold water. Greg approached them then, placing a comforting squeeze on Molly's shoulder before he entered a conversation Loo couldn't hear with John and Mary. Her eyes searched the courtyard while Molly reluctantly gave her exhausted attention to the paramedic in front of her. It was dark now, and the blackness of the fog clouded Loo's view. She flitted her eyes through the crowd, watching and waiting. Then, she saw him. His hand clutched his bloodied side as he stumbled out of the flaming building. His other arm was clasped over his face but there was no mistaking that curly-haired figure, even without the signature coat that still hung around Molly's shoulders. Loo let out a shaky breath she hadn't realised she was holding. He was alive, they both were. Her family was safe.