Mr Holmes and Miss Hooper - a Sherlolly Story

Chapter 16

"Yes. I promise." He sighed. "I just need her to be okay."

***

Molly sank to into her sofa. She just didn't know what to think. She thought she knew Sherlock, she thought they were getting somewhere, she thought he maybe even did love her. No matter what the world had to say about his 'incapability to love'.

She sniffed and wiped her tears, never mind what she thought - she had heard what he said. He had said it so steadily, so surely, that it had to be true. Anyway, how did she ever believe someone like him could love someone like her? She sighed to herself as she resolved she'd probably made it all up in her head. He was probably just playing along, appealing to her fantasy. She was just too stupid to see it. Her tendency to overthink really bit her in the arse sometimes. She wiped another tear and looked up at the clock, she hoped she hadn't been crying too loud because Loo would definitely still be awake. She pulled herself up and went to make herself a cup of tea, too wrapped up in her thoughts to hear the pitter-patter of bare feet making their way down the wooden stairs.

The kettle was boiling when Loo popped her head around the corner of the kitchen door. She was taken aback by just how broken Molly looked. Her shoulders were slouched and she barely looked stable on her own feet. Molly reached up to grab her biggest mug from the top cupboard (saved for late-night shifts and/or cries). To the two very small sisters the kitchen was often like a climbing frame and they usually loved standing on the surfaces together and slowly unpacking whatever they wanted, occasionally jumping to swap counters or to travel to and from the centre island. But Molly was not climbing, she barely looked like she had the strength to lift herself onto her toes to get her fingers around the desired mug. She managed to get one finger hooked over the lip but pulled a little too hard. The mug tumbled from the shelf and Molly simply watched it go. She didn't have it in her to stop it. Loo lunged in and caught it just before it hit the floor. Molly just looked at her with wide eyes.

"Moll, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, what makes you think that?" She sniffed, Loo rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Molly. Don't be an idiot. You're barely standing straight and you just watched one of your favourite mugs plummet to death. And you look like shit."

Molly had done well to almost pull herself together, but for Loo, she had to sort herself out. She took a breath and straightened up.

"I don't always stand straight, and it's just a mug."

"You went to ballet classes for years, Molly. You used to whack me with pillows if you ever saw me slouching. You've got the posture of a plank of wood." She sighed. "And Dad bought you that mug."

Loo knew she was being sharp with her big sister, but she also knew when Molly needed tough love. Molly just looked at the floor.

"I know."

"What's wrong?"

"It's - it's Sherlock."

Loo's eyes widened as her brows furrowed.

"What do you mean? Is he okay?"

"Oh, I'm sure he's fine." There was a bitterness in her voice Molly didn't expect, but there was no doubt Loo heard it when her eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched.

"What did he do?" Loo could have had steam coming from her ears but she didn't care. She had trusted Sherlock, trusted him to look after Molly and not break her heart. And here she was, broken.

"Loo, please just leave it, it's fine."

"No, it's not bloody fine, Molly. Look at you!"

Molly knew Loo was stressed out and tired, hence the surge of emotions. But she didn't have it in her to explain, she felt like she had nothing in her.

"Can we just - can we leave it for tonight please?"

Loo was about to refuse and persist with her questioning but the look on Molly's face stopped her. She hadn't seen her like this since their Dad got ill. Very few things were capable of breaking Molly Hooper but apparently, Sherlock Holmes was one of them.

"Okay. Come on, we're going to bed."

"But my tea ..."

"Leave your bloody tea."

Loo took Molly's hand and led her to her room. She sat Molly down on the bed and put a wipe in her hand so that she could wipe her face. As she did so, Loo grabbed the hairbrush off the side and climbed onto the bed behind Molly before she started to run it through the long brown tresses of her big sister's hair.

"You do know I'm meant to look after you, right?" Molly sniffled an almost laugh, the best she could muster.

"Shut up, we're sisters. We look after each other."

Molly gave in and finished wiping her face, enjoying the feeling of the brush and Loo's hand running through her hair. Loo climbed off the bed and handed Molly her pyjamas.

"I'm going to get you some water, get in."

"I'm fine."

"Molly, you've probably cried at least five pints worth. You're drinking some water."

Molly chuffed another almost laugh and nodded as Loo left the room. As she made her way down the hallway she tried to figure out just what she could do to help her big sister. It simply wasn't fair to leave Molly like this, Molly who did absolutely everything for everyone else and never expected anything in return. Loo knew she needed to talk to Sherlock, that was certain. But she needed to do it when she wasn't angry enough to kick him where it hurts, and when she wasn't tired enough to just cry. She'd done crying to Sherlock Holmes once and didn't like the thought of making it a regular thing. Grabbing the glass of water she'd just filled, she turned and headed back to Molly's room. Loo squeezed her sister's hand when Molly reached out for her and then leant down to kiss her on the forehead. Content with Molly's condition, she headed for the door and turned off the big light.

"Get some sleep, I love you."

"I love you too, Loo." Just as Loo got the door shut, Molly called her back. "Hey, a kiss and a hug..."

"And a boatload of love."

The sisters smiled at each other for a minute before Loo shut the door again and made her way to her own room. She got herself ready for bed and climbed in, checking her phone for the first time since she went downstairs. She glowered at the notification shining back at her.

Loo, can we talk? - SH

You better have a good explanation for this, Mr Holmes.