The wedding ceremony was so beautiful and so moving that it would remain etched in everyone's mind for a long time. The emotional charge between the couple was so intense. Their eyes were full of love and affection. The ring sparkled on Irene's finger like a diamond in the water. She was now officially Mrs. Holmes.
The venue filled with the guests and the loved ones and the couple enjoyed the champagne, talking and laughing with John, Violet and Scott. Irene excused herself and stood up from the table to go mingle with the other guests. The tail of her wedding dress was crawling behind her elegantly. She was holding a glass of champagne and a white rose. Sherlock had taken it from the bouquet and gave it to Irene while they were eating.
"Here's the dazzling bride!", Lestrade exclaimed as she walked up to him and his company. He was with Molly Hooper and her date.
Irene looked Molly up and down and offered a tight smile. That woman had no sense of style whatsoever. She was wearing an auburn dress with lace and had a weird, little hat on top of her head.
"You look gorgeous, by the way", Lestrade earned Irene's attention.
"Why, thank you, inspector", she smiled and sipped her champagne. "Everything happened so fast."
"I disagree", the inspector shook his head. "You're one of a kind. He should have proposed to you from the first moment he met you."
"Sherlock would never do such thing", Molly jumped in, grimacing disapprovingly.
Irene's smile froze on her lips as she turned to look at the woman. Her gaze was intense. "Why?"
Molly let out a stiff laughter. The liquid inside the glass she was holding waved dangerously. "Sherlock hates being manipulated and you were so... so cunning!"
Lestrade sighed and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Molly, stop drinking."
"No, let her", Irene offered a cold smile. "It's quite entertaining actually."
"Why do you care anyways?", Molly's date frowned.
"Why, indeed", Irene's smile dropped and she stared at Molly dead seriously.
"Sherlock is--...", Molly stuttered. She swallowed hard. "...he is my friend."
Irene opened her mouth to speak but she closed it again once she felt a pair of warm hands on her shoulders. She turned her head and saw Sherlock standing behind her. She immediately smiled at him.
"I am terribly sorry to interrupt but I need my wife back at the table", Sherlock looked at the others. "It's time for John's speech."
"Yes, darling", Irene nodded slightly and took his hand in hers. "Let's go back to our table."
Sherlock inclined his head and led the way. Once they were seated, John stood up and the guests took their seats at the tables. The best man cleared his throat softly and looked at the guests with a small smile.
"Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends...", John started. "We are here today to celebrate the union of these two people...", he glanced at the couple, then looked back at the guests. "...Their relationship has been a problem from the beginning, both for the authorities and for everyone else..", he chuckled and Irene looked at Sherlock with an amused smile. He held her hand underneath the table and returned the smile. John continued. "I know Sherlock better than anyone, and yet I knew nothing about his personal life. I always believed that love was a concept that Sherlock approached in his own way. And I was right. Only ... when he fell in love with Irene, I did not expect it to be as normal as it turned out to be", he laughed. "This woman here...", gestured towards Irene. "...managed to love the dark side of Sherlock that we all try to avoid. That says a lot about her. On the other hand, Sherlock ... came out of his comfort zone and learned to accept the tenderness and love of a woman as dynamic as he is. He's an arrogant sociopath and she's a hot-headed temptress but... God is my witness, these two belong to each other."
The guests applauded John and Irene kissed Sherlock's lips lovingly.
"Thank you John", Sherlock nodded his head and offered a warm smile to his best friend. "Now, my turn", he stood up and the guests fell silent.
"I would like to thank John Watson for his... interesting speech", he glanced at John who laughed. "Also, I would like to thank all of you for being here today. John once said that the wedding day is the most important day in a couple's life but I strongly disagree", he pressed his lips together, looking at the guests. Irene smirked. "Loving a woman like Irene Adler Holmes is important and wonderful at the same time. Every day with her by my side is--..."
"Seriously now?!", Molly sounded from the back tables and Irene snapped her head toward her voice. Sherlock froze in shock. The woman pushed the chair and stood up, slightly wobbling. She was fucking drunk. "I can't believe you're so pretentious, Sherlock!!", she huffed. All the guests were staring at her shocked.
"Molly, sit down, you're drunk", her boyfriend was the only one who spoke.
Molly pushed her boyfriend aside while he tried to make her sit down. She walked to the middle of the venue, staggering. Her hurtful gaze was stuck upon Sherlock, even though it was not very easy for her to focus her drunken eyes. Irene was shell-shocked and couldn't react.
"You don't really love her, Sherlock...", Molly bitterly shook her head. Her blurry gaze filled with tears.
"Molly, you embarrass yourself", Sherlock finally spoke and he sounded icy cold.
"Me?!", she looked at him incredulously. "I embarrass myself?! You married an ex-hooker, not me!"
Horrified gasps filled the entire venue and Irene gritted her teeth enraged. "She's getting on my nerves...", she muttered under her breath.
"Molly, last chance", Sherlock glared at her. "Leave, or else I'll make you."
John left the table and approached the drunken woman. "What's wrong with you, Molly?", he sighed and extended his hand toward her. "You need to leave..."
"Sherlock was forced to take a paternity test when she got pregnant because he was not sure who the father was! That speaks volumes of her integrity!"
"MOLLY!!", John almost growled at her while grabbing her from the elbow.
Irene jumped up her seat and turned to Sherlock with eyes wide open. "You told her??", she seethed.
"Of course not!!", Sherlock looked at her.
"No, actually, I read his e-mails", Molly laughed stupidly, trying to break free from John's clench. "Oh... One other thing", she violently pushed John aside and turned her hazy gaze to Irene. "Your husband said I'm the most important person in his life..."
"Yeah, he said that before he met Irene!", John shouted at her. "Gosh, Molly, you need to leave!"
"Enough", Sherlock walked around the table, grabbed Molly by the arm and literally dragged her across the venue until they were both outside. The door shut behind them with a loud thud.
John and Violet hastened to Irene who sat back down, her expression shocked and her face pale.
"Drink some water, darling", Violet rubbed her arm soothingly. "Forget about what happened, Sherlock will take care of it..."
John handed a glass of water at her. "She was drunk, don't mind her words..."
Irene sipped the water but her hands were trembling. "Sherlock should not invite her", she said with shaky voice. "She fucked up my wedding..."
"Let me take care of the guests", Violet left her side and went to the dj, ordering him to play some dance music.
Irene let out a sigh, rubbing her temples. "I swear I will kill her if I ever see her face again..."
"I understand", John nodded. "Stop thinking about it. Look. The guests are dancing. They already forgot about it..."
"I can't believe she read his e-mails", Irene didn't even glance at the guests. "She's nuts."
"Molly was never like that", John shook his head disappointed. "I don't know what's gotten into her."
"She's still in love with Sherlock", Irene looked at him. "Don't deny it."
"Oh, she definitely is, it's clear", John nodded and took a sip from his champagne. "I feel sorry for her boyfriend."
Irene took a deep breath and wiped her sweaty hands on a napkin. "You should feel sorry for her, not for her boyfriend. She's desperate."
John just shook his head, not knowing what to say. Obviously Irene was right. Molly Hooper was still in love with Sherlock. It was all Eurus' fault for forcing him to make Molly admit her love for him. That woman was fragile. Apparently she couldn't handle it. And on top of that Sherlock said I love you back. That was even worse.
"Why don't we go get the groom?", John suggested when he noticed that Irene was getting more and more serious as the minutes passed.
"I don't know", she breathed out slowly. "I have a bad feeling."
"He's probably smoking in the front yard", John shrugged. "You know what? You stay here and I will go get him."
"No, no, wait", Irene grabbed her glass and downed the remaining of the champagne. She needed her strength back. "We're going together. What if they are fighting?"
John helped her up and they crossed the venue, smiling all along like idiots. "Sherlock is not a violent person and you know it", he said lowly so the guests would not be able to hear him.
"I know but he was so angry", Irene whispered but when they reached the door her smile instantly disappeared.
John opened the door for her and they exited the venue. There was no one there. John glanced at Irene.
"Where the heck are they?", he wondered, mostly to himself.
They went out into the front yard but found no one there. Then they went in again and searched everywhere, in all the rooms that were there. Could it be that Sherlock had accompanied the drunken Molly to her house? No, he would never leave Irene alone on her wedding day.
"We haven't checked the back yard", John's face lit up. "I believe he's there."
"Let's go then."
Irene followed John as she held the tail of her wedding dress. They went down a few steps at the end of the corridor and found themselves in front of a tall door made of milky glass. John opened the door and the same moment Irene heard a muffled sound that indicated surprise.
It all happened in a matter of seconds. That muffled sound of surprise came from Sherlock trying to push Molly away as she ... had her lips on his. The feeling Irene felt was indescribable. To her surprise, Irene did not feel the need to blame Sherlock. It was obvious that Molly had cornered him on purpose but even so the image that unfolded before her very eyes was heartbreaking.
Sherlock's expression on his face when he realized that Irene had watched the scene was something Irene had never seen. He was devastated. Molly could not even see around her. She just laughed stupidly and held her head as if it would fall off her shoulders if she let go. John was frozen like a statue by Irene's side.
Irene felt the tears welled in her eyes but she restrained herself from crying and turned to Sherlock who neared her cautiously.
"She took me by surprise, I swear", he spoke with shaky voice. His gaze was so intense and full of... fear. "She was crying, then she was laughing hysterically and I tried to escort her back to her car and she said that her car was parked in the back yard...", he said in one breath. He looked so stressed and miserable. "Please, believe me..."
Irene was staring at him, jaw clenched and lips pressed in a thin line.
"I kissed your husband...", Molly laughed so hard.
John covered his face with his hands, sighing soundly.
Irene's murderous gaze shifted to Molly and without giving the matter a second thought she shoved Sherlock out of her way and walked to Molly. She slapped her hard across her face... so hard that her long nails left marks on the woman's cheek.
Molly let out a loud, pained moan and cupped her cheek, suddenly looking at Irene straight into her eyes. It was as if the alcohol had evaporated from her blood within seconds.
John and Sherlock interfered instantly by grabbing Irene from her arms and pulled her away from Molly.
"I will fucking kill you if you ever touch Sherlock again!!", Irene growled at her, trying to break free from their holding.
Molly's lips curled up in a taunting smile while she wiped the blood from her cheek. Irene's long nails had done a pretty good job.
"You're so afraid...", Molly chuckled bitterly. "You're afraid that the bubble will soon burst and reality will crawl back in and trust me, the sadistic bastard you got married with, will show his true colors and then you'll remember my words but... it'll be too late... The monster he hides inside him is terrifying. Narcotics and alcohol are the only companion of his. Not you, not me. He loves them more than anything..."
"You fucked up my wedding day and for what??", Irene hissed through gritted teeth. "Get out of my sight!! NOW!!"
Sherlock and John struggled to hold Irene from rushing at Molly.
"Molly, leave, now!!", Sherlock said loudly.
John let go off Irene and instead he grabbed hold of Molly and led her away. She didn't protest at all. Irene snapped her arm away from Sherlock and glared at him.
"You had to invite her, hadn't you?!", she snarled.
"I'm really sorry, Irene...", he let out a deep breath, frustrated. He passed his fingers through his curls but looked at her apologetically. "I am... truly sorry..."
"I'm as serious as a heart-attack", she intently glared at him. "If you ever see her again, I'll break up with you and it'll be final."
"She's past already", Sherlock assured her. He attempted to lean closer and kiss her but she moved her face away from him.
"Don't you dare kiss me with these lips", she stepped away, enraged. "She kissed you just a minute ago!!"
"Her kiss meant nothing to me...", he said calmly and gently held her chin, forcing her to look at him in the eyes. "Just kiss me and forget about it..."
But could she? That awful feeling she had before the incident had not left her yet. She decided to go against her anger and lifted her face to him. She was ready to give in and her lips were only inches away from his when a dreadful thought crossed her mind. She suddenly opened her eyes and paused.
"You haven't had sex with her while I was in France, have you?", she asked almost whispering.
And Sherlock..... froze.