Jenny's P.O.V. -Christmas-
Lights had been strung up around the flat and snow was falling outside. The flat was decorated in Christmassy decorations and cards. Daddy was walking around 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' on his violin.
Mrs. Hudson was sitting in his chair with a glass of wine in her hand, watching him happily. Lestrade was standing near the kitchen also holding a glass of wine. Jessica was sitting in John's chair with a fancy glass of chocolate (because she doesn't drink) and I was sitting by her legs with a fancy glass of chocolate milk also. John was walking around in a nice Christmassy jumper with a cup and saucer in one hand and a bottle of something in his other. It was probably some kind of alcoholic drink. Daddy finished his song with a little flourish and Lestrade whistled.
"Lovely! Sherlock, that was lovely!"Mrs. Hudson clapped.
"Marvelous!" John said.
"That was amazing, Sherlock." Jessica smiled. Daddy took a small bow and Mrs. Hudson, who was a little drunk at this point, giggled at him.
"I wish you could have worn the antlers!"
"Some things are best left to the imagination, Mrs. Hudson."
John handed Mrs. Hudson a cup of tea. "Mrs. H."
One of John's girlfriends with dark hair brought over a tray with mince pies and slices of cake over to daddy. I gave me glass to Jessica and jumped up to get a slice of cake from her. I grabbed one from her and said thank while daddy replied to her.
"No thank you, Sarah." He said politely. Her face immediately fell and John hurried over and put his arm around her as she turned away.
"Uh, no, no, no, no, no, he's not good with names. "
"No, no, no, I can get this." John's girlfriend put the tray down and folded her arms as she looked at daddy grimly.
"Why does John's girlfriend look so mad?" I whispered to Jessica.
"Some people don't like it when other people call them the wrong name.
"No, Sarah was the doctor; and then there was the one with the spots; and then the one with the nose; and then ... who was after the boring teacher?" Daddy continued talking.
"Nobody." The lady said glumly.
"Jeanette! Ah, process of elimination." He grinned at her. John sort of lead Jeanette away as daddy looked towards the door.
"Oh, dear Lord." Molly walked in smiling and carrying two bags that looked like they were full of presents.
"Hello, everyone. Sorry, hello." I ran over to her and gave her a hug before walking back over to Jessica, who was looking at her watch and out the window.
"Jessica, are you expecting something?"I asked her.
"Yes, but I'm not hoping for it." I gave her a confused look before she her mobile started to ring.
"Sorry, hi Molly."John walked over to greet Molly.
"Er, it said on the door just to come up." Everyone greeted her nicely, but daddy just rolled his eyes.
"Oh, everybody's saying hullo to each other. How wonderful!" He said sarcastically. Molly started to take off her coat.
"Let me, er ... holy Mary!" John helped Molly with her coat.
Lestrade made a funny face, "Wow!" I turned to Molly from my spot in John's chair to look at Molly.
"Having a Christmas drinkies, then?"
"No stopping them, apparently." Daddy said sitting down at the table.
"You look very pretty Molly." I said to her; she was wearing a nice black dress that just went past her knees.
"Thank you, Jenny, you look pretty too." I looked down at my dress .
"Thank you Molly." She smiled at me before turning Mrs. Hudson who had started talking.
"It's the one day of the year where the boys have to be nice to me, so it's almost worth it!" She laughed nervously, and looked towards daddy as he started typing on John's laptop.
John brought over a chair for Molly, "Have a seat."
"John?" Daddy asked.
"Mmm?" John replied going over to see what daddy was looking at. Lestrade started to talk to Molly as Jessica walked back in smiling at her phone. Lestrade ask Molly if she wanted a drink and John leaned over daddy's shoulder to look at his laptop.
"Who were you talking to?" I gave Jessica her seat back and stood in front of her.
"It was just my dad and mum."
"Did they wish you a happy Christmas?" I asked.
"Yeah they did and they gave me my Christmas present." She smiled at me while I looked confused.
"Your present, how'd they give it to you over the phone?"
"My present was a promise from them."
"What was it?"
"Um, it was just that nothing would happen this Christmas."
"That's it, that's all you get for Christmas?"
"Believe me, that's a huge Christmas miracle coming from my family." She looked up as daddy yelled.
"And you've got a photograph of me wearing that hat!" He was pointing at the screen. I walked over to see a picture of daddy in a deerstalker.
"People like the hat."
"No they don't. What people?" Daddy looked at the laptop as John walked away.
"I like the hat, dad." He looked at me and then back at the computer. I walked back to where Mrs. Hudson was. That was the first time that I had called him dad, the other kids at school say that it's 'childish' to keep calling your parents mommy and daddy. I didn't like to listen to them, but still, sometimes their words make their way into my brain. I had grown out of calling Molly mommy about 2 years ago but she's still like a mom figure to me while Jessica is more like a best friend. Of course John and Lestrade (whose name I learned a few months ago was actually Greg) are like my uncles, and Mrs. Hudson is like my grandma. I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to one of them, it would be horrible. Molly was talking to Mrs., Hudson.
"How's the hip?"
"Ooh, it's atrocious, but thanks for asking."
"I've seen much worse, but then I do post-mortems." I thought it was funny but I hide my smile as the awkward silence fell. Molly looked very embarrassed. "Oh, God. Sorry."
"Don't make jokes, Molly." Daddy said breaking the silence.
"No. Sorry." She replied. Lestrade handed Molly a glass a red liquid. "Thank you. I wasn't expecting to see you. I thought you were gonna be in Dorset for Christmas."
"That's first thing in the morning, me and the wife. We're back together. It's all sorted." He grinned at Molly.
"Congratulations, Greg." Jessica stood up and had joined their conversation. John's girlfriend came over and sat in her spot.
Daddy on other hand thought otherwise. Without looking up from the laptop he said, "No, she's sleeping with a P.E. teacher." Lestrade smile sort of change, it didn't seem as happy as it was before. Jessica turned her head to send dad a look as Molly turned to John who was sitting on the arm of his armchair while... Jeanette?... was sitting in. I was still standing by the chair.
"And John. I hear you're off to your sister's, is that right?"
"Yeah." John replied looking at her.
"Sherlock was complaining." Dad raised his eyebrows and Molly corrected herself, " ... saying."
Near the kitchen, Lestrade had been thinking about dad's comment as his face slowly morphed into one of exasperation when he probably realized that it was dad was right.
"First time ever, she's cleaned up her act. She's off the booze." John continued on.
"Nope." Dad said from his desk.
"Shut up, Sherlock." John said immediately.
"I see you've got a new boyfriend, Molly, and you're serious about him." Dad said changing the subject.
"Sorry, what?" Molly looked confused.
"In fact, you're seeing him this very night and giving him a gift." He continued. I knew that Molly didn't have new boyfriend, Jessica and I went out to lunch with her a little less than week ago and she would've told us then if she had a new boyfriend. Normally she doesn't get serious about a new boyfriend until about a month.
"Take a day off." John said.
"Shut up and have a drink." Lestrade said putting a drink down in front of him.
"Oh, come on. Surely you've all seen the present at the top of the bag – perfectly wrapped with a bow. All the others are slapdash at best." Dad had stood up and started walking towards Molly while looking at the bag of presents that she had brought. "It's for someone special, then." He picked up the present that was well wrapped. "The shade of red echoes her lipstick – either an unconscious association or one that she's deliberately trying to encourage. Either way, Miss Hooper has lurrrve on her mind. The fact that she's serious about him is clear from the fact she's giving him a gift at all." John looked anxiously at Molly as she started to squirm under dad's gaze. Jessica looked like she wanted to step in because she also knew that Molly didn't have a new boyfriend and that the present was, in fact, for dad. The only problem was that dad didn't know that.
"That would suggest long-term hopes, however forlorn; and that she's seeing him tonight is evident from her make-up and what she's wearing." Dad smiled smugly at John and Jeanette as he started turning over the present in his hand. "Obviously trying to compensate for the size of her mouth and breasts..." He trailed off as he opened the tag and read what it said. It mostly likely said his name. He gazed at the words sort of in a state of shock when he realized what he's said. Molly stood there and gasped quietly.
"You always say such horrible things. Every time. Always. Always." Molly spoke softly, holding back tears. The rest of the party had gone silent when dad had started talking. Dad turned to walk away from her but then suddenly turned back around towards.
"I am sorry. Forgive me." John looked up at the same time as Jessica, both of them shock by what dad said; although John more noticeably than Jessica. I just sat there, I've never ever even heard dad say anything like that.
"Merry Christmas, Molly Hooper." Dad spoke softly as he leaned down and kissed her cheek. It was a very nice moment that all came shatter down when the funny noise from dad's phone rang out into the flat. That was the forty-second text that he had gotten with from that person that I've heard. Molly gasped in shock.
"No! That wasn't ... I – I didn't..." She stuttered.
"No, it was me." Dad corrected.
"My God, really?!" Lestrade said in surprise.
"What?!" Molly sat there confused.
"My phone." Dad reached into his jacket pocket and John narrowed his eyes.
"Fifty-seven." John said
"Sorry, what?" Dad said looking at him
"Fifty-seven of those texts – the ones I've heard." Wow, I was off, they must've texted while I was gone to school. Dad looked at the phone and looked up towards the mantelpiece.
"Thrilling that you've been counting." Dad said as he was walking. He picked something up that I couldn't see what it was. "'Scuse me." Dad started walking towards his bedroom.
"What – what's up, Sherlock?" John ask starting to follow him.
"I said excuse me." Dad kept walking.
"D'you ever reply?" John called after him. Dad ignored him and walked into his room. I couldn't see or hear what he was doing. John walked down the hallway to dad's door and listened to what dad was saying. Dad appeared in the doorway.
"You okay?" John asked him.
"Yes." Dad closed the door in John's face.
Dad had left to meet Mycroft at the hospital morgue and Molly had left as well. Everyone else was running around looking for dad's stash of cigarettes and something else that they wouldn't tell me. Jessica stood up from looking in the fireplace and looked at me. I was sitting in dad's chair next to Jessica's bag. She came over to me after a look of realization crossed her face. She grabbed her bag and started digging around in it. She pulled out a parcel and crouched down in front of me.
"I forgot to give this to you earlier. Happy Christmas, Jenny." She handed it to me and I could feel the outline of the book. I quickly ripped the wrapping off to find the book 'The Memoirs of Sherrinford Hope' by Arthur Conan Doyle. I opened the book to see it signed by him. I've heard about Sherrinford Hope, he's one of the most famous pieces of literature in the world, but the author had died about a hundred years ago.
"Thank you, Jessica." I gave her a hug, "But how did you get a signed copy of it?" I looked up at her hugging the book to my chest.
"Let's just say that my dad is really good at getting things." Jessica smiled down at me before she went back to looking for dad's stuff.
I was getting tired so I opened my new book and started to read.
I was cleaning up my dorm room when a knock from my door.
"Come in." I yelled putting a few clothes away in my wardrobe.
Rullana peeked his head in the door.
"Is your dad on his way?" He asked coming all the way into my room. I turned around and saw that he had a bag that he had set by his feet.
"Umm, no." I said looking out of my window.
"I'll stay with until he comes, alright?" He smiled at me as I turned around to look at him.
"Oh, no, I couldn't do that to you. Besides, isn't your family waiting for you?"
"I actually told them that I might be a little late, I thought it was going to take longer to pack. Speaking of which, why aren't you packed?"
"I have enough clothes with my dad that I don't need to bring any home." I turned back to my wardrobe to close it.
"Oh, I see." He looked around the room.
"You don't have to stay, I'm sure my dad will be here in a moment."
"No, it's fine, and besides nobody else is here; if your dad is going to be any longer, you're going to be alone." He did have a good point.
"If it's not too much trouble, I would like it you'd stay."
About an hour later we had left the academy and were just outside of the Citadel lying in the red grass. I looked up towards the night sky.
"Look up there." I pointed towards one of the many planets in the sky. It was purplish with swirling gold waters all around the planet.
"It's amazing, what's the name of it?"
"I've no idea. When do you think your dad's going to be here?"
"Hmm... next month, maybe." I laughed and he joined in. Rullana was about to say something when he got distracted.
"Look, Senlor, a shooting star." He pointed up to the streak of golden light that stretched across the sky.
"Amazing; look, there's another one." I pointed up to the sky. Then about 10 more came.
"Rullana, it's a meteor shower."
"It's so beautiful." We were sitting there for a few minutes before a familiar sound ruined it all. We sat up to see the Tardis materialize behind us.
"Hey, my dad can take you back in time so you can go home on time." I jumped up and raced to the door. "Come on." I pulled him into the Tardis.