John and Sherlock were sat in opposite armchairs in the living room, the space had a similar set-up to Baker St, something that always made Sherlock internally chuckle. He knew his best friend wouldn't be able to leave 221B without taking elements with him to this new home. John took a sip of his drink as Sherlock swirled his in his hand.
"Have you told her yet?" John's question made Sherlock's head snap up from his glass.
"No."
"Why not?"
"It hasn't been the right time."
"Sherlock." John sighed, his best friend truly was an exasperating piece of work.
"What?"
"Come on."
"Again, what?" Sherlock was lost as to what John was hinting at.
"The right time? How do you know when it's 'the right time'?" He'd used his fingers to place inverted commas around the phrase.
"I'll just know."
"What if there's never a right time?"
Sherlock didn't reply, he went back to swilling the liquid in his cup.
"Sherlock?"
"What?" Sherlock was now also becoming exasperated with the Doctor.
"You need to tell her."
"I know." He sighed.
"So why haven't you?"
"I-I ... I don't know."
"And you're sure?"
"Sure of what?"
"Sure that you love her."
Sherlock rolled his eyes. He didn't need his best friend questioning his feelings when he was so unsure of his own capability to love Molly the way she deserved as it was.
"Really, John?"
John put his drink on the table so he could place his hands up in the air, signalling innocence.
"I'm just making sure."
"I know what you expect me to say, what everyone expects me to say."
"And what's that?"
"That I don't love her. I obviously don't have any feelings for Molly. I don't have feelings. She's just another asset."
"And is that the truth?"
"Of course not." He took a deep breath. He seemed to need to do that a lot when facing his feelings, John supposed it was because he'd suppressed them for so long. "I love Molly, I know I do." He paused, "I've never felt this way about anyone before. I just- I need to figure out how to tell her, I want it to be special." He looked up at John with a look in his eyes that John didn't recognise, but that he immediately pitied. "I need it to be."
John suddenly regretted questioning his friend.
"Okay."
Sherlock blinked.
"That's it?"
"Yeah."
"After all that?"
"I believe you, Sherlock."
The men smiled at each other.
"Thank you."
Their conversation was interrupted as they heard the front door open and shut.
Both men looked at each other in confusion, before their immediate reactions kicked in. Both heads turned to check the toddler in the corner was still where she should be, which she was.
"Molly?"
"Mary?"
Both worried and hesitant voices sounded at the same time.
Mary appeared in the doorway, halting the men on their mission to the kitchen.
"Dinner's ready. I'll dish up if you go sit."
"Where's Molly?"
"Everything okay, Mary?"
Again, the men spoke at the same time.
"I'll not tell you again, boys. Go sit."
John almost went to obey but was stopped by Sherlock's warning tone.
"Mary."
"Sherlock."
Of course, Mrs Watson bit back with a tone just as harsh. Sherlock's suppressed demeanour fell apart as he reached for Mary's arm.
"Please, Mary."
The blonde woman sighed, pushing a hair from her face.
"She's gone."
"Why?"
Mary shrugged.
"Mary."
"She said a family emergency."
"Oh god, Loo." Sherlock turned to leave, but this time, Mary reached for his arm.
"She said it was a family emergency, I don't know if that was true."
Sherlock knew Mary Watson and knew she could see through a lie as clearly as one can see through a pane of polished glass. His mind tried to turn over all the possibilities as to why she could have left, but he could not focus properly because of the heavy weight residing deep in his stomach, in his chest, in his heart.
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"I'm going after her."
Mary's grip on his arm tightened.
"Sherlock, I'm not so sure that's a good idea."
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"She was- she looked as though she needed some time, Sherlock. Please, just- come and sit and have some food. She said she'll text me, and then once I know what's wrong, I'll tell you when it's a good time to go."
"Maybe that's a better idea, mate. You are quite new to this whole thing."
Sherlock pulled his hand down his face before running it through his curls.
"Yes, yes. You're right. Thank you, Mary. But you must promise to tell me how I can help her."
"I will."
Mary's arm snaked around Sherlock's back and she guided her lost friend to his seat, before heading back into the kitchen to sort the food. She placed two plates in front of John and Sherlock, who was staring at Molly's discarded wine glass so intensely she thought he might smash it. She picked up the glass and watched as he finally picked up his knife and fork and began to eat. Mary headed back into the kitchen and was about to carry through her dinner when she felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket. Her heart skipped as she caught a glimpse of Sherlock's helplessness scribbled over his face in the other room and put her plate back down. With John distracted with feeding Rosie, she had a few minutes to sort this out for her friend, for her friends.
Her phone lit up as she brought it up to her face.
Hi, Mary. I'm so sorry I left so abruptly. Thank you for your hospitality. I hope we can make a rain check. - Molly xx
Mary pushed the kitchen door silently so it was almost closed and pressed the call button. Molly picked up in two rings, Mary cut her off before she could apologise again.
"Enough of that, silly. I said it was fine. My concern is what is wrong with you."
There was a pause on the other end of the phone.
"People don't lie to you either, do they?"
Mary laughed a little, encouraging Molly to join in, despite her tears and her situation.
"No, not often. And when they do, I can tell."
Molly took a deep breath as she stared at a spot on the floor in front of her couch. It seemed all three houses were situated quite close to each other so she had gotten home quite fast, thankfully. Molly hated crying in public. She had gotten settled, fed Toby, shut the blinds and turned the lamps on, all the while willing the tears to stop falling. They hadn't yet.
"I overheard Sherlock and John talking."
She didn't elaborate.
"And?"
Molly tried really hard to focus on her chosen spot as her vision blurred with more tears and the world around her became a foggy jumble.
"And I heard him say he doesn't have feelings for me-"
"Molly-"
"Mary, please. Please don't."
Mary could hear the sobs in Molly's voice before they even became audible.
"It's my fault. I should have seen this coming. I should have listened to all the warnings. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up."
"Molly, I know this is hard, but maybe you just misheard him. He's a good friend-"
"A friend. Exactly. He doesn't want to be in a relationship with me, and I just, I need time to get over that."
Mary was getting desperate now. Unlike her, she must admit, but two of the purest people she'd ever had the pleasure to meet were breaking down in front of her, and it was a lot. She said it so quickly she nearly couldn't stop herself.
"Molly? Please just think about this, he lo- he wouldn't have meant it."
"He what? He loves me? How can I believe that when I haven't heard him say it? When we haven't had one serious conversation about what we are to each other? All I've heard him say is, and I quote, 'I don't love her. I obviously don't have any feelings for Molly. I don't have feelings. She's just another asset.'" The tears were threatening full force now as she spoke softly down the phone, the words rushing out of her. She couldn't bring herself to be bitter, even though she knew she should be. She sniffled. "Yeah, he definitely said that."
Mary just sighed, this was not something she could fix like this.
"I'm sorry, Molly."
The brunette forced a smile onto her face and into her voice.
"Thank you, Mary. I just need some time, a few days, to think." She sighed, "I hope to see you soon."
She hung up and the conversation ended. Mary stared at the phone in her hands, a picture of her, John, Rosie and Sherlock staring right back at her. She shook her head and looked at the curly-haired man she mothered so often.
"What am I going to do with you?"
She sighed as she grabbed her plate and headed for the dining room.