Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Molly POV

Ding. Ding. Ding.

He just kept texting. He knew she was working but it just didn't matter to him. She had been trying really hard to just ignore his texts and get back to work. She knew she should have put it on silent but she just couldn't bring herself to.

Need help-SH

Need toxicology repot on a victim that's turned up today-SH

You have faster results than the others. The body is being brought over-SH

On one hand she was she was glad, and even flattered, but why didn't he just convey the importance to someone else? Why did it have to be her? Sometimes she couldn't stand seeing him and it happened that it was one of the weeks she couldn't.

I'll do it -MH

He knew she would say yes so to was pointless confirming but she did anyway. She was still always astonished how fast he made her give up. It was like he just took the fight right out of her. And he knew that. Ironically enough he knew everything. (Except when it came to the solar system according to John).

She waited for the body to be delivered and she got right to work. At first her job had been unnerving but soon she was most of the way desensitized to it. It probably helped that she was never working fully alone.

She remembered at the start of her career she worried a body would turn out to still be alive and would jump up and scream the second she made an incision.

Luckily that hadn't happened yet.

She hadn't had Sherlock asking for a update by the time the results were in. She determined the cause of death was cyanide. Looked like she would need to be the one to contact him first.

Results in. Cyanide. Come in for full report.-MH

Luckily for both of them nether one was keen on texting. They both tended to text using few words. That was the best thing about texting for Molly. She had better control over what she said over text. Sometimes in real conversations she thought she could see the word vomit fall from her mouth. She always had words get away from her in conversations.

Only a moment later a text came in.

As I suspected -SH

And not even a thank you for the time she took out of her day to help him. Why did she even try anymore. It was hopeless.

Sherlock POV

As I suspected-SH

Sherlock had been sitting on the couch in 221b when he received this information confirming his suspicions. He really was brilliant, wasn't he. He didn't think people told him enough.

He had just been in the mind palace thinking about the case. He came to the conclusion of it being the boyfriend. The young woman had just moved out of her part to live with her boyfriend. After living together for two months she was dead. It was a simple case from the clues he saw.

It made the most sense.

Especially after seeing the boyfriends reaction to seeing her body to confirm it was her. His sobs seemed over the top to him. Like he was acting. It felt off. He'd seen it a hundred times. In fact, he'd done it a hundred times.

Sherlock was usually overly suspicious of people who made a big scene when a loved one died though. It was only because he just didn't understand the feeling. But this time felt especially wrong.

He just didn't get the reaction because it was a normal part of life. You lived, you died, and sometimes there were things in between but not always. Nonsense in making a scene about it.

He did understand it happened though.

None of that mattered though. He still wasn't sure if it had been the boyfriend or if it was if there was someone else helping or if it was someone else entirely.n

On my way-SH

Molly POV

On my way-SH

The anticipation was really going to kill her this time. He would be here any moment, not that he'd specified when he would show up.

Just as she started thinking this she heard the lad door open and a dark thin figure came sauntering in. It took her a moment to register that it was him. Although she should have realized he walked in because of how quiet it got.

She also saw John hurrying to try to keep up with Sherlock and his long legs that always seemed to tower over everyone else in the room. John was very out of breath but still trying to say something to Sherlock.

Sherlock stopped and held his hand out to her motioning for the toxicology report.

She fumbled and reached out to give it to them. Their hands brushed. Hers were shaking. He didn't notice. Stupid.

She was so stupid. This small thing made her heart thud.

She looked down embarrassed, not that he was paying attention. She noticed John realized as she looked up.

She tried to ignore the look John was giving.

Sherlock always saw the clues in cases but never socially.
………..

Sherlock obviously had been right with thinking it was the boyfriend. Something about a fit of passion and desperateness.

Molly thought how strange it was that someone could murder someone they claimed to love.

She had truly deeply loved someone before. She still did in fact.

Turned out Sherlock was right. just as usual. Its funny what love can make someone do. That's not how love should be though. She knew that.

Sherlock POV time skip to the fall

“Its all true”

“I invented moriarty”

Obviously Molly knew Sherlock wasn't really dead. Sherlock did hate having to not tell John but no one but the necessary people could know. Molly happens to be one who knew.

Two years passed and Sherlock had to go off to infiltrate Moriarty's web. He was told that Molly had no clue where he was going to that actually comforted him.

He was glad she didn't know because then she could be a target.

For such an unfeeling monster he did really care about her. John too of course. John was his closest friend. And probably only friend. Sometimes he tried to convey to John how much he valued him but it always backfired.

He was actually glad to finally be slightly out of harm's way after those two years. He hoped John and the others who didn't know wouldn't be too mad.

He went and saw John first. It went badly of course but he knew in time they would be okay again.

Mycroft was always an interesting case. He knew Sherlock was dead but they still hadn't been able to really talk while he was gone. He couldn't be discovered. He would be instantly killed. Even Sherlock couldn't survive that. He was glad to see Mycroft and he thought Mycroft was happy too even though he didn't show it.

Then he got to see Molly. Their interaction seemed different then other ones they had in the past before the fall.

Chapter Text

Molly POV

Molly had been standing in the lab working on a body for a case when Sherlock came wandering in. It was late and started lightly raining around an hour ago and had started pi king up a little more. He wasn't supposed to just show up but he always did. He was very quiet usually at least. Today was different.

“When do you think the rain will stop Molly?” Sherlock said solemnly looking out the window of the lab.

“Um I wouldn't think too long now Sherlock. The rains are usually pretty on and off here but it never lasts very long. I like it it feels like the streets are getting cleaned”

And there Molly went again rambling on with no one to listen.

Because she knew Sherlock wouldn't be listening still.

“Interesting perspective. To me though I feel like it never stops. It feels dreary.” Sherlock said, still not looking over at her.

He stood there unmoving for a little while longer. Soon he finally spoke up.

“I suppose I should be letting you continue your work in peace. I do appreciate you letting me be here, even if for such a short time”.

That was very odd Molly thought after she finished her work on the body. He had rarely even implied gratitude. This time he outwardly said he appreciated her. Weird.

Sherlock POV

He could stop any time he wanted. Sherlock knew he could but he obviously didn't want to. He wasn't an ‘addict’. It's not like he was indulging in these habits all the time or anything.

It was only sometimes and today when Mycroft found him was only a coincidence.

The car ride back to 221b Baker street was quiet. Mycroft was sitting next to him in the back but he wouldn't look at him. He found him in one of the drug houses he went to.

“We had all been looking for you Sherlock” Mycroft mumbled with anger still not looking his way.

“I'm on a case, l Mycroft” Sherlock said through clenched teeth.

“Why wouldn't you have told your flatmate then. He and Molly have been worried sick you know. And so have I.”

Mycroft said finally looking at Sherlock for the first time since finding him in the falling apart house.

Sherlock didn't reply. Unsurprising.
Why did they even care about him? Sherlock couldn't help thinking.
They were almost home before Mycroft spoke again.

“Do you still have your phone or will you be needing a new one?”

Sherlock remembered when his brother asked him this for the first time. It was when Sherlock was in college and he had his first major overdose. Mycroft hadn't heard from him for longer than usual and came looking for him.

After they were at the hospital Mycroft said how they hadn't had his phone with his personal items and he asked if he was in need of a new one or if he had put it somewhere.

Truth was he smashed it when his dealer wouldn't return his text fast enough. That's when he went to one of those drug houses where everyone had something with him. It was easier to bump things off them.

“I left it at Baker street. I was planning on being back soon.”

“Sounds like your plans took a turn then. It's been two and a half weeks.” Mycroft returned, though not meanly.

The ride felt like it took an eternity but soon they returned. Sherlock was not excited to see John. He knew John would just be disappointed. John would just say he had a problem. But Sherlock knew he didn't.

When the car stopped Sherlock was the first one out. He went stomping up the stairs to 221b Baker street. Mycroft came much slower behind Sherlock. As he was through the door leading to the stairs to his apartment he heard Mycroft stopping to talk to Ms Hudson. He heard her shrill voice exclaim her excitement and worry that Sherlock was back.

Sherlock didn't stop to eavesdrop. He didn't care what Mycroft was going to say to her about him. He was done caring. He just needed to go to his room to see what a mess everyone made rifling through his personal affects.

All of this made him feel like nothing was even his own. He burst through the door loudly, not caring what John or Ms Hudson or anyone else would think.

Ms Hudson always complained about them being noisy but she had probably gotten used to his antics. Especially after he got bored and shot the walls of the flat.
John had been in his chair but he jumped up at his arrival. It was obvious that he had been taking a nap in his chair. John practically never did that. He noticed in the back of his muddy mind that Molly was sitting in the chair across from John. She stayed seated.

“Hello John” Sherlock said almost brightly before storming into his room without hardly looking his way.

Even despite not acting like it, Sherlock was happy to be back in his own flat and own room.

It was about as messed up as he assumed it would be. He knew they hadn't found anything though because there had been nothing to find. That for one was a good thing for him.