Another Cinderella Story (Sherlock fanfiction)

Chapter 10

John wandered around the Library cautiously, waiting for any sign of Mystery woman. He then decided to go to one of the staff. "Excuse me," he asked an elderly woman who was putting books away, "do you know a woman with brown hair, pale skin, gold eyes -?"
"Oh! You must be talking about Melody." the woman interrupted John. John perked up at a name.
"Melody?" John repeated. The old woman nodded her head.
"Melody Rose." she confirmed. "She's a regular here in this Library - I actually gave her a spare key to go in here whenever she wanted. Such a sweetheart. I treat her like a daughter, you know." John thought about Mrs Hudson and immediately, how Mrs Hudson treated Sherlock like a son, along with him as well.
"Do you know anything about her family?" John asked her, barely containing his excitement.
"Her parents died when she was young." she replied gravely, shaking her head sadly. "She is left alone with her step-mother and sisters. Such brats, they are." John then knew that this was Sherlock's Mystery woman.
"Thank you so much for this." John said, smiling gratefully at her. "My best friend has been looking for her about two weeks."
"Oh, is she Sherlock Holmes' Mystery woman?"
"Yes, I think so."
"That's nice." the old woman murmured. "That girl needs some happiness for once."
"Is she still here?" John asked her urgently.
"Oh, yes." she nodded. "She was walking with these two stronger guys. They were on either side of her."
"Okay, thank you again." John said, before rushing off, more desperate to find her. Two strong guys with her? That can't be good, John thought.
Too busy looking around, he didn't watch where he was going, crashing into someone. John looked at the person and felt his heart jump to his throat in excitement. "It's you!" John exclaimed. "You're the Mystery woman!"
"N-no, no I am not!" Mystery woman rushed out, avoiding eye contact.
"You are!" John exclaimed. "Sherlock! Sherlock, I found her!" he called out, despite the place being a Library when you have to be quiet. John grabbed Mystery woman's hand, tugging her with him, despite her struggles.
***
"You are not Mystery woman." Sherlock stated to the two women in front of him. "Never have, never will."
"How would you know?" one of them sniffed. "I was wearing a mask."
Before any of them could say anything, Sherlock heard John's voice of happiness. "Sherlock! Sherlock, I found her!"
"John!" Sherlock exclaimed happily, dashing to meet with his friend, the other three women following close behind. "John!" he called out. "Where are you?"
"I'm in the 'S' area!" John called back. The memory of Mystery woman reading Romeo and Juliet flashed through Sherlock's head, making him smile. Sherlock finally turned left, and saw John at the end of the hall.
"John!" Sherlock called from his spot, catching his breath from all the running around the big Library. "Did you find her?"
"See for yourself!" John called back from down the hall, stepping to the side. There, in front of him was her. The Mystery woman. Sherlock knew for sure that was her. Sherlock slowly started walking towards her, Mystery woman following his steps.
"Wait!" Sherlock heard one of the women from behind him. "She isn't the Mystery woman, I am!"
"No, I am!"
Idiots, Sherlock thought to himself, his gaze never moving from the woman in front of him.
They finally met half way, looking at each other. Sherlock looked at her, looking at his checklist in his Mind Palace.
□Pale skin
□Brown shiny hair that goes to mid-back
□Red lipstick
□Gold eyes
"What did I ask that night, that made you panic?" Sherlock asked her, testing her. The woman in front of him, looked down with a blush, igniting hope in his stomach, at the sight of her being embarrassed. She looked down biting her lip, before looking back up at him.
"I panicked because I thought you were taken by 'The Woman'." she finally said quietly.
Sherlock looked at her with wide eyes, unable to function. It was her. She was Mystery woman. The woman that got him chasing around London, just to look for her. The woman that made him human than ever. The woman that made him so desperate. "It really is you!" Sherlock finally breathed out.
"Yep!" she whispered, her eyes watering slightly.
"NO!" he heard the women behind him shriek. He lifted his hand up, slowly moving it to her cheek, caressing it. She sighed at the touch, leaning into the familiar feeling.
"Before you do anything," she said, grabbing his hand and holding it with her own, avoiding eye contact. "I am not that worthy. My parents died at a young age, I'm basically a maid in my own home, and my life isn't interesting. The night that we met each other, was the best time I ever had ever since my parents died. And I am lonely."
"I am a High-functioning sociopath, most people hate me, I faked my own death, and been in a lot of near-death experiences." Sherlock chuckled. "And I am also very, very lonely."
"If you are willing to accept my flaws, I will happily accept yours." she said, looking up at him through her eyelashes, honesty in her eyes, showing she was telling the truth. She is too good for me, Sherlock thought to himself in awe.
Sherlock cupped her face, bringing his face down to hers and kissing her on the lips. The familiar electricity going through them came back, heat spreading through them. They happily took in each other, everything around them gone, only each other in their sight.
***
John smiled at his friend's happiness, before pulling out his phone to text Mary, Mycroft, Molly, and Lestrade.
To: Mary, Mycroft, Molly, Lestrade;
We found her. We found Mystery woman. Sherlock is kissing her already.
Messages were sent back to him, saying they are happy for Sherlock and cannot wait to meet Mystery woman.
John looked up from his phone, to see Sherlock and Mystery wom - Melody, talking quietly to each other, their gaze flicking to the three women behind Sherlock. One woman looked older than the other two, the other two around the same age. Mother and daughters, John realised, then noticed their glares at Melody. They're the step-mother and sisters.
John walked up to Sherlock and Melody, smiling at them. "John," Sherlock said, "this is Melody, the woman that I love."
"Nice to meet you officially." John said, shaking her hand.
"You too." Melody said shyly, her arm looped with Sherlock's. John looked at Sherlock and saw that he was indeed in love with her, and saw that she felt the same way.
John smiled at them, before he suggested to leave the Library to chat somewhere more private.
So they left, with Melody and Sherlock walking together, hand in hand.