These Days

Famous to Nameless

Sherlock was about done with press and news, so it was a breath of relief when he found the school camera free. It was after hours, but he knew the teachers were still around; they would love to see this moment for themselves. Of course the word leaked out, about the affair that killed John Watson, and the school got word as well. So, if losing John wasn't enough, the school decided that they should probably take away Sherlock's job as well. So here he was, coming to collect his things. Even though his life had plunged into the darkness of hell, he wasn't taking it nearly as badly as he would've alone. It turns out that Hamish was actually a really good kid, not only was he able to make any situation better with the help of Captain America, but he was also enough to keep Mrs. Hudson from bringing up the whole I told you so speech. But still, Sherlock twirled the ring on his finger and wished beyond wishes that John could just be with him. He'd definitely sacrifice everything he's ever gained just to have John at his side. His door pass still worked, but he knew that he'd be expected to turn it in once he officially left. When Sherlock walked in the school was still filled with the teachers, walking around the halls in their clicking high heels and scowling down at him, as if they were ashamed to simply be near him.
"Yes, it's me, no autographs please." Sherlock muttered as the usually friendly (enough) staff made sure to step out of his line of vision. There were mutters and little comments that were out of his earshot, but he knew what they were all thinking. There goes Sherlock, the man who killed that parent, the antisocial gay loser who was only in this job for the never ending supply of fathers that walk in and out of the school. Well, they weren't entirely wrong. Sherlock walked into his classroom, the lights were off and instead of coloring books and crayons on the desk there were large boxes, obviously meant for him to take all of his stuff out in. Sherlock sighed, all of the posters were off the walls, all of his news clippings were in the trash can, all except one. Sherlock walked over to the board and frowned down at some person's poor excuse of a joke. The only news posted was his own, with a large picture of John and a headline that read Local Man Killed in Deadly love Triangle. At least they didn't cheese it up too much, but Sherlock didn't like thinking of it as a love triangle. Mary was out of the picture, there was no love for her, it wasn't a triangle, it was a line, and John's end was severed.
"So, you're back then." Sherlock turned to see Molly standing at the door, wearing a tricolored sweater and a frown.
"Just packing things up." Sherlock sighed, opening his desk drawer and picking up a handful of pens to demonstrate. "Come to administer my last rights?" he asked. Molly sighed, turning on the light and shaking her head.
"Came to help. This is a lot for only one man, even you." Molly pointed out.
"You don't need to help." Sherlock insisted. "You'll probably be exiled by the other teachers for just talking to me."
"Well, I suppose it's worth the risk. I can't imagine how lonely you're feeling." Molly sighed, coming over and picking up a box.
"Well, I lost one, gained one I suppose." Sherlock shrugged.
"I heard you adopted Hamish." Molly pointed out.
"It was that or the orphanage." Sherlock sighed.
"I thought you hated kids." Molly debated.
"He's not so bad, and it's the least I can do." Sherlock muttered.
"You didn't kill John, it wasn't your fault." Molly insisted.
"I know, Mary killed him, but she wouldn't have had any reason to pull the trigger if it weren't for me." Sherlock defended.
"It takes two to have an affair Sherlock, so you've only got half the blame." Molly pointed out.
"Well, that makes me feel better, thanks Molly." Sherlock groaned.
"But, I suppose, it could be anyone's fault." She shrugged.
"You shouldn't have any guilt." Sherlock pointed out.
"Well, if I hadn't left the living room I suppose you two wouldn't have gone into the office, and then the adults would've all came out and all would be well. Or, if Hamish hadn't been going to find him then Mary wouldn't have found out and shot him. Or David, if he hadn't brought that stupid gun then John would still be here. There are too many factors of this to take all of the credit, we've all got a share, and we've all got guilt." Molly pointed out.
"Well, if I could've just contained these stupid emotions nothing would ever happened, and it wouldn't have mattered what time you left the living room, or if Hamish had wanted to find John, David could've brought the entire military and no one would've gotten hurt." Sherlock insisted, simply taking the entire drawer and dumping its contents into the box.
"Just don't be too hard on yourself Sherlock; as long as you properly loved him, and he loved you as well, then you shouldn't worry." Molly insisted.
"Wow, there goes all my cares, that was so easy!" Sherlock said sarcastically, dumping out another drawer and cramming the lid onto the box.
"I just want you to be happy." Molly insisted.
"Got a Ouija board? Or perhaps the Resurrection Stone?" Sherlock asked.
"Come on Sherlock, don't be like that." Molly sighed.
"Well, deal with it. Are you here to help or just to nag me?" Sherlock asked.
"A bit of both I suppose." Molly shrugged. Sherlock just groaned, but shoved a box in her hands and went back to his own work. When finally the boxes were all packed in a big pile in front of the door and the room was bare, Molly sighed, pushing the last box into place and rocking back on her heels.
"So, this is it I suppose." She decided.
"Yes, not a moment too soon." Sherlock agreed.
"Oh don't pretend like you won't miss me." Molly insisted.
"I'll probably see you around some places, now that I've got a kid to look after I suppose I'll be here for little bit." Sherlock shrugged.
"I don't know if they'll let you inside." Molly defended.
"Well then, I'll come anyway. They can stop me teaching, but not parenting." Sherlock insisted.
"It's really weird to think of you as a parent." Molly decided.
"It's no easier for me as well. It's mostly Mrs. Hudson that does the parenting; I just kind support her from a distance." Sherlock shrugged.
"I guess it's better than nothing." Molly said with a faint smile. And, without warning, she gave him a hug, which he sort of backed away from, but for once he didn't push her away, even though he didn't hug back.
"Goodbye Sherlock." She decided.
"Bye Molly." Sherlock agreed.
"I hope you find someone else someday." Molly insisted.
"I won't." Sherlock insisted.
"There's that positive spirit." Molly laughed.
"Always." Sherlock agreed with a smile. Molly nodded, and without another word she left the classroom, once and for all. It was weird, even though he hated all of their conversations and pretty much every time he saw her, Molly was always nice to him when no one else was. And she was gone too. Maybe that was his curse, everyone left him. Maybe that was okay. So Sherlock started the long march out to his car, juggling boxes and walking slowly as if in a funeral. All the teachers lined up outside of the classrooms and in the lobby, not so much to say goodbye, but just to glare at him wordlessly. It was no secret that they had hated him all along, and maybe this final march was like a parade. Well, it looks like Sherlock would just have to suffer with the future society, because he knew he wasn't going to be let near a school ever again.               

                  As time went on that smiling little boy grew up to be a moody teenager, and with the teenage years came the question that everyone skirted around for years, what had really happened to his parents. Of course as a boy he understood that his mommy shot his daddy, but he never knew why, he never was able to connect the golden band on Sherlock's finger to the silver bullet in his daddy's heart. But the truth came out, and even though Sherlock had raised him like his own, Hamish left the house for good. Maybe being lied to all his life didn't really agree with him, or the fact that he was living with, and I quote, the selfish lunatic that had his father killed. Sherlock never saw Hamish again, he didn't know where he went, or what he was doing, if he had gotten married and was happy himself or if he was living under a bridge or had started a new family tradition by landing himself in jail alongside his mother. Mrs. Hudson faded as well, she was moved to a nursing home when it was realized that Sherlock himself was unable to take care of her, and from there she moved to the hospital, and from there she took a permanent residency in the ground. That was the moment when Sherlock officially cracked. Every single person in his life had left him, John was dead, Mrs. Hudson was dead, Hamish was gone, Molly was who knows where, his parents had abandoned him, he had no one left. There was a time when the name Sherlock Holmes meant something, everyone knew it, maybe not in the most positive of context, but they knew it. Soon the news faded, along with the name, but that might have been a good thing. Because people forgot his name, but then again, no one would need to use it ever again.        
A/N: Okay, honestly if there were every an impossible story, that was it. I don't know where I got the idea from, but I thought it would be too controversial to write because I don't know all your family life or anything and honestly, I didn't even know if affairs were legal or not. But, even as an impossible story, here were are, months later, and it's published. I love it so much, it was one of the more beautiful love stories I've written because I feel like the characters really connected. So, unfortunately, there's no other story coming after this one since I published The Things Unseen as soon as it was finished. But I'm working on a cute little modern day story, which I'm really starting to like, so I hope you guys like it as well. So, thanks for being such active followers and leaving me very amusing comments, and if you liked this story I encourage you to read my other ones. Thanks :)