Protect Her

Chapter 8

It was a dreary Tuesday afternoon in London. Molly went into work that morning to do some paperwork, and then she headed over to 221B Baker Street to spend the rest of her day with Sherlock.

Music filled the flat livening up the tired pathologist. She listened to Sherlock play his violin, pacing in small circles near the window.

She felt like the flat had become so much more welcoming to her in these past weeks than the several times she'd visited before. She was now familiar with the odd smells from the kitchen, dusty bookshelves, and the tall man in the blazer that existed within the place. She had tested out every seat there and decided her favorite spot was right where she was sitting- on the right end of the black sofa underneath the yellow smiley face and bullet holes in the wall.

Sherlock did not miss a note when the kettle started ringing for her tea. Molly turned the stove off and the kettle simmered down allowing the music to reach her ears again. She turned to take a mug from the cupboard, but stopped when she noticed the newspaper on the counter.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed picking up the paper. "Sherlock!"

He stopped playing. "What?"

"Did you see this?" Molly brought the paper over to show him baffled by what was on the cover. "It- It's us! Look!"

"What are you talking about?" Sherlock said snatching the paper out of Molly's hands. To the right of the main article a headline read 'Detective Sherlock Holmes Spotted with Mysterious Women.' Under was a camera phone picture taken from an odd angle of Sherlock and Molly sitting together on a park bench. "You've got to be kidding!"

Molly stumbled over her words, "Sherlock, that's us- That was just the other day?"

"Who the hell gets this stuff? Probably some pathetic bloke looking for money," Sherlock mumbled, opening up to the full article.

Molly peered over his arms to see the half page story, while he half read aloud the article. "London's famous detective Sherlock Holmes trying another shot at love?...After former girlfriend, Janine Hawkins...Seen traveling with new companion...No news has been posted from blog of Dr. John H. Watson...Sources tell us this mystery woman is long time friend...Molly Hooper." He looked up from the page agitated. "Sources? What sources?"

Two other photos were printed of the couple, all taken the same day. The first was them walking out of St. Bart's together and the other Sherlock was calling a taxi as Molly waited on the sidewalk. Whereas Molly didn't look much different from the few women in the background of the photo, readers would easily recognize the detective. But Sherlock saw that this person next to him was special. She was a gorgeous woman, smiling at this man while he had his back to her. It reminded him that even when he turned away he could trust Molly would still be there to support him.

Looking at these first pictures taken of them together he now really recognized they were a couple. They would be seen as a pair. It was now not just "Sherlock and John," it was now "Sherlock and Molly: the Detective and his Pathologist."

Sherlock's attention was drawn to the caption Molly pointed at with a gasp underneath the pictures. 'Photos submitted by head of "The Empty Hearse" fan club, Phillip Anderson'

"For God's sake!" he yelled throwing down the paper. "I should have seen this coming."

Anger rushed through Sherlock from the idea of Anderson following Molly and himself around when they went out. Sherlock knew the former forensics officer had gone downhill when he believed he was the case of his "suicide" but didn't think he was this desperate. He even gave Anderson some money to stop stalking him and end his fan club. Now he had betrayed that and made a profit out of not only Sherlock's, but Molly's social life.

The hallway shock as Sherlock stomped down the stairs yelling, "If that idiot thinks he will get away with selling photos of my girlfriend and me, he is even more brainless than I thought possible!"

Just then Mrs. Hudson came running out her door waving her hands for Sherlock to stop. "I was just on the phone with John. He needs you to call him right away," the landlady explained.

Sherlock spun around and called for Molly up the stairs. The women appeared in the doorway with her cell phone in her hand. Her face a mix of surprise, excitement, and awe. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"That was John. Mary's water broke! They're at the hospital now!"

"Why, that's a bit rude. He didn't tell me," Mrs. Hudson remarked.

"Damn it, one day too soon. I bet Lestrade she'd be four days late."

"Sherlock! We have to go!" Molly scolded.

"I'll get your things." She ran back into the flat.

Mrs. Hudson shock with exhilaration, "Oh my gosh! This is just wonderful! I'll make biscuits to bring over to the hospital later." Making her way back to her kitchen she sang, "There's going to be a baby!"

"It's actually happening!" Molly said rushing down the stairs. She handed Sherlock his coat and playfully tossed his scarf around him. "Come on! Let's go!"

Sherlock didn't follow Molly out the door right away. He turned to look up at the flat one last time. He remembered all his adventures with his friend. All that had happened to this point. Before opening the door to leave Baker Street, he took one final look in the mirror. He repeated Mrs. Hudson's words to himself, knowing that after today nothing would be the same. "There's going to be a baby."