The Woman Who Counted (A Sherlolly Tale)

Chapter 11

            “So,” I asked Sherlock. “What is it you need to do before you can leave?” We sat across from each other in a small restaurant. Sherlock had already finished his fish and chips, and I ate mine slowly.

            “Eager for me to leave?” He asked.

            “No. No! Of course not. It’s just, I’m just a bit confused, that’s all.”

            “I need to know where to go, what to do.” He explained. “I don’t have enough information. Although…” He trailed off.

            “What?”

            “Mycroft said that I wouldn’t be able to do anything while in London.”

            “So?” I asked, finishing my meal. “Does he know?”

            “He may know enough to get me started.”

            “And if he does…you’re going to leave?”

            “Stay with him for awhile, maybe. I need to dismantle his network, as soon as I can.”

            I got my wallet out of my purse, setting money on the counter and leaving a tip. “So, when will you be back?” I asked him, standing up. I started walking out of the restaurant with Sherlock at my side.

            “I don’t know,” He told me. “It could take years.”

            Sherlock hailed a cab, and we got in. I told the cabbie my address and we were on our way. “So, you may not be back for years?”

            “That is the most likely outcome.”

            Back at my flat, we stood in the hallway between my bedroom, bathroom, and sitting room. Sherlock was about to leave to go to Mycroft’s and I was called into work.

            “So,” I started. “You’re off then?”

            “Yes, I guess so.” He said.

            “Don’t know if you’ll be back tonight?”

            “Probably not.”

            “Or at all?” He didn’t say anything. I took a step closer to him. “Before you go, I want to say one thing.”

            “What?” He asked.

            “One thing, one thing that anybody, even a sociopath like you would understand.”

            “What exactly is that supposed to–“ As he spoke I stood on the tip of my toes, grabbing the lapels of his suit and pulling him down. I pressed my lips to his. He was stiff for a moment, and then he kissed me back the best he knew how. I pulled away as he put his arms around my lower back. I looked up at him, putting my hand in my pocket and pulling out something. He stared at me, confused. I placed the object in his hand and closed his fingers over it. He opened his hand, and looked at the key I had given him.

            “You’ll always be welcome here,” I told him, smiling faintly. I pulled him into a hug. After a few seconds, I pulled away from his stiff body, and looked up at him again. “Goodbye, Sherlock Holmes.”

            “Goodbye, Molly Hooper.” At that, I walked out of my flat and hailed a cab, not looking back.

(Third-person POV)

            “I can arrange a private flight.” Mycroft said to his little brother.

            “Yes.” Sherlock said, turning way from his brother’s desk and looking at a large map of the world.

            “You can be out of here by morning.”

            “I will,” He walked up to the map and pointed at several random locations. “This is everywhere, yes?”

            “Everywhere you will need to go. I can’t guarantee you will return soon.”

            “No, I won’t.”

            Mycroft stood up from his desk and started towards the door of his office. He stopped and turned to his brother. “Until the next time, little brother?”

            Sherlock said nothing, so Mycroft turned back and walked out of his office.

     The next chapter will start connecting to The Empty Hearse. I won't write the whole episode, just some scenes and i will rewrite and add my own scenes. I will try to write the next chapter. It should be up tonight or tomorrow night! Thank you all for being so patient.

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    -OH