A Look Through Time // Sheriarty Short AU

i don't know you, but i love you

* sherlocks POV *

"Come on Molly" I bend down and let Molly jump on my back. She's been complaining intensively on how much her small feet hurt. She's 6 years old, surely she would have learnt to endure walking by now!

Molly and I are currently in town, browsing different shops for Molly. Molly is a huge bookworm and has been complaining lately that she has no books to read, so being the kind of dad that I am, I got us a taxi and we are in search for a good bookshop.  We've been to around 4 bookshops now, and every single bookshop does not have the book that Molly so desperately wants.

The Butterfly Lion by Michael Morpurgo

Molly also loves Michael Morpurgo. She's read a gargantuan amount of his works, so to deny her of reading this one that she wants to so desperately read would devastate her, which would devastate me.

I walk around town, with Molly on my back. I get stares from different people who walk past - some people find it sweet, others probably question where the mother is.

I don't know where the mother is

"Daddy, look another bookshop!" I look up to see Molly pointing straight ahead of her. I follow her hand and I am met with the sight of a small, quaint bookshop which seems to have quite a few people inside. Looks good. You always know a bookshop is a good bookshop when lots of people are inside it.

"Alright Molly let's head inside. Hopefully this shop has the book!" I place Molly down on the ground next to me, my back aching slightly, and Molly grips her hand in with mine.

I open the brown, wooden door to the bookshop, the motion ringing a bell in the corner. Quaint. The shop is filled with bookshelves among bookshelves, all filled with a variety of books. Molly looks around in amazement, like if another child entered a toy store. Molly loosens the grip on my hand and begins to run off further into the shop.

"Molly!" I shout after her, but she carries on sprinting through the Bookshop. I sigh as her body becomes smaller and smaller as she runs further into the depths of the bookshop. Knowing her by the time I get to her, she would've read around 3 books. I place my hands inside my blue jean pockets and I walk slowly in the direction of Molly.

As I walk down towards Molly, I decide to look around the bookshelves for a book that I could read, being a bookworm myself. Molly doesn't get that from her mother, in fact, she's nothing like her mother. Molly has blonde hair, her mother has dark brown hair. Molly has brown eyes, her mother has blue. Molly is a sweet bookworm and fantasist, her mother is an untrustworthy cheater who abandoned us to be with her secret lover.

As I browse the bookshelves, I come across a section that interests me very much. It's a whole section on Lee Child books. Lee Child being my favourite author, I decide to look for some books that I haven't read yet.

"Need any help?"

I jump at the sudden voice next to me which sounds nothing like Molly. I look to my left to see a smallish man with dark brown hair and glistening brown eyes. He wears a white t-shirt with a denim jacket and black skinny jeans. He's dressed a bit too casually to be an employee. He has a grin on his face as he made me jump, which I laugh breathlessly afterwards.

"No thank you. Do you work here?" I look down at his attire, confused as to why a man would offer help when he doesn't work here. The man licks his bottom lip, a grin still on his face.

"No I don't work here. I own the place." He replies with a smirk and I nod my head in understanding, a small smirk growing on my face. He is surprisingly attractive. Many men in bookshops are your stereotypical nerdy type, but the way this man dresses is different.

"Actually, you could help me with something um..."

"James. James Moriarty" He offers me his hand to shake and I shake it firmly.

"Sherlock. Sherlock Holmes."

"What can I help you with, Sherlock" our grip on each others hands loosen and he tilts his head slightly, waiting for my answer.

"I'm in search for a book. The Butterfly Lion.  I've searched 4 bookshops already and I'm not really wanting to look in another one. Please tell me you have it!" I lift my hands and cross my fingers, biting my bottom lip. James giggles at my childish behaviour.

"That's by Michael Morpurgo Right? Yeah, I think I have it follow me." James walks further into the bookshop and relief washes over me. Finally Molly can read the book she wants so much. I follow James closely as he curves round bookshelves. The place is almost like a maze, it'll take me hours to find little Molly in here!

James leads me into an opening in the bookshop. It looks like a small area for children to read. There are small tables and chairs with colourings and small books. There are bean bag chairs scattered around the floor. In a bean bag chair underneath a window, I notice Molly reading a book that looks twice her size.

"Molly!" I shout just loud enough for her to here me. Her sweet face peers over the book and she smiles at me. She rests the book on her lap and she waves frantically at me. I laugh a small laugh at her childish behaviour.

"She yours?" James asks me curiously and a huge grin appears on my face. I love it when I get to talk about Molly. She's the best thing in my life!

"Yeah, she's my sweet little bookworm." I coo and a grin appears on James' face. I notice that in his hand is the book I have been looking so desperately for.

"You found it!" I ask in astonishment and I look brightly into James' eyes. He hands me the book and I inspect the cover. Perfect. This is perfect. I turn around and shout over Molly.

"Molly! I have the book. Look!" I shout and Molly's face brightens. She closes the huge book and places it onto the floor. She jumps up out of the bean bag chair and she sprints towards me and James.

"Daddy you found it!" She takes the book out of my grasp and she hugs the book, a huge smile on her face.

"Hey I didn't find it, James did!" I point towards the man next to me and her happy gaze goes upon James.

"Oh thank you thank you Mr James! We've been looking for this everywhere!" Molly runs up to James and she wraps her arms around his hips, that bring the furthest that she can reach. James looks at me and he smiles a giant grin. I smile in return, finding his bright smile making him all the more attractive. Molly let's go of his hips and she grabs my hand.

"Well best be off. Thank you for this James. Truly." I thank and he smiles a small smile in return.

"Yes thank you Mr James!" Molly shouts loudly and it makes him snigger.

"Well I hope to see you here again. There are lots of books Molly that I think you'd love to read!" James crouches so he is Molly's height and she smiles sweetly at him, as she's beginning to get shy. James stands back up to his normal height and he smiles at me again.

He leads us out of the maze of bookshelves and towards the entrance of the shop. Molly gets on my back again, and James holds the door.

"Goodbye Sherlock."

"Goodbye James. Though it is not goodbye; I'll see you again soon. We both will." I smile sweetly at James and he smiles in return. Molly and I exit the bookshop to return our journey home.

Hey guys! So new fanfiction woohoo and it's going to be so sweet and fluffy knajmdjqofjn. 

Hope you guys enjoyed the first Chapter!

-darcie