The Figure In Black (Rosie Parentlock)

Chapter 2

Hey, this is the second part of my story, and I got it in on time! I still have to write chapter three though but I still should get it in next Tuesday. Thanks everyone who's reading, please comment your opinions👍🏻

(set after TFP. Based on the final scenes showing Sherlock and John playing with Rosie.)

John arrived home after work to see Sherlock playing with Rosie. His daughter's favourite toy was in Sherlock's hand and Rosie was sitting in his lap, laughing delightfully while trying to grab it. Sherlock looked happier too; he was genuinely smiling, and his secret stash of cigarettes hadn't been touched. Sighing, John went over the different options of what to tell Sherlock. After Eurus trapping him, Sherlock and Mycroft in her prison, Molly had constantly been trying to get hold of Sherlock. Of course, Sherlock hadn't meant what he had said, but he couldn't bring himself to tell Molly that. After months of assuring her that he was on an important case, she had finally found out that he had been avoiding her; she wanted to know why. Should he tell Sherlock that Molly wants to speak to him? Or leave him be? Sherlock was his best friend, and he couldn't bare keeping secrets from him. Looking up, Sherlock smiled warmly at John, and instinctively he smiled back. They had both been looking after Rosie for about 2 months now, and the flat had been cleaned out and redecorated. Even after many weeks of Sherlock repeatedly refusing to let Mrs Hudson put up a picture of all three of them with Rosie, he had eventually agreed when she threatened to destroy one of his experiments.
"Did you get the milk for Rosie?" Sherlock asked, thrusting John back into the present.
"Oh...er...yeah. I'll just get it. And I saw Molly; she was shopping." John replied, still frantically trying to decide whether to tell Sherlock about what she had said.
"Oh, did she speak to you?" Sherlock queried, not even blinking at the mention of her name.
"Well, she...um...well...there's something I should probably tell you..." John cautiously replied. A small, knowing nod from Sherlock made John sigh. Of course, he would have deduced everything already.
"Molly found out that your fake case that I was supposedly doing wasn't real and she wants to know why I'm ignoring her, correct?" Sherlock boasted, smirking a little. Rolling his eyes, John nodded, "I think she saw you when you were out yesterday."
"Yes, she did. I didn't look over though, I was too busy checking out the specific pattern of the leaves on the ground. Next time the murderer had better not be so obvious!" Sherlock replied, shrugging slightly. "Does she really want to see me? Usually she just waits for me to contact her."
"Well, you did tell her that you loved her. She thinks you meant it." John said, sighing at how uncaring Sherlock was being.
"Well, did you tell her that I was forced to say it and that I didn't mean it?" Sherlock asked, smiling as Rosie gripped onto his thumb.
"I can't just say that! She really thinks you're in love with her! Don't you understand?!" John shouted, stepping closer to him; he immediately regretted it as Rosie started crying, burying her head in Sherlock's chest. Looking up at him, Sherlock shook his head.
"Molly should know by now that I don't exactly care for her in that way..." Sherlock remarked, placing his hand gently against Rosie's head and humming softly, planting a tender kiss on her forehead.
"You have to at least speak to her!" John countered, gripping onto the side of his chair in an effort to calm his anger. This time, Sherlock didn't reply; he simply picked Rosie up and carefully placed her in John's arms, showing no signs of any emotion. Shaking his head, John took Rosie into his room and started his plan on getting Sherlock to talk to Molly...

A week later...

John had completed his plan, and it was all in place. He had called Molly earlier to meet him at the park, and he had convinced Sherlock that there were some strange tracks in the grass. He had gotten Lestrade to make them, as if he had done so, Sherlock would have easily deduced what he had been doing. He chuckled to himself slightly as he waited for Sherlock to get ready.