Lo Stesso Tempo (Sherlolly)

Chapter One

Past

"Mr. Holmes, you'll be with Miss Hooper at table five. Consider the file and see what you can come up with."

Sherlock sighed and stood. He went over to table five in the back. A young woman was hunched over the file, reading it quickly. He studied her long brown hair, tied up in a bun. Her lips moved quickly as she read quietly to herself. She pushed a strand of hair from her face and frowned.

"Hooper?" Sherlock muttered.

She jumped and looked up at him. Her brown eyes went wide for a moment. "Um yeah. Hi. Molly."

He shook her offered hand. "Sherlock."

She smiled questioningly. "That's a strange name... I like it. Here, what do you think?" She slid the file to him. Sherlock stopped it from sliding off the table and scanned the page. Molly tried to appear relaxed as she waited for him but he could feel her gaze land on him numerous times and she started fidgeting every time. He glanced up to meet her gaze and found her curious eyes were a little disconcerted by whatever she thought of him. Sherlock sighed and stood straight.

"Victim was sleeping with the senator. More than likely, she threatened to go to the press when he got tired of her. He was desperate to save his reputation. So he had her killed."

Molly shook her head and slid the pictures out from under the report. "See these bones?"

"Mhm."

"They're fetal bones. She was pregnant. Maybe she was going to go to the press. Maybe she wouldn't get rid of it. But she was definitely pregnant."

Sherlock watched her curiously. He had been interested in the facts alone. Her curious gaze took in the details of the people, the story told in the pictures.

"What are you planning to do?" He asked.

"Pathology." She muttered. "I don't mind people when they're dead." She colored violently and sputtered. "I-I mean... That's not..."

Sherlock chuckled. "I don't mind the dead, myself." She smiled hesitantly and went back to studying the pictures. "You're taking crime scene investigation to get an idea of what to look for when the police come to you."

She nodded. "A good pathologist doesn't just see what's there. They have to see what isn't there. They have to find the small things."

Sherlock nodded slowly, beginning to think she would make a fine pathologist one day. "You should study at Bart's."

"I plan to." Molly looked up at him hopefully. No one ever talked to her about dead people. Everyone thought she was weird because she could so easily discuss murder and odd diseases. But this strange boy with the captivating color-changing eyes that made her lose her train of thought seemed intrigued by what she had to say.

"Why are you here?" She asked him.

He shrugged. "Bored."

Her frown was bemused. She turned her attention back to the pictures. Five minutes later and she was staring at him again. Mentally slapping herself, she tried to focus.

Stop it, Molly! You don't stand a chance.

She forced herself to focus on the files while they waited for the professor to call time.

"Alright, everyone. Close your files. Table one, what have you got?"

Sherlock turned and listened. His brows rose slightly and his eyes held judgement as he viewed his classmates. Molly tried to listen but ended up covertly watching him. He was tall and lanky with ghostly pale skin and a shock of black hair. It fell over his eyes in thick curls and he often pushed it back with a sigh. She had never noticed him before. They'd been in this class for two weeks but he kept to himself and didn't talk to anyone. Molly wasn't much of a loner but she didn't know anyone in this class so she was often on her own. Looking at him now, she wondered how could have overlooked him so easily.

"Hooper."

"Hm?" Molly jumped at the sound of the professor calling her voice.

Sherlock was watching her. "You can do it."

She nodded and cleared her throat, trying to ignore the way his voice made her knees go weak. "Sarah Fielding, age twenty-three was..."

***

"Why are you staring at him?"

Molly turned to Lauren. "Hm?"

Lauren took a bite of her chicken wrap. "Why are you staring at him?"

"He's in on of my classes."

"So?"

Molly shrugged. "He's interesting."

"He's weird. Have you seen the way he watches people?"

"Yeah but... It's like he knows something. Like he can hear what they're thinking or something."

"He hasn't got any friends."

"Would you mind if I invite him over?"

"I guess not." Lauren pushed her blonde bangs from her face and went back to eating. Molly stood and went to Sherlock's lone table.

"Hi."

He had seen her stand and had watched her all the way over. She swallowed and tried to calm the way her heart raced.

"Hello."

"Do you um... You wanna sit with us?" She nodded back to her table.

"I'm fine by myself, thank you."

She blinked and then turned to look at her table. "Lauren's not as mean as people say."

"Of course not. She's just trying to impress people. She wants to appear to be like everyone else. Goes to parties, drinks - the usual. But she's not. Why would you be friends with her if she wasn't responsible. She spent half the night partying and the other half studying, though she probably doesn't remember much of it as her hangover is much more powerful than her stress. She's regretting the last time she had unprotected sex and wondering if she's pregnant. Probably thinks she went a little too far in trying to be like everyone else."

He leaned forward and placed two fingers under Molly's chin, closing her mouth.

She ignored the light touch, preferring not to dwell on how it made her feel. "H-how did you..."

He shrugged. "It was obvious enough."

"Do you spy on her or something?"

"I observed. She constantly corrects her posture and looks around, obviously uncomfortable. She fakes her smiles and fakes her laugh when people talk to her. Real smiles reach the eyes. She drinks and parties, I overheard her talking about one last night. She took two tablets just now, most likely for the hangover she's trying to massage away." Molly turned to see Lauren rubbing her temples. "Her eyes are red and she's drinking an energy drink - obviously she's tired. Went to a party. She continuously rubs her stomach and frowns. Considering the way she keeps looking at that boy, it's safe to assume they had sex. He obviously doesn't know her, so it was a one night thing." He shrugged again.

"Wow."

"I have to leave." He stood quickly and headed out of the cafeteria. Molly went back to Lauren.

"Oh no." Lauren muttered.

"What?"

"You like him."

Molly blushed and glanced at where he had been sitting. "Maybe a little."

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Eh? I'm already like ugh, let's just get this over with. Not a good sign... We'll see what I can do to make it better later! But for now, this will have to do. I've been told I need to work on my description of people and settings so I plan to do that with this story. *shrug*