The Unknown Child (A Sherlock FanFiction)

IX: First Case

Chapter Nine: First Case

I stare blankly at Molly. I didn’t know what to say. My jaw dropped slightly. I begin to feel the tears well up in my eyes. I open my mouth to speak but I couldn’t fathom the words that were running a million miles an hour in my head. Everything around me began to blur out of mind. The sound of the telly slowly droned out and all I could focus on was Molly’s question. She wanted me to be her daughter. She wanted to help me and be there for me. She has been since I got here, and that wasn’t even a day ago. She is still sitting there, looking at me.
 
“You don’t have to say yes I understand if you don’t want me to” She pipes up.
 
I snap out of my thoughts with only one word on my mind.
 
“Yes, Molly, I would love to be a Hooper.” I say, leaning over to hug her. I pull her in and she wraps her arms around me. I let the tears fall. She barely knows who I am. I am practically a street kid and she has taken me in, and is willing to have me take her last name. I feel dampness on my shoulder; I pull Molly out to see that she is crying, almost as if someone had told her some bad news.
 
“Molly, you don’t need to cry.” I say, hoping it would make her feel better. She looks up at me, her eyes red, but she smiles.
 
“I’m not crying tears of sorrow, tears of happiness sweetie. You said yes. That is more than what I could have asked for. You know I can’t have children, but now I have one. One is enough for me, but you are the best I could have ever asked for.” She said, through her tears. “I think it’s time we went to bed, you have a big day with Sherlock and John tomorrow.” She adds.
 
She turns off the TV before she walks over to the door and makes sure it is locked. I walk upstairs and into my room. I rummage through my chest of draws, trying to find a pair of pajamas. I eventually find some, a blue pair. I get changed and then go to the bathroom to brush my teeth. The taste of the food we had at Mary and John’s still lingering on my tongue. Once I’m done I say goodnight to Molly and give Toby a pat. I crawl into my bed; it is a lot comfier than I thought it would be. I wriggled about, finally getting comfortable and slowly doze off into a sleep like no other.
 
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I wake up at around 8 o’clock. I roll out of my warm bed and wrapped myself in a dressing gown. Toby follows me down the stairs; he seems to like me a lot. I can smell bacon and eggs, Molly must be cooking breakfast.
 
“Morning Sleeping Beauty!” She chimes.
 
“I wouldn’t call myself a beauty” I say, “But morning to you too.” I say.
 
“Don’t say that about yourself Clara, you are very beautiful young lady.” She says. Quite seriously.
 
“Could say the same about you.” I reply. Molly smiles a little. “Too bad Sherlock can’t see it.” I add.
 
Molly looks up at me, eyes wide like an owl. “Oh Jesus Christ not you too.” She groans.
 
“You make it a little obvious every now and then, you give off the impression that you used to be a little timid in the face of him. But now, you seem a changed woman, you stood up for me in the morgue yesterday and John and Sherlock were taken aback by it, especially Sherlock.” I explain. Molly just stares at me, turning her head to the side slightly.
 
“You are too clever you know that?”
 
“I don’t think so, Sherlock thinks I’m an idiot probably.”
 
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that Clara, he can’t read you so he is frustrated.”
 
“Molly.”
 
“Yes Clara?”
 
“You are burning the bacon.” I say. Molly turns around to see the bacon as just started to go black.
 
“Oh shit.” She says, quickly picking up her tongs and turning it over. She then puts the bacon a plate with paper towel. She finished cooking the eggs and plates it all up.
 
“Here you go blossom.” She says, sliding my plate of breakfast in from of me. The smell of the bacon and eggs filling my nose and makes my mouth water. Molly grabs knives and forks for both of us and she pulls out the stool beside me. I begin to eat the eggs and bacon. It tasted amazing. The heat of the food radiated through my cold, shivering body and made me feel alive.
 
“Oh don’t forget, you are going over to Sherlock’s flat today since I have to go to work. I will be coming to get you at around 5 and then we will go to the Births, Deaths and Marriages office to “register” you per say.” Molly says.
 
“While we are there, we should get you and Sherlock a marriage certificate.” I mutter, hoping she wouldn’t here me. How wrong I was.
 
“You know Sherlock would have to sign that as well.” She adds.
 
“That will not be a problem.” I say.
 
“Oh really?” She adds. Shoveling up some eggs and bacon and eating it.
 
“I bet I can get him to sign it.” I confidently say.
 
“Well I won’t be getting one, they cost money, but if you can get him to sign the form for him to be your second legal guardian, I will let you pick tomorrow night’s dinner.” She bets.
 
“Deal.” I say, putting my hand out to shake. “You are going down Molly.”  I add
 
“Don’t get too cocky.” She says, smirking.
 
We finish breakfast and do the dishes together. I walk upstairs and get changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a top. I put on my jumper and drag myself to the bathroom and brush my hair and teeth.
 
“Okay I am going to tell you were you have to go, Sherlock’s house is only a few streets away. Okay? I’m running late.” Molly says as she is doing my hair in a nice braid.
 
“Yeah I’m pretty sure I will be fine.” I say. Molly tells me the directions. I nod as she tells me which streets do go down and where to turn left and right. Once she is done she runs down the stairs and grabs her bag and a small notebook and pen off her desk. I follow after her once I grabbed my coat and my bag. Molly had filled up my drink bottle and had placed it on the bench. I grab the bottle and shoved it in my bag along with my glove. I wrap my scarf around my neck as I walk down the stairs. Molly has just finished feeding Toby; she hears me and slowly gets up and grabs something she placed on the other end of the kitchen bench.
 
“I want you to have this.” Molly says. Handing me a notebook and pen. “So that if you remember anything, you write it down.” She says.
 
“Thank you.” I say, putting it in my bag. We walk to the door together; Molly grasps the door handle and pulls it open. Sherlock is standing there. Towering over both Molly and myself.
 
“I am here to collect Clara. I need her for a case.” He boldly states.
 
“Sherlock you can’t take her to a crime scene!” Molly screams. “She is a child.”
 
“And a very intelligent one, I will look after her Molly.” He adds. “Let me take her, Lestrade is fine with it.” He begs.
 
Molly hesitates for a minute. “Are you okay with this Clara? I can’t leave you with anyone else.” She says.
 
“I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me, you are late as it is. Go Molly I will be fine.” I say.
 
Molly turns to face Sherlock. “If anything happens to her, so help me Sherlock.” Molly fearlessly says. I am quite surprised at Molly’s tone. She is so stern with him in this moment. She turns to face me and kisses me on the forehead. “You behave.” She says.
 
“I’ll try my best.” I reply, giving her a cheeky smile. Molly walk down the stairs and I follow Sherlock down and around the corner.
 
“You didn’t ask Lestrade at all. You lied.” I say to him.
 
“Sometimes you have to lie to get what you need.” Sherlock says.
 
“And what? You need me now to help you?” I ask. He doesn’t respond at first but his deep bellowing voice soon breaks the silence.
 
“As much as I hate to admit it, I do need help.” He says. "You will enjoy your first case." He adds.

"How do you know that?" I ask.

"I just do." He says, smirking to himself.