Sherlock's Love Interest (BBC Fan-Fiction)

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Two months passed. Sherlock's parole ended, Mycroft was moving out, and Molly had returned to life as usual, apart from a few details. Almost every afternoon she would come over to Sherlock's and be lulled to sleep by his violin. She didn't sleep well at home.

Mycroft had just finished gathering his things and was about to leave when he picked up a package that sat outside the door. Sherlock took no notice of him. "This is for you."

"I know, Mycroft. I was going to pick it up after you'd gone. The postman came twenty minutes ago and Mrs. Hudson left it there. Close the door when you leave."

He set it down and walked out, leaving the door wide open. After slamming the door loudly, Sherlock looked down at the package. It had no return address and was titled Sherlock Holmes, the great detective?

It had the smell of two different perfumes, and wasn't a standard shipping package. It was very small, only six inches long and three inches wide. It hadn't come far.

Molly walked in about twenty minutes after Mycroft left to find Sherlock sitting on the couch, staring at the package in front of him.

"Mrs. Hudson buzzed me in. I thought-"

"Sh," he interrupted. She nodded and sat down beside him, knowing not to make a sound. Unlike John, she respected his need for silence while he thought; she wanted to know what was going on and knew all she had to do was ask.

After a few minutes, he stood, grabbed the box, and tossed it onto John's chair; it wasn't heavy at all.

"I've not asked, what keeps you from sleeping at night?" he asked as he set up a song on his music stand.

"Different things," she shrugged.

"Specifically, things like Moriarty..." he didn't finish his thought; they both knew what else there was to say though.

She nodded. "I've never actually seen someone being shot, or you be violent. I guess it's thrown me off."

He almost scoffed, but thought better of it and just started playing.

After one song, she was almost asleep, but then she shot up and ran over to the package. He continued playing until she jerked his shoulder back.

"Sherlock, where did you get this?"

"It was left on my doorstep."

"This is my mom's perfume, and I think Sabrina's too (Sabrina was her sister, older by a year). My dad always uses these boxes-they're made special for him so they don't fall apart over long distances."

"That came from your family?" he asked, his interest peaked.

"Seems like it. Mom has this thing about not putting return addresses on the envelopes, because then they might get sent back, and she hates that."

He continued playing, long after she told him she wasn't tired anymore, and she eventually fell asleep. John came in just after she had, knowing to be quiet as he could still hear music floating downstairs (he often came over in the afternoon to research new cases). He set a sleepy-eyed Amelia beside Molly and walked over to his chair, then picked up the box with a frown.

Sherlock gave him a look that immediately stopped him from asking about it. After a few more minutes, he put down the violin and stepped into the kitchen. John followed him.

"What's this?"

"A package, evidently from Molly's family." He ripped the tape off and opened the top.

Holding up a doll's hair brush, a small stuffed dog, and a rock, Sherlock heard a small gasp and looked over to the door. Molly was standing there looking at the items. "She must be a better actress than you give her credit for," said John as she walked in.

"Those," she stopped just short of him and held her hand out. Hesitantly, Sherlock handed over the three items.

Tears filled her eyes as she looked at them. Suddenly she dropped them to the ground and slapped her hand over her mouth to smother a sob. Both John and Sherlock were alarmed by this, but only one reacted.

"What is it?" asked John after he had reclaimed them from the floor. Sherlock was enveloping her, keeping her from talking. John wasn't sure she could breathe.

She turned her head and looked at John's hand. "Sh-she's dead. Sabrina's dead."