a willow's bloom | ✓

scene four

     "LEAVE me alone," Molly said through gritted teeth. She moved to hang up, and Sherlock practically screamed on the spot. 

"Molly, no, please, no, don't hang up! Do not hang up!" he pleaded. 

"Calmly, Sherlock, or I will finish her right now." Eurus said. 

Lilith was sitting on the floor now, her emotions beginning to spiral out of control. She shut her eyes as she pressed her back to the wall, and she felt someone slide down next to her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She calmed down slightly, inhaling and exhaling steadily again. 

There was now one minute remaining to get Molly to tell Sherlock she loved him, and Lilith hoped that she wouldn't, only for the sake of her not breaking. Surely Eurus was only bluffing; she had to. Lilith cared for Molly, she'd kept that in mind, right? 

"Why are you doing this to me? Why are you making fun of me?" Molly quietly asked. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears, and it didn't settle well on any one of their ears. 

"Please, I swear, you just have to listen to me," Sherlock urged. 

"Softer, Sherlock!" Eurus reprimanded. She kept putting off just blowing Molly's house up, and that alone settled Lilith down a little more. 

She turned to see John next to her, and gave a stiff nod, looking back at the screen. Sherlock looked towards the speaker where Eurus' voice filtered through, and then back to the screen. 

"Molly, this is for a case. It's... it's a sort of experiment."

Lilith winced at the poor choice of words used then, she knew how Molly would take it. She knew how Molly reacted to the words Sherlock said. 

"I'm not an experiment, Sherlock," Molly croaked.

Sherlock's eyes widened and he attempted to take back what he said. "No, I know you're not an experiment. You're my friend. We're friends. But... please. Just... say those words for me," he sighed.

"Please don't do this. Just... just... don't do it," she stuttered.

Lilith looked painfully at the screen. She realized the change she went through from prior to meeting Molly, and after meeting Molly. She wasn't exactly sure how one girl and a longing for the outside could change her so much. Although it was never just one girl.

The ticking seemed endless and Sherlock and Molly kept talking back and forth. Seeing Molly on the verge of real tears, made Lilith's chest clench in an uncomfortable way. Molly's sniffing and heavy sighs filled the otherwise silent room, but the tension felt almost unbearable in it, due to its small size.

"Please, just say it." Sherlock's eyes appeared to look slightly watery, but Lilith wasn't to certain because he kept blinking rapidly. His hands were shaking almost unnoticeably, and he looked tired.

Sighing, Molly collected herself once more. "I can't," she said sternly. "Not to you."

Lilith's body perked up on it's own, and Eurus stared right at her. Right into her eyes, and they made eye contact, and Lilith was sad once again. Sad for putting Molly through this. Sad that there was the possibility she will say it, and fall right back into a loop with her feelings for Sherlock.

She was not only sad, but broken at the fact that Eurus must've truly felt pained by the sudden abandonment of her older brothers. To do something like this, she must have felt emotionally vulnerable in that situation, and vowed to make it a point for Sherlock to feel the same. She was the younger sibling, the youngest ones always needed the most attention from the older ones. That was what she needed; what she didn't have for all these years locked away. Sherlock would understand her feelings; he would get it.

To Eurus, he understood everything.

"You bastard." Molly was openly crying, tears falling down her cheeks. Her eyes looked darker underneath when she began to cry, yet Lilith still saw how pretty she was. Lilith knew Molly was pretty, so beautiful; so surreal.

Beautiful and sweet, that's what Molly was. Lilith could not fathom the mere idea that a person could be so sweet, even under such manipulative situations. Molly had a soft heart, yet tough brain. She'd know what to do in this situation, right?

"Say it anyway," Sherlock commanded. His tone was back to its cold and detached nature, implying he was able to get his sudden emotions under control.

It made Lilith tilt her head in wonder and fascination; how he was able to control his emotions, yet she could not. It was no wonder Eurus wanted to test emotional context on Sherlock.

"You say it. Go on. You say it first."

Everyone's eyes widened and they stared at the screen in utter shock. Lilith tried to hide her growing smile, but for some reason her happiness caused Eurus to seem more bitter about Molly.

Sherlock turned halfway, towards John, who was still currently beside Lilith, but changed his mind and turned back to face the television screen. He frowned and began rapidly blinking again. He was lost.

"What?" he asked.

"Say it," she deadpanned. Then, softening her voice, she continued. "Say it like you mean it."

Lilith shifted uncomfortably from where she sat on the floor, and played with her lip. Molly's eyes looked almost dull, like she was just on autopilot to help cope with her overwhelming feelings. Lilith looked back to the floor, unable to fully see what unfolded.

"Final thirty seconds," Eurus suddenly said.

Mycroft looked shaken up, and he warily stepped forward to say something, but then closed his mouth. Sherlock closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again.

"I- I..." he hesitated.

Molly's eyes were shut as more tears fell down. Her phone was pressed against her cheek, as though she felt this were only a dream and she would awake any moment. She opened her eyes and moved to grasp her phone with free hand.

"I love you." Sherlock's voice was wavering badly, and Lilith was not sure if Molly was smiling because he finally said the three words, or if she was happy that he was stuck in her position for once.

"I love you," Sherlock repeated. This time his tone was stern and certain. It made Lilith's eyes suddenly water, but not for the reason of being jealous, more so due to her truly caring for Molly and not wanting her to get hurt again.

"Molly?" He kept looking towards the timer and the screen, worried she might hang up on him. The countdown was at a remainder of thirteen seconds. Molly's brings the phone down, and she moves her finger as though she's going to hang up, but then raises it to her ear again.

"Molly, please." Sherlock was openly panicking now, his whole body seemed to be trembling, and Lilith felt reassured that Eurus wouldn't blow up the house, it was too irrational for someone as smart as her.

Molly stared ahead, smiled a bit only to herself, and blinked away the rest of her tears. It seemed like she knew exactly what to do next, and it made them all wait with bated breaths.

"Goodbye, Sherlock." She hung up.