A Photo Of John

Chapter 17

Sherlock and John took a taxi back to their flat, and ordered Chinese. But this time was different. Usually they would turn on the TV and pass out next to each other, but this was different. They had to talk about the situation. They sat down in the kitchen together with their noodles facing each other.

" Sherlock. I don't know if I can do this anymore. I can't deal with being treated like this every day."

" What are you suggesting we do?"

" I'm not sure anymore. I just..."

John held his head in his hands.

" I just don't know."

Suddenly out of nowhere John's phone rung, and he picked it up and replied a dull

" Hello?"

" Oh, hi Molly! What do you need?"

" Sure thing, we'll be right over."

He hung up the phone and stated:

" Molly wants us to head over to the morgue. She said she has a new body in that isn't like any other one."

Sherlock nodded and swiftly stood, grabbed his coat and ran down the stairs with John trailing behind. Just like old times.

They took a cab to the morgue and John was honestly expecting attention from the cabbie like the last one, but he seemed to pay no mind. "The popularity must be dying down, hopefully people will accept us for who we are" John thought.

While they were riding Sherlock whispered in John's ear:

" I don't think I can imagine life without you."

John grew a quiet, knowing smirk.

John whispered back:

" I don't think I could ever imagine myself leaving."

Sherlock smiled back.

He couldn't believe someone could ever love him.

Sherlock held John in the crook of his neck, his head resting on top of his.

They could finally be blissfully peaceful.

They arrived at the morgue, and walked into Molly's area.

She was behind her desk, stacking some papers.

" John, could you help me a sec?"

" Sure."

He walked over to her, but what she did was completely unexpected.

She grabbed John roughly by his arm and pulled him to her side, while revealing a gun in her other hand, aiming at John's head.

Her hand was shaking and so was her voice as she yelled

" Don't you DARE move! Either of you!"

Sherlock's eyes went wide and his mouth opened wide in shock.

He yelled in a broken voice

" JOHN!"

" DON'T MOVE"

" Let him go Molly."

" SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!"

Now she was crying and her hand was shaking harder than ever.

John's face looked like a deer in headlights. He kept gulping, bracing for the blow. He mouthed to Sherlock:

" I love you."

Now Sherlock was tearing up and he nodded back to him.

Just in case.

Molly piped up:

" You used me! You knew I liked you and you used me to get what you wanted! How does it feel Sherlock? HOW DOES IT FEEL?!"

Now she was dripping with tears and rattling all over. If she didn't stop shaking so hard she would accidentally pull the trigger.

Sherlock spoke in a voice dripping with guilt. What had he created?

" I am so sorry Molly."

She brightened up for a second before her face moved back into a dark glare.

" You're lying. To get what you want. Just like always."

She gestured towards John

" I am tired of being USED! USED!"

Now she was to the point of screaming.

" TELL ME HOW IT FEELS TO YOU WHEN HIS BLOOD IS DRIPPING ON YOU'RE SHOES!"

She loaded the gun

Now Sherlock was crying.

" Molly, please!"

" It's too late! You thought I was nothing!"

Sherlock stepped closer.

" GET AWAY FROM ME!"

" You are too good for this. For me."

She sniffled

" It's not true."

" It is true. I am sorry. You don't deserve me or Jim . We are merely broken pieces of clockwork. You deserve someone kind, smart and compassionate who will love you back. Our kind is unstable. You are too good for me. I'm sorry."

" Why John? Why not me?"

She seemed to be calming down.

" Because I don't deserve you. You shouldn't have to wait on someone like me. You are not as reckless and danger-hungry. And the fact that I find a man attractive makes my situation quite obvious."

Her mouth quivered as she spit out

" I don't want to do this anymore."

She dropped the gun and started crying into her hands. Sherlock wrapped her into his arms as she cried into his coat:

" I'm so sorry Sherlock"

Repeating the phrase and slurring the words together.

" No Molly. I am sorry. I have put you into this state."

She finally broke away and faced John, who looked a but shaken up.

" John... I... I'm so sorry."

She expected him to scream at her or stomp away, but instead he took her into his arms.

After she separated herself from him, she sheepishly looked up at the both of them, clearly ashamed.

" I...I..."

" Move on Molly. Go to greater things and places. Make the most of you're heart and brain, they both are filled to the brim.

They went outside and caught her a cab home. As soon as she was out of sight, John fell into Sherlock while they held each other tightly.

" John. I'd thought I might lose you."

" I thought I might lose you."

John was holding onto Sherlock tightly, like he might disappear any second.

Sherlock seemed to read his mind because he murmured

" I would never let that happen."