Vatican Cameos (A BBC Sherlock Fanfiction)

8. Getting Warmer

BAKER STREET.
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John walks towards the front door of 221 and stops a couple of feet away from the doorstep, looking thoughtfully at the door. A man comes around the corner and walks along the road, barging past him and bumping roughly into his shoulder. John turns to look at him as he continues onwards without speaking.

"'Scuse you." He says.

The man glances over his shoulder at him but doesn't stop. Behind John, another man walks up to him, grabs his left wrist and instantly jabs the needle of a syringe into the right side of his neck. John tries to grab at him but the drug is already starting to take effect and his weakening struggles are in vain. The first man comes back and they both hold him as he starts to fall. They carefully lower him to the ground and he lies there, still vaguely conscious but unable to move.

HOWARD'S BUILDING.
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Molly looks up the stairs and slowly walks up them towards Sherlock as he stands there with his eyes closed. After a moment he opens his eyes but can see only a ticking clock, followed by a journey through a Tube tunnel.

"The journey between those stations usually takes five minutes. That journey took ten minutes – ten minutes to get from Westminster to St James's Park." He says in a quick-fire manner.

He looks down at Molly.

"So I'm going to need maps – lots of maps, older maps, all the maps." He says.

"Right." Says Molly.

"Fancy some chips?" Says Sherlock, walking past her and continuing down the stairs.

"What?"

"I know a fantastic fish shop just off the Marylebone Road. The owner always gives me extra portions."

"Did you get him off a murder charge?" Says Molly, following him.

"No – I helped him put up some shelves."

She giggles and he smiles briefly.

"Sherlock?" Says Molly.

"Hmm?"

He stops at the bottom of the stairs and turns back to her.

"What was today about?"

"Saying thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything you did for me."

"It's okay. It was my pleasure."

Molly reaches the bottom of the stairs and Sherlock starts towards the door but turns back as he speaks.

"No, I mean it." He says.

"I don't mean 'pleasure.' I mean, I didn't mind. I wanted to."

"Moriarty slipped up. He made a mistake. Because the one person he thought didn't matter at all to me was the one person that mattered the most. You made it all possible." Says Sherlock, stepping closer and speaking intensely but softly.

"But you can't do this again, can you?" He asks.

She smiles, and when she speaks her voice is a little choked.

"I had a lovely day. I'd love to – I just ... um ..."

She looks down.

"Oh, congratulations, by the way." He says.

Molly is wearing a diamond solitaire engagement ring.

"He's not from work." She says.

Sherlock smiles.