Repens

It was a small case today. The boys got back around two and the three sat in the living room and had the grandest of times. John told about their first case as Sherlock added his laughable commentary. The three’s laughter died down. The world was at peace and highly amusing, for the moment. The second after the laughter faded, the door opened downstairs. Everyone ceased breathing to hear who the intruder could be.

“Mrs. Hudson! Sherlock?”

The cheerful bubbly voice called out in delight.

Immediately, John glanced over to his perturbed flat mate and whispered, “She’s not going to like this.”

Stephanie was suddenly very confused and entirely curious.

“It’s none of her business,” Sherlock replied with the identical tone John had used.

“How did she,” the slow doctor began.

“Mycroft!” Sherlock hissed between gritted teeth.

It was then that Stephanie realized her boyfriend had a specific facial expression while talking about his brother, and an unpleasant one at that. It was the same enraged look her mother used to wear when walking into the kitchen to find Stephanie among every last piece of her chemistry set sprawled on the counters, stove top, floor, and table- a scream usually followed.

“Sherlock?” An explanation was being sweetly demanded by the redhead, whose full temper was about to be introduced.

“You’re sick- no fever but terrible headache and stomach cramps,” he replied, forming an alibi for something that hadn’t happened yet.

“Stomach cramps?” she echoed in a disgusted tone.

“This isn’t good,” John said to himself, finding a chair with the perfect view to watch the show.

“You aren’t the overly jealous type are you?” Sherlock asked the fiery woman with blazing eyes.

“With you, yes,” she groaned with a chilly edge in her tone.

Someone was coming up the steps in a rather quick pace. They were almost to the door. They were opening the door.

“Bloody… Hello, Molly!” Sherlock flipped his irritated mood to one unusually pleasant.

“Hello,” the small frail girl blushed. Her attention turned to John, “Hello, John.”

“Afternoon, Molly,” John said a bit more nervous and more quiet than usual.

“Your brother said I needed to come over and see someone immediately,” the plain woman, slightly older than Stephanie, explained to Sherlock with a pathetic heroic grin.

“Yes, this is…”

He didn’t have time to answer before Stephanie had almost everything figured out. She didn’t like what was going on and decided it wouldn’t hurt anyone to have a bit of fun. Mycroft was still trying to smother their recent flame.

“I’m Stephanie, Mrs. Hudson’s visiting niece,” she moaned, acting as if her guts were seconds away from exploding.

Sherlock rolled his eyes, regretting what was to come. Things were bad and were only going to get worse, much worse. John sat in his chair in utter silence, waiting for things to get really heated. If tension had been smoke, they all would have been suffocating.

“Oh my, you don’t sound so good. What’s wrong,” the suddenly concerned female doctor inquired.
“Well, I’ve been having these terrible stomach cramps,” she began completely serious while Sherlock started pacing, unable to do anything. “And I’ve been very tired lately, all day every day,” she continued, sending Sherlock into a panic.

The two men in the room glanced at eachother in fear.

“And I haven’t had my…”

“She’s much better than she was when Mycroft called. She just needs a bit of rest and some…”

Sherlock had been trying to kill the situation before Steph made a real mess of things- but he was interrupted.

“I think I may have mono… or maybe be pregnant,” Stephanie suddenly lit up, playing the hopefully expecting mother bit without flaw.

“Oh my heavens,” John whispered as the dramatic climax built far more than ever intended.
“Stephanie, I forgot to tell you something earlier. May I have a word with you,” the nervous genius hinted, unable to control his equally smart girlfriend.

“Yes, Mr. Holmes?” The woman didn’t move a muscle, except to smile as if she had just called “check” in a game of chess.

“May I speak to you in private?” he asked, trying to keep every last ounce of composure he had left. She was challenging him like never before and at the most inopportune time.

“Excuse me Mrs…” She had done it on purpose. The other woman was clearly not married and was obviously saving her next big romance for the embarrassed and abnormally pale Sherlock.
“Molly Hooper, and I’m not married.”

A large hand grabbed Stephanie’s arm and drug her into the hall. As they disappeared, Molly didn’t know what to think and John wasn’t about to say a word until everything was over.

“Exactly what do you think you are doing?” Sherlock growled disapprovingly in a hushed manner.
“It’s perfectly clear, isn’t it?”

“Of course it is.”

“Then let me finish running the little thing off. You don’t want her here.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to. She’ll be gone in three minutes.” The female master of deduction started to walk back into the living room until her arm was grabbed again. “Oh, what now?” she whined.

“You can’t behave like this to her,” Sherlock said with a slight roll of his eyes, feeling a bit uneasy.

“Oh, you like her?” It was clear that he didn’t but she had to say it just to make him all the more frustrated with her. They were playing the scream game again, but at a whole new level.

“No. I don’t but she likes me a great deal and it’s best I don’t upset her,” he explained against his will. Surly this sounded like something it wasn’t. He was suddenly beginning his acquaintance with female jealousy.

“Oh, she likes you so keep her around, for what? Your ego?” The young woman exclaimed at a slightly louder volume than desired.

“Keep your voice down and listen to me, Stephanie,” the blue eyes and troubled voice ordered.

“Fine,” she answered, crossing her arms and looking anywhere but towards him.

“You remember my faked death? The supplies? The doctor?” He took her silence as a yes. “That was Molly.” He watched her expression slightly change as she looked toward his speechless savior. “I literally owe her my life and will not allow anyone, even you, to be cruel to her. She has been my friend for many years and has stood by me even when I denied her of every last sliver of friendly sentiment she deserved. She and I are friends and you are not to lash out on her. The news is going to be very difficult for her so play nice from now on.” Their eyes finally met. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he gently vowed, “You have nothing to be jealous of.”

She wasn’t about to play the petty female and ask him to further promise or swear. Instead, she sighed and teased, “Then I can’t at least tell her you’re the father.”

“Calm yourself, Cassidy,” he almost grinned. “Claws contained, please.”

Stephanie walked over to Molly with Sherlock close behind. John held his breath as the two women were within hitting distance; anything was expected.

Holding her hand out, Stephanie was suddenly on her best manners. “Stephanie Thomas. Sherlock has told me he owes you his life.” Not knowing which direction the crazy stranger was taking the conversation, Molly hesitated to shake her hand. Once their hands touched, the younger proclaimed, “If he owes you his life, that I owe you mine as well. Thank you for what you did for him.”

Still disoriented, Molly nervously asked, “What’s going on? Does everyone else know something I don’t, because that’s how it feels. This all feels a bit set up.”

Sherlock stood beside the two women and gently explained, “Molly, we’ve had an interesting few days at Baker Street and Mycroft cruelly used you to make one of his idiotic points. I’m very sorry, she didn’t know.”

“Who is she?” Molly asked with a painful fear in her eyes. As simple as she was, even she could see it. “Tell me the truth.”

“She’s my…” He hadn’t actually said the words until now. “She’s my girlfriend, Molly.”

After the initial shock and speechlessness wore off enough to respond, the sweet Molly Hooper fought misty eyes to reply, “Oh.” A heartbreaking pause. “She’s your girlfriend,” she attempted a happy giggle. “I see. And Mycroft just wanted to what- make this as painful for me as possible? You know how I’ve always felt.” Her words were starting to quickly spill from her mouth.

Before she grew too emotional, Sherlock further explained, “No, Mycroft doesn’t want us together so he’s made it his daily goal for diverse aspects of my life to backfire in the most negative ways, all due to this new relationship.” The vacant look on her face made it clear that she wasn’t following. “He tricked you into coming here so there would be problems between Stephanie and I knowing that I also wouldn’t want to hurt you- one of my most true friends.”

While his words were kinder than any other he had ever spoken to her-other than when he said he needed her at Bart’s before his faked death-it just wasn’t enough.

“I’ll get over you someday, just not today. And I’ll need time,” she forced a smile while looking into the changed grey eyes she was so used to. Turning her attention to the culprit of this extraordinary change, Molly gave a sorrowful grin to the evident keeper of Sherlock Holmes’ heart. “You’re very lucky, Miss Thomas. He’s never romantically cared about a woman before.”

The quiet leaking woman didn’t say every word or phrase that was dancing on the tip of her tongue but Stephanie heard them all just as if they had been spoken. Be good to him. Don’t break his heart. Every female that has ever wanted him for her own is bloody jealous of you so be thankful.
But none of these were as difficult to take note of as the loudest silent cry of them all. If he loves you so will I.