Status: just getting started.

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In the back of a black Lincoln town car Mollie Holden waited her turn to be dropped off.

The line of cars in front of hers moved slowly, stopping one by one at the cliché red carpet where flashing lights went off in booms.

Checking her reflection in the tinted window once more Mollie huffed and stretched her arms.

Her long flowing black skirt was tight at her hips, the heels she wore were pinching, and the lipstick painted on her lips was drying her mouth out like no other.

Had she mentioned how much she disliked these events? It wasn't quite Sidney's level of hatred but it was still pretty high.

However, this gala benefitted the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh the hospital that her practice was run through, the place where Mollie's father often practiced, and a place that meant the world to the Lemieux family.

Therefore she was supporting the cause.

"You're next, Miss Holden." The driver spoke from the front of the car.

"Thank you," Mollie mumbled as her stomach tightened.

The car rolled to a stop and in seconds the door to her car was ripped open, light poured in and a hand reached in for hers. Mollie accepted stepping out of the vehicle slowly planting the thin heel of her shoe on the ground before standing up straight as an arrow.

"Dr. Mollie Holden, daughter of Dr. Elliot and Mrs. Renee Holden." A voice from nowhere boomed as Mollie walked down the carpet. Her cheeks hurt as she smiled and her eyes burned from the bright flashing lights.

In the middle of the carpet she was told to stop, as she smiled for a few photos another body approached her. The closer the tall frame got she realized it was exactly who she hoped it was, and the voices yelling "Sidney, Sidney" over and over also helped.

Sidney stopped beside her smiling and squinting as the cameras snapped photos of him, "Fancy meeting you here."

"Uh huh. You're going to cause a scene, Captain."

Sliding an arm around Mollie's waist he hummed, "Just giving the people what they want."

"Dr. Holden, are you the Captain back together?"

"Are the rumors true?"

"Sidney, how long have you and Mollie been dating?"

"Was your breakup more of a separation?"

The crowd of photographers called out to them as Mollie stayed quiet only smiling and showing off the dress her mother had sent to her apartment earlier in the week in typical Renee fashion.

When they'd had enough of Sid and Mollie, or realized they weren't getting any juicy details from either of them the pair moved down the carpet.

Finally inside the Pittsburgh Symphony building Mollie shivered, January was not the most prime month to throw a gala. She looked around the room filled with women in extravagant dresses and men in tuxedos, she found the handsomest man of all standing at her side.

Catching Mollie staring at him Sidney smiled, "What's up?"

"Oh nothing much, handsome."

She could see his cheeks flare up this time not from the cold, "Hmm, flattery will get you a very long way Dr. Holden."

"Come on Captain, we've got some mingling to do."

For a Wednesday night the people of Pittsburgh knew how to throw a party.

Bottles of champagne were popped and poured over towers of glasses as almost every doctor Mollie had ever seen walking the halls of UPMC and the Children's Hospital itself roamed the vast room.

There were socialites in the corners, politicians making deals at the bar, and even the Mayor himself came to support such a lovely cause.

He thought it upon himself to say hello to the city's golden boy and the woman who stood beside him. When the mayor first appeared at Sidney's side Mollie thought it best to say a quick hello and run off to find her parents, but Sid held onto her.

The Mayor extended his hand to her and Mollie froze, "Hello Miss Holden, I presume you're Elliot's girl?"

"I am, it's nice to see you Mayor Peduto." Mollie blushed as she spoke.

"You as well, the last time I saw you on the links with your dad I think you were still at Penn State. "

Mollie nodded, "Well then it's been a while. I went on to med school at U-Pitt and residency at John's Hopkins."

"Those are grand accomplishments, Miss or should I say doctor. And before I forget, Captain your guys look good this season."

Sidney hated when people said that. What was he supposed to say other than agree? "Yeah, thank you we feel good too. It's still early, but we're hoping for a post-season run."

"Well, thank you for coming out tonight. Both of you, you're quite the power couple, no?" The man smiled at them shaking Sidney's hand once more before excusing himself. Mollie smiled as he walked away, when he was out of earshot she turned to Sid, "I need a drink after that."

"Yeah, I'm right behind you."

An hour later Sidney and Mollie sat at a table with a huge centerpiece flocked by Mollie's parents, Renee and Elliot. Classical music played through the room as servers brought lavish plates of food to the tables.

"So Molls, it seems you two had quite the showing at the entrance." Renee snooped peering at her daughter over the rim of her wine glass.

Covering her mouth with a napkin Mollie nearly choked, why was her mother like this? "Well, y'know I can't take him anywhere."

With a swift kick to the ankle Sidney dove in to help Mollie out, "Yeah, it, well it was my fault. I saw her down there, I."

"Son, it's okay. My wife just likes to see you two squirm, since we all can't seem to get a straight answer out of either of you." Elliot laughed as he took a swig of his glass of scotch, the rest of the table heard Sidney exhale a sigh of relief.

It had been three weeks since the infamous dinner and thankfully no one brought up their long absences from the table ever again. Mollie attended the Penguin's game the next night with the Crosby family, thankfully the foursome sat in a box where no one could see them. She caught up with Taylor more, keeping the twenty year old at bay while she talked her ear off about how great her brother was.

As if Mollie didn't already know.

Then the holidays came and for the first time in years Mollie attended the Lemieux family Christmas party. She baked cookies with Lexie, drank too much wine with Nathalie and her mother, and built the worst looking gingerbread house ever with her brother in the annual competition.

Things were simple and no one questioned she or Sidney when they both fell asleep on the floor by the fireplace.

Sidney left on a roadtrip right after Christmas and returned from one just an hour before the clock struck midnight and the calendar turned to 2016. He had shown up outside Mollie's door with a bottle of champagne and his road bag slung over his shoulder. Mollie could tell by looking at him he was exhausted but if he wanted to ring in the new year with her then who was she to tell him to go home.

They popped open the bottle, drank a few sips at midnight, made out like teenagers, and fell asleep in a tangle of limbs on Mollie's couch.

And now, here they were.

Being stared at by Elliot and Renee, making awkward small talk with people they hadn't interacted with in years, all with the sure fire promise of being on the front page of the Pittsburgh City pages in the morning.

As Mollie leaned back in her small, cold metal chair she listened to the chairman of the Children's Hospital speaking at the podium in the front of the room. She nodded as he made points about the importance of vaccinations, how UPMC was at the forefront of fighting childhood disease, and how those in attendance were ensuring a future full of research and health.

Before he was finished the man said he wanted to honor a few of those in the room who were helping immensely in the fight against childhood disease. He asked that as their names were called that they stand to be recognized.

At that Mollie tensed.

Public recognition wasn't her favorite activity, she bit her lip hoping the man would choose to only honor physicians that were established in their careers.

"Dr. Richard Holmes, pediatric neurosurgeon. Has spent 30 years here at UPMC."

"Dr. Charlotte Rhodes, endocrinologist and one of the nation's most sought after pediatric diabetes specialists."

"Dr. Miles Shaw, our new chief of cardiothoracics, joining us from St. Jude's."

"Dr. Annette Ingram, chief neonatologist in our nation leading NICU."

"Dr. Allison Quinn, infectious disease specialist, previously with the CDC."

"Dr. Miguel Hernandez, chief of general surgery. You can find him saving lives daily in his favorite OR #3."

"And in the back, I'd like to personally thank a family who has made this hospital a part of their family business. Dr. Elliot Holden, oncology and hematology, as well as a member of our board. And his daughter, Dr. Mollie Holden. Our newest pediatrician at the Children's Clinic who just completed her residency in the coveted Harriet Lane Pediatrics program at Johns Hopkins. I personally, Thank you, Holden's for being an integral part of our UPMC Family."

Mollie stood with her father her hands sweaty as she rested them on her hips, cheeks burning, as eyes all around the room scanned the doctors who stood amongst the room.

She tried to smile but all Mollie wanted to do was sit back down or rather curl into a ball.

"We are UPMC, and to all of our other amazing physicians we thank you as well. Together we are treating, and curing thousands of Pennsylvania's youth. You may all be seated."

Sidney leaned over to Mollie as she sat down reaching for her glass of water, "You okay, babe?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She grumbled chugging her glass.

"Don't be so grumpy, Mollie, you were the youngest to be recognized. That is quite an honor." Renee chimed in scolding her daughter.

Mollie's grip on her glass tightened, "Yeah, only because I'm a Holden."

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean, Mollie Eloise?" Now her father was in on this, Sidney saw as Mollie's jaw cocked over.

"Nothing, dad. I just don't want special treatment, I would like to be known as a great doctor on my own."  Mollie admitted staring at the bright white tablecloth stretched over the round table, "Please, excuse me."

She pushed back her chair, grabbed her clutch, and began walking quickly weaving through the rows of chairs and tables.

Shocked at her outburst Sidney looked between Mollie's parents for some sort of sign of what to do. Renee looked at her husband, to Sidney, back to her husband all before speaking. "Out of all of us, I'm sure she'd rather talk to you, Sid."

"Are you sure?"

"Sidney, we know something is going on with you two. We'd have to be blind not to, and I am the last person my daughter wants to see right now, so yes I'd love for you to fix my mess." Her words were sharp and Sidney knew she didn't mean them as harshly as they sounded but things between Mollie and her mother were never all that great.

He nodded and excused himself from the table following Mollie's path which lead to an empty hallway. Sidney looked around and saw no trace of her, taking a right he headed for a stairwell, it was a good a place to hide as any.

But there was still no trace of her, he climbed a flight of stairs finding who Sidney assumed to be a member of the wait staff. The young kid looked starstruck but still managed to ask, "Can I help you, sir?"

"Yeah, have you seen a girl come through here? About 5'6, white top, black skirt?"

The kid nodded, "Yeah she handed me a wad of cash for a bottle of champagne and took off up the stairs to the balcony."

"Thanks, man." Sidney took the stairs two at a time until he came to the door that lead into the balcony.

From all the way at the top of the building the party sounds were muffled and the lights were dim. Sitting all alone with her feet kicked up on the ledge Mollie sat holding an open bottle of champagne to her lips.

"Party for one?" Sidney asked.

Mollie held the bottle against her chest sitting up in the plush theatre chair, "More like a pity party. Care to join?"

Sidney took her bottle from her sitting it on the floor as he plopped into a chair almost too small for his behind, "What are we pitying? Because all I see is a brilliant pediatrician, with a huge caring heart, who is too beautiful for her own good, that has a family who loves her. What's wrong with any of that?"

"I didn't earn it, those things they said. What you just said."

"You were born beautiful so no, you didn't earn that. But you went to Penn State because you're a kickass golfer, and because you are the smartest person that I know. Then you got into medical school because your 4.0 was too good to pass up and you chose U-Pitt because I was in Pittsburgh, I like to think that helped you choose. And then you chose to do your residency at John's Hopkins because that was your dream Mollie, and we all know nothing stands in the way of your dreams."

His speech was pure and Mollie's heart was swelling.

Every word he spoke, Sidney meant and he would tell her over and over how brilliant and beautiful she was until the day he died. Her last name meant nothing to him, he loved her for being just plain Mollie.

"Why do you always know what to say to me?" She leaned her head on his shoulder still looking out over the party goers.

Sidney pressed his lips to the crown of her head, "I don't always, I think we both know I've said stupid things in the past. But, I know all of these things about you Mols, and I just want you to believe it all too."

"I love you, Sidney."

It was quiet but he heard it.

Since the night they had unpacked their memories neither of them had muttered those words. They both knew how the other felt but it just wasn't right to throw those three words around.

Until now.

Now she was sure.

"And I love you. Always have, always will."

Mollie kissed his chin, nuzzling herself closer to him the smell of his aftershave flooding her senses. She could have stayed in that moment forever, just the two of them and the soft hum of muffled voices and jazzy music.

But all good things must come to an end.

Inside her black beaded clutch Mollie's iPhone began to ring. It wasn't her normal ringtone so she knew how her night would end. She sat up pulling out her phone as Sidney leaned back into his seat, so much for spending his whole and free night that week with Mollie. "This is Dr. Holden?"

He listened to her side of the conversation hoping whatever the situation was that Mollie wouldn't wind up in a taxi on her way to the hospital.

"I can tell you he needs a CBC, a BMP, and packed platelets for that much blood loss. But you have the wrong Dr. Holden, my father's pager number is 6623. No, no it's okay. Yeah, have a good night."

Bullet dodged.

Mollie slid her phone back into her clutch leaning back into Sidney's arm, "Three Dr. Holden's has to be really confusing for the operators."

"Very," Sidney took a look down at his watch, "so, do you think we've been here long enough?"

"Oh yeah, and by the sound of that call my dad should be leaving any minute."

Sidney stood up, stretching his hands out to Mollie, "Then what do you say we go home, squirt?"

"Home?" Mollie countered placing her hands in his.

"My home, your home, anywhere but here."

She allowed him to help her up the long black skirt she wore flowing down to the floor. "Well Crosby, some of us have to work in the morning."

"Hey now, I have practice that is technically work."

Mollie rolled her eyes, "I would love to go home with you, but I can't very well wear this to work tomorrow."

"Would it be incredibly embarrassing to admit that you still have scrubs in my closet?" Sid shyly spoke, unsure how she would take the fact that he still had a stack of Mollie's scrubs in the drawer that was dubbed hers in his closet.

She sucked in her lips in surprise, had he gotten rid of any trace of her from the house? Or left it all the same all these years. "Um, that's actually perfect. But I can't wear Jimmy Choo's with scrubs, babe."

"Assuming that your feet are still the same size, Reebok sent you shoes for the whole first year you were gone."

At that they both couldn't help but laugh, "Oh, okay. Well, let's go home then."

"Like, like my home?" Sidney stumbled over his words earning a smile from Mollie.

"Did you not just prove that I have a whole wardrobe there? Yes, your home."

Sidney nodded, "Okay, yeah, let's go."

"Are you nervous, Captain?" Mollie giggled as they walked towards the stairs noticing his sweaty palm pressed against hers.

"You just haven't been over in a while, is all."

Mollie smiled at him, "We can do this another night? If you want, I,"

"No, let's do this, I want to." Sidney kissed her quickly before they entered the lobby where the lights were much brighter and they went separate ways. Sidney to call for a car and Mollie to gather their coats from the coat check. She met him back outside a few moments later as a black car appeared the valet opened the door.

Sliding into the backseat Mollie relaxed into the leather, Sidney slid in beside her and the door was closed. They rode in silence as the driver drove out of the city to Sidney's home, Mollie watched out the window one hand on her clutch and her other on Sidney's knee.

She saw the welcome sign of the neighborhood Sidney lived in and felt a rush of nervous energy course through her body.

This was a big step.

Sure, he had been over to her apartment a few times, slept there once or twice, but this was the first time she had stepped foot into that house since the night she had stormed out in tears over two years ago.

The town car drove through the gated entrance stopping at the top of the circle drive, the driver quickly got out of the car coming around to open the back door. Sidney stepped out tipping the man as Mollie slid her way out of the depths of the back seat.

As Sidney unlocked the front door Mollie stared at the vast brick mansion. It was beautiful, too large for one person but 20 something Sidney with millions of dollars didn't seem to think so.

With the door unlocked Sidney turned back to her, a gush of warm air flowing out of the house, "Are you, ugh, ready?"

With one big exhale Mollie nodded, "Yeah."

"Welcome back, Mols." Sidney exclaimed as she walked around him into the foyer.

Looking around it was as if time had stood still.

The walls were still the same shade of pale grey.

The table and key bowl Mollie had placed by the door still greeted all who walked in.

Nothing looked like it had moved in two years, and somehow she found it comforting.

Like she was always supposed to find her way back here and to him. With a smile on her face Mollie looked up at Sidney, "It feels good to be back."
♠ ♠ ♠
Monthly-ish update! Enjoy loves, I’ll be writing over spring break to hopefully wrap this up by summer! Thx for sticking around :)