Happy Birthday Shreya!

For My Dearest Aadhu...on her birthday ...

a tiny token of love

If I asked...would you say Yes?

A JohnLock(friendship) and SherlOlly (As headcanon potential love interest) One shot

Disclaimer: I do not own Sherlock or any of the characters (i wish i did though). They are the property of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, BBC One, Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat .

A big shout out to Rammy for the awesome banner. Thank you being my awesome lil sis. 🤗

His wristwatch hit exactly 12:17 am when they touched the ground of city of London after a harrowing excursion from the island of Sherringford'. Dr. John Watson sighed as he glanced to his left finding his best friend immersed in silence. Had it been under any other circumstances, John wouldn't have been worried or even surprised...there had been too many occasions when his brilliant friend had just blocked him and well as the rest of the world out for days if not weeks.

However, after their exciting adventure' down at the isolated island the silence in the vast expanse of the luxurious limousine seemed even more palpable and somewhat worrisome. In matter of a day, his friend was psychoanalyzed to the point of no return; John was thrown in a well that not only contained water but also dead human remains of Sherlock's childhood friend and to top it all off they were sent on a wild goose chase where they were being convinced of a little girl stuck in an airplane all alone with all the co-passengers dead and needing their help to survive. To a by-stander this would sound some alien mumbo-jumbo, something straight out of his friend's drug addled brain. One thing John was quite sure of...he would never bring himself to pen down this story in his blog. Yet, strangely it had every ingredient of being a pot-boiler and definitely not of the good kind! God, if he ever went back to therapy, he wasn't quite sure how to explain any of this to himself let alone to an outsider who would make him pay through his nose and then offer advice something in-between on the lines of Freud and Dr. Seuss.

John wouldn't deny that after Mary's death, his relationship with Sherlock had indeed strained to a point where he often wondered if they would ever be able to salvage anything from their friendship that was pitifully in shambles. Yet, sheer ingenuity from his late wife's and his best friend's sides had somehow managed to stop the relationship from entirely crumbling down forever.

And after what transpired in that hell-hole of an island between John, Sherlock, Sherlock's emotionally challenged elder brother Mycroft because of a certain psychopath; John wasn't sure of anything anymore. All he knew was his friendship with Sherlock might have been put through the biggest challenge of their lifetime and the fact that John is alive to even contemplate about such things is because Sherlock had saved him at the nick of time once again solidifying their friendship and what that meant for him..for both of them.

In spite of what they were made to endure, John still couldn't get his head around the fact that Sherlock has a sister...a very deranged, criminally bent psychopath of a sister...whom neither of them had any idea about! Suddenly his theory that he knew almost everything about his friend didn't seem very plausible anymore!

John noticed Sherlock digging his finger nails deep into the rich leather of the car. Since, they got in the car; they had hardly exchanged any dialogue between them; which generally meant that his friend was shuffling through his mind palace' as he liked to call it yet somehow that didn't seem to be the case right then. Yet he knew enough to keep his distance.

"It is quite late, there's no point in going over to Baker Street now I presume, so if you're okay with my idea of crashing at your flat, I think we might as well head towards your place now." John's reverie was broken when he heard the sentence. Sherlock for his part hadn't shifted his glance away from the tinted glass as he continued to stare into the dark night of London.

"Sure...I mean of course...Rosie and I would be really happy to have you with us mate. Ahmm...Are you hungry? I think I am famished." John sighed deeply as he saw Sherlock shaking his head imperceptibly. There was certain unease in Sherlock's voice as he eyed John carefully. "Would you mind if I went for a walk for awhile. I have a spare key so I can show myself in in case you retire." The sentence might seem quite simple and even very responsible on Sherlock's part to the people witnessing them for the first time. Yet to John this straightforward suggestion was unheard of. For last six years or so...for as long as John had known Sherlock he had never been this' considerate. The bloke faked death and stayed that way for two painstakingly long years without once caring two hoots about the people he left behind! Okay! May be that was not entirely true...but the argument still holds.

"Umm..o..Okay, tell her the truth Sherlock, she deserves to know." Sherlock nodded his head. "And just remember to bolt the door when you get in. John finished.

Sherlock walked up the steps of the apartment building a little hesitant and a whole lot wary. The long journey had indeed made him revisit again and again the entire debacle back at Sherringford that morning and he tried to imagine the various ways he could've dealt with the situation. But none of the scenarios seemed to have any better result that the one that had actually played out. He really didn't want to hurt her. Yet here he was to ask for forgiveness for his thoughtless and rash behavior. Yet as he stood in front of the tiny one bedroom flat, his knuckles turned white with apprehension. What if she asked him to leave? Worse called police on him? She did call him a b*star* that very morning. She wasn't really that mousey anymore now was she? Well Sherlock decided that he would cross the bridge when it comes, for now he might as well pull up his strength and just knock.

However, he was quite surprised to find that the flat was locked. Obviously the inmate was away! Sherlock felt an eerie kind of desolation spread through him as he realized that all the trekking that he did was for naught. A rare expletive left his mouth as he rubbed his face with both his palms. He could break into her flat after all he knew where she kept her spare key hidden, just like he had done on countless occasions, however something in him forbade him to further anger her with his indecency. It was never a good idea to get on the wrong foot of a pathologist. She dealt with dead bodies everyday for Christ's sake! And this time Molly Hooper wouldn't budge so easily. Sherlock sighed as he realized he had no further plans and that made him feel out of his elements. For the night he would have to crash at John's place there was no other option available to him.

As Sherlock stretched out on the comfortable sofa in John's drawing-room, sleep eluded him! His mind was in whirlwind as the events of the day came crashing on him. The sofa though was comfortable, yet he found it impossible to stretch his legs properly because he was too tall to be sleeping on a sofa like that. Nevertheless, he decided to close his eyes and wait for Hypnos to work her charm on him. By the time he fell asleep he could faintly hear someone in a broken voice murmuring, "I love you"

Sherlock woke at 11am the next day which was surely quite late by anybody's standards. However, he still felt tired and unkempt. He quickly used the bathroom and took a shower. For someone who could stay days cooped up in a drug-hole just to perfect his act as a junkie, his sense of hygiene was not all that deplorable. He was surprised to find a change of his clothes kept neatly on the centre table beside his sofa. He sadly realized most of his tailored suits and dress shirts must have been torched by the mini explosion at his Baker Street's flat two days back. He made a cup of coffee for himself and wondered why the flat seemed so quiet. He surmised that John must have left for his clinic leaving Rosie at the daycare.

After taking the much needed shower, and dressing in his signature tailored suit and trousers that smelled less of his preferred detergent and more of soot and grime, Sherlock was almost ready to face the world...rather her. Almost being the operative word here.

As he pulled his coat tightly to himself, ready to brave the harsh London climate, Sherlock was welcomed by the same ostentatious limousine just outside John's flat. Sherlock rolled his eyes in exasperation; he had not the time neither the faintest inclination for his elder brother's theatrics at that moment. He needed to be in The Bart's hospital that very moment to talk to her. Sherlock tried to evade the hideous' monstrosity of a car...but sadly to no avail. The door opened for him and 'Anthea', his brother's personal secretary welcomed him with a trite smile. "Mr. Holmes if you would get in the car please. Your brother wants an audience. You see time is of essence."

"Do I even have a choice? Sherlock's lips thinned with concealed anger. Mycroft and his impudence! "Of course you have but you are smart Mr. Holmes." Anthea answered as she shifted towards the seat opposite to where Sherlock would be seated. Sherlock glared at her and took a real perverse pleasure in thinking how would his stoic and impassive brother react if he bolted right then and there!

The car whooshed in an under construction building where Sherlock supposed he was about to be graced with his brother's presence. He was led to a dimly lit room in the damp basement that would probably take years to be fully functional. May be that building would never be completed. After all, that's where the important people of the British government met to discuss national crises.

The soft pale light streaming through the glazed glass door was just the front to keep trespassers away. Sherlock pushed the door open and tried to adjust his eyes to the bright light that almost blinded him. Just as if on cue, he took the stock of the entire scene that was panned out in front of him. He realized he wasn't alone in the room summoned by his high and lofty brother for an audience. There was a round table large enough for seven people to sit. He found five of them sitting and four of them actually looking at him with varied emotions present on their faces. Not only were his highly disappointed and disgruntled parents present; he could almost see pity in Mrs. Hudson eyes. John's face was more restrained yet it shone with pure concern for him. Yet, his eyes almost instantly sought the one person he had been trying since last night to reach out to. The person in question had jerked her head up once to look at the new person joining their round table conference' but immediately averted her eyes to stare at her hands with renewed interest that lay limp on her lap. One look her direction, and Sherlock saw the pain and distress written clearly on her face. It seemed that should probably give anything at the moment to be somewhere, anywhere away from this entire madness that his brother would call a family meeting of confessions and explanations. "That makes the two of us. He thought wryly. Sherlock pressed his eyes tight as he heard the voice of the sixth person addressing him with the same patronizing laced faintly with genuine care. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he prepared for the barrage of question, answers and explanations.

"Ahh...there you are brother mine. We have been waiting for hours for you. You're late. We were concerned." It was probably only possible for Mycroft to sound reprimanding, condescending and concerned all at once.

"Fashionably! So what's the need for the cavalry, Mikey?"

Mrs. Hudson was quick to reprimand, "Hush Sherlock, your brother is trying to make everything right."

Sherlock stared at his brother levelly, "You don't know my brother as well as I do Mrs. Hudson. My brother tries to set things right that suits his needs and prerogative..as pleased as I am to see you all..I think I am too strung up at the moment to appreciate the great communion. So excuse me if I am not feeling particularly fascinated to indulge in my brother's idea of a family get together."

Mrs. Hudson visibly shrunk at the cold steely voice of Sherlock. He rarely used that tone with anybody let alone with Mrs. Hudson.

"So big brother, I take it from the present scenario that you have explained whatever went down at Sherringford? Or did you leave some tiny morsels for me to feed on?"

Mycroft's shoulder sagged a little, "Mummy's not happy Sherlock."

Sherlock let out a bark of a laugh and started at his brother incredulous. "Seriously Mycroft did you expect her to engulf you in a bear hug after knowing that you lied to her and daddy for years about her only daughter? You even successfully removed or rather chemically altered my memories of her too." Sherlock accused.

"I did what I had to to save my family. Mycroft seemed rather out of sorts

"You had me believe that Redbeard' was my DOG when it was my BEST FRIEND.

"Who was KILLED by our sister when she was a CHILD herself!!

Mrs. Holmes visibly flinched at the constant rising of vocal tones. It was certainly rare and quite amusing to see Mycroft Holmes losing out on his patience mused Dr John Watson. But a lot of changes were already in motion it seemed.

"Tell that to a mother Mycroft."

"I understand that we need to discuss more about this Sherlock. Sighed Mycroft resigning to the fact that it would take insurmountable efforts from both the brothers to bridge the gaping distance formed due to the big revelation.

"But not here." Sherlock finished

"No, not here." Mycroft agreed.

"Then could you tell me brother, for I certainly fail to see what the hell am I doing here?" asked Sherlock tired and exhausted.

"You wanted to meet her? There she is. Talk to her brother mine." Mycroft leaned towards Sherlock and whispered conspiratorially. Sherlock jumped at the comment. He quickly turned his head towards Molly who too was staring at him and not at her hands anymore. Sherlock tore his gaze away to glare at his emotionally retard of a brother.

"H-How could you possibly know that? Did...did you have ME under surveillance? After everything that we went through?"

Mycroft yet again sighed, it was really tedious to keep company with humans of mid-level intellect. He didn't have any qualms to accept that Sherlock's intellect was much higher than most hence making him a tolerable company most for of the time however since a maelstrom of emotions was raging through his street smart brother, Mycroft sadly acknowledged the fact that his patience was running pretty thin. He rolled his eyes at his younger brother and said, "You and her."

"Her?? Why her? WHAT DID YOU TELL HER MYCROFT?" Sherlock growled.

"The truth, Sherlock. "She deserves the truth don't you think?"

Sherlock suddenly felt an irrational rage towards his older sibling. He replied coldly, "Yes, BUT it wasn't your truth to tell Mycroft."

Molly Hooper, who had been a quiet audience all this while, took it up as her cue to leave as she realized that the two brothers were exchanging heated dialogues at her expense. After coming to know the entire episode and what grueling experiences Sherlock and John had undergone, she didn't know what to feel anymore. She had cried ..cried her heart out after the dreaded phone call, it made her question everything she held dear, whatever that was there between her and Sherlock. What WAS there? Just a friendship? God knows she wanted more..she had wanted Sherlock more than anything in her pathetic little life, yet she had had long realized that her role in his life could never be more than a pathologist who helped him occasionally in his experiments. Yet somehow in the past three years they had formed a tentative friendship bordering on mutual respect. BUT, that one phone call from him last night shattered all her ill conceived ideas about them being friends. As her heart lay bare in front of others, she felt vilified to learn that both John and Mycroft were there with Sherlock when he was on the telephone with her wrenching her heart out. Did they have a nice laugh afterwards at her expense? That after all the mousey as ever Molly Hooper dared to love someone totally out of her league? She knew her hatred was childish, she knew them well enough to know that they would never do that to her. Nevertheless coldness gripped her heart. She felt she couldn't breathe in that confined room. She stood up abruptly and said in a hoarse voice, scratchy from not being in use for over an hour now.

"Ahmm...Mr. Holmes...if you are done with your explanations...then I would like to take your leave now. I-I have to get back to Bart's before Mike goes away for the day. You see I have pulled the short straw. Low on staff as usual." She laughed nervously. Molly couldn't bring herself to look at anyone in the room lest she saw pity for her in their eyes. Suddenly, Sherlock moved at the speed of the lightening as she neared the exit door.

"Molly..Molly please we need to talk."

"There's nothing more for me to know...as your brother has so graciously narrated the entire scene."

"Molly..I know I have crossed a line with you...but I never thought of d..."

"Of what? Of hurting me? I know...believe me I know what you did was to save me from some imagined threat...but please leave me alone now Sherlock. You did what you had to just like your brother."

"Molly..."

"Look Sherlock, I have to get to the hospital..and you need to talk to your parents they need you...Be with them Sherlock. They need you."

"What about you? What about us?"

"Us? There was no Us. There was You and then there was only me."

"What do we do now?" Sherlock asked quietly

"I don't know Sherlock..I don't know. I wish i did though."

Sherlock stared at the retreating figure of the five feet three woman..and suddenly realized he didn't like not knowing and he would certainly do all that was in his power and then some more to know everything that he still didn't know about Molly Hooper for as long as it took him. He would wait. He would make her believe that he didn't just say the words to humiliate her. Christ he said it twice!!!

The End...

One shot title credit: Everyday I Love You by Boyzone.

Love

Rii.

It's always so energetic and a pleasure to have you around! Please continue being the cute fluff you are!

God bless you. Party hard! ;D

Muah. <3

Wish you all the happiness. Enjoy your day and have a blast.🥳 May the coming year be filled with lost of happiness for you.😃

And the thread is pretty beautiful. Great job Srutha di and Ramya di👍🏼

🤗

Didu❤️