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Sherlock and Molly stood in front of the blue door to their home. Molly was slightly nervous, but she knew now that she wanted to go home by Christmas. And if it didn't work today she would try every day until it did. She looked over at Sherlock, who stretched his hand out to her. She grasped it tightly and took a deep breath. “Okay,” she said.
Sherlock took out his key with his free hand and went to the door. He unlocked it and opened it up. He stepped through first and after a moment's hesitation Molly joined him. “Are you all right?” he asked when she was inside.
She nodded slowly. “So far I'm fine.”
“Let's go into the sitting room,” he said. “Do you want to walk up first or should I?
“I will. That way if I panic you can hold me until it stops.”
He nodded. “Very well.”
She made her way to the stairs and stepped up on the first step. The last time she had only made it three steps. She went up one more and felt Sherlock step on the step she had just left. If she needed to touch him she could just lean back. She took one more step and he followed. After a moment she took another big step and then she relaxed slightly. She walked up the rest of the steps and into the sitting room, Sherlock right behind her. “No panic so far,” she said.
“That's good.” He moved closer to her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Look at the kitchen.”
“I don't want to,” she said quietly.
“It's been remodeled,” he said softly, his lips towards her ear. She knew he had said there were some changes at home that he was overseeing but she hadn't expected the kitchen to be different. She turned and looked. Nothing looked the same. It was bigger, for a start. The cabinets looked lighter and there was a new and larger island in the center of it that was the same light wood as the cabinets. There were marble countertops, a cool whitish color with flecks of blue, and the backsplash was done with tiles the same shade of blue.
She got closer with a sense of trepidation. The tile floor had been replaced with hardwood, and as she looked she saw it wasn't just the kitchen. The whole sitting room had new hardwood floors. She took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen, going to where she had been hurt, where the madman had died. There was no sign of all that blood that had been on the white tile floor, just a spongy rug for whoever was using the island to stand on. She looked around and a smile crossed her face. The location that haunted her nightmares was no longer a part of her home. She turned and saw Sherlock standing just on the edge of the kitchen. “Did you do this?” she asked.
He nodded. “I figured if it was the kitchen that was in the nightmares you have then that shouldn't be the same kitchen you return too. There were some other improvements too. Since it's bigger there's more cabinet space, and I got an over the range microwave to replace the one that had been dying. The refrigerator is bigger as well. We changed the colors to some of your favorites, to make it look more like your other home. They just completed it two days ago.”
“I don't know what to say,” she said, coming up to him. She hugged him tightly, crying on his shirt. He wrapped his arms around her and smoothed her hair back. Then she pulled away, her eyes wide. “How could you afford it?”
“I didn't,” he said. “When I told Mrs. Hudson why you couldn't return she told me to take notes of your old home and then she'd fix it. We got the kitchen done first because of your nightmares, but we also plan on having the sitting room wallpapered with new wallpaper and the smiley face patched up. Plus, as we discussed, we'll be moving most of your furniture into this room and we'll buy new bookshelves to hold all our things. Mrs. Hudson is covering all of that as well.”
“That's a lot of money,” she said quietly.
“And Mrs. Hudson thinks you're worth it,” he said, framing her face. “She wants you to feel comfortable in your home. She's missed having you here.”
She smiled slightly and then hugged him again. “I think I can come home. I think I can live here again.”
Sherlock breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed against her. “I'm very glad you can.” He pulled away from her after a moment. “So now. Do you want to say hello to Mrs. Hudson or do you want to get the ring first?”
“The ring. I want to show it to her when I thank her,” she said with a smile. “I think she'll be pleased for us.”
“I think she will be too,” he said, grinning back. He offered his hand and she took it, and they went back down to the street where he hailed a cab. Sherlock had the driver take them to a jewelry store nearby the flat. What he hadn't told Molly was that he had gone in before and talked to the jewelers about engagement rings before. He had a good idea of what he could afford, just not a good idea of what she wanted. They got out of the cab after it pulled up and went inside. The jeweler greeted him with a smile. “Is this the woman you were talking about?” he asked, looking at Molly.
Sherlock nodded. “Molly, meet Mr. Davis. He owns this place.”
“Were you looking at rings before?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“The first time was for a case many years ago,” Mr. Davis said. “He saved me from accepting blood diamonds, and I have told him I owe him a favor.”
“I did come in asking questions about engagement rings recently, though,” Sherlock replied. “Mr. Davis helped me understand all the things about diamonds that I did not already know.”
“And I am still going to offer you a hefty discount on whatever you want to buy,” Mr. Davis said with a smile. Then he turned to Molly. “Would you like to see the best ones?”
“Yes, please,” she said with a smile. He moved over to a case and she and Sherlock followed. He unlocked the sliding glass door on the cabinet and pulled the tray out. “I'm glad they're not all huge diamonds,” she said.
“Sherlock said you were a unique woman,” he said with a smile, picking up a ring. It was a decent sized diamond, flanked around by blue stones. There were more diamonds on the top of the band. “This was the one that caught his eye.”
“What are the blue stones?” she asked, taking the ring he offered. She slipped it on her left hand.
“Sapphires,” he said. “He said you liked blue.”
“I do,” she said with a smile. “This one is definitely nice. What kind of cut is it?”
“Princess cut,” he said. “It's a very popular choice.”
“And what metal is it?”
“Platinum.”
Molly's eyes went wide. “Sherlock, this ring has to be incredibly expensive.”
“Not after the discount I am giving him!” Mr. Davis said hurriedly. “Between the engagement ring and the wedding bands he'd only pay seven thousand pounds, maybe a little less.”
Molly turned to look at Sherlock for a moment, who nodded, and then back to Mr. Davis. “How much is this ring worth normally?” she asked quietly.
“Twenty thousand pounds,” he said with a nod.
“That's a really big discount,” she said in awe.
“He has helped me many times,” Mr. Davis said. “The work done with the blood diamonds saved my reputation, and then there was employee theft not once but twice. Sherlock caught the culprit and recovered all the jewels. And then there was the time someone tried to swindle me with fake rings. I had caught some of them but not all at first glance, mostly because not all of them were diamond rings. He tested each and every one. I owe him very much.”
“But that much?” Molly asked, shaking her head. “You're losing so much money on this.”
“The way he talked about you...I had never seen him so happy. Actually, I had never seen him happy period. Originally he had come in for a gemstone bracelet as a gift, but he kept drifting to the rings. I told him whatever he wants, however many times he needed to get something, and it would come at a very deep discount. I fully expect to provide jewelry for you at the wedding, my dear.”
“I don't know what to say,” Molly said.
“Do you like the ring?” Sherlock asked quietly.
“Yes. It's perfect,” she said. Then she turned to the jeweler. “I think I want to take it.”
Mr. Davis smiled at Sherlock. “You have excellent taste, in more ways than one.”
“I know,” he said, giving Molly a smile which she returned. “Do you want to show her the wedding bands you suggested?”
“I can do that,” Mr. Davis said with a nod, picking up the tray and stowing it back in the display case before locking it. He moved a few rows over and unlocked another case, this time pulling out two other rings in ring boxes. The mans ring had an engraving in it in a language that looked different, and the woman's ring had the same. The engravings went all around the ring. “We had a Japanese man come in and special order these for him and his bride. Unfortunately, two days before the wedding the bride called it off. As I understand it, the Japanese on the bands is a declaration of love.”
“Of their love?” Molly asked.
“More like an old saying from his home. I can't quite remember what it means. But Sherlock could probably figure it out. You are still learning Japanese, right?”
Sherlock nodded. “It's a tricky language, but I'm working on it. I should be able to decipher them by the time we want to use them.”
“They're quite unique,” she said, picking up the woman's ring. “I think I like them.”
“There was one other one with engravings,” he said. He set those two boxes back under the counter and pulled out too more. “Do you know Elvish?”
“That's the language from the Lord of the Rings trilogy,” Molly said with a smile. “Those are some of my favorite books.”
“Well, we had two very literary people have these designed for their wedding, but when I showed it to them they argued over how they looked and right in front of me they called off the wedding, leaving me with two rings that only a nerd might love.” He paused. “No offense.”
“None taken,” Molly said with a chuckle. She picked up the woman's ring and turned towards Sherlock while she looked at it. “I like these a lot more. I don't even care if they're the One Ring, I'll still wear them.”
Sherlock looked at her. “The One Ring?”
“It's the one Bilbo gets from Gollum during the riddle game. The one Frodo's trying to destroy in the fires of Mount Doom. Sauron's ring. One ring to rule them all?” Sherlock still looked confused. “One day I'll make you read the books.” She turned back to Mr. Davis. “I want these.”
“Excellent choice!” he said approvingly. “Does the engagement ring fit well?”
“Like it was meant for my finger,” she said with a nod.
“Good. We don't need to take it and make adjustments.” Then he turned to Sherlock. “You should probably repropose and give her the ring.”
“He doesn't have to,” Molly said, blushing slightly.
“But I should,” Sherlock said. Molly tugged the ring off her finger and handed it to him. He took her hand in his and then slipped the ring back on. “Molly Hooper, I love you. I don't want to love anyone else. Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she said with a nod and a wide smile. “That's actually a better proposal than the one last night.”
“Probably because I had a ring this time,” Sherlock said with a grin. He turned to his friend. “Let me pay you now.”
“All right,” he said with a nod. Sherlock pulled out his wallet as Mr. Davis rang up the purchase. Molly glanced at the end price and it was lower than she had thought, just around six thousand pounds. Sherlock noted the price as well. “An extra discount?” he asked as he pulled out his credit card.
“Because I don't get many proposals here,” Mr. David said with a smile as he took Sherlock's card and swiped it. “And you also got the less expensive wedding bands. They're platinum as well, but thinner.” They all waited a moment, and then Mr. Davis grinned. “Your card went through just fine, Sherlock. Do you want me to keep the wedding bands here?”
Sherlock shook his head. “We'll keep them at home,” he said.
“Then let me get you a bag for them.” He went back to the wedding bands and closed the cases, then put them in a nondescript bag. He handed the bag to Sherlock. “And remember, come to me to get the jewelry for her to wear at the wedding. You still get your deep discount.”
“Thank you,” Molly said, giving him a smile.
“Yes, thank you,” Sherlock said as he nodded to Mr. Davis. Molly waved and then they both left. “If the wedding bands don't fit we can get them resized later,” he said. Molly stopped once they were on the sidewalk and wrapped her arms around his neck. Then she leaned in and kissed him, a quite passionate one considering they were out in public. When they pulled apart he looked at her. “What was that for?” he murmured.
“The rings, the changes to our home, the fact you lived with me at my flat when I couldn't go home...all of it. I don't deserve you.”
“Don't think that,” he said, framing her face in his hands. “Don't ever think that. If it's anyone who doesn't deserve someone than I don't deserve you.”
“Yes you do,” she said, giving him another kiss, though it was softer and shorter. “Let's go back home, okay? I want to tell Mrs. Hudson.”
“Very well,” he said with a nod. He grasped her left hand in his, feeling the band of the ring she now wore press against his fingers. It felt nice.
They got into another cab and made their way back home. Molly and Sherlock went down to Mrs. Hudson's part of the house and found the door was open and Mrs. Hudson was pulling some cookies out of the oven. “Surprise!” Molly said with a wide grin on her face.
“Does this mean you're coming home?” Mrs. Hudson asked, her eyes wide.
She nodded. “As soon as the heat is fixed in my flat we're going to start packing and I'm going to really move in here, get rid of my old place.”
“Oh, that's wonderful,” Mrs. Hudson said, setting the cookies down on the stove and hugging Molly tightly. “Was it easier to be in the kitchen?” she asked.
“Much,” Molly said with a nod as they pulled apart. “Since it doesn't look the same I didn't have a panic attack.”
“I plan on having a pan rack installed over the island. I'm just waiting for it to arrive. But otherwise the kitchen is done. And I'll have the sitting room finished as quickly as possible. Are you two going to be here today?”
Sherlock looked at Molly. “Are we?”
“I very much want to sleep in our room where it's warm,” she said. “But if you want them to come in and work today we can make ourselves scarce until they're done, Mrs. Hudson.”
“Then I'll call them soon,” Mrs. Hudson said with a nod. Then she gave Molly another hug. “I'm so glad you're coming home. This place has seemed so dreary without the both of you.”
“I'm glad to be coming home,” she said. Then she pulled away and turned to Sherlock, who nodded. “We kind of have an announcement, too.”
“It's too soon for you to be pregnant,” Mrs. Hudson said. Sherlock got wide eyes and she chuckled. “I'm just teasing. What is it?”
Molly held out her left hand. “We're engaged.”
“Really?” Mrs. Hudson asked, smiling. “It seems a bit soon, but I'm happy for you.” She gave Molly a third hug, and then when she was done she hugged Sherlock. “I think you two make quite the perfect couple. I think your marriage will be very blessed,” she said when she pulled away from Sherlock.
“I hope so,” Sherlock said with a grin.
“Have you told anyone else?” she asked.
“Just the jeweler who gave us the ring,” Sherlock said.
“Good heavens, I didn't even take a good look!” she said before going back to Molly. Molly held out her hand again and Mrs. Hudson looked at it closely. “You must have spent a small fortune on this,” she said to Sherlock, her eyes wide.
“I got a very deep discount,” he said. “The owner of the jewelry shop feels he owes me some favors. I got the engagement ring and the wedding bands for just about six thousand pounds.”
“That is quite the discount,” Mrs. Hudson said. “This ring alone must be worth three times that.”
“Just about,” Sherlock said with a nod. “But even without the discount I would have found a way to pay for it. She loved it and I wanted her to get something she wanted.”
Mrs. Hudson turned to Molly. “You are marrying a very good man, dear.”
She turned to Sherlock with a smile on her face. “Trust me, I know.”
“This calls for a celebration!” Mrs. Hudson said, letting go of Molly's ring. “I had a bottle of bubbly somewhere,” she murmured to herself. She went to her refrigerator and began rummaging around. “There it is,” she said, pulling out a bottle of champagne. “We should have a toast.”
“Watch out for the flying cork,” Sherlock said with an amused grin.
“Why would you have a bottle of bubbly?” Molly asked with a smile.
“New Year's Eve, of course. But I can just buy another one later.” She took off the foil at the top and proceeded to open it. The cork popped but didn't hit anything it could break. “Glasses...” she said to herself. Then she pointed to a shelf. “Sherlock, the shelf up there.”
Sherlock nodded and went over to it, dutifully grabbing three glasses. He set them down on the counter and Mrs. Hudson poured each glass full. Then she set the bottle down and handed one glass to Sherlock and one glass to Molly before picking up the third. “To the happy engagement of two of my favorite people,” she said with a smile.
“Cheers!” Sherlock and Molly chorused, and they all took a sip. Sherlock and Molly glanced over at each other and smiled before Molly reached over to take his hand. Hopefully everyone else would have reactions like this, he thought, if they were lucky. He really hoped all their friends would be happy for them.