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Molly squeezed her way down the narrow aisle of the airplane, unable to keep her bulky carry-on from bouncing off the shoulders of her fellow seated passengers.
“Sorry. Sorry. Oh, god, I’m so sorry,” she apologized with each bump, as she continued her harried journey to seat 24B. Her mobile, tucked securely into her back pocket, continued to buzz with new text alerts.
Molly grimaced in annoyance, her shoulders tight and aching. As soon as I find my seat, I am shutting this bloody thing off and not turning it on until I land in New York, she thought in frustration. Finally, she found herself standing in front of aisle 24. She squeezed past the surly-looking young man seated along the aisle and gracelessly plopped into the open center seat.
The young man grunted, shifting his body away from Molly, clearly unhappy about having to share his armrest. Molly bent low to tuck her carry-on underneath the seat in front of her, accidently banging her elbow against her seat mate to her left. “Excuse me, I’m sorry,” Molly offered hurriedly. Her seatmate, a pretty strawberry blonde woman, smiled tightly and nodded once before returning to what sounded like very frustrating phone call.
Speaking of which…. Molly sighed and reached for her mobile. She slid open the lock screen to reveal the five new text messages she had received in the five minutes it took for her to properly board the flight.
-I really think you should shorten your stay.
-Two weeks is excessive. A pathologist of your caliber should be able to complete the task in five days.
-I’m going to contact the hotel and tell them you’ll only require four nights instead of thirteen.
-This is absurd. The concierge says I’m not authorized to make changes to your agenda. You’ll have to do it when you check in.
-Mycroft can handle the details of your return flight.
Molly squeezed her eyes shut and briefly counted to ten before daring to open them again. Head throbbing, she tapped out a quick and angry text.
-Sherlock, you’re being ridiculous. Stop it.
The reply came five seconds later.
-Ridiculous? I am not the one being ridiculous. You’re the one abandoning your duties for two weeks.
Molly clenched her jaw, her head beginning to throb rhythmically. If she was feeling crowded before, than she was downright suffocating now. Surly Young Man had decided that he was going to commandeer Molly’s armrest after all, and Strawberry Blonde was muttering things like, “It’s not my fault that the Europeans use different electrical outlets, Tony!” and “I’m sorry, but you’re just going to have to find another waffle iron, I am NOT deboarding this plane!” into her mobile.
As if dealing with her needy man-child of a boyfriend wasn’t creating enough stress and tension. Molly sighed as she sent her reply.
-I’m not going to say this again. I have been asked to consult on a highly unusual, classified case. I am not abandoning you. I will be home in two weeks. You will survive.
“…because I am the CEO and I need to be at this meeting, that’s why! You can handle yourself for three days, Tony!” Strawberry Blonde hissed. Molly shifted in her seat and rolled her neck forward, attempting to loosen the knot at the base of her skull before reading Sherlock’s next response.
-I may survive, but what about Toby? I can barely remember to feed myself, and you expect me to keep your cat alive???
-That’s why I gave Mrs. Hudson the instructions, not you.
-That won’t do. Mrs. Hudson is getting frail. What if something happens to her? Then what?
-Jesus, Sherlock – nothing is going to happen to Mrs. Hudson! Stop it right now!
-No, this is no good. Mrs. Hudson is elderly, we can’t even be certain that she will survive the day, let alone two weeks! I’m going to delay your flight.
Molly gaped at her mobile screen. He wouldn’t. He COULDN’T…could he? Her fingers danced over the keyboard furiously.
-Don’t you dare! Sherlock, I mean it.
The temperature of the plane was now bordering on stifling. Several children were already crying. Surly Young Man dug his elbow into Molly’s side yet again as he shifted his position. Strawberry Blonde was gripping her mobile so tightly that Molly was surprised she hadn’t crushed it to pieces yet.
-Molly, it’s for the best. You don’t want to come home to the starved corpse of your cat, do you?
“Tony…Tony, listen to me. You will not try to divert this flight, do you understand?” Strawberry Blonde snapped, now holding her phone away from her ear and speaking directly into the mouthpiece. Molly eyed her seat companion curiously for a moment before returning her attention to her current predicament.
-Sherlock, please. I’ll try to leave New York early, okay? DO NOT do anything stupid.
“Tony?…Tony? Are you still there?” Strawberry Blonde was pleading into the phone. Molly stared at her own mobile, breathlessly waiting for her boyfriend’s response. Minutes ticked by while the airplane remained motionless on the tarmac. From the back of the flight, the cries of an infant reached fever pitch. Surly Young Man stretched his leg out, knocking against Molly’s ankle in the process. Strawberry Blonde was staring out the window, tapping her fingernails angrily against the armrest.
“Ladies and gentleman,” came a voice over the PA system. “This is your captain speaking. It appears we have encountered an… unforeseen delay in our flight plan this evening. We will keep you updated as information becomes more readily available. In the meantime, please remain seated with your seatbelts fastened. Thank you.” A loud, collective groan sounded from the passengers. Molly’s jaw dropped, her dark eyes blazed with fury.
“OH MY GOD, I’M GOING TO KILL HIM!” Molly and Strawberry Blonde shrieked in unison.
The two women turned toward each other in surprise. Molly instantly recognized the look of exasperation on the pretty woman’s face. After all, it was one that she, herself, wore quite frequently. Molly didn’t know who this stranger was, but she felt an immediate kinship. By the way Strawberry Blonde’s eyes softened in amusement, Molly could tell she was feeling the same thing.
The woman extended her hand, a wry smile playing at the corner of her mouth. “Hi. Pepper Potts, “ she said smoothly. Molly grinned. “Molly Hooper, “ she offered, accepting the handshake. “Nice to meet you. “
Pepper smiled broadly. “Well, Molly Hooper,” she said cheerfully, “it sounds like you and I have a lot in common.”