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“Did you get a wedding invitation?” Molly asked as Sherlock sat down next to her with the food he had ordered for them.
He handed her a portion of fish and chips then opened his own. “Possibly, an invite to what again?”
“You know, Greg’s wedding. He’s marrying that American he met; you know the one. They met via a case he needed your help on. I guess you could say she was the client.”
“Blonde American woman. Solved the case that’s all I remember. I presume I got an invitation. I think Mrs Hudson mentioned it.”
“Yes well, they are getting married, in New York. I got an invitation. Not sure I’ll go though, not sure if I can afford it.”
“I’ll pay for you,” Sherlock offered. “Well, Mycroft can, I mean it, the least I can do.”
“Are you sure?” Molly asked, feeling her face go red.
“Of course. I mean you’ve helped me so many times with cases and saving my life. I think paying for a flight to New York isn’t much.”
“Thank you, Sherlock.”
“Now pass us the vinegar. These chips don’t have hardly enough on.”
“I can’t believe you’re not there flying out with us tomorrow,” Molly said to Mary over her lunch break. They’d met as they always did on Tuesday afternoons at the café not far from Bart’s.
Mary patted her bump. “Blame John. Thanks to this one I’m not safe to fly.”
“Thank you for agreeing to cat sit Toby. Don’t worry about the litter tray we will only be gone a few days I can sort that when I get back. As long as he’s fed and has water it will all be fine.”
“He will be the best-fed cat in London.” Mary joked. “New York how exciting, I can’t belive Sherlock paid for you to go he’s really changing.”
“Sherlock didn’t pay, Mycroft did. That’s what Sherlock told me he was going to do.”
“Well that’s what he told me. Paid for you himself, he knows you want to be there. I think he wants your company, he knows John will be busy fussing, helping Greg, so he wants to have someone he’s comfortable with.”
Molly brought her hand to cover her mouth, “I mean that much to him.”
“Of course, you’re his friend,” Mary smiled.
Molly stood in her room kicking herself, she’d left her packing to the last minute. With working double shifts to allocate her time off she hadn’t had the chance to start. Molly also decided to make a phone call at the same time because she wasn’t stressed enough already.
“Yes, Mum, I know I’ve packed my shoes, of course I’m sure. I’m stood over my case and can see them.”
“You can never check too much,” came her mother's voice on the other end of the line.
“I know.”
“I hope you have a lovely time, dear; I mean, a wedding in New York, how romantic, maybe you’ll meet someone at the wedding.”
“Mum,” Molly groaned, sounding like her teenage self.
“At this rate, you are never going to get married and you aren’t getting any younger, you’ve just got out of an engagement. You’re in your mid-thirties, Molly.”
“Thanks for that lovely pep talk, Mum.”
“I don’t mean it like that, Molly. I just don’t want you to be alone, it’s not what your father would have wanted. “
Molly felt tears appear on her face, “I know, Mum,” she looked up and saw Sherlock was in the doorway to her bedroom. “Look Mum I have to go, I need to finish packing; I’ll send you a message when I’ve landed. I love you. Bye”
As she put the phone on the bed Sherlock walked into the room. “She upset you.”
“Yes but it wasn’t intentional,” Molly said, packing her pyjama top. “I’m fine now.”
Sherlock studied her for another moment. “I just wanted to check if you needed any help packing.”
“I should be fine,” as he was about to leave, she thought of a way he could help her. “Wait - could you read me that list, it’s everything I need to pack, it would help if you read it to me and then crossed it off.”
“Of course” he smiled.
As they boarded the flight the next day, Molly was surprised Sherlock had booked them first-class seats. “First class, Sherlock. Wow, I’m shocked. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.” he smiled.
“Just wow, I mean even Greg and his soon to be wife are in economy.”
“Well, I wanted you to be comfortable and if Gavin had asked me he could have been sitting up here too.”
The flight went pretty quickly for Sherlock and Molly, Sherlock spent most of it trying to write his best man speech. After being John’s best man it surprised Sherlock that Lestrade had come to him and asked him to be his best man, especially after the speech he gave at John’s wedding. He hoped this time he wouldn’t have to solve a murder in the middle of it. Apparently wedding guests thought it was not good unless your life was saved.
Molly on the other hand had a nap and watched several inflight movies, they’d been ones she had planned on watching at the cinema, but never had the chance as she always seemed to be busy with work or helping Sherlock with a case. The flight was the most relaxed she had felt in months. When the captain announced their descent into New York she felt excited for the few days that lay ahead.
As they stepped off the plane and collected their suitcases, they could hear Greg grumbling about how uncomfortable he was for the whole flight.
“Told you so,” Molly whispered, giving him, her I’m always right look.
“Don’t worry, I had Mycroft pay for their honeymoon and first-class flights. Thankfully we won’t be on the same flight with them. Nobody wants to be near newlyweds who will have one thing on their mind.”
“Agreed,” Molly replied.
Check-in at the hotel brought Sherlock an unexpected surprise. He had the room to himself like he wanted , the only problem was who was next door. “I refuse, there must be some way, I simply cannot be next door to that idiot.”
“Hey,” Anderson protested, “I thought you were meant to be nicer since you came back from the dead.”
Sherlock took his eyes off the hotel worker and focused on Anderson, “Why are you at this wedding anyway?”
“I invited him, Sherlock,” Greg interrupted.
“I’m sorry sir, I can’t have anyone moved; due to the wedding we are fully booked,” The hotel worker informed him.
Sherlock scanned her, Single, Just got out of a long term relationship, had a one night stand last night, regrets it and is in debt, he knew not to say anything about that when an idea hit him. “John will swap with him.”
“I will not,” John stepped in, “I purposely made sure I would not be near your room. I need to help Greg with a few things, and I need to be ready to pick up a phone call from Mary at a moment’s notice. So I can’t have you barging into my room every five minutes demanding me to help you with a case, like a dog that needs a walk, you’re just going to have to lump it.”
“Anyone else?” Sherlock looked at his group of friends when they all shook their heads, he knew he wasn’t getting his way, instead he relented. “Anderson, you go anywhere near my room, or me for that matter, on this trip there will be trouble.”
Anderson nodded as the detective left the lobby to go to his room.
When he got up to his room to unpack, Sherlock was met with another unflattering sight stood by his door. His brother.
“What are you doing here?” he asked as he tried to get his room key out of his pocket.
“Greg invited me. I thought just this once I might join in with humans.”
“You flew across the Atlantic for the cake,” Sherlock told him bluntly.
Mycroft smiled. “Well, that too. I’m next door to you Sherlock, behave or Mummy will know.”
Sherlock opened the door to his room. “I’m an adult, Mycroft, leave me alone.”
That evening, the rehearsal dinner rolled around; Sherlock didn’t see the point of the rehearsal because the actual reception would be in less than twelve hours’ time. When he said this to John he knew it was not good. “For God’s sake Sherlock, it isn’t your wedding. Greg just wants to make sure everything is okay.”
“Does this mean I have to do my best man speech twice?”
“Yes dear,” Mrs Hudson, who to Sherlock’s surprise had come to the wedding, answered him with a glass of champagne in her hand. “Though don’t make it too long this time, Sherlock, some of us want to sleep tonight.”
“I’ve made sure my speech won’t be like before-“
John interrupted. “I’ve actually written your speech for you. All you have to do is read it.”
“But-“ Sherlock began but was interrupted again.
“That sounds like a lovely idea, John you’ve made it easier for Sherlock.”
“I’ll read the speech.”
Sherlock looked over at Molly and he knew she saw his disappointment in not being able to read his own speech.
“I first met GREG,” John had put his name in capital letters so there wouldn’t be a chance of Sherlock getting it wrong, “when he was not smart enough to figure out a case,” he retold the rest of the story and a few other cases, all written in front of him. People laughed when they should have laughed but it didn’t feel right. This wasn’t his speech. Maybe John should have been the best man in the first place.
Molly sat with Sherlock when the rehearsal was finished. He had his head in his hands, too much was changing for him, this was John getting married all over again. “I liked your speech,” she reached over and put her hand on his knee
“It wasn’t my speech,” he replied, not looking up.
“No, I mean your own speech, I read it on the plane remember, it was lovely. More you than John’s.”
“Thanks,” He smiled looking at her, “So how are you doing?”
“The best a single person can do at a wedding. Everyone here seems to be married bar you, Anderson and your brother. But Greg’s really happy and I don’t want to spoil anything for him. He deserves it after everything.”
“Yes,” Sherlock nodded his head in agreement.
A drunk American man who Sherlock recognised as being part of Greg’s fiancée’s family, uncle? He couldn’t remember not that he cared to, walked the best he could up to them. “I just want to say Greg is a wonderful man.”
“Oh, thanks, we like him,” Molly smiled, gesturing between Sherlock and herself.
“God,” The American sounded shocked. “You must have been a teenager when you had him!”
Molly felt shocked almost as if she’d been slapped around the face. Before Sherlock or herself had the chance to say anything he was gone. Probably to grab another drink.
Molly walked over to the bar and ordered herself several shots, she knew she would have to thank Greg later on for having an open bar. Sherlock followed her in the hopes to try and help in any way he could.
“The man was very drunk, Molly,” he offered, “there’s no logical way you would ever be able to be Gavin’s mother.”
“Then why would he say it?” she said before downing one of her shots.
“Because he’s crazy and stupid, earlier he thanked me for my wonderful performance in Downton Abbey.”
Molly wanted to laugh but couldn’t, “My mum’s right, I’m never going to get married,” she mourned as she took two more shots.
“You know,” he stopped himself, “Who wouldn’t want you?” Put your hand on her shoulder John’s voice said in his head. Comfort her. So he did.
“Oh please, Sherlock I’m a single mum with a son in his forties.” Shot number four quickly followed.
John walked into Sherlock’s room early in the morning, “Greg’s getting married today.”
Sherlock sat up in bed with one hand holding the duvet to his stomach and the other spread out covering the rest of the bed, “Morning, John.”
“Come on, get up, this is exciting; a wedding is happening today.”
Sherlock was about to point out weddings happen every day, but he wanted John out of the room, “I’ll get up now,” thankfully John left the room without another word.
“Do you think he knew I was here?” Molly said, coming up from under the covers looking at the detective.
“Er no, I think we’re good – I mean safe,” Sherlock said, feeling a bit breathless.
They both sat up against the headboard not knowing what to say. They couldn’t look at each other, it was almost as if it was one long game of chicken, who was going to speak first. Finally, Sherlock gave in. “Well, I’ve never done that with you before,” it was awkward almost like he was a schoolboy.
“Nope,” Molly still couldn’t look at him. The realisation of what they’d done hitting in on them.
“So how – are you – are you – was it – you okay?” he felt himself stumble over his words.
“Yep, yep” Molly felt her face go red “You?”
“Oh yes, yeah um You?” he finally looked at Molly. Her hair was messy from their night together, her hair which he was so used to was down her back and he knew he loved this look on her, to him in this moment she was absolutely stunning. He then realised what he said. “Oh, we’ve done you.”
Molly raised her eyebrows at his unintentional innuendo. “Well, I better get going and get ready. You know, a wedding and all.”
Stumbling words happened again. “Oh yes, I absolutely.”
Molly bit her lip. “Do you mind not looking?”
“Oh, I er don’t want to look,” Oh how he did. He had it all memorised last night but something in him wanted to study her all over again.
She managed to find her clothes from the night before and quickly dressed. “See you later,” she said rushing out the room hoping nobody would see her.
Sherlock didn’t have a chance to reply.
Greg was in Sherlock’s room when he got out of the shower, he was in his suit all dressed for the wedding. Both men were glad that Sherlock had put the hotel dressing gown on.
“Oh Gavin.”
“Morning Sherlock, I didn’t see you at breakfast, there’s still food down there if you want something, I just wanted to make sure you are okay?”
“I’m fine,” he replied.
“Have you seen Molly?”
“I’ve not seen Molly,” he quickly jumped in. “Why would I have seen Molly?”
“Okay?” Greg gave him a funny look. “I was just wondering. She wasn’t down at breakfast either. Must have slept in. Did you sleep okay?”
“Oh yes like a log, dead to the world,” Sherlock replied.
“Oh lucky you. Apparently, there was a couple last night really going for it. John said he didn’t get much sleep and neither did Anderson though he said he got lucky himself. Maybe they kept Molly up and she overslept.”
“Yes, your detective skills are finally working,” Sherlock made up quickly as he tried to get him out of the room, “Soon you won’t be needing me.”
“Yes well, okay,” Greg said as the door was shut in his face.
“Hey Molls, you look lovely,” Greg said when they were in the wedding venue.
“Thank you.” She smiled.
“Sherlock’s just outside. I think he’s practising his speech again.”
Molly blurted out her next words. “Why would I care where Sherlock is? Sometimes I don’t even like Sherlock.”
“Okay,” Greg said, giving her an odd look. “ I need to ask you a favour. One of the bridesmaids got sick last night, and well we need someone to walk with Sherlock, would you mind? I mean, can now be one of the times you like him?”
“Okay,” Molly smiled. “I can do Sherlock. I mean I can walk with Sherlock.”
“Thanks, Molly, you are a lifesaver.”
John walked in front of them. He had his phone open on FaceTime so Mary could watch the wedding. The music that played while they walked down the aisle was loud enough that they could speak to each other and not be heard. “What we did last night was …” Sherlock started.
“Stupid,” Molly jumped in.
“Totally, idiotic, crazy.”
“Yes, agreed,” Molly agreed. “What were we thinking?”
“I’m going over to your room tonight, though, right?”
“Oh yes, definitely,” Molly replied just before they went their separate ways, standing on either side of the bride and groom.
The wedding went as planned, nobody turned up at the last minute with a declaration of unrequited love and all names were said correctly. Though for the whole time all Sherlock could do was stare at Molly and see how beautiful she looked in her red dress.
After the detective’s speech, everyone went to grab their food from the buffet provided, when he saw Molly alone, he walked over to her. “Hi,” Molly smiled up at him.
“Molly, I’ve been thinking maybe we shouldn’t meet up tonight. Please don’t take this the wrong way but I’m worried it would affect our friendship. You matter more to me than anyone.”
“I know,” Molly agreed sadly; she couldn’t help but deny she felt the same way. “How could we have let this happen, Sherlock?”
“Seven times!” Sherlock exclaimed.
“Well, we were away,” Molly tried to reason, “At a wedding.”
“In a foreign country that is considered to be very romantic,” Sherlock added.
“I blame New York.”
“Bad New York,” Sherlock said hitting a piece of meat, reminding Molly how he used a riding crop on a dead body in the morgue.
Molly bit her lip nervously, “Cause we’re still in New York, I mean we're still going to do it, right?”
“Logically speaking we have no other choice. But when we get back to London we just don’t, we just stop.”
“Only here.”
Sherlock whispered in her ear, “There’s a supply room. near reception. It’s far enough away from here, nobody will hear and near enough we can make it back before anyone notices we are gone.”
“I’ll meet you there in two minutes,” Molly said, abandoning her plate of food.
“Okay,” Sherlock said, rushing off.
As Molly was about to walk toward reception Sherlock walked Molly back to the food. “I thought we were going to, you know.”
“Someone beat us to it, and I hate to say I believe it was Anderson.”
Molly shivered. “You okay?”
“I will be,” the detective said as he downed a glass of wine.
John walked up next to him with a bottle of beer in his hand.
“John!” Molly said, shocked, “You promised Mary you wouldn’t drink until the baby was born.”
“Oh, I figured we’re in another country, it doesn’t count.”
“That’s true,” she agreed.
Sherlock smiled widely behind John at Molly and slapped him on the back. “The man’s got a point, Molly, a very good point.”
John gave them both an odd look then left them alone in search of another beer.
“My room,” Molly suggested, “You’ve given your speech, nobody will look for you and if they do nobody will look in my room.”
“Molly, you’re a genius. Go up first; I’ll follow in a couple of minutes.”
“I’ll be waiting,” she said, giving him a wink before she walked out of the room.
Sherlock waited two and a half minutes before leaving but was stopped by Mycroft who had a plate of cake in his hand. “I hope you know what you are doing, brother mine?”
“What do you mean, Mycroft? I’m not doing anything. Now if you excuse me I have somewhere to be.”
“My room is right next door to yours, the walls are thin, if I’m not mistaken a certain Miss Hooper enjoyed your company last night.”
Sherlock felt himself go pale. “It was nothing.”
“If it’s nothing why is she waiting for you in her room?”
Sherlock said nothing.
“I thought so.”
“Look, it’s just while we are here in New York, Molly and I have both agreed that nothing will happen once we are back in London.”
“Whatever you say, brother mine.”
“Don’t tell Mummy or anyone else and I’ll have Molly bake you cakes for a month.”
“Deal.”
The moment Sherlock knocked on Molly’s door she opened it and dragged him in by his tie. “What took you so long?” she asked between kisses.
“Mycroft knows about this.”
“Of course he does,” Molly sighed.
“You have to bake him a lot of cakes for the next month and nobody will know.”
“Mycroft and his bloody cakes.”
“Enough about my brother. All I want to think about is you. God, you look so beautiful, Molly.”
Molly blushed. “You’re not bad yourself. Though less clothes would be more desirable.”
“I think that can be arranged,” Sherlock said as he was about to carry Molly to the bed. Well, that was until a knock at the door came.
“MOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY,” slurred a drunk John. “IS SHEROock in there with ou?”
“Yes, why?” she answered quickly.
“Detective man, leave Olly alone. She doesn’t want to listen to you talk about cases!”
“We aren’t talking about cases, John.”
“WELL, what are ’ou doooing?”
Molly saw a DVD on the side in her room. It must have been left by the previous visitor. She opened the door a crack. “We are watching a movie, see?”
“What film?” John asked now getting excited.
Molly looked at the DVD more closely. This was going to be awkward, “Happy Feet. Sherlock loves penguins.”
“I Love Dancing Penguins. Can I watch too? Please.”
“Sure,” Sherlock said through gritted teeth.
Before the movie was even halfway through John had fallen asleep across Sherlock and Molly, his head on Molly’s lap, his feet in Sherlock’s. Neither of the two was happy with the arrangement, especially as they had been stuck there for hours and it was almost time to leave.
“Molly, I’ve calculated every situation. There is no way we can get out of here and not wake John.”
“I know.” Molly smiled, feeling a bit deflated.
“We leave for London in two hours.”
“I know, we have to pack and -”
“Even if we tried to make it back to my room John would prevent it,” Sherlock finished for her.
“Why didn't he just stay with Mary?”
John woke up at the sound of his wife’s name. “Mary, is she okay? Has she had the baby?”
“No,” Molly said as John stood up, “I was just saying we all need to start getting ready, and you'll want to phone Mary.”
“Oh Yes, I do need to, I better head back to my room. God, I feel awful.”
“John, you drank beer for the first time in months and went to town. You’re not young, you’ve got a hangover,” Sherlock deduced.
“Thanks for that, Sherlock. Come on, we better leave Molly in peace.”
Sherlock followed John out of the room but gave Molly a look that said, ‘I’m sorry.’
Molly replied silently, “I know, it’s okay.”
“Sorry, we are not in first class this time,” Sherlock said once the flight was in the air. He couldn’t look at Molly, so he chose to look straight ahead.
“It’s fine,” Molly said, looking in the same direction staying silent for a minute while working out what to say. “Maybe it’s a good thing we never got to do it again.”
“Yes,” Sherlock agreed, looking at her and to his delight, she looked at him. “It makes that one night really special. Though technically we are over international waters and not considered in London. So?”
“Go to the bathroom, I’ll meet you there in two minutes,” Molly whispered into his ear.
As Sherlock disappeared, John appeared with his bag over his shoulder. “Molly, you aren’t going to believe this, but I got upgraded.” He sat down in the seat next to hers and Sherlock’s.
“Oh, how lovely,” Molly lied.
“Where is Sherlock?”
“Gone to the loo. Look, can you just excuse me a mo-“
“Molly, do you think I’ll be a good dad?” and that’s how Molly was stuck for half an hour.
When Sherlock came back, he looked frustrated. Molly shot him an apologetic look but knew he worked out John’s sudden upgrade.
“Sherlock, are you okay? You’ve been gone ages,” John asked.
Sherlock sat down. “I’m fine.”
“Most likely something you ate. Hey, Molly, swap seats. You don’t want to be near Sherlock if he’s ill.”
“John, it’s fine, leave it,” Sherlock said, wishing more than anything he could even just hold Molly’s hand without it looking suspicious.
When the plane touched back down in London, Molly and Sherlock shared a look. “I guess that’s it then.”
And so it was.
“I can’t wait to see Mary,” John said as they were about to enter Molly’s flat.
Mary was sat on the sofa watching daytime tv when she looked over to see them come in. “Hi, you’re all back,” she smiled at them, as she was just about able to get herself off the sofa and give them all hugs.
“You drank beer! You had sex,” Mary said suddenly.
All three felt their mouths drop open.“No we didn't,” Sherlock said to quickly.
“Well I know you didn’t, but you did.” She said looking at Molly.
“Mary, I didn't have sex,” Molly fiddled with the sleeve of her cardigan.
“Pregnancy brain is messing with me, sorry.”
“Was Toby okay?” Molly questioned.
“Good as gold.”
“Come on Mary, let's head home.” The Watsons left, finally leaving Sherlock and Molly alone.
They looked at each other for a moment, not realising how close they were to each other Molly distanced them. “Looks like we are alone.”
Sherlock followed her, “Good thing we have that ‘not in London’ rule.”
“Yes,” Molly laughed nervously. “Look, while we are talking about it, I just want to say I was going through a difficult time in New York, I’ve recently broken up with Tom, the phone call with my mum, seeing a good friend get married and that drunk man thinking I was Greg’s mum.”
“Of course,” Sherlock nodded.
“That night, our night -m it meant a lot and I want to say thank you, Sherlock.”
Sherlock smiled slightly, “For the record, that night meant a lot to me too. Not because I was in a difficult place, but you matter most to me, Molly, and you’re hot and I don’t mean temperature-wise. Is that okay?”
“That’s okay,” Molly snorted.
“And I’m cute too?” Sherlock raised his eyebrows.
“And you’re cute too.” Molly agreed, smiling. She didn’t think she had ever seen Sherlock like this, he was almost playful.
“Thank you.” He pulled her into a hug. “I should probably head back to Baker Street and unpack.”
“Okay.”
“Bye.”
Molly watched him leave the flat. She waited a moment then walked to the front door to stop him but stopped herself and turned around, walking back to the living room. Suddenly she heard Sherlock behind her in the hallway.
“I’m still on New York time. Does that count?”
“Oh, that counts,” Molly said, kissing him.
“Oh good,” Sherlock breathed, taking Molly into her room. “I’m going to be on New York time for a while.”