Work Text:
Sorry, Sal. I just got three new bodies in. I can’t make it. Molly. XOXO
Sally stared at her mobile, and then shut her eyes. She counted to ten, and then she did it again in Spanish, and then a third time in Pig Latin for good measure. Nope. Still angry. Not at Molly, of course. Molly couldn’t help it that the hospital’s hiring director had been caught up in a bribery scandal so all the new hires were frozen and the pathology department was critically shorthanded. But this was the third date in a week her girlfriend had had to cancel and it was frustrating.
She hadn’t expected her and Molly to ever be a thing. She’d known she mostly liked men from a young age, but she appreciated women. It hadn’t been until university she’d realized she was bisexual, and then she’d discovered all the trials and tribulations that went with that. When she got it in her mind she wanted to be a copper, her brother, the only person in her family who knew the truth about her sexuality, said maybe it would be best if she just dated men. It’d be better for her career, make her less of a target. It’d keep her safer.
That had been fine and dandy until the day she’d walked into the pathology lab and laid eyes on Molly. She didn’t know what it was about the woman but there had been a definite ping of interest there. Course, at that point Phillip was already circling around her, and even though he was married it was at least something. Still, she’d make overtures of friendship towards the shy pathologist, and every time Molly agreed to have a drink or grab a bite Sally felt quite pleased. It wasn’t what she really wanted, but she’d take what she could get.
But there was always Sherlock, lurking in the corner. Sherlock had Molly’s whole heart, all her love and devotion, and the twat treated her like rubbish. It got better round Christmas after he took up with John Watson, but then he was dead and Molly moved on. Tom wasn’t much better, but at least he treated her well. But then Sherlock was back, and Tom was gone, and Sherlock was going to be gone, and one night Molly showed up at her doorstep with a large bottle of expensive wine and somehow one thing led to another and there was a kiss. A rather nice kiss, but a drunken kiss. A kiss Sally had been willing to forget about, if Molly wanted to act like it hadn’t happened.
But she didn’t.
They were both a bit damaged, used to being hurt. Shifting from friendship to romance was easier said than done because while Sally was comfortable with her attraction to women Molly wasn’t, not always. But time was given, and space. Slowly, surely, something was built between them that was rock solid and dependable and if Sally wanted to be truly honest was the best relationship she’d ever been a part of. She was quite lucky to have Molly in her life, to have her be the love of her life, and she was not above shouting it from the rooftops if need be.
Of course, if she actually got to spend time with her girlfriend it would be better.
There was a knock at her door and she looked up, seeing Lestrade there. “You okay, Sally?” he asked, slight frown on his face.
“Another cancelled date,” she said with a sigh. “Why can’t the administrators at St. Bart’s get this over and done with and let those pathologists they hired start so my girlfriend isn’t doing the work of three people?”
“Well, it’s because we all know Molly’s the best and we all want her doing our autopsies,” he said. “But one of those new bodies is mine, I think. I can call her and tell her she can put mine off till the morning. I won’t have much to do till tomorrow afternoon anyway.”
“Really?” she asked, tilting her head.
He nodded. “Crime scene was at a top secret government agency. Mycroft Holmes is pulling strings to get me access but even that takes time. I sincerely doubt there will be much of a crime scene left by the time I get to see it. In fact, I doubt the body will be Molly’s problem much longer, to be honest.”
“Government cover-ups,” she said. “Got to love them.”
“Well, that just means it will be Sherlock’s headache, not mine,” he said with a grin. He glanced at his watch. “Have you considered bringing her dinner? You can’t eat in the actual morgue, but I know Molly’s taken her lunch in her office before. I doubt she’s even thought about getting a bite to eat, being swamped as she is.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Sally said with a small smile. “We were only going to go to Baozi Inn, and I can go to their takeaway window and then go pick it up and take it to her.” She stood up. “Think anyone will miss me?”
Greg shook his head. “That’s the nice part about finally being a Detective Inspector, Sally. You get to fudge your schedule a bit. Just keep your mobile on and you’ll be fine.”
“Thanks, Greg,” she said. She grabbed her coat and called the restaurant, placing an order for Molly’s favorite dishes and her own. She knew she’d have a bit of a wait once she got there, but it was all right. She got in her car one she got out to the car park and drove to the restaurant. She didn’t have to wait long, thankfully, and then she drove to St. Bart’s and went to the employee parking, using Molly’s designated spot since Molly’s car was in the shop. She went to the service lift and made her way down to the morgue, carrying the bags. She pushed through the doors but didn’t see Molly. “Molls?” she called out.
“In the office!” Molly called back. Sally made her way over to the office, and when she opened the door Molly looked at the bags, looked up at Sally and then beamed. “Oh, I do love you.”
“Exactly the reaction I was hoping for,” Sally said with a grin as Molly came up and kissed her softly. “I thought if I couldn’t take you to Baozi Inn I would bring Baozi Inn to you.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Molly said, taking a bag. She looked in it. “I think this is mine.”
“Well, we tend to end up sharing everything so I doubt it matters,” Sally said.
“True,” Molly conceded. She set the bag on her desk. “I have some good news for you.”
“Oh?” Sally said, taking the other bag over to the desk as well.
“Some men clad in black came and confiscated two of my bodies, so I only have one autopsy to perform tonight,” she said. “Unless I can convince Dimmock to let me do it in the morning.”
“Tell him I’ll owe him a favor,” Sally said, opening a carton of rice. “He likes having people owe him favors.”
“Then let me text him back,” Molly said, picking up her mobile. She keyed in a text, sent it, and then set it down. “If he agrees, I just have to finish typing up the paperwork for my last autopsy and wait for the toxicology results and then I’m all yours.”
“How long do you think that will take?” Sally asked.
Molly tilted her head. “Long enough for us to finish the meal, if I eat while I type and you promise not to distract me?”
“I like the sound of that,” Sally said with a nod. “That leaves us time to curl up and watch a film together at your flat, if you’d like.”
“Why my flat?” Molly asked.
“I like your bed better,” Sally said with a shrug. “And your flat is quieter.”
Molly looked at her with a grin. “You know, you could just move into my flat. We’ve been together long enough that no one would bat an eye, and…I’d like it if you would.”
Sally got a wide grin on her face. “You really want me to move in?” she asked.
Molly nodded. “Yeah. I’m quite serious about this relationship. About us. I want it to be something important, something that’s permanent.”
Sally set down her carton and then moved over to Molly, leaning down and framing her face. “You have no idea how much I wanted to hear that,” she said with a wide grin.
“So you’ll do it?” Molly asked.
Sally nodded and kissed her girlfriend, a kiss Molly quite eagerly returned. “You can help me start packing up this weekend,” Sally murmured against her lips when she pulled away.
“Good,” Molly said, a wide grin on her face when Sally pulled away more. This was something very good, Sally decided. This was what it felt like to be truly happy, to be in a good place. This was as close to perfect as she thought she could get, and she was so so glad to be there.