Disclaimer: I own nothing, because if it did, Sherlolly would be cannon and I'd be dating Benedict Cumberbatch.

Just a Dream and a Dance

"Sherlock!"

The man in question stopped and turned back to the party he was leaving to find Molly Hooper following him.

"Shouldn't you be inside, dancing with you fiancée?" he asked.

"Tom'll keep." She replied simply. "Why are you slipping away?"

"Parties…are not my forte." He replied slowly.

Molly was quiet for a moment as she studied him. He didn't know why, but it was making him uncomfortable, like for once, someone was seeing him like he saw everyone else.

"You did well today." She told him finally. "And I don't just mean the mystery solving. You were the perfect best man."

"It wasn't hard." He said dismissively.

"It was for you." She replied. "I know it was. You're not comfortable with displays of emotion, but you did great today. John was so proud of you. We all were."

"John deserves the best." Sherlock said.

"Yes, he does." Molly agreed.

Sherlock nodded.

"Well, goodnight, Molly Hooper." He told her.

He turned, only to be stopped again.

"You're doing it again."

He turned and looked at her.

"What am I doing, Molly?" he asked.

"Looking sad when you think nobody can see you." She replied.

"You can still see me." He told her, stepping closer. "And don't say you don't count, because you know better now."

"Yes, I do." She replied, not stepping back, although every fiber of her being told her to. "But I also know why you're sad now."

"Do you?" he asked, tilting his head to the side to study her.

"You think you're losing John." She replied. "That it's all going to change. But it's not. It won't matter that John is married, or that they're having a baby. He's your best friend, nothing will ever change that."

"Marriage changes people." He told her, quoting Mrs. Hudson.

"I wouldn't know." She said. "But I think I know John well enough to know that, no matter how much being married to Mary changes him, nothing will change the way he feels about you. You dying and coming back didn't change it, why would this?"

They were both quiet for a moment.

"If you're leaving because you're genuinely uncomfortable around this many people for this long, then by all means, get away. No one will blame you, not after doing so well today." Molly told him. "But if you're leaving because you think there isn't a place for you here, you're just wrong, and you should come back in and dance with me."

"I think Tom would prefer you dance with him." Sherlock told her.

"Then it's a good think Tom isn't in control of what I do, because I want to dance with my friend." She told him, smiling. "My friend who showed me I counted."

Sherlock looked back at the hall. They could hear the music, even this far away.

"Fine." He replied.

He held out his hand to her.

"What are you doing?" she asked, staring at his hand like it might bite her.

"You wanted to dance." He replied. "I'm asking you to dance."

"I meant we should go back to the party." She said, exasperated.

"I don't want to go back." He replied. "I want to dance right here."

He reached over and took her hand in his, pulling her to him.

"Sherlock!" she squeaked.

"Hush." He replied, spinning her around. "We're dancing."

"You can dance!" she said, surprised.

"I can do all kinds of things." He replied simply.

Molly smiled softly and shook her head as he pulled her back to him. With his hand on her back and the other holding hers, he slowly moved her around in the familiar style of the waltz.

"You're so different." She told him, craning her neck to look at him. "From before."

"So are you, Molly Hooper." He replied. "What happened to the young woman who blushed every time I stepped into her morgue?"

"She helped her friend fake his suicide." She shot back.

"Indeed." He agreed.

The song came to an end and they slowly stopped.

"Are you sure you won't come back in?" she asked. "I'm sure Mrs. Hudson would love a dance."

"No." he replied. "But you should head back in. Tom will be missing you."

She sighed, but nodded.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked.

He nodded and she smiled, squeezing his hand before pulling away. She was a few steps away when she felt his hand on her arm. She stopped and looked back at him.

"Thank you, Molly." He said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Thank you for seeing me."

"It's not hard." She replied softly.

"And yet, you're the only one who ever seems to." He said, his eyes focusing on hers.

They stayed that way for a moment before he let her go.

"Goodnight, Molly Hooper." He said softly.

"Goodnight, Sherlock." She replied.

He watched as she walked away before eventually pulling his coat closer around himself and heading off into the night.

A/N: So this is the Sherlolly scene I desperately wanted after the Sign of Three. I objectively know that Sherlock would be the crappiest boyfriend ever, and that Molly deserves to be truly happy, but that does not stop me from shipping this so hard!

Let me know what you think!

Abbey