For Claude Amelia Song, I hope you like it!

Words: 807

stop thinking about the bullet from my mouth

The first time it happens, Sherlock fails to realize anything special about the event.

It is just a gathering of associates, friends; nothing special about that.

He doesn't pay close attention to the proceedings, instead choosing to focus on the more important task at hand: decoding Adler's phone.

At least that's what he does until the others include him in the conversation. They mention his name and state false things. How can he not react?

Then, he spots the present that Molly wrapped so much more carefully than all of the others.

And he deduces.

He deduces that it is for someone special, that she is planning to seduce her boyfriend, and he speaks his mind, just like he always does.

"That would suggest long-term hopes, however forlorn; and that she's seeing him tonight is evident from her make-up and what she's wearing. Obviously trying to compensate for the size of her mouth and breasts..."

Then, he reads the card. Written in a nice handwriting that the morgue worker must have put a lot of effort into, when he compared it to her usual scrawl, were the words:

Dearest Sherlock

Love Molly xxx

He freezes as he realizes what he has just said, what he has just done.

He turns away and is about to return to his work when he sees John's disappointed face.

He had made a mistake, had hurt Molly's feelings.

"You always say such horrible things. Every time. Always. Always," she sounds like she is about to cry.

The morgue worker was the only one who was always at his side, who had always supported all of his quirks that irritated everyone else.

Sherlock returns to Molly. "I am sorry. Forgive me."

He is well aware that everyone else is surprised by his reaction—it is so much more human than what they are used to.

Sherlock is not an unfeeling monster, no matter what others might think

He steps closer and whispers "Merry Christmas, Molly Hooper"

It doesn't look like it, but Sherlock hesitates before he leans forward, and kisses her on the cheek.

The detective can almost feel her excitement—her sheer glee—as he does it, when he gets a message.

His ringtone is an orgasmic moan.

Molly jumps back, gasps, and apologizes, knowing full well it wasn't her.

"No, it was me," Sherlock says and clarifies, "My phone" when Molly and Lestrade act confused.

Did they really think he would make a noise like that?

And then, suddenly, he is back on his chair, looking at John's blog despite not moving a single muscle. He can't have been on drugs, he hadn't consumed anything in a relevant time.

So what had happened?

He looks around the room, trying to collect adequate data to form a hypothesis.

Molly enters at that moment.

Once you eliminate the impossible…

He hadn't moved or been moved,

He hadn't been drugged, he wasn't sleeping.

He would have noticed if it was a prank of some kind.

...whatever remains must be the truth.

Sherlock had been sent back in time mere minutes.

How frustrating! He had no data to form a hypothesis as for how and why, no way to prove it to the goldfish!

But, was that really what he should do?

The process—whatever it was—it had started without any obvious trigger. It could stop the same way.

Sherlock had been given a second chance and he was going to use it. He was more than intelligent enough to realize his mistakes the first time, thank you very much.

When Molly takes off her scarf and jacket, he notices John's and Lestrade's comments and makes one on his own. "You look good, Molly."

She blushes and thanks him.

John and Lestrade look impressed, but that is irrelevant to this situation.

During those few seconds they converse over various things, when he had previously called John over, he takes out his phone and puts it on vibration.

This time, the message—important as it would be—would not ruin the events.

The conversation happens the same way it did last time—Molly attempts to make a joke, Lestrade voices his impression that he and his wife are working out better, just like John thinks his sister hasn't been drinking.

They are wrong and Sherlock still thinks it is better for them to find out now, rather than later and discover he knew all along.

But when he had originally started deducing, he doesn't.

That was the thing that had upset her last time, that he had been wrong—which was horrible by itself—and embarrassed her in front of everyone.

Instead, he comes to decision.

He stands up and crosses the room. He can feel John's and Lestrade's confused eyes on him, but Mrs. Hudson seems

Sherlock places his hands on her cheeks.

"Merry Christmas, Molly Hooper."

He leans forward and kisses her.

Please tell me what you think!

~Marvelgeek42