A/N: For kris who never fails to reassure me about how this story is going. Enjoy.

"Alright, alright never mind." Mary giggled grabbing the pillow from Molly's hands "I do want to know not that badly."

"Well if you're that determined to know then I should tell you, we kissed on Sunday night." Molly took the pillow back and shoved it behind her on the sofa bed. Mary's eyes shone with excitement.

"Oh that's so great Molls, I feel like a teenager again with this gossiping over boys." chuckled Mary clamping a hand on Molly's forearm "Tell me what it was like, oh no don't! Ugh just tell me before I change my mind again."

"It was nice, not like any other kiss I've had before. It was… special." sighed Molly, sinking back into the pillows behind her back

"Aw that's so sweet, it makes me want to snuggle I'm so happy for you." Mary lay back next to Molly as she spoke. Without speaking the two came together under the duvet hugging each other tightly, trying to hold in the excitement about the new development with Mycroft. "We won't be able to do this for much longer with junior in my belly, she just keeps growing and growing."

"I'm sure we can cope for a few months and then we will have Zuri to cuddle too, bring her into our club." Molly grinned, patting May's baby bump and feeling the baby kick under her hand "See she's excited about it already." The two pulled apart as Mary got up to change the DVD.

"You're mad you know that? I can tell I'll never be able to get rid of you when she arrives, you'll always want to be with her. I'll have you on speed dial for babysitting duty before you can blink." Mary slotted the 'Penelope' DVD into the television and came back to the bed, grabbing the bag of chocolates again on her way back sharing what was left between them as they skipped through the adverts to get to the actual film.

"I'm sure I won't mind, you know how much I love babies." replied Molly popping a chocolate into her mouth.

The rest of the night flew by with another two films, a messy facemask each and the women falling asleep at about one in the morning after chatting all the way through 'Cocktail'.

Waking up the next morning the first thing Molly noticed was that she wasn't in her own bed, it took her minute to remember that she had stayed over t Mary's before she turned over to see Mary was already awake and sitting eating a piece of toast and jam, crumbs littering the quilt already.

"Oh you're up then, I left the toaster on for you. You know where everything is. Oh and if you're going in the kitchen can you make me a cuppa? I need the decaff teabags from the box in the cupboard though." Mary smiled around her mouthful of food, a bit of jam dripping on her bottom lip that she licked off quickly before it could fall.

"Alright then, I won't be a minute." Molly slid out of the bed and padded towards the kitchen barefooted to fill the kettle for Mary's tea. Methodically Molly slipped some bread into the toaster and set the kettle to boil before grabbing the tea bag from the cupboard and the milk from the fridge. Within five minutes she was back in the living room with the goods and eating her breakfast alongside Mary.

"I swear you make the best cuppa of anyone I know Molly Hooper, it's always just right." Mary hummed with pleasure as the hot liquid slipped down her throat "I suppose we'd better clear up before John gets home, he's a bit of a clean freak you know."

Despite her words the two didn't move for another hour and a half as they flicked on the television to an old episode of 'Poirot'. Eventually at lunch time the room was back to rights and the pair were dressed for the day. John got home at two just as Molly was leaving to go home for a shower and to feed Toby. Exchanging pleasantries in the doorway the two soon parted company as Molly hailed a taxi to take her home. She spent the afternoon fussing over Toby who was feeling quite rejected by his mistress's absence the previous night and taking a long hot shower. She really had to stop eating so much rubbish; Molly thought as she scrubbed her body with the lily body wash she used, she was going to put on weight if she wasn't careful.

Dressing in jeans and a turquoise top, she quickly dried her hair and knotted it into a bun at the base of her head before slipping on some socks and shoes to watch TV in until Mycroft came to fetch her for their date. The idea of a date with Mycroft Holmes of all people sounded bizarre, they didn't seem to compute but whatever this was Molly was going to enjoy it. By five Molly thought she should probably eat something and decided on a bowl of mixed fruit, kick starting her healthy diet that she had decided to embark on while she was in the shower.

When six rolled around and the doorbell sounded Molly switched off the TV and went to answer the door. She faced a barely smiling Mycroft, looking up at him as she waited for him to speak.

"You look lovely Molly, you'd better get your coat though, it's threatening to get torrential out there." Mycroft leant down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips for a moment before taking hold of her shoulders and gently turning her to go and fetch her coat and bag.

The two hurried down to the waiting car sheltered under Mycroft's large black umbrella that he always seemed to carry, pressed close together so they could both stay dry. They were quickly bundled into the back of the car, glad of the warmth as the rain outside turned into hail, crashing against the bodywork ferociously.

"So will you tell me now what your plan for tonight is?" Molly turned to face Mycroft, her head tilted to the side curiously.

"Well understandably with my job it's difficult for me to go out casually so I thought you would like to look around the library at my home. I'm sure such an avid reader as yourself would enjoy it." Mycroft smiled indulgently, glancing her way as she took his hand.

"I'm sure I will, but what about you? Are you a book fan like me or do you dabble?" Molly leant back into the soft leather of her seat as she questioned Mycroft who had now tilted towards her giving her his whole attention.

"A bit of both really, I go through phases of both. Currently though I'm quite content to sit and read for hour upon hour." answered Mycroft thoughtfully.

Eventually the car pulled up at Mycroft's home, the hail holding off for a few minutes whole they entered the house. As they entered the library Molly inhaled the intoxicating scent of paper that seemed to permeate the air making her feel incredibly relaxed by the knowledge surrounding her, soon the pair were seated on a sofa by a lit fireplace reading by lamplight. Molly relaxed against Mycroft's side as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and began to play with an errant curl that had come out of her bun.

"Is your hair naturally curly Molly?" murmured Mycroft as he gently tugged the twist of hair straight before letting it spring back. Molly closed her book, marking the page with her finger before replying.

"Yes, I struggle with it getting into a mess." Mycroft's lips quirked as he also placed his book down and reached for her bun.

"May I?" Molly nodded as Mycroft slid the grips from her hair and removed the bobble that was holding the hair together, letting the wavy strands fall around her shoulders "I like it this way, it looks… natural." Molly self-consciously tried to flatten any fly-aways as he observed her head. He took hold of her hands lightly, pulling them away from her head "Leave it, just for tonight."

"Okay." Molly whispered glancing down at their joined hands before tentatively wrapping a hand around the side of his neck and moving to kiss his lips, she felt him respond and smile into the kiss as she placed her other hand on his chest, shivering as the coolness of his hand around her waist seeped through her thin t-shirt, his long fingers splaying on her back. He was the one to end it a minute later, ever controlled and manipulating them back into their previous positions, giving one of her curls a quick tug playfully as he reached for his book again.

Two hours passed and tea was quickly prepared and brought back to the library by Mycroft as Molly's watch read five to nine. They sipped the warm beverage quietly, trying to balance books on a knee and holding them in place with one hand. The moon shone through the large window between two bookcases, the rain now light simply running calmly down the pane. It didn't take long for Molly to give on her balancing act and just drink her tea, a bookmark that Mycroft had handed her preserving her page. It didn't take long for her to return to the book through, drawn into the story, each word weaving the imaginary world together.

"What is that you're reading anyway, you seem rather focused?" Mycroft sipped at his tea as he held Molly's gaze.

"It's 'The Hobbit' my father read it to me when I was a child and I haven't touched my copy in months. I can always hear his voice as I read the words to myself." explained Molly reminiscing on happier times when her father was alive.

"Unfortunately my own parents never read to me, I was given free reign of my bookshelf but I had to do it quietly. They were so tired with Sherlock being the type of baby that he was that they barely had any energy to spend on me. I don't resent them for it but I do think I missed out on a lot. I read to Sherlock you know? When he was old enough to sit still and listen we used to sit together on an armchair and read all day on Sunday but he wouldn't remember that now." Mycroft's smile was sad and Molly squeezed his hand sympathetically.

"Sherlock doesn't believe in sentimentality, he probably does remember but locks it away. Supposedly to keep himself safe but I don't believe that, I believe he just doesn't want to feel." murmured Molly, leaning her head against Mycroft's shoulder. "He thinks normal people have a romanticized view of the world and of course he is special so he can't be anything like them."

"You seem rather well informed on my brother's view of the world, how is that?" Mycroft asked silkily.

"I'm not blind? He puts up a front when he's around people who matter but as soon as he's around me his face says it all. It's like when my dad was dying, he'd look sad when he thought nobody was looking." Molly's voice began sarcastic but soon turned more serious as she spoke. "People have a way of forgetting themselves around those who lurk in the background like me. I don't draw attention to myself so people forget I'm there and show their true colours."

"You aren't in the background though." Mycroft protested

"Oh but I am, I see more than people want to be seen and hear more than should be heard. I'm forgettable and I don't feel bad about that, it's just my personality, I can slip away and hear peoples innermost thoughts." Molly's voice was light as she explained herself "Not you though, you always have your walls and I can never seem to read you. To be honest I'm not sure I want to since the information you hold with your job is no doubt damaging at best and horrific at worst. But it is odd to be out of the loop."

The couple sat silently on the sofa, thinking over Molly's words and what they meant for each of them.