To Protect Her

Chapter 1

Firstly, Thank you to everyone checking out this story. This is my first multi-chapter FF. I'm a big procrastinator; therefore I've prewritten the story so you won't have to wait a week for another chapter. You may find that some little details in the story have been inspired by Tumblr post. I hope you like it! Please review!

Special thanks to Karolyne of .com for being my editor for this story. I do not own these characters; all credit goes to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and BBC.

John and Mary had discussed it before; the relationship between the great detective and the modest pathologist. Though their personalities seemed almost opposite, Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hooper share a special bond. Molly was constantly there for Sherlock when he needed help. He felt comfortable putting his complete trust in her when he faked his death. When they first met it was she who did research for him on cases, she who continued to ask him out for coffee while getting rejected, and she who slapped him after John brought him back from a drug den. She brought out the good in Sherlock. It seemed like she was the only person who could see through the hard shell he kept his emotions in. Well, the only person who could and didn't use it against him.

When John told Mary the story of what happened at their Christmas party what seemed like an eternity ago, she was disturb at how rude Sherlock had been to Molly and was proud of her for standing up to him. John said that it was the first time he ever heard Sherlock apologize to someone. Apology or not, Mary remarked she might have kicked him in the groin right there. Since then Mary was determined to find out the nature of Sherlock's feelings for the women.

Now sitting in the red chair near the fireplace waiting for John to get to Baker Street, eight months pregnant Mary thought it was as good a time as ever to bring up the subject. Sherlock was sitting at his laptop researching for a case John called "The Parrots Gravestone". Mary looked up from the newspaper she was reading and watched Sherlock. She wondered what the best way to ask him about his thought of his affairs with Molly. The flat seemed so empty and lonely as Sherlock sat in silence working away. The Mary wondered if it was always like this. That the only thing that broke the stillness was her turning the newspaper pages. She wondered if it was like this when John lived there.

After almost a half hour listening to the faint clank of Mrs. Hudson putting away pots downstairs, Mary finally asked, "You ever think about getting a new flat mate, Sherlock?"

"I haven't given the idea much thought. The only person mad enough to live with me is your husband," he replied, not taking his eyes off the computer screen.

There was no way to ease her way into this. Getting straight to the point she asked, "What about Molly Hooper?"

"What are you getting at Mary?" Sherlock said with little expression.

"Well, she obviously has feelings for you."

"So I've been told," he said still not looking at her.

"What do you think about her?"

Sherlock dismissed the question and continued to scroll through the article he was reading.

"Don't act like you've got nothing to say now. I can see from you fidgeting your toes there, you don't want to talk about it," Mary stated sitting up and placing down the newspaper.

She was right Sherlock did not want to partake in this discussion. He liked to keep his thoughts about Molly to himself. Even when John brought it up he changed the subject. Sherlock turned himself around in his chair, "She's a good friend. I don't know what you want me to say."

"Oh, come on. I've seen the way she looks at you."

"And you've seen the way John looks at me. Not much of a difference is there?" Sherlock said mockingly, raising his voice slightly.

"What about when you go peaking out the window whenever you invite her over," she said back slyly.

"I'm not sure where you are going with this," he muttered.

"Sherlock."

"Mary."

"Oh, just admit it!"

Raising his eyebrows he scoffed, "There's nothing to say." He knew that Mary was not going to let this conversation drop and was getting annoyed with her prying into him. He didn't notice his hand, which was tightly gripping the arms of the chair.

"Sherlock, I can tell you are hiding it. Stop trying to protect yourself!"

"I'm not trying to protect myself. I'm trying to protect her," he snapped back quickly.

"Why?" she said just as fast, almost cutting him off.

"Because I find Molly Hooper to be an extremely beautiful loving woman, who has a remarkable mind. And I would not be alive today without her."

The shell had broken and he was almost yelling. Mary sat there awestruck. She expected a simple, "She's lovely," but not this confession. Sherlock turned back around, so Mary was looking at the back of his head. She listened to his now quiet and detached voice.

"People have already gone after John and others I hold dear. I cannot have anyone knowing I care for Molly. I can't have anyone hurt her. I could never forgive myself if something happened to her."

Silence fell on the flat once more. Mary could not believe what Sherlock had said. He really did love her, enough to keep it hidden so that no one would think to go after to her. He had learned from experience that caring was in fact a disadvantage when it came to beating the enemy. They used his love for his friends against him. Mary slowly pushed herself up with a sigh. As she waddled over to sit across the desk, Sherlock turned his head toward the wall. He thought about how Moriarty had targeted John, Lestrade, and Mrs. Hudson. How he pretended to be Molly's boyfriend in order to spy on Sherlock, and how distressed and ashamed Molly was when she found out. He thought of how Magnussen had known a complete list of all Sherlock's weaknesses. "Pressure points" he called them. Sherlock was so thankful he did not know about Molly. He shivered at the idea of what he could have done to her. If he had mistreated her as foully as he did Lady Smallwood he might have shot him without question.

"That's wonderful to hear you say, but, Sherlock, you can't keep pushing her away. It's not right. She really does like you," Mary's now soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

"I know, I do. But I can't." His mind was still in a whirl from actually saying how he felt about Molly out loud.

"So what are you going to do? Go through life and never tell her?" Sherlock shrugged as if agreeing. He rested his elbow on the desk and rubbed his forehead. "Sherlock, you shouldn't that will just torment her. She'll continue to go through boyfriend after boyfriend and never truly be happy."

Slamming his hand down on the desk with a sudden rush of anger, he looked at Mary saying, "You don't think it bothers me watching her get her heart broken. I can't stand it."

Mary considered how he must feel having to watch Molly with other men and maybe even deducing that it would not work out. How he couldn't do anything about it and having to bottle everything up inside him. She took hold of his hand, "But you let everyone else in your life. Why not Molly?"

"I told you, it's too dangerous for everyone. I can't have anyone hurt her," he said back to his normal low register voice. But Mary could still tell he was hiding something.

"But you would protect her," she insisted.

Sherlock now had a wounded youthful look in his eyes as he spoke to Mary. "No, I'm scared I would be the one to hurt her. To break her heart."

"Oh, Sherlock, please don't-" but she was cut off by the sounds of footsteps coming up the stairs.

It was John walking in, who was out running errands all day. The baby was expected to come within the next month. The couple had been very busy preparing the nursery and going to doctors appointments that John thought were a bit unnecessary. Mary decided John needed a night off; as a result earlier that day they planned to meet at Sherlock's, so he could go with him on a case.

"Good, John you're here," Sherlock said standing up as if the previous conversation never happened. He picked up his coat from his chair and put in on, eager to get to work.

John walked in puzzled at the quick glimpse of his wife holding Sherlock's hands. He raised his eyebrows at her- really his hairline just lowered- but Mary just shook her head and made a face that told him to drop whatever he was thinking.

"Did you get everything we needed?" Mary asked looking up.

"Yeah, I got everything on the list you made me. It's all in the car." Seeing his wife struggling, he guided her up out of the chair.

"Oh, you're such a good husband," she teased puckering her bottom lip. John smiled and kisses her with one hand on her big stomach.

"Yes. Yes, now come on. It's late enough already," Sherlock said collecting the last of his things. He flipped up his collar and didn't return Mary's smile goodbye to him as he turned out the door.

"Right, um, where are we going?"

"The cemetery," Sherlock yelled shortly already in the hall. The blunt way he said it reminded John of the first time they met and he had given him his name and the address he would come to call home. A grin appeared on his face from the memory of the stubborn man. He could tell he was wound up now.

Once the door closed completely, John asked Mary, "What's up with him?"

"He got a bit upset before."

"What did you do? You realize I have to spend my whole bloody night with him?" John said rolling his eyes.

"I may have brought it up," Mary said shyly.

"It! Really, you said something to him about it. Mary, why? What did he say?" John questioned, wanting to know what his friend had said. But there was no time to get any answers; they heard Sherlock call for a taxi outside the building. "You know what never mind. Tell me later," he said kissing her. "Are you sure you're okay to drive?"

"Yes! Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Now go have fun," Mary insisted pushing him toward the door. John's face light up with a chuckle hurrying out the door. "And be safe!" Mary called.

She watched out the window as her husband got into the black taxi with his best friend. Mary thought about all the things Sherlock had done to keep John and her together. She knew that he already worried about the safety of their child. She never realized on top of that he worried about Molly and took such great precautions to ensure her not getting into any trouble. She sat back down and closed her eyes, enjoying the peace and quiet of the flat. "Soon I'll have a baby to look after along with my danger addicted husband and his love-sick sociopath," she thought. Before leaving, Mary finished the last of her tea wondering if Sherlock would ever tell Molly all he felt for her.