~*~Given Time~*~

Good news, I still don't own the show Sherlock, or the characters or anything! Okay, I own my clothes but the rest…

Author's note: I know I've said this before about my stories but this one is indeed a weird one. I love the ending that happens much later in the story, so hopefully you will find it worth reading. In fact this story might be better read and enjoyed with lots alcohol.

Just thought I should warn you…

It's a weird one…

Seriously…Don't you dare say I didn't warn you, because I did, I know I did!

This is not really a character death fic, how can this story have a happy ending with Molly dead…um, so…yeah…right, spoiler! She's not dead. But the thought that she is needs to turn Sherlock's world upside down and sideways….and sadly, this story will perhaps prove just how completely rubbish I can be as a writer…

Now listen carefully and you might actually hear the X-Files theme song in the background…oh, much like with Sherlock I don't own or have the legal right to the that theme song either…

~*~PART 1~*~

'That is not quite so common, is it? Ah,me! It's a wicked world and when a clever man turns to crime it is the worst of all…'

The Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson walked side by side. They seemed to be going towards an old abandon factory that Sherlock highly suspected was the hideout for a criminal they were searching for.

"So, will you please follow the plan?" John asked Sherlock, hopefully.

Sherlock looked sideways at him.

"No, John." His expression as well as his voice was totally without expression.

"Please. She'll do anything for you…and it's the perfect plan!"

"No." Sherlock repeated this time it was said with extreme slowness yet this time a bit sharp.

"Why not?"

"I think we have more important things to do than plan Molly's surprise birthday party! Plus, I hate parties, you know that! I'm not going, John. You can make my excuses. Say, I'm busy…I know she'll understand." Sherlock told him, not really caring if it made John or Molly happy with him.

"Sherlock! I know that Molly will understand…she always understands! Hell, you use that same excuse for my birthday dinners!" John said with great aggravation. "Molly confided to Mary that she had never had a surprise party, so she's getting one!"

"Which is fine! Really, I see no issue with that at all! Sounds like something you'd help with…mostly because you are so stupidly nice and all."

"It would be nice and very helpful if you took her to her own surprise party." John told him with great honesty.

"It would be very nice and even more helpful if you'd shut up about it! I'm not taking Molly to her birthday party. Nor am I going to her bloody party!" Sherlock said obviously highly annoyed with his best friend.

"We are celebrating her life, Sherlock! Come on! For once, can't you be a good friend! Is that really too hard for you to do!"

"For once!? Seriously, you are daring to say that! How dare you! I am a damn good bloody friend!"

"Damn good bloody bastard, actually. Don't you pretend that you don't know that you suck at being a friend, much less a human being! Yet, we love and accept you anyway! Your friends, Sherlock, are always willing to forgive you daily, if not hourly…and Molly…Most of all! She's always forgiving you…caring about you…loving you, even if you being the stupid twat that you are, don't deserve it."

"I don't ever need to be forgiven." Sherlock told him, sounding surprised. Seeming to ignore everything else John had said.

"Yeah, trust me mate, you do. You have already been forgiven countless times and many of those times without even an apology from you." John stated, lowering his voice as they were even closer to the building than they had been before. "Come on, Sherlock! We both know you will end up going…so why not take her for it will mean so much to her."

"I am not going! I don't even like going to my own birthday parties which you always seem to force on me and by the way what part of high functioning sociopath don't you understand!" Sherlock said to John as he too lowered his voice as they slowly moved towards the large doors.

"Oh, you know you love the presents and you love guessing what's in them even more." John said knowingly with a smile, perhaps remembering fondly some of those parties that were forced upon Sherlock. Maybe even remembering how Mrs. Hudson had made Sherlock wear a bright ridiculous party hat just to blow out the candles on his every own cake.

Sherlock glared at his best friend. "I never guess."

"Oh, yes, you do…Which by the way, you don't have to give her a present. For you being there will be present enough."

"In other words, you bought something wrapped it and stuck my name on it." Sherlock informed him knowingly and in a complete matter of fact way. He was quite certain that John had done exactly that.

"Of course I did!" John confirmed before continuing in a completely cheeky manner. "So don't act at all surprised when she thanks you! If you are lucky you might end up with a kiss!"

Sherlock rolled his eyes, shaking his head at John's silliness. They carefully entered the old factory. It looked so very ancient. A ghost of what it used to be or even worse what it could have been. The place was deathly still as if waiting for something…anything really. An old abandoned building didn't have much life except for bugs and rodents and the occasional person spray painting or doing something they really didn't need to be doing…

They both searched what seemed to be a completely empty building. Not really expecting to find the man they were hunting. Seriously, it had been a long shot anyway.

Which is why John felt comfortable enough to continue his earlier conversation.

"So…Party…" John whispered. Just because it was highly doubtful that the villain was actually here, didn't mean he was going to be an idiot about it.

Sherlock could have easily hurt himself with another damn eye roll. Wishing his best friend would shut up about the bloody party. He found himself whispering harshly at him, "Do shut up, John! You are in no way my wife so do stop nagging me about it. I won't go and that is final!"

"Oh, I highly doubt you'll ever have a wife…Unless it's for some crazy case and even then…"

"Do shut up, John."

"Sherlock."

"I am serious, shut the hell up. NO. BIRTHDAY. PARTY."

"But it's for Molly!" John said slightly louder than necessary.

"So. Go ahead and celebrate the silly fact that she's older. Gee, what a big accomplishment! I'll try my best to be happy for her. Tell me, what will she do next year around this same time? Hmm? Let me take a wild guess, shall I? She'll have another party?" Sherlock asked in complete sarcasm.

"Sherlock, I wish you wouldn't say things like that. One day you might just regret it…" John said as if his friend already had regrets and felt sad for him.

Sherlock shot him a look. "I'm a man with absolutely no regrets. I strongly doubt I'll ever have any."

John sighed as he shook his head before informing him, "You just jinxed yourself big time, mate…"

As if the great Sherlock Holmes believed in jinxes!

Sherlock and John rounded a sharp corner to have John suddenly shout his name in a complete sharp warning. Sadly, the warning came much too late as a metal pipe hit Sherlock hard on the side of his head.

Intense pain with a flash of brilliant bright red before a ghastly black darkness fell over Sherlock as he landed on the ground with a loud painful thud…

~*~End of Part 1~*~