"Should I be concerned about how much caffeine you're taking in?" Molly asked with a giggle.

"Absolutely not," he replied. "Besides, how else would I see you in the mornings?"

"As sweet as that is, I hate to tell you that I can't sit with you on my break," she told him. "I've got several errands to run and little time to do it in."

"At least answer me this," Sherlock insisted. "Will you be available on Friday? I'd like to take you out to dinner."

"I'd love that," she replied, beaming with joy. "Oh, I must get going though." Molly pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek and hailed a taxi whilst Sherlock finished his coffee.

Molly had to open up the café the next morning and upon setting foot within the building, her eyes widened as she saw the dead body. She was immediately sent into panic mode, wondering if the murderer was still in the building. After sending off a couple of texts to Sherlock, he had arrived with DI Lestrade and a Doctor John Watson.

She was used to seeing cadavers of course, as she was a pathologist in training, but this shook her up. A murder taking place where she should feel safe; why, it was enough to make her tremble.

"It'll be alright, darling," Sherlock promised her, settling his coat over her as if it were a shock blanket.

"What in blazes is going on here!?" the owner asked. Molly could faintly hear DI Lestrade explain the situation to her boss. Her heartbeat was loud in her ears. She looked on as Sherlock and Dr. Watson examined the body for any evidence. Getting a chance to see the way he worked was a welcome sight, despite the shock she received when she stumbled upon this poor man's body.

"We're done here," Sherlock announced. "Take this body to the morgue." He turned to her, his face softening. "Allow me to take you home."

She and Sherlock sat in the backseat of the cab. His arm was around her protectively and he held her close, gently rocking her. Though the shock had already worn off, Molly wasn't going to refuse his affection. They entered her flat together and Sherlock checked each room to put her at ease.

"Oh, uh, here," she stammered, attempting to slide the coat off.

"No," he said firmly. "Keep it for now. I've got lots of coats."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Very," he replied. "I must get going, but please don't hesitate to text me if you need me, alright?" Molly nodded, and with a kiss to her forehead, Sherlock left.

"It was the owner," Sherlock spoke suddenly, causing Molly to jump. She was doing paperwork in her office.

"Sherlock! You scared me half to death…wait, what?"

"The owner of the café is the murderer," he explained. "Business deal gone horribly awry; quite a boring ending. He obviously wanted to pin it on an employee."

"So, what's going to happen to my job there?" she asked.

"I honestly don't know," he admitted. "Either a family member will take over or everyone will have to find a new job, I suppose. In your case, it would be to work here full time."

"That wouldn't be such a bad thing," Molly remarked.

"No, it wouldn't be," he grinned.

"You're just trying to find a way to get Doctor Carter to retire early," she laughed.

"Who, me? Never," Sherlock said sarcastically.

"You're terrible," she giggled, playfully pushing his shoulder.

"I suppose, but you like me anyway," he flirted, leaning close to her.

"You're right, I do," she replied, pressing her lips to his. Molly thought about correcting him—she more than just liked him—but she wasn't sure if he felt as strongly.

They were walking the streets of London once more, discussing various experiments they were working on together along with the current case he was in the middle of. They had eaten dinner at Angelo's earlier and had decided to enjoy the cool autumn night.

This time around, Molly wore her favourite pair of jeans and an oversized jumper the colour of red wine. She left her hair down, cascading in loose waves from her braid the night before. Sherlock loved it when she wore her hair down. He couldn't quite keep his fingers from brushing through the thick strands, but Molly most definitely didn't mind.

The streetlights cast an enchanting glow over them. There was music drifting out from an open window in a residential building nearby. Without warning, Sherlock had taken her hand and pulled her close. They danced beneath the streetlights without a care in the world. He twirled her around and brought her back in for a quick kiss. They were both surprised at how light on their feet the other was. He dipped her, pressing his lips to her neck and met her eyes, sparkling in the night.

"I love you," he spoke softly, lifting her back to a standing position. Molly wrapped her arms around his neck and snogged him. It was tender and passionate all at the same time.

"I love you too," she said breathlessly, happy to know he felt the same. "And I have a surprise for you."

"Oh?" he asked.

"Mhmm. Mike has hired me on full time at the hospital and it'll only be a couple more months before I'm in charge of the pathology department," she smiled.

"That's wonderful news," Sherlock told her. "I'm so proud of you."

He walked her to her flat, but this time, she invited him in. Somehow, she convinced him to watch Doctor Who and she eventually fell asleep against his shoulder. Sherlock scooped her up and carried her to her bedroom. He tucked her in and kissed her forehead before turning to leave.

"Sherlock?" she called out sleepily.

"Hm?"

"Will you stay with me?" she asked. He nodded, slipping off his shoes and sliding in next to her beneath the duvet. She felt him wrap his arms around her, holding her close. They both knew this was only the beginning of a long, beautiful, and possibly difficult, relationship but they wouldn't have it any other way.

Author's Note: The final chapter, finally lol! Thanks for reading, y'all!