AN: I do need to take a moment here to explain that I do not own the characters of BBC's Sherlock. I make no profit from this story. It was just a silly little idea that I needed to share. I have some plans on where this story could go but would love to know what everyone thinks. Enjoy! - CG

Chapter 1: Introductions

He opened his startlingly colored eyes and peered at her as she hurried through the door. Molly had a huge grin on her face and a sparkle in her eyes that told him she had met another man that she would begin to fantasize about before, inevitably, some ill-timed flirting would bring her to tears. Poor girl, why did she always pick such terrible men? He blinked. She giggled and dropped her keys in the bowl by the door before tossing her bag on the couch beside him.

"Oh, you'll never believe the day I've had!" she gushed as she swept through the living room.

In keeping with her usual habits, though, she kept moving past him to her bedroom and began getting ready to shower. Her desire to shower immediately upon arriving home must have to do with the smell that lingered from her job. She did always have a particular odor of chemicals and dead things, but he didn't mind. He had gotten accustomed to her scent just as he had the rest of her odd behaviors. Well, odd by his standards, he was sure a lot of what she did was just part of her humanness. He heard the water of the shower start and decided to move from the couch to the foot of her bed in order to accommodate her desire to fully explain the day she had just experienced. He did like her company and listening to her talk.

In all the time he had known her, the routine had always been the same and he liked that she was a creature of habit. At night, she would set the alarm with plenty of time to get ready but inevitably hit snooze and then rush around and out the door to go to St. Bart's. The hospital was where they had met and he had instantly seen there was more than meets the eye with her. For someone who worked with death, she had such light and pleasant ways. Maybe that's why he felt she was worth the effort to get to know. Maybe it was just that she lavished attention on him like no other person he'd met.

Molly came out of the bathroom dressed in her usually baggy sweatpants and oversized t-shirt while toweling her hair.

"So are we ready for some dinner? Of course you are, bet you've been waiting all day for me to fix you something because you're just so lazy." She smiled at him and went back out to the main area of the flat with the open kitchen and sitting room. She opened the fridge to get something for the both of them. She put food in a bowl for him and began microwaving leftover curry takeout for herself. Food, although always appreciated, was certainly mundane. He would pick at it a little to make her happy. She didn't take notice and just continued talking.

"Well, like I was saying, it was possibly the most bizarre and amazing day I've had at Bart's yet. I met the most peculiar but certainly brilliant man. He came in with that Detective Inspector I mentioned to you, the one with the name that sounds so mysterious, Lestrade." She said it with a faux French accent and a little laugh.

"Oh, but D.I. Lestrade really isn't mysterious at all. He has these sort of eyes that make you really feel like he's seen too much and worries too much about the world. But he's always polite when asking for reports. Anyway, today Lestrade was totally exhausted looking but I don't think it had anything to do with the case. I think it had more to do with my strange visitor. His name was even odder than the detective inspector's, Sherlock Holmes. I mean, what kind of a name is that for a person these days? I'd bet he comes from one of those old families with lots of mystery. And talk about a mystery. He has the most intriguing face with pronounced cheekbones and pale skin. His dark hair certainly enhances the almost deathly pallor he has going on. Trust me, I know deathly pallor, and this guy has certainly got that going on. But his eyes! I've never seen anyone with eyes the exact color of his. There is a lot more to this man, I can just see it in his eyes."

Molly finished her small dinner and began to wash up. She moved to the living room and took her place on the sofa. He feigned interest in his dinner a little longer while listening to her chatter more from the living room.

"Anyway, he comes in with D.I. Lestrade to look at a body. I guess he is some sort of specialist because he spent several minutes just looking over the body with a small pocket glass before he began reciting aspects of cause of death. I had just finished my own work on the body and couldn't believe how much he had gotten right with just a look at the body. Mr. Holmes then went on to tell Lestrade, quite rudely if I might add, that he should hurry up and get the woman's boyfriend in custody before he left the country."

Finally deciding he was bored with dinner, he left his bowl and went to join Molly on the couch. She switched on the telly and started her evening routine. A little trash telly and light reading (tonight it looked like a medical journal) followed by bed. Although he really enjoyed being with her, he couldn't help but feel like most of these nights she was more lonesome than she cared to admit. She definitely needed more than just his company.

"I get the feeling I might see more of this Mr. Holmes in the lab, though. He paid no attention to me whatsoever, he seemed pleased to be in the morgue and I overheard him mention to Lestrade that he would be taking some samples from the body and performing his own tests to confirm his findings and prepare evidence for trial. I wonder what kind of specialist he is that he can just take over parts of my lab and tell New Scotland Yard who to arrest?"

She sighed and became absorbed in the monotony on the screen. She absentmindedly thumbed through the journal and reached out to run her fingers through his hair. He certainly didn't mind the attention and stayed beside her until she finally headed to bed.

Tobias really was happy here. He'd lived with Molly for a few years and knew it was far better than living in the alley near the hospital. Of course she called him Toby most of the time, reserving his full name for when she introduced him to her rare houseguests or when he'd been a bit not good, but he wouldn't begrudge his lovely caretaker her whims. She really was a whimsical girl, with a dark sense of humor and a gentle heart. She had a soft spot for Tobias and was always affectionate and considerate of his moods. He really couldn't imagine a better human being.

Strolling down the hall his green eyes had no trouble adjusting to the dark and his sensitive hearing could make out the quiet breathing of his gentle Molly falling asleep. He hopped up on her bed, curling up next to her. He sat there purring contentedly for a little while before deciding his gray stripes and white paws needed cleaning. A little bath before doing his nightly inspection of the flat for anything interesting that might show up.

Weeks went by and Molly continued with the majority of her routine. Tobias thought things were going just as well as could be expected considering Molly's growing fascination with the bizarre gentleman that sometimes interrupted her day. The only real impact it had on his life was that it frequently made her late with his dinner. How could this new mystery man make it so easy for her to forget to come home and feed her beloved Toby? Tobias considered the many ways he could remind her of his presence, maybe a little claw sharpening on the arm of the sofa. He was just considering if it was worth the effort to get up when Molly did finally come home.

"Well, Toby, I guess that's that then. I finally made an attempt today to get Sherlock's attention and it completely backfired. I think they might be right that he's just not interested. Or I guess it could be he's just not that interested in me."

Tobias walked over and rubbed against Molly's leg and she picked him up, carrying him with her to her bedroom as she spoke.

"He came to the morgue again today, needed to work on an experiment and I pulled out a body for him. The body was a man who used to work at the hospital, I knew him. He was nice. And Sherlock just started walloping his body with a riding crop. It was bizarre, but what about Sherlock isn't, right? Anyway, it's always just so fascinating to watch him work. I decided to work up the courage to try to speak to him again. Asked him if he'd had a bad day or something."

She'd curled up on the bed with him on her lap. He settled there, purring quietly and blinked at her to have her continue her story.

"He barely even noticed I had spoken. He just kept on talking. Asked me to text him what kind of bruises developed over the course of 20 minutes. It apparently has something to do with a case he's working on. Turns out he's a "consulting detective" and helps out the detectives at the Yard and clients that want more 'discreet' methods used. Although, I honestly don't know how Sherlock can do anything and not be noticed doing it. I know I can't help but notice him. I guess that's why I kept talking. Then he did something so remarkable, Toby, he actually noticed something about me. He saw I'd put on some lipstick. Not a lot, mind you, just a bit of color. I guess I was trying to make myself feel more brave."

Toby inwardly sighed, he knew where this was going. Poor Molly always tried too hard and scared off the guys she met. Not that he was looking for a new flatmate, and men could be quite messy, but she did need the companionship of another human. Molly got up and continued with her story while she readied to shower.

"The fact that he saw the lip color really shouldn't surprise me though, he notices everything. But it caught me off guard a little, and I blushed." She sighed with a sad little smile, like she knew she was starting to get in over her head. Toby licked at his paws to try and let her know he saw that she was falling into her old habits. It was the closest he could come to a resigned sigh and headshake. When would she learn?

"I recovered well and took the plunge. I asked him if he'd like coffee. But then the strangest thing, he responded, 'Black, two sugars. I'll be upstairs.'" She did her best to lower her voice and imitate what Sherlock must sound like. Really it was all a bit ridiculous. Toby stood preparing to wander out of the room. She still hadn't fed him.

"Maybe it's true what they say about him, that he just doesn't fancy women. Which is fine. Or he could just not fancy me at all and is trying to spare me another rejection." She shook her head.

"Oh, well, I can still dream can't I? Okay, Toby, I'll just pop in the shower then we can have dinner. Maybe put in a movie tonight. Something romantic and silly."

She smiled and finally entered the bathroom. Tobias left the room too, headed into the living room. The arm of the sofa could still get a little abuse while she showered. Then he'd settle in to the routine as normal. It sounded like he might have to get used to all this Sherlock Holmes talk because his Molly was falling for the mystery man. Oh how he hoped it wouldn't all end in tears this time. He flicked his tail and began his work on the sofa.