How to Play a Game Called Murder

Chapter 15: Advice

John grinned at Sherlock's disgruntled expression.

They were sitting in John and Mary's cozy little sitting room by a roaring fire with Sherlock sprawled out on the couch across from John, in his armchair. Mary was on the chaise lounge that she had tricked Sherlock into buying for her when her belly had gotten too big to be comfortable in any position except a reclined one, covered in a cozy cream colored throw.

Sherlock was in mid-sulk.

Molly was out on her date with Daniel.

She had run up the stairs after they had returned from interviewing Mrs. Miller. Sherlock listened to her frantic footsteps as she dashed back and forth, getting ready to go. His mouth was set in a hard line when she appeared in the living room, pulling on a shoe.

"See ya later, Sherlock. Don't wait up for me! Not that you would anyway but..." she called out breathlessly, preparing to run down the stairs to the door.

"I hope you have a good reason to be going on a date with Daniel, Molly." He pouted.

She stopped dead and her face took on a bewildered expression. "What do you mean? I'm dating him."

"And you kissed me." Sherlock raised a brow at her.

She flushed and suddenly became very interested in her toes.

"Ummm, no, you actually uh, you actually kissed me, Sherlock. And besides, um, it was just a one off, right? Right."

She turned to go, grabbing up her coat and leaving a stunned and highly annoyed Sherlock paralyzed in his chair.

A half hour later, Sherlock was pounding on the Watsons' door and brushing in past John. He collapsed on the couch and gave a long-suffering sigh. Mary giggled and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"You already know."

She nodded, suppressing her mirth. "Molly told me she had plans for the night." She grinned mischievously. "I thought you'd be here ten minutes ago though." She added as an afterthought.

John ambled in, juggling tea for each of them, and passed out the cups.

"I don't understand." Sherlock moaned and sat up to take his cup, plunking it down on the coffee table without even taking a sip.

"That might be the first time I've heard you say that." John cut in and Sherlock shot him an angry glare before continuing, speaking more to Mary than the doctor.

"Seriously though, I kissed her and everything and she still..."

"Wait, you kissed her?! Why didn't I know this?" John jumped in again.

Sherlock glared at him again.

"Ok shutting up now." He held his hands up in mock surrender.

"As I was saying before John so rudely interrupted me for the second time," John shook his head, "I kissed her and everything and she still insists on going out with that idiot. She said that our kiss was a 'one off.' What does that even mean?!" he complained.

Mary sighed and rubbed her temples, staring up at the ceiling as if asking for patience from God. "Basically, Sherlock, she thinks that you didn't mean it."

"Well that's just ridiculous. Why would I kiss her if I didn't mean it?" Sherlock responded indignantly.

"You kissed Jeanine." John reminded him, none too gently. The army doctor was still trying to scrub that sight from his brain.

"Oh. Right." Sherlock folded his hands together and rubbed his fingers across his lips. "Not good?"

Man and wife shook their head simultaneously.

"You've been such an arse to her for so long, it doesn't even enter into her head that you could be seriously pursuing her." John explained, speaking slowly, as if to a child. "You have to show her that you are committed to her." He stopped and glanced sharply at the pouting detective. "You are serious about this, aren't you? This isn't just a passing phase?"

"People get into relationships that don't last all the time, John. Do you think that they think it's a 'passing phase'?" he questioned, with no small amount of sarcasm. "But no, I don't think it is," he hastily added when he saw John's hand clench. He had no wish to be punched again. One bloody nose from the soldier was enough.

"It better not be. Molly is far too good for you. You're just lucky that she's crazy enough to want you." John replied.

"Or she did." Mary's eyes glowed impishly. "She is out on a date with another man right now. She might have moved on."

"Oh please." Sherlock rolled his eyes. "We all saw what happened the last time she 'moved on.' She found someone as similar to me as she could."

Mary nodded her agreement. "True, but from what I've seen, Daniel isn't at all like Meat Dagger. He looks nothing like you and he's actually quite bright. He's a surgeon."

Sherlock's jaw clenched. "I heard." He sighed, putting his head into his hands. "This is far too difficult." His head shot back up after a second with an expression of disgust on his face. "And she's on a date." He spat out the last word venomously. "I should go find them and..."

"No!!" yelled John at the same time that Mary screamed, "Absolutely not!"

Sherlock jumped at the sudden loud noise. "What? Why shouldn't I? We all know that Molly actually fancies me. Isn't it better to nip this other thing in the bud?"

John gave a disbelieving snort and stared at Sherlock. "No, no Sherlock. That is not better. If Molly ends her relationship with Daniel-"

"Relationship? They have a relationship already?!" Sherlock interrupted, a brow raised.

John sighed. "You know what I mean. But if it ends, it needs to be Molly's choice. Not because you interfered. If you try to leave right now, I will knock you out and tie you up."

"Or I could just shoot him again." Mary quipped, biting back a laugh.

Sherlock put his hands up in surrender. "Alright, so what do I do?"

Mary sighed and turned over. "You keep trying of course."

Sherlock groaned and lay back down, curling up. "You are no help at all."