And a Touch of Weird

Merry Christmas, Mr. Holmes

Title: Merry Christmas, Mr. Holmes

Fandom: Sherlock

Theme: Christmas! Must have a song involved

Round: Four

Monkey Business Fan fiction Competition

Lara sighed, a small smile plastered on her rose-coloured lips. Familiar Christmas music flooded into her ears, and droned conversation flooded from various places in the room blended in with it.

The young adult was stationed beside John Watson, clutching his hand, showing he had her undying support. The smile on his face was a brilliant fake, and she had to admit, he was quite the convincing liar when questions were politely inquired.

It was the first Christmas since their faithful companion, Sherlock Holmes, jumped off the roof of London's St. Bart.'s Hospital.

Lara Bennett's heart twisted at the thought of the curly haired man, and she upped her dazzling smile to mask her grief. No one seemed truly happy this Christmas. The faces, despite it being Christmas, were all in some was solemn. She noted more often than not, it was their eyes. No matter how perfect grin's were, or how realistically rehearsed every little lie was, you could see any depressing emotion clearly in the eyes. The consulting detective had made some form of mark on a few close people, his small band of denied friends.

A pang of sympathy struck her heart when she caught sight of lonely, timid Molly Hooper, sitting by herself, unnoticed, unacknowledged within the minuscule crowd.

Squeezing the doctor's hand, she released her grip on his and maneuvered her way towards the girl.

Tapping her lightly on the shoulder, she smirked faintly as the brunette jumped in shock, and spun around to face her mystery scarer.

'Oh, it's just you,' Molly sighed and smiled warmly, looking Lara in the eyes, both chestnut brown ones gleaming.

'You okay?' She inquired quietly after a brief, sad silence, and Lara, wishing to be truthful, shrugged, feigning indifference.

'Are you?' The young, black haired woman replied with a kindness obvious in her voice, concerned for her friend. Molly sighed, her shoulders rising and descending dramatically, and removed her gaze from the other girl's.

'I don't know,' she admitted, awkwardly challenging the floor to a staring contest.

Lara pulled Molly into a loving hug, all emotion pouring out in the single embrace. The two ladies held each other tight, as if afraid that if they were to release, they would lose one another.

And no one wanted to lose anyone else.

Sherlock's permanent absence hit a hard blow on everyone's hearts.

Lara eventually pulled herself away from her companion, grabbing her shoulders, and stole her gaze forcefully. Raising both eyebrows, she let a genuine smirk creep up onto her lips and make base there.

'Are you wearing lipstick?' The young girl laughed slightly, a mere sad chuckle, accompanied by Miss Hooper. But tears soon appeared in both woman's' eyes as they wiped the unwanted salty rain away quickly.

Molly's eyes dashed over to something in the background, and returned to their spot, parallel with the young Bennett girl's immediately. The look of a new idea passed over her face, and she pointed a slim, unsteady finger at the same object.

'Don't you play?' She guessed, her unsure attitude clear in her voice as she gestured to a special artifact in 221b Baker Street.

The violin.