Clique of 221B

Chapter 38: Molly

The phone connects and starts ringing. You see Molly in her kitchen, standing with her elbows on the front of the sink and her head in her hands. Her phone begins to ring on the worktop behind her and she straightens up to turn and look at it. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Sherlock shift his footing and frown at the screen. Molly walks slowly across to the work surface. It looks like she's been crying. Glancing towards the phone lying nearby, she picks up an orange from the chopping board in front of her and starts to cut a slice from it. Sherlock frowns as the phone continues to ring,
"What's she doing?"
"Making tea." You say. Sherlock looks round at you. The countdown reaches 02:39.
"Yes, but why isn't she answering her phone?"
"You never answer your phone." John says.
"Yes, but it's me calling." Taking a jar from the cupboard, Molly looks across to her phone as she starts to take off the lid. The countdown clock reaches 02:27 as her phone goes to voicemail.
"Hi, this is Molly, at the dead centre of town." You all sigh in frustration and Sherlock turns away from the screen.
"Leave a message." You hear a buzz and Eurus terminates the call. Sherlock runs his hand over his face.
"Okay, okay. Just one more time." She says. The phone dials out again. You look at the countdown which is now at 02:12. John shuffles on the spot, staring intensely at the screen.
"Come on, Molly, pick up. Just bloody pick up." Molly looks across to her phone as she squeezes the orange. After a moment, she dumps the orange down onto the chopping board, picks up a tea towel and wipes her fingers on it then, walks over to the phone. Seeing that the caller is again identified as Sherlock, her hand hesitates momentarily as she reaches for the phone but then she picks it up. She holds it in front of her, looking at the screen.
"Please Molly." You whisper. Sherlock lifts his head up when Molly finally answers.
"Hello, Sherlock. Is this urgent, 'cause I'm not having a good day."
"Molly, I just want you to do something very easy for me, and not ask why." She sighs,
"God. Is this one of your stupid games?"
"No, it's not a game. I. I need you to help me."
"Look, I'm not at the lab."
"It's not about that." Molly starts fiddling with things in front of her,
"Well, quickly, then. Sherlock? What is it? What do you want?" The lights above you turn red and Jim's face appears on the screen, whispering harshly,
"Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tick."
"Molly, please, without asking why, just say these words." Molly smiles a tiny little,
"What words?"
"I love you." That tiny smile suddenly drops and she takes the phone from her ear, she moves her thumb to terminate the call.
"Leave me alone."
"Molly, no, please, no, don't hang up! Do not hang up!"
"Calmly, Sherlock, or I will finish her right now." Eurus tells him. You turn away, angry at Eurus. You glance at the  countdown which ticks down to 01:08. Molly raises the phone to her ear again,
"Why are you doing this to me? Why are you making fun of me?"
"Please, I swear, you just have to listen to me."
"Softer, Sherlock." Eurus adds.
"Molly, this is for a case. It's-it's a sort of experiment." You wince at those words.
"I'm not an experiment, Sherlock." Sherlock's eyes widen,
"No, I know you're not an experiment. You're my friend. We're friends. But, please. Just say those words for me."
"Please don't do this. Just- just don't do it."
"It's very important. I can't say why, but I promise you it is."
"I can't say that. I can't- I can't say that to you."
"Of course you can. Why can't you?"
"You know why."
"No, I don't know why." He says, frowning in confusion. Molly sighs heavily, and wipes her nose.
"Of course you do." The lights turn red again and Jim's voice plays,
"Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tick-tick-tick." The lights turn white again.
"Please, just say it." He begs.
"I can't. Not to you." You feel a sting at her words. Why's this got to me? Because she's just like me, before I started shutting people out. You take a deep breath.
"Why?"
"Because... Because it's true." She whispers. "Because it's ..." She begins to cry. "...true, Sherlock." Sherlock stares at her wide-eyed. "It's always been true." Sherlock's face straightens,
"Well, if it's true, just say it anyway." She laughs in disbelief,
"You bastard."
"Say it anyway."
"You say it. Go on. You say it first." He frowns, and squints at her in confusion,
"What?"
"Say it. Say it like you mean it."
"Final thirty seconds." You look at Mycroft who opens his mouth but can't find the words. He shakes his head and half steps forward. Sherlock faces the screen, his eyes closed. He takes a breath, summoning the strength to say the words.
"I-I ..." Molly has her eyes closed, crying. Sherlock lowers his head but then raises it,
"I love you." He opens his eyes and looks towards her. Molly sighs softly and smiles a little, Sherlock repeats it softly, "I love you." Molly closes her eyes for a moment and then brings the phone round to look at its screen. "Molly?" You look at the countdown, 00.13. Sherlock steps closer to the screen, frantically, "Molly, please."
Molly stares into the distance, holding the phone in both hands.  You stare at the screen in dread. You see John trembling slightly. Mycroft takes another step towards the screen, his eyes wide and his mouth open. Molly takes in a breath. With her mouth almost touching the phone, she says softly,
"I love you." Sherlock gasps and steps back from the screen as the countdown clock beeps several times to signify that it has stopped. Both John and Mycroft heave out sighs of relief. You cover your face in shock. Thank God, she said it. Sherlock buries his head in both hands, bending forward. In her kitchen, Molly closes her eyes. You look at the countdown and see it stopped at 00:02. So close. You see Molly put the phone down and raise both hands to her mouth.
Sherlock lifts his head and straightens up, sighing out loudly and looking exhausted. Mycroft walks towards him.