Set after the end of Season 2. I love the slow burn Sherlolly stories and the ones where they have to pretend to be in a relationship. So here's my take on it. It's one which has lots of interaction with other people and hopefully a bit of humour and romance along the way. I should warn you that although the story has some mystery to it that isn't really my forte, it's more of an excuse for Sherlock and Molly being in the situation they are, so I apologise now if it isn't worthy of Sherlock's deductive skills.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sherlock, Molly or Mycroft. Everything belongs to either ACD, Steven Moffitt or Mark Gatiss and long may they reign.

Rated T for now but that will change to an M in later chapters due to smut. If you prefer the M from the start let me know, it will be quite a few chapters in.

Chapter 1

It had been a month now since the day of 'the fall'. Molly couldn't believe how much had changed in that time. She always dreamt about being with Sherlock, living with him but the reality was quite different. He was quite simply driving her mad!

He'd rearrange the front room, the bathroom cabinet, the kitchen cupboards but when she caught him frowning into her wardrobe she'd finally put her foot down. The timid Molly disappearing under the horror of Sherlock rooting through her clothes.

He'd complained about everything, her choice of laptop, the broadband provider, he'd even changed her screensaver from that cute photo of Toby when she'd first brought him home to a picture of a heart following a massive cardiac arrest that she'd put in her laptop as part of a paper she was writing. It's not like she was squeamish, it was her picture after all, but she liked to have some separation between her home and work life.

Not that she could get a look in on the laptop now, Sherlock had been pretty much glued to it since he'd recovered from the fall. She understood that, his need for control, to try to be doing something useful about dismantling Moriarty's network. He was literally going stir crazy cooped up in her flat all day. She'd even come home from work one day to find that he had drawn a smiley face on her living room wall, using one of her old lipsticks, and was firing at it with a water pistol. She had no idea where he'd found the water pistol; she could have sworn she didn't own one. As it turned out the lipstick he'd used was the one she'd worn that time she'd tried to ask him out. She'd never worn it since so she supposed it was no loss, she wasn't sure what the landlord would make of it all though.

The absolute worst bit was that Toby had turned traitor and now spent his nights either curled up in Sherlock's lap whilst he worked at the table or asleep on his bed. He only interacted with Molly when he wanted food.

Molly wasn't sure how much more she could take which was why it was such a surprise to come home, after a particularly hard day at work, to find that Sherlock had cleaned the flat and cooked her a meal. She was immediately suspicious. 'What do you want?'

Sherlock frowned, 'you know it's getting harder and harder to manipulate you! I used to just be able to drop a compliment about your hair or your clothes and you'd be putty in my hands. What happened?'

'You did, Sherlock. Living with you has been an eye opener, I don't know how John put up with you for so long.'

She regretted the words as soon as she said them when she saw the flicker of hurt pass through Sherlock's eyes at the mention of John.

'I'm sorry...' She started to say but Sherlock held his hand up. 'It's irrelevant. Don't trouble yourself with an apology.'

'So what DO you want?' said Molly again in a softer tone.

'I need your help again Molly. I can't stay in London, it's too dangerous for me to leave the flat in case I'm seen, but it can't stay here any longer, it's driving me and you,' he conceded with a raised eyebrow and a smile, 'mad!'

Molly's heart sank, she knew this day would come, the day that he would leave. She knew he couldn't stay forever but even though he'd been winding her up for weeks she'd still enjoyed having him here, having someone to come home too. It had made her realise just how lonely and empty her home life was.

She tried to raise a smile for him.

'So, what's the plan?'

I'm following up various leads with Mycroft most of which his agents will deal with in town but there is one, it's not a very important lead but it is based out in Hampshire so I could change my appearance a bit and go in undercover. I've spoken to Mycroft and he's arranging for you to be given an indefinite leave of absence at work, you just need to make sure you look really emotional at work, about my death of course, break down a bit, you know...the usual. We can set off...'

This time it was Molly's turn to put her hand up. 'Hang on, what, I mean, he's doing what?' Molly's brain was whirling. She wasn't sure whether she felt confused or angry, no hang on, it was definitely angry. 'What do you mean he's having me signed off work, where exactly am I going and why, why did you not talk to me first Sherlock? This is my job, my life, I'm not just a puppet for you two to use and manipulate.'

Sherlock was beginning to think he might have gone around things the wrong way. He had been so caught up in the case, the work and what he needed to do that he had forgotten that Molly wasn't John. Sherlock couldn't quite bring himself to apologise 'Maybe you're right and I should have discussed this with you before but I...I was worried you might not come with me and I need you.' The last few words came out in a rush, Sherlock wasn't even sure, until he said them, how true they were. He did need Molly. He'd had everything else, everyone else stripped away from him. Yes he still had Mycroft, but Mycroft didn't count, he was colder than Sherlock himself was and Sherlock had come to realise since living with John that he needed the warmth, craved it. So yes he needed to keep Molly with him otherwise he'd fall back into that cold world without friends and without companionship.

Molly sighed, giving in, 'Tell me what you need.' It was becoming the pattern of her life at the moment!

I realise it's a slow start but the next few chapters are mapped out so I'll try to post chapter two in the next couple of days. Let me know what you think.