Volunteers (Sherlock)

[morganstuart]

Title: Volunteers
Author: Morgan Stuart
Fandom: Sherlock
Disclaimer: This universe does not belong to me; I'm just an appreciative visitor. I make no profit from this fan work.
Description: After an awkward Christmas party follows a lonely New Year's Eve.
Historian's Note: This takes place during events in depicted in the second-series Sherlock episode "A Scandal in Belgravia."
Author's Note: This is a 221b ficlet: 221 words, with the last word beginning with a "b."
Warnings (Highlight to Read): Spoilers for "A Scandal in Belgravia"!



Molly glanced up from the corpse. "Oh! Didn't expect to see you here on New Year's Eve."

With a shrug, Lestrade said, "Volunteered. Others had somewhere to be…"

"And someone to be with" went unspoken.

She glanced toward his ring finger, but he'd shoved his hand deeply into his pocket, as a wounded animal curls around the source of its pain.

He passed her new paperwork. "Sorry you're stuck here."

"No, it's fine, really. I volunteered, too. Had enough of the holidays."

A kind, sympathetic smile crossed his face, gentling its lines, but failing to reach his eyes.

"She's an idiot," she blurted, then clapped her hand to her mouth.

For a moment he appeared puzzled. Then he slumped, shaking his head.

"Sorry," she offered. "But when Sherlock makes an announcement, it's hard to… unhear."

"I know." Lestrade studied his shoes. "And thanks. But if I'd been there when she needed me, not at work, maybe she wouldn't have looked elsewhere."

"Don’t.”

If you weren't so dedicated, Molly thought, you wouldn't be you.

"She is an idiot.” Unrepentant this time.

He coloured. Cleared his throat. "Well, for the record, so's Sherlock."

She grimaced, then grinned.

Softly, "You deserve a happy new year, Molly."

"So do you."

She crossed her fingers. He returned the gesture, then let himself out with a bow.


THE END

Vital Stats: Originally written in January 2012.

Originally written for this prompt at the "Laud Lestrade Fest" at dilestrade.

Comments

[litlover12.livejournal.com]

Nicely done! I liked the line about the wounded animal.

[belleferret.livejournal.com]

Awwwww!!!!! Love the slow blooming of something between these two.

[seren-ccd.livejournal.com]

Well, this happened. *nods* This totally happened. Very awesome. :D

[morganstuart.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you so much! I'm glad that line, in particular, worked for you. I appreciate your kind words!

[morganstuart.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm so glad! Thank you. I feel for both of them so much.

[carolstime.livejournal.com]

Aw, the victims of Sherlock's words united. It's a nice scene that I do hope really happened, it'd be cruel if they didn't have anyone understanding on that day. (And right after that my brain has automatically started shipping them, I think they'd be awesome together, either as friends or anything more.)

[morganstuart.livejournal.com]

Oh yay! I'd like to think so. :) Thank you so much, my friend! :D

[missilemuse.livejournal.com]

Very very apt!

Waiting for some Lestrade-Molly fic... I know this is not exactly a pairing fic but both of them need some real lovin', very badly, and I hope this is the start! I would root for M/L, but the way Lestrade was checking her out... Let's just give him what he wants! ;)

[cookiefleck.livejournal.com]

Ah, this is nice. And accurate! I hope we do see some happiness for each of these characters in the upcoming eps!

Hmm, second fic of 2012. I truly am so glad you are inspired! *winks*

[blooms84.livejournal.com]

ahhh. quite satisfying and thank you for making Molly and sensitive, intelligent person--not a ditz.

[coldlikedeath.livejournal.com]

Spoilers. Arse. There was nothing spoilery in there, and I haven't even seen the fucking thing cos I'm in Europe. Love the fic.

[eanor.livejournal.com]

Aw, how nice! I am really happy now you decided to give them a better New Year "celebration" than the Christmas party. Although both of them are alone, I guess they can understand each other perfectly. I so hope we see more of the two together in the course of the second series! <3

[fitofpique.livejournal.com]

Oh, lovely.

*happy sigh*

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

LOVELY. That scene was dying for this to follow it up.

And I liked the "wounded animal" bit, too.

[sabrinaphynn.livejournal.com]

You vividly show how raw and wounded they both are at this time, and how just acknowledging that is somehow a comfort to them both. One of my favorite rare pairs. :D

[kari77.livejournal.com]

Perfect.

[tunes84.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is so unbelievably cute. I love drabbles, and this one just tugs my heart. That scene in particular killed me, all of it, and this little tag with so few words just fits perfectly in my mind. Adore it! Wonderful job, my friend, as always. I'm never disappointed when I read something of yours! <3

[morganstuart.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you so much! I hope it happened, too - as you say, they can understand each other, and even that little bit of comfort would, I think, go a long way.

I think they'd be awesome together, either as friends or anything more.

I agree! I really appreciate your reading and commenting. Thanks for your kind words!

[goldvermilion87.livejournal.com]

Very nice. I like that it's understated and in character. :-)

[archea2.livejournal.com]

Very sweet! I'm almost tempted to say pre-canon if the Moftiss take up RG on his splendid background acting.

[in_lighter_ink (from livejournal.com)]

Oh, gorgeous. This is exactly what I wanted after that exchange.

(And I'm reasonably sure the wounded animal line will be sticking with me for a bit.)

[tocourtdisaster.livejournal.com]

This is lovely and exactly what I needed after the Christmas scene. :)

[arnie1967.livejournal.com]

Awww, this was sweet. Someone commented about the ep that Lestrade was totally checking Molly out when she took off her coat - and he was! I could easily see those two getting together, and your fic is a really nice start to that.

And yeah, Lestrade's wife is a fool.

[kholly.livejournal.com]

That was lovely. So evocative even being short. Very well done. They both deserve a bit of good treatment.

[letshavedinner.livejournal.com]

Just... so... adorable! I thought that the way you wrote it was lovely, as we see two people pushed together unwittingly by Sherlock. I thought the line about Sherlock being an idiot was very good, as though he was trying to make Molly see that there are actually men who she'd be interested by, if you know what I mean... Lovely. I think this may have found a place in my bookmarks. :)