BBC Sherlock moodboards: Femslash February 2022 - Victorian Molly/Mary
Using @femslash-friday-prompts picture prompt for Feb 25th. ~660 word ficlet behind the read more.
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One day, unexpectedly, Miss Mary Morstan visits Molly to enquire about her father's death. What is exceptional about this turn of events is that Molly Hooper has absolutely nothing to do with his autopsy of Captain Morstan, officially speaking. But Miss Morstan doesn't hedge around that, she accepts the fact that Molly Hooper and 'Malcolm Hooper' are the same person. She doesn't act scandalised about Molly's expertise either, inviting frank discussion of her findings. Molly only had a chance to do a preliminary autopsy before she was ousted from her position, but she'd seen enough to know it was surely foul play.
Miss Morstan came home many weeks later, missing her father's funeral, chasing after the ghost of the investigation long since declared dead. She won't speak of why she was away, or the delay in her return from India. It is said but not elaborated on that her family has enemies and so the murder is not surprising in the least. The more Molly gets to know Mary, the more she wonders if those enemies were her father's or somehow Mary's, despite how outlandish it sounds to Molly's ears. She tries to ask outright once but all Mary will say is she has her own secrets. It seems to be implied Molly should understand not wishing to speak of what the world may make them do. And given the grace Mary permits Molly despite her failed subterfuge she should perhaps be grateful, but there's a rebellious part of Molly that is insatiably curious. Who watches Mary's wry, amused smiles with interest and wishes they could both speak of everything, in a way she can to no other.
Mary procures a private investigator for her father's case and she is clearly kept abreast of developments, which she visits Molly regularly to discuss. Each visit Mary brings a small bouquet as well. The investigator does due diligence but progress is slow and she senses Mary's impatience. Mary is always eager to talk over each new tidbit of information, trusting Molly's opinion, something she hasn't felt since she was forced out of St Bart's. Eventually, Mary fires her investigator and Molly offers to reach out to an old acquaintance, Sherlock Holmes, begging a favour she isn't sure he will permit, if he even remembers her. Mary has other plans though, intent to dig into things herself 'through whatever means necessary'. When she catches Mary's eye that day, wondering what she should say to her at that, she sees they blaze with a slowly built fury. If Mary were anyone else, she would ask her to be careful, but she has the uncanny feeling it's Mary others should be careful of.
She doesn't see Mary for several weeks, leaving Molly a touch melancholy and prone to reflection. It takes Molly until then - regarding the drying last bouquet that is her only souvenir of their relationship - to realise the theme of those gifts. That they may be a potential talking point, for example. Every flower beautiful and deadly, if prepared in a particular manner. A meaning that would not be known by the general public, only by those who specialise in the poisonous for one reason or another.
When Mary comes around again, she is jubilant at having solved her father's case. But Molly remembers nothing in the papers that week and she wonders what is the justice Mary speaks of. To her disappointment, Mary does not bring flowers then and she fears their friendship is at a natural end, even though it feels as unexpected to her as their start. However, flowers are left when Molly is out the next day - blue Muscari and a calling card with simply the initial R elaborately scripted on it. The flowers are those of remembrance, not deadly in the least. There's a time, date and place handwritten on the back and the message “Come find out my secrets if you dare”.
