There’s a scuffling noise, and she turns, expecting it to be Sherlock. Who else would be bothering her at this hour in the empty morgue? It was nearly 11:45, and she was just packing up to go home. Back to the flat with the same couch and the same books and the same cat. She sighed, hiking her bag over her shoulder. “Sherlock, you know I’m leaving—” But she paused. This obviously wasn’t Sherlock. “Oh, sorry, you were leaving.” He drawled. “I’ll go.”
Molly’s still standing with her hand on the loop of her bag, securing it on her shoulder. She’d never met this man before, and she has no idea why he would need to be here in the morgue. And most importantly, he didn’t seem to be tired. She’d been in the morgue all day and was frankly exhausted from her day. “No, I’m. Sorry, Do I know you?” She asked, her eyebrows reaching together to help evoke her confusion to the stranger.
The man smiled, one hand coming out of his pockets to reach for some random items on the counter, inspecting them absently. “No, sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met.” He explains after Molly had finished speaking. He offers a hand to her, an invitation to shake should she accept. She does, and he grins, gripping her hand firmly, though not with too much strength. “I’m the Doctor.” He reports as they make eye contact, his hand then retracting into its usual place in his pocket.
Molly’s confusion only grows with the name. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I quite caught that. Did you say the Doctor? I didn’t catch a last name, I apologize I’m completely exhausted.” She laughed delicately, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. The man didn’t seem concerned by the question at all, in fact he seemed to be rather entertained. “No, just the Doctor.” He nodded happily, still looking at the things on the counter. “Yes, but Doctor /who/?” Molly asked, stressing the word.
With the question, the man laughed, holding his stomach a moment. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help it, your face.” He chortled, but the laughter subsided quickly and he turned back to Molly again. “But no, really, it’s just The Doctor, that’s all. That is my name.” He confirmed, sniffing his nose. “Anyway, you were leaving?” He prompted, gesturing toward the door. “I’ll see you outside safely. St. Bart’s can’t be going without Molly Hooper, no sir.” He drawled, as if he was talking to himself.
Molly was beyond confused at this point. To begin with, this man was a total stranger who had introduced himself with a title, and nothing else. But beyond that, he seemed to take pleasure in her confusion, which only added to further the emotion. “Yes, I’m. But I—” She paused, realizing that she had been called by her name. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” She asked, her hand going to her forehead. She was 100% certain that she’d never met this man before, how could he know her name?
“We can talk about this outside.” He smiled, giving her little other information to think on. He turned on his heel, walking out of the morgue, leaving Molly alone, dazed and confused. She’d been nothing but confused since this man, this /Doctor/ had walked into the morgue, and now he just expected her to follow him, willingly? Well. She supposed there was no point in arguing. He had an air about him that told her it would be unwise not to listen to him. Molly sighed and then followed.

As he stepped outside, the Doctor took a deep, steadying breath, smiling slightly upward, a few flakes of snow falling on his face. January, then. He decided, taking a quick look around the outside of the building. No, there was a wreath on the entrance, tinsel going up the columns of the establishment. “Christmas.” He grinned, smiling widely as he turned around toward the hospital. Molly caught up quickly, hiking her bag up her shoulder every few moments to keep it in the proper place. “Ah, there you are.” He said, offering her an arm so that she wouldn’t slip on the ice. “Now that we’re out of that depressing morgue, I feel that I can talk to you more lightly.” He explained, beginning to walk out into the darkness. While Molly hesitated, she eventually took his arm, slipping on her first stride off the steps. “Woah.” He cautioned, readjusting to keeping her upright. “Careful there. Like I said, St. Bart’s is nothing without Molly Hooper.” He grinned, continuing to walk down the brick walkway. 
“Yes, about that.” She muttered, gripping on to his arm more tightly to avoid another fall. “I don’t understand what you mean. There are other pathologists in there that can do the exact same job. I’m really not that vital to the hospital.” She explained, somewhat solemnly.
“Aah, see, that’s where you’re wrong, Molly. You are incredibly important. More so than you know.” The Doctor countered, patting her hand. After a few moments of walking in silence, they reached a… Well. What exactly was that? Molly stared, her eyebrows crinkling, as if that would help to deduce what exactly this large blue box was. “Is that a police box?” She asked, confused. Why would this man bring her here to a police box in the dead of night all alone, by herself. Oh, no. This was certainly not looking good. Molly held her bag closer, the fact that she had pepper spray doing little to console her.
“This, Miss Hooper-” The Doctor began, pushing open the door. “This. Is the TARDIS..” He explained, letting her go inside first, releasing her arm. As she looked around, Molly felt her jaw begin to drop. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t be real. But here it was, plain as day, just waiting for her to see once she opened her eyes again and again after blinking.
“I don’t-” But he cut her off, putting a finger to her lips,
“Just wait.” He said, walking over to the center console, flipping switches and levers here and there, and with a: “Hold on to something!” The whole room began to shake. 
Molly followed his instructions, gripping on to what appeared t be a side rail. After a few moments, there was a final, violent shake and the moving was over. “What’s happened?” She asked quietly, though he paused her again, taking her by the arm once more, towing her to the entrance that they had walked through not moments ago.
And it was beyond beautiful.

Something that Molly had only seen before in books and screens. Something that she had always found so beautiful but simultaneously terrifying. “Oh my God…” She murmured, almost too quiet for him to hear. The beautiful colors melding together in and out and harmonizing in a symphony of something that she had no word for. There were colors that she hadn’t seen before, that she couldn’t have imagined before this moment. But now she could, because they were there and they were real and she could touch them if she wanted to, just slightly outside of her reach.
She turned back to the Doctor. “Why did you show me this?” She asked, her hand still holding her bag steady, pepper spray now all but completely forgotten.
He smiled. Oh, yes, she was a sharp one. “Molly, I usually do my best to stay out of these matters, but there will come a day when you need to help Sherlock Holmes.” He explained, letting her think on the information a moment. She nodded, and he took it as a sign to continue. “This ship. It isn’t just that, it can travel in time. I’ve been to your future, his future. And when the time comes, he will need your help. I need you to promise me that when he asks, that you will say yes.” He professed, his eyes never wavering from her own. It was so obvious that this request was vital. Maybe not to her life, maybe not to his. But to something somehow much, much bigger.
She nodded. “I can do that.” She replied, quietly.
“Thank you, Molly.” He smiled, though he looked somewhat saddened. No matter how his smile moved, it was in his eyes a sadness that she recognized. She’d seen it in her father. “Now, I must be off.” He sighed, going back to the console again. After another rocky excursion, they were back in front of the hospital, and everything was quiet and peaceful on Christmas Eve again.
He opened the door for her, but he didn’t step out this time.
Molly began to walk away, but she paused, turning, just a step or two out of the TARDIS. “Will I ever see you again?” She asked. It was obvious that she wanted to see more, to go more places. She wasn’t ready to leave the time machine.
And the Doctor grinned more widely than she’d seen the whole evening. “You know, it does travel in time.”

~ fin ~

Merry Christmas, Maddie

~ ♥ Vestwood (your Secret Santa)

You are amazing, this is so cool and mollons-y is life.

You have been an amazing secret santa and I’m so lucky and grateful. Merry Christmas, love! You really are wonderful!