This is a special posting! Notes at the end explain why. ;-)

Much thanks to MLC for looking this over for me. Also, I don't own these characters. *Sniffles*

Mrs. Hudson crept into her 'boys' flat, two packages in hand. Setting one for Sherlock in his chair before doing the same for John, she smiled as she thought of the two men who had become her adopted sons. Not wanting to risk the chance of being found, she made her way to the stairs and back to her own home.

Sometime later, John padded into the living room with Sherlock close behind. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, the doctor made his way to the kitchen and, more importantly, to the electric kettle. Once he was certain the water was heating, John moved towards his chair. Before reaching the piece of furniture, he was distracted by the package that now sat open on his flatmate's lap.

There, amidst the torn paper, was a teddy bear made out of red wool. Roughly sixteen inches high, the tall and slender fellow had button eyes and wore a gray wool coat that looked very much like Sherlock's.

John opened his mouth to question the bear's appearance when he realised another package was sitting in his own chair. Picking it up gently in his hands, John sat down and began tearing the paper apart. Moments later a bear also rested in his lap. This one had button eyes as well, was made out of tan corduroy and wore a knitted cream coloured jumper.

Both men ran their fingertips over the thread that gave the appearance of claws on each paw.

John looked up. "Sherlock, where did they come from?"

Looking at the navy blue scarf tied around his bear's neck, exactly as he did, Sherlock answered, "Considering the likeness to us and the quality of the work, I would say Mrs. Hudson has been busy this past week."

With bear in hand, John walked to the flat door and opened it to call out below, "Mrs. Hudson! Could you come up here for a few minutes?"

"Is anything wrong?" his landlady questioned innocently.

"No, we just need to talk to you for a minute if you don't mind."

"I'll be right up John," the older woman promised.

John closed the door just as the electric kettle sounded. He set the bear in his seat once more, gathered the torn paper to throw out and made his way back into the kitchen. By the time Mrs. Hudson came through the flat door, John was setting down a cup of tea for her on the small table by his chair. Offering the open seat for her use, the doctor sat down on the sofa where Sherlock, and both bears, now rested.

Mrs. Hudson took the full tea cup in her hands. "I see you found my gifts."

John smiled as he glanced at the small bear before turning back. "Yes, they are lovely. Did you make them yourself?"

A twinkle in her eye, the dear woman nodded, "I saw a window display for a toy store a few weeks ago and it gave me an idea. I decided to make a detective bear for Sherlock. Of course, no detective bear would be complete, or safe to be around, without his doctor bear."

John chuckled. "Keeping things realistic then are we?"

Sherlock scowled, "I think it would be wise to remind a certain doctor that the quality of his life increased dramatically when he met a certain detective some years ago."

Raising a hand, John brushed some wayward curls off the dear forehead before rubbing his thumb over a cheek. "Believe me when I tell you it is something he has always been thankful for."

Satisfied, for the moment, Sherlock looked over to Mrs. Hudson, "superb work. The dimensions match nicely too."

John protested, "I don't have that much of a tummy!"

"Not yet anyway," Sherlock teased.

"You are lucky I love you Sherlock Holmes! Especially when you're cheeky," his husband announced.

Getting up from the sofa, John walked over to the mantel. Removing a stack of papers, he set them on the table before moving the skull to the right corner. Sherlock stood up and came to John's side with a stuffed animal in each hand. Both bears were set beside one another in the emptied space.

"Perfect," John said.

Sherlock wrapped his arms around the shorter man's waist and rested his chin on the head just below his. "I agree."

Happy, Mrs. Hudson sipped her tea as the two sets of partners stared at one another.

These bears really exist! Take a look! britishnewengland . com