The day had started out well and normal enough, that much should have been a sign to Detective Inspector Lestrade that something was going to go wrong. There were no pressing cases to solve, no murders, drug dealings, or anything of the sort. The coffee for once was more than simply burned coffee beans and spoiled milk; it was actually something one can drink without emptying the contents of their stomach later! One person even brought an entire box of donuts for everyone.
All in all, it was a very nice and peaceful day.
And that is why he knew when he heard his cellphone ring and saw Sherlocks familiar number appear that the normal and nice day was gone and in its place was something that only half a bottle of scotch might help.
Swallowing the bite of donut in his mouth and taking one last sip of his perfect, perfect, coffee he cleared his throat and answered with a curt, "Lestrade."
And then came the words that he never expected to hear from Sherlock Holmes of all people.
"I need you to come to City Hall in the next hour and be a witness for mine and Johns wedding." Sherlock said.
Lestrade paused and glanced at his coffee. No wonder it tasted perfect, it was drugged.
"I'm afraid that you're going to have to repeat that Sherlock." he said into the phone as he peered into his coffee, trying to at least find a hint of the drugs. "I think I went deaf at the last minute."
He could almost feel Sherlock rolling his eyes.
"I need you to come to City Hall in the next hour and be a witness for mine and Johns wedding." Sherlock repeated slowly as if he was talking to a child.
"Yours…and Johns…wedding." Lestrade repeated. "Sherlock are you sure I don't need to get a search warrant for your apartment for a drug search?"
"There are no drugs involved here." Sherlock said. "Meet us at City Hall in the next hour if you will. John requested that you wear something at least slightly nice, in her words not mine."
Sherlock hanged up without waiting for an answer leaving Lestrade loosely holding his phone in one hand and with coffee in the other.
He blinked once. Twice. A third time before he nodded and stood and crossed his office to the closet. He always kept at least one suit in the closet here just in case.
He took the coat and pulled it on. His shirt was nice enough and it didn't even have a single stain.
He walked out of his office and called out for Donovan who appeared by his side.
"I'm leaving the office for a couple of hours." he told her. "If you need me for something then call me, however do try to do it without me. I do not want to miss what happens next."
"Reconnecting with the wife?" Sally asked him.
Lestrade shook his head. "Divorce is being processed as we speak, I'm going to a wedding. "
"For whom?" Anderson asked overhearing the conversation as they walked past him.
Lestrade grinned. "Apparently our resident consulting detective and his army doctor are getting married."
It wasn't too late in the day for traffic so Lestrade found himself at City Hall within forty five minutes. He found John and Mrs. Hudson standing outside talking. When John realized he was there she smiled at him and hugged him in greeting.
"Thanks for agreeing to this." John said.
"I wouldn't miss this for the world, once in a lifetime opportunity." Lestrade said in good humor.
Johanna 'John' Watson was the third strangest person he had ever met, the first two being the Holmes siblings. For her choice of friendship and then continuing said friendship with Sherlock Holmes who Lestrade credits of whom is the main reason his hair is turning gray.
The odd army doctor had wormed her way into Sherlocks life as she slowly reintroduced him to the social norms of certain behaviors. Sherlock was still Sherlock; however there was still a distinct change to him for those who knew him the most.
Not to mention she could out drink Lestrade, win at every game of darts or arm wrestling at the pub, and she was always open with a ready ear to hear him complain from the incompetence of his workers to his cheating wife. He wished her nothing but the best as a good friend did.
That being said.
"So, who's idea was it to get married today?" Lestrade asked. "Is there a real reason for this or is it 'I'm bored John so why don't we get married so I can examine the expressions the idiots will make?'"
John gave a light laugh at his impression of Sherlock. "There is an actual reason for this, believe it or not."
"Do tell."
"Remember last week when I had to go to the hospital?" she asked him.
He nodded. It had been a case that he himself had asked Sherlock to help him with. Drug dealings and apparently the guys were experimenting with the drugs they were selling. The end result had John breaking a rib, gotten a concussion and having to stay at the hospital for a few days with Sherlock snarling at the hospital staff at their incompetence and complaining at how he wasn't able to see John.
"Well one of the official reasons that Sherlock couldn't get to me was because we have no official relationship, and flatmates don't really count." John explained. "We were discussing it this morning, about how neither one of us can really do anything when the other is hurt as well as other things and Sherlock said we should get married in order to get rid of those limitations and gain the advantages. And because he is getting sick and tired of calling Mycroft for a favor to get those visiting rights and having to owe him a favor."
Lestrade paused for a moment. "So you two are getting married…in order to get the rights that go along with being married, such as visiting rights in the hospital?"
John smiled and nodded.
Lestrade was silent for a moment before he tipped his head back and laughed. "That is…the least romantic kind of proposal I have ever heard. And it's just so Sherlock."
John laughed with him. "I know. I think I sat there in silence for about five minutes before I asked him to repeat himself. And then of course I said yes."
"You don't mind?" Lestrade asked. "I mean I wasn't aware that you guys were even in a relationship."
"We're not." John said. "At least I don't think we are. There are no touching or even kissing or hand holding. No little nicknames or anything like that. There are the small things that we know about each other that no one else knows and our relationship, while not romantic, is something strong and sure."
Lestrade nodded. "But, you don't mind? Being married and all? Taking his last name, never dating again?"
"I'm not taking his last name, I'm keeping my own." she told him. "And as for dating I gave that up ages ago. One just can't have a boyfriend or a girlfriend and expect a serious relationship while simultaneously maintaining a friendship or any sort of relationship with Sherlock Holmes."
"That I can understand." Lestrade said. He looked up to see Mrs. Hudson talking with Sherlock who had exited City Hall. "And Mrs. Hudson? How did she take it?"
Johns smile widened. "She said that she expected this a long time ago and that she is more than happy to be a witness for us." She glanced behind them before she leaned closer to Lestrade. "And between you and me I think Mrs. Hudson has gotten into her head the belief that there is going to be a pitter patter of tiny feet around the apartment soon."
Lestrade nearly choked on that. Children? Sherlock and Johns children? That wasn't something he had even thought of let alone expected.
"Don't worry." John reassured after seeing his paling face. "Neither Sherlock nor I have any desire for children."
"You do realize that in order to seal the marriage in front of a judge you two need to kiss right?" Lestrade asked motioning with his head towards Sherlock.
"Lestrade." Sherlocks voice came as he walked up to them sparing John the need to answer. He nodded at Lestrade. "Good of you to come."
Lestrade grinned. "Wouldn't miss this for anything."
"Did you tell anyone else?" John asked him as she stood beside Sherlock. And was it Lestrades imagination or was Sherlock placing his hand on her lower back?
"I don't think they believed it." he said. "So are we getting married or not today?"
Soon they were standing in front of a judge; Sherlock and John were surprisingly hand in hand as they recited their vows. Lestrade stood to Sherlocks side as his witness while Mrs. Hudson was to Johns side as her witness and kept on making small noises and wiping her eyes as tears filled them. In her hands was a camera which she used to record the entire ceremony.
Both Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson were questioned on the relationship between Sherlock and John, and as well as safety percussions both Sherlock and John were questioned on each other, before the four of them signed the certificates needed.
To Lestrades surprise Sherlock had taken out a case which opened to reveal twin gold bands. One was placed on Johns finger and the other on Sherlocks.
When the judge declared them married and the words "You may now kiss your bride." were uttered Lestrade was very surprised at what had happened.
John, ever being the short one in the relationship, stood on her tiptoes with her arms around Sherlocks neck as Sherlock leaned down towards her, their lips met with such ease and familiarity Lestrade would have sworn that they have done this plenty of times.
And who's to say they hadn't? No one really knew what went on between the two when the doors were closed and they were alone.
Lestrade placed his arm around Mrs. Hudson who was full blown on sobbing into her handkerchief. Sherlock murmured something to John who nodded in turn as she went to comfort Mrs. Hudson as Sherlock went to the side with his cellphone at his ear.
Lestrade glanced questioningly at John who simply shrugged as best as she was able to with her arms around Mrs. Hudson.
Sherlock sighed slightly aggravated and rolled his eyes. "Yes, I will do a couple of cases for you. Never mind that you weren't invited to my wedding Mycroft, don't pretend that you would have come."
John raised an eyebrow. Calling Mycroft for seemingly a favor never ended with Sherlock being in a good mood.
"Where is it you would like to visit the most in the world?" Sherlock asked John as he pressed the phone to his chest to muffle his words.
John thought for a moment. "Always wanted to see New York City. Why?"
Sherlock nodded and turned his attention back to the phone call. "New York City." he told Mycroft.
Mrs. Hudson had finally calmed down. She grasped Johns hands and beamed at her. "I am so happy for the both of you!"
"I know Mrs. Hudson. Thank you for being here." John said kissing her cheek.
"It is my pleasure, thank you for including me." Mrs. Hudson said.
"Excellent choice New York City." Sherlock said coming up to them. "Plenty of people, plenty of crime; murder, drugs. Excellent."
"Glad you approve." John said. "So, what was that about exactly?"
Sherlock blinked. "I believe it is customary for a newlywed couple to go on a honeymoon after the ceremony. Was I misinformed?"
John was silent for a moment. "You mean to tell me that you just had Mycroft give us a honeymoon in New York?"
Sherlock nodded. "I promised him that I would work on a few of his cases, I believe the number we settled on was six cases and a dinner appearance with you, however in the end we have a plane to get on tonight and come home of course, a car waiting for us at the airport; JFK airport to be precise, a hotel in New York City for a week. He also gave his congratulations."
A few hours later, which consisted of the four of them going to a nearby restaurant which to their luck was a hotspot for newlywed couples and was a tradition to follow; every time the bell rang all the couples must kiss, although tiring it was amusing to see Sherlock and John; the two who were reasons of their own decided to indulge in the 'idiotic and completely useless tradition' as Sherlock put it before he kissed John the first time, kissing that often, and Lestrade had to return to the office in order to get rid of the paperwork he knew would be covering the desk. He congratulated them once more before leaving.
John leaned against the wall of the plane and watched idly the night sky as they soared. She absentmindly played with the ring on her finger as she stole side glances at Sherlock.
"Is something bothering you? You seem to have developed a nervous tic in your eye." Sherlock asked her without looking up at her from the folders Mycroft had left in their apartment.
"Nothing." John said smiling lightly. "It's just…"
"Just what?" Sherlock asked still not looking at her.
"The rings is all." John said.
That got Sherlock to look up from the folder and at her. "What about them?"
"The fact this morning is the only time besides our first dinner at Angelos is the only time we ever talked about our relationship. 'Married to my work' I believe you said." John said.
Sherlock wordlessly nodded as he stared at her.
"That and the fact that I know for certain you never went to a ring shop." John said. "This entire past week beside for my work and you being at the morgue we were together and I know exactly where you went."
"What is the point in this?" Sherlock asked her.
John smiled. "Sherlock. Just how long have you had these rings with you, ready within a moment's notice and reason to put it on my finger and call me your wife?"
"Don't ask silly and idiotic things John." Sherlock said in his low voice as he turned his attention back to the folder. However his hand reached over and grasped Johns.
John hummed as she turned her hand to better grasp Sherlocks. His pointer finger lightly traced the ring for a moment before their fingers entwined.
I do not own Sherlock.