A/N: I've been in a summery mood lately, so I'm celebrating with a new story! I also had some requests that we see Gabriel as a teen, so this story has fast-forwarded quite a bit in time from "Sandwiches" or "Lollipops." Don't worry, I'm not abandoning those stories. They'll all still be updated as much as I can.

OoOoOoOo

It had been their tradition in the Holmes household that every summer on or around Gabriel's birthday, to take a long trip to Ambergris. It had grown from a week to a month and everyone in their collective circle usually showed up at some point during that month. They had been going since Gabriel's sixth birthday and now that he was turning fifteen, there seemed to be no reason why they should change. Besides, Sherlock's new hobby had overgrown the garden. Recently he'd decided to take up beekeeping. It was an odd interest of his since childhood when, on a warm summer day, Mycroft had dared him to stick his hand into a hive. With a brave stupidity that only seven year old boys managed to pull off, Sherlock had not only stuck his hand into the hive but removed a honeycomb completely unscathed. Molly thought it would be a wonderful idea to indulge her husband and encouraged him to set up a hive in the garden at Ambergris. Even though the few times she'd watched him do this little party trick, her skin had crawled for the rest of the day. Their month long holiday would be the perfect time to get started. Not to mention it would keep him occupied. Preferably with no murders or threats to their personal safety.

One permanent fixture of their holiday was Katie Adams. Despite their on again- off again romance, Katie had remained Gabriel's best friend through it all. Everyone assumed that they would eventually grow up and get married, always together until finally they were one of those adorable old couples that died holding hands. This time their romantic relationship had been called off by Gabriel citing that he was being smothered by her constant pleas for attention. Molly had tried to explain to him that Katie was a teenaged girl and clingy by definition but he wasn't having it. He'd blown up at her and she'd stormed out of the flat only to return days later where they proclaimed they were "just friends." It was a consistent pattern and therefore no surprise when Katie showed up on departure day, suitcase in hand as usual.

"I sense trouble brewing there," Molly sighed as she and Mary loaded bags into the boot of Molly's newly acquired car.

"Where?"

Molly nodded to where Katie and Gabriel were standing by the Watsons' rental car with Jada. "Over there." The three of them were giggling together, but two things were obvious: Jada was hanging on every word Gabriel said and Katie couldn't keep her hands off of him.

"Oh… yes. I'm afraid my daughter has resolved to marry Gabriel. It's been three years and she hasn't wavered yet. I'm just afraid she's going to get her feelings hurt very soon." Mary shook her head sadly. "She doesn't realize that five years is a lifetime when you're ten and the object of your affection is fifteen."

Molly smiled. "I remember being that age and wishing I were older. I never wanted to be with the kids my age."

Before Mary could reply a howl of pain broke through the din of traffic noise. Seconds later Scarlett and Izzy came out of the house dragging a weeping Finn behind them. "Mummy!" Scarlett shouted. "Finn fell down the stairs!"

"Oh my goodness!" Molly exclaimed, rushing to Finn and kneeling down to examine him. "Are you okay? Show Mummy where you're hurt!" The four year old sniffled and whined, pointing out all of his injuries, among them a scraped hand, knee and a bloody lip.

"You're such a drama queen, Scarlett," Izzy scolded. "He just fell off the last step."

"You're too literal," Scarlett retorted before turning back to her mother. "Will pushed him."

"What?"

"Daddy told them to take their bookbags downstairs. Finn was going too slow and Will pushed him down the last step."

"Will make me fall, Mummy," Finn wailed. The twins were always trying to maim one another in some way. While their twin-ness made them so close that they even had their own language, it also made them quick to argue and fight for dominance. The boys were often in trouble at their preschool for clonking one another.

"Come on, Finn," Molly sighed as she hoisted the little boy up on her hip. "Let's get you cleaned up." By the time Molly and Finn reached the lounge, Will was sniffling on the sofa and Sherlock was noticeably absent.

"Mummy!" Will started, running to her and throwing his arms around her waist. "I didn't push Finn! He tripped!"

"You did so!" Finn protested, looking down at his brother. "You told me to hurry up and you push me down the stairs!"

"Did not!"

"Quiet! Both of you!" Molly exclaimed. She let Finn down and he flopped into the armchair, crossing his arms and pouting. "Sit right here while I get the first aid kit. And neither of you move a muscle!" She could hear the boys arguing before she even made it into the bedroom. She sighed and shook her head as she continued into the bathroom. Sherlock stood in front of the sink shaving but didn't acknowledge her presence until she moved him aside.

"Oh. Sorry," he said.

"Already off in your mind palace I take it?"

"It's my only defense," he replied.

"Is that where you were when Will shoved Finn down the stairs?" Molly was trying not to sound annoyed. It wouldn't do for them to begin their vacation with a fight. They seemed to be arguing far too much for Molly's taste the last couple of weeks. She supposed they'd both been feeling the stress of their full lives lately. Endless cases, clients, late shifts, chasing after twin boys, dance classes, speech therapy, rugby practice, violin lessons, orchestra practice—their whole lives were some kind of insane marathon that never seemed to slow down.

"No. I saw it happen. And he didn't shove Finn down the stairs. He nudged him and he stumbled down the last step." He flinched as he nicked his skin with the edge of the razor.

"Semantics, Sherlock! He could have hurt Finn badly!"

"But he didn't."

"But he could have."

"But he didn't!" Sherlock snapped, throwing the razor into the sink. "Look, what do you want me to do, Molly? String the kid up by his toenails and dangle him over Baker Street?"

"No, but a stern talking to from his father wouldn't go amiss!"

"So you just assume that didn't happen?" Sherlock whipped around, wiping the remaining shaving lotion from his chin and brushing past her toward the wardrobe. "Come now, Molly. It wouldn't be a holiday if it didn't begin with me whacking one of our children on the backside and relegating them to the sofa." He jerked his arms through his shirt, obviously angry and impatient with the conversation. "It's as if the last ten years have been a blur."

"What are you talking about?"

"Everyone acts like I'm some kind of blithering idiot when it comes to our children. Unless, of course, they need me to be the villain!"

Molly sighed. "Fine, Sherlock." She grabbed the First Aid Kit from the medicine cupboard and started across the room with it. His biting tone stung her eyes and she just wanted to be out of the room before they were having a full on shouting match. Before she could get to the door, Sherlock grabbed her wrist gently, stopping her short.

"Molly. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

She nodded, keeping her head down. "It's fine."

"No… no it isn't." He took the kit from her hand and embraced her tightly, kissing the top of her head. "I'm sorry. I'm running on an hour of sleep and I'm just being impatient and rude."

"Wow. You're acknowledging that you're rude. There's another one for my notebook."

"Charming," he replied, kissing her forehead again. "I know I've been monstrous to live with lately. I've been so busy, but I promise I'll be better. This month away will be good for us."

"So no clients? No mobile?" she asked with a mischievous grin.

"Let's not go that far."

She smiled and this time allowed him to kiss her lips. She started to pull back, but his grip around her waist tightened, deepening their kiss. Molly could feel her skin flushing with heat. That distinct dizziness that Sherlock caused. She opened her mouth, breathing him in and inviting his tongue inside. His movements were suggestive of future activities and Molly found herself slowly submitting to his advances, completely forgetting about the children, the packing—everything.

"Mummy! Cat's licking Finn's skinned knee."

They broke their kiss and turned to see Will standing in the doorway and shifting from one foot to the other. "I told you not to move from the sofa, William," Sherlock said, making a point to call the child by his full name.

"But I have to go…" He finished his sentence with more dancing.

"Then just go," Sherlock replied. When the child didn't move, he rushed him out. "Hurry up!" he exclaimed, nudging the child toward the bathroom. Will was famous for waiting until it was too late. He turned and feigned a comical look of exasperation. "And you wonder why we're cranky all the time."

"I never wonder, darling," Molly said with a giggle.

OoOoOo

Sherlock hated Molly's car. Hated. It wasn't so much a car as a transfer van. Enormous, unruly and crowded. She'd insisted on having it earlier in the year because she was frustrated with never being able to go anywhere together. Sherlock thought this argument was ridiculous seeing as how they never went anywhere all at the same time anyway unless they could walk. And he was fine with taking the Tube. But nothing would do but they had to have this ridiculous petrol-guzzling monstrosity with its three rows of seats rather than the sleek black Jaguar that Sherlock wanted. The only thing he hated more than the car itself was having to drive it.

"What the hell is my life now?" Sherlock grumbled after threatening Finn and Scarlett with violence one more time if they continued bickering.

"Pardon?" Molly murmured, almost asleep.

"Nothing," he sighed. He drove on for another few kilometers before piping up again. "Did you bring the bag with all the medicines?"

"Yeah," she replied with a yawn. "Why?"

"Just making sure. I wouldn't want you getting pregnant on this trip."

Molly sat up and looked at him strangely. "What?"

He gestured to the five children behind them. "Look at all of them. There's too many as it is," he whispered.

"Well to be fair, Katie isn't ours."

"She is for the next month."

Molly giggled and squeezed his hand. "You're so silly sometimes."

"I am not silly. All the evidence points to your being extremely fertile. It would be just like you to get yourself pregnant."

"Well if I'm remembering correctly, it's kind of a group effort." Molly laughed and took a sip from her bottle of water.

"Mummy, can I have some water too?" Scarlett chirped, leaning forward and holding her hand out. "I'm thirsty."

"Me too," Will and Finn chimed in together.

Sherlock groaned. When they started drinking water they'd all have to stop for the toilet, putting them further behind. He hadn't told Molly, but Lestrade had called him earlier to ask that he go and speak to a friend on the Sussex Police force about a case that had been giving them quite a bit of difficulty. He was supposed to meet said friend late in the afternoon but if they had to stop every twenty minutes he'd never make it. Molly must have sensed his frustration and turned to hand them one kid sized bottle.

"You can all share this one but it's another hour until we stop for lunch so don't drink it all." As Scarlett took the bottle, Molly gasped and turned back around fast. "Damn," she sighed.

"What is it?" Sherlock asked.

"Look back there," she said indicating the mirror. "Just look."

Sherlock glanced into the rearview mirror to see that Katie Adams had fallen asleep with her head on Gabriel's chest and her arm thrown across his stomach. It did not look like the pose of two people who were "just friends." Gabriel seemed unbothered, continuing to read his book. "What about them?"

"I thought they broke up," Molly said.

"They always break up and get back together. It's what they do." Honestly, Sherlock couldn't care less about the love lives of teenagers. As long as they weren't engaging in coitus in the back seat of the car, he was pretty disinterested.

"But I was hoping they could refrain on this trip. Little Jada is going to be so brokenhearted." Molly shook her head sadly.

"Jada? Jada Watson? That's ridiculous. She's only ten."

"That doesn't matter. She's got it bad for Gabe and she's almost to the age where she's going to be very upset that he sees her as a little kid. His other baby sister."

"Can we stop talking about this?" Sherlock blurted.

Molly rolled her eyes and flopped back in her seat.