THE BEST AND HAPPIEST DAY OF JOHN WATSON'S LIFE
A/N: The idea for this fic came to me because of this Tumblr conversation with Chandler (sherlollysmooch) last Wednesday. It took me a while to get the plot together in my brain so I only wrote it on Thursday.
It's my first time writing a John/Mary fic, so they may be a bit OOC here. Sorry about that. And it may be crappy because I wrote it when I'd been up for 28 hours. I apologize in advance.
Also, this could be a prequel to I Am Yours.
I own nothing. Everything belongs to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, BBC, Steven Moffat, and Mark Gatiss. All mistakes are mine. Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome.
John had been in the hospital for nearly 24 hours. He had consumed countless cups of awful coffee and tea. He had barely slept. He had been at Mary's beck and call. He had even kicked Sherlock out of the room when he began lecturing the doctor on mortality rates. He only hoped Molly had double - no, triple - the patience, now that she was left to keep an eye on his best friend.
But, after nearly an entire day of labour, the time had finally come for his daughter to be born.
While he was happy and excited to welcome his child into the world, John winced in pain when Mary's grip on his hand tightened. Thankful that his wife's focus was on the midwife telling her to push, he swallowed his yelp of pain and covered her hand with his. "You're doing great, Mary," he encouraged. "We're almost there." He wiped the sweat off her face and wished that his daughter would come out now. He hated seeing his wife in pain. If I could only share your pain, I would. He kissed the back of her hand as he resumed massaging her lower back with a tennis ball.
Mary took quick, shallow breaths before gritting her teeth and pushing hard. When the contraction ended, she paused to take deep breaths.
"I can see the head," the midwife said, her olive skin glistening with sweat. "Mary, stop pushing for a moment and take quick short breaths." Mary complied until the midwife raised her hand. "The head is out. You're doing so well. One more gentle push, Mary. Just one more push. Could you do that for me?"
She nodded and glanced at her husband. "She's almost here!" Despite her weak voice and exhaustion, she smiled and her eyes shone.
"Yes, yes. One more, Mary. One more push, and we can see her and hold her," motivated John as he kissed the back of her hand again.
Mary shut her eyes and pushed one last time. Moments later, a newborn's wail filled the room.
Tears welling in his eyes, John turned to his exhausted but smiling wife and kissed her on the lips. "Well done, Mrs Watson," he whispered to her.
Mary was about to answer when the midwife placed their baby on her chest. She immediately cradled her fair little head in her arms and kissed her forehead. "Hello, my beautiful angel!"
He let go of his tears when he heard his wife's voice break. Sniffling, he looked at his daughter and his heart swelled with pride and joy. "Oh, she's so beautiful, Mary. We made a lovely child!"
"I know," she answered, her voice soft, her eyes filling with more tears. She looked up at John and smiled brightly at him. "We did it."
Afraid that his own voice would break, he just kissed her on the lips. "I am so proud of you, Mary." He looked into her eyes and smiled. Forgiving her is the wisest decision I have ever made.
She smiled back at him and wiped the tears from his eyes with her right thumb. She kissed their daughter's forehead and nose (which she clearly got from him) before reluctantly handing her to the nurse, who promised to clean her up as quickly as she could.
He wiped away the sweat on his wife's forehead and sat beside her on the bed. Heart bursting with happiness and relief, he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her temple. She laid her head on his shoulder and he held her close. "Can you believe Sherlock volunteered to babysit our daughter?"
Mary laughed and raised her head to look at her husband. "Shut up. He didn't."
"He did! He even volunteered Molly. Said they will look after the baby if we ever want a break. Want to go on holidays in six or seven weeks?"
Mary laughed again but didn't answer him. She just laid her head on his shoulder with a huge smile on her face. "Well, at least Molly will be there. She'll keep him in line."
Moments later, their daughter was back in Mary's arms. She peppered her little face with kisses, while he did the same to the top of her little head.
"I love you so much, Mary," John whispered in her ear.
She beamed back at him. "I love you so, so, so much, John."
He kissed her temple and wiped the tear that rolled down her cheek. He smiled at his little daughter and stroked her chubby cheeks with his thumb. "And Mum and Dad love you so much, Sherlyn Hannah Watson."
Several minutes later, John emerged from the room with a huge smile on his face. He took a deep breath before heading down the hall. He paused at the doorway of the waiting room and gaped at the scene before him.
His best friend, Mr Sherlock Girlfriends-Aren't-Really-My-Area Holmes, gazed down at Molly Hooper with the tenderest expression on his face. Her head rested on his shoulder as she dozed, while one large hand lightly caressed her shoulder and the other held her hand. His face lit up when she stirred in her sleep and opened her eyes for a moment. When he kissed the top of her head, she opened her eyes again and gazed up at him. He smiled and kissed her with the gentleness he never knew his friend possessed. She laid her head down on his shoulder after their lips pulled apart.
Well, it's about bloody time. The new father cleared his throat, making his friends abruptly pull away from each other. They rose from their seats and gathered their belongings (namely, her purse and his Belstaff coat). Furiously blushing, the couple walked towards him.
"John, how's the baby?" Sherlock asked. "And Mary?"
He took a deep breath and beamed at them. "They're both fantastic. She's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen in my life. Mary is doing well and is still the most beautiful woman on the planet, despite being in labour for nearly 24 hours. She's just resting and cuddling and nursing the baby. In fact, I didn't want to leave them until she reminded me that you might be wreaking havoc in the hospital."
"Congratulations, John!" Molly smiled brightly and hugged him.
He returned her embrace and sighed happily. "Thanks, Molly. Sorry for leaving Sherlock with you," he teased.
Her face turned crimson and, releasing him, she tucked her hair behind her ear. "He was a good boy, so it wasn't a big deal."
Sherlock scoffed. "I'm always a good boy."
"No, you're not," John and Molly answered at the same time, making them giggle.
The consulting detective rolled his eyes and turned to his friend. "John, what's her name?"
He laughed and shook his head. He looked into his friend's eyes and grabbed his shoulder. "Sherlyn Hannah. It's not Sherlock, obviously. But close enough."
Molly clasped her hands together. "Oh, John, that's a beautiful name!"
"It is. It means 'beloved' and 'beautiful'. And Hannah means 'grace'. Thank God, Mary chose both names."
"Wonderful. May we see them now?" Sherlock asked.
"Of course! We're at Room 311. You can go ahead, if you'd like."
Molly glanced at Sherlock, who nodded at her. After giving him a peck on the cheek, she left the men and headed for Mary's room.
Smirking, John led the way for the blushing detective. "So," he said in a low voice, "you and Molly, eh?"
The taller man cleared his throat and swaggered past him. "Shut up, John."
The new father laughed. "Oh, this has been the best and happiest day of my life," he muttered to himself as he walked back to his family.
So, how was it? Hated it? Liked it? Loved it?