I

Something snapped in him in this very moment, in which he took his goddaughter for the first time. It was not his heart, he claimed that it could never break, because it was a muscle and muscles are not able to "break", but his mask. His mask and everything it stood for.

John Watson had pushed him, Sherlock Holmes, his daughter Elizabeth Sherly in his arms. And Sherlock had remained still to the spot, slightly panicking and staring down at the baby as he was concerned, he might just drop it. By carelessness or inexperience. Or just because he was Sherlock Holmes.

"She likes you," John cooed, obviously still in luck by the just experienced birth.

"Nonsense, John. She is 20 minutes old and thus ... "

"Shut up, Sherlock!"

Mary shot a photo with her cell phone. Were woman not supposed to be tired and in need of rest just after childbirth? Why was this damn cell phone within her reach?

"This one gets a place of honor in her baby book! Your facial expression, Sherlock, it is quite unique! "Mary saved the picture and sent it simultaneously to Mrs. Hudson and Lestrade.

Such a situation had never been happened before:

Sherlock Holmes with a baby in his arms.

What the newly parents did not see because it was happening deep within Sherlock and blew his well-ordered mind palace almost to pieces, was the realization that nothing would be left of him in the world if he would die someday. He would fall into total oblivion, as if he had never lived.

John and Mary on the other hand, ... Elisabeth would be the token of their existence and her children and so on...

Feelings ...?

No, he always lived in the here and now, he wasted little thought on the future, because future just played a minor role in his world view.

He was relieved when John took the little creature from him. Whatever just happened to Sherlock Holmes, he did not really understand it and about that he was almost shocked to his bones, overwhelmed and scared. A condition he did not like and that had to be cured as soon as possible. Reorganising and renovating his heavily dilapidated mind palace would cost him probably countless hours. And all that just because of a baby!

The facts:

Sherlock Holmes wants a child of his own to whom he could pass on his knowledge.

Sherlock Holmes is not made for relationships or even married life and thus a really poor candidate for a partner.

Sherlock Holmes understanding of young infants is similar to bees knowledge on atomic physics.

Conclusion:

The sudden plan to reproduce was forced to fail from the very beginning. Even the mere lack of an egg including a womb to gestate is difficult to rectificate.

"Ah, Molly! Just the person I was looking for! "

Molly jumped in surprise when Sherlock Holmes came into the morgue in the early morning hours, billowing coat behind him. It happened only rarely now that he caught her unawares, but who expected a visit at half past four? Even for Sherlock this time was quite unusual.

"Good morning?" she said questioningly.

Sherlock stopped directly in front of her. He looked her up and down with his all-pervading eyes.

Molly waited for Sherlock to manifest the reason for his appearance but he kept sighed.

"What can I do for you? I say it rather in advance, I have no interesting body for you. Only ordinary suicides and natural deaths. "

"That's not exactly why I'm here."

"Oh? Well, if you look for another material for experience I have anything new in store since you left this,... uhm yesterday morning with a cooler. "

Sherlock blinked and took a step closer to Molly. The young woman, who was sitting behind a microscope and examined samples started to feel unwell. It was not unusual for Sherlock to come that close to her, but he always did when he wanted something from her. Then he flirted and complimented her. And when he got what he desired, like body parts, a look at a victim, or a sample evaluation to nightly hours, he became cold and rude again. It was always the same game. Manipulation. Sherlock Holmes was a master of puppets. And Molly a perfect puppet for him. Rarely she denied him any request.

Sherlock began to speak as Molly started to organise anew some Petri dishes next to the microscope to avoid for his gaze.

"Molly, I intend to reproduce with you."