Author's Note: Ok to reiterate this is a side story involving the characters. I'm not sure if I'm going to integrate this into the main story yet or not. It just popped into my head and since their initial sex scene has been posted in the main story I thought I'd post this as well. This may become a chapter in the main story if people like it and the second side story I plan on doing. We'll see what everyone thinks :) So here's this, let me know what you think. Reviews are welcome, as long as they're stated gently (still new at posting).

It was Saturday. Ahhhhhh Saturday. One of Alice's favorite days. A day off from school and stress (well usually). Just a day at home, alone with her boys. Perfect.

It had been a few months after John, Sherlock and her had started their relationship. If that's the right word. They were basically as they'd been before, but with the exception that they were all having sex now. Sometimes it was just her and john. Sometimes it was just her and Sherlock and sometimes it was all three of them. She didn't have a favorite honestly, she liked it all. The teacher was just amazed that she had intrigued these two fantastic men, and that she was able to be with them.

Sometimes she did wonder though…was it just sex? She knew she cared for them, and John had shown interest in her before all this started. It was Sherlock she worried about honestly. He was still her predator, watching over her and arguing with her over how he treated people. Sometime he would treat her so badly her doubts would be raised ridiculously high, to the point whether she wondered if she was really just a toy to him, but then he would say something that would erase them completely… He was infuriating that way.

One afternoon, around a month and a half ago, she had yelled at him for treating Sally Donovan. (She hated sally but that wasn't the point) like a dog, the month after they'd all started to be together.

"Sherlock she's a police officer! The more of them you get to at least respect you the better a time you'll have getting them to trust you. Lestrade puts up with a lot for you, the least you could do is make it easier one him, she had said crossing her arms. John had been sitting in his chair blogging, knowing better than to get between them when they fought. "You have to treat her with a certain amount of respect. I fucking hate her and I treat her better than you do!"

"You aren't involved in my work, so why should you be concerned? Sentiment for me is that it? You care what others think of me, like john? He's expressed that and if I won't change for him what makes you think ill change for you? You've been here for 6 months and you think you have the pull over me that John does? It was just us against the world until you came along."

John was staring, Alice knew. Sherlock had stepped right up her, towering over her and looking at her like he looked at everyone else in the world, like she was a fool, an obstacle that he could barrel past anytime he wanted because he was Sherlock Holmes the world's only consulting detective.

"You could have kicked me out at any time. You know that. You kept me because I had a secret and once you found out what it was you exploited it. Amazingly, but still. So are you bitter because you had to save me and I've intruded on your "two against the world" with john…or are you scared because you're the one who's feeling sentiment for someone other than john… and you're terrified so you're lashing out more than normal" Alice was staring right into his almost clear looking eyes, hoping she was right. She knew how much he cared for John and vice versa...she had felt accepted but if he didn't feel that way she would leave.

God she wanted to be right. He was just looking at her, jaw clenched, hands fisted, it was a stance he'd had with john when they fought over things.

"I know you see others as mundane and idiotic Sherlock…," she softened her tone. "But please…at least give some fake respect so they'll stop saying such awful things about you…and they'll trust you. like we trust you."

Sherlock didn't speak for a few heartbeats…and then, still using his cold voice but it...waivered slightly…

"No one is worth my respect Alice, but a select few. I will treat others as I deem fit for them to be treated…" His phone dinged showing he had a text; he checked it, thumbed a reply out, and then met Alice's eyes again. "Come John. We've been summoned." He turned and walked away to the coats. After pulling his on he once again told john to come along.

John shot Alice a look that said "Sorry love, got to work. I'm sorry he's such a git" and went to join him. When both men were dressed in coats, scarves and gloves the army doctor walked back to her and gave her a sweet kiss on the mouth. John's mouth was always sweet and warm, even when it was demanding from her. She kissed back and said her usual goodbye.

"Be safe guys..."

Sherlock turned back to her and gave John's usual reply. "We always are."

Had she been right? Was he afraid of sentiment…he had faked his own death to keep john safe and now this other woman had come in…maybe he was overwhelmed…

"I expect dinner to be ready when we come home Ms Mitchell, poppy seed chicken with extra Ritz," he said and gave a sideways smirk before walking out the door. "Come along John!" Came his voice, already halfway down the stairs.

John let out a surprised chuckle and shrugged at Alice, "I don't know how you do it but you figure him out." He gave a quick (fucking adorable) smile before following Sherlock.

She had of course, began defrosting the chicken immediately.

So she knew he cared, he just showed it strangely most of the time.

Xxx

On this Saturday morning the teacher had woken up on her side, so after letting a stupid smile slip onto her mouth (because really, who wouldn't be happy in her situation?), she started to stretch; first vertically then she rolled a bit to arch her back. She was so absorbed in how good this felt that she jumped when cool fingers grasped her forearm and held it.

"It's far too early for you to be moving this much," Sherlock mumbled. He was lying next to her with his eyes closed, his dark curtains keeping his face in shadow. Like a sleeping angel of destruction.

Wait how was she…ohhhh yeah… She had slept in his bed last night for the first time without having sex. That's right. She remembered lying on the couch because her cot was starting to sag and hurt her back; she had heard footsteps coming into the flat and then hushed voices. After what her sleepy brain could determine as a small argument, strong hands had scooped her up and held her close. The chest was thin but muscular.

Sherlock.

He had carried her to his bed and laid her down gently; more gently than people would normally think Sherlock to be (see? His affection was shown when no one could exploit it, not even the one the affection was for). After rolling a bit and pulling the covers up to her chin and tucking the bottoms bits under her feet (she liked to be a bit of a burrito), she had started to fall asleep again. Alice barely registered the sounds of Sherlock undressing and slipping into bed with her. What she did register was him pulling her against his chest, a hand on her back, and whispering goodnight.

In the present, Alice smiled at his face and wiggled close to plant a kiss on his forehead.

"I can't help it, stretching feels sooooo good. Especially on this comfy bed." She smiled bigger when his lips twitched. After extricating her arm from Sherlock's grip (which proved difficult), Alice stood and stretched one last time before starting her morning routine.

1: Pee.

2: Brush teeth.

3: Headphones in.

4: Vitamins.

5: Dance embarrassingly while searching for food.

6: Sing (mostly likely also embarrassing as she couldn't hear herself) while preparing food.

Today already felt amazing.

Xxx

John woke around 8:30 and after a few stretches to relax his shoulder, he pulled some sleep pants on over his boxers and his robe over those to stumble downstairs. He went quietly, listening to see if Alice was awake. He loved hearing her singing in the morning, even if she couldn't hit some notes. He found it endearing; especially when she sang Disney songs ("Of course I love Disney! I'm not afraid to admit it. That's my childhood, who says I have to stop just because I'm an adult? There's no age limit to what brings people joy," she had told them both when they found her singing along to Tangled as she watched it).

John smiled fondly at the memory as she had tried to get them to watch it with her. Sherlock had stated that she would probably enjoy it more than they would as she worked with kids. It wasn't an outright refusal but the detective went to the kitchen as John sat down beside her to check on his experiments.

John remembered catching him humming something quietly that sounded like "Mother Knows Best."

It seems it was Ellie Goulding this morning for Alice though. He could hear her voice through the open doorway.

"But it marks my skin 'cause I know I've sinned, and it plagues the air, on my house looming, there's a sound out here in the darkest woods, and I know my fears are understood! It's a ritual, and I know you feel it; It's a ritual, and I know you see it; It's a ritual, and I know you feel it;you feel it, you feel it, you feel it!"

John smiled. This woman was adorably dorky; she was probably dancing as she sung, and he just adored her. He was halfway down the stairs when he got an idea.

A date.

He should take her out. Just them. It was brilliant! Him and Sherlock had both agreed (and Alice had too of course, she wasn't a piece of meat; outside of the bedroom that is), that they were allowed time separately with her. John felt that he was entitled to at least two and a half weeks of alone time, since that's what Sherlock had had. So a date was completely justified.

Yes. Today they would have their first date.

John was grinning as he walked into the kitchen area to find Alice still singing, waiting for some water in the microwave to heat up. She smiled and stopped singing and dancing her little dance when she saw John.

"Hey you," she said and took her headphones out. She kissed his cheek and gave him a hug. Unf. She was just so soft and cuddly. John couldn't help the squeeze her gave her and was pleasantly delighted to find out she hadn't put a bra on yet. There was nothing softer than boobs first thing in the morning.

She giggled and kicked her feet playfully when he lifted her up briefly. "Someone's happy today."

"What's not to be happy about? It seems like it's going to be a great day, I've got you here making food all cute in your old school gym t shirt and some damn tiny shorts," John grinned and slapped her bum lightheartedly, to which she yelped and giggled again.

"Aren't you the charmer Dr. Watson?" Alice took her cup of water from the microwave and poured it into a bowl she had filled with oatmeal. She scooped some butter out with a spoon and mixed it all together, while John boiled some water for morning tea.

"Only because you're so tempting Ms. Mitchell." He turned and was happy to see her smiling and eating her oatmeal at the table.

"So I had an idea."

"Oh yeah?" She looked at him and sucks some oatmeal off her spoon then licked it off her lips.

Damn her.

"I was thinking we should go out today. Just us. Maybe some book shopping, I know you need some new ones, get some lunch, maybe even go to the London Eye. I know you haven't been even though you've been here for years and I think that's just criminal," he said that last making his face into a frown, as if he really did find it criminal and she laughed.

"That sounds great. But what about Sherlock?"

Speak of the devil and he shall appear; at that moment Sherlock walked into the kitchen, dressed as John was basically. Anderson has said once when he had been dragged there with Lestrade that they were all sickeningly domestic with each other. All three had promptly told him to shut his trap.

"What about Sherlock?" The detective bent his head and quickly ate the bit of oatmeal off Alice's spoon ("Hey! Ass, make your own!"), before sitting at the table to consult what was under his microscope.

John started to answer but just then the kettle boiled. After pouring him and Sherlock tea (honestly Sherlock was so spoiled but neither he nor Alice really tried to change it), he replied.

"Alice and I are going out on a date today. She was worried about you being here alone" John watched Sherlock's reaction carefully. He knew his partner felt like he had more claim to their...Jesus he didn't know what to call her anymore, they all slept together; and he knew that Sherlock still acted like an animal around her sometimes. Would he go back on his word or be completely fine with it? John really didn't want what they all had to be ruined.

Sherlock tenses the tiniest bit, but said, "Have fun. I can manage perfectly fine on my own but I think I'll go to Bart's. See if they have anything interesting to slice open. No need for concern."

Alice had gotten up after John had made tea and came back bringing Sherlock toast and sat opposite him; once John took the chair next to her she put one foot on each of theirs and continued to eat.

After a mouthful she said, "Good I'm glad you're ok with it. I did snuggle you last night so John gets snuggles today. But please promise you'll be nice to Molly. She's the sweetest thing."

Sherlock rolled his eyes at the Molly comment but did smirk a bit at the mention of snuggles. John could tell he was still pleased that he had gotten her last night and not him.

"I am a man. Men do not snuggle."

"That's bullshit, men snuggle! They cuddle and snuggle. Both. My dad and brother snuggle so why can't you? Only real men snuggle isn't that right John?"

"Uhmmmm. Well most men would prefer to not call it that but I'd have to agree, yeah. I have been told that I'm like a teddy bear. With a gun. I'm an excellent cuddler," John sipped his tea and gave a smirk at Sherlock's slight glare.

While they did share her, they try to make it as equal as possible but it's not like they couldn't compete a little. She competed for their attention.

The detective grunted. "Whatever the word I admit I do it but let that be kept a secret here. I have a reputation as an unfeeling sod to uphold." He bit into his toast and licked the crumbs off his lips, missing Alice's gaze dropping to his mouth.

"It seems this place keeps all our secrets. Thank god these walls can't talk"

"Agreed John," the teacher smiled. She stood and put her bowl in the sink, putting some water it in so the oatmeal wouldn't harden. "Let me shower and we can go. Play nice now while I'm gone boys." She gave one last grin before heading to the bathroom.

John and Sherlock sat in comfortable silence for a minute or two, each doing their own thing. Then Sherlock spoke, eyes still glued to the microscope.

"Books and the Eye I suppose is your plan." He adjusted the magnification on the scope.

John just went with it, knowing there was no point in asking how he knew. "Yes. Most of her books are in storage so I think it'd make her happy. I'll take her to Mega City Comics, it might be a bit of a cab fare but it'll be worth it. Besides I could use some new books myself. I've read all the ones you have here." He got up, rinsed his cup and made himself some jam and eggs.

Sherlock just said, "Hm."

As John sat back down again he said, "You should be nice to Molly though. She's still pining after you and she and Alice are friends. Don't go blurting it out that you bed her. Or that we both bed her. Better yet don't speak of sex at all."

Poor Molly. It was obvious she still liked Sherlock, even after the Fall. And John knew Molly didn't have many people that understood her, so Alice was important to her. The women adored each other. One of Alice's gifts was putting people at ease by either embarrassing herself or noticing what would make the other person comfortable. When they first met (All three had been out having dinner when they had been called in) Molly had been extremely nervous; her boss, the head of the hospital, was there and she had just given Sherlock special access to a body. Alice had diverted the man's attention by saying she was thinking about bringing her classes there, to study the human body in detail. It had worked long enough for Sherlock to get what he needed. Alice thanked the man for his time and gave Molly a warm smile, which the pathologist returned gratefully. Since then they were as thick as thieves. And if anything could ruin that it would be Sherlock coldly stating what went on in this flat.

"I do have more tact than that John I just usually don't care to exercise it. Besides I think Molly knows anyway. At least some, I mean women do talk so it's highly likely that our teacher has revealed that we've all been together or at least she's slept with us both separately. I'll know for sure today when I go," Sherlock ate the rest of his toast and with his usual decorum got up from the table and walked away; leaving John to put both their dishes in the sink.

He was such a git sometimes.