Authors Note: Guess who's back? Back again! Yes, I'm back with a brand new rap…er story. Forgive me, but I like Eminem, and have been listening to his early music a lot lately. By popular demand, I have delivered a prologue to the sequel that I have started on. I apologize for the delay, but work and school do not go together very well, in so much as they take up my time to be doing more useful things, like writing! I will give a more complete Introduction when I post up the first official chapter. In the mean time, please enjoy, please review, and please be patient! I'm typing as fast as my little fingers will allow me to…when I'm actually home!

Prologue

"Sherlock…I'm pregnant."

It was one of those quiet moments where the air felt stuffy and the room seemed to close in on itself. Beth hated silences like that; she'd rather a room full of yelling and arguing over any kind of quiet such as this.

At least he's not running for the hills…yet. Lestrade peered at her lovers face, trying to see through any kind of feeling that may be running through him at the moment. She could find none. His face was porcelain as ever, cobalt blue eyes stared at her unblinking, and his lips, which normally twitched when he was thinking hard about something, were completely unmoving. Not even his jaw was clenched abnormally tight. There were no wrinkles on his forehead. His face was simply expressionless.

She ventured his name again. "Holmes?" She hated how unsure she sounded. This was exactly what she was afraid of. Beth remembered stories her mother and aunts would tell her about her father finding out his wife was With Child. For example, Officer Lestrade had left the house for a full night on the news that her mother was pregnant with her brother, Matthew. When a daughter was expected, Charles was known to fret about the thought of yet another child in the house, and had been decidedly against having a third when Helen Lestrade brought up the possibility.

His name was about to fall from her lips again when he rose from the couch, leaving her side and walking slowly over to the burning fire in the hearth, a move which nearly broke Beth's heart. He wasn't happy. No joy whatsoever. It wasn't that Lestrade had been aching for a child herself, but her stomach clenched with the knowledge that her lover seemed less than enthusiastic at her news.

"How far along are you? How did you…How long have you known?"

Beth swallowed. "It's why Moriarty couldn't…." God, but she didn't even want to think about that. "Moriarty hired a doctor to examine me…you know, before the procedure. When the Doc ran the bio-scanner on me…that's how I found out. Moriarty told me. 'Precisely four weeks and three days'." She swallowed, indigo eyes falling down cast to the settee. "He was about as thrilled as you are," she murmured, not able to keep a small amount of bitterness out of her voice.

He must have heard it, because he whirled around and now his face reflected a wide variety of emotions; confusion and shock that she could say something like that, embarrassment that there was something he must have done to cause her to think that he was anything but happy…and a small amount of anger that she had such little faith in him. Beth swallowed. It was difficult to catch him off guard like that; to see him so vulnerable and open.

"I…there are options, I suppose, if-if you don't-"

He moved so fast that she couldn't finish the sentence. He was back by her side in what seemed an instant, holding her face in his hands and resting his forehead against hers. "Do not finish that thought," he commanded, "I'll not hear it. I don't even want you thinking it." His hands fumbled downwards to find hers and clasp them gently. "I've never fancied myself being a father, Beth; the thought never occurred to me. In all honesty, I never thought I'd be a particularly good one given that my father was rarely around to raise myself or my brother…but I don't want you to take that to mean that I do not want this child."

Lestrade blinked. "You mean you're…you're okay, you know, with…this?"

A grin that rivaled all others he'd shown for any past situation, be it capturing a criminal or figuring out a puzzle spread across his face. Beth couldn't help but return it, for she also saw something else that was always apparent on Holmes; pride. But this pride was different. He stood up and tightened his hold on her hands, pulling her up so quickly that she instinctively hopped into his arms. He secured them around her tightly. "I shall confess to you that I am, as you fondly say, zedding terrified."

Beth chuckled against his shoulder and tightened her grip on him. "That makes two of us."

"And I am completely uncomfortable with the idea of a melded version of you and myself coming into the world."

Beth pulled back at that, an eyebrow arched in curiosity. "Why?"

"My dear Elizabeth, I do believe when you tell Chief Inspector Grayson that you are With Child and I am the father, you will receive a very similar sentimentand perhaps the statement that 'the world is not ready'-but none the less, as unprepared and- dare I say- unconfident as I am at the prospects of being a father, I must also admit that I am entirely excited about it as well." Holmes's hand snaked around the back of the woman's neck to pull her forward, kissing her softly and languidly. He felt her smile against his mouth.

"Y'know, it's actions like this that got us where we are today."

"Tonight," Sherlock corrected, pulling away and resting his head against hers. The next words out of his mouth were so soft and full of feeling that Beth had to swallow what might have been the fifth lump in her throat in the past twenty-four hours. "I cannot think of a better woman to be 'here tonight' with."

Beth half laughed, half sniffled in response. All she wanted to do was hide her head in his neck and not come out for the next eight months, but she knew that was impossible. She was in the process of getting herself under control when Holmes spoke again, his hands traveling up and down her back in an effort to comfort and steady her.

"I love you very much, Elizabeth. I don't say it often enough. I am more grateful than you will ever know that I can say it to you now."

Lestrade had held up well over the past three days. But now that she was safe, and in Holmes' arms in his flat, and had heard those words with a tenderness she'd never received from him before, it was enough, more than enough, for her to release the fear that had been building inside her since she was taken. Her whimpers started out quietly enough, as there was still a part of her that screamed to save her pride. But those screams eventually gave into the sobs that fell out of her, her skin crawling with the shakes of vulnerability that she hadn't felt since she was a girl herself.

And there was Sherlock, always there, holding her up for as long as she needed until her voice quieted and her body became limp with exhaustion. Eventually, she was staring at the fire in front of her, her fingers playing with a stray thread they'd found on the fabric of Holmes' shoulder. "You know…" she said suddenly, mouth muffled slightly by her cheek resting on his collarbone, "I don't even know if I want a girl or a boy…I don't know what kinds of names I like, or if I should have a nursery like Mom had for me and Matt, or who to name as God Parents, or-"

She stopped speaking, hearing and feeling the deep chuckle of Holmes beneath the side of her face. "We have eight months to answer all of those questions, Beth." His hands, which had been having a soothing effect on her back for the past few minutes drew themselves around to rest on her waist as he stood back. "I do believe there's something else we should perform first, before any other steps are taken to welcome our son or daughter into this world."

"What's that?"

"Funny you should ask," he quipped, removing himself from her side and walking into the hallway. Beth could hear him rummaging around his room, and she imagined he would be there for quite a while as Sherlock Holmes was not one for keeping a tidy home, so she sat herself on the couch and wiped her face, knowing it was streaked with splotches from the tears shed earlier. But she was already feeling better, and she was glad for that, because her old impetuous impatience was starting to come out as she looked around, hearing various objects being thrown this way and that in the master bedroom. She twisted herself on the couch and looked over the back of it. "Holmes, what are you doing?"

"Just a moment!"

Lestrade clicked her tongue and shrugged, leaning against the back of the sofa, gathering the blanket that had been retrieved around her middle, which her hands rested upon once more. Beth had never really had any ambitions to become a mother; she'd never thought about it really, but she always wondered why women placed their hands over their stomachs when they were pregnant. Oh, she figured that it was just a comfortable stance in which to rest, but she was finding that each time she placed a hand on her tummy, she felt a little closer to the life growing inside of her…

"Ah, here we are." The detective strode back into the living room, confidence once again accompanying his step as he rounded the couch and stood in front of her. "You will, of course, remember that the anniversary of my asking to court you will be coming up shortly."

Beth grinned. "What did'chya get me?" But Holmes, not to be rushed, wagged his finger at her. "Patience, Lestrade. One cannot be hasty dealing with delicate matters such as this." He placed his hand back in his pocket, only to bring it out again, but this time it was holding something.

A small, navy blue velvet box.

"You needn't answer now, and you must know I am not asking you because of your current condition. I had planned a bit of flare with a surprise dinner next weekend, but…" he shrugged, kneeling in front of her, opening the lid and showing her a plain, gold band with a single diamond set upon it, "situations being what they are and selfish as I may be for doing this now…" he trailed off, shrugging his shoulders, watching her face carefully. It was slightly pink, partially from the fire, and a little from her current emotional state; yet the light from the hearth danced on her pale features divinely. He saw the diamond shimmer in her eyes and was warmed beyond anything to witness a stunned smile on her face.

"You must know it would do me the greatest honor and give me the greatest happiness if you agreed to be my wife."

It had been sized perfectly, Beth discovered as she slipped the ring on without any hesitation and gazed at it on her finger. In fact, it only further illustrated how well Holmes knew her. It wasn't ornate by any means; it wouldn't cause a stir, but that was exactly what she wanted. She'd been proposed to once by an old boyfriend in college. The ring he'd gotten her had been quite expensive to say the least, beset with diamonds throughout a band of white gold, with the biggest jewel being larger than her finger nail.

The man couldn't believe it when she'd said no.

Without a word, she tackled Holmes to the floor, settling herself on him as she gave her answer with a hearty lip lock. She pulled back, a smirk on her face.

"Just in case you didn't figure that out, Detective, my answer is yes."