Sherlock is sitting in a chair on Christmas morning hovering over the table with a microscope analyzing a piece of mildew for an experiment when he hears a knock at the door. He wasn't expecting anyone. He sighs and walks to the door opening it to reveal Mary and John smiling with a bag of gifts and a baby. He is surprised and glad to see them. They had invited him over to their place for Christmas a few days earlier, but he declined not wanting to get in the way.

They walk in with an 11-month-old Willa in Mary's arms, and the bag of gifts in John's. John sets the gifts down.

"You didn't think you'd get away from us during Christmas did you?" John says smiling bringing Sherlock in for a hug. Both John and Mary knew Sherlock had been distant, so they were trying to spend more time with him and show him more affection. He needed it, and they were glad to give it. Sherlock returns to hug with some hesitation. Mary then hugs him after John. Sherlock smiles. When Mary pulls away, Willa holds her arms out to Sherlock. Mary brought Willa closer and she hugged Sherlock's neck. Sherlock wasn't sure how to react. He doesn't see Willa much, though whenever he did, she took a liking to him. He was surprised when John and Mary named her after him, even more surprised when they pronounced him as her godfather. Willa finally let go and clung back onto Mary.

"How do you not have a Christmas tree?" Says Mary.

"Because we didn't decorate." John says. "I figured you wouldn't have one, so I was prepared. I told Greg to bring one."

"Who?" Sherlock says. John sighs as Mary smirks.

"Sherlock, you can fool John, but you can't fool me. You fully well know who Greg is." Mary says. John looks at her and then at Sherlock.

"It seems I've been found out." Sherlock says.

"You've know this whole time?" John says incredulously.

"It's fun." Sherlock simply says.

"Of corse you did. You would." John says. Greg knocks at the door. John gets it because he knows Sherlock won't. Greg walks in.

"Who invited Gavin?" Sherlock says. Mary smirks. John rolls his eyes.

"It's Greg." Greg says rolling his eyes. He walks in. Following behind him is Molly.

"Merry Christmas, guys." She says.

"Sherlock, I didn't you'd be having people over." says walking in the room.

"Neither did I." Sherlock says.

"I have the tree. John, can you help me bring it in?" Greg asks.

"Yeah." He says going out to get it with Greg. They struggle to bring in the tree and get it up the stairs. Sherlock stares at them wondering why on earth they would go though so much trouble to put a tree in the flat. When they finally get it in the room, they are out of breath.

"Now let's decorate it." Says .

"You five have fun with that." Sherlock says turning to go back to his experiment.

"Sherlock, don't think you're getting out of this." Mary says.

"Seriously, mate, you're not going anywhere." John says. Sherlock sighs giving in. They decorate the tree happily. Well, John, Mary, Greg, Molly, and decorate it happily. Sherlock decorates it begrudgingly secretly enjoying himself. Not because of the activity, but because of the people.

"I thing it's time for presents." Greg says once they are all done.

Greg opens his presents first. Molly gives him a watch. Mary silently ships it from the couch that she, John, and Sherlock are sitting on. Mary and John give him a jumper with a note attached to it saying: "Just kiss her already." Greg keeps that note to himself blushing.

"What does it say, Lestrade?" Sherlock says knowing if has to do with Molly. Greg just glares. Sherlock doesn't have a gift for him, but that's not surprising. He didn't even know that Greg was coming.

Molly is next. Greg gives her a necklace. She blushes as he puts on her. She then hugs him. Mary and John give her a jumper with a note also saying: "Just kiss him already." She also blushed.

"Do you have an obsession with jumpers or something?" Greg says incredulously.

"No, but he does have a problem." Sherlock says.

"It's very serious." Mary says. John rolls his eyes. Now it's Mary, John, and Willa's turn. Greg gives John a jumper that says 'Stop buying jumpers.'

"Really?" John says.

"I should have thought of?that."Says laughs.

"Mary!" John says turning to her as she and Sherlock smirk.

"It's ok though. Willa and I got you this." Mary says giving John his present. He takes it giving her skeptical look. He opens it revealing a shirt that says: "I don't shave for Sherlock Holmes." He glares at her as everyone including Sherlock laughs. Eventually John does smile.

"Put it on!" Greg yells happily. John reluctantly puts it on. After the laughter dies down, he tells Mary that he will give her her present that night, and that it will be 'wicked.'

"He got you an uncomfortable cliché devil sex outfit that is more for himself than you." Sherlock says to Mary.

"Sherlock!" John yells.

"It's alright. I've made him dress up before. Plus it's not like it will stay on for long." Mary says

"Can we change the subject? There is a child here." Greg says.

"It's not as if she can understand us as of yet." Mary says.

"Still. It's making me uncomfortable." Greg says. , Mary, John, and Molly laugh as Sherlock genuinely smiles. He really only does that when John and/or Mary are there.

"I have some gifts for John, Mary, and Willa." He says getting up off the couch into the kitchen. He comes back with two paper bags, one Willa and one for Mary and John. Mary and John open Willa's first. They find a miniature skull.

"It's the smallest skull in Briton." Sherlock says.

"That thing's real?" asks.

"Yes. It's her very own skull." Sherlock says with pride And affection. Willa seemed intrigued by it.

John and Mary were strangely touched that he would though so much trouble as to get their daughter a skull. But it was more than that. It was Sherlock's way of telling them that he loved this child and wanted to be part her life. Not that he wouldn't be taking her to any crime scenes any time soon, but he would be there for her. For all of them. It was his first and last vow after all. John smiles sighing.

"Well, as long as it's sanitary." He says. Sherlock and Mary smile. Sherlock then hands John and Mary their gift. She opens it to find a journal. They look to him for more of an explanation.

"It's a journal. My thoughts, feelings and deductions during our cases." He says to John. He then looks to both of them. "Exclusive to your eyes only."

"Thank you very much." Mary says. He's entrusting them with I his thoughts and feelings, and it's obvious that he only wants them to see it.

"This really means a lot, and It's a whole lot better than the essay you gave me on why my friends hate me." John says smiling. Sherlock gives a small laugh.

"That's a thing?" Mary asks.

"Yeah." Greg says.

"We all read it." Molly says.

"I want to read this." Mary says.

"It's very amusing, dear." says.

"Yes, yes. Laugh at my failure of friendship. I'll get us some tea." John says getting up.

"I'll help." Sherlock says following him. John makes the tea with Sherlock who was there for no apparent reason. He didn't help. When John's done he and Sherlock start to carry the tea to their friends when John gets distracted by something on the table. "What the h*ll is that." He says putting the tea on the table. Sherlock puts his tea down also to point.

"That is the liver of a cat compared to the liver of a squirrel. I was bored." he says. John looks at him as if he was insane.

"Why does that not surprise me?" John says. He sighs closing his eyes. When he opens them again he sees everyone standing up more or less surrounding them looking at he and Sherlock intently as if waiting for something.

"What?" John asks. They motion for him to look up. John looks up to see a mistletoe above Sherlock and him. "No."

Greg laughs. "Aww, reminiscing in the days you two were together." says.

"We were never...nevermind" John says. "Goodbye" He tries to leave. Mary stops him.

"Oh, come on John, get in the Christmas spirit. It's tradition." she says.

"Let me get this straight. You, my wife, want me, your husband, to kiss him?" John says incredulously.

"Yes." She says simply as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. John gives her a look.

"I'd like to see it." Greg says. Molly laughs agreeing with him.

"Come on, John. It's not like it would be the first time." Sherlock says. John's eyes widen and glare at Sherlock.

"I knew it!" Greg yells.

"That was for a case!" John yells defensively. He then turns to Sherlock. "And you said you would never bring that up, ever!"

"John, if it makes you feel any better, I'm sure Mary wouldn't mind having sex with you tonight to make you feel masculine again. It is Christmas after all." Sherlock says. John rolls his eyes.

"He's not wrong." Mary saya suggestively.

"Fine. Let's just get this over with so everyone will have more proof that I'm gay for Sherlock Holmes." John says begrudgingly.

"That's the spirit." Mary says. Sherlock smiles at that and leans on with serious eyes down cupping his face. John looks at him curiously before closing his eyes. Sherlock's lips touch his softly retreating a second after they were there. It makes John remember the reason they all came here-Sherlock and his happiness.

Sherlock is enjoying this. Not just the kiss, but also the entire gathering of friends. To be with the people he loves. There was nothing sexual about the kiss. Sherlock is asexual. He doesn't like that kind of stuff. It was a gesture of love and affection for his best friend.

John doesn't know why but he hugs Sherlock right then and there. Sherlock is surprised at first, but he relaxes into it, closing his eyes. People say 'awww' not that Sherlock and John notice.

"They are so sweet." Molly says to Greg touching his arm. Greg smiles agreeing with her. It's John who finally ends the hug smiling. Sherlock smiles back.

"Now, come on. Lets watch the Doctor Who special." John says clamping Sherlocks shoulder. Sherlock sighs. He doesn't know why John likes Doctor Who so much. He doesn't want to see it, but he'll endure it for John.

After Mary puts a sleeping Willa in a crib they keep in 221B just in case, Sherlock, John, and Mary go to the couch in front of the telly and sit down. sits in a chair across from them but still in front of the telly. Greg and Molly follow her and sit together on the love seat next to the chair. Molly and Greg end up cuddling. However they are not the only ones.

John wraps his arm around Mary who puts her head on his shoulder. Sherlock feels awkward just sitting there. John notices this and motions Sherlock to scoot closer. Sherlock reluctantly does so, and John puts his arm around Sherlock.

"They're not the only ones allowed to cuddle you know." John whispers in Sherlock's ear so he doesn't feel embarrassed. Sherlock looks at him with a look that obviously means 'thank you'. John smiles at him. Sherlock readjusts himself putting his head on John's shoulder feeling content.

John wonders what he did to meet such wonderful people, but more importantly what he did to have the two people he loves most by his side and in his arms.