Author's note: I wanted to write something light-hearted and decided to answer some questions my previous story in this strange universe might have caused.
I don't own anything, please review.
She comes home to find her husband and son in the kitchen, busy with an experiment, and simply puts the kettle on because as far as she is concerned, it's the most normal thing in the world.
Her son may only be three years old, but he's already interested in anything his parents do, and she's convinced Sherlock won't do anything dangerous when he's around. Not when he clearly adores Hamish.
She knows quite a few people who would have warned her against starting a family with him, but he loves Hamish as much as her. True, he needed to get used to holding him, to feeding him, to being allowed to be himself around him – it broke her heart a little, to watch him try to be a normal father in the first few days until she told him he'd either have to act the same as ever or she would fine a stranger man to spend the rest of her life with – but now, he's the best father she could ever have imagined her child to have.
Even if he teaches him chemistry and their kitchen is a constant mess. Of course he insists that it's all part of his education and that it has nothing to do with them having fun, just as he calls Hamish Holmes playing with Thomas Watson just "an experience in social interaction" when he's thrilled that his and John's son are getting along quite as well as their fathers.
She can't help but smile every time she sees them. Hamish sulks now and then, and Thomas always manages to get him out of these moods. It's adorable, although she certainly won't use that word when her husband's in the vicinity. Mary agrees with her; after all, Thomas has already decided he wants to be a doctor, and they have all allowed him to take their blood pressure.
There is something that has been troubling her over the last few weeks, however.
Well, it hasn't really been troubling her, but it's there at the back of her mind nonetheless.
She would like another child.
She has a sister, and she knows for a fact that Sherlock cares about his brother despite the problems they had in the past, and she never planned to have only one child.
She's almost forty-five, though. And Sherlock is turning forty-nine next month. Even if they tried, it probably wouldn't work.
But still she wishes for Hamish to have a playmate when Thomas is not around – it happens seldom enough, but it happens.
It's not that Hamish isn't wonderful. Or that she isn't happy.
She'd just like another child.
She'll have to go on maternity leave again, but she doesn't mind. She loves her work, and despite the fact that she never got promoted, courtesy of the Chief Superintendent, she is almost as much of a legend at the Yard as Sherlock and John and Greg. But she's willing to put everything on hold if it means that Hamish will have a sibling.
After thinking about it for a while, she decides she will broach the subject. She wants to know what her husband thinks about having another little Holmes running around.
As it turns out, she doesn't have to ask.
One day, she is watching Hamish and Thomas chasing each other around in the living room, pretending to be a detective and his faithful assistant catching a criminal, and trying not to laugh. The boys tend to get grumpy when she doesn't take their plays seriously.
Sherlock is working in the kitchen, or at least he was, because at this moment, he says "I would like another one". He's standing directly behind her, but she doesn't even jump, because she's grown used to his ability to move noiselessly.
It's said so matter-of-factly that at first she doesn't know what he means and simply replies, "You want another kidney already? Molly just gave it to you this morning".
He almost rolls his eyes, but only almost, and she realizes that what he wants to say is important.
"Actually – " and his eyes follow their son and his best friend "I would like another child".
Her heart skips a beat. "Really?"
"It would be nice for Hamish to have a sibling" he continues, "so that he might all the easier acquire social competence".
Of course he has to justify his wish. Her eyes soften.
"You don't have to give me a reason" she says quietly, "I'd like it too".
He looks surprised, and the suspicion that he didn't think she would want to bring another Holmes in the world enters her mind unbidden.
"I never planned to have an only child" she continues and smiles at the face he makes.
"You have to admit that Mycroft isn't so bad."
He stares at her incredulously and she laughs.
He bits his lip and once again looks at Hamish and Thomas who have by now caught the criminal and are dealing with the "paperwork", which means they are drawing.
"There is one other thing..." he says softly.
"Yes?"
"You were already older than the average when you had Hamish" he explains, "and now – "
"Sherlock – " she tries to interrupt him because she knows what he means. She knows the risk involved. But she's ready to try.
"There are – "
"I know. But I want to try regardless".
He looks at her and smiles, and she can't help but beam back at him. She would kiss him if Hamish and his friend wouldn't choose this moment to demand that they come over immediately and look at their pictures.
And just like this, it's decided and they start trying. Well, or rather they don't use condoms.
When she tells Mary, she smiles and pats her hand, wishing her the best of luck. Sally was worried; she knew Mary couldn't have a second child after complications at Thomas' delivery, but she is fine. Ecstatic, even, because she proclaims she wants her son to have more friends.
Molly is happy too, and Sally has to remind her that they don't know if she'll even have another child.
"Oh" she says and winks, "I'm sure you are active enough".
Sometimes she wonders what happened to the shy Molly Hooper she met all those years ago.
A few months come and go; Hamish turns four, her and Sherlock's birthdays aren't far behind, and she is contemplating asking her husband if they should face the truth when her period is late once again.
She doesn't say anything at first, but this time Sherlock is waiting for it, and she knows he knows by the way his eyes sparkle.
After the second week, she decides to buy a pregnancy test. Mycroft knows already anyway; she told Anthea they were trying, and she definitely passed the news on. Just like Sally she knew that keeping secrets from her husband is fruitless.
When she sees that it's positive, that she's pregnant again, that Hamish will have a sibling, she almost starts crying and then chastises herself for it.
This is not a time to cry. This is a time to celebrate.
Sherlock, while obviously expecting the news, does his best to act surprised.
They decide to tell Hamish immediately; after all she will have frequent check-ups (she sighs as Sherlock tells her that he and Mycroft made sure she will have the best doctor available once again, but really, she wouldn't have expected anything less from her husband).
Thankfully, her son isn't jealous in the slightest but starts asking questions about the baby's sex and chromosomes that have her glaring at her husband and him exclaiming "he asked" before adding "I didn't tell him everything" while giving her an expressive look.
A look that, although she very hard tries to disapprove, gets him to show her that night what he didn't tell Hamish.
Naturally, she's a bit scared that her pregnancy won't end well. She's forty-five; it's to be expected. And even if the baby turns out to be healthy there could always be complications at birth, which is why her doctor suggests a C-section during their third appointment and she happily agrees.
As it turns out, her second pregnancy is much like her first, except that she now has a very excited son soon to be a big brother who insists on touching her stomach and asking all kinds of questions about the baby and can't wait to find out if it's going to be a brother or a sister.
Neither she nor Sherlock have any preference. As long as their child is healthy they are perfectly content with both, and everything seems to be fine.
John insists on seeing every test result, of course. And why shouldn't he. He's definitely a part of the family, and he would hardly be able if she didn't give him everything.
Sherlock can't come with her to find out the sex of the baby – he's trailing a serial killer with John's help – so she asks Mrs. Hudson to watch Hamish. Their landlady happily agrees, just as always, while reminding her that she isn't a babysitter.
A few hours later, she returns happy and flushed. Hamish all but jumps into her arms, despite Mrs. Hudson's half-hearted attempts to tell him that he should be careful.
"What is it?" he asks excitedly, and she shakes her head.
"We'll wait until Dad gets home". Hamish is a little bit disappointed – patience has never been his strong suit, something he got from his father – but nods. She promises Mrs. Hudson to tell her as soon as Sherlock knows and returns upstairs.
Sherlock comes home in the middle of the night; he has caught the killer and is exhausted. She lets him drift off. She wants him to remember what she has to say.
Both her husband and her son tend to rise late (if they don't stay up the whole night; apparently Sherlock's ability to stay awake for days is genetic) and so she end up making breakfast alone the next day.
When Sherlock stumbles in the kitchen – she isn't surprised, before yesterday, he'd been up for almost a week – she greets him brightly.
"Good morning. Coffee's ready, Hamish is sleeping, and we're having a daughter".
Sherlock blinks then asks, apparently surprised, "Really?"
"Yes. Is that so difficult to believe?"
"No. It's just – " Sherlock grins. "For the past three generations, my family only ever had sons".
"Well" she announces, "Times are changing".
He agrees, kisses her and has just the time to pour himself a cup of coffee before Hamish happily bounces into the kitchen and demands an answer.
When he's told he's going to have a sister, he chews his lip thoughtfully.
"What is it?" Sally gently asks, taking him in her arms. Hamish doesn't have any problems with girls; he spends quite a lot of time with Georgina and Louise's and Henry's daughter. Maybe he's worried they won't pay him as much attention?
"Will she like experiments?" he asks, and Sherlock chuckles.
Sally smiles. "It would be a miracle if she didn't".
This seems to reassure Hamish, because he happily starts talking about being a younger brother and that he has to tell Thomas and Georgina.
She promises him she'll call Molly in the course of the day and then brings him to John and Mary, where Hamish proudly shares the news.
Mary and John find his enthusiasm just as cute as Sally does, but simply congratulate him and let him play with Thomas.
Sally returns to 221B, realizing there is something she and Sherlock haven't talked about yet.
"Sherlock?" she asks once they're sitting at the kitchen table and for once eating breakfast together. "Maybe we should think about moving. With two children – "
Sherlock stares at her like she's lost her mind and she can't blame him. She doesn't want to move either.
"Leave 221B? I'm sure Hamish will gladly share his room". He pauses, then ads, "And I don't think Mrs. Hudson would allow us to move".
Sally laughs. "You are probably right. We should tell Mrs. Hudson, by the way".
Before they leave the flat, she decides to ask one other question. "What do you think about "Cecily"?"
Sherlock looks at her and of course deduces that she's always wanted to call her daughter Cecily, so he nods. "Sounds good".
She smiles and kisses him and they go to tell Mrs. Hudson that there is finally going to be another female Holmes in the World.
Author's note: Just something cute. And I wanted to explain Cecily's presence in my last story.
I hope you liked it, please review.