Two days after Dorothy's birth Mary and John got together with a couple friends to celebrate bringing her into the world. The guests included John, Mary, Mrs. Hudson, Lestrade, Molly, Sherlock, and, of course, Dorothy herself. They were all gathered in the married couple's living area talking, with Mary holding the baby and looking exhausted, not that John looked any better, but they both had smiled tiredly when everyone arrived.

"You're not tired already?" Mrs. Hudson laughed. "The hard part hasn't even started yet."

"Oh, but, Mrs. Hudson, it's always going to be hard, isn't it?" Molly piped up. "From the time they're born to the time they leave for college, and then you have to deal with empty nest syndrome."

"Now, hang on." interjected John, "She's two days old, it's a bit early to talk about college." They all laughed and even Sherlock managed a smile.

After she had been born Dorothy had been moved to the hospital nursery where John, Mary, and Sherlock had watched through the glass as she kicked and wiggled next to all the other babies.

"Sherlock?" spoke John after a few minutes of silence.

"Hm?"

"You do realize that you're going to be her godfather, right?"

Sherlock spun around and stared at John. After a moment he looked to Mary for confirmation. When she saw him looking at her, Mary smiled.

"Of course, Sherlock, how could I say no?"

Sherlock continued to look from Mary, to John, to Dorothy and back for a solid ten minutes, unable to speak for the shock.

"I'm having flashbacks from when I asked you to be my best man." John said, and he and Mary laughed.

"Hey, why'd you name her Dorothy?" Lestrade asked. Sherlock blinked and was brought back to the present circle of people.

"It's my mother's name." said Mary simply.

"And I've always liked the name Alicia." said John.

"And no one has to asked why you put Shirley in there." said Molly with a smile. The group laughed. Sherlock looked around, surprised. He hadn't realized that Dorothy had been named after him in the end.

"I have to go to the bathroom." said Mary. "I'll be right back." she passed Dorothy to John, who took the swaddle of blankets carefully. Sherlock stared at it. Babies were so fragile. The blankets were at least as large as the baby, and still she would be hurt if someone were to accidentally drop her. Other species had developed to the point where once their child was born they were pretty much ready to live on their own, but not humans. Humans had developed so that baby's heads were so big, they needed to be born before they were ready for the world. Dorothy was technically still a fetus. No other animal would be able to take care of a child that helpless, but humans could. What was it that made humans willing to take care of something each other?

"Sherlock?" said John suddenly, interrupting his thoughts. The detective looked up at his friend who smiled knowingly. "Would you like to hold her?" John was under the impression that was why he'd been staring.

"Oh, no I-"

"You haven't held her yet?" said Mrs. Hudson, surprised.

"Well, no, you see-"

"But you're the godfather!" said Molly.

"Sherlock, you have to hold the baby now." interjected Lestrade.

"But, I'm not good with… children." said Sherlock, looking apprehensively at the blankets.

John laughed and stood up. "She's a baby, not a rabid dog." he walked over to Sherlock and held out the blankets. "Here. Support the head. There you go."

And so, Sherlock Holmes, the world's only consulting detective, held a baby for the first time. Held his goddaughter for the first time. He smiled in spite of himself and looked down at the little girl, her large brown eyes looking up at him curiously, trying her best to learn everything about this new world she was in.

The rest of the room clapped. "Thank you, John." he said. He held out the baby. "Now take her back."

John laughed again. "All right, all right." he carefully took Dorothy back and sat down on the couch again.

Sherlock stood. "I'll be right back."

"Holding a baby was too much for you, yeah?" Lestrade said teasingly.

Sherlock glared and walked away, hearing Molly behind him, "Are your parents and Harry ever going to meet her?"

"They will, but they have to drive a ways, so they'll be here in a week or two."

Sherlock walked down the hall until he found the bedroom. He opened the door and found, as he expected, Mary Watson sitting on he bed she and John shared.

"Oh, hello Sherlock." she said, blushing a bit. "How did you know I was in here?"

"I knew you didn't really have to go to the bathroom. You were just feeling overwhelmed by the party and by the fact that you now have a baby."

"Well, yeah, you're right." said Mary.

"I came here because I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh, what about?"

"A couple of things." said Sherlock nonchalantly, walking around the room. "What was your life like before John? What do you think of Moriarty's return?"

"Oh." said Mary, "You figured it out huh?"

"Yes. Your past experience with computers and such that I know you must have had, along with the things you were likely to have known about the case I was being sent on told me."

"You caught me. I set up the fake Moriarty scare."

Sherlock stopped, not expecting her to confess so willingly.

"You were that desperate to get me to stay?" he smirked briefly before wiping his expression clear.

"It would've meant a lot to John, and I knew about that case. You would've died on it, definitely. I didn't tell John, of course but…"

"You scared the entire world into thinking that the most dangerous criminal ever is back… to get me to stay?"

"Well, when you put it like that..." Mary said, eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm pretty sure that we'd best not tell John. He might not like it, plus he would accuse you of, how does he put it?" Sherlock thought for a moment, then held up his fingers to make air quotes, "'fanning the flame of my ego'?"

Mary laughed. "Yeah, that's one way he puts it."

The two stayed in silence for a moment. "Thank you." Sherlock said eventually.

"For scaring the entire world?"

"Oh, that too, but I was actually referring to making me godfather and naming her after me. But thank you for that, as well."

Mary smiled. "Care to return to the party?"

"Sounds marvelous."