A/N

Hello! I'm really embarrassed for not updating any of my stories sooner but life got out of hand lately. Anyway, I'm back and I shall write more. I've been given some prompts and I'll try to write them before the month is out.

Thank you for all the support you've been giving me. I love you all! Cold cuddles as it's very hot here and ice-cream to all of you dear readers!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but a small stuffed hedgehog called John. :)

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The cab left the in front of 221b Baker had done some thinking in the car. If what Molly said was true, and John trusted her blindly, Sherlock was not at fault. No. He was only to blame for trying to save his best friend's wife's life from her past and for protecting them all along with Rosie. Sherlock wasn't really to blame.

So,John knew that he had to apologise to his best friend. And on a later date to Mycroft too as he had once on a plane promised to look after the younger for once he had failed. But Molly was there to set him right,get him back on his feet. For Mary was not there. Not now. It was just him and Rosie,his darling daughter. And aunt Molly. And uncle Sherlock. And granny in the face of Mrs Hudson.

And finally, they arrived. John opened the door using his key and ushering Molly in. It appeared that their 'landlord' was not in her flat. Rosie then would have to be with Sherlock upstairs. When they got close to the slightly open front door of the detective's flat, a familiar voice stopped them from moving.

It was Mary. Sayin probably to Sherlock to try his best on getting close to the ultimate danger. Apparently, going to hell would convince John to return to Sherlock's side.

The tantalizing voice everyone recognized stopped and quitly John and Molly walked inside the flat. The consulting detectivewas holding Rosie close to his chest,sitted in his favorite chair to the fireplace. Mrs Hudson was beside him. The laptop featuring Mary's video was resting on John's chair.

"Oh dear..." the older woman said caressing Sherlock's hair and sniffing her tears.

"Wher-where did you get this?" John uttered. His speech cutting through the heavy tension in the room.

"John!" The genius said and turned to see his former best friend. His eyes though didn't stay for long on his figure but rather fell on the scarlet colored carpet. The usual brilliance in them was replaced now by grief and shame. Maybe Molly was right, John thought. Sherlock was probably blaming himself for Mary's death.

But his wife's voice opened his already tattered wounds in his shuddered heart and brought them to the surface.

"Ηello dears! The DVD came with the post this morning.I'm sorry John." Martha said and made her way to hug the doctor. They shared a warm embrace resembling a mother and her longlost son. And that was a bit accurate indeed. The oder woman who lived in the 221a was always waiting like a mother hen for her boys. She was there when they needed her and was always ready to lecture and reprimand them when it was needed. And lately John was distand even with her.

Mrs Hudson dimangled herself from him and was surprised to see Molly beside the door. She must have had a hand in all of this. Good for her to take initiative to bring the boys together.

"Molly, darling! How are you, love?" she asked and approached the doctor to embrace her too.

"Hello Mrs Hudson."Molly tiredly replied. From up close tears were clearly visible in her brown eyes. Even if she didn't let on, having to keep everyone standing and running Molly didn't have the time to properly grieve for her lost friend. She was consumed in the act of caring for her goddaughter, John and Sherlock. Keeping everyone on line and taken care of except herself. Poor child,Martha thought. The young doctor it seemed had lost weight and her eyes were puffy from crying.

"Why don't I take Molly and Rosie down for some tea and biscuits and let you boys talk, hm? I shall bring some tea for you later, right?" Mrs. Hudson offered in her usual manner. "Come on dearie!" she said to Rosie and Molly.

After Sherlock awkwardly disposed gently of the baby in Molly's arms,the trio left 221B and went down.

After their exit John breather a heavy sign and sat in his chair near the warm fireplace. Neither of the men looked at the other but both uttered the same sentence nevertheless.

"I'm sorry."

Two identical chuckles followed and the best friends finally looked at each other.

"Let me start first by asking you something." the doctor started. "Did you point a gun at my wife?'' he asked surprisingly with a calm voice.

"No, of course not. Why would I do that? But-" Sherlock started afforded at John's question.

"Did you shot my wife?" John continued his line of questioning as if Sherlock hadn't spoken at all.

"No, is this what you think? I know it's my fault."

"It wasn't your fault, Sherlock." was said with a resigning sign.

"But-but if I had stopped earlier Norbury wouldn't have gotten the gun out in the first place. It really is my fault." the detective said and lowered his head to look once more into the hot fire that blazed in the fireplace.

"It really isn't and that's the last time we'll take about this! There's nothing that can be done, Sherlock. Mary chose to take that bullet, knowing that it possibly meant that it would lead to her death. She had a choice. She had. As had I. You see I'm not blameless myself."

"Oh come on! You weren't even there! How can this be your fault? When you arrived it was too late already." Sherlock quickly added to his best friend's defense even if it was against himself.

A pregnant pause followed.

"I cheated on Mary." the short man said after a while. Sherlock couldn't believe what he was hearing. They looked so happy and in love with each other. He couldn't have done something like that. How could he?

"No."

"I did it Sherlock. I really did." John said brokenly. His voice a ghost than it was before. His beautiful dark blue eyes were filled with unshed tears just by confirming this.

"I was going to work and there was this woman in the bus...smiling at me because a flower was stuck in my hair while playing with Rosie before. She was young and I thought I still had it but when I got off she gave me her number and later I texted her. It was texting. Just texting,I swear but it was something different. I'm ashamed of it but I couldn't help it. I felt so trapped Sherlock. M-Mary's past was never something that I forgot. But that's irrelevant. I cheated her and nothing erases that.

"I'm sorry Sherlock. It seems that I'm not the man Mary thought I was. Though I inspired to be him- the perfect man for her- I find that I was and am lacking. But Mary's presence gave me the drive to try. For her." said in a low voice lik eall thosee things were for himself alone to hear.

"Maybe you should try it, Sherlock." he later said to his friend. Sherlock opened his mouth to respond but a text message stopped him from saying whatever he was meaning to say. The thing was that the notification wasn't the one John was used to hearing regularly.

A moan.

"You sly dog! All this bloody time! Behind my back?!" the doctor claimed in amusement and amazement at the same time. It was THAT text alert! It was Irene Adler. Irene freaking Adler was sending him texts. Sherlock Holmes was actually communicating with Adler by texts. That was hilarious! Sherlock was blushing and looking anywhere but John.

"Shut up."

"Oh,no. You don't get to say 'shut up' and all that shit! Tell me everything!" The consulting detective got around telling his best friend about how he saved the ex-dominatrix and how she became a permanent fracture in his life after the fall. At the end they both laught together. John was ecstatic and happy that Sherlock finaly found someone for himself. It seemed it was never late for love.

Though, the doctor felt sorry for the pathologist that still pinned after Sherlock. It wasn't pity but compassion. John was always fond of Molly. She was always kind, cheerful and sometimes too helpful. It waas clear to him that Molly's self-confifence had taken a hit everytime Sherlock commented on her outer appearance. But overall, he had to admit that this had changed lately. The young woman was standing up for herself and John liked her the more for it.

Would he be able to start anew once more? Was it too early to want to do that? He loved Mary and Rosie with all of his heart but he didn't want to be alone for the rest of his life. Was it ok to want more?

And if it was, with whom?

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End of chapter

A/N

So, that's finally the second chapter. The third will be uploaded soon. I'd appreciate your thoughts on this. And lastly, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting all this time. Thank you!

Hugs and kisses,

Andriana,Greece