I can't thank you enough for reading this story. I know it's not my normal light, fluff-filled smut, but you're all sticking with me, and it means so much! You all have amazing questions, and we will get some answers in this chapter. HUGE thanks to MizJoely for betaing this and for her constant encouragement. Thanks also to Bekah1218 for help with the medical bits and bobs. Remember the mistakes belong to me!

Warnings: There is some canon typical violence here and, of course, Molly's in labor, but I didn't get graphic with it (I was a mere bystander in the births of my children since they were both c-sections.) Also, Jim's not very pleasant.

I own nothing. Enjoy. ~Lil~

- How To Shoot At Someone Who Outdrew You -

John steadied himself before returning to Molly's room. He knocked and entered after hearing a subdued come in from the woman herself. "Hey Molls. They have you all set up, I see." She was alone, no doctors or nurses. He found that a bit strange.

She nodded.

"Listen..."

"He sent you in to collect information," she interrupted, her voice flat and emotionless.

"Molly, I don't know what Moriarty told you, but Sherlock does care. He's been out of his mind with worry."

She turned to John. The look on her face was like nothing he'd ever seen on the perpetually happy young woman. It wasn't even the look of utter rage she had the day she'd run Sherlock's drugs test. It was defeat, it was disappointment, it was disgust. "I'm a case, John. You forget that I know how he is when he's on a case. I've become a puzzle to solve. Once he figures it out I'll be just as unimportant as I always was." She turned her face away once again. "Don't be a fool, John. I mean nothing to him."

Dear God, these two idiots, he thought as he tried to come up with the right words to convince Molly that she was wrong. If he told her the truth right now, she'd never believe him. Jim had done far too good a job of convincing her otherwise. He tried to remember everything he'd learned in med school during his psych rotation and in the army about brainwashing. It wasn't much.

"Molly, you're a smart woman. Don't you think it's possible that you believing all that Moriarty fed you is part of his plan?"

She still wasn't looking at him when she spoke. "He didn't say goodbye."

"What?"

Turning to face him once again she said, "He didn't say goodbye to me when he was leaving to go into exile. I had to find out from our resident psychopath. See? I don't matter. If he really cared about me, he would have at least told me. I'd barely seen him in the months leading up to… what he did. Jim told me by the way. He told me that Sherlock killed that newspaper man to keep something secret. He wouldn't tell me what the secret was."

Every good lie is built on the truth and Sherlock had been at least trying to keep Molly at arm's length for years. Even though he hadn't mentioned it, John was certain that his friend would have been more cautious with Magnussen in the picture. As for not saying goodbye, well, John doubted there had been an opportunity to contact anyone before boarding that plane. Neither he nor Mary had heard from their best friend prior to getting the call from Mycroft about the mission. He and Sherlock had never really talked about it after Molly's disappearance; that seemed to take precedence over everything in their lives, for the most part.

"Molly, Sherlock needs to explain some things- a lot of things actually. But he just told me that he talked to you when he came back. He told you..."

She interrupted him with a scoff. "That I mattered? So who do I believe, John? The psychopath or the sociopath? Was Sherlock just using me… again? Was he sweet-talking me, ensuring that I'd always be available to do his bidding? Do you have any idea how tired I am of being manipulated, John?" Just then another contraction hit and she grabbed for his hand. "Damnit, this hurts!" She grunted and breathed through the pain.

When it finally subsided John asked one more question. "Did he... did Moriarty..."

"If I was raped I don't remember it. No more questions, John. I need ice chips."

As he stepped out into the hallway and stopped the first nurse he saw for ice chips, Sherlock jumped up and started bombarding him with questions. He relayed everything he could, which wasn't much, as a PCA handed him a cup of chipped ice. Sherlock started flinging more questions at John for him to ask Molly. "Look, I'm done! She needs to concentrate on having this baby and you need to think about what I told you." He turned and headed back inside the suite. The doctor had arrived while he was gone.

He looked up from the end of the bed. "And who is this? A birthing partner?"

"John, Richard, my doctor. Richard, John, my… well he's John. You have my chips?" Molly asked.

"Yeah, of course." He spooned some into her mouth.

The doctor removed his gloves. "Almost there Mary. Very soon, I'd say. You're already..." He started to stand up when the door opened and James Moriarty walked in, followed by first Sherlock and a black suited man holding a gun to his head, then Greg in the exact same position.

"Well, looks like it's time for the big show!" Jim clapped his hands together. "Stay where you are, doctor. This isn't exactly what I had planned, but I can work with it. I am adaptable, after all."

"What the hell?" Richard gasped.

"Hold on, before we begin." Moriarty walked over and pressed a few buttons on the electronic keypad that locked and unlocked the door. "There, much better,. Wouldn't want any interruptions," he said, taking his position in the middle of the room. "Hangin' in there, Mary?" he asked looking at Molly as she trembled. "All the players have arrived... the stage is set." He was so happy; it was repulsive. "Well, now that we're all settled in and sorted..." He looked across the whole room expectantly. "Come on! Harry Potter? Goblet of Fire?" He looked up at his goons and they started laughing. "Forget it. I pay you, it's not the same."

"What's going on? This woman is about to give birth," Richard once again spoke up.

"Listen... Richard, right? John won't like it if he has to compete with another heroic doctor. That's his job. So just sit there and catch the wee babe when he comes out. Got it?"

He turned to John. "You'll stay by Mary's side in case she needs anything. After all, you're experienced in the area of doting father, certainly more so than me or Sherly. That'll mean more later." He winked.

"What the hell are you talking about?" John asked.

Jim walked closer to the former army doctor. "You're so dull, you know that John?"

"You sick bastard."

"Let me guess, you think I raped our little Mary here?" He looked at Sherlock. "See? Dull."

"No, I don't, First of all..."

Jim interrupted, "Oh, Oh, let me... you actually think I'm gay!" He was clapping and jumping.

John didn't respond.

"How did you even become a doctor?" Jim said, coming down from his excitement. "Not gay. But I'm not sick. I didn't rape Mary! I drugged her tea and used a turkey baster. Well, I didn't but I paid someone to... I'd never really hurt our Mary. Well not much anyway"

John's attention was suddenly drawn to the woman as she started breathing through a contraction.

"Her name is Molly!" Sherlock growled from across the room

James turned slowly, as the most sickening smile formed on his face. "I love it when I'm right."

John tried to get Jim focused back on him, since he didn't have a gun pointed at his head. "So, you didn't rape her, but she's pregnant. Explain," he demanded.

"You've figured it out, haven't you?" his question was directed at the consulting detective. "Who's the father of Mary's baby, Sherlock?"

Sherlock refused to answer.

"Come on. Stop pouting. If I promise to call her Molly will you play?"

He rolled his eyes, trying to appear calm but John knew better. Sherlock was barely holding it together. "You don't know," he said in a flat voice.

James smiled. "Always so much fun to play with you, Sherlock. Really, you never fail to produce results." He turned and walked back to the centre of the room. "I'll take it from here. Mary- ah Molly- the baby you're about to pop out will either be mine, Sherlock's or John's. Weren't expecting that, were you?"

Molly cried out and grabbed for John. He and Richard looked up at the monitor and the doctor reached for a new set of gloves.

"How?" John asked, his head spinning as he forced himself to focus on Molly. "How could it be mine or Sherlock's?"

Moriarty turned back to Sherlock once again. "You want to or shall I?"

"John did you by chance sell any sperm when you were short on cash upon your return to London after the war?" Sherlock asked, never taking his eyes off of Moriarty.

"Fuck me!"

"No thanks, John. We've been through this." Jim smiled in his general direction then turned back to the consulting detective. "And you?"

"I have my suspicions..."

"Well let's put them to rest, shall we?." He walked over to the table and patted Molly's leg. "I'm truly sorry about this my dear."

"No you're not," she said through gritted teeth.

He smiled and winked at her. "Yeah, you're right." Turning back to Sherlock he said, "Do you have any idea what you get up to when you're high? You were using poor Janine and she was attempting to clear a debt with her boss. It's amazing what a little blackmail can do. For instance, it can make an attractive Irish woman jack off an unconscious junkie into a plastic cup."

All the sane people in the room groaned in unison.

"You sick piece of shit!" Greg said with disgust colouring his features.

"It speaks!" Jim said to the DI. "I didn't have her do it, you moron. Chucky did. I just made a deal for the product. What do they teach you to in Detective Inspector School?" He rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Sherlock.

"What else?" Sherlock asked.

"Oh yes. There is more."

"She's burning up!" John yelled from across the room, once again drawing everyone's attention away from his best friend.

"Well do something, you're a doctor for fuck's sake," Moriarty scolded.

John moved over to the shelves behind the OBGYN and started looking around. "I need a flann... a washcloth. Can you help me?" he asked Molly's doctor.

Richard stood up, knocking over an instrument tray in the process.

"Oh for the love of... This is clearly your first hostage situation, Richard. You don't see John losing his shit, do you?"

John and Richard bent down and started picking up the fallen medical instruments. Then Richard showed John where to find a small towel for Molly's head. He nodded thanks to the younger doctor and went over to the sink to get it wet. He then returned to Molly's side, this time on her right, rather than her left.

Molly suddenly felt something cold and metal touching her right hand. She looked up at John, but he was watching the consulting criminal.

"Aaaaanyhoooo," Jim said getting the focus of the group back on him. "Of course there's more. Here's the deal, Moll Doll. If the baby's mine, I take it and leave you all in peace. If it's one of theirs..." He pointed to Sherlock and John."... I get to kill the daddy. Well, I won't but Wallace or Gromit will do it for me. So." He looked around the room. "Everyone understand?"

He faced Molly once again. "See, I'm not a monster. I'm both kind and benevolent. You have a chance to have Sherlock's baby. He certainly wouldn't have ever given you that."

"Or yours. Or John's," Molly said between harsh breaths.

"Yes, but a thirty-three percent chance isn't bad, Molly. You really should be grateful."

"And then you kill one of them? In front of me, I assume?"

"Well... yes. Where's the fun in doing it in a back alley?" he scoffed. "Are you getting my theme now?"

Molly managed to roll her eyes even though she felt another contraction coming. "I got it a long damn time ago. You're insane!"

"Theme? There's a theme?" Greg asked.

Jim let his head fall back as he looked at the ceiling. "Help me out, Sherlock. I'm getting trigger happy!"

"Molly's pregnant even though she didn't have sex with the father. The name he's given her, Mary Carpenter. Mary, Jesus's mother. And Carpenter, Joseph her husband was a carpenter by trade. Then there's this God forsaken town, Bethlehem." He sighed.

"If I could have managed a manger and livestock, oh... But they're harder to come by than you'd think." James was so thrilled he was practically vibrating with joy.

"Mar- I mean Molly, you're going to have to start pushing. Are you ready?" Richard said as he positioned her legs with John's help.

"No! I'm not fucking ready, you idiot! Did you hear what the psychopath just said?"

John wiped her forehead. "It's gonna be all right, Molly. One step at a time, okay?"

No, it's not. How is that even possible? she thought. "I'm scared, John."

"I know. Can I tell you something?" he whispered. "I am too. But you're having a baby, we have to do that first."

She started crying as she tried to remember her breathing. She hated feeling so weak in front of Jim and Sherlock. "Is it wrong that I don't know who I want the father to be? Am I a horrible person?"

"No, love. You're not. It'll be okay."

"I don't want anyone to die. Or to take my baby."

"Sherlock's here, Molly. He won't let that happen. Do me a favour and look at him. When you're scared, look at Sherlock."

She took a deep shuddering breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them she looked at Sherlock. Oh my God. He never took his eyes from hers. She heard the doctor telling her to push and she felt John holding onto her. She heard Jim cheering and clapping. But she could only see Sherlock Holmes. And she pushed. She pushed and screamed. Oh, God help me it hurts. Don't let it be Sherlock's... or John's or... Oh, what am I supposed to want? She screamed and pushed until she heard a baby crying. Then she collapsed onto the bed.

She was exhausted. John wiped her forehead and kissed her cheek. She couldn't look at the baby; she was still looking at Sherlock, who was still looking at her.

"Who does he look like John?" she finally asked.

"Oh, Molly. Oh God."

"Noooo!" She looked up then to see a baby; he was the spitting image of Sherlock Holmes. The doctor was still holding him. "No. No. No. Please!"

James looked at John. "Cut the cord Uncle Johnny." His voice suddenly cold and dead. He was walking toward Molly.

John made his way toward the baby.

When Moriarty got to Molly he smiled and leaned down. "I lied. I lied and lied. It was always going to be him, you know. Only used his 'product'. Isn't this fun? And you get a keepsake. You're welcome."

"Please Jim, please."

He brushed the sweat-soaked hair out of her face. "Shhh, hush now. I have a genius to kill."

"Wait, please," Molly stopped him. "Can I ask you something?"

He rolled his eyes and bent back down again. "What is it Molly?"

"Why do you always do that?"

He looked puzzled. "Do what?"

"Underestimate me." With one swift move, Molly stabbed the scalpel John had slipped her into Moriarty's neck, slicing his carotid artery. He grabbed for her and for the scalpel as he fell forward onto her but she quickly dropped it onto the floor. Blood poured out of him, covering her.

All hell broke loose across the room, but Molly was almost too stunned to take it in. She watched as James Moriarty died, his bloody body finally slipping off of her and falling to the floor. Looking up she saw Sherlock struggling with goon number one, though he seemed to have the upper hand.

Richard, still holding the baby, crawled to the right side of the delivery table. John, scalpel in hand, wasted no time in assisting Greg and Sherlock in disarming the hired guns. It was over almost before it began. One of the thugs managed to get a shot off, winging Greg in the upper arm. His was the only real injury to speak of - aside from Moriarty, of course. And no one was lamenting his death.

Less than ten minutes after the death of James Moriarty hospital Security had the other two in custody and were questioning Sherlock, John and Greg. Local police were on their way.

A different doctor came and finished up the delivery, taking care of the placenta and checking Molly for tears. She was cleaned up since most of her upper body had been covered in Jim's blood. She gratefully allowed three pushy nurses to scrub her clean while her baby was weighed and tested. They made prints of his hands and feet. They fed him and gave him his first bath.

Finally settled into a room, they wheeled him in. But not alone. A social worker and police detective came in as well. Molly said she'd answer questions, but only if she could see her baby. The nurse handed him over to her. He was perfect, absolutely perfect. A mass of dark brown hair, blue eyes... he looked like his father though he might have her nose, it was too early to tell. She smelled his head, then kissed his cheeks. But the moment wasn't to last.

"Miss Carpenter..."

"Hooper. My name is Dr. Molly Hooper."

"Sorry, of course. I have that here, my apologies. Dr. Hooper. I'm Detective Peace. I need to ask you some questions."

Okay, so now we know! It's SHERLOCK'S baby! I hope you all liked this chapter please let me know. Lots more to come. Thanks for reading. ~Lil~