Like I promised here's a little Sherlock and Annabelle bonding! Hope everyone is having a good week and thanks so much for reviewing! Enjoy! And just to clear it up because it isn't mentioned in the chapter, Annabelle is about two here. We're jumping ahead a little here.
Ever After
Annabelle tugs on the collar of Sherlock's coat as he lifts her onto his shoulder, shielding his eyes from the very welcome rays of sun. The tiger behind the glass in front of them paces, low growls echoing through the enclosure.
"Daddy get closer!" she squeals, giggling when he walks right up to the glass and sets her on the floor, the animal paying her no attention. She places her hand on the glass, smiling up at her dad in awe with twinkling green eyes.
She walks back to Sherlock and holds her arms up, letting him see she no longer wishes to walk and he picks her up in one fluid motion.
"And what would you like to see next little lady?" he kisses her cheek smudged with the residue of the chocolate ice cream they had shared, wiping it away with his thumb.
At the question her face lights up and she claps her hands together.
"Monkeys!" she cries and he just smiles and walks in the direction of the monkey habitat, listening to her talk and laugh.
The decision to come to the zoo had been an impulse, a lazy day that started on the couch had morphed into a boredom Sherlock couldn't control and the rare sunshine that covered the city made the need to go out and do something even stronger.
With a quick phone call to Molly he laid out his plan and bundled Annabelle up, the promise that they would see all the animals she had practically dragged him out of the flat in a fit of excitement. So far they had covered half the park and it was just a little past one in the afternoon.
He can tell she's getting tired, not wanting to walk very far before she asks for his assistance and he swings her onto his shoulder and listens to her laugh. He approaches the monkeys now and tiny feet swing back and forth, bumping his chest.
"which one do you like best?" he asks, squinting against the light to see them all. Annabelle folds her tiny arms across her chest and cocks her head to the side before she points.
"That one!" Sherlock follows her gaze and sees the smallest of the monkeys, sitting on the floor of the makeshift jungle and staring at the crowd around it. He smiles and looks up at her.
"And why is he your favorite?"
"He has hair like yours." She says simply and Sherlock laughs loudly, ruffling her hair in response.
"You're a very silly girl you know." Annabelle smiles proudly and nods her head. He only shakes his head and laughs again.
Watching her grow has been one of the most life changing experiences he's ever been a part of, and now that she walks and talks he finds out more about her every day. She's quickly gained a personality of her own, with Molly's compassion and his want to learn new things.
Each night he watches as Molly reads her a story, running her fingers through the thick black curls as they take turns flipping the pages. When the story is finished she waits for Sherlock to come in and tuck the blanket around her, his deep voice something like a lullaby to her.
It almost pains him to realize the same little girl he's watching right now, running and laughing and talking is the same tiny baby he's cherished since day one. It's a gentle reminder to be thankful for every little moment between them, no matter how small. With new found energy he scoops her up again and starts jogging down the concrete path and she wiggles in his arms and grips him tightly.
"Daddy!" she tries to protest but her laughter interrupts.
All Sherlock does is keep running. Smiling.
"If we don't hurry we won't get to see the giraffes!"
