John smiled, leaving Rosie in her walker before heading towards the front door to answer it.
When he opened it, he found Sherlock standing there with two duffel bags.
"Clothes. Violin." He simply said before entering.
John nodded, although he couldn't see him. "How was your hospital stay?"
"Annoying. Mother couldn't stop coddling me and Father couldn't be arsed." Sherlock replied, heading straight for Rosie. "Hello, Miss Rosie. Did you miss me?"
Rosie gurgled, surprising him with what sounded like a 'yes'.
"She's becoming more and more clever every day," John stated. "She's due for a nap, do you mind? I have to do the laundry."
"Not at all," Sherlock responded, settling the child against his chest. "You'll have to be careful," he whispered gently to her. "I have three broken ribs. Horrible, I know."
Rosie gave a small smile and placed her thumb in her mouth, sighing in content as her blue eyes studied Sherlock's darker ones.
"That's a bad habit but who am I to stop you?" Sherlock could envision doing this with his own child but for now, his goddaughter would suffice.
John soon left them to their own devices and Sherlock sat down on the sofa, cradling the small child.
"Your... Aunt Molly will not be around lately but I hope to change her mind. I'm sure that she will visit you soon."
John sighed as he reentered, holding a basket full of baby clothing. "Actually, we went to see her yesterday. She's leaving and she's definite about that."
"You... you said goodbye?"
"It was more to Rosie than me but yes, we said goodbye." John frowned. "I couldn't convince her to stay."
Sherlock turned away, tears threatening to fall. Where were all these emotions coming from? "If you, her dear friend, cannot convince her then how can I?"
John almost looked desperate. "Try, Sherlock. Try." With that, he continued with his laundry duties, leaving Rosie fast asleep on his best friend's chest who gripped her as tightly as he could without smothering her.
...
Mycroft gave three sharp knocks on the door, ignoring the doorbell. The doorbell was just utterly lazy.
The door opened, well, it was sort of yanked open aggressively.
"Oh! Mycroft, hi. I-I thought that you were the removal services. They've pretty much ditched me, right now."
Mycroft gave a curt nod. "I can have someone here within fifteen minutes. I wish you had told me earlier."
Molly sighed, letting him as she crossed her arms. "I was not expecting them to fail me."
"How are you? How are the children?"
The young doctor gave a small smile. "You may not show it but I know you love them already."
"Blood is mostly thicker than water." Her children's uncle replied. "Unless you have a psychopathic sibling and mundane parents."
Molly giggled, offering a cup of tea which he happily accepted. "So... Have you spoken to Sherlock about my leaving today?"
"No. I have not informed him of your departure today. He only knows that you are leaving as you simply told him."
She rubbed her arm, turning to face Toby who was slyly curling up around Mycroft's legs.
"I want this to go as smoothly and as quickly as possible, please. I cannot bear another day with anything reminding me of him. I also want you to help me return some of his belongings."
"Such as?"
Molly shrugged. "Menial things - robe, toothbrush, clothes. Things he left when he was staying."
Mycroft nodded. "I will have the removal service pick that up for me. Dr Hooper... Sherlock has recently purchased some things."
"Such as?" Molly asked.
"A bracelet. And another thing I cannot put my finger on." He said, lying about the other thing. "I believe he wishes to give them to you as soon as possible."
Molly almost whined. She didn't want to see him. They'd already said their goodbyes.
"D-Does he really have to do that? I mean it's not that important, is it? A bracelet... Intimate but, we're not together or anything. It's kind of unnerving."
"He does not wish to make you uncomfortable regarding your current relationship status. He merely wants you to have something to remember him by."
The brunette female nodded, rubbing her face before picking her cat up. "I'll... deal with it."
Mycroft gave her a soft smile, standing up. "Thank you. He is already broken and I do not wish for any more teenage drama to occur."
She chuckled and led him to the door. "You'll look after him for me, won't you? For... us."
Mycroft glanced down at her stomach where she was not prominently showing yet. "For all of you, I'll do my best but you do forget, I am the British Government. Although I claim that title, I cannot control Sherlock's actions. Whether he continues to use after your departure is up to him."
"I know... I just needed you to assure me," she mumbled.
He frowned, placing a stiff hand on her shoulder, not used to showing affection all that much. "I assure you that I will do everything I can to make sure he stays the man you love."
Relief passed through her and she lunged herself at him, giving him a tight hug. "Thank you."
After he had left, Molly proceeded to wait for the removal services. When they had come and left, leaving her tired at 7 PM at night, she finally settled onto her blanket-covered floor as her bed and sofa had both been taken to be shipped.
She made herself comfortable with some candles, a romance book and her woolly jumper for a pillow and sighed in content, picking her bookmark out of its niche to read the current page she was on.
She soon fell asleep just as arms slipped around her waist.
...
Sherlock kept his intense eyes on Eurus who played beautifully along with him, making their parents proud of such a grandeur show.
His sharp bow movements on his tilted violin almost relaxed him and he forgot that he had any romantical issues for that mere hour and a half that he played with his sister, identical to his movements.
He longed to wrap his arms around Molly, kissing her, hugging her, snuggling her. He closed his eyes and Eurus frowned, her playing becoming more dramatic as each second that he had his eyes closed went by.
Mycroft tilted his head to face Sherlock with a frown before turning to face their sister with vengeance in her eyes. Jealousy at whoever had his attention
"Sherlock," he whispered.
Sherlock opened his blue eyes, keeping them trained on Eurus. She had now started to play normally.
"Don't they play splendidly, my boys?" Mrs Holmes asked, turning to face her eldest sons.
Sherrinford chuckled, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Well, according to you, I have no sense of musical talent or appreciation so they get a mere 'humph' from me."
"Don't be rude, 'Ford." Their father scolded lightly.
Mycroft chuckled at his brother's comment and continued to nod his head to the music. "I agree with Mummy, 'Ford. They do play best when they're together."
Sherlock drew the piece to an end and placed his violin down back into its case and into his bag.
"That piece..." Eurus suddenly said, gaining his full attention as well as their family's. "It was... sadder than normal. Who is plaguing your mind?"
"No one."
"You were thinking about her. That... woman. Does she have more value than I do?"
Sherlock glanced to the sides, continuing to zip up his bag. "She will always hold more value than you."
With that, he stood up, bag in hand and left back up the lift.
He was glad for the waiting helicopter and closed his eyes, sighing in relief. Although it was easier to communicate with his sister, she still had the tendency to pry into his private matters. According to him, she was still a stranger.
When he arrived back in London, he told the waiting car to take him to his 'second usual place' and the driver complied, keeping his eyes on the road as Sherlock kept his on the dark streets of London.
After arriving, he collected his bag and dug into his pockets for his spare key.
Don't tell me I've lost it... I'm not in the mood for this, he thought.
Fishing it finally out of his inside pocket, he unlocked the door and quietly entered, the warm illuminated living room calming him.
He took his coat off, placed his bag on the floor by the door and sat down on the ground, lying on his side.
He then proceeded to dig into his pocket and retrieve two boxes reaching over to place it down on the floor. After that, did he then wrap his arms smoothly around her waist and dig his head into her neck, smelling her scent.
"Goodnight, Molly. This is our official goodbye."