Greg blearily wandered down the hallways of the hospital. He was exhausted. He's spent hours with John, worrying, hoping, comforting. He can't remember the last time he slept, but according to his calculations, it had to have been around 36 hours ago. He moved slowly down the corridor on autopilot, but he was on a mission. He kept walking until he approached a set of double doors leading to an area with a large plexiglass window. He peered in and saw tons of little bassinets, each holding a new life recently ushered into the world. He scanned the room until he'd found what he was looking for.

'Baby Boy Watson A' and 'Baby Boy Watson B' were what the cards read and Greg looked at the squirming bundles who were restlessly trying to figure out their new environment. He'd seen them when they were just born, Baby A was definitely going to be a blond, while Baby B had a smattering of chocolate-colored wisps growing from his head. He beamed at them and waved through the glass.

"Which one's yours, mate?" A gruff voice with a thick Irish accent called from over his shoulder. Greg turned and was face to face with a man holding a video camera with an actual camera hanging from his neck. He also had several buttons on his shirt that read, 'It's a girl.'

"Uh, those two...just there." He said, pointing out the babies.

"Two? Good luck there!" the man chuckled. "That's my little princess right over here." he said, pointing out his own newborn.

"She's beautiful," Greg responded politely. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, you too. I can't believe it, y'know. I'm a parent! I've never been so happy and so terrified in all me life."

"I know how you feel." Greg responded, looking back over at the boys. He was just in awe of everything they did, while it may not have been much, it was everything to Greg. He knew he wasn't genetically related to them, and that would always bother him a little bit, but that didn't stop him from loving them as if they were. He already had so many plans, so much he wanted to do with them, to teach them. Greg Lestrade was hooked.

"You got any names lined up?" the other new father asked amicably.

"We have a few, but I'm going to let their other father decide."

"I see. Well, allow me to introduce you to Caitlin Michelle McAuley. My name's Kieran, by the by."

"Greg," he stated, shaking Kieran's hands. "That's a beautiful name."

"She's named for the most beautiful woman in the world, her mother. Looks just like her, bless her. Already got me wrapped 'round her wee finger and not even a day old. She's her mother's daughter, all right."

Greg sat and listened as Kieran gushed with pride over his little family and wondered if he looked as happy as Kieran did, or even as he felt. After a while, Greg figured that John would be waking up from his drug induced sleep and figured he should get back.

"Congrats again, mate," Greg said patting Kieran on the back. "You'll be a great dad."

"Thanks. You too." Kieran said returning to the window to stare at his daughter some more.

John was lying in bed staring at the ceiling. He'd done it. He'd become a father. He'd given birth to children...Sherlock's children. He once again cursed Sherlock for doing what he did. He'd never meet the children he helped create. He'd never get to try to be the parent that neither of them had, but desperately wanted to be. He'd given up so much when he killed himself.

Now, he has Greg. It came as just as much of a shock as his relationship with Sherlock. They were so different it was crazy. Where Sherlock was coarse and boorish, Greg was gentle and polite. Sherlock had his secrecy, but Greg was an open book. Sherlock struggled with things like affection, while Greg gave it in large supply. John was glad Greg stepped into his life as not only a friend but a partner. He could already tell that he loved the boys immensely and loved the idea of being their father.

Would he tell them about Sherlock one day? About how they came to be? Perhaps, sometime down the line when they were mature enough to handle it, he figured.

He was jolted from his thoughts by Greg entering his room.

"Hey, you're up." He whispered.

"Yeah, just barely. Those drugs take a lot out of you. Childbirth doesn't really help either." He chuckled.

"I'd imagine. They're beautiful, John. They really are."

"Thanks. We Watsons are always cute babies." he joked.

"Yeah...about that. I was wondering if...if we could make their last name Lestrade instead."

"I-I don't know, Greg. I mean I love you for stepping in as their dad, but I really don't want you to feel like you have to take on so much at once."

"Well, y'see...the thing is...I was wondering if maybe you'd make your last name Lestrade, as well."

"W-what?"

Greg then leaned against the bed and pulled something out of his pocket before getting down on one knee.

"You've given me so much in the past few months, more than I ever hoped you'd be able to or want to give me. We may not have known each other for decades, but I feel closer to you than anyone else in the world. Will you, John Hamish Watson, marry me?"

John began to exhale quite rapidly. He stared at Greg in shock.

"Greg, you're serious, about this aren't you?"

"I am. I want us to be even more of a family than we already are."

"But Greg, you sure that you want it to be me? I mean I have so much emotional baggage and..."

"We aren't meeting for the first time. I know almost everything there is to know about you and I love it all."

"What if we don't work out? Like your ex? I mean, I don't want to..."

"What do you feel right now?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"I-I feel...like I love you. I appreciate everything you've done for me, and how happy you've made me in a time where I didn't think happiness would be an option."

"Then we can make it work. As long as I've got you three, I'll never let go."

"Fine..."

"Fine?"

"Yeah...I guess, I'll marry you, ya great softie."

Greg leapt from the floor and wrapped his arms around John.

"ARGH! Still in pain!" John yelled. Greg hopped back off.

"Sorry!"

"It's all right," John panted clutching his side.

"So, now that we've got their last names settled, we should probably give them first names." Greg suggested.

"I've already chosen them. Lucas Gregory and Nigel Johnathan."

"Which is which?"

"Lucas is the blond and Nigel is the brunet. Their names mean 'light' and 'dark'"

"That's actually pretty well thought out," Greg praised.

"Well, I'm no Sherlock, but I get by." he said softly. It was getting easier and easier to say his name and joke around about him, but the look on John's face at the moment said that he still had a long way to go.

"Well, a parent and engaged all in one day. How do you do it, Dr. Watson?"

"Elementary, my dear Lestrade."