DID I MENTION THAT I'M BACK TO SCHOOL? Not trying to excuse myself, but I've been busy, I got sucked up on the outside world.

I found that I had some (very little) social life left. And very stubborn friends insisting on me going to some parties. George's birthday (my violinist friend), pajama party at Yaya's, Valentine's Day festivities (by the way, happy valentine's day to all of you!), and now I have Zamara's birthday (which I'm three hours late for). PLUS homework.

Sorry for being so selfish, I know it's been more than a week, but I kinda missed my close friends during the break, and I just couldn't say no.

For the record, Saturday I hung out with a friend, and her almost-brother friend which I'm desperately in love with, but won't look my way… *sigh* I'm sorry, I have to vent out that kind of stuff, it's therapeutic.


He would have been surprised to find himself laying on his back with her sleeping head resting atop his chest, threading his fingers through her hair and rubbing circles on her round stomach.

Had he acknowledged there was something to be surprised about, he would have been surprised to find that there was no sexuality to the situation, no hidden purposes, no secret agendas, no wariness nor any feeling of discomfort.

He was just holding her, simple as that.

But he wasn't surprised because he didn't find himself.

He wasn't thinking about it. His fingers knotted in her curls on their own accord, his impatience unconsciously made his other hand go looking for a way to be closer to the unborn creature.

He wasn't thinking. He wasn't detecting, he wasn't deducing, he wasn't theorizing, he wasn't planning, he wasn't resolving.

That itself would have been a worthy reason for world-wide panic. The most objective thinking machine… wasn't thinking. He would have shuddered at the thought, but then again, he wasn't having any thoughts.

And had he been thinking, he would have wondered how he lived through so many mysteries without that single moment of peace.


"I shall be back before noon" called Holmes from the door as he was putting on his coat and hat. At her sigh, he couldn't keep from smiling.

He walked back to the bed, resting a hand on her shoulder. Her green orbs locked in his in a way that frustrated him on an emotional level, for he stopped detecting, deducing, theorizing, planning, resolving… he just felt. He was left alone with his instincts, which he considered to be his worst enemies.

Yet, as akin to reading people as they both were, it became one of their instincts. The milimetrical degree that his head lowered and the fraction of a second his eyes moved to her mouth were far too evident for her.

So she closed her eyes and raised her head, waiting. As if breaking a spell, the absence of her gaze made his mind wake up, just in time for him to see how much of a coward he was.

She was almost disappointed when she felt his lips brush her forehead. "Goodbye Irene" he breathed, it came out more like an apology. Then he leaned down and kissed the peak of her belly "Goodbye Cleo" before rushing out the door.

She sighed again, feeling unbelievably stupid. Then confused, then angry. She didn't come out of that one.

As if to bother her even more, Mrs. Hudson decided to play professor. Since she was recently allowed to leave her bed, she went downstairs and found herself in a cooking lesson, then in a cleaning-the-mess-you-made lesson; sewing, washing clothes, more knitting and some basic baby caring.

Somehow, Irene convinced her to go out of the house, and she got a shopping-for-baby-clothes lesson.

The housewife sensation intensified further, making her wonder just how much more she would have to endure.

That, though, wasn't the detonating factor.

Ten minutes past noon they walked into 221b Baker Street, and were greeted by a loud thump coming from upstairs. Ignoring Mrs. Hudson's warnings she ran as fast as her condition would let her; standing in the middle of her room was Holmes, beside him a broken chair and some broken glass. When he noticed her, he almost sighed in relief. Almost. "Where have you been?" his voice tight with concealed anger, she was a little scared.

"We went shopping". He examinated her as if looking for injuries, before going up to her crushing her to his chest.

"Next time, make sure you leave a note". His arms were wrapped tight around her, but not as tight as his mind was. His desperation, far from touching her, suffocated her.

Her mind started planning; she would not become a housewife, not even for him.


That night, he sat in a new chair, watching her from his usual spot at feet of her bed. She pretended not to know as she stared pensively out the window. Of course, he knew she was pretending, that's why he didn't falter.

Her coldness released his mind from the foolish thoughts that had taken over him. She had started to pretend again. He stopped trusting her. Again.

The next day, she was all smiles. They would have been just as beautiful, if they had been genuine.

He decided to follow her lead, and soon they were back on their routine. Maybe he wanted to stay a fool, maybe he wanted to please her, maybe he was just trying to keep her. It was a good thing nobody asked him why.


"So will you be back before dinner" Irene asked as she chewed on an apple.

"Yes, and I will bring Watson to check on you". She tried not to roll her eyes. With the usual kiss on her cheek, he left.

She would have never imagined how much she would actually need him.

Always in time, Watson and Holmes walked through the main door just before seven. But dinner was far from ready.

"Good lord! You've finally arrived" cried Mrs. Hudson, coming out of the kitchen. She was carefully carrying a bowl filled with steaming water.

"What's the matter, Mrs. Hudson?" asked Watson as he politely took the heavy bowl from her.

"The time has come".

A reflex thought crossed his head. I'm going to be a father. He flinched as he mentally slapped himself.

He was glad nobody else heard that. It would be the first time in his life he felt embarrassed.

When did his thoughts become so foolish?

Attempting to let it go unnoticed, he changed it to she's finally here.

Cleo. That was all she should be to him.


About the question, I didn't decide, I forgot to ask =P, so it's still open (until I write next chapter)

Did I tell you how sorry I am for taking so long? Doesn't matter, I'll say it again. I'm sorry!!