Okay, something is wrong with my email. I received two emails telling me that the last chapter had just two reviews, I checked and the chapter actually had six reviews. So, something's wrong and I'm not receiving alerts about reviews, PMs, anything. I don't know if something's wrong with my email or the site. Well, I'll figure it out, at least I don't have any problem updating the story :D
Weeeell, thank you so much for your reviews, I love reading them! Enjoy this chapter :)
Disclaimer: I do not own BBC's characters but I own my characters (old and new hehe).
A/N: English is not my first language and this chapter was not beta'd.
Sherlock tried his best with Sam. He knew he was important for Molly and he actually liked the boy. He was silent and he liked to observe him when he was thinking and even if sometimes he was too much active, Sherlock didn't mind having him around. He realized the child's mind was very open and he somehow felt connected to Sam.
It was a warm afternoon of August when Sherlock agreed to go to the park. He really didn't like open places, especially the park, but Sam wanted to play with some friends he had made over the summer and of course Molly was taking him there. Sherlock always complained about how little time Molly spent with him and she told him he had to bear with her routines if he wanted to be with her.
"I don't see what people like about playing in the park" he said, his arms lying open on the bench, Molly laughing beside him.
"It's good fun. That's what kids love to do" Molly replied.
"It's boring" Sherlock said. Molly shook her head, laughing and in that moment a woman approached them.
"Molly!" she said, pushing a stroller. Molly's face lit up as she stood up and hugged her friend. At least, Sherlock deduced she was.
"Anna! I wasn't expecting to see you here" she said, kissing her cheeks.
"It's time baby Ed sees the light" she answered, showing Molly the baby in the stroller. Molly smiled when she saw the little boy move animatedly.
"He's so cute" she said. Anna smiled and then saw Sherlock sitting in the same bench where Molly was before. Molly noticed where she was looking and took a few steps back.
"Oh, Anna, this-this is Sherlock. Sherlock, this is Anna" she said introducing them. They both shook hands.
"Nice to meet you" Anna said politely, trying to hide her smirk. Of course she knew who he was.
"Nice to meet you, too" Sherlock said, trying to hide his fake smile.
"Anna is Matthew's mother, you know, Sam's friend" Molly explained. Sherlock simply nodded. No, he really didn't like parks. Molly quickly turned towards Anna who was now picking up Ed.
"Would you like to hold him?" Anna asked. Sherlock saw something new in Molly's eyes, something...bright. Molly took the baby and sat down, smiling at the tiny baby.
Three-months-old, obviously a boy. Mother's nose, father's eyebrows as they are not similar to his mother's and are more butch. Right handed. Very active child. Sherlock thought that maybe parks weren't that bad. It kept his mind trained. Anna's phone suddenly rang.
"Oh God, sorry, I have to pick this" she said getting up. Molly kept her smile on her face, playing with the boy's hand. Sherlock looked at her and quickly deduced her. It wasn't that hard.
Holds the baby carefully, afraid to drop him. Bright eyes, which means extreme happiness. There's also sadness. Must be the sister's unborn child. Big smile. Soft voice. Loves the baby's hand, smiles even brighter when the boy grabs her fingers. Very happy indeed. His mind stopped for a moment. Children: are they part of making people you care about happy? He shook that thought away and hid it in a corner in his mind palace, under the "How to make Molly happy" folder.
"You look happy" he said. Molly almost jumped, as if she forgot he was there with her.
"Oh, well, babies always make me happy. They're...cute" she replied and cursed herself for saying cute. Sherlock believed that word was utterly useless.
"I believe they are what you call cute" he replied, taking her by surprise. Molly kept her eyes on the baby who was now peacefully sleeping in her arms.
"You have a magic touch, I see" he said.
"It seems so. When Sam was a baby, Melissa often asked me to help her. I always managed to calm him down" she replied and the sadness Sherlock saw before was now covering every piece of joy.
"I'm sorry" he said. She understood he was talking about the unborn baby.
"No it's okay. I mean, it's going to be okay" she said, holding back her tears. It wasn't that hard, the baby's voice put joy back into her eyes. Anna came back and took back her baby, leaving the two of them alone since she preferred to walk around the park. Molly leaned on Sherlock's shoulder and watched Sam play with Matthew. Sherlock could feel Molly thinking and smiled.
"What are you thinking of?" he asked.
"Sam. He looks happy. He has friends here" she said.
"You have friends here, too" he pointed out. He wanted her to remember that she had friends there and that she didn't have to go back to her home town to find some.
"I know. I just think that it's good that he has friends here" she said. Sherlock didn't quite understand what she was trying to say but was glad he needn't to ask, as Molly got up and fetched Sam, heading back home.
Molly decided dinner with everyone was a good idea. She invited Sherlock, John, Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson over to her place for dinner and Sam was quite happy to have so many people around. Her apartment wasn't that big but her table had enough places for all of them. Sam helped his aunt cooking dinner and he happily set the table. Around seven, the doorbell rang.
"Am I early?" Greg asked as Molly opened the door.
"No, no, come in!" she said stepping apart. Lestrade smiled and when she closed the door, he handed her a bottle of wine he had brought a few hours before.
"Oh thank you! I've just finished it" Molly said, taking it.
"We can't have dinner without wine" he said. Sam suddenly appeared next to Lestrade and dragged him by his coat towards the couch. There, he picked up a book that Molly had bought him the day before and showed it to him. Molly observed the two and saw how good Lestrade was with children. It never crossed her mind before that day.
"Greg, do you have any children?" she asked.
"Yes, two. A boy and a girl. Well, actually, they're both off to university" he replied. Molly poured the wine in two glasses and handed one to Greg, sitting in a chair next to them.
"I didn't know you had children. What are they like?" she asked.
"They're really mature for their age, actually. Ewan is 25 years old and is studying physics at the Oxford University. Anne on her side wants to be like me. She's 21 and she's at the Academy now" Greg said.
"You and your wife must be so proud" Molly exclaimed.
"I am but Jenny isn't happy with Anne's choice. I think that's why we divorced, she thought I brought nothing but trouble" he said, sipping his wine.
"Oh, so you divorced?" Molly asked.
"Yeah, three months ago" Greg answered, smiling. He didn't look sad about it. The doorbell rang again and Molly opened the door, the rest of her guests coming in.
"Oh, what a lovely place" Mrs. Hudson said, putting her jacket on the hanger. Sherlock immediately took Molly by the waist and kissed her. She did not expect him to show his feelings so much but she didn't mind. No, she really didn't mind.
"You smell nice" he said. Molly gave him a curious look and laughed.
"Thanks, I guess" she replied, walking towards the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready in ten minutes". Mrs. Hudson followed Molly and helped her while the boys, as Mrs. Hudson kept calling them, took their places around the table. Sherlock and Lestrade both sat at the heads of the tables, while John sat next to Sherlock. He expected Sam to wait for Molly to sit down to take his own place but instead he sat between John and Lestrade, smiling happily. Molly and Mrs. Hudson joined them a few minutes later, with dinner and wine. A few meals later, everyone was talking animatedly when Sherlock noticed that Lestrade was playing with Sam.
"Why are you practising with kids now that you're divorced, Lestrade?" Sherlock asked, drinking his wine. Greg sighed and smiled down at Sam who was now giggling.
"I don't need any practice, I already have children" he replied and prepared himself for the next question.
"Do you?" Sherlock asked, quite shocked. So was John.
"Yes, I do. Ewan and Anne, he's studying physics and she's studying to be an Inspector, just like her father" Lestrade answered, smiling proudly.
"You're joking" Sherlock said.
"Nope".
"Why would your daughter want to be like you?".
"Because maybe I was good enough as a father for her to look up to".
"Children don't want to look up to their parents".
"I don't expect you to understand and hopefully never will". The room fell silent for a moment, Lestrade biting his lower lip, Mrs. Hudson giving him a 'what-have-you-done' look and Sherlock staring at him. John was the only one who was looking at Molly. Sam just didn't understand what was going on. Molly carefully put her glass on the table, Sherlock now looking at her. Children again, he thought.
"I mean..." Lestrade began but Molly's phone rang and almost everyone let out a sigh of relief. Molly picked it up and tried to sound cheerful.
"Hi, Ethan" Molly said, answering the call. Sam's eyes lit up.
"Daddy!" he yelped, jumping up and reaching Molly. He waited impatiently, bouncing on his feet.
"Oh, really? That's good! I'm happy for you. Yeah, Sam's here" she said and handed the cell phone to Sam, ruffling his hair. "It's dad".
"Daddy!" Sam said happily, taking the phone. He sat on the couch and Molly went back to the table.
"It's Ethan. He finally found a job and a new home near London" she announced, glad she had something to talk about.
"Oh, that's good! Where?" John asked.
"Crawley, it's an hour from here and it's still close to Brighton, Sam won't be that far from his grandma" she said quite happily.
"Do Ethan's parents live near Brighton?" John asked.
"No, actually, they live in Coventry. They don't get to see Sam often" she answered. Sam appeared near to Molly and handed her the cell phone back, smiling.
"What did dad tell you?" she asked.
"He said he found a new home but it's not that far from Brighton" he replied. "I'm going to miss my friends but I'll make new ones! Dad sounded happy".
"Good. Go back to your seat" she said and Sam obeyed, jumping into his chair. Mrs. Hudson suddenly stood up and told everyone she had brought a cake she'd made that afternoon and everyone was more than happy to have still place in their stomach for a slice of cake.
Around midnight, everyone was slowly making their way out of the door, John yawning.
"Thanks for dinner, Molly, it was delicious" John said, his eyes sleepy.
"It was my pleasure. I'm glad you enjoyed it" she replied.
"Oh, dear, could you please help me?" Mrs. Hudson suddenly said appearing behind John. "I think Inspector Lestrade is a little bit...too drunk. He's singing". John turned around and saw Lestrade make his way down the stairs, staggering and singing.
"Uhm, I better help him. Goodnight Molly" he said running after his drunk friend. Mrs. Hudson kissed both her cheeks and left, telling Sherlock they would wait for him downstairs. Sherlock took his coat and stood in front of Molly.
"I think you should hurry up and help John with Greg" she said laughing. Sherlock frowned hearing Lestrade's first name.
"He surely doesn't need my help, he's capable of doing it alone" he answered. He put his coat on and kissed her goodnight but before turning around, he stopped.
"Molly...about what Lestrade said earlier, at dinner...about...you know, children..." he began but Molly interrupted him, placing her hands on his chest. She was almost panicking.
"There's nothing to talk about, Sherlock. Really" she said, giving him one of her best smiles. He smiled back but he was unsure and Molly noticed it. "Anyway, it's not something we should talk about on my doorstep when you're about to leave!" she added.
"You looked upset" he insisted. Molly sighed and fixed his collar.
"It's way too early to talk about children, don't you think?" she asked and Sherlock nodded. She leaned in and gave him a quick but soft kiss on the lips. "Goodnight, Sherlock".
"Goodnight Molly" he said and almost ran downstairs, where Greg was now lying in the cab, his friends waiting for him. Molly locked the door and tidied up the kitchen. After brushing her teeth and putting her pyjama on, she slipped into bed next to Sam. He had fallen asleep on the couch almost two hours before and Mrs. Hudson had helped her to put him to bed. He was sleeping soundly. She put her arms around his little body and rested her head above his.
"Sweet dreams, my boy" she whispered, falling asleep.
Ooooh, Sherlock asking about babies :3
I don't know if Sherlock is too OOC but I hope not. If he is, forgive me! Like someone said in a review a while ago, Sherlock is going to be a bit OOC if he's going to feeeeeel something ;)
See ya next chapter, folks!
