==Epilogue==

What Will The New Year Bring?

"My soul will find yours."
― Jude Deveraux, A Knight in Shining Armor

Shh shh shh chink. Mrs. Hudson stopped sweeping with a frown and lifted the shovel for closer inspection. There was definitely something shiny in amongst the ashes. Shards of glass... and a long, thin piece of blackened metal... good God. The landlady's hand flew to her heart, tears spilling over. Thank you, dear Father... Then Mrs. Hudson blew her nose, and got on with laying the new fire.

"C'mon, Sally, just take it already!" Beth tried her hardest not to bounce with impatience as Sally fussed over Sherlock and John, trying to get them in just the right pose. "You know it's gonna turn out okay, anyway!"

"I know, I know..." Sally finally turned back to her new camera, set up on its tripod. "You guys ready?" She laughed nervously – she hadn't taken a picture this important since Wester Drumlins! "God, it feels so weird not telling you to smile!"

The two men looked at each other for a moment, already having difficulty keeping from smiling with their wives present and being so delightful.

"Oi, you two," Beth grinned, "eyes front!"

Sherlock and John meekly did as they were told, facing forward and putting on neutral expressions.

"Here we go..." Biting her lip, Sally opened the shutter, counted down, closed the shutter again. "Okay, I think that's done it!"

Beth squealed noiselessly. "I can't wait till you get it developed!"

That night, Beth flopped onto the bed, pulling out her phone and opening the photo on it. She shook her head. "I can't believe it... all this time I've had this, and I only just watched it being taken!"

Holmes sat beside her and peered over her shoulder at the image. "Is Sally going to develop it herself?"

"Not this first one. She still needs to get the right chemicals and set things up in the bathroom, so she'll take this one in to be done professionally."

He nodded thoughtfully. "And then what? Do you have any idea of how the Lestrades came to possess it?"

She made a sound of frustration. "None. I don't know how John's journals ended up in my attic either—why aren't they with his descendants? It's always bugged me..." Unless... unless they did stay with his descendants... She pulled up her phone's browser and found a genealogy site, inputting her family data as far as she knew it.

He watched her working with a wry smile. "You know, this could probably be called cheating now."

She didn't look up, still typing. "I could not care less. I have had the Internet all my life, barring a few horrible months during which I could have used it the most, and I am not giving it up now..." She clicked "Generate" and waited for her results.

"No, I just meant... oh, never mind. I suppose if we're going to be time travelling regularly, knowing the family tree in detail could be rather useful."

Beth nodded happily, still waiting for the results to come through. "Oh, come on," she told her phone, "come on."

Holmes chuckled, putting his arm around her and kissing her cheek. "Patience, love."

She smiled at the kiss. "What is this 'patience' you speak of... Ah-ha!" The page loaded with a family tree that required Beth to scroll down to go further back in time. Her eyes widened when she came across a very familiar surname, and she clicked on the name to open up that branch of the family.

Two generations down were John's and Sally's names.

She gasped. "Oh... my gosh..."

"Good heavens," Holmes murmured, a bemused smile slowly widening. A Watson-Lestrade wedding...

"I... I was right... wow... that's how..." She shook her head, trying to clear it—even after everything she'd experienced over the past few years, this was still a shock. "I thought... I thought maybe... why else would their things end up in my family...? But... wow..."

He chuckled delightedly. "So that makes Sally your... how many times great grandmother?"

Beth hadn't been paying attention to how many generations there were, and she couldn't offhand remember how many generations back Geoffrey Lestrade was. "I'm not sure..." She brightened. "But. That makes your best friend your so-many-times great-grandfather-in-law."

Holmes gave a bark of laughter, he hadn't thought of that! "So I could have asked his permission to marry you!"

She smiled cheekily. "But you didn't."

He kissed her again. "Well, I hope he'll forgive me in time." It was probably just as well...

Beth kissed him back, giggling. "Just think of the shock he and Sally will get!"

"...Should we tell them, do you think?" Of all the Time Loops they'd ever encountered, this had to be one of the most mind-boggling!

"Well, I don't know about you, but I don't think I could keep a secret like that! I don't want to."

He shook his head, grinning. "Nor me. Shall we?"

"Absolutely!" She jumped off the bed and bolted upstairs—once Sally and John got over the shock, they were going to love this!

Holmes paused in the doorway for a moment before following, smiling at the bare bedroom wall which had used to hold his Rogues' Gallery. Beth had insisted on having his and Watson's photo in pride of place once it was printed... With any luck, there would soon be more family portraits hanging there, too.

To Be Continued...

In Season Two, Episode One: 'The Blanched Cadaver'

Ria: *hearts for eyes* So, who saw that last one coming? Which also makes Beth's goddaughter her great-great-great etc aunt... And yes, it's going to make for some very interesting emotional dynamics between the four adults next season.

Happy New Year to all our readers!