A/N: And here it is my darlings, the last chapter. I loved writing this story so much, and I'm grateful for everyone who commented, favorited, bookmarked, and left kudos. You guys and my beta kept me going when I felt down. Not about the story, per se, but about writing in general. So thank you. To all of you.

So here it is, happily ever after. As if I could write anything else.

John let Harriet go and went to stand next to Sherlock. "You will have tell me what all that was about some day," he told the younger Holmes.

Sherlock turned to John and looked at him, surprised, as though he had forgotten John was even there.

"I promise." Sherlock looked at his feet. "Do you really not care that I lied?"

"I really don't care, Sherlock," John said, taking the younger man's hand. "I understand why you felt the need to. And you were clearly trying to tell me before Lord Milverton came in. It's fine, Sherlock. Honestly."

Sherlock let out a sharp breath and curled his fingers tightly around John's hand. "Thank you."

"I do have one question, though," John said with a frown.

"Only the one?" Sherlock asked with a grin. Mycroft chuckled behind them.

"The only one I can think of at the moment," John admitted. "The waiter from earlier?"

"Mmhm?"

"That was one of your old gang, right?"

Sherlock laughed. "Yes, and I'll have to tell Wiggins to work on his disguises for next time."

John grinned. "Well, to be fair, I only thought he looked familiar. Like Sherlock and Shezza looking alike."

Sherlock smothered a laugh. "It is amazing how much a change in posture, bearing, and diction can do to disguise a person."

"I still feel like I should have known somehow," John said, shaking his head.

"No, John," Sherlock admonished. "I did everything I could to make sure you didn't know."

John looked up at him, a shaky smile beginning to form on his lips, strengthening when Sherlock returned it. John got down on one knee.

"Sherlock Holmes, you are everything I have ever wanted in a mate. Me and mine have only done you ill. My father for tearing your life away, and me for making you think that you had to go through all this just to woo me."

"I'd do it again a thousand times," Sherlock breathed.

"I know, and that's what makes you such a wonderful person. I love you. With all my heart. I would spend all my life treating you like a king because it's what you deserve."

"John..." Sherlock breathed.

"Say you'll be mine, say that you'll never leave me." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver band, which he held up to Sherlock. "Say you'll marry me?"

Sherlock's free hand went to his mouth as he gasped. Holding back tears, he cried, "Yes!"

John surged to his feet, he gently grasped Sherlock's hand and moved it away from his face. He slipped on the ring, and the tears that Sherlock had been holding back broke free.

They kissed to the roaring crowd.

As Mycroft looked on, a single tear slid down his cheek. He had his brother back after all these years. So long he had despaired that Sherlock was lost to him forever. Mycroft's heart was swelling with such love and happiness that the tears he had locked away sprang forth. He touched his cheek and when his fingers came back wet, he began to laugh with great joy.

Sherlock and John broke the kiss to look at Mycroft, but when they saw the sheer delight on his face, they joined in.

A year later

Sherlock paced among the packed boxes that were scattered around the room.

"Sit down, you great berk," John said from his place on the floor, where he was busy packing the last of the things he wanted to take with him. The maids offered to do this for him, but he declined. Some things he just had to do for himself and this was one of them.

"Are you sure you want to be selling this place, John?" Sherlock asked, throwing himself into a nearby armchair. "I was serious about my offer to move in here after the wedding."

John smiled at his fiancé, "I know you were, but there are too many bad memories here, and I want our life together to be nothing but good ones."

Sherlock smiled at him. "Where is Harriet going then?"

"Back to Glasgow, I have a friend out there who is willing to help her."

Sherlock nodded. After a few minutes, he jumped up and began pacing again. John got to his feet and placed himself in his love's path.

"What's the matter, Sherlock?"

The young man grabbed his own hair. "I feel like I'm depriving you of everything that makes you you. You're moving out of here and you still won't enlist in the army. What's left for you?"

"You, and setting up that clinic on Fleet street."

"What if it's not enough?" Sherlock asked softly.

"You will always be enough, Sherlock Holmes."

They kissed slow and gentle, the world and its cares melting away from them in that moment.

The last two weeks for John had been the most hectic he could ever recall He had moved to Baker Street with Sherlock, and graduated from medical school with honors, all the while planning his wedding.

But as he looked across the altar at his love, he wouldn't have given it up for anything. He loved his life with the mad man known as Sherlock Holmes.

The past year had been hard on both of them because of the fallout from that fateful night with Milverton and Moriarty. There were still ripples being felt as more and more people came forward saying that Milverton had blackmailed them as well. The effects were far-reaching, going as far up the chain as members of the royal family being at the very least harassed by Milverton. Mycroft was still cleaning up the mess. But it gave him a promotion with more influence.

People had come out of the woodwork; they were either nasty, siding with Milverton, claiming that the Holmes brothers had orchestrated the whole thing, or they were being sickeningly sweet, hoping for handouts. It was really hard on them trying to figure out who were friends and who weren't. But when they announced their wedding, it became very clear who was on their side by the person's reaction to their upcoming nuptials.

The wedding was small and intimate. All their friends were there, including the Irregulars, who were given nice clothes to wear for the occasion on the requirement that they be on their best behavior. Even Miss Morstan and Miss Hawkins were in attendance.

Both looked well from their travels abroad. Miss Hawkins had found a young man that she had fallen in love with and they were set to get married soon. Mary was happy being single and didn't mind losing her traveling companion, as she had several other girls lining up to take Janine's place.

John couldn't remember much about the actual ceremony, only that he must have said the right things at the right time, because he was kissing Sherlock. There was much cheering from their friends and family. When they broke off the kiss, Sherlock's cheeks were flushed with embarrassment, but John just laughed with joy.

Later that night after their first dance, John sat curled up in Sherlock's warm embrace as they watched the guests dancing in the soft glow of the candlelight.

"Is Mycroft very angry with you?" John asked.

"Hmmm?" Sherlock murmured.

"About you stealing Mrs Hudson away from him?" John explained. Mrs Hudson had been a part of the Holmes household for so long, John feared that Mycroft would be displeased about Sherlock taking her with them to Baker Street.

Sherlock chuckled and John grinned at the fact that he could feel the laugh as well as hear it. "No, love. Mycroft is very happy with her replacement."

"He may regret that when he finds out Molly Hooper isn't a pushover," John said with a giggle.

"Oh, he knows that. She has already made changes in the house for the better. Mrs Turner, the cook, is so over the moon with Molly that she bullied the rest of the staff into going along." Sherlock grinned at the memory.

"I'm glad she's doing well," John said. "I was worried for her after everything that had happened."

Sherlock snuggled closer to John. He had been worried, too. But Molly was made out of sterner stuff than anyone realized.

After a few minutes of silence, John spoke up again. "What's going to happen to the Irregulars?"

Sherlock pulled John tight against his chest. "My little worrier," he said fondly.

John blushed. "I just want everyone to be as happy as I am."

Sherlock kissed the crown of his head. "I know you do, love. They'll be fine. Wiggins will be a good leader."

"Good."

John surged to his feet and then turned to Sherlock with his hand outstretched.

"Dance with me?"

Sherlock smiled warmly and took his hand. "I'd be honored to."

They made their way to the dance floor and slowly the other dancers trickled away, until it was just the two of them.

They swayed to the music, lost in each other's eyes.

"I love you," Sherlock breathed.

"I love you, too." John smiled up at his husband. Husband. He liked the sound of that. He liked it so much he just had to say it out loud.

"My husband."

Sherlock smiled. "Forever and always."

"I can live with that."

And then they both began to laugh.

Mycroft watched from the corner of the room. If someone had told him a year ago that he would be attending the wedding of his brother Sherlock to John Watson, he would have laughed himself sick. But here he was and he could finally relax. Enjoy himself for once. There was a tap on his shoulder.

He turned to see Lestrade holding up Mycroft's cloak. "Are you ready to go, Master Mycroft?" the valet asked.

He looked back at the happy couple and then smiled at his valet. "Yes, Gregory. I think I am."

Lestrade helped him into his cloak and led the way to carriage that would take them home. Yes, it had been a good year indeed.