Chapter 24

Sherlock stood beside a nervous John, waiting at the end of the aisle. There was a long, white sheet of fabric laid out between two large groups of chairs. In the front row, Lestrade sat calmly with his wife, looking around the room and Mrs Hudson smiled proudly, like a glowing mother, up at the pair. Harry and Clara sat beside her, the couple had mended their marriage and were now happier than ever. Harry said she was clean but Sherlock's constant nagging suggested Otherwise. The rest of the rows were filled with friends and family he hardly recognised anymore.

The room itself was gorgeous, the mirrors magnifying its beauty. The chandelier above them had been fixed and now glowed brightly. There were tables and chairs set up at the back of the room, ready for the reception, each one with a bunch of blue flowers sitting on it. The top of the mirrored walls had been draped with black lace for added elegance and the chairs had been fixed to match. It was now on his wedding day, just a few minutes before the ceremony, that John turned to Sherlock with a genuine warning.

"Sherlock, I swear to God, if you fuck this up for me I'll-"

"I won't," Sherlock said, looking his friend right in the eye. "I may not be thrilled about your wedding but I'm not going to sabotage it."

John eyed him warily and Sherlock let out a sigh. "I'm a sociopath, yes. But rarely am I just pointlessly cruel."

"I have my doubts," John muttered, turning to look down the aisle at the door at the end, tapping his foot nervously. Sherlock grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around.

"What's that supposed to mean?" John quickly realised what Sherlock must have thought and he shook his head with a smile.

"That's not what I meant. I have my doubts about you being a sociopath."

Sherlock stiffened. "Why?"

"Because of Erika." Sherlock was about to press for what he meant by that when violin music started to play and everyone stood. Sherlock quickly let go of John's shoulder and they both turned to the door, just in time to see it open.

Standing in the doorway was Erika, wearing a deep-blue dress with a white sash that fell straight to the floor. It had a low neckline but she had covered all her scars with make-up. Her hair hung loose but was styled with light curls around her face. In her hands she was holding a bouquet of white flowers. She smiled as she slowly started to move down the aisle, revealing Mary.

John let out a small gasp when he saw her. Mary's light brown hair had been pulled back and styled so that it showed off her face as well as accommodated the veil that flowed behind her. There were blue and white jewels in her hair and she smiled at John. Her dress was a pure white with a deep blue sash around her waist. It expanded from the hip subtly to accentuate her curves and fell to the floor. It was strapless but in the place of straps, a droplet necklace hung with a tear shaped diamond hanging off it. She held a bouquet of deep blue flowers as she walked, following Erika. When they both reached the end, John took her hand and they turned to face the priest.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of Mary Louise Morstan and John Hamish Watson in holy matrimony. If anyone has any just cause why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Erika shot Sherlock a warning look across the couple and Sherlock bit his tongue, fighting the urge to be cruel. When the priest moved on, Erika breathed a sigh of relief and turned her attention back to the couple now making their vows.

"I, John Hamish Watson, take you, Mary Louise Morstan, to be my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness." He slipped a gold wedding band onto her finger and she smiled widely at him, tears in her eyes.

"I, Mary Louise Morstan, take you, John Hamish Watson, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness." She slipped a matching band onto his finger and they both smiled at each other. The priest closed his bible and looked at the two.

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." They both leant forward and their lips met. As they did, the small crowd there clapped and stood in their place. They pulled apart and John took Mary's hand, leading her down the aisle to the back of the room. Erika smiled as she watched them and moved forward, taking Sherlock's hand and they followed them.

The reception was a small affair, with Sherlock and Erika both giving their speeches. Sherlock raised a few grimaces when he stood but delivered his speech well enough to earn a tentative clap from everyone else. Erika delivered a short speech which had everyone laughing and content. As the night grew later, the chairs were cleared and people, following the newlyweds started to dance. Everyone was dancing but on couple who stood at the back of the room.

They watched their two best friends dancing in silence for a while. Sherlock looked slightly awkward which always made Erika smile. She turned to face him with a smirk. "o, your best friend got married. How are we feeling about that?"

"Resentful," he answered bitterly, without looking away from the pair twirling happily. The smile fell from Erika's face and she sighed.

"He'll still be there for you, Sherlock. He'll always have time for you." Sherlock didn't acknowledge that she had spoken, still staring ahead at his now married friend. Erika, frustrated by him, tried a new tactic and moved so she was standing in his line of sight. "Either way, you've got me."

This got his attention and he looked at her, smirking. "Yes, I do. And on that note…"

He paused and reached a hand into his breast pocket, pulling out a small ring box. Erika couldn't help but let out a laugh, knowing this wasn't what it looked like.

"Are you proposing to me, Sherlock Holmes?" He chuckled lightly with her.

"No, I'm not the type." He opened to box and nestled between the black velvet sat a silver ring. It had a single, large emerald glistening in the centre with two small diamonds on either side. "You said you couldn't sell my ring because it signalled the beginning of the end. Well, I thought this could signify a new beginning. For both of us."

Erika smiled as he took the ring out of the box and fit it on the middle finger of her left hand. How he knew her ring size she didn't know but it fit perfectly. She smiled up at him and he pulled her close to him, kissing her softly. She smiled against his lips and pulled him closer.

When they pulled apart, Sherlock put his arm around Erika's waist and they returned to watching the newlywed's dance. Smiling contently and staring down at her ring, she spoke. "Did you know that your name describes who you are. At least, to me."

"Which is?" he asked curiously. Erika turned to face him and pressed another soft kiss to his lips. She pulled away, with her hand still on his cheek, and smiled warmly at him. "Home."

THE END