Months had come and passed rather slowly for Arabella. So much had been planned and completed during all of the weeks within those winter months. Whenever she was not practicing or rehearsing, she did her best to be available to assist with planning John and Mary's wedding, even if Sherlock had been providing a great deal of help. With that wonderful day fast approaching, she wanted to help as much as she could. Mary was very thankful for Arabella's contributions to the planning, and always mentioned how she couldn't wait to hear her sing at the ceremony, something with Arabella also looked forward to very much.

And of course, the rest of her free time she devoted to spending time with Sherlock. Such occasions mostly occurred in the evenings when they were both unoccupied. Sometimes spending time with Sherlock meant observing while he worked on small experiments either for a case or out of his own desire for experimentation. She had grown very fond of observing his work, finding it fascinating and educational. Arabella believed that she learned far more from Sherlock than she had in many of her science classes, he would explain the processes in detail for her and she observed the changes and stages of these tests. He had a way of capturing her interest and holding it throughout the entire duration.

Sherlock was both pleased and surprised by his girlfriend's interest in his work. While she had expressed curiosity in it before, her desire to stay with him and observe had seemingly strengthened. He honestly didn't mind her presence when he worked, and he appreciated her questions and remarks. It was surprising to him when she stuck around for any of his experiments involving body parts, he could tell when she showed any trace of disturbance by the sights, but she was so willing to put that aside and watch. While he wouldn't vocalize it, the fact that she did this just made him fall even more in love with her.

Yes, so much had been accomplished over the passing months as winter slowly began to give way to spring. And now time was counting down to a very important event which would be life changing for her.

Her concert.

Not Blair Ravenna's...but Arabella Stevens' concert.

The big day had finally arrived and it was just a couple of hours until the performance was scheduled to begin. There was much excitement for the event, not only from the general public but also from those closest to her. The only one who wasn't truly excited was the performer herself.

Arabella sat before her mirror after she had applied her makeup and done her hair in an elegant, wavy cascade down her back, deciding to leave it down. Instead of wearing her gown for that evening she was still in her silk robe. So much was on her mind at that moment, so many racing thoughts, concerns and emotions. Within her ribcage her heart pounded with a slightly harder beat than usual. Part of her was dreading this performance when she knew she should be overly excited and ready to walk onstage and sing her heart out.

A sudden knock on her bedroom door broke the silence as well as her current thoughts.

"Come in," she called.

In the reflection of the mirror, she watched as the door to her bedroom opened and Sherlock entered. He was already dressed in his best suit, the same one he wore the night he took her to the opera. As always, he looked incredibly handsome...absolutely perfect.

"You're not dressed yet?" he asked bemused.

A frustrated sigh escaped her lips as she stood up from her chair, beginning to pace a bit as her hands absentmindedly played with the tie of her robe.

"Excellent deduction," she replied.

Sherlock could see that she had her makeup on and her hair was done, all that she really needed was to don her gown. She looked absolutely gorgeous. Based on her behavior he could see that she was very nervous. This display of behavior surprised him, he did not think that she would be so anxious before this performance. When she had performed as Blair Ravenna she hadn't exhibited these same signs.

"Why are you so nervous?"

Her fingers continued to twist the silken robe tie as she paced. "I haven't sung this way in years...I'm going to be singing as myself, not someone else."

"So?"

She swallowed hard. "What if I completely mess this up? I'll just ruin this chance to make my debut as a serious singer."

Hearing such a response made Sherlock roll his eyes. "That will not happen. Why on earth would you worry about something so impossible?"

She groaned. "You can't say that for certain, I could easily mess up."

Sherlock finally stepped before her, stopping her from pacing in that direction again and took her in his arms. Holding her to his chest, he placed one hand upon the back of her neck, his thumb managing to detect her pulse which was racing. Arabella's gaze had moved to the floor, forcing him to finally move his hand from her neck to take hold of her chin.

"Look at me, Arabella," he instructed.

A moment later she looked up at him. Her amber orbs gazed directly into his seafoam ones. Within them he could detect her anxiety as the time drew nearer to her big debut.

"Not once in the entire time that I have known you have I heard you falter when you sing. You have an incredible talent, and you know that you can do this. You have trained for this, and you are ready, my dear. Everything that I have heard you sing these last few months has been exquisite, and you have never sounded more prepared. Never have I heard a voice which sang with more dedication to music than your own."

His words were far too kind, Arabella felt her heart flutter sending a sensation of warmth and a soothing calmness flooding through her veins and limbs. How did he always know what to say to her? The corners of her lips trembled slightly as a shy smile crossed her face, one which Sherlock had seen many times. Knowing the nature of her forthcoming response, Sherlock's grip upon her chin tightened only slightly to halt her from responding.

"No, don't you become modest and take my words as flattery. You know I speak solely based on truth when it comes to this subject. Arabella, you have nothing to be nervous about. You were able to stun the world with your voice once, you are certainly going to do it again."

Her smile widened before her eyes shut tightly to hold back the feeling of tears. Arabella wound her arms around him, taking him into her embrace.

"What did I ever do to deserve such a wonderful man?" she whispered.

His arms moved around her lovely form, but at her response a smirk emerged on his face. "I'm quite certain that there are many people who would argue with you about that one."

"I don't care about their opinions. I know what I feel for you is love, and I know that you love me back. That's all I need. No one else could ever take your place or make me as happy as you have made me feel."

Sherlock lovingly stroked her hair. "The feeling is very mutual, my dear. Never could I have anticipated that I would find such a lovely young woman who would make me feel anything...and would love me so unconditionally. And remember, my nightingale, no matter how it all turns out, you will astound them all. Anyone who does not walk away spellbound by your performance would be the most daft individuals incapable of recognizing true talent to have walked this earth."

A small snort came from Arabella before it turned into a giggle. "Alright, Sherlock you've persuaded me. You always know what to say to make me feel better. How do you do that?"

He shrugged. "Isn't it part of my job to as your boyfriend to make you happy?"

"Yes, that is true, and it's so nice that you take that job as seriously as your real job."

"Of course I do."

She smiled. "And to think it all started with a request for help, I never anticipated that love would become a factor. After all you know what they say, 'never mix business with pleasure'."

A smile crossed his lips. "Is that the saying?"

Nodding she replied, "Yet your work gives you pleasure, as I have been told that you pretty much get off on solving crimes and-"

Sherlock rolled her eyes, "Yes, yes, now get ready, Arabella. We need to get you to your performance."

Giggling she exited his embrace and allowed him to leave the room to slip into her gown. Sherlock waited in her sitting room for her to finish getting ready. It wasn't long before the sound of the door handle turning interrupted the silence.

"Well...how do I look?" she asked.

Turning his gaze towards her his eyes absorbed the sight of her for a few seconds. While he had seen her in this dress before, somehow she looked even lovelier in it. She always looked beautiful, even when she wasn't trying to. Arabella had been blessed with a face which looked perfect without any need for makeup, however when she did adorn her skin with cosmetics she did so in a subtle yet stunning manner, never over accentuating her appearance as some women might. And now she stood before him wearing that seafoam colored gown, looking radiant and confident, prepared to sing. A stunning transformation from the way she looked just minutes ago.

With a faint smile upon his face, he took her hand in his own. "Lovely," he replied. "Come now, we must get you to your performance."

Upon helping her slip on her jacket, Sherlock escorted her outside and hailed a cab before they finally set off to the venue. soon she would be inside the Royal Albert Hall onstage and singing before a sold out audience who had come to hear her sing. It truly was an honor for her, and Arabella certainly did not take it lightly. This was a new beginning for her, and one which was setting her life on a better path. Of course she was still nervous about it all, but with Sherlock's loving words and encouragement definitely gave her the confidence she needed in order to leave her flat and so this performance.

When they arrived, Sherlock escorted her inside and backstage. "This is where I leave you," he told her.

She sighed and tried to suppress her nerves. "Are you going to wish me luck?"

He frowned and a slight look of confusion crossed his face. "Isn't there a superstition involving wishing someone luck before a performance?"

Arabella's eyes rolled. "I'm amazed that you even know about that, considering how you usually delete frivolous pieces of information and-"

She was cut off when Sherlock placed a finger upon her lips to stop her.

"Besides," he continued. "Why would I wish you luck when you don't need it at all? You are capable of singing far better than many artists out there. With you, there is no room for error. You will be stunning tonight, and it is all because of your talent and dedication to music. Luck isn't necessary."

When he removed his finger, her lips curled slightly into a smile. "Thank you, Sherlock. For everything."

Leaning in he gently kissed her lips. "I will see you afterwards, my nightingale."

With that he departed from the backstage area, leaving Arabella alone to ready herself before she would walk onto the stage. Back at her flat she had done all of her warm up exercises to prepare her voice to sing low and high notes, she was absolutely ready to start. With Claire by her side, along with fellow singers Kaylee and Blake to sing a few duets with her during the concert, she knew she was going to do fine. They were all very supportive of her and very eager to have the chance to work with her.

Moments before the performance was to commence, Arabella looked out into the crowd in the direction of where her beloved friends were sitting. From her vantage point she could see all of them: John and Mary, Molly and Tom, Mrs. Hudson, Greg, and above all Sherlock. They all seemed very excited to see her walk onstage and sing, probably more so than anyone else in attendance. The sight of all of them there put a very big smile on her face, now she knew she was confident and ready to meet this challenge head on.

Finally, the time had arrived. With a full orchestra on the stage, Arabella finally walked across the stage as the audience applauded. Her smile beamed upon her beautiful face as she stopped center stage. There was no room for doubts anymore, no chances to bow out, she was now going to sing before all of these people and show the world what her voice truly could do, and it would be far more than anything which Blair Ravenna did. In the few moments of silence she directed her gaze up toward that spot in the crowd where Sherlock sat, silently thanking him for everything he did for her. She had thanked him thousands of times both verbally and silently, and she knew there would never be an end to her gratitude for all he had done for her.

Giving her cue to Claire who patiently sat at the piano and ready to accompany her, Arabella prepared to sing her first song. The way she had structured her program was to begin with a song which was simpler and work her way up to an impressive finale. The first song she decided to sing was one of her favorites and one which she felt was quite fitting as her first piece, and it was one very personal. Every time she sang "Unusual Way" from Nine, it would remind her of how Sherlock had changed her life, not only saving her life and giving her the chance to sing again, but also allowing her heart to find love. As she sang this song, she sang it as if Sherlock were there before her and she was conveying every word to him.

From there, it became an impressive list of songs of various genres and styles.

Her repertoire was displayed in her complete program. Arabella sang at least one song in each of the five languages she could sing in, sang from musicals done by Rogers & Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Claude-Michel Schönberg, Maury Yeston, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Gilbert & Sullivan, and others, performed arias and songs from operas like The Magic Flute, Carmen, and Madama Butterfly. With such a diverse grouping of songs, she showed off her entire vocal range, especially her ability to hit some of the highest notes clearly and with strength. Even as she continued through all of the songs, she never failed to hit each note perfectly.

Another thing she never failed to do was convey emotion in each of the songs she sang. She managed to bring tears to many eyes in the crowd when she sang of sadness, and warmed hearts when she sang of romance. It was in the way she articulated the words, but also in her expressions. Truly, Arabella was a performer.

When she uttered the final word of her last song and the music drew to a close, the crowd rose from their seats, applauding her and cheering. Arabella could not help but smile with a very large smile as she took her first of many bows. Overwhelmed by the positive response of her audience, she found herself shedding a few stray tears over her flushed cheeks. Everything had turned out beautifully, and now the world knew her for her true talent.

Minutes later she finally left the stage to be embraced by Claire, who was absolutely proud of her, and her accompanying singers, the conductor and many of the orchestra members. It seemed as if she would never make it out of the backstage area to find her friends. It took quite a while, but soon she caught sight of her friends and instantly rushed over to them, receiving many more hugs and words of praise.

"You were outstanding!" Mary gushed. "I am so glad you will be singing at my wedding, Arabella."

Arabella smiled. "And I look forward to that day."

"You truly are a marvelous singer," John added. "It's so tragic that you were forced to sing in a style which did not display your full potential."

"Well, now everyone knows, and I am never going back to the way I had sung all those years."

Looking around at those standing nearby, she soon noticed there was one face absent.

"Where is Sherlock?" she asked.

John shook his head. "He was with us for the entirety of the concert, but afterwards he was gone. I have no idea when he left, or why."

Arabella's heart sank a little, her lips even crumbled into a frown. She had been looking forward to seeing him after her performance, why would he have left so suddenly? Had something happened? Biting her lower lip she sighed and nodded.

"Thank you, excuse me," she said before walking to the dressing room where she had left her jacket and purse.

Closing the door behind her she leaned back against it and continued to wonder what had become of her detective boyfriend. None of it made sense.

Suddenly her eyes noticed a curious item left by her possessions: an envelope with her name written on it. As she approached it she felt a slight shiver run down her spine, recalling how she had been sent such envelopes before which contained terrible threats. Opening the envelope she found a note in very familiar handwriting.

Come to 221C if convenient. If inconvenient, come anyway.

Seeing Sherlock's obvious handwriting and in his way of speaking, she smiled and immediately obeyed. Slipping on her jacket and gathering her things, she rushed out of the building and down to the sidewalk where she hailed a cab and went back to Baker Street. As the sights of London passed by her she wondered what Sherlock might be up to by leaving her the note. He could be quite mysterious at times, but she had a feeling that he had something quite extraordinary in store for her when she got back to Baker Street.

When she arrived, she found her flat's front door slightly ajar. Walking inside the flat she found that her suspicion had been correct. What she found truly was extraordinary. Arabella gasped in surprise when she found Sherlock standing there in her sitting room within dimmed light, a bouquet of red roses sat in a vase on the table before him, and he had a bottle of champagne. One of her hands rose to her mouth in surprise and delight, oh he had a very good reason for not being there when she finished her concert.

Sherlock smiled at her and extended his hand to her. "Welcome home, my lovely nightingale."

Slipping off her jacket and setting it aside, she walked the few feet which separated them and placed her hand within his own. Sherlock gathered her within his arms and kissed her deeply.

"You sang ethereally tonight," he whispered.

Her smile widened again. "Thank you, Sherlock. I could never have done it without you."

The couple sat down on the sofa before Sherlock poured the champagne into two flutes and handed her one.

"Congratulations, Arabella," he said as they gently touched their glasses together.

Arabella sipped the champagne, the bubbles faintly tickling her lip as they popped. Rarely did she drink alcohol, but considering what she had achieved that night, and of course what Sherlock had done for her, having champagne at this moment was perfect. Never did she anticipate that he would go out of his way to do this for her. Sherlock certainly was not a sentimental romantic, however if there ever was a time that he would exhibit any signs of emotion, it was always around Arabella. He truly did love her and he would never fail to show her in some way that he did, even if it was a subtle gesture. Having the dim lights, a bouquet of roses and champagne was enough, he did not have to go over the top and provide countless lit candles and far more roses to make this romantic. Everything that he did this evening was perfect, and she certainly did appreciate it.

"So this is why you were not there at the end of my performance," she said.

He nodded. "I was there for every single song you sang, never missing a single note. During the applause I had to slip out and hurry back here to ensure that everything would be ready when you returned."

She smiled. "How did you ever manage all of this?"

"Well I understand that such scenes are supposed to be considered romantic, not sure why. I just opted not to add lit candles."

"And you didn't have to," she assured him. "All of this is perfect. The fact that you would do all of this for me means so much to me."

A smile appeared on his face. "It was the least I could do to congratulate you on your performance. Did I not say that you would do beautifully and astound everyone there?"

She giggled. "Oh Sherlock, must you always be right?"

He shrugged. "Considering how I rarely am wrong, I would say so. Besides, I knew that in your case there was no room to entertain the possibility that you might not do so well."

"It's so nice to know that you not only approve of my talent, but you support it wholeheartedly."

Reaching out with one hand he cupped her cheek which caused her eyelids to flutter slightly. "I do, and I always will."

Soon his lips met with her own, engaging in a soft kiss. Arabella was eager to return the gesture, kissing him back. As they continued to kiss, Sherlock's hand slowly trailed down the side of her neck before it crept to the nape. His palm pressed against the back of her neck beneath the cascade of auburn waves which his fingers slipped into. Arabella sighed into one of the kisses when she felt this, she slipped her arms around him as she moved closer to him as her own hands reached into his brunette hair.

Arabella began to feel her heart racing within her ribcage. More so than ever before as they shared this intimate moment. While she and Sherlock had engaged in passionate acts before, somehow this one seemed to last longer as they remained enwrapped in each other's arms and exchanging such loving kisses. Her heart began to swell with love, and now desire for the man who she loved more than anything else on Earth. She wanted to ask just how far he intended to allow this to continue, but part of her screamed that it would shatter the beautiful moment they had created.

Soon their lips parted, just as they looked into each other's eyes Arabella realized that she received her answer and she didn't even need to ask for reassurance. No words were needed. Their intimacy had only begun and he did not intend for it to stop any time soon.

Taking her hands in his own, Sherlock stood and helped her to stand with him. With their hands locked together they moved to her bedroom, passing the threshold they stood within the room and began to kiss once more. Her heart thudded beneath her chest wanting so much for this to continue, but soon she began to feel a slightly growing feeling of nervousness.

"Sherlock," she breathed in between kisses. "I...I've never..."

"I know," he responded. "Neither have I. It doesn't change my desire for you. Do you want this?"

She knew in her heart that there was no other answer than the one she was about to give. "Yes."

Looking into her eyes, seeing the sincerity of her response, Sherlock kissed her again and held her close to him. Arabella responded with kisses of her own.

She had no concept of how it really happened, being so swept up in her emerging feelings of desire, but soon she found herself lying on her bed no longer enrobed in her gown and Sherlock's own body lay upon her own, blanketing her with his own warm skin. Never had they seen the other this way, but neither one seemed to be showing signs of nervousness even if there were any lingering. The only thing remotely detectable was the unmistakable feelings of love between them. While Arabella had never been so intimate with a man before, she knew that Sherlock wouldn't hurt her and that everything that happened that night would be wonderful.

His fingers slowly caressed her soft skin, just like the way he allowed his bow to glide across his violin's strings. Sherlock's touches caused her skin to react with sprouts of goosebumps, Arabella sighed as she was overwhelmed by feelings of excitement and pleasure. Everything between them was soft, slow and incredibly sensual. Nothing was born out of lust, only out of the truest form of love. Arabella had sung duets that night, a few very romantic ones, but this was by far the most romantic form she had ever partaken in. It was a whole different duet, it truly was a lover's duet which they were composing and performing simultaneously.

It would require experimentation on both their parts and relying on instinct, but they both knew that the results would be magnificent.

In the hours that followed, Sherlock and Arabella would consummate their love in the most intimate and beautiful way, unselfishly and wholeheartedly.

Hey everyone! Forgive me for such a delayed update, life has been extremely busy these past few weeks and it was hard to get much writing in until this week. Things have been very crazy at my job, and of course I have things going on with friends and family which take priority, but as promised I am updating and finishing this story, I hope this update was worth the wait. As I have said I am bringing this story to a close, my next update will be the final chapter. I may decide to continue later when things are a bit less stressful, especially after July begins as I am going to be moving, but I am not sure yet. I may even write a different Sherlock fanfiction story, I have an idea that I have been working with so we'll see if it works out. Thank you so much to everyone who has commented, I always love to hear from all of you!

acrossdimensions: Thank you for your kind words :) And yes I do like Doctor Who, but I have not yet seen enough of the show to even consider trying to write a fanfiction for it. Maybe in the future.

And thank you to everyone who followed and favorited this story, I really appreciate it! :)