A/N: So I got the notion that the death of Amanda Lestrade was unexpected. When I was making my master outline for Bound To You, it just felt like the natural progression of the story what with my plans for later chapters.

Also from here on out I'm going to be do major time skips between chapters. In order to avoid confusion I'll include how much time has passed between chapters at the top.

So without further ado, the end of this case.

xXx

Greg climbed the stairs to Sherlock's flat after Mrs. Hudson let him in. He knocked on the door and was surprised to find John answering in his dressing gown, scratching his head and yawning.

"I knew things were going good with Sherlock, but isn't this fast?" Greg asked curiously.

"Oi! It's been two months since we started seeing each other again."

"Really it's been that long?"

"Yes, now did you have a case or did you come to harass me about my relationship?"

"Unfortunately I do have a case that needs Sherlock's help no matter what." Greg said solemnly, the sadness showing through his eyes.

"Greg what is it?"

"I'd rather not have to repeat myself."

"Of course come in, I'll get Sherlock."

John shuffled back to the room he shared with Sherlock, while Greg sat on the sofa.

"Who was it John?" Sherlock asked sleepily.

"Greg, he's got a case for us."

Sherlock perked up immediately and hopped out of bed walking towards the door.

"Sherlock clothes" John reminded the genius. He watched appreciatively as the tall man halted his movements and grabbed some pajama pants and a t-shirt out of the drawers. Sherlock threw the clothes on quickly and continued out of the room. John followed him smiling fondly at the tag at the back of Sherlock's neck indicating the genius' shirt was inside out.

"You have a case Lestrade?" Sherlock asked as he entered the lounge.

Greg set the file he had talked Donovan into giving him earlier that morning onto the coffee table.

"I don't care if this case isn't worthy of your time Sherlock, I won't take no for an answer." Sherlock was curious as he walked to the table and picked up the file.

"When I dropped off my kids yesterday, I noticed something was off when Amanda didn't immediately swoop down and harass me. When I went looking to make sure she was home, I found her dead in the kitchen." Greg stated numbly.

"Oh god Greg, are you alright, are your kids?" John asked concerned as Sherlock silently flipped through the file.

"The kids are at home with Mycroft, we kept them from school today. I'll be fine. Amanda and I didn't see eye to eye but she didn't deserve this. The kids don't deserve to grow up without a mother."

"Of course. What are you going to do?"

"Mycroft and I still need to discuss that, but for now I'm on leave and can't officially work the case. Obviously I'm the first suspect, I may not have been happy with how she denied me access to the kids but I wouldn't kill her for it."

"No your moral values would stop you, plus why would you ask for my help if you did do it. You know how well I am at finding the real culprit." Sherlock stated deadpanned.

"That's why I'm asking for your help now. I owe it to my kids to have the best investigating." Sherlock smirked at Greg's attempts to stroke his ego.

"Fine, I'll take the case. I need to talk to Daniel and Thomas. Elizabeth is too trusting and bound to be distraught to be a reliable source of information."

"Sherlock" John warned.

"No it's fine, I'd prefer him not to talk to Lizzie and possibly traumatize her further." Greg said waving his hand.

"Alright, we'll be over later so Sherlock can talk to your boys. Go home Greg, be with them, they need you now more than ever." John instructed. Greg nodded and left the flat.

John stood there staring at Sherlock studying the case file on the couch. The genius looked up to find his partner biting his lower lip.

"You thought I wouldn't take the case because it might not be interesting."

"Well…"

"John, this is a favor for Lestrade, although it is quite interesting."

"How so?" John asked intrigued.

"It wasn't a home invasion gone wrong by the fact that nothing was stolen. That means she knew who her killer was, possibly a boyfriend knowing her. But the question is why? Was it jealousy over another lover? I wouldn't doubt her to continue having multiple lovers. I'll know more when I talk to Daniel and Thomas. Daniel has most likely taken over as protector of the house since Greg doesn't live with them and will be wary of anyone new. Thomas I think will be able to give the most information. Mycroft has started teaching him the science of deduction, and though he's just learned the basics he is very observant."

John stood there silently, absorbing what Sherlock had said. He was a bit surprised the genius had paid compliments to Greg's kids but decided not to bring it up.

"Let's get dressed so you can talk to them then."

xXx

"Hey Sherlock, the boys are in the lounge." Greg said when he opened the door to find John and the tall genius.

Sherlock swept past Greg and went straight to the room the boys were sitting in reading. Daniel put his book down when Sherlock entered the room and perched himself on one of the chairs opposite the boys.

"Dan, Thom. I told you Sherlock is working this case, so even if the questions seem strange answer them as honestly as you can." Greg said and positioned himself behind the boys on the sofa.

"Was your mother dating anyone?" Sherlock asked bluntly. John scowled at Sherlock from his position next to Greg because the genius could have put it more delicately.

Dan bit his lip and looked up at Greg nervously, Thomas looked at his brother and shrugged before answering.

"She wasn't dating anyone per se. There were a few men she would go out with for the night and try to sneak back in while we were sleeping. The only one she was fooling was Lizzie. But they're not who you should be looking into."

"Oh?" Sherlock asked, an interested glint in his eye.

"This guy Christian. Mum met him after one of Dan's games. He was having trouble getting some things into his car; Dan, Lizzie and I helped him out. That was a mistake, he took an unhealthy interest in us and Mum being mum decided to flirt with him because he was 'gorgeous'" Thomas said, using air quotes on his mother's opinion of the man. "I told mum that I didn't trust this guy, but she didn't listen to me thinking I didn't like him because he wasn't dad. I could care less who she dated as long as they're not dangerous. Anyway, after that he kept bumping into us; honestly I think he was following us. I don't know what he wanted but I know he wasn't right in the head. Hell Dan, you agreed with me that he was suspicious."

Dan nodded, "I said it was weird that he didn't go on dates alone with mum, he always insisted we go along. Mum said it was him being nice and not wanting us to feel excluded, but something was always off about him."

"Believe us or don't, I know it was him" Thomas concluded.

"I believe you." Sherlock replied. "Lestrade make sure your team knows this. Do you boys know his last name?" Sherlock asked.

Thomas opened his mouth to reply when suddenly Lizzie was next to Sherlock, tugging on the sleeve of his coat. They had all been paying attention to the boys that they hadn't noticed her silently enter the room.

"Are you going to catch the bad guy who killed mummy?" Lizzie asked Sherlock, her eyes wide and voice small.

Sherlock surprised them all and swept Lizzie up into a hug, whispering, "I'm going to make sure the man who killed your mum pays Ellie."

Lizzie clutched Sherlock's coat and tears welled in her eyes. "Thank you" She whispered back. Sherlock let her out of the hug and she sniffed and wiped her eyes on the sleeves of her shirt.

"Conway, his name is Christian Conway." Thomas told Sherlock. The genius nodded and got up.

"John why don't you stay here, I just need to go talk to Mycroft."

"No Sherlock, we're going to call Donovan and this is going to happen the right way." Greg said blocking the genius from exiting the room.

Sherlock scowled at Greg, but when the older man didn't budge he growled out, "Fine, we'll do it your way."

Greg nodded and grabbed his mobile from the hallway table calling Donovan and relaying the information.

"What did daddy mean the right way?" Lizzie asked. Everyone stayed in place silent, not wanting to tarnish the innocence of the little girl any more than it already was.

Greg came back after hanging up and Lizzie immediately confronted him. "What did you mean the right way?"

Greg froze, unsure how to answer his little girl when Mycroft came up behind him and answered for him.

"Sherlock was going to talk to me when he was supposed to talk to Sergeant Donovan first, Angel."

Lizzie thought over Mycroft's words before accepting them to be the truth they were.

"John, Sherlock do you mind looking after the kids while Gregory and I talk."

"Sure" John answered. Lizzie grabbed a book off of the shelf and tugged Sherlock to a chair for him to read to her as Greg and Mycroft disappeared down the hall to Mycroft's study.

Mycroft closed the door behind them and Greg let out a deep breath before collapsing on the settee. He wiped a hand over his face then looked up as Mycroft sat down next to him.

"What did you want to talk about love?"

"Everything really. Donovan is going to catch the guy and we need to figure out what we're going to do in the long term concerning the kids."

"I don't want to ship them off to my parents or boarding school, but with your schedule and mine I can't say that we'd be able to be there for them. Not to mention we don't exactly have enough room here."

"I know. I think I may have a solution to that though."

"Please do tell."

"I can do a good deal of my work at home, I just need to set up secure lines and server in my study. And you know money's not an issue to where we can move to a bigger place that'll fit all of us and our needs. The question is whether we want to keep the kids in their current schools or transfer them to someplace closer to where our new home would be?"

"That's something we'd have to ask them, but not right now."

"Of course love" Mycroft replied. There was silence between them and Mycroft was spinning his engagement ring around his finger. Greg noticed the new nervous habit his fiance was exhibiting.

"My what's on your mind?" Greg asked.

"Well we've only been engaged a couple of months, and I've been thinking about something." Mycroft paused and took a deep breath, looking at Greg and seeing the patient understanding.

"I think of your children as if they were my own and now that they've lost their mother, this has been in the forefront of my mind." Greg slipped his hand in Mycroft's and intertwined their fingers.

"We both know your job isn't the safest in the world and I can't help but think of what would happen to the kids if you were to die in the line of duty. So what I'm proposing is that along with marrying you, if it would be alright if I legally adopt Daniel, Thomas, and Lizzie."

Greg smiled and kissed Mycroft lightly. "I wouldn't have it any other way love."

Mycroft returned the smile and placed a kiss to Greg's cheek. They sat there for a few minutes before getting up and walking back to the lounge. They paused in the door way silently watching as Sherlock read aloud Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone with Lizzie in his lap. Thomas, Dan and John were sitting silently throughout the room, also listening to Sherlock's sonorous baritone read out the wonders of the magical world the book beheld, their troubles forgotten for this moment in time.