OMG... I'm back! So many apologies for being gone so long. I went on vacation for a week and then it's just been one thing after another. On the up side, my newest short, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" is available from Ellora's Cave and Amazon! YES! I was excited about that one because I swear its just really twisted Cumber-porn. Yes, its erotic horror, but very sexy if I do say so myself. Anyway, I digress. Here's a fluffy chapter of Lollipops just for you! Thanks again for being the "readers who waited."

XxXxXx

Molly used to think that her and Sherlock's bed at Baker Street was the most wonderful place on Earth. It's comfortable and cool with its relaxing shades of blue and old wood. Every nook of the place put her in mind of the most precious experiences of her life. Surely in Molly's Heaven she would find Sherlock's bed waiting. But in the three weeks since the doctor had confined her to it, Molly decided that she was going to go out of her mind if she didn't get away from it. She'd had an extremely easy pregnancy so far considering her situation. After the fifth month, she wasn't sick anymore and her sex drive had returned with a vengeance. The boys were growing exponentially, throwing off her center of gravity and making it nearly impossible to stand on her feet for more than a few minutes at a time. Still, she'd been making the best of it: using a stool in the lab, taking two half-hour lunches instead of one hour-long lunch in the middle of the day, taking time for meals and snacks. She'd even found a prenatal yoga class she could take Scarlett to. It was all going swimmingly until she began having contractions in the lab.

At first, she hadn't thought there was anything strange going on. Just a little cramp in her back. It wasn't unusual for someone with Molly's tiny frame to have back problems while carrying twins. She kept writing it off as normal pregnancy aches and pains, but they continued throughout the day and seemed to get worse as the hours passed. Finally, while rushing downstairs to deliver some test results, she sat down hard in the stairwell. An intern heard her whimpers of pain and insisted she go up to the emergency. The words 'premature labor' were used and Sherlock freaked out. So here she was, relegated to bed rest with only the telly, a few magazines and numerous bowls of ice cream to keep her from losing her mind completely. John and Mary came over each night to help with dinner and Sherlock was nothing short of miraculous at keeping their hectic home together. Mrs. Hudson came up and stayed with her when Sherlock was out and even Irene had called and offered to keep both Gabriel and Scarlett for a bit so she could get some rest.

"What are you doing?" Sherlock asked, his head snapping up from his newly acquired desk in the corner of the bedroom. The red numbers of the clock beside him glared accusingly. "It's nearly two in the morning!"

Molly sighed, shaking her head as she struggled to her feet. "Relax. I'm just going to the loo."

"You're not supposed to be on your feet, you know," he said, rushing to her side to help.

"What would you have me do, Sherlock? Install a litterbox by the bed?"

"You should at least wait for me to come and help you," he scolded, putting a steadying arm around her waist.

"I'm not an invalid!" she shouted, then winced at the volume of her voice. "Sorry… I'm just… so very tired of this."

"I know. But it won't be much longer."

Sherlock helped her into the bathroom and tried to stay, but Molly shooed him out the door with the threat of throwing a slipper. "Please let me keep some shred of dignity," she said, slamming the door. He looked wounded as he stood outside the door. He knew she was having a difficult time of it and he was frustrated that there was nothing he could do. He also knew that she thought he was being overprotective, but he couldn't help it. So consequently, they spent a lot of time over the last few weeks arguing.

"Molly? Are you all right in there?" he called.

"Go away, Sherlock!"

"I'll take that as a yes." He sighed and threw off his dressing gown. The case would just have to wait until the morning. His head ached and he could no longer think about puzzles or deductions. He lay down and closed his eyes, determined not to ask if Molly was okay again. He thought maybe a shuffle through his mind palace might be just the thing, but it seemed everything was jumbled except for the room marked only as "the twins." They didn't have names yet and the room was sparse, but full of worry. He closed the door and opened one eye to see Scarlett and Gabriel standing mere centimeters from his face. "Why are you out of bed?" he grumbled.

"Scarlett can't sleep," Gabriel rubbed his eyes. Scarlett signed "not tired" even as she was yawning. She had been very worried the last couple of days. Ever since it had been decided that she would be going to nursery school for a few days each week. Molly had fought Sherlock over it, reminding him that once she went back to work that there would be three children in the house during the day. Which meant that he would get absolutely no work done at home. Even Gabriel had agreed with her, citing that Scarlett was already impossible. Other kids might knock her down a peg or two. Scarlett had seemed excited at first. She went with her parents to visit the school and everything, but once she got there and realized that there would be other children—she'd been hesitant. "She keeps getting in bed with me, waking me up."

"Scarlett, you must go to sleep in your own bed," Sherlock tried to sound firm as he signed 'go to bed' aggressively. "It's after two!"

"I not go to sleep, Daddy," she said. Her speech was a bit garbled when she wasn't wearing her hearing aid, but she was nonetheless adamant.

"Scarlett," he sighed. "Can't you just do what I ask? Just this once?"

"I think she's scared about going to nursery," Gabriel offered. "I tried to tell her that it would be fun. That she would have lots of kids to play with and there would be toys and games and crayons, but she won't listen."

"I not want to go school," she whimpered. This time she didn't sound defiant, but sad. As if she suspected that her parents were sending her away to make room for the twins.

Sherlock groaned and crossed his arms over his face in a futile effort to block everyone out. "Scarlett, darling. It's two in the morning. Why are you worried about this now? You don't even start until next week."

"I not going, Daddy," she sniffled, her voice watery with tears.

"See," Gabriel said with a deep shrug.

Sherlock sat up finally, peevishly arranging the pillows behind him. "All right. Gabriel, good night. Go to bed. You have school in the morning."

"What if the babies come tomorrow?"

"Are you an obstetrician?"

"No."

"Then I wouldn't worry about it." Gabriel rolled his eyes and hugged his father. "Off you go. Love you, child-thing."

"Love you more." Out of habit, Scarlett grabbed Gabriel's shirt tail and started to follow him out. "No, you stay here," he said, disentangling her tiny fingers.

"Okay, Bre," she said simply, hugging him. "I love you, Bre."

"Love you, Scarface." Gabriel wandered out of the room, waving to Molly as she finally emerged from the bathroom. "Love you, Mum." She smiled and pulled him close, planting a barrage of kisses on the top of his head until he was giggling and blushing.

"You really shouldn't baby him so much," Sherlock remarked, pulling Scarlett into his lap. "Boys his age don't like being kissed by their mums, you know."

"Well too bad for him, then," Molly replied. "Why is there a child in our bed?"

"Hi Mummy!" Scarlett said brightly.

"Hello, darling. Why are you out of bed so late?" Molly asked, signing as she spoke.

"I not tired."

"I don't think I believe that," Sherlock said. All the evidence pointed to the little girl being dead on her feet. Her eyes were red and droopy, her speech was lazy and she had already curled against her father's chest and was clutching his fingers. Any second they would be in her mouth and she'd be drifting off. "But why aren't you in your own bed not being tired?" She didn't respond and for a moment Sherlock thought she couldn't hear him, but the way she chewed on her lip was a clue that she heard him perfectly well. She just didn't want to answer. "Scarlett, I asked you a question."

"Daddy, I don't want to go to school," she said finally. "Izzy not have to go."

"That's because Izzy's mum can take care of her during the day," Molly started. "And I bet Izzy's mum will want her to go to nursery too." It was a sure thing. Mary and Molly had conspired weeks before. The preschool across from Gabriel's school had two spots—it seemed the universe was speaking to them.

"Why can't I stay with Daddy or Nena?"

"Because Daddy has to work and Nena doesn't need to keep you all the time," Molly sighed, shifting around and trying to get comfortable. It was becoming increasingly difficult to find a comfortable position that wasn't cutting off circulation to her lower extremities. "Besides, you need to play with other kids, darling."

Sherlock rolled his eyes. Like Scarlett, he didn't understand this argument either. Most children were adorable little morons. What difference did it make if Scarlett interacted with them? He remembered having this same conversation with John over Gabriel. Molly kicked him sharply in the shin. "Yes!" he answered quickly. "Your mother is absolutely right. A couple of mornings every week will be good for you."

"No," she grumbled. "I play with Bre and Katie and Izzy and Jada. I not go to school, 'kay?" She looked up at Molly through big blue eyes. "Please, Mummy? I help with the babies."

"I know you will, darling," Molly cooed. "But you'll have to go to school anyway."

Scarlett started to protest, but Sherlock cut her off. "We can talk about this later. Right now we all need to sleep. Especially you, tiny human." He nudged Scarlett off of his lap. She immediately snuggled down under the blankets, scrunching her nose in displeasure at having to make room for the twins. Just one more time she'd have to share her space with them. "I actually meant that you should go to your own bed."

"Please, Daddy? I sleep with you and Mummy?"

Before Sherlock could refuse, Molly snuggled her close and kissed her nose. "Of course, darling. You can help me put the twins to sleep."

Scarlett giggled. "No I can't. They in your tummy!"

"Oh but they can hear everything we say."

Scarlett's eyes were huge. "Really?"

"Oh yes. They get very happy when they hear your voice or Gabriel's. Or your Daddy's voice. They especially love his."

"How do you know, Mummy?"

"They kick and I can feel it." Molly chuckled at Scarlett's bewildered expression. She winked at Sherlock. "You know what they like best?"

"What?" Scarlett whispered, as Sherlock turned out the light.

"They like it when he sings."

Scarlett laughed hysterically, shaking the whole bed. "Daddy don't sing."

"Oh he does sometimes. Just not usually when anyone can hear him."

Scarlett whipped her head around to look at her father. "Did you sing to me, Daddy?"

"Mmm. I may have hummed. Unconsciously. While I was working out a piece of music. I doubt that I actually sang."

Molly pinched his arm. "That's not true! You sang to Scarlett and to these two," she said, pointing at her swollen belly.

Scarlett squealed with excitement. "Sing, Daddy! Please please please?"

"Now see, we were supposed to be getting her to sleep and you've wound her all up again," he blustered at Molly.

Molly smirked and whispered something to Scarlett. The little girl's eyes lit up and she gasped. "I go to sleep if you sing to me and the twins, Daddy."

Sherlock rolled his eyes and tucked the duvet around Scarlett. "You'll go to sleep no matter what," he observed.

"Come on, Sherlock," Molly chided. "Make the little girl happy." She smirked in that mischievous way that in their pre-Scarlett in the bed days would have resulted in no sleeping for at least another hour. She shifted and pulled Scarlett against her side, placing her tiny hand over the spot she knew the twins always kicked.

He only had to sing a verse before mother and child were both snoring lightly.

OoOoOo

Jada Barrow was completely in love with Gabriel. Ever since she'd been living with John and Mary, she'd decided that Gabriel was the boy she would one day marry. It didn't matter about his being five years her senior or that the freckly, bespectacled Katie Adams had already seemed to have claimed him. Gabriel was perfection. She followed him everywhere, hanging on his every word. She looked for any opportunity to hold his hand or sit next to him. It all started the morning that Scarlett began preschool. Which, incidentally, was the same day Molly went into labor with the twins. They say things always happen in threes…

ooooo

Scarlett was weepy and could not even delight in splashing in puddles as they walked up the sidewalk toward the little brick building. She tugged at her hearing aid until her ear was almost sore. Molly had braided her hair so that it wouldn't be wild and in her face on her very first day of school. At first Scarlett had been excited, but then she realized that her "robot ear" was now very visible. She dragged her feet as she walked with Gabriel, Jada and Katie. Izzy had managed to postpone her start date with the cunning use of a sinus infection. Scarlett wished she could get a sinus infection. She'd considered going the temper tantrum route, but just as she was gearing up, Gabriel had pulled her aside and let her in on some brotherly wisdom. He basically told her that their father was immune to tears and given the fact that everyone in the house was at the end of their tether, she'd only succeed in earning herself a sound spanking after which she'd have to go to school anyway.

"It's only for a few hours, Scarface. You'll be fine," he sighed, trying not to sound annoyed. "You might even have some fun. It's not like real school where you have to do anything. It's baby school. All you'll do is play and sing songs and then get to take a nap until somebody comes to get you."

"I not a baby, Bre," she sniffled, sloppily signing.

"Well everyone will think you are if you're crying when you get to school."

She poked her lip out and glared at her brother, but after a few minutes realized that he was right. "But what if they make fun of me, Bre?"

"Why would they?" he asked, tugging her arm to stop at the crosswalk.

"I know I talk funny, Bre." It was true enough. Scarlett worked very hard with her speech therapist to compensate for her hearing problem, but at times it was difficult for people to understand her. "And my robot ear. Other kids don't have those."

"So what?"

"They'll tease me, Bre!" With that she started sobbing again on the sidewalk. Other kids shoved past them on their way to the school and Gabriel blushed. He didn't want anyone from his class seeing him standing on the sidewalk comforting his baby sister like a nursemaid.

"No they won't, Scarlett," he said, kneeling down in front of her. "Look, your school is right across the street from ours." He indicated Katie and Jada who nodded reassuringly. "If anybody bothers you, tell me and I promise they'll be sorry."

"Really?" she sniffled.

Gabriel nodded. "We're talking total annihilation."

Scarlett rubbed her eyes and grinned at Gabriel. She allowed him to take her hand and lead her toward the school. There were scores of kids all over the place running from one building to another. Most of the kids going into her new school were with their mums and dads. Suddenly Scarlett wished she had her mum and dad with her too. "Bre, I wish Mummy and Daddy were here."

"I know. But Mum wasn't feeling well this morning. Dad might have to take her to the hospital," Gabe replied.

"Yeah, isn't it awesome?" Jada interjected. "Your baby brothers might get born today!"

"And not everybody gets to walk to their class with their big brother," Katie said, taking Scarlett's other hand. Their words made Scarlett feel a little better. Gabriel and Katie lifted her up by the arms and swung around as they made their way toward the school. As they got to the doors, all of them were cackling.

The preschool was a bright, colorful building with animal murals adorning every wall. The carpet under their feet looked like a street with arrows pointing to various places. A small reception area had a pretty lady greeting every child as they came in. There was also a line of cupboards with a place to hang tiny coats beneath. Gabriel helped Scarlett out of her coat and scarf and showed her how to hang them on the hook where her name had already been printed. "I can do it, Bre!" she scolded. "I know how my name looks!"

"Fine," he said. "Just don't leave your scarf here. Mum will get mad if you do." Just then he noticed something clutched in her hand. "What have you got, Scarlett?" She hesitated to show him, but he finally managed to uncurl her tiny fingers from around the object. "Scarlett! This is Dad's magnifier!"

"I know," she said. "I wanted to bring somethin' 'portant. To make me brave like the girl in my story."

Gabriel sighed and looked back over his shoulder at Katie and Jada. "You shouldn't have taken it. Dad's going to be so angry with you if he finds out."

"Don't fuss at her," Katie said. "She's just a baby, Gabriel."

"She knows not to take other people's stuff!"

"I sorry, Bre," Scarlett sniffled. "I keep it anyway?"

"No! It'll get broken."

"I'll take it." Katie grabbed the magnifier and stuck it in the tiny pocket of her bookbag. "It'll be safe until we get home."

Gabriel shook his head. "I hope Dad doesn't need it before then."

oooo

"Andrew?" Molly said, flipping the page of the baby name book once more. "Arden… Arlo?"

"No."

"I like Anthony!" Mary exclaimed, pulling Molly's feet up on her lap to paint her toenails. "What's wrong with Anthony?"

"It has too many syllables," Sherlock replied as he snapped the new car seat into the base. "I don't think this thing is right."

"Well for starters you've got it on the floor of the lounge instead of in the car," Molly teased.

John slid down to the floor and pulled at the seat. "You're snapping it in backwards."

"Of course I'm not snapping it in backwards! I think I would know if I was snapping it in ba—" The seat snapped firmly into the base and John sat back with a wide smile.

"You were saying?"

"Shut up."

"What? It's not my fault you can't put together a car seat. After all, this is not your first time." John was thoroughly enjoying Sherlock's incompetence and it was pissing him off.

"This is my first time with twins! And as I recall, your newest contribution to the gene pool was already practically grown when she got here!"

"Jada's only six! I'd hardly call that fully grown."

"I'd hardly call her an infant!"

"Boys!" Molly shrieked. "Please don't argue. My nerves are already shot." Mrs. Hudson came around the corner with a cup of tea for Molly. She stopped briefly to smack both men in the back of the head before continuing to the couch.

"Look at you both! Upsetting our Molly when she's in such a precarious place this morning. You should be ashamed!" She smiled sweetly to Molly and handed her the tea. "So what did the doctor say when you called, dear?"

"She said just to stay here with my feet up until the contractions were stronger and closer together. Or unless I start to feel unwell."

Mary chuckled. "Darling, I'm afraid that someone who is thirty-six weeks pregnant with twins will feel unwell continuously."

"No kidding," Molly grumbled, struggling to sit up straighter. "Sherlock…"

Before she could finish the sentence he was at her side. "What? Are you all right? Do we need to call a cab?"

She giggled. "No silly. I just wanted another pillow."

"What about Jonathan?" Mrs. Hudson offered. "I always liked that name. When I was in school, my first kiss was with a boy named Jonathan."

Molly grinned. "That's lovely. I like it. Mary, put 'Jonathan' on the maybe list."

John crawled over to where Mary was scrawling names down in her notebook. He took it from her and sat down on the floor beside her. "I hate to break it to you, Mols, but you've got so many names on the maybe list that you may never decide on one."

"I know. It's dreadful isn't it? The boys will probably be here by tomorrow and we still have no idea what to call them. Sherlock keeps calling them Fetus 1 and 2."

"What was this one that's all scratched out?" John asked.

Molly laughed. "James."