There was silence in the car. No-one dared turn around. Sherlock's driving remained steady and within a couple of minutes they found themselves back at the cottage.

"Act totally normally" was the simple words quietly muttered by John as they all started to climb out.

Immediately Molly's happy voice chirped up "that was a lovely meal. Anyone fancy a cup of tea?"

Mary voiced her immediate agreement "Yes, that sounds great. We'll make it. You boys go and take your shoes off and relax in the lounge. I think we have some cake left over too for desert."

And with that the cottage was unlocked and the five of them were in.

Lestrade went to speak again. Sherlock silenced him by putting his finger to his lips. Taking the cue John started to talk about the walk they had been on earlier. Sherlock drew the curtains and turned on the light. As John spoke, Sherlock carefully studied the room. He motioned Lestrade and John over to the lamp on the table. They noticed a small black box on the stem. It was a bug. Sherlock grabbed his drawing pad out of his pocket and simply wrote 'Installed while we were at dinner." The others nodded and carried on talking as if nothing had happened.

By this time the girls had come into the room to join them. John silently pointed to the bug and Molly and Mary nodded their understanding. Sherlock took his mobile out of his pocket and started to text. John and Lestrade watched as he did so. It was a text to Mycroft.

Back up. Blockley. Tomorrow morning 9am. Two teams. One at cottage. One in churchyard near pub. You are family come to visit and to celebrate my return from hospital. SH

A response back

Understood. MH

Sherlock then picked his drawing pad back up. 'There is nothing more we can do this evening. Casual conversation."

With that Mary and Molly returned to the jigsaw they were completing earlier, John and Lestrade picked up a pack of cards and John started to deal and Sherlock returned to his mind palace. To anyone looking in from the outside it looked like the picture of contentment and tranquillity.

The morning was a quiet one. Sherlock and Molly were first to rise. Sherlock had spent much of the night in thought before joining Molly in bed around 4am. Molly had snuggled into him as he lay down, holding him tight to her. She had quickly learned that while he was working her affections were not reciprocated but she didn't mind. Just for now she wanted to hold him close.

She got up and made him a coffee while he showered. The others began to surface not long after and Mary and Molly busied themselves making a cooked breakfast for everyone although they doubted that Sherlock would eat much.

It was while they were all sitting at the table that the doorbell rang bang on 9am. It was Mycroft and behind him was a small team all standing a little way away enjoying a cigarette or just chatting as you'd expect a 'family' to do.

Mycroft entered and greeted his brother as any normal brother would do, with a hug and a friendly greeting. It was only those inside the cottage who knew the Holmes brothers never did affection.

Molly greeted Mycroft with a kiss on the cheek before her hand found Sherlocks. She squeezed it hard and looked straight into his eyes. She was desperately trying to say 'be careful please' with them and from the look she got back she knew Sherlock understood her message. He bent down and gave her a kiss on the lips. She reciprocated trying to put every ounce of emotion into it. This was the first time since she and Sherlock had become close that he was facing any kind of danger and a wave of panic had hit her as she had realised this.

Mycroft entered the room and was greeted in turn by John then Mary. Lestrade was the last and they smiled at each other before Lestrade bent over and quickly kissed his cheek. Mycroft smiled back and gave his hand a small squeeze before standing up straight and returning to normal as if nothing had happened between them. Mary and Molly shot a smiling glance at each other.

Mycroft then turned to Sherlock and nodded. Sherlock nodded in return, kissed Molly lightly on the cheek and headed out closing the door behind him. Molly watched as in turn Sherlock greeted each of the team outside asif they were old friends. A shake of the hand for the men, and a hug and a kiss for each of the girls. They all then walked off down the lane.

Molly watched Sherlock go with John. It was a very different looking Sherlock who left their presence. Before he had had his long curly hair and no glasses. Now he left them with his very short hair and glasses. A different look but still the same brilliant man underneath.

There was no contact with anyone until gone 4pm when they saw Sherlock and Mycroft walking towards the cottage. There was no-one else with them. The day had been spent wandering around the cottage and pottering in the garden. It had been hard for the four of them not to speak about what was going on, constantly mindful of the listening device in the lounge, and the fact Sherlock had raised an awareness to them that even the garden wasn't safe to talk in.

The relaxed posture of Sherlock and Mycroft and the lack of other people told those waiting behind that all was fine. Molly ran out of the front door and straight to Sherlock. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, relieved that he had returned unscathed. Sherlock lifted Molly off the ground and she wrapped her legs around him as they kissed. Mycroft silently stepped away and into the house. The three of them looked back at Sherlock and Molly.

"Lets leave them be" said Mary pulling the three men into the kitchen. Mary held John's hand and kissed his cheek, both of them visibly relaxing after the events of the past 36 hours. Standing behind them, unseen, Mycroft and Lestrade shared a brief kiss.

A few moments later Sherlock and Molly walked into the kitchen hand in hand and joined the rest of them.

Lestrade looked expectantly between Mycroft and Sherlock. "Well? Are you going to fill us all in?"

"I'll make a drink and then we can all sit in the lounge" said Molly cheerfully but Sherlock did not want to let her hand go. He pulled her back into him as she walked away.

"Don't worry, I'll do it" laughed Mary. "You two go and have a moment."

"It's not like that Mary" smiled Molly as they walked into the lounge and sat down on the sofa.

A few minutes later John and Mary arrived in the lounge with a tray of drinks and everyone settled down. Sherlock and Molly on one sofa, Mary and John sharing an arm chair and the other sofa taken up by Mycroft and Lestrade. Mycroft appeared to have let his guard down for once, obviously comfortable in the company of the others as he had allowed Lestrade to put his arm around him and the two of them were sitting very close.

Sherlock took a sip of his coffee and cleared his throat to speak.