Sherlock noticed the change in John and little Sandi. Hopefully it hadn't been a mistake bringing the family here. White grave stones stretched for as far as they could see. The place was quiet and somber. They wouldn't spend too much time here, he figured but he walked around the cemetery slowly. "Yes Baby Girl. This a special place in America for those people."
Thomas looked around with wide eyes. There were a lot of headstones all around them. He bit his lip as he looked up to his Dad. "Would it be okay to take pictures here?" He wasn't sure. He didn't want to be rude or anything.
John looked at all of the headstones with a warm smile, taking them all in so that he would remember that there were people who did the same thing as him. They fought in a war for their country. The only difference was that he had been able to go back home. Twice. After a pause he glanced down at his son. "We shouldn't take pictures here," he murmured with the warmest smile he could manage.
Amy swallowed nervously and looked up at Sherlock, trying to distract herself so that she wouldn't think about her Dada being buried here at some point. "Was they shot like Dada? But worse?" The amount of worry in her voice made it shake.
Sherlock frowned a bit, perhaps it had been a bad idea to bring the family here. Maybe they could make it a quick trip. He looked down at little Sandi and managed a smile. "Yes Baby Girl, but Dada is here safe with us. So, no worries all right?" He kissed Amy's forehead. "Would you like lunch soon?" They had just eaten breakfast but maybe the children would be hungry again.
Thomas matched his Daddy's frown without realizing but nodded. "Okay Dad. Can we get postcards then? Please?" He wasn't very hungry but it seemed like Daddy was trying to get them elsewhere, maybe because Amy was scared?
John took a deep breath and glanced at his husband, managing a small smile before reaching out to take his husband's free hand. This had been a great idea but sometimes he forgot how lucky he really was. "We're all just fine, aren't we? A family on vacation." He cleared his throat and squeezed Sherlock's hand, gaze moving back out to all of the headstones.
Amy was quiet, not answering Papa's question and instead focusing intently on John. It was obvious to her that something was wrong with her Dada and that shook her to the core. They were both strong and seeing anything different from them wasn't something she was used to.
Sherlock smiled when he felt John's hand in his and gave it a slight squeeze. Right then. Everyone seemed to be okay for the moment. They continued to walk around the cemetery. "Yes. I wouldd even go as far as to say perfect and amazing." He gave his husband a sideways smirk.
Thomas rolled his eyes but smiled. He continued to hold onto his Dad's hand tightly. He glanced up to Amy in Daddy's arms and gave her a reassuring smile. "Sis, everything is fine."
John couldn't help but smile when he heard Thomas speaking to Amy in an attempt to calm her down. That was what big brothers were for and he was beyond happy that they had Thomas in their family. "These men and women fought for their country," he started to explain softly. "And it is amazing because they'll be remembered forever because they're here."
Amy looked at Thomas and smiled, clearly starting to feel better about everything going on around her. When John started talking she relaxed more against Sherlock, looking down at the headstones curiously. Remembered forever. "I thinks that they is very brave," she mumbled.
Sherlock smiled. "Of course they were Baby Girl." He almost added, 'just like Dada' but he wasn't sure how John would react to that. Especially with his husband's PSTD acting up recently. He ran a hand up and down little Sandi's back lightly, to help get their daughter to relax even further. Maybe coming hadn't been such a bad idea as he first thought.
Thomas smiled at Amy. "You are brave too Sis." The smile turned into a grin, clearly proud that his younger sister was doing so well in a place that might have been scary to her.
Having Sherlock's hand in his own was beyond comforting and John took all he could get, shakily exhaling before taking a step closer to the man. "This is beautiful," he murmured with a small smile. There was a pause before he stood on his toes and placed a quick kiss on his husband's cheek. As they continued to walk he took in all of the names, realizing how easily this could have been him. Dead. No family. God, it was horrid.
Amy giggled and took a deep breath, pressing closer against her Papa while she looked down at Thomas. "So is you, 'Mas. We is all brave." A pause as she glanced at John. "But Dada is the bravest a'cause he was a soldier once."
Sherlock gave John's hand a reassuring squeeze. He smiled at little Sandi. "Dada is the bravest man I have ever met." Another squeeze. It was true. There was no one who was more brave than John Watson in his opinion.
Thomas shrugged a little, a blush spreading across his cheeks. He didn't feel very brave most of the time. Any compliment was hard for him to take really.
Hearing Sherlock say that made a blush spread rapidly across his cheeks. It was difficult to hear because he believed that his husband was, in fact, the most brave man in the world. But he wasn't going to argue so he simply smiled and leaned to the side, placing another quick kiss on his husband's cheek. "And with a last name like Watson-Holmes," a pause as he glanced at the kids. "We really are the bravest family I know."
Amy giggled and shifted in Sherlock's arms, taking a few deep breaths before resting her head on her Papa's shoulder. It was clear now that the day was starting to get to her. They'd not been out for more than an hour but she was young and did enjoy sleeping all the time.
Sherlock smiled and nodded in agreement with John. Their family had been through a lot and he figured they were stronger for it. Well, little Sandi probably didn't remember much of anything but Thomas certainly did. He made sure Amy was secure in arm, since she had fallen asleep against his chest.
Thomas walked around with him family quietly. He seemed to realize how important the place was and he held onto his Dad's hand a little tighter.
When John felt Thomas holding his hand a little tighter he just smiled, looking down at their son to study him for a moment. Obviously Thomas realized how important this seemed to be to more than just him. Anybody who came here would be impacted in some way. "D'you maybe want to go talk to somebody?"
Sherlock wasn't sure who would be available to speak to at a cemetery but maybe they could find someone. His fingers strayed through little Sandi's hair to help keep her calm and napping. He noticed an older man trimming grass and doing other work, most likely a groundskeeper. Even from this distances, he would guess ex-military. A volunteer most likely. Probably knew someone buried here. "Perhaps that gentlemen over there." He nodded his head in the direction of the other man.
Thomas liked the sound of that. Maybe they could find out a lot about the place. Would there be an expert around somewhere? He followed his gaze to where Daddy pointed out and tired to scrutinize the older man like Sherlock would but all he could tell was maybe the old man was a gardener or something. He sighed at his thoughts, he would never be as smart as Daddy.
John paused for a moment before scooping Thomas up. The boy was getting heavier but this was something he knew would be important for their son. "Excuse me, Sir?" At that the man turned around, studying John before saluting. With his free hand he returned it, smiling just a bit as his posture instantly fixed itself. "My family and I, we're from London. Thomas here, he's our son, and he was wondering if you could tell us a little bit about the cemetery before we go."
The older man smiled, looking at the family before nodding. "Of course," he said softly, turning a bit a pointing to a tombstone near them. "My brother and I, we both fought. Vietnam." A pause as he studied the name engraved across the white stone. "I made it back, he didn't. Once I retired I decided to work here because all of these men and women deserve the best in death since they gave their lives for us." After a moment he looked at Thomas, the warm smile staying on his lips. "Do you have any questions you would like to ask me?"
Sherlock followed his husband over to the elderly man. He remained quiet while the other spoke, subconsciously rocking little Sandi back and forth as he shifted from foot to foot lightly. His long fingers continued to run through her hair, hoping she wouldn't wake up. Amy was a bit grumpy if woken up in the middle of a nap and he wanted to avoid that if at all possible.
Thomas stared at the stranger in awe, listening with rapt attention. He didn't even care that Dad was holding him at the moment. He chewed on his bottom lip in thought and then slowly shook his head. "No Sir. Thank you Sir." He gave the old man a small, shy smile.
John smiled warmly at Thomas, very happy that their son even know how to be polite about everything. "Thank you, Sir," he said with a salute toward him before turning to start walking through the cemetery again. He was careful to not walk over a grave, attempting to be as respectful as possible. "What do you think, then?"
As they started walking Amy shifted a bit in Sherlock's arms, letting out a small sigh before yawning. There were a few moments were she was awake, looking up at her Papa tiredly before she fell back asleep with ease.
Sherlock stilled a moment when he felt little Sandi stir in his arms. Once he was certain Amy had fallen back asleep he moved to follow after John and Thomas, keeping quiet and a few steps behind just to make sure their daughter continued with the nap uninterrupted.
Thomas thought for a moment and then stared up at his Dad. "I am glad you came back from the war because it means I have the best parents ever."
John tensed and looked down at Thomas, trying to take all of those words in before taking a deep breath and smiled. "I'm glad I came back from the war, too," he murmured. Twice. He must have done something amazing in order to come back from two wars and still have such an amazing family. "I love you," he whispered as he placed a soft kiss on Thomas' forehead.
Another shift in Sherlock's arms before Amy was whimpering, squirming slightly before her eyes opened. "I felled 'sleep," she murmured softly, exhaling softly before biting her bottom lip. "Sorry."
Sherlock smiled down at little Sandi. "No need to apologize Baby Girl." He kissed the top of her head. Should they keep looking around? He decided to just keep following John and Thomas around the big cemetery.
"Dad..." Thomas whispered and blushed, the hand in John's tightening slightly. After a moment he looked back up to his Dad. "Can we get some lunch? I am getting hungry...and I think we've seen everything we need to?"
John couldn't help but chuckle as he looked down at their son, grinning from ear to ear for the first time in a few minutes. "You're always hungry," he whispered softly as he squeezed the boy's hand. "Just like me." It seemed like Thomas took a bit more after him than he would have fancied but he saw nothing wrong with that.
Amy smiled tiredly as she shifted slightly in Sherlock's arms. They were probably going to be going soon, she could hear her older brother talking about he was hungry. "I wants to eat some, too, Papa," she said with a yawn, chest expanding as she did so. "Can I has a hamburger?"
Sherlock glanced to John, wondering if his husband would want the children to be eating burgers again. They had been eating a lot of food they didn't usually get to eat back in London. It wasn't something he worried about but John did. "Maybe, if Dada says it is okay. He likes for you to eat healthy." He placed their daughter in the car seat, once they go back to their vehicle.
Thomas followed his family back to the car, still glancing around the cemetery a bit as they left. He climbed into the car with his dad's help.
Being in America made it a bit difficult for them to get their kids to eat healthy but he knew that they didn't have too much of an option. It already seemed like Amy already had her mind made up. "We can get hamburgers," he said with a small smile, looking down at their daughter with a small smile. Once they were all comfortable in the car he looked at Sherlock. "We can just work it off tonight," he whispered with a wink.
Amy looked at Thomas with bright eyes, clearly excited about their upcoming lunch. "We can gets fries, 'Mas!" This was enough of a distraction from her chair which meant the ride wouldn't be too bad.
Sherlock smirked a bit at John as he started the car. "McDonald's then?" He glanced to his husband questioningly. Now that he had vocalized it, he was certain the kids would jump all over at the chance. Hopefully John wouldn't be upset by the idea since he had already told the children they could get hamburgers.
"McDonald's!" Thomas echoed excitedly. "Please Dad?" He wiggled around in his seat a bit, hoping they would be able to go. It was his favorite restaurant after all.
McDonald's it was. At this point they really didn't have a choice and John knew it. A small smile tugged at his lips as he glanced back at their kids. "McDonald's it is," he murmured as he shifted a bit and glanced happily at Sherlock. "We can get something there, too. I'm sure we'll figure it out." They would have to since they'd have to since that was where they were having dinner.
Amy squealed and kicked her legs up and down, looking happily at Thomas. "We gets to has it, 'Mas!" It was going to be the best meal ever, it was obvious she thought that much.
Sherlock reached over and gave John's hand a quick squeeze before returning it to the steering wheel. "They have salads, we've gotten them before." Although, he probably wouldn't be eating this time around. He wasn't feeling particularly hungry at the moment. It didn't take long to find the fast food restaurant, the Golden Arches sign seemed to be practically everywhere he looked in America. He got out and got little Sandi out of the car seat. At least their daughter had been distracted from fussing over being in the car seat.
"Yay!" Thomas grinned at Amy. "Thank you Dad!" Once they were at McDonald's he got out of the car, and took John's hand like usual and followed his family inside.
As they walked into the restaurant John struggled to hide the cringe that crossed his features. Every day spent in America served to remind him why he loved London so much. There was a pause before he shifted on his feet and looked down at Thomas. "Why don't you, Amy, and Daddy go get a table? I'll go ahead and get all of our food ordered." With that he placed a kiss on his husband's cheek and moved to the counter to wait in line.
Amy rested her head on Sherlock's shoulder, yawning a bit as she shifted a bit in his arms. "I wants to eat and then can we goes to another place to see things?"
Sherlock noticed his husband cringe and he frowned slightly. He signed a quick word to John. 'Sorry.' He shouldn't have mentioned McDonald's should he? He had wanted to make the children happy but it had upset his husband in the process. He took the children to table, making sure to get a chair for little Sandi and set her in it gently. "Yes, we are going to go to a museum next Baby Girl."
Thomas followed after his Daddy, but glanced between his parents thoughtfully. He was certain he had missed something. It wasn't the first time he wished he was like Sherlock and noticed everything. He sat down in the booth, keeping quiet for the moment, lost in thought.
John stood at the counter after he had ordered, smiling tightly at the server who gave him an entire meal for his family far too fast for his liking. But this was America and everything seemed to be far too fast paced for him. Once he got a few napkins and straws for the drinks - water for everybody, attempt to be healthy at some point - he moved to the table and easily sat down next to his husband. "Lunch," he said brightly, spreading the food out so everybody could eat. Without a word he started eating his salad, a smile on his face.
Amy's eyes lit up and she eagerly picked up her small cheeseburger taking a bit and chewing it quickly. McDonald's was easily becoming one of her favorite places to eat and that much was obvious due to how she was bouncing up and down in her chair.
Sherlock was only a little hungry. He picked at the salad some, hoping little Sandi would keep eating even though he wasn't. He studied his small family quietly, a slight smile on his lips. It was quiet and peaceful. The family was enjoying themselves. It was nice to see them all so happy while on vacation. Their time in America had a few bumps but right now everything was perfect.
Thomas swung his feet excitedly as he ate his chicken nuggets. They were his favorite thing from McDonald's. Everyone was quiet but happy, so he continued to eat in silence.
John picked at his food, taking several large bites as he continued to fill himself up. At the rate they had been traveling he knew that he would need the food and energy. After a moment he sat back and relaxed, letting one hand move to rest gently on his husband's leg. Everybody seemed happy and they couldn't ask for more than that, even if he didn't agree completely with the meal. "Maybe we could find a nice place for dinner." There had been several restaurants that they had passed that had far healthier menus.
Amy nodded as she chewed a mouthful of cheeseburger, looking between her parents for a long moment before clearing her throat. "I wants pasta," she explained as she snatched up a few french fries and eagerly shoved them in her mouth.
Sherlock only ate a few bites, since little Sandi was eating happily. He smiled at John and placed his hand on top of his husband's. "That sounds like a good idea. I can look up a restaurant on my mobile. It sounds like Baby Girl wants something Italian." He gave John a slight smirk as he pulled out his mobile with his free hand and began looking for a place to eat later on in the evening.
Thomas continued to eat quietly, rather happy about having McDonald's again so soon. It didn't really matter to him where they ate dinner later in the evening. It would be from America, so it had to be good!
As his husband searched for a good place for dinner, John just smiled and watched their children. They weren't too keen on talking while they were all eating he soon realized. But there was nothing wrong with that. To him it just meant that they were all comfortable around each other. "Olive Garden?" He had seen a few of them in the towns they had traveled through and he knew he wouldn't mind trying it.
Amy took a few more bites of her cheeseburger before sitting back with a long sigh. Definitely full. At her age she couldn't eat too much before she was done and absolutely exhausted. By the time they got to the museum she would probably be fast asleep in Sherlock's arms.
Sherlock found the restaurant on his mobile easily enough as soon as John suggested it. It didn't take long after that to find the one closest to their hotel. "Got it. We will go there after we visit the museum." He looked over to Thomas. "Are you ready to see the Smithsonian son?" It was really several museums put together and a zoo, if he remembered correctly. They probably wouldn't get to see it all, but maybe they could visit the zoo tomorrow for little Sandi after meeting the President.
Thomas nodded excitedly. "Yes!" He loved learning new things, especially about America. The country had really captured his interest and he was curious about many things. There were some similarities to London but so much was different too and that was what he found to be the most fascinating.
The excitement from Thomas was more than enough to light up John's face. Their little boy was always more than willing to get excited about things and it was perfect. "You love America, don't you?" That thought scared him just a bit because he had a feeling that they might be losing their son to the country when he was old enough to move out. It meant they'd have to travel here to see him and that sounded horrid.
Amy just sat in her chair, extremely relaxed but obviously happy. She was comfortable and enjoying herself. "I thinks that we should has nap time when that's is done," she explained softly, smiling just a bit before stretching in her chair.
Sherlock smiled and stood up. He gathered up all the trash on a tray and the dumped into a bin. He walked back over to his family and picked up little Sandi. Hopefully she would fall asleep during the drive, so she wouldn't be fussy in the seat. She was grumpy when tired, especially when in the car.
Thomas nodded emphatically. "Yes! It is amazing." When it was time to go, he got up and took his Dad's hand. "Do you think we will be able to vacation in America every year?"