She had asked him to at least consider the thought of having a child. And he promised he would. Alena knew Sherlock would keep his word, he never lied to her. After that night when they discussed the subject of a child she never brought it up again. Pressing the issue would not be a good thing and it would only make Sherlock uncomfortable. Instead she decided it was best to give him time to think everything over that he needed to before coming to his decision. It had taken him a long time before he had been able to allow himself to love her and have her as his girlfriend, and it took a long time again before he had decided he wanted to marry her. Now with such a matter before him Alena had no idea how long it would take before Sherlock made his decision. Knowing it might take a while, she decided to not bring it up again and just allow him the time necessary for him to think it over.

Days passed, turning into weeks, turning into months. As much as Alena wanted to know what he was thinking about that subject, she resisted the urge to say anything to him. Sherlock never brought it up either, he only acted like his normal self and went about his usual life conducting experiments, solving cases, and of course spending time with his wife. Everything was normal, but there was absolutely no hint of him making a decision or even thinking about it. Alena only hoped it was not a subject which he deleted and forgot to tell her about. But Sherlock wouldn't do that to her. He knew how strongly she felt about this.

Finally a little over two months had come to pass and still no indication that he had thought about it. Alena was beginning to feel rather sad and depressed about it. Now she feared that Sherlock never would be sure about having children. Her desire to be a mother only strengthened, never relenting. Her heart ached to have a child, but she knew that Sherlock had to be okay with this as well. If not, she would never be able to hold a baby in her arms and call it her son or daughter. She hoped he would say yes.

One evening Alena arrived home to an empty flat. Sherlock had sent a text earlier telling her that he was out on a case and would be late so she shouldn't wait up for him. Retreating to their bedroom she changed out of her attire from her work shift at the library and immediately changed into pajamas. After a later shift than usual she found herself somewhat tired and not interested in doing anything that evening except going to sleep. Part of her wanted to stay awake and greet Sherlock when he returned, but there was no telling how long he would be gone for. Sherlock could be out until the crack of dawn for all she knew, he sometimes stayed out at bizarre hours, but not as often as he did before they were together.

Lying in bed she was curled up a bit on her side surrounded by the darkness and shadows of the room. She wasn't sure if she was falling asleep or not. Sometimes she would doze off but never fully fall asleep, but she would suddenly become conscious again. Looking at the clock she realized that hours were passing by, but she felt as if she was barely getting any sleep. She wasn't sure why this was happening, usually she was able to fall asleep quickly, but not this night.

It was around midnight when Alena noticed the sound of the door closing and footsteps coming down the hallway to the bedroom. Glancing up she watched as her husband's familiar figure walked in quietly as if to not awaken her.

"Hi," she whispered.

He turned to her. "I told you not to wait up," Sherlock's deep voice replied.

"I didn't. I just can't sleep for some reason."

Sherlock nodded and quietly walked towards his side of the bed as he took off his jacket. Alena sat up a bit and looked over at her husband. Her heart ached to ask him if he had been considering the thought of a child, even though she had told herself not to ask him. This was an important issue for her and if she pressured him he might ultimately decide that his answer was no and she would lose her chance at becoming a mother. Still, she had given him a few months already and she never brought it up once. Maybe it would be okay to ask him. Sherlock never snapped at her just for asking a question once. Hopefully he wouldn't this time. Swallowing a bit she sighed and decided to go through with it.

"Sherlock, I'd like to ask you-"

"Whether I have been considering your request or not," he finished for her.

Alena bit her lower lip. "Yes...how did you know?"

He turned to her. Even in the darkness of their bedroom she could still see his perfect features. At least he didn't look upset with her for bringing it up.

"You have been longing for an answer these last few months. Although you have never brought it up with me or tried to pressure me into giving you an answer, which I greatly appreciated, I could tell it was on your mind. I believe it's the most important request you have asked of me, and it means a lot to you. I could see it in your eyes and sometimes when you would stare off into space, I knew you were thinking of this."

Alena's eyes fell, feeling a bit upset about that. He was right, and of course nothing would ever escape the clever eyes of Sherlock Holmes.

"I...I'm sorry. I never wanted to pressure you, I knew you needed time and I wanted you to have that."

Sherlock sat down on the bed beside his wife, placing a loving hand on her cheek and stroking her skin. His eyes gazed back into her own adoringly.

"You never pressured me. Of course it was normal for you to think about it. It means a great deal to you. As I said, I appreciated that you didn't ask me earlier or pressure me about this topic, knowing how I felt about it. To answer your question, I have considered it."

Alena sighed at his loving touch, nuzzling his hand a little. She nodded when he told her that he considered it. He did not say he had an answer, so she figured he might not have one yet, still processing how he felt about it before arriving at a final answer.

Sherlock then slowly leaned in and kissed her lightly on her lips. "My answer is yes," he quietly said against her lips.

Her eyelids which had lowered a bit when he kissed her snapped back open suddenly. Did he really mean it? He said yes to having a child with her? Alena looked into his eyes surprised and almost searching for an explanation.

"I thought about this every day, Alena. I thought about what you had said and weighed my feelings against them, considering all the pros and cons to having a child with you. It took a very long time for me, but I found that the pros truly did outweigh those cons and I decided that having a child and creating a family would in fact add to my happiness. Yes, I did not tell you this because I wanted to wait for the right time, which just happened to be now. But yes, I do want to have a child with you."

Alena was almost in shock. She really thought Sherlock would not want to have a child with her, but here he was telling her that he had thought it over and decided that having a son or daughter would add to his happiness. Now she would be able to have a family, she would be a mother. Happiness hit her like a tidal wave and she threw her arms around Sherlock and hugged him tightly.

"I love you, Sherlock," she told him.

He smiled and held her close to him. "I love you too, Alena. Thank you for being patient with me these past few months."

She smiled wider. "Thank you for listening to my reasons and considering all of this. It means so much to me."

Sherlock pulled back enough to look into her beautiful eyes, brushing one of her bangs out of her eyes before leaning in and kissing her deeply. Alena kissed him back the same, thus beginning a string of kisses which only got more and more passionate, leading to them surrendering to each other's affections and drowning in a sea of love that night.

They did not conceive a child that night, nor had they planned to. So much had to be done before they could even think of actually trying to get her pregnant. For one, John and Emily's wedding was going to be taking place in a few months and Alena had agreed to be the Matron of Honor, and she did not want to risk having any of those feelings of morning sickness during that time, or any of the other typical things a women went through during pregnancy. That would make the wedding difficult for her to get through. In the meantime, Alena felt it would be a good idea to get herself to her doctor to also make sure that she was healthy enough to have a child. That was an important factor for her. If there were health risks she did not know about, she would never want to endanger a child's life or her own. However she had been confident that she would be perfectly fine since she was very healthy.

After her visit with her doctor she got the great news that she was perfectly healthy and should be able to have a child without any worries. Alena did feel a great deal of relief when she got that news, that mattered so much to her. Of course she would endure some changes in her health and way of life as the pregnancy moved on, but at least she had great friends who intended to be there for her. Emily would always be able to keep an eye on her at work if there was ever an issue, John being a doctor could always be there for her to get her through any medical issue, Mrs. Hudson would be there at Baker Street whenever Sherlock was out if she needed someone, and Molly even offered to stop by if she ever needed anything, and was also very interested in babysitting the baby since she adored children. Mycroft, being the child's future uncle also offered to help if ever there was need, apparently he was looking forward to there being another Holmes in the family bloodline. But most of all, Alena had the most wonderful husband who would stick by her side through it all. Sherlock. While he still had plenty of concerns and was nervous, he was definitely beginning to enjoy the thought of being a father.

Within three months, John and Emily had married and were off on their honeymoon. Alena and Sherlock were incredibly happy for their friends and wished them all the happiness in the world. With that big event out of the way, they both decided they were now ready to try for a baby. As time had gone on from the night when Sherlock told her that he would want to have a child with her, they both found themselves becoming more eager to finally become parents. Soon they finally decided they were ready, and for a few very romantic nights, Sherlock and Alena shared wonderful intimacy together, hoping they would soon conceive a child.

About three weeks later Alena was supposed to have normally seen the start of her menstrual cycle, however this time it did not come and she was very regular. She began to feel delight knowing that this probably meant that she was now pregnant. Just to be sure, she set up a quick appointment with her doctor to confirm this. When she got her answer, she went back to Baker Street where Sherlock had been working on an experiment when she left. Upon her arrival she found him lying on the couch looking bored out of his mind.

"What now?" she asked. "Did you finish the experiment and you're now bored out of your mind because you have nothing to do?"

Sherlock sighed. "Incredibly bored."

Alena smiled a bit. "Well I'm going to change that all for you. Get up off that couch and give me a hug."

He glanced over at her. "What for?"

Her smile widened a bit. "Well for one because I'm your wife, and secondly...because I'm pregnant."

Sherlock's usual emotionless visage immediately changed to a surprised one. "Say that again."

"I'm pregnant. I'm going to have our baby," she replied.

Those words sank into Sherlock's mind, processing them and allowing him to realize the facts at hand. Alena, his wife, was pregnant. She was carrying their child, and would be doing so for the next nine months. They had discussed and planned this, but now it was really happening. He immediately got off the couch, took his wife in his arms and kissed her deeply, a gesture which Alena more than happy to replicate for her husband.

"For sure?" he asked.

She nodded. "I just went to the doctor to be sure, the test came back positive."

Sherlock looked overwhelmed with happiness. "I'm...going to be...a father," he breathed.

"And I will be a mother. We're really having a baby, a being who will embody the best of both of his or her parents."

Releasing one of his arms from around Alena, Sherlock brought it before her and placed his hand gently over her stomach. Beneath where his hand lay, a being was forming in her womb, one created from both of their DNA and would grown and one day become a child. He understood the biology of this process, but the fact that it was his child and Alena was carrying it...that was the most amazing part of it all.

"I'm very happy, Alena."

"Me too, Sherlock. It will be a long nine months, but it will be worth it when the baby is born," she said as she laced her fingers with his own.

He kissed her forehead. "Indeed it will."

When Sherlock and Alena announced the pregnancy to their friends, everyone was so excited by the happy news. While they had known that they had been planning to have a baby, knowing that Alena was pregnant was absolutely wonderful and everyone was ready to help out in any way they could. Of course it was still early on, but Alena knew that as the months passed her belly would grow and things would change for her.

And they did.

Alena had to go through the dreaded morning sickness which was agonizing, but she managed to get through that okay. She felt fatigue more than usual and some feelings of pain in her body which were normal, and she occasionally felt very moody. That had been something she worried about. She never wanted to get too moody with anyone, and she never wanted to get annoyed with Sherlock. Sometimes she would feel very depressed whenever she thought about her mother and how much she missed her and wished she could have her there for guidance. Of course Sherlock was usually the one to hold her and help her feel better whenever she felt this way. He knew that she wanted her mother especially now, so he did his best to soothe her and make her feel loved.

As the weeks went by her appetite changed, she craved certain foods she usually never craved, which she heard might happen, and she was definitely gaining weight as her body changed. As those weeks became months she definitely began to show, her belly began to grow and create the bump she was looking forward to seeing. Sometimes she would lie in bed and just look at her growing belly and think about the baby which was growing inside her, delicately stroking her belly and feeling so excited about being a mother.

The day she found out what sex the baby was had to be one of the happiest days of her life. Sherlock had gone with her knowing this would be a very important day for them both. They were very anxious during the ultrasound to find out which it would be. Finally they were told.

A boy.

Alena was a bit emotional, a tear rolled down her cheek she was so incredibly happy. Sherlock held her hand and looked at her adoringly. They were going to have a son together. Alena had once jokingly asked Sherlock to make a deduction to see if he could predict what their baby would be, but surprisingly enough he told her that he didn't want to do that. He wanted to just find this one out when the time was right, saying this was one fact worth waiting for. And it was worth it.

By the end of the fifth month she was absolutely delighted when she felt the small movements coming from within her. The baby was moving. The first time she felt it she was a little stunned, but as it continued she understood what was happening and it just made her so happy.

"Sherlock, the baby is moving again," she told him while she was sitting on the sofa.

He sat down beside her placing his hand over her belly and felt those small movements. Sherlock was so fascinated by the feel of them, knowing that they were coming from his son as he continued to develop inside of her. He knew very well that he was going to be a father to a son, but whenever he felt these movements and witnessed the growth of Alena's belly, it not only reminded him in a wonderful way, but it also brought the most genuine and wonderful smiles to his face.

"Remarkable," he murmured. "Just a few more months, and then we'll have a baby boy."

Alena smiled and nodded. "I'm so excited."

"What shall we name him?" he asked.

Alena shrugged, they hadn't really talked about this yet. "I think that our son should have a unique name like his father."

"Oh?"

She smiled. "Well I have never met another man named Sherlock, and I also haven't met another Mycroft before. Why not continue that and give our son a nice name?"

"I'm not sure. I don't want our son to have a name which would get him made fun of."

"Oh I wouldn't dream of doing that," she told him sincerely. "But you and your brother have such unique names, I think our son should have one like that as well."

Sherlock smiled. "Perhaps. However there is nothing wrong with a more common name.

"I suppose so," she said with a small shrug. "And we do have to come up with a middle name as well. Oh so many choices."

"Here's an easy way we can go about it. You mentioned once that your middle name was your grandmother's name. Why don't we name him for your father, since he was someone you were very close to."

Alena snorted a bit. "You really don't mind going by that tradition?"

He shook his head. "Not at all."

"Well his name was Alistair, which is not a name you hear every day."

A smile crossed his face. "That would be a fine middle name, and a nice way to honor your father."

Her eyes stung slightly as tears threatened to form. How could Sherlock be that sweet to her? She had told him stories about her father, Sherlock had even admitted once that he would have loved to have met him since he was such an interesting man with many fascinating qualities. In her heart she knew that her father would have loved to have called Sherlock his son-in-law.

"So what first name do you think would be a good first name?"

Sherlock shook his head at a complete loss for that one. "I am not good at this, my darling. I suggested how to go about giving our son a middle name, you come up with a first name. I trust your judgment."

Alena grinned. "That could be dangerous," she joked.

He smirked back. "I'm willing to take that risk."

She had a few names in mind, but she pretended to ponder this and have a bit of fun with her husband.

"How about we take John's advice and name our son 'Hamish'?"

Sherlock rolled his eyes a bit, remembering the awkward moment when that name first came up. "No."

She expected that. "Hmm...are you sure you wouldn't want to have our son become 'Sherlock Holmes, Jr.'?"

A slight grumble escaped his lips. "Absolutely not. He's already got my DNA, he doesn't need to share my name. And don't you dare say my brother's name either. Enough of your obvious teasing my dear."

"Wasn't going to offer your brother's name," she giggled. "Okay fine have it your way. Alright how about 'Erik', and with a K instead of a C?"

Now that she offered a different name Sherlock thought about it. "I rather like the sound of 'Erik Alistair Holmes'. Any particular reason for that name?"

Alena shook her head. "I've always like that name. And it is a common, simple name but with a K it looks nicer. Do you really like it?"

Sherlock nodded before looking down at her stomach and gently rubbing it. "Mrs. Holmes, I believe we have named our son. Erik."

Alena smiled wider, placing her hand over his. "And in just a few more months, he will be born. I am looking forward to that day so much."

"As am I, Alena."

Hey everyone! I am so sorry about the delay, forgive me for not completing this chapter sooner! It was a very important one and I had to take my time getting it to flow as I wanted it to! I hope it was worth the wait! Big announcement: this is the second to the last chapter. I had promised to extend this story a bit more which I did, but now I feel it must come to an end. In fact originally I never planned to go past 25 chapters and never thought about how I could include the Reichenbach Fall, but you guys really inspired me to keep going and the story only got better than I first anticipated, so THANK YOU for that! But the next chapter will be the conclusion. Thank you to everyone who commented, and thank you to those of you who followed and favorited this story, I really appreciate it! :)