This is the original, unedited, rejected epilogue to the story "Mrs. Mary Watson." It was rejected because it wasn't necessary. Everyone knows John and Mary's love story doesn't have quite the happy ending that story left off on. I liked leaving it with what I hoped was a bittersweet feel.
It wasn't too long later when Holmes took her husband on one last adventure: one that culminated in his own perceived drop off a waterfall. His greatest comfort during that time when the world thought he was dead was that at least the Watsons would enjoy the happiness they deserved without days or even weeks of their time together stolen by his cases.
When he finally returned home and was told Mary Watson had died his heart broke, first from his own broken hope that he would soon see her as well as her husband again and then for his poor friend, Watson, who had never had a proper family and now whose one great love had died. It was many years before Watson could talk about her and tell Holmes about her death.
Every year on the anniversary of their wedding, Holmes made a point to get them both very drunk; Watson was freer with recalling happy memories when he was drunk. Even when Watson was able to move on and married Jenny, a genuinely virtuous doctor's daughter who he loved sincerely, he would still make the trip to see Holmes every year on his and Mary's anniversary. He was able to talk about her then, not just think about her death. They stopped getting drunk together and instead spent all night talking and reminiscing about the past.
On those occasions, Mary's words never failed to bounce around Holmes' head: the good Lord brings all things to right. I fear for no man's immortal soul who does the right which he can do here while he has the chance.
If ever there were two people deserving of an ending brought to rights, it was John and Mary Watson, he decided. He had no fear that they would be reunited again. It wouldn't look like what they imagined, but the good Lord would bring all things to right. But before then, he would make sure Watson would not suffer needlessly again. And he was quite certain wherever Mary Watson was, she was smiling down at them.