Three years ago, just 2 months after Sherlock 'died' Molly's little lonely life got to be too much. She talked to her mother, who being a forward thinking did want grandchildren, even if it wasn't the 'normal' way.
So... she helped molly choose a donor. She helped Molly with everything. And just 4 weeks before Molly eventually gave birth, she was in an accident that left her mostly paralyzed. So while Molly was now pregnant, she was still alone for those 4 weeks. She thought a lot about what to do next with her baby, she wanted to keep it, she wanted to love him or her and she wanted to be a perfect mum... but she knew that without help it was going to be rough.
Thankfully she had a little girl, she named her Sara, and she was prefect. She was never a fussy baby. She was a good eater, she met all her milestones faster than expected, and now... she was a talking, walking, 3 year old who was now... practically, stuck on Molly.
It had been a year since Sherlock had been back. He had seen the changes in her immediately, and he had met the baby before. While Molly worked she was at the hospitals creche and well cared for. There was no more bolt holes at Molly... at least, not until Sherlock really needed it. He would stare at Sara, watch her eat, listen to her mumble out songs, look and talk about the books she had to read.
Molly was on time for everything, work, pick ups, doctors appointments... and the one time that she couldn't make a play date... Sherlock all but jumped at the chance. Apparently when Johns impending fatherhood Sherlock wanted to get in a few lessons so he could talk to John about knowing more things about babies.
Molly let him... it was a new friend, and she gave Sherlock clear instructions about what not to let Sara do. And he was to follow them or be smacked 3 more times.
Sherlock got to the park where the playdate was supposed to take place, he pulled little Sara out of her stroller and let her run wild. He looked over the others at the park, not seeing anyone interested in anything deviant, he moved to sit down. He saw Sara on the playground. She jumped, she ran, she giggled, she went down the big girl slide all by herself with no encouragement when all the others her age seemed to need it.
She was fearless, and Sherlock was impressed. He smiled as he watched her come running to him. She was out of breath, pointing and asking for her water, and he made her wait and sit still as she drank on the straw. She fascinated him. A child with no fear, nothing seemed to phase her.
That's where his mind went a little wild. They left the park and he asked her questions she could understand and he was pleased at her responses. It was simple questions, why did she like the slide, why did she like the sand, why did she like to jump off of tall things.
She seemed to laugh at him a lot... and he liked the fact that she didn't get angry with him over silly questions. He started to sneak her out of the creche, he would take her to a small gymnastics class for toddlers, he claimed to her her parent to get her in.
It went on for weeks until Molly needed to get her early to an appointment for a shot, and she walked in and the teachers said that Sherlock took her for his usual class outside of the hospital. Molly was seeing red as she called Mycroft and got him tracked. She walked into the building, asking about her baby, about Sherlock, and when she was pointed to an area she lost her voice as she saw her baby jumping off a tall mat, doing flips and heading face first into somethings he couldn't see. She didn't know how to swim yet, so she started to run.
"Sara!" She called out and let out a breath as she saw that she was trying to dig her way out of foam squares.
"Mummy!" She raised her hands and Molly grabbed them tight, pulling her up and into her arms and she looked around until she saw him backing into the wall like he wanted to be invisible. "Did you see? I did it perfectly." Sara told her, happy and Molly gave her a smile as she moved to Sherlock.
"You took my daughter from her-"
"Mummy I want to do it again!" Sara kicked a bit to be let down and Molly sighed and held her tight and set her back down.
"You make sure to be careful." Molly told her daughter and Sara was off before she could agree and Molly turned to him and he gulped. "What the bloody hell were you thinking?"
"I was thinking that with her fearlessness and her comprehension of why heights are not scary-"
"Sherlock! What were you thinking! She is my child, the only one I might have. And you have her here without my permission."
"Technically." He made a face and then smiled and Molly narrowed her eyes.
"Daddy! I did it!" Sara shouted as she was now back in the foam and Sherlock gave a weak smile before a big one and went right to the side so he could get Sara.
"Daddy?" Molly asked as she followed him.
"Umm, yes?" He asked as if it was a question of what she had just heard.
"Sherlock..."
"Well done Sara." Sherlock cheered her on and lifted her into his arms and they both looked over at her and she was going to lose it, but she couldn't lose it here.
"Baby, you have a doctors appointment." Molly took her from Sherlock, being sure to step on his expensive shoes he had on and crush his toes as she passed him.
"Molly?" Sherlock tried to keep up with her, limping just slightly, and she turned her head as if to listen. "Shall I come with you?"
"Oh? Pay for the extra cabbie." She muttered and he cleared his throat. "What?"
"I have a car... she has a car seat." He added and Molly felt her eye twitch. "Come on." He reached for her and Molly slapped his hand away before she went with him walking. She buckled her daughter in and as she got into the front with Sherlock she could barely look at him. She was trying not to get too upset, she was trying not to cry.
"I didn't know that she had an appointment today." He started and Molly turned to him, eyes wild and he started the car, knowing she would hit or hurt him if he was actively driving.
"You had no right Sherlock. She is mine, not yours." She heard her own voice crack and she sighed as she put a hand to her lips.
"I know." He told her just as softly. "I just... I saw her skills that day on the playground... I saw how happy she was and I wanted to test a theory-"
"She is not an experiment Sherlock! She is my daughter. She could have hurt herself." Molly snapped and he sighed and he stayed quiet as he moved to get to her pediatricians office, and that was when Molly realized he shouldn't know where to go. "How did you know where to go?"
"You think I would have taken her somewhere dangerous without knowing where to take her if she got hurt? I was careful Molly." He hissed and she had to now wonder what gave him the right to be angry.
She got out as he rounded the car and he opened the back, unbuckling Sara and she dived right into his arms. It was a strange feeling for Molly to see her baby so happy with Sherlock, and Sherlock so comfortable with her against him.
They walked in and Sherlock seemed to handle the lady in the front who wanted to start talking about her being late, and that there was going to be a late fee not covered by the insurance.
"Just get the doctor." Sherlock told her after he signed her in. Molly was beside him and ready to pay, however it was waved seeing as he had a badge and said it was work business that kept Molly from getting here on time. Sara was handed over to the nurse and Sherlock turned to Molly and waited. They were essentially alone.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you that I took your daughter for gymnastics while you worked?" He asked and she nodded. "Well... if she didn't like it why would she keep doing it. She loved it, she is advanced in it. She has no fear. It's extraordinary Molly." He told her and she sighed.
"Why did she call you daddy?" Molly asked and he looked around before taking steps so he could look down into her eyes.
"I needed her to so when we were there and if something happened, they would know I was in charged of her. She was mine. A parent had to sign her up."
"Oh Sherlock." Molly rubbed at her head and he took a deep breath.
"She does need a father Molly."
"No, she has me Sherlock. She has had me and only me since day 1."
"She can have me." Sherlock tried, tried to see if she understood and she just looked down and away. "Molly-"
"Sherlock, you're not John. I am no Mary, we can't have a baby, act like it's all ok, and then not be like them in other aspects. I am now wondering how long this has been going on and why I never heard her once call you Daddy anywhere else." Molly challenged and Sherlock turned his head and coughed. "Well?"
"I told her that we could not tell people outside of the class that I was her daddy because mean men might hurt you and her." He said it quick so she could hear it, and that she would need time to process it.
"So you didn't tell her it was a lie. You told her to be quiet about the truth... which isn't the truth." Molly stated and he took a breath before nodding. "What is this going to do to her Sherlock? You are so paying for her therapy. You can afford the best when it comes to suits, you will afford the best for what you have broken-"
"I have not broken Sara!" He objected loudly and Molly sighed.
"I know you haven't. You just broke the truth. I was going to tell her. I was going to tell her that I was so sad and without a child that I wanted one. That I went to a special doctor who gave me a list of men who wanted to have kids but might not be able to care for them. I was going to tell her that I found the perfect man who could give me the perfect daughter-" Molly was trying not to sob, her well though out plans were crumbling right in front of her and even as she was pissed at Sherlock, she took his jacket in her hands as he pulled her into a hug.
"I wouldn't mind pretending for t he rest of her life. We might need to change a few things, but it would be my absolute pleasure to be the John to your Mary, to be the husband to your wife, the daddy to your mummy. Trust me with this Molly."
"What are you saying Sherlock?" Molly whispered and moved her hands to cover and wipe her face.
"Move in with me, or vice versa. Let her call me daddy and let me explore her limitations safely. She is... she is extraordinary Molly."
"So you want me for my daughter?"
"No. I want to be her father. I love her. I love you, I love you both. I want to be there with you both. Maybe she won't be your only child." He added and his hands went from polite to dirty old man as he skimmed her ass and dragged her closer. "I love you. I love Sara... I am ready to be daddy full time and not just in one class."
"Sherlock-"
"Marry me." He whispered and Molly was stunned, the only thing that broke her out of it was his lips on hers as he now openly groped her ass in the kids doctors office that had been, thankfully, empty.
She didn't give him an answer, at least not until he asked again when suddenly, 2 months later she was at their flat puking in the late of the night saying that she smelled eggs. She hadn't gotten sick over them since she had morning sickness the first time.
Sherlock had run out to get tests without consulting her of his suspicions, and she sat with Sara and rubbed her scalp, much like she does for Sherlock when he needs help sleeping. She got Sara into bed by the time Sherlock came back. He told her to take it as he went in to give Sara a good night kiss and a story since she had been waiting.
Molly saw the results and covered it up as best as she could before going back out and waiting for him. He had taken a serious dive into the daddy role, and Molly hoped now more than ever he would stick around for the long haul. He was really about to become a daddy after all.
"Well?" He asked and she took the covered up stick and tossed it to him. He turned it and then smiled wide and jumped around. "Christmas is here at last!" He cheered before tossing the test to the side and going to her. "You have to marry me now."
"Marry you huh?"
"Yeah, before this little guy in here calls me daddy too." He told her and rubbed over where he knew her womb was carrying his child.
"Already calling him a boy?" Molly asked trying to change the subject and he smirked before leaning over and kissing her.
"Yes. Say it with me... I will marry you."
"Sherlock-"
"I will marry you..."He added to her sigh and she rolled her eyes before shrugging.
"Fine, I will marry you before this one becomes a bastard."
"Finally." Sherlock whispered before taking her lips with his and kissing her the way he had been since that day. there wasn't an ounce or worry, an ounce of second guessing, nothing that indicated he was going to leave or bolt... and Molly knew now that he wasn't leaving.
"You're finally going to be a daddy." Molly whispered as she pulled back.
"I am a daddy, I am Sara's daddy... I am just a daddy, again." He added and Molly's heard melted and she wrapped her arms around him and let him lift her and take her back into their now shared bedroom. There was celebrating to do.