One year later, Sherlock is better than he has ever been, his injury long forgotten, and his personal struggles very much dimmed by his enlightening relationship with Molly. They are a well-oiled machine in every way. She gives him space for cases when he needs it, and he respects her things in the lab when he comes 'round with a case or to visit.

On this particular drizzly day in London, Sherlock strolls along the familiar route to the morgue, having just paid his cabbie. There is a particular case that could pay very well if he solves it. Which is a very good thing because he had already solved it, the problem is that it is a person of high regard and status among the richer community of London. This means that the suspect is most certainly a very discreet individual with his affairs, especially the ones that go against the law. Sherlock had to catch him in the act, but John is not exactly the right partner for this case. Not where he needs to be that night. Luckily, this brings him a big amount of joy, as this case requires a particular skill that he possesses that he never believed would come up in crime-solving.

Whisking into the morgue in the way that he does, double doors flinging open and Belstaff billowing behind him, Sherlock grins brightly and throws his arms around Molly from behind, panicking for a moment before realizing he is very lucky that she isn't in the middle of slicing up a cadaver.

Molly gasps and chuckles lightly, smacking his arm gently. "Sherlock! You are so glad I wasn't-"

"-cutting up a cadaver, yes, I know, I thought of that after the fact", he smirks, turning her around in his arms to face him. "Listen, I have a big favor to ask of you."

Raising her eyebrow, she brushes some flyaway hairs from her face. "Alright, well, what is it? I can try to help you."

Sherlock can't help but smile, seeing as how beautiful she is. "Well, Molly...I have this high-profile case to solve. One of Mycroft's, of course, but it'll pay very well. The thing is, John can't assist me with this one."

"Wait, you want /me/ to assist you again? I thought we'd tried that before and I wasn't exactly on par with your speed and such..."

"No, no, you don't understand!", he exclaims.

"Then make me understand", Molly giggles. "You don't get this giddy for no reason, so spill it."

"I have to catch the suspect in the act. The only way I can do that is to attend one of his illustrious parties. Mycroft got me an invitation with a plus one somehow, through his weird governmental circle or something or other."

"Riiight...still not getting it. Last time I checked, you hate parties, Sherlock."

"Normal parties, yes. But this...this, Molly Hooper, is a charity ball, and it's being held tonight. A ball. I can dance!"

"A ball? Wow...so..."

"I want you to come to the ball with me as my date. It would be best for my illusion of being a straight-laced upperclassman if you played the part of my wife, though. More convincing. I'm sure people would start talking again if I had given John that role, now don't you think?"

Molly gapes a bit and blushes. "I'd love to attend with you Sherlock but I-I'm...we both know I'm not the most graceful person. Believe me when I tell you that I'm not a very skilled dancer. I can shuffle and bob and that's pretty much all. I don't want to embarrass you or blow your cover."

"Nonsense. I'll be there with you, and I'll guide you. You won't have to worry. Please?" He gives her his best puppy dog eyes, the ones she can never ever resist, and she sighs in defeat, eliciting a bright grin from him.

"Alright. But...please remember I'm not as skilled as you are."

"I will. I'll be a good guider."

Molly nods and smiles softly, rolling her eyes. "I told you that you'd get a dancing case one day."

"It's incredible."

"I'm happy for you, I'm just nervous for me", she chuckles lightly.

"Ohh, don't be nervous." Sherlock leans down and kisses her cheek tenderly. "You'll make an amazing wife." He winks and Molly's cheeks turn deep red.

"Fake wife, you mean."

"If you say so. Oh! I have the rings we will have to wear, by the way. It's important that you start wearing them now, so you are comfortable in them, and you won't be fiddling with them uncomfortably all night. That's a giveaway of a fake-out."

Digging through his pocket, he produced three rings. Two plain silver bands, and one very large square diamond. Molly's jaw drops. "Sherlock, that /is/ fake right?"

"Well...no. I borrowed them from an old connection. This has to go off without a hitch, so it has to be real. But don't worry, it'll look stunning on your hand."

Molly shakes her head. "I-...what if it falls off? What if it gets lost? Sherlock, I can't be responsible for that. No, we...we should use fake ones."

"Molly, please don't be ridiculous. I am responsible for them, not you. Plus I'm sure there's more where these came from. C'mon, please?"

She sighs softly and looks into his eyes, seeing how soft they are. "Okay, fine..."

"Lovely!" Sherlock takes her hand and carefully slides the band on and then the diamond, both rings fitting her perfectly. Molly can't seem to take her eyes off of him, but when she does, she then can't seem to take her eyes off of the very large, very sparkly, very impressive diamond on her finger.

"Holy shit..."

"It's pretty impressive, huh?"

"Are you kidding? It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Sherlock snorts and pecks her lips.

"Oh! Aside from you, of course, Sherlock. You're the most beautiful thing in my life, I assure you."

He laughs and holds her hips after slipping his silver band on his finger. "I'm flattered. Thank you. As are you, in my life."

Molly grins and leans up, kissing him soundly, which he eagerly returns.

"I'll see you after work at your house. I've already dropped off your ball gown", he winks.

She gasps and looks at him. "That's right, I didn't even think of that. Oh, God. I hope you got the right size..."

"Molly, you should know I know your body well enough to know all of your measurements by heart. Plus, I think I picked out an absolutely unique yet stunning dress that will totally complement your complexion while accentuating your lovely curves. Remember it's a nighttime party. I hope you like the dress."

"I'm sure I'll love it, Sherlock. I'll meet you at the house", she grins happily.

"See youuu", he says in a sing-song voice and saunters back out of the lab.

Molly sighs softly and chews her lip, looking at the rings on her finger, her heart clenching then fluttering within her chest.

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Sherlock stares wide-eyed as Molly walks toward him, her gorgeous deep aqua dress swaying with every step. The black lace that trails up the sleeveless corset perfectly accentuates her curves and breasts, and the skirt spreads out from her hips into the perfect array of ruffles, a few black lace diamond-shaped details spread evenly among it, making her look like a princess.

Molly blushes beautifully and stands in front of him, looking up at him and cupping his cheek. "I'm assuming this means you like the way it looks then?", she whispers shyly.

"You're breathtaking", he breathes out softly, looking into her eyes. "Just like I knew you were, but wow...this color does you justice, Molly."

"You sure that's not the corset?", she snorts.

"Mmm...well that too."

Molly laughs and adjusts the tie of his tuxedo gently. "Well, I must say, you look extremely handsome and very dapper."

"Thank you", he smiles. "I can't wait to dance with you."

"You've really got to hold me, or I'll trip or something."

"I won't let you fall, my love."

"Good answer", she beams and kisses him.

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Sherlock holds Molly close to his body, one arm delicately around her small waist, the other side by side with hers, holding her hand. They dance in time with the music as he guides her perfectly in a circle among the crowd of tuxedos and ball gowns.

Molly smiles shyly up at him as he dips his head and nuzzles her cheek lovingly. "See? I knew you could dance. There's nothing to it."

"With you, maybe. You're a great guide."

"I should hope so", he winks.

Molly chuckles quietly and strokes his hand as she dances beautifully along with him, like a fairy tale. Though the end of the night is sure to be anything but, especially for the man of the manor. She gasps softly as Sherlock twirls her and dips her, kissing her soundly. She, of course, responds in kind, kissing him back lovingly.

They both grin as he leads her back to a standing position and cups her cheek happily. Molly looks into his eyes giddily, knowing that he is completely genuine in this moment and it's not just an act.

"Would you like some punch, Mrs. Holmes?" he grins.

Molly turns pink and nods. "That would be lovely."

Sherlock leads her to the buffet table and leans into her ear, telling her that he's going to go track down the suspect since the deal is supposed to be going down in a few minutes. Molly nods and kisses his cheek.

"Sherlock?"

"Yes?"

Molly squeezes his arm gently. "Please be careful..."

"I will. Plus, Lestrade is meeting me out back, we have a plan. I'll come and get you when it's all finished, alright?"

"Alright", she mutters, pulling him in for a soft kiss. "Go get 'im."

Sherlock grins and nods, slipping into the next hall unnoticed by anyone except Molly.

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Molly waits around anxiously, making uncomfortable conversation with the rich housewives of London, sticking to the story that she and Sherlock had come up with if asked about their life and relationship. All of a sudden, gunshots ring out in another part of the mansion, and Molly gasps, not thinking for a moment before running towards the sound as best as she could with her gown.

Reaching the room with all the commotion, she notices Sherlock and Lestrade there. One man is laying on the ground unconscious with a gunshot wound, and the other is being placed in handcuffs by Lestrade. Molly gasps in relief and throws her arms around Sherlock.

"Christ you terrified me, again! I thought it was you."

Sherlock holds her close. "No, no I'm fine. It's alright now."

"Oh! I-I'm a doctor I should...I should probably help that man on the ground."

"No need, he's dead. Got involved with the wrong people and paid the price, unfortunately. Case closed."

Molly raises an eyebrow and grins. "I don't think I've ever actually heard you say 'case closed' before."

"No? Hm. Well, there you go, then."

"Milady", Sherlock smiles, holding his arm out for her.

Molly eagerly takes his arm, and they escort Lestrade and the perp outside to the awaiting police car. They say their goodbyes and congratulations to Scotland Yard before strolling over to the awaiting limo that Mycroft had set up for them, looking like pure royalty.

Lestrade shakes his head, a gigantic grin spread across his face. "Oi...a good man he is. About time."

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Sherlock thanks Mycroft's driver and escorts Molly back into her home, careful of the tresses of her gown. He smirks and scoops her up into his arms once the door is open, Molly laughing in surprise.

"Sherlock, what in the bloody hell are you doing!?"

"Well, I'm carrying you, obviously."

"Yes, but why?", she giggles.

"I was hoping you'd deduce the meaning as we headed to the bedroom."

Molly laughs and strokes his cheek. "As long as I can get this dress off, I'm all yours. Tonight and any other night you want me."

"That sounds very promising."

"I assure you; it is."

Sherlock smirks cheekily as he places her on the bed, leaning over to kiss her passionately. That's all she needs to never let him go throughout the rest of the night.

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The next morning Molly is in the kitchen making eggs and toast. She had woken up early to shower and freshen up for the day. Sherlock is currently washing up, and most likely taking his twenty minutes to fix his hair, which she did a great job of mussing through last night.

As Sherlock approaches the kitchen, he hears her gasp loudly. Concerned, he rushes over.

"Molly? What's wrong, what happened?"

Molly turns to him with a look of embarrassment on her face. "The rings. From...from last night. We haven't taken them off. How silly of us, we have to get them back to their owner. I'm sure they are wondering."

Sherlock smiles at her lovingly. "Actually...um...well, I-I wasn't quite sure how you'd take it..."

"Take what?" Molly looks at him confused as she begins to work the rings off her finger. Sherlock takes a breath and looks very unsure for a moment, placing his hands over hers.

"I didn't actually borrow them..."

"Oh...well, who's are they then? Did Mycroft set something up?"

"No, no. Molly, they...they're...", he trails off and looks deep into her eyes, a shy, boyish look on his face. "They're...ours. That is, if you...if you could see your way to...uh...possibly..."

He clears his throat and nods to himself. "Right...er…", he squeezes Molly's hands and slowly drops to one knee, gazing up at her softly.

"If you could see your way to maybe...becoming my...my wife. If you wanted to, of course. That is if-if you could see yourself marrying me...?"

Molly's jaw drops and her eyes fill with tears as she strokes his hands. "Sherlock...you're sure about this? I mean...me?"

He tears up and nods, kissing her hands. "Only you, Molly Hooper. You keep me level. You make me feel normal. Your love has saved me so many times. I don't want to waste any more time with you, I've been foolish enough for a decade. While I can't go back and fix the time we lost, I can do my very best for our future if you'll have me."

"Oh, God, yes! Yes, I'll marry you, Sherlock." Molly cries happily and pulls him up again, throwing her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, kissing him deeply.

Sherlock kisses back, chuckling on her lips and holding her close. "At least I know you already liked the ring."

Molly slaps his chest playfully and turns red. Very clever, mister. But I can't believe it...Sherlock, this ring is huge. Th-there's no way it could be mine, there's no way I can let you spend so much on me. That's insane."

"Molly I assure you; it was nothing. You deserve the very best. Please just accept it? It looks perfect on your finger anyhow."

She breathes out softly and strokes his cheek. "Alright. But I should give you the wedding ring for safekeeping with yours."

"Right, I nearly forgot that part", he chuckles.

Molly grins and gets off of him, then slips the rings off of her finger and hands him the wedding band. He takes them but then takes her engagement ring as well. "May I?"

She beams and blushes softly, nodding. "You may."

Taking her hand delicately in his left hand, he slips her engagement ring onto her ring finger. "I love you."

"I love you too."

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Four months later, Sherlock and Molly had picked out a date for the upcoming fall. They agreed that he would live at her house unless he has a case, in which, he would stay at Baker Street as to not disturb her sleep when she's working. Their relationship is more fulfilling than either of them could have ever imagined, and Molly, as well as Sherlock, are both very excited about their upcoming nuptials, despite Sherlock allowing Molly to get married in a church the way Mary and John had. The paperwork is a bitch since he is not religious in the least, but he would do anything to make Molly happy after all this time and finally getting the woman he deserves and needs more than anything in the entire world.

Finishing up his last case for the day, he returns home to Molly. Years ago he would hate the small talk and the cliché question of how their mutual days went, but with her, he finds that he quite enjoys the feeling of being cared for on this deep level. However, today he can sense that there is something not quite right with her.

Molly chews on her lip as Sherlock goes into the bedroom to change into something more comfortable. She taps her fingers on the table and takes a deep breath, her stomach in knots and her heart racing. "Hey, Sherlock?", she shouts a bit down the hall.

"Yes?"

"When you're dressed, um, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course. Is there something wrong?" He pulls on his sweatpants then walks back to her, furrowing his brow.

Molly wrings her hands and shifts her weight nervously.

"Molly?", Sherlock gently tips her chin to look him in the eyes. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I don't know if you're going to like it."

"Well...you won't know unless you actually tell me."

She sighs and leans against the counter, rubbing her face. "Right, okay...here it is then. Um...", she fidgets with her shirt then decides on taking his hands in hers.

"Sherlock, I-...", she looks up at him and swallows thickly. "I'm pregnant..."

Sherlock continues to look into her eyes, blinking rapidly and unmoving, seemingly unable to speak.

"I-I know that we never discussed this, and it's not expected and I don't even know how you feel about it, and...", she trails off and sighs. "I did a blood test on myself at work and...it was conclusive."

"Y-you're..."

"Mhm..."

"A-And I'm..."

"Yes."

"Oh, God."

Molly looks down a bit, but Sherlock squeezes her hands then cups her face, leaning in to kiss her softly and lovingly. She is slightly surprised but returns the kiss.

"W-we're going to have a child? I'm going to be a father?"

"Seems so", she blushes.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Sherlock."

"And I...I love our baby."

Molly erupts into tears and cuddles him close burying her face in his chest as he holds her. "I didn't know how you'd feel", she chokes through happy sobs.

"Neither did I until this moment. But I love you, you're going to be my wife, and any child of ours is sure to be the most amazing baby in the world. I'll be here for you. All the appointments, everything. Takeout when you get cravings even. I-I'll look up the recommendations for the best and safest cribs and bottles, well, unless you'd prefer to breastfeed, oh god, and then the car seat carriers and there's clothes and spit rags and diapers. Jesus, the diapers...", he rattles on.

Molly giggles and puts her forehead on his. "Sherlock, Sherlock, slow down. It'll all get done in due time. I assure you. We will figure it out together."

"Together", he murmurs and nods, pecking her lips. "Wow..."

"Wow is right. I'm still in shock, really."

"Understandable. What about the wedding, do you want to move it up? Or maybe we can get married legally on paper and have the ceremony in the church at a later date because I know that's still important to you."

"I don't want to get married in the church when I'm massive, so yeah. Maybe it's best to push it back and have a tiny legal paper signing ceremony with just us. What do you think?"

"I think that works wonderfully."

"Good."

"How about tomorrow?"

"What?"

"Tomorrow, to sign our marriage license. We'll go into the city and get it done tomorrow. I'd really like to be your husband as soon as possible, especially for our child."

Molly chuckles and shrugs. "Sure, let's get married tomorrow. Why not?"

Sherlock beams and peppers her in kisses. "Mhh...I can't wait, Mrs. Holmes."

Her face turns red, and she smiles at him, her eyes watery but happy. "Neither can I, Mr. Holmes."

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The next night Sherlock and Molly signed their marriage license in the presence of their friends and little goddaughter. The following three days were spent in a rather lascivious state of mind as they made their home an all-in-one honeymoon resort for the time being.

Sherlock keeps his word throughout Molly's pregnancy and is more attentive and involved than she ever could have imagined. Though the baby is on the smaller side, they are healthy and thriving. They both decide that they want to be surprised with the sex when the baby is born, and while they both suffer at different times with the anxiousness to know, it's absolutely worth it.

"It's a girl!"

"A girl!?", Molly says in happy disbelief, crying tears of joy.

"A little girl...oh, Molly, she's…she's utterly perfect. She's so perfect", Sherlock murmurs, wiping Molly's face with a cool, damp cloth and kissing her lovingly. "You're perfect. You did such a good job, my love. I love you so much."

"I love you so much", Molly sniffles and reaches for their daughter, as the nurse carefully places the baby on her chest. Tears flow from Sherlock's eyes as he looks at his wife and now, his newborn daughter. The little family that will forever be his.

The date is October 13th, 2019. Abigail Joy Holmes is born healthy and with a head of jet black, silky hair. She has her father's dazzling blue-green eyes, and cupid bow lips, as well as her mother's cute, upturned nose.

Molly always knew that Sherlock would make a great father, however, she did not know she would have to fight to hold her on a daily basis after being released from Bart's, as Sherlock is utterly obsessed with his little pink bundle of joy. Though every time she sees them together, her heart feels like it's going to burst from her chest with pure elation.

From time to time she thinks back to the day Sherlock was injured and all the hard and beautiful times they had gone through to get them here. Despite all the pain and heartache and worry, this end result was worth every second and she realizes, along with her husband, that neither of them would change a single thing since it led to this moment, curled together on their sofa, cradling their small daughter in their arms, the beginning of the rest of their lives.