prompted by flowerstar5 on tumblr: Sherlock and a pregnant Molly babysit Rosie when Molly goes into labour early.
"Aunt Mowwy!" Rosie exclaimed, climbing the soft to sit next her. She and Sherlock were babysitting for a bit while John ran some errands.
"Hello there, sweetheart," Molly cooed, pressing a motherly kiss to the little Watson's mass of blonde curls.
"Pwitty baby," Rosie grinned, gently running her dimpled fingers over the large swell of Molly's tummy. She was nearly eight and a half months pregnant and Sherlock had been fretting over her constantly. When Molly wanted to make an actual home-cooked meal, he insisted that he could follow a recipe just as well as she could. He wasn't bad as he had compared the process of cooking to that of chemistry.
"You're gonna have a little cousin to play with soon," Molly smiled at her goddaughter.
"Ah, yes, I can hardly wait," Sherlock smirked, giving his wife a soft kiss on the cheek. "Rosie, your lunch is ready." He led her to the kitchen table to sit and eat. A drawn out groan sounded from the sitting room.
"Maybe sooner than we thought," Molly cried out in pain. She was taking sharp breaths and Sherlock rushed out to the sitting room. He sat down next to her, taking her hand in his and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. The pain subsided for a bit and then started up again. Mrs. Hudson heard the anguished cries as she was coming up for a visit.
"Molly," Sherlock said, kissing the side of her temple. "That was four minutes from the last one." She let out another painful cry. He wasted no time then, gathering the overnight bag and other necessities. "Mrs. Hudson, you're here! Molly's in labour! Could you watch Rosie?"
"Oh my, yes, of course, dear," Mrs. Hudson answered from the landing. She moved out of the way as Sherlock helped Molly down the stairs. He hailed a cab and they were on their way to Bart's. Molly squeezed his hand as each contraction came, causing him to wince a bit at her newfound strength.
"Sherlock!" she screamed. "I am going to kill you!"
"Now, Molly, just breathe," Sherlock urged her.
"You did this to me!" Molly shouted. The cab driver was snickering a bit at the scene.
"To be fair, you had a part in it as well," he replied cheekily. Molly glared daggers at him which made Sherlock immediately regret his response. "Okay, it's all my fault, Molly, I'm so-orry ouch!" She could very easily break his hand at this rate.
"Better be," she panted. He quickly dialed John and told him that he and Molly were on their way to Bart's and that Mrs. Hudson had Rosie.
In the waiting room, John sat with Rosie, Greg, Mycroft and Mrs. Hudson.
"I don't know what floor they're on; they won't tell me," John informed them.
"SHERLOCK HOLMES, I AM GOING TO MAKE YOUR DEATH LOOK LIKE AN ACCIDENT!"
"I'd say this floor," Greg chuckled.
"Here, eat these," Sherlock told Molly, handing her ice chips. "You can do this, my beautiful Molly."
"I can't, I can't," she cried.
"Don't have much choice now, darling," he smirked. "You can; I promise you that you can. Do you trust me?" She nodded. "Then trust me when I say you can do this. I don't care if you break my hand in the process, you can get through it. I'm right here."
"Sorry for threatening your life," Molly laughed hollowly. Another contraction hit hard, she could barely talk, though she tried.
"Shhh, Molly, don't talk," he soothed her as she squeezed his hand. Sherlock began massaging her abdomen to attempt to alleviate the pain.
"Alright," the doctor said," it's time to push, Molly." Her face scrunched up in pain as she pushed the first time. Sherlock was performing the breathing techniques with her. A few more pushes had his hand throbbing with pain but it was all worth it.
"One more push, Molly," Sherlock encouraged. "You can do this. I love you so much." That was all it took as Molly finally gave birth to their beautiful baby girl.
"I love you, too," she panted with a small smile.
"I'm so proud of you, darling. You were amazing," Sherlock told her, admiration in his tone. He kissed her forehead which was now beaded with sweat, her hair matted to her face. "You are so beautiful."
"Here you are; a beautiful baby girl. Congratulations," the doctor said, handing Molly their swaddled daughter. Sherlock's eyes filled with tears.
"She's precious," Molly cooed. "Oh, I love her."
"We made her," Sherlock mused. It was then that the consulting detective felt what it was like to fall in love in a completely different way. "I will never let you down." He leaned in to kiss his daughter's forehead.
"She has your hair," Molly laughed lightheartedly, looking down at the full head of chestnut curls atop their daughter's head.
"Your colouring, your adorable nose," Sherlock said with a smile. "I love her so much."
John, Rosie, Greg, Mycroft and Mrs. Hudson entered to finally visit the newest member of the Holmes family. They saw Sherlock and Molly fawning over their daughter and Greg couldn't help but snap a candid.
"Hey," Molly spoke up at them, her voice hoarse. "Come meet Charlotte." They gathered by her bedside.
"Pwitty wittle baby," Rosie cooed, her eyes lighting up.
"That's right, Rosie," John told her.
"Brother mine, perhaps you should inform Doctor Watson of Charlotte's middle name," Mycroft suggested. He had been the only one outside of the two new parents that knew the name.
"Charlotte Mary-Margaret Holmes," Sherlock smiled. John's heart swelled.
"Mary would have loved to be here for this," John said.
"We wanted to give her Mary's name some way," Molly explained. "We went through all kinds of possibilities. That was the only name we were sure about before coming up with that mouthful." Her laughter filled the room. "Would you like to hold her?" John nodded and handled Charlotte with care.
"We were also wondering if you'd be godfather, John," Sherlock informed him.
"I'd like that very much, Sherlock," John agreed, handing Charlotte over to his best friend.
"Do you want Uncle Mycroft to hold you? Of course you do," Sherlock smirked.
"Oh, I'm not sure if—" Mycroft began but automatically took his niece in his arms. No one ever knew what the eldest Holmes looked like when he was in awe, but they saw a true, genuine smile on his face as he held his niece. Sherlock looked around at the small family he had built for himself throughout the years. Funny to think that aside from Mycroft, it had all started with Greg Lestrade and Molly Hooper, now Holmes. It continued upon meeting John through Mike Stamford and renting 221B from Mrs. Hudson. Mary was added to the mix when he came back to London and then there was Rosie. Sherlock's heart swelled at the scene before him. Once upon a time, he never thought he'd have this; never thought he would have wanted it until he did have it. He knew he was never letting go. This was his family and he loved them.