A/N: This has been a pure joy to write, and I hope to read as well! Thank you for all your encouraging comments.


And turning out the light

I must have yawned and cuddled up for yet another night

And rattling on the roof I must have heard the sound of rain

The day before you came

-Abba, "The Day Before You Came"

"Wakey-wakey!"

Rosie groans and rolls over, one arm over her eyes. "Go 'way," she mumbles.

Instead of doing as she asks, her tormentor, the man she once believed was the love of her life and the only person she wanted to spend her life with, throws open the shades and allows the bright morning sun to come pouring into their room. "No can do, sunshine," he says, far too cheerily for a man who is about to be left at the altar for his unutterable betrayal. "You're meeting David for brunch, remember? And," he adds, leaning over and planting a kiss on the small part of her cheek that shows, "we have our parents to torment as well. Well, my dad, your mum, your Aunt Janine and Potential Dad No. 3, although I suspect your mum would want him moved up the list a bit, especially after -"

"Last night!" Rosie cries, memory returning in a rush. She sits up, flinging the covers off of her legs and attempting to stand.

Fortunately Danny, the darling, darling man, redeems his earlier sins by being there to help steady her when her legs turn out not to be quite up to the job. "God, how many of those Tequila Sunrises did I drink?" she wonders aloud, knowing the only possible answer would be 'one too many' should Danny choose to treat it literally rather than rhetorically.

"Yeah, last night was some kind of record breaker," he agrees, guiding her gently to the adjoining bathroom. "There's coffee waiting for you on the sink, some paracetamol and your robe," he announces as he nudges open the door with his shoulder. "Once you're actually awake and aware, we can talk strategy."

The lovely, wonderful, amazing man! How could she not marry him after taking such loving care of her? "The wedding is back on," she tells him, seeing by the amusement in his eyes that he actually understands what prompted her words. She kisses him on the nose - well, fairly close - and stumbles into the bathroom, following the sweet, sweet aroma of the finest cup of coffee she's ever had in her young life.

After a steaming hot shower, the rest of her coffee and the paracetamol, she emerges far more awake and alert from the bathroom than when she'd entered it. Danny - oh, lovely, lovely man! How could she ever have doubted him! - has more coffee ready and waiting for her.

She throws herself into his arms, peppering him with kisses in between mumbles of gratitude, then sinks into her recliner, cup of the god-like brew in her hands, and looks at her fiance. "So. About last night," she begins, and spends the next several minutes outlining exactly how much mischief they're going to get up to today.

oOo

David rises to his feet as Mary, Danny, and Rosie approach the table where he's been nervously fidgeting for the past fifteen minutes or so. He'd been early, they were a few minutes late, but it was all good now. He smiles at Mary, shakes hands with Danny, and stares wordlessly at Rosie for longer than is probably polite, but he can't help it. She looks so much like her mother at that age, bar a few minor differences. Most strikingly, they share the same bright, beaming smile and he knows that, blood relationship or not, he'd have been so happy raising her as his own.

Before she came into his life it was ordinary, even a bit dull, but now? It's as if he'd never seen the sun before. If only...

Ah well, no use crying over spilt milk, as his Gran always said. They enjoy a lovely brunch together, although Mary seems a bit distracted. He understands why when, just as the meal is ending and he's decided that Rosie is the most brilliant young woman he's ever met and he'd happily die for her, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson stroll up to the table and greet them.

He can't help the pang of regret he feels when Holmes stoops down to greet both Rosie and Mary with kisses to the cheek, and shakes Danny's hand. He expects to be ignored but to his surprise Holmes actually acknowledges his presence with a nod, while John shakes his hand and says something about what a fine morning it is.

With a glint in her eyes that makes him feel more than a bit wary, Rosie leans forward, elbow planted on the table, rests her chin in her hand and says, "A very fine morning indeed, John. How did you sleep?" And she raises her eyebrow with a mischievous grin that tells David the question might not be as innocent as it sounds.

"Rosamund!" her mother exclaims, her cheeks going a bit pink. She turns her accusing gaze to Danny. "So you did see us, you brat!" But she doesn't sound angry, only amused, which further confuses him. What the heck is going on here, exactly?

Before he can voice that question, Holmes let out an annoyed huff. "Isn't it obvious, Mr. Green? No?" He nods at John and Mary. "Her mother and John reconnected romantically last night, Danny witnessed that reconnection, and Rosamund - having inherited what I can only call her mother's pawky sense of humor - has decided she approves and to show that approval via teasing."

Oh. OH. David feels his eyes going very wide indeed. So much for his belief that it was the famous Sherlock Holmes for whom Mary still had left-over feelings! "Well, that's, that's very nice," he manages to stammer out. He'd thought he'd accepted the inevitable - and had been making some very nice progress with Mary's cousin Meena and hoped to continue to do so - but still, discovering absolutely that someone you'd once loved very much loved someone else was something of a blow.

"Buck up, Green," Holmes says encouragingly. "There's still a chance you're actually Rosamund's father, and if you end up marrying Mary's cousin - either way you'll still be part of the family."

Rosie's smile has completely vanished by the end of that little speech, and both she and her mother are giving Holmes the same narrow-eyed, disapproving stares. Belatedly David realizes that 'encouraging' wasn't exactly the right way to describe Holmes' words - 'false heartiness' might be closer to the mark. Surely not mocking, though?

As if his thoughts had been broadcast aloud, a scolding voice says, "Sherlock, don't be mean!"

It's neither Rosie nor Mary speaking, however, but his ex's pretty little brunette friend. She gives him an apologetic smile before continuing to lay into the famous detective - who takes it with surprising humility. He even goes so far as to apologize, which raises more than a few eyebrows.

Including that of John Watson. "Will miracles never cease," he marvels, eyeing Molly with more than a little respect. "How did you manage that? What's your secret?"

It's Mary who responds with a return of her lovely grin. "Hm, seems that John and I weren't the only ones who had a romantic night together! Good on you, Molls!"

"Good on Molls for what?" This time the new voice is that of the redhead he knows is Mary's other close friend. She stops at the little table, which is feeling a wee bit claustrophobic what with the growing crowd she and the father of the groom have now joined.

Rosie and Danny share delighted grins and turn to face the newcomers with matching sickly-sweet expressions on their faces. Danny bounces to his feet, embraces his father, then turns to Mary's friend and kisses her on the cheek, hugging her just as warmly as he had his father. "Dad! New Mum! Glad you could join us!"

'New Mum' looks startled, then breaks into infectious laughter. "Oh, good one, you!" she exclaims, taking the elder Lestrade's arm and resting her head on his shoulder. "New Mum, I like it - but I doubt your real mum will, so can that crap while she's around, all right?"

Rosie gives her a look of wide-eyed innocence so phony that even David recognizes it for what it is without needing to play catch-up. However, she addresses her next words to her mother. "Now you two, please tell me you used protection? I'm far too old to be saddled with a younger sibling!"

Holmes rolls his eyes and answers before Mary can say anything, if she'd planned to. "Sorry, Rosie, but your parents haven't shagged yet. But I can promise that Molly and I used protection, in case you're also averse to your godmother and I having a child. Perhaps in a few years, when Molly's more established in her profession," he muses, ignoring the varied reactions his words receive.

Well, ignoring all but Molly's reaction, which is a squawk of indignation and bright flush across her face. "Sherlock!" she hisses, clearly mortified by his casual revelation of how they spent the previous night.

"Bit not good, mate," John advises. His face is equally flushed but Mary is all dimples and sparkling blue eyes.

Fortunately for David's nerves, Meena shows up just then and drops a kiss to the top of his head. "Hello, this is quite the brunch party! I thought it was just for the prospective dads?"

Something Holmes said finally percolates through David's befuddled mind. "Hey, wait!" he objects, staring at the detective whose expression is decidedly smug. "You called John and Mary Rosie's parents! Why? Just because they're together now?"

Holmes shakes his head. "Nope," he says, with an obnoxious pop of the p. "It's because John realized something last night, only I was a bit too distracted at the time to deduce it. Something that made him believe that he was Rosie's father. Something about her physical appearance, I take it?"

He has everyone's full attention now, not least of all Rosie and Mary's. "Is this true, John?" Mary asks even as her daughter demands to know what he thinks he sees in her.

"It's not definitive," John says, holding up his hands defensively and glaring over at Holmes. "I was going to wait until we had our DNA tests this afternoon and got the results back before I said anything."

"May as well spill the beans now, John," Holmes drawls. "It's not the color of her hair or shape of her mouth, those are all Mary. Her relatively short height isn't any kind of a giveaway either, or her build -"

"Eyes and nose," John blurts out, looking instantly as if he wishes he hadn't allowed the other man to annoy him into saying anything at all. He looks over at Mary, then at Rosie. "You have the same eyes and nose as my sister Harry," he says, more softly this time. "It could just be coincidence…"

"As Mycroft likes to say, the universe is rarely so lazy," Holmes says, his tone of voice brooking no argument. "As for the DNA tests, we might as well get the formalities over with, shall we?" He pulls out his mobile, taps away at it for a moment, then holds it up. "Mycroft's made all the arrangements for Molly to run the tests at the local hospital. Shall we?"

Looking more than a little dazed, Rosie nods and rises to her feet. Danny joins her, laying his arm across her shoulder in a comforting, supportive gesture. Mary, eyes blinking rapidly, nods as well, taking John's hand in hers. Meena gives David an encouraging peck on the cheek and a warm smile. "Go on then, you lot," she says. "The rest of us have wedding things to do while you're across the island. We'll see you later."

And off they troop - David, Sherlock, John, Molly, Mary, and Rosie - to go through what apparently is only a formality now. Of course, the great detective and his blogger could both be wrong, but somehow David suspects that they aren't.

Only Holmes' teasing words about David still being part of the family if he and Meena continue to hit it off keeps his heart from breaking. At least Rosie will still be a part of his life in some small way, he consoles himself.

As if sensing his melancholy mood, Rosie hangs back a bit, walking by his side as they continue down the hill toward the harbor. "Don't feel you have to marry Aunt Meena just to stay in my life," she says, taking his arm and smiling up at him. "Now that I've gotten to know you all, I really hope you'll stick around, maybe come back and visit or let Danny and I visit you. I've never been to England."

He smiles back down at her. "You couldn't get rid of me if you tried," he promises. "Manchester may not be as glamorous as London, but you and the rest of your family are all welcome to visit me there anytime you like."

"Thank you," Rosie says, her voice and expression utterly sincere. "I know I haven't said this before, but thank you for being a part of my mum's life. You made her happy and I know she made you happy, too."

"She did," David replies, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "But you know what? Just knowing you makes me even happier."

They continue walking together, his heart infinitely lighter.