holidaysat221b Prompt of the day - 5/25/18

Molly discovers she's pregnant with Sherlock's child at the worst possible time: while she's with his parents, being hidden away, and the two are pretending to be just friends. Bonus if they figure it out before they're told! - by afteriwake

Rated K+. Enjoy, and thank you as always for your wonderful reviews!

"Molly, dear, is there…something you'd like to tell us?"

She felt her smile faltering and scrambled for something to say without giving anything away. What did they know? Because of course they were Sherlock's parents and of course they knew she was hiding something…but what? "I'm…really enjoying this visit?" she hazarded with an awkward laugh. "I mean, of course, not the reason for the visit, but just getting to spend some time away from London, and getting to know you a bit better…"

Marian and Siger exchanged glances just shy of what Molly would call pitying before turning their attention back to her. Siger reached out and patted her hand, taking up where his wife left off. "Yes, we're very glad to have you as well, my dear, always nice to have Sherlock's, erm, friends visiting with us. As long as no one's getting drugged, of course!"

His laugh was just as awkward as Molly's, and she found herself warming to him even more. His wife gave him a chastising frown, and he cleared his throat. "Yes, well, the thing is, Marian has notic - that is," he hastily corrected himself, "Marian and I were just…wondering. About how you've been…feeling."

Molly went cold. Oh God, they'd noticed! She'd tried so hard to keep her fluctuating appetite, her intermittent nausea, her tiredness to herself, but of course they'd noticed! Why wouldn't they notice? They were Sherlock's parents, after all.

"Well, of course it's a bit stressful, isn't it?" she asked brightly, hoping she didn't look as pale as she felt. "Being hidden away in the countryside while your b-friend, while your friend - I mean friends, of course, John and Greg and Sherlock! - are hunting down a leftover Moriarty lieutenant who wants to kill you. Kill me, that is," she continued, knowing she was babbling but literally unable to remember how to shut up. "No one wants to kill you, as far as I know, and why should they? You're both absolutely lovely and…"

"Molly, is my son the father of the child you're carrying?" Marian asked bluntly. Siger sighed quietly but offered Molly an encouraging smile when their eyes met.

"Yes," she answered after a long (pregnant!) pause. "Yes he is. But he doesn't know about it, I just found out when all…this… happened." She waved a hand vaguely in the air to indicate the situation they currently found themselves embroiled in. "But no one knows we're together, we agreed not to tell anyone till it was safe again. Sorry."

"Tosh, no need to apologize," Marian said crisply. She gave Molly a warm smile and pulled her into a hug that spoke volumes. "We're very happy for you both, and we're sure that son of ours will have everything settled before too much longer. And then," she added, as she held Molly at arms length, her eyes glittering with purpose, "we shall help plan the wedding, the baby shower, modifications to your flat - I believe Mycroft can foot the bill for that one, considering this is all his fault. I do love that boy but he never could learn to leave well enough alone when it came to international espionage."

Sensing how overwhelmed Molly was obviously feeling, Siger added comfortingly, "Not to worry, Molly. None of that will happen until and unless you and Sherlock give the okay." He gave his wife a look of gentle warning. "Isn't that right, my dear?"

"Yes, of course," Marian said impatiently. She hopped to her feet and gave Molly a bright smile. "In the meantime, perhaps we can find something to help settle your stomach a bit. I read somewhere that a pint of Guinness a day might do the trick, and that's not nearly enough alcohol to harm the baby." She held out her hand, and Molly stood up. Linking their arms together, chatting brightly about baby names and her own three pregnancies, she led Molly away to the kitchen.

As soon as they'd gone, Siger turned his attention to the door leading to the upstairs. "It's all right," he said softly. "You can come down now. Your mother will be quite occupied with your lady love for some time."

There was a small sound quite like an exasperated sigh, and Sherlock entered the room. He gave his father a small hug in greeting, speaking in a low voice after they'd separated. "We wanted to surprise you both with the news once things had cleared up - that we were together, of course. Molly thinks I don't know about the baby but–" He shrugged.

"But you're a Holmes," his father finished for him with a small laugh. "Good thing Molly knows full well what kind of family she's joined her fortunes too - er, you do intend to propose, my boy? Make it permanent and all that?"

Sherlock gave a haughty sniff. "It's already permanent," he declared, then softened his expression into something a bit like ones Siger remembered from his early teen years - awkward, uncertain, hesitant. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet covered jeweler's box. "It's Great-Grandmother Vernet's ring," he said. "Mycroft got it from the safe for me before all this nonsense with Moran started. Do you– do you think she'll like it, Dad?"

Siger beamed at his youngest son. "Absolutely, my dear boy, absolutely. And once you've finished all this nonsense with Moran - or is it already finished?" he broke off to ask shrewdly. "Is that why you're here, sneaking about?"

Sherlock's expression became indignant. "I'm not sneak– actually, yes," he admitted. "It's done. I wanted to surprise Molly, talk to her alone when she came upstairs, but then you and Mummy started in on her and, well…" He grinned. "I suppose this is a weekend for good news."

"For all of us," Siger assured him, pulling him into a hug and patting his back affectionately. "For all of us. Now let's go join the womenfolk in a pint of congratulatory - and medicinal - Guinness, shall we?"

Side by side Sherlock and his father walked to the kitchen, each pondering the changes in their lives - and radiating quiet joy in the contemplation.