"Molly!" She groaned softly and tried to get up from the couch. Sherlock wanted the nursery to be a surprise and she was hoping it was all done since he was calling her. "Molly!" He shouted louder hoping she wasn't asleep.

"I'm coming, just trying to get up." Her belly was a table, and while that was good for eating now adays, it was always a mission to get up.

"Need help?" He asked and she huffed as she got off the couch by rolling onto the ground and landing on her knees. Getting up slowly she walked towards the room and slowed down when Sherlock rounded the corner. "Ok, close your eyes then." He told her and she sighed and closed them, hands on her belly and letting him pull her in.

"Is it all done?" She asked as she walked into the room with him putting her right in front.

"And if you don't like anything I'll change it." Sherlock sounded nervous and Molly simply smiled and waited as he paused a long minute to look around and make sure everything was good before telling her to open her eyes.

Molly peeked one eye before the other and then smiled as she looked around. The walls were the perfect grey, the crip was set up next to the window, the toys were scattered around in the crib as well as the changing table. The book shelf was bare but put together with the sound machine and baby monitor set up already.

"Is it how you wanted?" Sherlock sounded nervous and Molly giggles before turning to him and nodding, tears springing to her eyes and Sherlock realized this was the exact emotional state he's been waiting for. He held her for a moment before he turned back around and went to look at the fitted sheet and the bumpers already in the crib.

"Thank you." She turned to him and he raised an eyebrow before walking closer and putting his hands on his hips and looking around. "The chair-"

"I already have Mycroft dealing with it being put together in the bedroom since that's where the bassinet will be." Sherlock told her when she seemed to realize what she was getting at. There was a small open space that he would eventually move the rocking chair into but for now it could be a small area for the tummy time mat.

"It's amazing." She went to wipe her tears again and Sherlock could t have been given another sign.

"We're going out tonight." He told her and she turned, her hands going to her belly.

"I'm too big to be out and about Sherlock." She shook her head and Sherlock shook his.

"I am taking you to dinner and then a surprise. Take a nap, keep your feet up... I'm going to go for the bassinet now." Sherlock told her, getting close enough to give her lips a peck before running his hands over the bump too. He or she started kicking his hands right away and he smiled.

"The baby always kicks when you touch the belly." Molly whispered and touched around his hands and feeling the kicks too.

"Can't wait to know the gender." Sherlock muttered and leaned down to kiss her again. John and Mary has gone to the trouble of being the ones to offer to throw the baby shower. It would be in their house. And thanks to Molly's first "cute" idea it would also be the gender reveal.

Mary had gone and chosen some things for the shower that wasn't for anyone eyes, not even Johns. While there wasn't a single family memeber from Molly's side, all of Sherlock's would be coming to welcome the baby.

"What's the surprise?" She asked and he just smiled and walked with her into the bedroom.

"You'll have to wait and see."

"That's not fair... at least tell me if I have to wear regular shoes." She mumbled and Sherlock helped her get into bed before kissing her one more time, this one not being short and sweet, but long and satisfying.

Tonight was the night he was going to get engaged, and there wasn't anything that was going to change his mind about it.

Molly waddled around the flat the rest of the day, mostly to the kitchen and then to the sofa. Taking a small snooze without meaning to. Two naps in a day Molly knew she would be even more tired when the night came.

This baby sucked all her energy out and Sherlock, while active, didn't want her to over exert herself in anyway.

He still held her at night but he seemed more gentle during the day. Offering to rub her back, cook dinner... anything that would make her worry, but now made her melt into a puddle of goo, and that's where he seemed to like her.

He always tried to do the nicest thing. And even the nursery was making her weepy again. She walked into the nursery, slowly, looking at how he had taken enough care to paint the room... apparently the men Mycroft had sent did it wrong. She saw everything he put together, the crib, the dresser, changing table... even the bookshelf.

She couldn't remember now if she had bought anything in the room by herself. She had to fight Sherlock to even go halves on the crib.

Running her hands over her belly... she was reminded that this wasn't even his baby. He could leave whenever he wanted. He had no real obligation. While she could tell he loved her in a certain way... he barely ever said it.

The future always made her worry. What if one day the baby cried through the night when Sherlock was on a case and he got so annoyed he left and never came back?

What if the baby burped up on his precious Belfast? What if the baby got all the donors genes and it was plain and obvious to everyone that it wasn't his child? What if the child had mental problems and he couldn't handle being around a disabled-?

Molly shook her head, turning and going right back to bed. She didn't want to think like that. She shouldn't. Just because she was "older than most" doesn't mean there was a huge probability there would be medical issues.

She laid on the bed, hugging the pillow she had bought before Sherlock had moved in and pushed his way past the pillow and only let her use it when she had to nap and he was working.

She curled into it, asking herself why Sherlock would stick around with her when she was having a baby that wasn't his.

She cried herself to sleep, wondering slightly in the back of her mind how she could take 3 naps in one day.

She woke up to a gentle shake of her shoulders and she mumbled how she didn't want to get up. "It's time for our date Molly."

She shrugged her shoulders and wanted him to leave. Her mind was still telling her he would get fed up with the baby not being his and being loud and she didn't want him to be trapped with her.

"I know you're hungry. You probably slept right through lunch. Come on, we'll go get some food and make our way to that little bakery you have been going in." That made her stomach growl. She had been a vanilla eating machine. If it was sweet and tasted smooth she had to have it.

"I don't want to get dressed." She mumbled and Sherlock grabbed her hands and helped her sit up. "And I don't want to go out looking like this." She looked at her maternity pants, her stretched out top that used to be a large shirt to sleep in.

"I think you're stunning." He told her and she huffed and rolled her eyes.

"I'm a whale." He held still as she got up from the bed and he thought, again, how they needed a taller bed. He would get Mycroft to get one before the weekend.

It would be a lot easier for her to get out of bed. With or without the baby. Sherlock noted how she limped, she must of had a cramp again. She needed more fluids.

Sherlock berated himself for not coming home to make her lunch. He had been so good at monitoring her food and liquids he didn't think about the possibility she would need help making food herself since she's been so tired lately. She had no energy. She had taken maternity leave early but he had insisted upon that when she slept through the night shift.

Now she was pushing through the large dresses he had asked Mary to pick out for her. He heard her huffing and he had to sit down as she kept going. Then he remembered another gift and got down on his knees to pull it out from under the bed.

"Molly, how about this one!" Sherlock waited for her to walk back out, her limp mostly gone with means she was putting most of her weight on it while searching her dresses again.

She saw the box on the bed with a huge ridiculous bow and walked towards it. Bending over it she felt a pinch but kept going for it. Opening it quickly she noticed the yellow and white floral dress quickly and she pulled it out and smiled. It would fit. And not tightly.

"Thank you." She walked towards him, lifting her face and he smiled as he went down and over to give her a kiss, rubbing over the belly before she turned to the bathroom.

He waited again, the dress was perfect for her and when she came out he remembered what it was like to see her happy at the Watson wedding. Despite being with the wrong man.

He helped her with her flats, watched her shrug into her jacket and then they were off. Never waiting for a cab too long. They went to Angelos. Eating almost everything from her plate and some from his and a couple breadsticks, she wasn't sure she could manage what she really came out for.

But she had enough energy to take a stroll.

"Are you sure you want to walk there. It's 5 blocks." He seemed worried and she could tell when he looked down at her legs he was trying to see if she was still limping. She knew he kept track of her food and water and cramps and during the first couple months he kept track of her sickness... but she didn't mind. He found it interesting and for a while she was sure that was why he stayed around.

"I'm fine Sherlock. The more I walk to more room I will have for dessert." She told him and he nodded, taking her hand in his they set off down the street. Not many people registered who he was but lots of women would smile at Molly. One even wanted to touch the belly and while she tolerated it Sherlock hated strangers touching her.

They made it 20 minutes later after a break to fix Molly's shoe. He pushed open the bakery door and nodded to the man behind the counter as Molly went right to the counter and looked at the sweets.

"Ah Mr and Mrs Sherlock! Glad to see you are well." He had gotten to know them both. Marco assumed they were married the first time and when he recognized Sherlock from the papers. No matter how many times Molly said they weren't married he insisted on calling them that.

She licked her lips and thought about what sounded better. She loved their vanilla cake with strawberry and whip cream, but today she wanted chocolate. She had cried so much it always made her crave what every woman went to when upset.

"Your vanilla strawberry-"

"Actually can I have the chocolate with dark chocolate filling?" She have him a bright smile and bit her lip realizing he had already boxed up her usual order.

"Are you sure?" He asked her and his eyes darted to Sherlock.

"Yeah. Just a different craving today I guess." She told him and looked at the cookies and then the eclairs.

"Alright." He set the cake down and went to get a new box made for her new order. "Anything else?"

"Can I have... the white chocolate macadamia nut... 5- no 6 of them. Half a dozen is enough." She muttered to herself and she noticed Sherlock steepled his hands under his chin and she bit her lip. "Do you want something Sherlock?"

"I'll take the vanilla cake." He told her and she nodded. Thinking he was getting it for her later or at least to share with her if she changed her mind.

She got the bag and whipped out her card but Marco waved her off. "Your order has been put onto an account." He told her and she looked to Sherlock but he looked confused as well. "A man... another Holmes, came in. Said anything you or he ordered would be on him."

"Mycroft is so nice." She told Sherlock and about melted as her eyes watered.

"It's just a gesture." Sherlock mumbled. He wanted those tears for him.

"A sweet one." She told him and moved to looked around quickly. Getting the water to dissipate and she smiled at Marco. Taking out a couple notes and putting them in the tip jar.

"Thank you." He called as Sherlock took the order and went to leave. "Good luck." Molly didn't know what that meant... maybe he just assumed she was about to pop. She certainly felt like it.

He got a cabbie and she nibbles on the cookies as they got closer to her flat. It started to drizzle as they got out and she rushed to open the door while Sherlock paid.

She just got inside when she felt the baby kicking and she tried to get her coat off. Waiting for Sherlock to help she felt too big to do anything. Moving to sit, she wanted to change before she made a mess of the nice dress.

"What?" Sherlock asked as he came in, a half of the personal cakes on his plate and then her plate.

"I need to change before I ruin the dress." She muttered and moved to get up but Sherlock clicked his teeth. "If I get chocolate on this-"

"I'll get you a napkin. Just stay there." He told her, putting the cakes down and going back into the kitchen.

She stuck her finger into the white cake and stuck her finger in her mouth. That tasted good but it wasn't what she wanted.

Taking a taste of the chocolate she about moaned. Opening her eyes and seeing Sherlock coming back she waited to take another taste.

"Here you go." He handed her a napkin and a fork and she moved to place the napkin in the small opening between the belly and her mouth and then set the plate on top. She had gotten to the point where she didn't need to hold it on top. She could balance anything on her belly.

She ate the chocolate. Sherlock had turned on the tele and was eating the bits and pieces of the cake but she reached over, bypassing the vanilla and going for the chocolate on his plate.

"Molly-"

"You're not even eating it." She mumbled and eat the bite she had stolen.

"Eat the vanilla." He chided before nodding to her own plate. She huffed and moved to cut a bit but the life seemed to fold in on itself. Pushing it over to be on the side she cut it that way and felt another block. Separating the cake and cream and strawberries she was docked to see a thin piece of metal on the plate. Pulling her fork up she worried her fork had somehow broken. Putting that down she went in for it, dropping the metal on the napkin and going in for a real bite.

She heard Sherlock huff a laugh and she looked at him. He had watched her disregard the metal and she knew he would say something about taking the cake back and not to eat it so she sighed and put the fork back down anyways.

"Tell Marco to check his pans." She told him. Picking the metal up and tossing it on the plate and then looking at him. He looked amused and he picked up the metal from the plate and put it in his mouth, cleaning it up before pulling it out. "It's a ring. I didn't know a woman worked in there."

There was a sizable diamond on the band and she rubbed over her belly before looking towards the tele.

"Molly... it's yours." Sherlock told her and she shook her head.

"I don't own diamonds Sherlock." She told him and he sighed. Taking her left hand he slipped it on her ring finger and she felt confused. "You can't just keep it because we found it Sherlock." She went to take it off but he kept hold of her hand and kissed it.

"Molly... I went to Marco when I left you here to nap. Well I went after finding a ring. I told him to slip it under the whipped cream." She felt her brain going a mile a second and she looked from the ring on her hand to him. "Will you marry me?"

"Sherlock-"

"Please Molly."

"I can't." She pulled her hand from his, pulling the ring off and somehow had the agility to get up by herself and rush into the bedroom. Locking the door and going to take off the dress and change into her loose clothes and then climbing into bed.

She let the silent tears fall as she heard him leave.

Glad that she finally let him go. He could go back to his normal world. He could be a single man married to his work, not some man who had a girlfriend carrying someone else's baby.

He deserved better than her. She would let him leave. Pay him and Mycroft back for all they bought... she could do this alone.

Curling into the body pillow she cried herself to sleep. Not looking forward to the baby shower in three days anymore