Molly wakes up slowly, nuzzling a soft blanket that is wrapped around her body. Her eyes open and look out of her bedroom window, to the view of snowfall. Smiling, she cuddles closer into the blankets, remembering that it is her day off, when she feels a warm lump against her back. Suddenly all of the wonderful memories of the night before comes rushing back to her. The messy kitchen, flour smudged faces, sides hurting from laughing so hard...and then came the snogging. Oh, the snogging; how warm and lovely his lips were and how eager his tongue moved against her own. Of course that quickly turned into much, much more in the heat of the moment and a night of fun and laughter had swiftly transitioned into a night of passion and lovemaking. How magical it was; better than Molly had ever even dreamed, even if Sherlock was more than a bit rusty at first.

A pale arm drapes around her middle and she blushes softly. Sherlock pulls her body against his, both of them tangled in the blankets. He leans forward and nuzzles her cheek before murmuring in her ear, his deep, velvety voice thick with sleep. "Good morning, my love."

Molly shudders softly but smiles brightly. "Mmm...good morning to you too."

"Did you sleep well?"

"I always sleep well when you're here", she replies softly.

"True, but I have a feeling you know what I mean."

Molly blushes and nods, biting her lip. "Yes, I slept well. After the night we had, I'm not too surprised. We were both pretty exhausted by the time we decided to sleep."

Sherlock chuckles gravelly and kisses her ear. "If I had known that's what it would be like, I would have indulged a whole lot sooner, Moll."

Giggling lightly, she turns to face him and strokes his cheek lovingly. "I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did." She kisses him softly then nuzzles his nose. "I love you, Sherlock Holmes."

"Mm, and I love you, Molly Hooper."

"I could stay here with you all day, but unfortunately we can't."

"No? Why is that?" he quips, nuzzling her neck and shoulder.

"Well aside from the fact that I'm starving, and you probably are too, I told John that I would go to Rosie's preschool Christmas pageant. They're going to sing and do a little instrumental thing in costume. Rosie gets to dress up as the virgin Mary. It'll be so cute. I think she would love to see her favorite uncle Lock there toooo."

Sherlock chuckles lightly and cuddles her closer. Well, I don't have any cases on the roster today. I usually dislike crowds, but for Rosie I think I could maybe stick it out for an hour. Although, if people begin to recognize that I'm there, I'd rather not cause a scene at her school and I'd leave."

Molly smiles and traces his jawline. "You're an amazing godfather, you know. She loves you so much and loves seeing you."

He blushes a bit and nods. "I know...I just don't want to get too..." he trails off.

"Too what...? Attached? Involved? Sherlock, I know that your job puts everyone you care about at risk. But I also know that you would do anything to protect the people you care about. Plus, Rosie has all of us to protect her. John, me, you, Martha, even Greg. We would protect that little girl with everything we are if the need arose, you know that. We're like this huge, crazy, dysfunctional family. But we all look out for one another. Our connections and our friendships are stronger than probably anyone else's in the world, and that's because of you. You are allowed to feel human, to let yourself feel human. You shouldn't have to suppress yourself because of a possible threat some day in the future. That's no way to live. I know seeing Rosie makes you happy, and you shouldn't force yourself to stay away from her more often just because you think that someday she could be under threat. That's not going to happen because she has us, and she has John. You know what John is capable of; he'd do absolutely anything for his little girl. So would we."

Sherlock buries his face in her neck and she soothingly strokes through his curls. "I know that in my mind, but after Mary...I've done terrible things in my life too, so who am I to be able to get to see her grow up while her mother doesn't? What will getting close to Rosie do, if she grows up to realize that I ignorantly facilitated her mother's death with my arrogance?"

Molly strokes his bare shoulder gently. "Sherlock, you did not shoot Mary. It's not your fault. I know that you think it is, but ultimately, Norbury is the one who chose to pull the trigger. Also, she was aiming for you. Mary made her own decision to shield you. Nobody made her do it, she wanted to protect you. I don't think anybody expected her to die. I know you didn't. It was a series of events that ended in tragedy, and nothing else. We all miss her, but we all know it's not your fault. Rosie will know that too when she gets older, I promise you. Sherlock, you are an amazing man. I'm not talking about your work or your intellectual abilities either. You've become a kind, generous, genuine man. You're the best possible version of yourself that you could have become."

He sighs shakily and nods. "Thank you..."

"See? How many years did John and I have to constantly remind you to say please and thank you? It's second nature now."

Sherlock half-smiles and kisses her cheek. "That is true, however, I'm still the nicest to you, because if I'm not I'll lose you as more than a friend. Which would be horrible, seeing as what transpired last night and the route we are taking."

Molly smirks. "Mhh, plus I could still kick your arse."

"Oh yes you could. I know that better than anyone", he laughs softly.

She smiles and untangles them from the sheets, slowly slipping out of bed and wrapping one of the loose blankets around her bare body. Sherlock smirks and watches her.

"Oh, come on" Molly snorts and hits him with the pillow. We better wash up and grab some breakfast if we want to make it to Rosie's performance. It's at 10:00am."

"That early?"

"It's a preschool, Sherlock."

"Right, yeah. Alright, let's wash up then", he says and winks, getting out of bed as well, unshy about walking to the bathroom completely nude. Molly's cheeks turn red and she shakes her head, following him. Of course, she secretly enjoyed the view.

Sherlock and Molly step out into the cold from the warmth of Molly's tiny car and head into Rosie's preschool. Sherlock gently takes her hand as they walk, making her blush.

"Before you ask, no I'm not ashamed or wary that you're mine. I don't care about the press and I never have, but luckily I don't see any around, so please relax."

Molly grins, adoring the way he can read her worries so easily like that without even trying. "Okay. I love you."

"I love you too. Now let's go see our beautiful goddaughter while sitting in itty bitty uncomfortable seats."

Molly laughs. "Yes, let's."

"We may as well get used to it anyhow", he says, not really realizing he said it out loud.

She raises an eyebrow. "Wh-what does that mean?"

"Hmm?"

"We may as well get used to it? You said that a second ago. What do you mean?"

Sherlock turns red and clears his throat. "Oh, you know...just...Rosie will er, probably have quite a few of these."

"Right, yeah. I'd assume she will."

Just then the bell tolls at the local church down the street. It always makes Molly smile and think back to the time she had with her father. They would attend Mass every Sunday. In her adulthood, and after losing him and getting a pressing job, that habit faded away, though she does enjoy attending on Christmas still.

Molly always prayed that she would grow up and have a complete family the way she never did and told herself how she wanted to marry a guy who would love his kids as much as her Dad loved her and Matthew. Being thirty-four, she's unsure if that would ever happen, as she isn't exactly young to start having children, and she isn't even sure how Sherlock would feel if she brought up the idea. Obviously, it would be a while until she could bring it up, since they had just started dating and being intimate. She could wonder though, right?

"Molly? Molly!"

"Huh?", she blinks and looks over at Sherlock.

"You're acting like me when I drift. I asked where you want to sit. John texted and asked if we could save him a seat since he's helping her with the costume."

"Oh, uh…up front of course!"

Sherlock smiles and nods, choosing the three seats closets to the aisle, and sits next to her. He resumes holding her hand and rubs small circles on the top. She smiles shyly and looks over at him as people take their seats around them.

"Have you ever thought-"

"Yes."

"Hey, you don't even know what I was going to ask you!"

"Maybe not but the chance that something has crossed my mind is approximately 99.9%."

She rolls her eyes and nudges him. "May I continue?"

"Yes..." he smirks a bit.

"Have you ever thought about what it would be like to have one?"

"Have one? Have wh-…ohhh", his eyes widen a bit as he glances up at the little four-year-olds filing onto the stage, then back at Molly. "Well...uhh...yes and no. I guess I have wondered from time to time, but obviously me being me, it's not exactly suitable, plus I had the added issue of who with, which…clearly isn't an issue anymore. So, yes, I suppose so. I don't expect I'll make much of a father, but you'd make the most terrific mother, you already practically are with Rosie. And I say that in the utmost respect to Mary, because she'd want that when she's not around. But not...in that way. Like, not with John or anything, just-"

Molly cuts him off with a kiss, gently cupping his cheek before pulling away. "You were rambling. Also, you don't have to panic, it was just a question. I know that…this...is new, and I don't want to move too too fast."

He nods and squeezes her hand gently. "You deserve to be one someday. I know you always wanted to be. I deduced that the first time we met. Now that I know your entire history, I understand why. I also understand that you would most definitely be the best. I mean it."

She blushes and holds back tears, linking her arm in his and leaning on him a bit. "Thank you, Sherlock."

He kisses her head then smiles at John as he takes his seat beside Sherlock. "Hey you two. Glad you could make it, she's so beyond excited. I told her that you were both here to see her show."

Molly grins. "Aw, we wouldn't miss it, John."

"No, we certainly wouldn't if it's important to her", Sherlock chimes in.

John smiles. "Good. She's a bell ringer", he laughs quietly. "Drove me bonkers already in the costume area. So you'd better strap in and enjoy. It's going to be a pretty long hour."

They turn their attention back to the stage as Rosie beams adorably and waves at them excitedly. Molly giggles and waves back as Rosie jiggles in place restlessly, her blond curls bouncing beneath the Mary veil. Soon the show begins. For a bunch of four-year-olds, the music they all make isn't half bad. In fact, Rosie was ringing those pretty silver bells nearly perfectly on beat to the song. Sherlock beams proudly at her, then glances at Molly, who meet his eyes.

"She's wonderful", he whispers.

"Our goddaughter is definitely talented", Molly smiles and looks back at the little kids.

Sherlock leans into her ear and murmurs, "Ours will be too one day", coincidentally on beat with the ringing of Rosie's bells.