The train arrived in Chichester by noon; the snow was still falling, I could see it right outside the window. We had all been resting up until this point and now we were all outside, stretching our legs. I had forgotten how stiff my legs could get after sitting in one place for such a long time. It felt like pins and needles were sticking into them. For a moment, I actually had a hard time walking, until I walked around in one place for a minute or two.
"So what were you trying to tell me on the train earlier? I meant to ask you, but I fell asleep." I watched as Mrs Hudson took Gladstone over to a small corner to relieve himself. One of the most embarrassing parts of human and animal function, one that I would rather not discuss at the moment.
It was then that his face became serious again, his eyes imploring. "Charlotte? Do you think that you could ever be happy with me?"
Happy with you?
Whatever do you mean?
"I'm happy here with you right now." I grinned, our hands were swinging as we walked alongside each other a little ways forward. "It's the best Christmas present I could ever ask for."
"I mean, do I have a chance of being with you?" A pink tinge touched his cheeks, though it was unclear whether it was because of the cold, or because he was suddenly shy and insecure.
You're adorable when you blush.
"Of course you have a chance," I smiled, trying to help him relax a little and it seemed to work.
Do you have a chance with me?
What sort of question is that?
I would take you in a heartbeat.
I didn't have much time to ponder over these thoughts because Gladstone was now full of energy, barking and running circles around my legs until his leash wrapped around them. I gasped, then laughed as a sharp tug caused me to nearly fall over, had Sherlock not been swift enough to catch me. I looked into his face and when I straightened myself up, Gladstone jumped into my arms, the snow was much too cold for his little paws; and I held onto him as the three of us walked off the platform and into a carriage to take us to the next stop of our journey.
"I don't understand," I whispered, looking around inconspicuously at the people getting off the train, trying to get a glimpse of anyone who was familiar. Even the top of a head or their voice would be recognizable. "My family should have been on the train."
Where are they?
Has something happened to them?
Please don't tell me that someone is after us.
"Are you sure they're not already at the estate?" asked Mrs Hudson. "I thought Jane mentioned that she and her parents would be taking the morning train because they needed to pick up William from his parents' house."
"Hmm, maybe." I did remember Jane mentioning that, now that it had been brought to light. "We should get going, I will feel much better once I know for sure that they're safe."
The freshly fallen snow had made the estate look like a winter palace, especially since I could see that all of the lights on the inside of it and the icicles hanging off the roof. I knocked on the door and I smiled when it was Simza who answered it. Instantly, we embraced each other and were engaged in conversation. Sherlock was right, she was still the same, free-spirited woman who I met on that rainy autumn day.
"You're looking a lot better since the last time I saw you," she remarked. "Your cheeks are rounder and your eyes are brighter."
"I definitely feel better, too," I replied, glancing around the large hallway. The walls were decorated in tapestries and gold patterning. "I owe it to you, Sim, for looking after Sherlock and keeping him safe."
"That's what he told me before he left. I wanted him to fully recover before I allowed him to see you; he was in really rough shape." She frowned slightly. "That first night, I thought he really would die, he had such a terrible fever and nothing Tamas and I did seemed to help him, so I just hoped for a miracle to cure him. Then if he did die, I wouldn't know how to tell you."
Well, he couldn't be in better hands.
"I would still be sad, but at least he was taken care of," I said. We continued to talk about how things were going at the gypsy camp and how it was harder for them to keep warm now that winter had arrived, so they had to find other arrangements so they wouldn't all freeze.
When I entered the living room, I noticed the evergreen tree in the middle of the floor, far enough away from the fireplace that the whole thing wouldn't burst into flames. It was the same tradition in my family, we would always wait and decorate the tree on Christmas Eve, and then take it down a week after New Year's Day.
Jane saw us and ran over, followed by Watson and Mycroft, who patted his brother's back affectionately, causing him to grunt a little at all the affection he was receiving.
"You're alive!" Jane exclaimed and all of her words came out in a rush. "How did you survive? How long were you gone? Where have you been all this time? I'm just so happy right now."
"It's good to see you, too, Jane," he replied, "I promise that I will explain everything."
Alice made her way over, too, and as soon as the others stepped back to give the poor man some space, he bent down to talk to her.
"I remember you," he said and picked her up off the floor. He noticed the man approaching Jane and regarded him with suspicion until he remembered that this was William, Jane's husband. I don't know whether it was the protective sister thing or not, but something inside me almost disliked him at first, especially when he couldn't keep his hands off of her, but eventually, I came to discover that this was what married couples did and that he was a decent man who would treat my sister with all the love she deserved, so I paid it no mind.
"So you're the 'dead' detective," William said, looking him over and then nodding to me, he said, "You're right, Charlotte, he's even more handsome in person."
Rolling my eyes, I sat down on the couch, glancing over at Aunt Daisy. She and Uncle Charlie were watching as little Archie, the latest addition to the family, toddled on the floor, admiring the train track that was built around the tree and waited for the train to come around. It was funny how something so simple could be so fascinating for a developing mind.
It had come around a third time when my mother leaned forward to speak to me. "You're certainly taking the news well."
"Wait, you knew?" I asked, and I could tell my eyes were so bugged out, they could fall right out of my head.
"Why do you think we were so happy the other day when we came to visit you?" She smiled just as the boys came to join us. "Well, we'd better go and get dinner started," said Mother as she stood. The rest of the ladies, minus myself, joined her and assembled in the kitchen to prepare the Christmas Eve dinner. Aunt Lucy came back a moment later and looked at the men who were scattered everywhere. "And you, don't just sit there, make yourselves useful; we'll be needing a turkey and some gravy, since we don't seem to have any in the pantry."
When it came to the kitchen, Aunt Lucy could be really bossy. Mycroft looked to the others, and huffed, standing up as he grabbed his coat. Father and Uncle Charlie decided to go with him.
"Try not to cause any trouble while I'm gone, Sherly," he called.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Mykie." He tapped Alice's nose. "This one will keep an eye on me, won't you?"
"Very well," he sighed and then left, stepping out into the wintry afternoon.
"Sherly?" I asked with a laugh. I still couldn't believe that they still went by their childhood nicknames.
He huffed, setting a giggling Alice down on the floor and she sat down to play with her brother and pulled me down onto the couch beside him. We had become used to sitting very close, and this time our knees accidentally brushed. This led to their fingers not-so-accidentally brushing, which led to eye contact, and "never leave me again" and a joining of hands as we watched the children play.
"I have never been particularly fond of children, even when I was a boy, I preferred to be on my own, versus engage with the other boys at my boarding school, but I have to admit, now that I've spent some time with them, I admire the way they think," Sherlock muttered to me and I could sense a hint of sadness, but I couldn't imagine why he would be sad. "They say such peculiar things sometimes, and their minds are so absorbent, like sponges."
"And if they make a mess, you can use them to wipe the floor with," I smiled and he couldn't help but laugh at the words that just came from me.
"I suppose grown-ups can say odd things, too." He drew me closer to him. "It's hard for me to explain, but as much as I have grown to of them I don't want to have any of my own."
"Well, I understand why you wouldn't. After all you've been through it just seems like one more thing you have to worry about. But for what it's worth, I think you would make a wonderful father." I propped my chin onto his shoulder, the much stronger one.
He smiled and kissed the tip of my nose. "And you an even better mother."
That night, we were all gathered around the table, there was enough room for all of us to sit, which was strange. How often did Mycroft have company over? Of course he was part of the government, but he really didn't strike me as the social type.
"I've never seen a couple more made for each other than the two of you," said Father as he smiled warmly as he passed the potatoes around the table. "Well, not since your mother and I."
"A marriage proposal can't be far behind," Anne piped up, glancing at me specifically, like it was up to me to propose. If it were, I would have done it years ago.
Aunt Lucy pointed and shook her fork at us emphatically and then grinned. "It better be soon, I'm not getting any younger."
"Don't tell me the two of you haven't talked about marriage yet," Mother gasped. "After all, you've known each other for two years."
"Well, technically we've only known each other for a few months," I said.
"But something tells me we'll be making up for lost time, won't we?" a voice purred next to me and my face, no, every part of me was flushed and my heart was racing like we had just been running a marathon. If it felt this good to kiss him, I could only dream about what it would be like to be completely open and honest with each other.
"Perhaps we should," I said pointedly, sensing the double entendre in his words. "It's taken us long enough to find each other and I think we should take advantage of the opportunity." I was trying to throw him off, but that only seemed to encourage him more. He didn't say anything else, of course, until a new question came up.
"What about children?" asked Jane and Anne wiped her mouth with her napkin to cover up a snicker. "Oh, Lottie, they will be beautiful."
"We can get started right away," he said and I playfully shoved him away from me, biting my lip to keep from smiling.
"Can we change the subject please?" I asked imploringly.
"I agree, this is not appropriate for the children," said William, agreeing with me.
"Fine," said Jane. "But remember this is the same thing that happened when we got engaged."
"But they're not engaged, so it's not necessary." Simza shook her head. "
"They're not engaged yet," said Mother, putting emphasis on the word yet. "but yes, let's move on."
The rest of the dinner went smoothly without any further conversation on marriage or engagements, instead, we proceeded to talk about Mary's baby, Rosie. Watson even joked that the baby could be born tonight, or tomorrow, but even Mary hoped that she could have the baby in the safety and comfort of her own home. But it all depended on what Mother Nature had in store for them.
After dinner, I was engaged in a game of Toy Soldier with Arthur who had managed to capture ten of my men until only two were left standing, before Watson and Grandfather joined in the game, with him playing the Lieutenant, while Watson played doctor of course, and suggested that both sides make a truce.
"You changed him in more ways than you could possibly imagine," he said to me and I smiled briefly, turning my face to Alice who was learning the art of deduction and seemed to be enjoying examining little trinkets that she had found around the house.
When it was time to settle in for the night, when a traditional bedtime story had been read, and the milk and cookies had been laid out for Father Christmas, there was the matter of who was going in what room. There was a room for the children to stay in, and Uncle Charlie had brought along a portable bassinet for Archie to sleep in; Jane and William would share, so would Mary and John, so that left the two of us to share. It wasn't as if we hadn't shared a bed before, we had to share one when we stayed at the hotel in France, and when we stayed at the cabin in Switzerland. We could both be trusted to be sensible, and we didn't think it would be a good idea to trying anything since the door could burst open at any second, and that would put us in a compromising position.
Once the door was shut, it was just the two of us. I started to pace around the room, not sure what to do. The first thing I wanted to do, was to change into my nightgown, but I was a little on the self-conscious side at the moment. Luckily, there was a partition which I could do it with at least some privacy. Neither of us were ready for that step yet; as soon as we were both dressed more comfortably, I stood in front of the vanity, putting my hair into a loose braid, so that it wouldn't get tangled.
In the mirror, I could see Sherlock's eyes lock onto my reflection, analyzing me like the day we met. I didn't find it unnerving or anything since I was used to it. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, and with his black hair combed lazily, he looked like a prince from a storybook. And when I was done, he stood and walked circles around the room.
"I think it would be nice if I gave you your present early, without all the chaos." He was nervous; only people he trusted had ever seen him so unsure of himself. "Charlotte, other than Irene, no other woman has managed to capture my heart, my mind, or my attention. After I lost her, I vowed that I would never get married or even get attached to a woman because it would only be a distraction from my work and that she would only become a target for my enemies to prey on, but meeting you, was the best thing that ever happened to me. You stole my heart the moment I saw you in the men's club."
"That was a bad day turned good." I remembered the rain, how it soaked my clothes.
"And I was surprised that you actually agreed to come with Watson and I; I didn't think you could handle it."
"Technically, I was dragged into it by my sister," I pointed out.
"Shh, you're interrupting me in the middle of a grand romantic gesture here!" he said. "As I was falling to my death, I realized something. Life is too short, too precious to waste. And that the thing I was looking for all along, was standing right in front of me this whole time."
There was a brief pause and through the mist in my eyes, I couldn't see much. When I was finally able to focus, I saw a small black box was in his hand. "Now, judging by the expression on that lovely face, I can tell you already know what this is, do you?" There was a hint of amusement in the way he said this, and I could also hear the slight crack in his voice. It wasn't often that he was emotional and it made me cry more. "Charlotte; I love you more than life, more than anything or anyone in this world. And I can't imagine spending the rest of my life without you. I just want to ask you one thing, and if you refuse, I will step down. Will you marry me?"
I nodded and dried my tears with the back of my hand as I felt the ring being slipped onto my finger. "Of course I will marry you!" I threw my arms around him and we landed on the bed, both laughing and crying at the same time.
"So, when's the big day?" I asked, feeling his heart thrumming against his chest through the thin material of my nightgown.
"Tomorrow," was the immediate reply.
"Tomorrow?" I raised an eyebrow. "I am surprised that you're so eager; there's a lot of work that goes into planning a wedding; there's the cake, the flowers, the guest list, the invitation, then there's the matter of the church, and-"
"You know I've never been the most religious man, I'm sure we can find someone who will do just fine. And Mrs Hudson is a wonderful baker, she can come up with something."
"And I suppose you have an idea for what we're going to wear?" I traced the ring on my finger, I hoped that I wasn't dreaming.
"No, I'm afraid I'm still working on that tiny detail."
"Good, because I'm not getting married in my nightgown!"
"Why not? It's the perfect shade of white, we just need to add more frill around the neckline and it will be perfect."
I laughed outright. "Now that I think about it, this shirt you're wearing doesn't look too shabby, it looks like a tunic."
"Then it's settled." He was grinning now, a rare sight. "A wedding on Christmas morning; and Mycroft has offered us his cabin in Switzerland for us to stay in for our honeymoon. I wish I could give you a proper wedding, but-" Sherlock trailed off, there was something he wasn't telling me. I knew when he was hiding something for my own good.
"But what?" I pressed. "What's wrong?"
"I can't turn you into a target; I know that you're capable of handling yourself, but if something happened to you because you were my wife, I wouldn't know what to do with myself."
I took his face in my hands. "I think it's perfect," I said, leaning my head on my fiancé's chest. "I've always preferred simplicity over extravagance, and look outside, it's the perfect setting; we could stand near the window with the snow falling all around us, it would be splendid."
"I honestly thought you were going to say 'no'."
"Why would I say no? I didn't believe in marriage, either until I met you. When I lost you, it hurt like nothing else in this world."
"And that is exactly why. What I did to you was horrible and selfish and cruel and I will never forgive myself for it."
"Well, I do forgive you, and I certainly wouldn't say no to you." I folded my arms across my chest and sat beside him on the bed, pouting playfully. "It seems you don't know me as well as I thought, Sherlock Holmes."
"We'll see about that." He took my hand in his, fingers lacing together and reached his hand up to cup my chin. His eyes were filled with desire and longing and it made me freeze on the spot. At the next second, his lips were locked onto mine and my heart was pounding. Over and over, one kiss slid into the next; it was like fighting, but the only weapons we used were our lips and our words.
My fingers glided across his shirt and traced the scar on his shoulder where the fish hook had been imbedded, Simza had done a good job patching him up, even though she wasn't a doctor. He shuddered and kissed me harder, deepening the kiss. His fingers pushed back my hair that was once brushed so neatly, but now it was damp and sweaty, like the rest of me. I felt overheated and out of control, especially when we switched it around so that he was the one leaning over me.
What is happening right now?
Why is my brain so fuzzy?
He pulled away for one moment; his eyes were dark, pupils dilated; his face bathed in the glow of the flickering fire and the few lighted lamps and quite literally, took my breath away. He pressed a kiss to my shoulder, his breath dancing across my skin and sending a chill down my back. For one moment, my mind clouded, my heart pounded, my face flushed and I found myself almost grinning. I understood what intimacy was and how it was accomplished. And it seemed as though I had underestimated his skills.
Completely underestimated.
His lips brushed against my skin, he knew just where to kiss me to turn me weak and to make me bend to his will, unfortunately for him, so did I. Our bodies, our souls became one, moving perfectly in sync with one another. I had never yearned for something so much in my life than to have him by my side for the rest of my life.
Stay with me, don't ever leave.
"I told you we would make up for lost time," he said. When he spoke, his voice sounded rough but steady, the same purr that was present when we were joking around during dinner. He was smiling, as he bent down to move his whiskered chin against the crook of my neck. I leaned back to allow further access.
When we were finished, we laid side-by-side, and my body was cradled against Sherlock's. I was weary, much too tired and sore to get dressed again, and even though fifteen minutes had passed since we stopped, our breathing was still ragged and we could feel our heartbeats against our chests.
"We should sleep," I said, closing my eyes and feeling my body shutting down for the night.
"I agree, we will want to look fresh for the wedding tomorrow." We stayed like this, like two pieces of fabric woven together and gradually, we both fell asleep as the snow continued to fall over the sleepy, magical countryside.
And here we go, a perfectly romantic chapter; I know that most couples would wait until they were married to do this, but hey, they have already waited long enough and since inspiration gave me a really hard kick to the behind, I was more than eager to write it. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this little reunion chapter. Tata for now. :)