What Greg Knew

Genre: Family, with minor humour

Pairings: Greg and Molly, Sherlock and Sally

Main characters: Greg and Molly, Sherlock and Sally discussed

"Do you suppose they have any names picked out yet?" Molly asked in the dark.

She and Greg were tired but alert after their respective days at work – physically spent but mentally wired, for whatever reason. This happened now and then, and when it did, they took the opportunity to cuddle and have a good chat about whatever came up.

Some nights they were passionate lovers, insatiable with want for each other. Some nights they were the exhausted parents of three very young children, and more than sated with the joys of parenthood. But tonight, they were best friends, reveling in the joyful contentment of each other's company.

Greg yawned and flexed his arm, involuntarily tightening his arm around Molly before relaxing it again.

"Dunno love. They're going to have to think outside the Baker Street box though. I think all the obvious ones are taken now."

"Obvious ones? Like Gregory, John, William, Scott… I don't suppose they'd consider Hamish?"

Greg let a single burst of laughter out. "No. John doesn't even like that one. And before you suggest Sherlock, technically we used that one when we named our daughter. Of course, if they want to name a boy after me, they still have Graham, Gavin, Geoff…"

Molly burst into a giggle at the suggestion of all the "G" names that Sherlock had become infamous for in the years before the incidents at Sherrinford and Musgrave Hall. "Well, I suppose it depends on what they're having, doesn't it? Who knows, they haven't said yet, have they?" Molly snuggled closer to Greg as she stretched herself and yawned, her body flexing then relaxing. At the foot of the bed, Toby raised his head unseen, more than a little bit irritated at being shifted and disturbed by Molly's feet, before settling his head back down and quickly going back to sleep.

"Well. Not exactly." Greg wouldn't elaborate, but Molly knew her husband's inflections well enough by now to be suspicious.

"Not exactly, he says. What do you know, Gregory Joseph?" She raised her head from its spot on his chest, turning her face towards his.

"Nothing. Really. Officially."

"Bollocks, husband dear. Did Sally tell you something?"

"Not exactly, wife dear," was all Greg would admit to.

"Define 'not exactly', Molly said, changing her tone to something she hoped to be more convincing.

Greg wasn't difficult to convince this night, however – he was tired, and verbal acrobatics weren't really on his agenda before sleeping. "Sally showed me her ultrasound images the other day," he said.

"And how do you know how to read one of those?" Molly asked, curious. "They're not exactly clear as day, darling. They're part science, part art, part experience."

"Three ways for me to read one, love," he hinted with a tease. He was met with expectant silence, and his wife's hand brushing up his chest towards his shoulder.

"Gregory Scott," Greg said.

Molly smiled, unseen.

"John William," he continued.

Molly stifled a giggle.

"Greer Sherla," Greg finished.

"Oh…" Molly finally conceded.

"Believe it or not, a Met Detective Inspector with the Criminal Investigative Division actually does know how to retain information for later use, especially when it stems from his own children. Sally was excited, she came back on shift after taking a break for her appointment, and I happened to be the first one she came across with her images… and I picked up on a few things that her tech had already pointed out to her."

"So what are they having then?" Molly pressed, moving her hand up towards his face.

"Not my division."

"Oh you bastard," Molly giggled. "So you're not saying?"

"I leave that up to Sally and Sherlock," was all he would admit to. "Though Sally knows that I know. I think I may have impressed her a little," he said, matter of factly.

"Oh, really," Molly responded. She could have pressed for details, but decided against it, respecting Greg's desire to keep Sherlock and Sally's surprise on the mum.

She was silent for a moment before her tone became a bit more serious. "So… how are things looking this time then, did she say?"

Greg paused, smiling briefly to himself. "So far, so good. Those first two losses were hard, but this time, seems her obstetrician thinks her chances of carrying to term are better, and she's a lot further along now than she was either time before. I'll put her on desk duty if I have to this time though," he vowed.

Molly sighed softly. Watching her friends deal with their difficulties had been hard, especially when she considered what a relatively easy time she'd had of it.

"She's not going to like that much," Molly pointed out.

"Probably not," Greg conceded, "but she knows as well as I do how much she can still do from her desk. She's just too hands on to appreciate it as a rule, is all," he said.

"I think she'll understand though, won't she? I mean if it comes to that?"

"I think so. It's not going to be a suggestion from a friend. It's not going to be from Greg, it's going to be from Lestrade. She'll be ordered to if it comes to that and she won't have a choice. But I know she's excited, and she doesn't want a repeat, I don't think she'll argue much about it. Especially as she gets closer to her third trimester."

"She's honestly one of the strongest women I've ever seen. How someone can grieve a loss like that yet pick up again and allow herself to become excited and optimistic just a few months later is just… it's amazing," Molly said, nuzzling her face under Greg's and leisurely kissing the tender spot just under his jaw.

Greg smiled to himself at the affection. "If you didn't know her you'd think she was quite negative, actually. Sherlock took the losses hard himself, but he takes his cues from Sally as well," Greg said quietly. "If he sees she's happy, seems that's good enough for him." He brought his hand up to absently stroke Molly's hair. "He's easier to please than you'd think."

They lay in contented silence for a few moments, Molly thinking wistfully on how wonderful it would be to have a new baby at Baker Street. It had been a few years since 221B had been blessed with a brand new tenant.

"Greg?" Molly suddenly asked, breaking their silence.

"Yeah, love?"

"Are you happy with our little family? I mean, really, REALLY happy?" Molly seemed concerned suddenly.

"Oh, my beautiful girl," Greg laughed softly, "you and our children are so much more than I ever could have dreamed of just a few years ago. Things were dark and some blessings seemed like they'd passed me by forever. You changed all of that. Yes," he said, turning his head to kiss her forehead, letting his lips linger on her skin for a few seconds, "I am happy." He turned his face down towards hers in the dark, resting his temple on hair. "Are you?"

"Oh yes. Yes, yes, yes," she said. "I always thought I wanted three children, because two wouldn't be enough but four would be too many. Then we had twins right out of the starting blocks. Do you have any idea what a blessing it was to have two babies come out of one pregnancy?"

Greg laughed softly, stroking her arm. "I think I have a good idea."

Greg paused a moment, deciding impulsively to reveal some of what he knew, because he knew Molly would keep the confidence.

"Sally and Sherlock will too," he gently hinted.

"WHAT?!" Molly shot out, in her loudest whisper, trying to be as quiet as she could in their quiet, dark flat.

Greg said nothing, only allowing a deep rumbling chuckle to work its way up through his chest and out into the silence of the darkened room.