Author's Note: While the last two chapters were Future Fics featuring Greer as an adult, with this chapter, we return to the present day with our Mollstrade universe.

The Bird Always Knows

Genre: Family

Pairings: Greg and Molly forefront, Sherlock and Sally, John and Alex, background

Main characters: Greg, Molly, adults ensemble

"She isn't going to like this one bit, darling," Molly said worriedly, her voice breaking. "There's simply NO way she isn't going to see straight through all of this. It's just so… bloody UNFAIR."

Greg wrapped his arms around Molly under their covers and held her tightly. "I know, love. Nobody here likes it, but it has to be. Mrs. Hudson has always been our rock and our Baker Street matriarch. She's looked after all of us and now it's our turn."

Molly clung to Greg, letting his familiar scent soothe her and calm her breaking heart. "She's always been so vibrant and spirited. This is going to feel like caging a bird," she said, as her tears began to flow. "I can't bear the thought of it, Gregory."

Greg sighed heavily and closed his eyes. He was nearing the point in this day where he wasn't sure anymore who was comforting who, exactly. He held his wife closely, winding a hand through her hair and letting her tighten her arms around him. He took a deep breath, soaking in the scent of her shampoo and lotion, something that to Greg, smelled so much like home and was always a balm to his heart.

"Well, sweetheart, we're trying to do this in such a way as to avoid caging her, as much as possible." He pulled himself back a few inches, bringing his hand up to lift Molly's chin. He smiled at her softly as she blinked back tears, "It'll all be okay, I promise. It'll be fine." He bent his head down and kissed her softly, tasting her tears and feeling the tension in her face relax under his touch.

Greg himself was beginning to wonder at the wisdom of the decision he had been part of that day, the one regarding Mrs. Hudson's care after a heart attack, followed by a minor stroke.

Even he had to admit, however, that they had been left with few options and they had done what they could with the ones they had. He felt, in his gut, that they had made the right choice.

A Baker Street family meeting had ensued after she had stabilized, with Sherlock, John, and Greg assembling in Mrs. Hudson's kitchen. Alex, now as much a part of the family as anyone, joined them just as Sally and Molly had arrived.

John, as their GP and having been in consultation with the doctors in that capacity, spoke first.

"Now while it's true that her stroke was mild, she's still not escaped the after-effects," John began. "She's weakened on one side, and may require assistance in many day to day things. It's a hard thing to consider, but she may not be able to do everything she used to do, and other things she will be impaired. Unfortunately, it's the side with her good hip that's been affected."

A silence fell over the group, until Sherlock finally cleared his throat. "Right, then. As our GP, what would you recommend we do, John?"

John took a breath, letting it out slowly. "We'll need to have someone with her at all times, in case she falls, or to catch her if she begins to. Her bad hip has proven to be problematic for years and it's only gotten progressively worse. I suspect there may be more going on that we realize with that. Nobody likes the word osteoporosis, but I believe she may be facing that to some degree as well. Should she take a fall, she may break it, and I'm afraid that could prove to be…"

"Yes, John," Greg said suddenly. "We know what could happen there. She isn't going to like being coddled and treated like a child. Would any of us like that? Especially since we're all just as stubborn and independent as Mrs. Hudson is."

"It's going to have to become her new normal, I'm afraid," Alex finally spoke up. "Mrs. Hudson is a spitfire, but that doesn't negate the fact that she is elderly, and she has had a stroke. We may have to proceed in a way which doesn't appear to be what it actually is. Mrs. Hudson may not like being coddled, but she loves being fawned over. We simply must find a way to make our efforts at caring for her seem less obvious."

"I agree," Sally said. "but it isn't practical for us to be here all the time. Greg and I are generally busy with the Yard, Molly has her own job, and none of our hours are ever guaranteed to be regular. John, you have your regular hours at the surgery, and Sherlock," she said, turning to her husband, "you're here more than the rest of us but your own work takes you away at random times."

"Darling," Molly said, turning to Greg. "What do you think we should do?"

Greg started, confused, as everyone turned to him.

"Why do you suppose I would know?" he asked, softly.

Sherlock cleared his throat softly. "Well, it's obvious, really," he said gently, almost shyly. "Mrs. Hudson may be Baker Street's matriarch, but we also have a patriarch. And it's not myself, or John."

Greg's eyebrows shot up. "I'm afraid I'm not quite sure I understand what you're getting at, Sherlock."

"Well, aside from the obvious factor of you being the oldest tenant here apart from Mrs. Hudson herself, you have wisdom the rest of us lack. I suppose you've missed the number of times I've looked up to you over the years as a father figure?"

Greg's face went slightly blank. "Sherlock, you've only begun to remember my first name in the last several years. Forgive me if I have, in fact missed that."

"Well," Sherlock said, "in my own defence, how many children call a parental figure by their first name? Of course I wasn't going to remember it."

Greg's eyebrow rose at that, but he remained silent.

Sherlock sighed. "What am I saying, of course you've missed it," he muttered softly. "Look, Greg… I think we're all in agreement that one of us must make these difficult decisions, even after we've discussed them. Someone must make that call. So," Sherlock said, looking at Greg in the eye, "what would you suggest we do?"

The room once again fell silent as Greg seemed to absorb this. Finally, taking a deep breath, he spoke.

"I believe the best course of action right now would be for Mrs. Hudson to have a live-in nurse. But, they should be someone familiar to her, so as to remain… a bit not obvious." Greg paused, as his words seemed to register amongst the people gathered.

"Of course the decision is NOT mine, I merely suggest it as a possible course of action. But Alex… since you spend several nights per week here anyway…"

Greg let his words trail off deliberately, as he raised his eyes to John's, and shifted his gaze back and forth between him and Alex.

"You're suggesting that Alex… move into 221A with us?"

Greg smiled, sitting back. "Yes," he said to John. "That's exactly what I'm suggesting. Besides the fact that she's a registered nurse, Alex is familiar to Mrs. Hudson, in fact Mrs. H considers Alex to be family. I know for a fact that she's been asking when you and she are going to be moving in together. I suppose she's assumed you'd be moving out with Rosie, though."

Alex sat quietly next to John, considering Greg's words, letting them sink in.

"John?" she finally asked, turning to him. "We've not ruled that out when discussing it, darling. What do you think? This may be an ideal solution. She's still not going to be happy with being restricted, but it's better than the alternative. A nursing home would break her spirit just as easily as a cage would break a bird. Besides, I'm not sure her condition is serious enough to warrant a nursing home. She's not an invalid, she's simply much more delicate than she's ever been."

And so, the decision had been made.

Alex would move in to 221A on the mostly pretense of simply wanting to take her relationship with John to the next level.

This didn't make it any easier for anyone to accept the reality of why this must be, however, and later on, after turning in for the night, Molly found herself breaking down in her husband's arms.

"How can you possibly promise that it will be okay, Gregory," Molly said sadly, as Greg reluctantly broke the tender kiss.

"Because I have faith in all of us here, and I see for myself how much we all love Mrs. Hudson. Even if she figures it out, well she may not be happy about it, she'll mostly feel she's been tricked, but I believe she'll understand. Anyway she's always been spunky. She'll just be happy to have Alex and John living together, even if it's across the hall from her bedroom." He smiled at her, his eyes crinkling with mischief.

Molly regarded him carefully for a moment, before she allowed herself to smile.

"We'll not be caging the bird after all, then, will we. It'll just feel like it for awhile, I suppose."

"Yeah," Greg said, bringing his hand around to stroke her face with the back of his fingers. "The thing is, love, a bird knows when it's been caged, and when it's been left its own freedom to fly. It's only us who think otherwise. The bird always knows, though."