A/N: So this chapter has it all! Sherlolly sexiness, teenager drama and mentions of John Watson in a coconut bra. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the children.

By seven that evening, Ambergris was silent as the grave. Gabriel and Katie had walked out with their new friends, Mary and Mrs. Hudson took the girls for mermaid makeovers while John and the twins explored the aquarium. No one would be back until at least ten. Sherlock and Molly were taking full advantage to play in the ocean just the two of them.

"This is my favorite time of day," Molly sighed, flopping directly on the wet sand. "The sun's going down and the beach is nearly deserted." Looking back toward the house there was only one older couple and their dog taking a stroll. Most people had already retired to their homes and hotels to have dinner or take in some nighttime touristy stuff. Even the small planes and gliders that delighted Will so much when they flew overhead had knocked off for the day. "The perfect time to be alone. Even if you are wandering through your mind palace."

"I am not," Sherlock said, sitting down beside her and pushing his wet hair away from his brow. He reached over her for the bottle of beer they'd brought with them.

"Of course you are," Molly giggled. "Even swimming before I heard you say something about rate of decomposition in salt water."

"Hmm," Sherlock hummed as he took a long swallow. "I was probably just contemplating my own death in a watery grave when you dunked me trying to get away from that fish."

"That was not a fish!" Molly exclaimed, sitting up. "That was an enormous shark!"

"It wasn't a shark. It wasn't even enormous. A moderately sized bream is more like it."

She grabbed the bottle from him and took a sip. "Well let's see how you like it when it swims down your cozzy!"

Sherlock couldn't help laughing at Molly's annoyed expression. He often deliberately got on her nerves so that he could watch her nose wrinkle and her lips disappear. To his delight, Will and Finn had exactly the same expression when they were angry. "I promise, Mouse. If a fish swims down your cozzy, I'll go in after it."

"That's so comforting," she grumbled, bringing her knees under her chin and looking away from him.

"Oh don't be like that," he said, scooting closer to her on the sand. "I was only teasing you. And I promise. You have my undivided attention." He leaned in and kissed her cheeks and nose, still peppered with sand and drops of saltwater from their swim. They'd only been in Camber Sands for just under a week now and already Molly was sunkissed. Staring down at her auburn fire hair and big brown eyes Sherlock wondered how he'd ever existed without her. And the thought that he'd wasted so much time. "I'm sorry I never tell you, Molly," he murmured aloud.

"Tell me what?"

"That you're perfection."

Molly stared at him for several moments before putting a hand to his forehead. "Sherlock? Are you ill? Did you get stung by something out there?"

He chuckled. "What makes you say that?"

"You're usually only this squishy just before or right after sex."

"And your point is?" Before she could reply he was pulling her in for a kiss. As with all their kisses, it was never just a peck but a long and lingering embrace. The taste of her filling him up with an intoxication unlike anything he'd ever felt. Soon he was pushing her down in the sand and rolling on top of her. Her bikini-clad body was covered in sand and the rough texture against his own naked torso only added to the sensation.

"You're not playing fair," she whined, squirming beneath him to very little avail.

"Do I ever?"

She grinned and drew her fingertips along his spine and shoulders as he kissed the slope of her throat gently. One leg curled around his, leaving her open. Sherlock pressed his pelvis against hers and moving just slightly so she could feel how much he wanted her. Molly chewed on her lower lip, almost ready to surrender. But she couldn't let him win just yet. With a sneaky movement she'd learned from him, she used the leg curled around his for leverage and rolled him over, turning the tables and pinning him against the sand. "Neither do I."

"Look at you fighting dirty," he growled as she leaned over and bit down on his beaded nipple. "I taught you everything you know, naughty Mouse."

"You did such a good job," she replied. "So now you'll have to beg for mercy!"

"Never!" he growled playfully.

Leaning over, Molly licked his lips and kissed him over and over until he could barely breathe. "Then tell me you love me."

"I tell you I love you all the time, silly."

"No you don't! Unless we're in the throes of passion, you never tell me you love me. It always comes out all snarky and Sherlocky otherwise. So come on... tell me you love me." Sherlock reached back and caught the end of her ponytail, pulling it roughly until she turned, loosening her grip. Before she knew what was happening, they were rolling over and over in the sand until finally Sherlock landed on top of her. This time he sat up and pinned both arms back with his hands and kept his knees planted firmly on her thighs to keep her splayed and helpless beneath him. "Oww… Sherlock! That hurts!"

With a raised eyebrow, he cast his smoldering gaze down on her until she was practically shrinking under it. "You can't fool me, Mouse. We both know you like just a kiss of pain."

Molly smirked, still squirming albeit weakly. "Is this how you treated those Eastern European terrorists?"

"I was much meaner to them." He bent forward, kissing her again, this time more gently but stealing her breath just the same. "And Mouse… I do love you." When he pulled back he noticed a small company of teenagers walking down the beach slowly, watching them as they rollicked on the sand. "Perhaps we should finish our conversation inside."

"That sounds like a lovely idea, Mr. Holmes." He stood up and took her hand, pulling her up with him. Before she could start walking toward the house he swept her into his arms dramatically and carried her across the beach and over the dune. "Just don't impregnate me," she giggled.

"I promise nothing."

OoOoOo

After the film, the foursome stopped for milkshakes at the café. A narrow boardwalk ran alongside a strip of shops and eventually led back down to the beach. Gabriel and Katie waved to a few of the kids there, recognizing them from summers past. "Wow, does everyone know you and Katie?"

"Pretty much," Gabriel replied. "My family owns our house and we come here a lot. Katie only comes in the summertime."

Jessica turned, looking back over her shoulder at where Katie and Mark were walking together. "So you guys have been friends for a long time?"

"Since we were five. I met her right after I moved in with my dad."

"Oh. So you used to live with your mum?"

"No. It's a long, really complicated story, but I didn't meet my biological mother until I was seven"

"Oh I see. And how did you meet Katie? She's American right? Seems kind of far away."

Gabriel laughed. "Her father's an airline pilot. But then her dad and stepmum got a divorce, but they stayed in London so they could still see her little brother and sister. Katie practically lived with us when they broke up."

"So she's really more like your sister, then?" Jessica seemed very curious about Gabriel and Katie's relationship. She'd watched the two of them like a hawk all night and it was actually starting to get on his nerves.

"Not really. I mean, have you met my sister? There's no one like Scarlett."

Jessica laughed. "That's true enough. I didn't think she was going to let you leave tonight." Earlier, Scarlett had been highly insulted that she wasn't allowed to go along. There was no tantrum, as she'd largely outgrown those, but she was obviously not happy and let this Jessica person know in no uncertain terms that she did not like her.

"You can't let Scarlett scare you. She's just possessive." Gabriel glanced behind and noticed that Katie and Mark were stopped in front of a small shop. Gabriel wasn't sure if he liked this guy. For one thing, at seventeen he was much older than Jessica had led them all to believe. For another, he couldn't seem to keep his eyes and hands off of Katie. Even now as he spied on them over his shoulder, Mark was holding Katie's hand. What was that about? He hardly knew Katie! Once or twice he'd even caught the guy trying to put his big meaty arm around her during the movie. Not that Katie seemed to mind all that much. She was giggling and batting her eyelashes that same way his mum did when she was trying to get something from his father. Flirting. She was flirting! How dare she!

"Gabriel? Are you all right?"

"What? Oh… yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking about the movie."

Jessica giggled and looped her arm around his. "So distracted. It's like you aren't listening to me at all."

Suddenly Katie's laughter pierced the din of tourist noise. "You should get one too, Gabe!"

He whipped around, practically dragging Jessica over to where Katie and Mark stood. "What are you on about?"

"Mark's getting his ear pierced!" She pointed toward the shop. It was a body piercing and tattoo shop with loads of neon and loud music emanating from the door. "You should get one too, Gabriel!"

Gabriel narrowed his eyes, obviously disbelieving of Mark's sudden decision to shove a steel post through his earlobe. "No thanks."

"Come on, Gabe," Jessica started. "It'll look sexy."

He laughed. "I have enough trouble with my mum letting me keep my hair long as it is. She's always nagging me to cut it off."

Mark snickered. "Oh I get it. You can't get your ear pierced because it might make your mummy mad." He laughed in such a way that made Gabriel want to kick him in the teeth and strangle him with his own stupid polo shirt. What's worse was that he could tell that Jessica was about to laugh too. Well, he couldn't allow this creepy little bastard to get the best of him. "Oh well. That's what you get for dating a fifteen year old kid, Jess."

Gabriel could feel the anger rising in him as he clenched his fists. He was clearly a head taller than this asshole and bigger for that matter. Jessica could evidently feel it too and placed a hand on his arm. "Oh don't mind Mark. He's always been a showoff."

Mark sighed. "Whatever. Suit yourself." He traipsed into the shop practically dragging Katie behind him. She offered an apologetic smile and waved.

"C'mon, Gabe," Jessica said, patting his arm. "We'll go to the beach while they're in there punching holes in themselves."

"No," Gabriel replied, shaking her hand away. "Let's do it."

OoOoOo

Molly oozed down the stairs and flopped down on the couch beside Sherlock. She tucked her head into his shoulder and watched sleepily as he flipped through the channels on the television. "Boring… boring… boring… seen it… boring…" he murmured as he flipped.

"I'm never moving again," Molly sighed. "I'm just going to live here on the sofa forever."

"Oh?"

"Nope. Never. I can only hope that when our children return home, they're all so tired that they just go straight to their respective rooms and sleep til morning."

"That's never going to happen," Sherlock said. "I predict that Gabriel and Katie will come in arguing, Scarlett will have lost one of her hearing aids, the twins will have clonked one another unconscious and the Watson children will have overthrown the government and taken Mrs. Hudson and their parents prisoner."

Molly giggled. "That's a bit dramatic don't you think?"

"You have met them right?"

"You could let me dream for these last few precious moments before the hordes come back," she said as she slid her arm around his waist and snuggled in tightly. "Don't be so mean."

"I think I've been very nice to you tonight," Sherlock said. "Lest you forget the shower. The bed…the floor…over the footboard…"

"Aside from the carpet burns…"

As if on cue the beach side door swung open and Katie and Gabriel came through. To their surprise, the teenagers were pretty silent. They mumbled greetings and went into the kitchen to scavenge for food. They spoke to one another in hushed tones but at least they weren't arguing. Nor did they seem to be affectionate. Almost normal. After several minutes, Katie took a glass of ice water and started toward the patio.

"Did you have a nice time, Kate?" Molly asked.

"It was fun," she said. "The film was just so-so, but it was okay."

"What about you, Gabe?" Sherlock asked with a pointed look as the boy came around the bar with his own drink. "Did you have a nice time?"

Gabriel nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Did you have enough money?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Oh good," Molly began. "I was worried about that. Well I'm glad you both had fun."

"What movie did you see?" Sherlock continued. He leaned forward, nudging Molly aside. She noticed that his posture had changed from post-coital exhaustion to interrogation mode.

"The new Marvel thing," Katie replied. "Lots of explosions and guys beating the crap out of one another."

"Oh well that's the sort of movie Gabriel usually enjoys. Isn't that right? Wasn't that the problem with that last one you saw? The one with the magician bloke that was, and I quote 'too smart just to beat the hell out of people'?"

"Mmmhmm," Gabriel answered.

"Oh that one was my favorite," Katie babbled. "Smart guys are infinitely sexier."

"I agree," Molly piped up. "That was my favorite of the lot too," she sighed, squeezing Sherlock's arm affectionately. But he wasn't to be thwarted. He was focusing his deductive powers on Gabriel just now and the boy knew it.

"So what was this one about?" Sherlock pressed. His fingers were steepled under his chin and his icy stare was fixed on his son. Before Katie could reply for Gabriel, Sherlock qualified his question with, "Gabriel?"

"Not much," he mumbled. His back was to his father and his speech was suspiciously garbled. "The usual."

Before Sherlock could question him further, Scarlett, Jada and Isabel flew up the back stairs and into the lounge like a herd of very loud sheep. "Daddy-lock!" they exclaimed in unison, throwing themselves at Sherlock. Immediately they began talking all at once about their mermaid makeovers and showing off the jewels that the stylists had woven into their hair. Sherlock smiled and nodded in all the right places but kept one eye fixed on Gabriel. It didn't escape his notice that the boy looked visibly relieved.

"Oh darlings, you look just beautiful!" Molly exclaimed, kissing all of them in turn. "But where is everyone else?"

"Getting the twins," Izzy explained. "The fell asleep in the car so my daddy and mummy have to carry them."

"Oh no… I'll go help them," Molly said, kissing Izzy's forehead once more before she rose from the sofa. But it was too late, Mary and John emerged at the top of the stairs each with a sleepy twin on their hip. William was yawning and desperately trying to go back to sleep on John's shoulder but Finn began to whine as soon as he saw his mother. Before anyone could ask, Mrs. Hudson brought up the rear and Molly gasped at seeing her. The older woman had also been made over as a mermaid complete with a long blonde curly wig and bedazzled makeup. "Oh Martha," she giggled. "You're positively radiant!"

"I know, dear," she joked. "I might go round to the pub like this later," she said with a wink.

Mary let Finn down to rush Molly before he broke his back trying to get to her. "I'm afraid I couldn't convince John. They even had a coconut brassiere in his size but he refused."

"Haha," John said.

While the adults continued to chatter, the teenagers tried to slip unobtrusively out onto the patio. They didn't escape Sherlock's notice. There was something very strange going on and he was going to find out what.