A/N: I can't resist teenaged angst. I'm not sure why I find it so hilariously funny for Gabriel to be fifteen, but I do. And you get to reap the benefits. I also enjoy writing about the summer when it's really cold outside. So here goes...

OoOoOo

The last week of their holiday rushed upon them before they were even aware of it. Just a few days before it had seemed like the summer would go on forever, but no more. Now the reality of having to go back to London, back to cases, back to school, and back to normalcy was beginning to crash down. Even Sherlock had a touch of depression on that last weekend. Though he'd never admit it in a million years, he'd been enjoying this time reconnecting with Molly and playing with their children.

"Poor darling," Molly said as she crawled into bed beside him. "It isn't so bad. We still have a whole week."

"What are you talking about?" Sherlock grumbled. His fingertips were working furiously over his phone. He'd been obviously peevish all night.

"You've been moping around here all night. Ever since Katie mentioned that next week this time we'd be packing up the house."

"Hmm," Sherlock replied without looking up. If he'd looked her in the eye, she would know she was right. "You shouldn't attempt to deduce me, Mouse. You'll only embarrass yourself."

"Oh please," she said, stifling a giggle. "You might have powerful skills of deduction, but I've known you for a very long time." She climbed astride his lap and took his mobile. He heaved a sigh of exasperation, but was quickly appeased with a soft kiss. She'd just emerged from a bath and smelled positively divine. He was about to forget all about being depressed when he felt tiny eyes peering at him from across the room.

"Will, Finn… Izzy. What are you doing up?" he asked, peering past Molly as the twins ambled into the bedroom.

"Are my mummy and daddy home yet?" Isabel sniffled. John and Mary had taken off on a dinner cruise earlier in the evening and weren't expected home until very late.

"Not yet, precious," Molly said, shifting in the bed and settling down. Now Izzy began to cry in earnest. Large, goopy tears ran over rosy cheeks and her nose was running profusely.

"It's okay, Izzy," Finn said, patting her hand. "My mummy and daddy will fix it." All three children wandered over with Finn holding her hand tightly. "Izzy sick, Mummy," he added when they reached Molly's side of the bed.

"Oh no," she cooed, pulling Isabel up on the bed. The child's face was flushed with fever and they could feel the heat radiating off of her little body. Sherlock said a silent prayer that whatever this virus was, it hadn't been passed to Scarlett. She'd just gotten over her ear infection after two rounds of antibiotics. "She's burning up," she whispered to Sherlock.

"I threw up, Auntie," Izzy whined.

"Are you all right, darling?" Izzy nodded and laid her head on Molly's shoulder.

"I help Izzy, Mummy," Finn said. It was obvious that he suddenly wasn't so sure that he wanted to share his mother and father with a sick Isabel. "She threw up in her bed and Scarlett and Jada didn't even wake up."

"You threw up in your bed?" Molly gasped, staring down at Izzy.

She nodded and began to sob again. "I'm sorry, Auntie!"

Molly squeezed the little girl, rubbing soothing circles on her back as she glanced at Sherlock. "It's all right, darling. We'll get it cleaned up." The look in her eyes said that by we, what she really meant was Sherlock.

"Auntie," Izzy whimpered. "I think I'm going to be sick again." Molly leapt into action, steering the little girl toward the bathroom with an exasperated glance toward Sherlock. He evidently wasn't moving fast enough in his wife's considered opinion.

With a sigh he threw the covers back and climbed out of bed. "Come on Shaggy and Scooby," he said, offering hands to Will and Finn.

"Can't we sleep in here?" Will said with a yawn. "I too sleepy."

"I don't think you're too sleepy to walk down the stairs," Sherlock chuckled. Will shook his head sadly and reached to be picked up. Sherlock obliged and Finn grabbed the tail of his teeshirt and followed them down the hallway. "So Finn, how is it that you and your brother happened upon a sick Isabel?" This was a question that had been puzzling him from the moment they barged in. They had been sharing a room with Mrs. Hudson but with all the illness going around with the children, Molly had insisted that the boys stay with Gabriel for a few days in order avoid infecting their Nena. Gabriel's room being downstairs and the girls being upstairs, it seemed unusual that the twins would be upstairs where Jada was sick. "Aren't you supposed to be sleeping in Gabriel's room?"

"We sleepin' in Nena's room," Finn replied.

"Why?"

"Bre's room is too crowded."

"What do you mean Gabriel's room is too crowded? He's the only person in it!"

Finn shook his head. "Katie's sleeping in there too."

OoOoOo

The ocean was beating against the rocks underneath the house, lulling Gabriel and Katie into a light slumber. They lay side by side on Gabriel's bed, staring up at the ceiling, their fingers entwined. "Gabe?"

"Yeah," he said.

"Do you think you'll ever see Jess again?"

He shrugged and pushed his hair away from his brow. It was tickling his bare shoulder and getting on his nerves. "Probably not. I mean, she gave me her email and mobile number, but I doubt we'll ever get together."

"Why not?"

"She lives in Whitchurch. Three and a half hours away."

"But there's skype and the internet," Katie argued. "You could make it work, I guess."

Gabriel shrugged. "Maybe. But we agreed that we weren't going to keep each other tied down. She's not my girlfriend or anything. Anymore."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm not sad about it or anything." It was true. While he'd been very enamored of Jess, he'd realized the night of his fight with Mark that his affection for her was mostly fueled by hormones. "She's a nice girl, but… not really my type."

It was dark but Gabriel could tell that Katie was smiling. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we didn't really have anything in common. She wasn't interested in the same stuff that we… I mean, I am. She hasn't seen any of the same films or read any books. Like, any. She didn't even know that Harry Potter was a book before it was a film, for God's sake. I tried to tell her about some of my dad's cases and at first she was really interested, but she just didn't get it. Any of it. The last couple of times we went out, I would kiss her just so we didn't have to talk anymore."

Katie giggled. "Maybe you expect too much, Gabe."

"Maybe."

"But she was really pretty."

Gabriel sighed. "I guess. But pretty is relative and you can only look at somebody for so long before you get bored and want to actually talk to them. Take, for instance, me and you."

"What about us?"

"Well we've been friends for ages—ten years now—and we never run out of things to talk about. We like all the same stuff. You're actually smart—even my dad thinks so and he thinks almost everyone is an idiot." He paused and rolled over on his side to look at her. The moonlight streaming through the window highlighted her rounded features and she looked positively angelic. Even in her shorts and cami pajamas that don't match with her red hair in a tangle and no makeup—Katie was radiant. "And you're so much more beautiful, Katie. Don't be a stupid girl and think that you have to compete with girls like Jess. Or any girl."

Even in the dark, Gabriel could see the flush in her cheeks. "You're too sweet, Gabe. One of the reasons I love you so much. Even when you're a douchebag."

"Sorry about that," he chuckled.

"It's okay. I've been kind of a bitch myself the last month. Like when I told you that I'd kissed Archie before we came here. I was lying. I haven't kissed Archie in at least a year. Or anybody else. Except Mark, of course."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. Maybe because I always wanted to kiss you instead." She bit down on her lip as if she might take back her bold words. She almost looked startled. "Sorry."

"No. Don't be sorry, Katie. I'm the one that should be saying sorry." He leaned over and kissed her forehead gently. "I've been really stupid this summer."

"Yeah. You have." She smiled and before he could stop himself, he was kissing her lips. In his head he could see his father rolling his eyes. He was being sucked in again, but this time Gabriel didn't care. His option exploration this summer had taught him one thing: he was supposed to be with Katie.

Katie was hesitant at first but when he slid his arm around her waist, she snuggled in against him tightly. Her body was so warm. And soft. Jess hadn't been soft. Every bit of her had been lean and angular, but at fifteen Katie was already curvaceous. She always complained that she was fat, but Gabriel thought her body was perfect in every way and wanted to feel every bit of it.

"So… are we like… getting back together?" Katie asked when he pulled back.

"Do you want to?"

She nodded and blushed again. "Do you?"

"Yes."

Katie giggled and let him kiss her again. He squeezed her tight, sliding his hand down to the curve of her backside possessively. "Only on one condition," she said.

"Anything you want," he whispered.

"That we'll always be friends. Even if… even if we break up again. Promise me that we'll always be friends, Gabriel." Something in her eyes told him that this was their last chance. He'd better not waste it.

"Always. Til we're both ninety-four."

She scrunched up her nose. "Why ninety-four?"

"No idea."

She giggled and tucked her head under his chin. "Maybe we'll end up like your dad and John. We'll go on vacations together with our spouses and all our children."

"Or maybe we'll end up like my mum and dad. Married with too many children. You never know."

"True." She pulled back and glared at him. "You aren't going to be a detective are you?"

"God no."

"Good. I'd worry about people shooting you. Though… I don't think your dad's really a detective."

"What do you mean? Of course he is."

"Well yeah, he sort of is. I mean… he is but I think he must be like a secret agent too."

"What?" Gabriel laughed and shook his head. "Like James Bond or something?"

"Absolutely."

"James Bond would never wear that hat." They burst into laughter, trying desperately to keep quiet. Gabriel knew full well that if his parents caught Katie laying in his bed with him at two in the morning that they'd freak out completely. Even though they were on top of the covers. He was shirtless, but wearing his threadbare sleep trousers and Katie was in her usual knit camisole and shorts, but his mum would react as if they were both naked. Despite the fact that they had lain on the couch together watching telly in their swimsuits over the summer. And in plain sight of all the adults.

Katie went silent and after several minutes, Gabriel thought she was asleep. Her breath was even and soft against his shoulder. Her hair smelled like lavender and the ocean. It was a lovely scent that was distinctly Katie and he inhaled deeply, taking it into himself and holding it for as long as possible. His heart thumped hard in his chest, but he didn't feel anxious. Being with Katie was comfortable. It was nice not having to talk or being expected to constantly be engaged in physical affection. While he'd enjoyed Jessica's eager kisses and bold touches, Gabriel had just enough of his father in him to not want to be touched all the time.

When she spoke again, she startled him. "Gabe? Are you still awake?"

"Yep," he said with a sleepy yawn.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"I want to have sex with you."

Gabriel gasped, sitting straight up. Had she really said what he thought she said? "Excuse me?"

She giggled. "Not now, silly. You don't have to look so scared."

"Uhm… okay." She pulled at his arm, coaxing him back down to the bed. "What… I mean… why?"

"Just calm down. You're sweating!"

"I am not!"

She smiled. "Look, I don't mean right now. Or even anytime soon. I'm not ready for that, but… I just wanted you to know that… I want you to be my first."

"Your first what?" Gabe's eyes felt like they were going to pop out of their sockets and roll across the floor.

"My first lover, idiot. Sheesh… I thought you were supposed to be like, half-genius or something."

"But… why me?"

Katie sighed and sat up on her elbow, looking down at him. Her fingertips lightly traced the sharp angle of his cheekbone and the delicate curve of his brow. "Because I trust you, Gabe. More than anybody else in the whole world. I know you would never let anything bad happen to me. You'll take care of me. And I love you. Are those good enough reasons?"

"Uhm… yeah. I guess so."

She groaned and turned away from him, throwing herself down on the bed and punching the pillow. "Nevermind. I shouldn't have said anything."

Oops. His shock had hurt her feelings. What to do now? "Katie, don't be upset," he croaked, touching her arm and nudging her to turn and face him. "Of course I love you. Of course I want to… you know… have sex with you. You just took me by surprise, that's all. But… I mean… we're just fifteen…"

"You'll be sixteen next month."

"Yeah, but still. I just… I'm not really ready for that kind of thing."

"Me either! I just said I wasn't, remember?"

He realized he wasn't getting anywhere quickly. So he did the first thing that popped into his head and kissed her soundly on the mouth. It was a more polite way of telling her to shut up. He'd seen his father use it on his mum a lot. "Okay," he whispered, tapping the barbell in his tongue against her lip playfully when he pulled back.

"Okay what?"

"I…" He didn't get a chance to finish because the blinding light from the hallway as the door was opened cut the room in two.

Sherlock's head peeked around the doorframe. "Well… you two have some explaining to do."