Aftermath
AN: After the deaths of Greg and Mycroft, Sherlock is struggling to deal with his emotions, his statement to the police, as well as his nephew and niece. Thankfully, John is more than supportive enough to handle everything.
"So, Kevin Hamsten. Did you know him, Mr Holmes?" Donovan asks professionally but with a hint of sympathy.
"Vaguely. When I was younger he assaulted me once. My brother Mycroft and some of his friends then repaid the favour." Sherlock replies, staring at the desk he's sat at.
"So, other than that, you never had any contact with Mr Hamsten?"
"No, never before and never since. If I am honest, maybe if I had kept my mouth closed then my brother and Greg would still be alive. But I was just a child. No one really taught me to control my mouth."
Donovan is speechless for a few moments; shocked by Sherlock's honesty and, unbelievably, vulnerability surrounding the situation.
She coughs and turns off the tape before replying, "Listen, I know we haven't had the best relationship but … I'm sorry for your loss, Sherlock. Losing your brother must be hard and a friend too. Just a few more questions and then we'll wrap this up, okay?"
"Thank you, Sally. I am sorry for your loss also. Shall we carry on?" Sherlock says sadly, giving her a genuine soft smile.
"Yes, let's." She turns the tape back on and starts on more questions, "When did you … deduce that Mr Hamsten was the murderer?"
Sherlock is momentarily surprised by her phasing of the question; she doesn't ask when he 'worked' it out, she actually uses the same term as Sherlock, almost as though she truly respects him.
"Well, the murderer had to live near all the victims, given that they were all killed around the same area. He also had a job which allowed him to choose his own hours so he could plan his day around his victims. Then he could torture and murder them when they had either just finished work or were starting work later in the day. All the times Kevin was off work coincided with the hours that the victims weren't at work. It's pretty obvi …" Sherlock stops himself before rephrasing his last sentence, "It was just a matter of thoroughly going through all the times of the murders and comparing them to the times that Kevin wasn't working. Some of the other suspects matched some of the times of deaths but not all. And none of them were reported not being at work around the time of the murders. Therefore, I deduced it was Kevin due to the evidence."
Donovan nods in reply, grateful that the younger man didn't say that it was obvious.
Clearly he has some restraint. Donovan thinks proudly, smiling softly.
"Okay, last question, Doctor Watson fired a kill shot into the murderer, did you feel he was a threat?" Donovan asks professionally, looking pointedly at the younger man, "What I mean is, did you feel your life was at risk and that if Doctor Watson hadn't have shot Mr Hamsten then you would have both been killed?" She continues to look pointedly at him, knowing that he'll understand what she's trying to put across.
Sherlock smiles before replying, "Yes, I did. The man was a psychopath and would have definitely killed any witnesses who might be able to identify him."
"Understandable, Mr Holmes. Interview terminated at ten fifteen am." Donovan replies, stopping the tape for the last time.
"Thank you, Sally." Sherlock nods and gives her an appreciative smile.
"Well, we can't have John getting locked up now, can we? As much as you annoy me, Sherlock, I'd rather not have any more Holmes bodies in the morgue. Especially not with poor Miss Hooper as infatuated as she is, the news might just kill her." Donovan replies with a slight smirk.
"Have you told Anderson yet?" Sherlock asks with his own smirk.
"Told him what?" Donovan asks with a curious look.
"That you're planning on ending your affair for a certain pathologist?" Sherlock smiles and quirks his eyebrow.
"What? No, you don't think … No … It's not ..."
"Try and deny it all you want, the signs are there, Sally. Ask her out, she can only say no. And besides, she's a lot better than Anderson." Sherlock smiles wickedly before standing up and leaving the room.
x..x
"John, Donovan will be taking your statement." Sherlock informs his partner, hand dropping to his shoulder.
"Right. I better get in then." John replies matter-of-factly, trying to be the brave soldier.
He takes two steps before Sherlock grabs his arm and turns him round, the younger man leans in to kiss his partner softly, his grip tightening ever so slightly.
"I love you, John Hamish Watson." Sherlock whispers into John's lips, resting their foreheads together before releasing his arm.
"I love you too, Sherlock Holmes. I always have." John whispers back before turning and walking into the interview room.
"Did you know Kevin Hamsten, Doctor Watson?" Donovan asks professionally, but giving a soft reassuring smile.
"No. All I know is that he was a suspect in our case and that he was a psychopath." Jon replies confidently, resting his hand on the table.
"So then, Mr Hamsten seemed dangerous to you?"
"Well, obviously, he'd been suspected of killing five people. It's not something a calm and cheerful person would do." John replies, scoffing slightly at the absurdity of the question.
"Mr Holmes came to the conclusion that Mr Hamsten had actually committed the murders base on matching times and dates. Could you confirm he was correct?"
"Well, yeah. I mean it seemed very coincidental that at the times and dates of all the murders, Mr Hamsten had arranged to have those hours off. Even I couldn't deny the evidence before my own eyes." John replies calmly.
"Okay, last question, you have army training. Years of it, in fact. And you fired a kill shot into Mr Hamsten, does that mean that you felt he was a threat? Do you believe you would have both been killed if you hadn't of disarmed Mr Hamsten, Doctor Watson?" Donovan asks, meeting the older man's gaze.
"Definitely. He held a grudge with certain people and I believe he would have killed both me and Mr Holmes out of both convenience and revenge against the older Holmes." John continues to remain calm, his hand steady as he lies it flat on the table.
"Alright then. Interview terminated at ten forty am. You can leave now, John." Donovan replies with a soft smile.
"Thank you, Sally." John smiles back, heading for the door.
"Oh, John, I'm sorry for your losses. Take care now. Both of you." She adds with a curt nod.
"We will. Oh, Greg and Mycroft's two children, they wrote in their will that if anything happened to them then the children would be put in mine and Sherlock's care. Is that correct?"
"Yes, come with me." Donovan replies, standing up and walking through the door.
"Sherlock." John calls and motions his partner to follow them.
"Do they know?" Sherlock asks Donovan sadly.
"Not yet. We thought it best coming from you two. They don't really know us and we didn't want to upset them."
"Thank you, Sally."
"In here." Donovan replies sadly, opening a door to one of the rooms.
"Uncle Sherlock! Uncle John!" The twins exclaim, running excitedly to the two men.
"Izzy, Sher." John smiles, scooping Izzy into his arms and hugging her tightly.
Sherlock bends down to pick up his name sake, gripping the little boy tightly.
"Uncle Sherlock, what's wrong?" Little Sherlock asks, immediately picking up his uncle's sadness.
"What do you mean? I'm fine." Sherlock smiles brightly and little too fakely, kissing the little boy's forehead.
"It's daddy and father, isn't it? They're gone, aren't they? And now we have to stay with you?" Little Sherlock whispers, tears forming in his eyes.
"I won't lie to you, Sherlock. Yes, daddy and father are gone. And me and Uncle John are going to take care of you now. But listen to me, know that daddy and father loved you both very much and didn't want to leave you ..." Sherlock replies softly, looking between the two children as tears start to form in his own eyes. "But when you love someone, sometimes you … you have to leave them. And you have to so they will be safe." He continues, now looking at John.
"But like Uncle Sherlock said, daddy and father didn't want to leave you. It broke their hearts knowing that they had to go. But they'll always be right here." John adds, pointing to Izzy's chest; right were her heart is. "And we will never replace them, ever, but daddy and father wanted to make sure you stayed safe. So they asked us to look after you until you're all grown up." He smiles sadly, stroking a few stray hairs out of Little Sherlock's face.
"Is it okay to cry, Uncle John?" Little Sherlock asks softly, looking almost pleadingly at his uncle.
"Yes, Sher, it is. And no one would blame you. Don't ever be afraid to cry."
"Father always said caring was a disadvantage."
"Because he didn't want you to get hurt, Sherl. When you care about someone and they leave you, it hurts so much. Sometimes you can't breathe from the pain of it. But when you love someone, caring is a great advantage." Sherlock smiles softly, pulling the little boy into his chest.
His little body shakes as he begins to sob into his uncle's chest, followed soon after by Izzy; who grips her uncle like he's about to leave her all alone.
The two men just stand there, holding the sobbing children in their arms before moving closer and wrapping an arm around each other.
"Don't ever leave me, John." Sherlock whispers softly into the older man's ear, knowing that the sobbing will prevent the children from hearing his words.
"I won't. I promise." John replies, knowing that it's a stupid thing to promise but he also knows that he won't go.
"If you do, just know that I'll come after you. I don't want to ever be without you. Not after all this time." Sherlock continues to whisper, kissing his partner's temple.
"I'll do the same if you try to go too." John replies with a sad smile, looking up at his partner.
"Let's take the children home." Sherlock says softly, stroking the little boy's head to try and sooth the sobs.
"Yeah, let's. Oh, Anthea's going to bring some of the children's things round later. I'll text her when we get home." John replies with a smile, walking out of the room after Sherlock.
"Alright. Who's room will they be staying in?"
"Well, I think yours is bigger but is it tidy?" John asks with a smile.
"Since I moved all my stuff into your room, it's pretty much empty." Sherlock smirks, nudging John's shoulder gently.
"No experiments hiding anywhere then?"
"No."
"So if I look under your bed, I won't find some disgusting mould or flammable experiments?"
"I'll move them when we get home." Sherlock sighs, rolling his eyes.
"Thought so." John grins widely and even chuckles a little.
x..x
"Here we go, kids. Don't worry, Uncle Sherlock threw all his experiments away. It's safe to sleep in." John smiles down at the two children.
"Yes, isn't that wonderful." Sherlock adds sarcastically, standing next to his partner.
"Shut it, Sherlock." John mutters under his breath, looking back at the two children again, "Anthea is going to bring your stuff down in an hour. So, until then, make yourselves at home. Oh, Nana Martha is making tea soon, would you like her to get you some drinks?"
"Please can I have an orange juice, Uncle John?" Izzy asks softly, hands behind her back and rocking back and forth on her feet.
"Of course you can, darling." John smiles, ruffling Izzy's hair gently. "Would you like anything, Sher?"
"I'll have an orange juice as well, please."
"Alright then, two orange juices coming up."
"Hello, dears." Mrs Hudson smiles brightly, entering the room.
"Nana Martha!" The twins exclaim excitedly, running over to the older woman and hugging her tightly.
"It's good to see you, dears. Look at you, you're both so big." Mrs Hudson replies with a smile, looking at each of the children in turn.
John smiles before leaving to get two orange juices.
x..x
"Do you think they'll be alright, John?" Sherlock asks suddenly, his head on John's lap.
"In time. Losing one parent is hard, but both, it's like being abandoned. All we can do is care from them the best we can and keep reassuring them that Mycroft and Greg loved them. They're only children though so it's going to take a while for them to heal." John replies softly, stroking his partner's curls.
"Are we going to be enough for them?"
"We'll have to be. Because I really don't want to give them up. Harry hasn't got any children so the twins are the only nephew and niece I have. And I love them too much to let them go now."
"I know. It's funny … They're not my brother's biological children but they are so like Mycroft and Greg. Sherlock deduces things so easily and Izzy is sweet and charming just like Greg. They really are their fathers' children." Sherlock smiles softly, tears brimming in his eyes.
"I know. It's probably because Mycroft and Greg adopted them from a few months after birth so they've picked up all the best bits about them."
"Did you notice that Izzy looks a lot like Irene?" Sherlock asks curiously, raising his head to look at his partner.
"Does she? Well, I wouldn't know. Every time I saw Irene she was practically half naked." John replies with a grimace.
Sherlock grins back at John and then chuckles, "That's true. Mm, how I love my sassy, awkward blogger."
John blushes bright red, avoiding Sherlock's eyes and instead looking at the wall.
"It's true." Sherlock adds, cupping John's cheek and directing his eyes back down.
"I love you too, my mad, eccentric genius." John smiles sweetly, leaning down to kiss Sherlock.
"Hamish." Sherlock whispers, causing the older man to look confused.
"What?"
"Hamish. That day Irene came to the flat, you said Hamish, just in case you're wanting baby names. Well, I like Hamish. When we adopt, I'd like to name the child Hamish." Sherlock smiles up at his partner.
"Alright then, Hamish it is." John smiles back, feeling a warmth in his chest.
"You thought I wasn't serious about a child, didn't you? Even when I told you I wanted one, you still didn't completely believe me."
"Of course I did. I knew you wouldn't joke about something like that."
"Good. Because I do, I want a child with you, John."
John smiles, a tear sliding down his cheek; which Sherlock wipes away with his thumb.
"Soon, I promise." John replies, stroking Sherlock's cheek.
"Three children running around the flat, Mrs Hudson's going to charge us extra as insurance."
John laughs loudly, shaking his head at his partner, "What are you like, Sher?"
"She will. I'm sure Mycroft is giving her extra just to have ..." Sherlock breaks off, realising that he referred to his brother in the present tense despite him being dead.
"Sher?" John says softly, having heard his partner's mistake.
Sherlock curls into a ball in John's lap, hiding his face as tears start to fall.
"It's okay, baby. I got you. It's okay." John whispers gently, bring Sherlock into his arms and hugging him tightly.
Sherlock continues to sob while John rocks him gently, whispering nonsense reassurance into his hair.
"Uncle John?" A little voice asks from the door.
John looks to the door to find Izzy stood in her pyjamas with her teddy in her arms.
"Izzy, hi. You're supposed to be sleeping, little missy." John replies with a small smile.
"Is Uncle Sherlock okay?" Izzy asks timidly, walking into the room.
"He's just upset over your daddies. It's alright, sweetheart, come here." John replies, motioning the child over to them.
Izzy walks over to her uncles, crawling into Sherlock's lap and hugging him tightly, "It's okay, Uncle Sherlock." She whispers sweetly.
Sherlock wraps his arms around the little girl and buries his face in her hair as he tries to subside his own sobs. John wraps his arms around both and snuggles them into his chest, feeling Sherlock relax and his breathing steadying.
"Come on now, let's get you back to bed, Izzy." Sherlock chokes out, his throat sore from crying.
He climbs out of John's lap and heads for the door, looking back at his partner in a silent plea for him to follow. John stands up and walks with his partner down to Sherlock's room.
"Can you both stay?" Izzy whispers as Sherlock lays her back in bed.
"Um." Sherlock chews his bottom lip and looks at John.
"Of course we can, sweetheart." John smiles, climbing into the small bed and wrapping his niece up in his arms.
Sherlock walks around the other side and wraps his arms around his nephew, feeling the little boy relax dramatically.
"Nightmares." Sherlock mouths to John; who just nods in reply.
Within moments, Izzy is fast asleep while John and Sherlock lay staring at each other.
John looks back down at Izzy and his chest goes all warm again, "I want one of our own, Sher." He whispers, not taking his eyes off the little girl clutching his jumper.
"As do I, John." Sherlock smiles, looking down at Little Sherlock before placing a kiss to his forehead, watching as the boy smiles in his sleep.
"You're a natural." John smiles softly, reaching to stroke his partner's cheek.
"I hope so." Sherlock replies softly, holding John's hand to his face.
x..x
John falls asleep first; one arm wrapped around his niece and the other stretched across his nephew and partner. Sherlock looks at the three of them, smiling like a mad man. This is what he wants, a family with his beloved; curling up with the children, teaching them interesting things, watching them grow up. Sherlock wants it all.
He stays awake just thinking about what it would be like being a father, having someone who loves him just as much as John (and Mycroft) does. Sleep won't come to the younger man because he's too excited and nervous, and bewildered.
How did he get so lucky to have John in his life and as his husband?
The younger man looks back at his partner's sleeping form and smiles, "I love you, John Hamish Watson-Holmes."