AN: Sorry for not giving you fair warning, but this is in fact the last chapter of this story, and probably of the series as a whole. I didn't want to leave you without a glimpse of the future of our happy family, so here we are, fast forwarding 5 years. Be warned, this is going to be excessively adorable.

5 Years Later

Bright red wellies splattered with mud, as Eleanor Holmes ran ahead and jumped in a big puddle, before turning back and giving a gap-toothed smile to her parents, who walked hand in hand behind her. It was a beautiful autumn day, perfect for a walk around the boating lake in Regent's Park. They were meeting John and Mary, and their sons, Arthur and Conan, in the play park the other side, so the fathers could go off to meet Lestrade about their latest case. But they were running early, and so were taking the scenic route.

"Try not to get too wet Ellie, or you'll get cold." Molly gently rebuked her.

"Relax, she's having fun." Sherlock's deep voice rumbled, as he smiled at his daughter's antics. Suddenly his gaze snapped upwards and he smiled. "Eleanor!" He called in a stage whisper, beckoning for her to look upwards. She broke into a big smile, seeing the squirrel in the branches above her, and danced along under it as it flitted from tree to tree. She was so busy looking up, she almost bumped into a group of young boys, walking in the opposite direction. She stopped just in time, frowning as they walked round her, laughing at something.

"What's the matter?" Molly asked, seeing her hesitation near the boys.

Ellie's eyes flitted around the park, until they came to rest on an ice cream van parked on the grass just off the road.

"Ice cream!" She yelled enthusiastically, turning around and pulling on her father's coat, trying to drag him towards the ice cream van. He laughed and shrugged at Molly, who frowned, worried that if Eleanor had ice cream now, she wouldn't eat the lunch she'd packed for her. She had the strange feeling that that was the exact reason why Eleanor was asking Sherlock, not her, for the ice cream.

"Which one do you want?" Sherlock asked, picking Eleanor up so she could see the pictures on the side of the van.

"That one." Eleanor said firmly, pointing at a cone with a flake. The ice cream man smiled and made the ice cream, handing it to Eleanor. Sherlock put her down to pay the man, but was shocked to see her running away the second he did.

"Eleanor!" He called in concern, pulling and a fiver and tossing it absentmindedly onto the counter. "Keep the change!" he called over his shoulder, joining Molly in chasing after their daughter.

Eleanor stopped in front of a bench, where a sad looking 9 year old boy was sitting. With a smile she handed the ice cream over to him. The boy looked shocked at first, then hugged her tight and thanked her with teary eyes, before hitching up his backpack onto his shoulders and walking away, waving at Ellie. Grinning broadly, Eleanor skipped back to her parents, who were standing a few feet away looking shocked.

"Who was that boy Ellie?" Molly crouched down in front of her and asked.

"I don't know." Eleanor shrugged.

"Then why did you give him your ice cream?"

"Because the mean boys took his. They had an ice cream, but I thought it was odd that they only had one between them, and then I saw that boy on the bench. He still had some around his mouth, but he looked sad, so he obviously hadn't finished his ice cream or he'd be happy. He was dirty and bruised and his jumper was ripped, so they must have beat him up for it. I knew there was supposed to be a flake too, because there was still a few crumbs of chocolate on the cone. He didn't have any around his mouth though, so he was saving it, like I do, but the mean boy ate it first."

Molly gasped and turned back to look at Sherlock. Sherlock, who had been frozen on the spot since he had seen his daughter give away her ice cream. He had seen all the clues too, but didn't dare believe that that was what she was up to, until he heard the words from his daughter's mouth. A tear of happiness escaped his eye and rolled down his cheek.

"Her first deduction." He whispered, before swooping down on her with an excited laughed, picking her up and spinning her in his arms making her giggle with joy. They were grinning broadly at each other when they stopped. "Good girl, Eleanor. That was brilliant. Shall we go back and get you your own ice cream now?"

But to his surprise, she shook her head. "Not yet, silly." She told him "Mummy doesn't let me have sweeties before lunch. I'll have mine later."

Her words broke Molly out of the shock of her daughter deducing, and she laughed, stepping in close and joining them for a group hug.

"That's right Ellie." She said. "After lunch, you can have all the ice cream you want."

AN: So there we go. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the journey to it as much as I have. Honestly, you have no idea how amazing it has been for me, the reception to these stories which have spurred me to keep writing and letting this story progress. Thank you to every single one of my followers, those who have favorited me, and of course everyone who has ever left me a review. And all you lurkers out there who read but don't follow favorite or review, just your presence makes me ever so happy :)

For any of you who are interested, I am already halfway through my next one-shot, going back in time to John in the war. It's very different to what I am used to writing, but an interesting challenge, and hopefully one I shall complete soon and post. Hopefully I'll see some of you there.

:D