After being in her room for a few hours, she walked down the stairs and leaned against the doorframe to the living area. She saw the pair smiling and talking happily. They turned to her as she entered the room.
"I want my skull back." said Sherlock bluntly. John laughed.
"Oh, hello to you too." she said and laughed. She walked into the kitchen where her presents were and picked up the skull. She threw it over to him and he caught it. He frowned at her.
"Be careful. I only have a few possessions left." he said, carefully placing the skull on the fireplace.
"That's what you think." she said. Sherlock looked at John who shrugged at him.
"Does Mrs Hudson know yet?"
John laughed. "Yes. She was a bit surprised to say the least."
Sherlock smiled.
"Come on then." said Marie as she turned around and began walking down the stairs. The men looked at each other and followed her.
"Mrs Hudson!" she called.
"Yes dear?" she said, coming out of her kitchen, looking a bit dazed.
"Do you still have the key to 221C?"
"Of course, do you want it?"
"Yes please."
She walked into the kitchen to retrieve the keys. "Mind you dear, I don't think it'll be very nice in there. I haven't been in their since Sherlock found the trainers..." she passed the keys to the girl. "It still has all the damp..."
"Thank you Mrs Hudson." she said and walked down the stairs to the flat below.
John and Sherlock stood behind her as she twisted the key and opened the door.
"Ta da!" she said as they walked in the room.
She saw the corners of Sherlock's mouth twist up into a smile. All his old stuff was in here. Some things had dust settled on them and others were protected in cardboard boxes.
"Did you really think I could throw it all away?" she said with a smile.
"Thank you..." he said as he started picking up objects, looking at them and reminiscing.
"Well I had to throw some things away." Sherlock looked at her and frowned. She laughed. "I had nowhere to put any toes or hands." she elbowed him lightly in the arm. His smile returned.
"Right," said John, rubbing his hands together. "We better get this stuff upstairs..." he picked up a box and started walking upstairs. Marie and Mrs Hudson followed suit. Sherlock looked at his things and let himself grin fully. Then he frowned as he saw an unwelcome friend. He picked up the deer stalker and put it on. He had strangely missed this old thing...
Marie came stomping down the stairs and laughed at him. "Come on you." she said passing him a box then picking one up herself. "These boxes aren't going to shift themselves."
Marie slumped onto the sofa. "Phew! I forgot how much stuff you had Sherlock..." she said, taking a sip of her tea. She peered into the once usable kitchen, only to realise all of Sherlock's experiment equipment was already spread out on the table. She sighed.
"Looks like takeaways from now on." she said with a smirk. John yawned.
"Haha, yeah..." he said. "Right I'm off to bed." he stood from his armchair. "I think that was a successful day." said and hugged Marie. "Happy birthday." he said before walking to his room.
She turned to Sherlock. "I bet it feels strange being back." she said to him.
"You could say that." he said, looking distant.
"You should tell Greg."
"Who?"
She rolled her eyes. "Lestrade."
"Oh, right. I will... at some point."
"He missed you." she said. He scoffed. "What? He did!"
"So you started solving crimes with him."
"In your honour."
He looked at her. She sighed. "They all thought you were dead so me and Lestrade started doing cases in your name."
He chuckled. She shook her head. "It's their way of showing respect."
"The dead don't know, they're dead."
She smiled. "It's the flowers all over again."
"Oh not the bloody flowers again..."
She laughed. It was as if he'd never been gone.