SHERLOCK POV
He knocks on Mary's hospital room.
"Come in!" Mary says.
"Sherlock?" she says surprised.
"Is John here?"
"No, sorry. You missed him. I sent him to work. He wouldn't leave but, well, we do need the money after all."
"I'm actually not here for John. I'm here for you." he says.
"M-me?" she says and Sherlock can hear the faint stutter.
"Does John know?" Sherlock asks.
"Does he know what?" Mary asks.
"Does he know who you are?"
"You mean a nurse? I would hope so, we work at the same clinic." She says nervously.
"You're not a nurse. Well, maybe you are. But you aren't just a nurse. More like an assassin-for-hire?" Sherlock says and watches as Mary's lips purse together.
The two of them stare at each other, both calculating.
"Did you tell John?" Mary asks resigned.
"No."
"It's an old life." She says.
"Hardly. You were threatened just recently by a man named Jareg. Unless you count that as old life."
"It was an old life. But…sometimes an old life can catch up to you."
"What did you do?"
"Gave up that life. When you give up a life like that, well, no one appreciates you being alive, let's just say."
"Why didn't you tell John?"
"He has enough going in his life. And…no one knows."
"You should tell him."
"I don't think that's a good idea…"
"Trust me. Not telling him things yields bad results." Sherlock says sadly.
She just nods Sherlock leaves to do more digging on the man called Jareg.
JOHN POV
John's phone rings.
"Mary? Is everything alright? Is Rosie alright?" John asks.
"Yes, yes, don't worry. Everything's fine. I was just wondering when you'd be getting to the hospital?"
"I should be there in 30 minutes."
"Could you make a pit stop and get Sherlock?"
"Mary if this is some way to get Sherlock and I to be on better terms this isn't the way. Look Sherlock and I will deal things okay? Let's just concentrate on us right now." John says. In his opinion Sherlock and him would never be alright but he didn't want to worry Mary.
"This isn't some trick John. Just pick him okay? I'll explain more later." Mary says and hangs up.
SHERLOCK POV
Sherlock is throwing a rock at the yellow face on the wall when there's a knock at the door.
"I'm fine Mrs. Hudson." he yells at the door and continues his throwing. The door opens and in comes John, not Mrs. Hudson.
"John? What are you doing here?"
"Are you throwing rocks at the wall?" John asks. The moment he asks that Sherlock hides the rocks behind his back. John just shakes his head.
"You are coming to the hospital."
"Why?" Sherlock asks and doesn't budge as the smaller man tries to pull him towards the door.
"Because Mary said so. Now come on." John says and keeps pulling.
"John. I'm not wearing anything." Sherlock points out.
"What?" John looks at the tall man, suddenly not remembering whether he is or isn't wearing anything. Thankfully he is wearing something but probably not good enough to be seen outside.
"I will come to the hospital just let me change." Sherlock says and John let's go of him.
JOHN POV
The two men stand in Mary's room. John is cradling Rosie in his arms doing baby noises as she gurgles and Sherlock is pacing. John can't really figure out why but is too busy to think about it.
"I need to tell you something John." Mary begins and John not fully registering the words just looks up and nods, then looks back down at his daughter. He does however notice the moment Sherlock stops pacing.
"You alright Sherlock?"
"Hm? Yes, of course."
"You stopped pacing."
"Oh."
SHERLOCK POV
"Sherlock, how about you hold Rosie for a little bit."
"Sherlock? Hold Rosie?" John laughs.
"I don't know if that's a good idea." Sherlock says.
"Come on. It's okay." Mary says.
"Babies are messy." Sherlock says and he knows that is probably the worst excuse.
"Yes, but I'm not asking you to change her diaper. Just hold her, rock her, that's it."
Finally, the child is in his hands and he just stands there. He tries to remember any videos or instances where he saw people holding babies and tries to copy them.
"You see? You've got this." Mary smiles.
Sherlock is acutely aware of John's jaw hanging to the ground but decides not to comment on it.
JOHN POV
John tries to stop staring at Sherlock but he can't. His long curls go down and up from Rosie's face making her giggle. The uncertainty in the tall man's face is so different from what he's used to. Even the image of Sherlock interacting with a child is remarkable. There's a growing warm feeling inside his chest at the view in front of him but he's pulled out when he hears Mary's serious voice.
"There's something you need to know John." Mary says and John comes close to her.
"I…I have a past life that I haven't been…so truthful about." She says and John frowns.
"What do you mean?" John asks.
"I…the job I had was…different than…well…I was an assassin-for-hire you could say." Mary finally says.
John didn't realize his jaw could go further down than after seeing Sherlock with Rosie but apparently it could.
"You…no…you were a nurse at that hospital…you…"
"I wasn't."
"You made that up? You made it all up? What is true? Who are you Mary? Damn it, is that even your name, hm? I…how could you do this to me after…after Sherlock? After all that happened?" John goes from disbelief to anger.
"John—" Sherlock begins but John turns towards him.
"Don't you dare say a word. Don't you dare. You have no right to say anything." John gives Sherlock a dark glare and it manages to quiet Sherlock.
"John, I didn't want to tell you precisely because of what happened with Sherlock. Your world was one of chaos. You needed stability and I desperately wanted to be that for you. And…I was running away from that world. It was no longer my world but one can never run far away enough." Mary says and takes John's hand in hers but it burns him. He lets go immediately and storms out of the room.