A/N: Hi guys, just a couple of points. Firstly, I don't have children, so I hope you will forgive any errors I've made when describing new born babies and their parent's reactions (thanks go to a work colleague of mine who told me what a new born could definitely not do! - hope I got it right). Secondly, I hope you don't feel that Sherlock is too out of character in this chapter, I feel that as he spends more time with John, he becomes more like the 'good man' Lestrade hopes for during the series.

Disclaimer: don't own, wish I did. This chapter comes with a tissue warning! ;-P

Please enjoy, and review if you like (please be kind).

Lying In A Manger

Chapter Two.

The door opened quietly and John's face appeared. 'May we come in?' John asked quietly, wary of waking a baby that may be asleep.

Jamie straightened up from where he had been leaning over the cot staring at his child in wonder, and looked across at his father standing in the doorway, Sherlock peering over John's shoulder.

Jamie stepped over to the door, and pulling his father into a bone-crushing hug, he answered equally as quietly 'come in, come in, both of you.'

Walking back to his wife's bedside, he leant over and picked up the newborn baby from the cot. Turning around he looked at both men and smiling, said proudly 'Dad, Sherlock, Jessica and I would like you to meet our daughter Charlotte Mary Watson.'

A look of shocked delight crossed John's face when he heard his granddaughter's name for the first time as memories flashed across his mind. He and Mary had always wanted more children, and a little sister for Jamie would have been a dream come true. To have his dear wife remembered in this way made John's heart swell with pride and love for the son who grew up to be an amazing, kind and generous man. A man who, John was certain, would be an excellent father to young Charlotte Mary.

John smiled as he stepped up to his son and held out his arms towards the youngest member of his family. 'May I hold her?' he asked.

Jamie looked down at his wife lying on the bed, both of them smiled softly at each other. 'Of course you may Dad.' he answered as he handed over his precious bundle to her granddad.

John gazed in rapture at the young baby in his arms, his heart bursting with joy. He raised the child slightly so that he could lean down and place a light kiss on her forehead before returning her to a more comfortable position. Looking up at his son and daughter-in-law, he smiled and said 'she's perfect, absolutely perfect.' Jamie and Jessica returned his smile before turning and gazing at each other with such love in their eyes. Not wishing to intrude on their private moment, John looked away and came face to face with his flatmate.

Realising that John was now looking directly at him, Sherlock's facial expression switched rapidly from delight and awe to apparent indifference tinged with a little fear. John grinned as he saw this, knowing his flatmate would deny everything if confronted.

'Do you want hold her, Sherlock?' John asked gently.

'Why would I want to do that?' Sherlock asked as he began to step backwards whilst staring avidly at the baby in John's arms until his broad shoulders hit the door which had closed behind them when they had entered the room.

John remained silent for a moment as he watched his flatmate flounder. Then making a sudden, and he hoped, correct decision, he said 'sit down Sherlock and I'll pass her to you.'

Sherlock, apparently mesmerised by the tiny human, moved towards a chair that was placed under the only window in the room and sat down. John walked across to him, and speaking, as though to a young child who had never held a baby before, he said, 'hold up your arms like me ... that's right. Now, here's Charlotte.' At this point, John gently laid the newborn baby in Sherlock's waiting arms. 'Don't forget to support her head Sherlock, and don't drop her'

Sherlock glanced up at this comment and gave John a look that told him he was being ridiculous if he thought Sherlock was going to do anything so stupid. John looked away in embarrassment and apologised quietly.

Sherlock looked back down at the tiny bundle lying so trustingly in his arms. His blue/grey eyes softening as he took in every detail of the precious child. In the background, he could vaguely hear John asking the new parents about the birth, and congratulating them both on producing such a beautiful human being. The chatter faded away as Sherlock concentrated completely on the little girl who had captivated him so thoroughly. He raised his hand and ran the back of his finger down her arm to the tiny hand. The minuscule fingers clenched tightly into a fist, relaxed slightly at his touch. Looking up at her face, Sherlock saw that her eyes had opened, and she appeared to be staring directly at him and he couldn't bring himself to look away. If he were of a more fanciful nature, he would swear that she was looking into his very soul.

After several seconds (which seemed like hours), Sherlock became aware of an odd sort of silence in the room around him. Sherlock glanced up and noticed that the other occupants were all looking at him with varying degrees of amazement on their faces. He straightened up in the chair, not realising until that moment how he had been hunched over the child. Pulling the baby closer to him, he tightened his hold slightly (though not enough to cause the baby any distress), arching one eyebrow, he asked in as haughty a manner as possible, which wasn't particularly haughty given the fact he had been cooing over the child in his arms not seconds before, 'Was there something you wished to say?'

John, Jamie and Jessica looked at each other and smiled slightly, then turning back to his flatmate, John replied 'no mate, nothing at all.'

At this point Charlotte began to whimper a little, and Sherlock looked down at her, his eyes assessing her movements as her cries became progressively louder. Standing up, he quickly moved over to the bed, leant over slightly to place the baby gently into her mother's arms whilst saying, 'it would appear that the young lady requires her mother.'

Jessica looked down at her hungry daughter as she raised her hand to the buttons of her gown in preparation.

Sherlock straightened up immediately, a light blush covering his cheeks as he spun around to face the opposite direction. Clearing his throat slightly, he looked across at John and said 'come along John, we can't spend all day here, there are experiments to do and crimes to solve. God knows, Scotland Yard can't solve them.'

John smiled, then looking over at his son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter sitting on the bed so happy in their own private little world, he nodded and walked over to the door.

The small family of three barely acknowledged their murmured goodbyes, though Jamie did look up a little startled when he heard his father giggling as the two men walked down the corridor. Listening carefully, he heard his dad say to his Godfather, 'Charlotte was staring directly at you? You do realise that new born babies aren't capable of focussing on objects so soon after birth don't you.'

Jamie heard Sherlock huff in indignation as he lengthened his stride forcing John to pick up speed in order to keep up with his crazy yet surprisingly caring Godfather.

A/N: Possibly one more story in this series of stories. :D