Clara had not continued to stay at 221B with John and Sherlock, she returned back to her own flat later on that evening as John was heading back to the hospital for the evening visit.
There was no doctor present on the ward when John arrived, so he approached a young nurse who was carrying a pile of sheets into the ward: "Hi, uh – am I allowed to pick him up?" John asked, indicating his nephew nervously. The nurse's face broke into a wide grin;
"Of course you are! Don't worry, you're not going to get into any trouble – if you need any help, just give me a wave." She bustled off with the sheets, as John returned back to the side of the cot. Sherlock had taken one of the seats, leaving the one nearest the baby's cot empty for John to use. As John picked his nephew up, the baby squealed and squirmed at the discomfort of being moved, but he settled down again once John cradled him in his arms.
"Hello Innes." John whispered down at the baby quietly. "We finally managed to pick a name for you – well, it was Uncle Sherlock who suggested it for us and we thought it was just perfect for you, little man." It was rather bizarre for Sherlock hearing himself referred to as 'Uncle Sherlock', but he said nothing to protest the title, watching John with the infant. "I hope you like it." Innes' small arm had reached up, searching apparently for something to hold on to; John moved one of his arms so that Innes' fingers curled tightly around one of John's. "I'll take that as a yes, shall I?"
"Excuse me?" Sherlock had practically accosted one of the passing nurses almost an hour later while John was just saying goodbye to Innes – who was now crying at having to be put down again. "I was wondering how we would get the name tag on John's nephew updated?" He questioned; the nurse looked over at the tiny baby behind them.
"I can do that for you." She answered, leading Sherlock across to a small nurses station which had piles of files and an ancient looking computer on the desk. "Right, so it's for baby Watson, yes?" She asked, leaning over the computer and moving the mouse.
"Yes." Sherlock replied firmly.
"And it's a first name change, is it?" Sherlock nodded. "Alright, so what do you want me to put?"
"Innes. I-N-N-E-S." Sherlock told her, spelling it out just in case.
"I- double N- E-S." She repeated, "Awh, that's a lovely name! That's all updated on the system, I'll get it put on to his wrist bracelet as well."
"Thank you."
The reassurance that Clara was going to try and do something to find Paolo seemed to be soothing John hugely, he was no longer as restless as he had been in previous days. The next three days were much calmer – Sherlock and John seemed to slide very easily into the routine of visiting Innes twice a day, without any issues or panics from John. The knowledge that something was being done had eased most of his preoccupying fears of Innes being taken away from him. The decision on the name also seemed to have given him some kind of finality, Sherlock certainly found it easier referring to Innes rather than "the baby".
On the following Monday morning, as Sherlock and John were leaving the hospital, they were startled out of their conversation by a voice calling out from behind them:
"John!" It was Clara who was rushing towards them, "I knew you would be here, so I thought I'd catch you…" She panted, reaching them. "I've managed to get in contact with Paolo…" A taxi had just rolled up in the road beside them, and John indicated for Clara to climb in alongside them. "I managed to get in contact with Paolo's mum, and when I told her all that had happened, she passed on his number to me."
"Did you get in touch with him?" John asked, eagerly leaning forwards in the seat.
"Yes, and – uh…" She started confidently but then stopped and looked uncomfortable. "He said very explicitly that he didn't want anything to do with me, Harry or… or the "bastard child"." It took a moment for the impact of these words tyo sink in to John, despite the ferocity in which they were probably first uttered, they were good news for him.
"But that's kind of good… well – at least it means it's unlikely he's going to go for custody, right?" John consented, Paolo stating that he didn't want anything to do with the baby was good for John's cause, but he had to get Paolo to sign and confirm that. "Will you be able to contact him again? To try and get the legal matters sorted out?" Clara bit her lip.
"I might give you his number and you can contact him…" She mumbled, "I think he might just hang up the phone straight away if he hears my voice…"
"I can do that… that's not a problem." John agreed, climbing out of the taxi which had stopped outside the door to 221B and he3ld the door open for Clara to clamber out. "As long as we can get him to agree to sign something, then that should strengthen my case for adoption – that he doesn't want to have legal custody of the child." They were climbing up the stairs to the living room of the flat, but at the entrance of the room, John stopped.
"What?!" Sherlock exclaimed in annoyance, after having to stop abruptly to avoid banging into Clara who was in front of him.
"Good afternoon." Even from behind Clara and John, Sherlock could distinguish the voice of his brother, Mycroft. John had taken a few steps further into the room, allowing Clara to shuffle in beside him and Sherlock to tower over the two of them, seeing his brother comfortably sat in one of the armchairs.
"Yes?" Sherlock asked hastily, Mycroft's eyebrows raised as though questioning his brother's politeness.
"I have something for you." He replied curtly, fishing inside his briefcase and scooping out several thick documents. "The adoption papers." He stated firmly, holding out the papers for John. "Signed by Paolo Carolegsue."
John had reached out to accept the papers from Mycroft, one hand gripped on them as Mycroft dropped this last bombshell; John gaped at Mycroft in disbelief, still holding out the files of paper in front of him.
"What…?" He inhaled, sounding utterly dumbstruck.
"All of the papers are signed by the legal father." Mycroft proveeded. "So you can begin the adoption process straight away."
"I… What?!" John was frozen to the spot, unable to move – or by the sounds of it, breathe; Sherlock moved forwards and snatched the papers still being held in John's hand.
"Please breathe John, I really don't want to have to use CPR on you." Sherlock muttered as he flicked through the papers of the document, stopping on the place that had a sprawling signature it intensely for a few seconds, before holding out the papers for John to see. John took them with trembling hands and stared down at the signature on the page.
"I… I… I don't know what to say…" John stammered out, looking shocked, and as though he might be about to start crying; Clara was also gazing over John's shoulder at the piece of paper clutched in John's hand. "I…"
"You can complete the rest of the forms and that can be submitted as a formal request of adoption." Mycroft informed John.
"Shall we do that now?" Sherlock asked, half questioning Mycroft and half questioning John.
"If you fill it in, I can take it and file it with social services." Mycroft said unenthusiastically. "You do need two character references though."
"He's got two character references!" Clara said vehemently. "Me and Sherlock." Mycroft raised his eyebrows at Clara rather surprised; John felt the heat creeping up his face and was overwhelmed by a sudden gratitude towards Clara.
"It's a separate form for the character references from the main petition of adoption." Sherlock explained, extricating two thick pages from inside the folds of the document, handing one to Clara.
"Do you have a pen?" She asked quickly and Sherlock provided her with one.
Twenty minutes later, which had passed in almost complete silence apart from Mycroft tutting occasionally in impatience, John signed the final box with trembling hands and closed the sheaves of paper.
"Done." He said, a strange feeling strangling in his throat. Sherlock took the papers from John's hands and handed them over to Mycroft.
"Thank you." Mycroft said curtly, standing up from his armchair and sliding them into his briefcase. "I'll get them filed straight away." He began to leave. "Incidentally." He continued in a rather non-chalant manner, "The post-mortem has been completed, the body is available to be released – all they are waiting for is further instruction about what to do with the body."
A/N: As always, I'd love to know what you think of this chapter/story so far? :)