This Could Work:

"Dora, can you come here for a moment? Father and I want to talk to you." John called a few hours after he and Sherlock returned home from the meeting with Maddie and Josh.

"Coming, Daddy." Dora bounded into the living room dragging her bedspread behind her. "What is it?"

John was puzzled. "What are you doing with that?"

"Cold." Dora said simply. "What is it?"

"Right, well, right. Dora, Father and I want to ask you a question."

"Honestly, John, out with it. By the time you ask, Maddie will have already had the baby." Sherlock complained.

"Why don't you talk to her then if I'm not moving fast enough for you?" John snapped back.

"What baby?" Dora asked.

John glared at Sherlock. "See what you've done? I was doing just fine thank you, Sherlock." John turned back to Dora. "Well, Father and I were thinking, maybe it would be nice for you to have a little brother or sister. Would you like that?"

Dora looked confused. Sure, Elliott said she had brothers and a new sister, but Dora didn't really understand the concept. "What does that mean? Is some kid going to live with us?"

"It means that Father and I are going to have another baby. You know how Uncle and Father have the same parents, right?" Dora nodded, remembering a picture Uncle had shown her of Father when he was her age. John continued, "Father and I will have another baby like and you'll be a big sister just like Uncle is a big brother to Father."

"So another kid is going to live with us but you'll be their Daddy too?" Dora asked.

"Yes, but they aren't going to be a random kid. They will be mine and Father's baby just like you, but littler." John explained. He was having a hard time figuring out what to say. How do you explain a new baby to a five-year old? And Sherlock was no help. It wasn't likely he would add much to this conversation if Dora didn't understand what was going on.

"It's not going to take my room is it?" Dora babies taking over her room.

"No." John laughed. "So, would you be okay with this?"

Dora shrugged. "As long as the baby isn't in my room. And the baby has to know, I'm the boss."

This caused Sherlock and John to burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. The next afternoon would be interesting if this was Dora's opinion of the new baby. They couldn't wait.

"Why did you pick me up early?" Dora asked as Sherlock settled her in the waiting cab after picking her up early from school. "And why is Daddy here?"

"We are going to have lunch with some friends. Would you like that?" Sherlock replied.

"Mrs. Hudson and Detective Lestrade?" Dora was unable to think of anyone else that regularly came around besides Uncle, and he didn't count. He and Father weren't very happy when they spent time together.

"No, other friends. Remember when Daddy talked to you about having a baby?" Dora nodded and John took over the conversation.

"We are going to meet with a couple who might help us have a baby."

"Oh. Well, I'm glad. I get to leave school early and have lunch. Yay!" Dora was enthusiastic. She loved eating out and thought it was fun when she got to take days out of school to spend with her parents.

"Father?" Dora asked as they neared the restaurant.

"Yes, Dora?" Sherlock replied.

"When you have the baby, are you going to play the violin for them?"
"It wouldn't be fair if I played for you and not for them now would it?"

"If you play for them, can you teach me songs to play for them too? I want to be like you." Dora smiled at Sherlock and he smiled back.

John watched the two and smiled as well. He couldn't believe the Sherlock Holmes he saw when he was around their daughter. Even after five years Sherlock was still surprising John with his humanness when it came to Dora. He was different with her. Not cold or the perfect example of a heartless know-it-all, but a loving father with a child who adored him.

Watching Sherlock with Dora, John felt extremely lucky. Sherlock may not always show his love in conventional ways, but he always showed it. He was caring and loving and the best father he knew. John couldn't be happier that they had chosen each other to marry and to start a family with. John couldn't imagine anyone better.

John and Sherlock held Dora's hands as they walked into the restaurant. They spotted Maddie and Josh almost immediately and headed over to the table.

"Hello, Mr. Watson, Mr. Holmes. Nice to see you again." Maddie said as the couple sat down on either side of Dora.

"John and Sherlock, please. It's nice to see you again, too. Hopefully things will end on better terms today. I'd like to introduce you to my daughter, Dora. Dora this is Maddie and Josh." John said.

"Hello. Are you the friends giving Father and Daddy a baby?" Dora asked.

"Well, maybe. We haven't decided yet." Maddie said nervously.

John's face turned red with embarrassment as Dora continued.

"I think you should because Father said if I have a brother or sister he will teach me songs, so I can play the violin for them." Dora looked to her Father when the waitress came to take their order. When she was sure he had ordered for her, she turned back to Maddie.

"You play the violin?" Maddie asked Dora.

"Father teaches me sometimes. He's really good."

Maddie smiled at Sherlock and Dora. "That sounds lovely. I'm sure the baby would love that." Maddie felt more strongly about allowing Sherlock and John to adopt the baby after just a few moments with their daughter.

She was happy. Maddie could tell. She seemed to love her parents, and she wanted to be a big sister. Maddie could tell she was well taken care of and her parents loved her. She felt more hopeful about this family now after spending a few moments with them in a casual setting. They seemed capable of giving her baby the things she couldn't, and she hoped Josh noticed.

"Maybe we could discuss what we are looking to get out of this?" Maddie suggested.

"Alright, well I know for us we'd love to be given the chance to raise this child, and giving it a chance to get to know the people who gave him or her to us is a wonderful thing. We just want to be sure our children will be protected. I don't want you going into this with the wrong idea about us. We want you involved as the birth parents if that is what you want, but we want to be sure it is clear that if we adopt the baby we are its parents. We are the ones making the final decisions. We want you to be able to be part of the child's life as its birth parents but we don't want anyone getting the wrong idea." John said looking back at Sherlock as he finished.

"Okay. I understand. You two need to be sure, I get that. We don't want to give you the baby and then come back and act entitled to the baby and all decisions about it. We aren't. We are asking you to take care of our child and to take responsibility for our bad timing. We don't want you to think we don't respect that. We just want to be able to see the baby and be involved as much as you will allow us without overstepping any boundaries." Maddie said.

Josh nodded. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I just don't want the baby to resent us because we weren't there for them."

The two couples chatted for the rest of the meal about what they wanted and didn't want and about their lives outside of this adoption. Sherlock was right. Maddie and Josh were both twenty though Josh was almost twenty-one. They were at university. Josh wanted to be a lawyer, and Maddie wanted to be a teacher. They couldn't give a baby a stable home while they were finishing school. They didn't want their child to suffer because of their mistakes.

Sherlock and John told them about Dora and her school. She helped of course, telling them about Elliott and what she liked to do. Dora helped her parents talk about their family and their life at Baker Street.

By the time the meal was done, everyone knew a great deal more about each other, and everyone seemed on board with the adoption.

"Well," John said as everyone stood to leave. "I think this could work."

Me too." Maddie said. "Maybe we should take a few days to figure out what works and we can set up another appointment with Catherine. Thank you so much for lunch. It was lovely to meet you Dora. I hope to see you again soon."

"Bye." Dora waved.

Sherlock and John led her out of the restaurant and towards their flat.

Authors Note: Thanks to SmilesSaveLives fro reviewing.