Sorry for the very long holdup, I really am but I broke my glasses a few weeks back and it's been nearly impossible to write because I haven't afforded any new ones yet. Bummer... So writing will take a little longer now but I'll fight!
A week later John fetched Hamish after school and brought him to the mall not far from home. The boy had gone through the boxes of his first clothes and then turned to John with a very serious face, telling him that they needed dresses. John had agreed but told him that just two or three would be enough if the baby turned out to be a boy after all.
Hamish gripped his father's hand tightly as they entered the store with clothes from newborn to seven-year-olds and he pulled his arm to get over to the section with girl clothes. Pink, yellow, purple and white was all over the place. Flowers, kittens and teddies decorating the small dresses and shirts and Hamish frowned when he saw them.
"Where are the heroes?" he asked referring to his own baby clothing that had everything from Batman to the Hulk printed on them. "And the cars and skulls? Why doesn't these clothes look like boy clothes. John pursed his lips until they became white and sighed, didn't know how to explain this to the small boy.
"It's.." he began. "You see, some mum's, not all of them, likes to dress up their babies it these kind of clothes. So the store earns more money by selling such things that people buy more of."
"So, there's some people don't want their girls to like superheroes?" Hamish asked confusedly and gave John a sharp look." John grinned and ran a hand through his hair.
"If you look over to the boys' side you won't find any shirts with flowers and kittens on. That doesn't mean they aren't allowed to like it. If we get a girl I'm sure that she'll like a good murder just as much as your father." A woman standing in the next isle looked up from the hats and stared at him with wide eyes, frightened to death by his words. "My husband's a detective." he explained quickly and fought the urge to laugh as she ran down to the other side of the store.
"Why are people like that?" Hamish asked and seemed a little hurt by the woman's retreat. "Why aren't we allowed to like a good murder when they're allowed to like stuff like skiing or... religion even?" John gave him a giddy smile and ruffled his hair. His intelligent boy would always cheer him up with his questions and thoughts.
"It's an odd interest." he explained. "You, me and dad live a life that not many others do. And just like we think that golf and skiing is weird, other people think that murder is weird." The little boy pressed his lips into a thin smile and sighed. "But that doesn't mean we can make fun of each others for their interests, okay?" Hamish nodded as he understood and giggled silently. "Should we pick out a dress now, or what?"
"And a teddy!" Hamish demanded and grabbed his arm.
They chose a little black dress with white spots, a light green with darker green stripes and a whole lot of rompers before they moved on to the baby shop down the street. It was a very expensive place, but as they expected Hamish John always wanted to buy a teddy for him here. The quality was unbelievable, at least what he'd heard, and he was going to get one soon after the boy's birth but Hamish got another - teddy. Sherlock's old skull was quickly in his possession and John didn't dare to buy him something else when he knew what that skull meant to the detective. His decision to give it to his son felt like a honour that John couldn't destroy with something else.
But the skull couldn't be passed on twice. It was Hamish's skull now and he didn't want to give it away to his upcoming brother or sister so John had his change to actually buy one in this place after his son's choice. After all Hamish hadn't had much saying in other things about this baby, the furnitures was already picked out since he was a baby and a lot of his toys would be passed on, and Hamish seemed to think that choosing a teddy was a privilege to say the least. After all, the skull meant so much to him after all these years and he wanted his sister or brother to have just a reliable companion as him.
There was a large crowd of teddies staring back at them and Hamish roamed the shelves with sharp eyes. This store had the most beautiful toys John had ever laid his eyes on, music boxes, rattles, blocks in every colour and clothes with price tags so shocking John had only looked at one before clearing his throat and turned to the teddies five years ago. Being here again felt unreal.
After almost five minutes of thinking Hamish finally reached out and grabbed a black, fluffy little thing that seemed awfully much like their little cat at home. John smiled and pinched the little ear.
"You think we should have another Boe in the house?" he giggled and he didn't even reach the end of his sentence before his son nodded eagerly.
"That way we both have a cat." he smiled and placed it in John's hands for him to pay. "She won't get jealous."
"You're not planning to share Boe with her?" he asked and took his hand again.
"Not at fist." the boy explained and stayed to look at the music boxes. "I mean, she's to young to take care of a cat. She needs to learn first." Once again John grinned and was impressed boy his boy's intelligence and care for that little creature that at the moment was free from it's splints and now owning their home.
"Remember that it might just be a little boy." he reminded him and carded his fingers through his hair. "Just so you don't get disappointed."
"I wouldn't be disappointed." Hamish insured him and dragged him over to the register where an older woman that seemed to be taken out of a fairy tale waited for them. They bought the cat and Hamish demanded that it should be wrapped in green and yellow which the woman happily did.
"So." she smiled and the boy noticed the purple highlights in her short white hair. "Are you becoming a bigger brother?" Hamish nodded proudly and reached out for John who lifted him up in his arms. "Congratulations. A second baby is always exciting. Have you decided any names yet?"
"No, not yet." John smiled after he'd waited for Hamish to answer but the boy stayed quiet. "But we need to come up with something soon, there's less than two months left."
"Oh my." the lady giggled. "Mommy must be quite big now then?" She looked at Hamish and expected a nod but the boy frowned at her and shook his head, suddenly more than ready to talk.
"I don't have a mommy." he explained and the lady's eyes grew wide.
"Oh I'm sorry." she gasped as she continued to wrap the present. "I assumes.. "
"It's alright." John grinned and waved the whole thing away. "We've got ourself a help mommy, don't we Hamish?" The boy nodded eagerly, received the wrapped present in a colourful paper bag and hugged it close to his chest.
Even if it wasn't his this teddy was very precious to him, after all this was the only present that he'd chosen that he was truly proud of, something personal. They left the store and Hamish had a wider smile than ever on his lips, he even looked taller as he straighten his back while walking down the street. John held back his giggles as he glanced at him. Holding his hand firmly he bent down and kissed his little fingers fatherly and sighed.
"You look so big, handsome." he smiled and Hamish looked up at him with big, glittering eyes. "Have you grown?" Quick as a cat Hamish stood up on his toes and made himself even taller and shouted "I'm tall as a tree!"
John entered the flat with Hamish on his back and found Sherlock on his knees on the floor tinkering with the old cot that hadn't been in the flat since Hamish was one. The sight was odd to say the least, Sherlock had never taken his own initiative to get something ready for their new baby and here he was in a beautiful mess of dismantled furnitures that hadn't been used for years.
"Well, hello." John giggled and set Hamish down in the floor. Sherlock looked up from the many screws and broke the concentration with the memorised instructions and a smile appeared.
"Hello." he beamed and returned to get the frame together when Hamish ran across the floor, swiftly avoiding all the parts.
"Dad! Look!" he shouted and landed beside him to show him the dresses and rompers. "We got all these and even a cat for her."
"A cat?" Sherlock smiled and looked up from the frame, saw all the clothes the Hamish had placed on the floor together with the wrapped present in green and yellow. "You don't she'll like Boe?"
"Boe's my cat!" Hamish smirked and looked around the room. "Boe!" And the daily search for the missing cat had begun, the boy ran manically around the flat looking underneath in inside everything until that little black demon was found. John took the moment of alone time with Sherlock with joy and hurried over the floor to kiss his perfect lips.
"What d'you think?" he asked while hugging him tight and caressed the little small clothes on the floor. His husband dropped the screwdriver and leaned into his embrace, sighed happily and braided their fingers together.
"I think they'll fit her just fine." he smiled. "And if it's a boy we can always save them as future gifts."
"To whom?" John asked and carded a hand through the many curls while kissing his neck. "We don't know any people who's planning for children." But Sherlock gave him that sneaky smile that was a sign on that he'd figured something out and John frowned. "What?"
"I know something I don't think I should." he said and showed his teeth in the very smug smile. "Not yet at least." The doctor rubbed his arm, observed him half lidded while his husband sorted the screws in the floor.
"What are you talking about?" he asked and collected all the small clothes and plastic bags that Hamish just left to search for the cat. "What have you deduced?" Sherlock chuckled darkly and got up from the floor to place the cot out of the way before starting on the next project.
"I think we're expecting a new edition to our social circle." he smiled and John helped him to assemble the changing table, nearly dropping it as he heard those words. Another edition? Suddenly he forgot about everyone they new as he tried to figure it out and Sherlock smirked when he saw his blank look. "For gods sake, John. It's simple." But John didn't dare to guess incase he was wrong.
"Um..." he mumbled and rubbed a hand across his face before he giggled. "I have no idea. Just tell me, will you?" But before Sherlock could open his mouth to ell him his secret Hamish dashed out of the kitchen with the phone in his hand and held it out to Sherlock.
"Case!" he beamed excitedly. "Case, case, case!" His father took the phone and the boy followed him like a duckling to hear as much as he could from the call and John laughed at the sight. Lately Hamish had put a deeper interest into their work and his deduction skills got sharper for each day. Last weekend he just threw a glance and John as he stepped into the flat after work and the boy had hurried over the floor to embrace him. Hamish knew that John had lost a patient by just looking and John found the whole thing - easy. He never needed to explain to anyone in the family how work had been or why he was at such a bad mood, they already knew.
There wasn't even time to press the button on the phone before Hamish knew what the new case was about and he beamed like the sun with excitement.
"Kidnapping!?" he shrieked and pulled Sherlock's jacket while jumping up and down on the spot. "Wasn't it!?" Sherlock only smiled and that was all Hamish needed before he dashed out to the landing and grabbed all their clothes. There was no waiting here.
John enjoyed the case even if it was a horrible situation. Three children with no relations was abducted and Sherlock was eager to work this out, but John wanted to punch that smile off his face every time something horrifying intrigued him. At the moment pictures, maps, documents and notes covered the mirror above the sofa and the detective worked in front of the laptop, once and a while tossing a glance at the mess that John didn't quite understand.
John made himself useful in other ways while his husband worked and Hamish helped him as they assembled the rest of the furnitures, giving him screws and bolts when he asked and sometimes drilling them in himself.
"Did I really fit in that?" he asked and pointed at the cot. "It seems improbable." His father smirked and looked up from the dark wood.
"You saw yourself on those photos, you were teeny. You could sleep in that until you were one." The boy smiled, still not fully believing it and he crossed his legs under him and nibbled his bottom lip as a deep thought hit him. "What's on your mind, handsome?" He tilted his head a little and furrowed his brow.
"When I'm ten, " he started. "She'll be five. Then she'll need a new bed. I'm not sure two beds will fit in my room if we're going to share it." He turned to his father and looked bothered by this fact. "My room is kind of small, and when she moves in we're gonna need two of everything. I'm not sure that'll work." With a small laugh John ruffled his hair and pressed his lips to his forehead.
"Maybe we wont live here anymore by then." he said and Hamish's eyes grew in fear.
"Move from Baker street!?" he belted in fear. "Are you mad!?" Sherlock looked up from his laptop and stared at them both just as mortified as his son.
"I didn't mean soon." John said and shook his head, fearing that his words had angered both boys in the flat. "I meant in the future." But Hamish didn't seem to be comforted by that and he whipped his head back and forth in protest.
"I'm never moving!" he said angrily and pouted in front of him. "That's a stupid plan." The doctor didn't know what to do now, he turned to his husband for support, something that Sherlock wasn't ready to give. The man just stared, eyes burning warningly like John had stepped on thin ice with this subject and John felt himself shrinking on the floor. He had no idea were he'd gone wrong.
"Well.." he murmured and scratched his jaw. "I'm sorry.." It came out like a questions and Hamish got up from the floor and stormed out with stomping feet and hands clenched into hard fists. As the door slammed closed up the stairs John's mind went blank.
"Very well done, John." Sherlock sighed and turned back to the laptop, jaw firmly locked into place as he tapped away again.
"But.." the doctor mumbled and got up from the floor. "You must have been thinking about this too? I mean, we can't fit in this flat as a family of four."
"I think we can make some room." Sherlock fumed and refused to meet his eyes as he spoke and John moved a little closer.
"Make some room? It's not like we can smack down a wall and get ten extra squares. As Hamish said, we can fit two children in the little room up there." To his surprise Sherlock closed his laptop and closed his hands together with his elbows braced to the table, looked up at John with dark eyes that made the doctor want to back up a few inches.
"We're not leaving Baker street." he fumed, rubbing his hands together while John just stared. The doctor groaned and fell down on the chair in front of his husband.
"I didn't mean tomorrow." he said with a low voice. "I'm just thinking of the future, what's best for all of us."
"You said it yourself." Sherlock whispered. "We'll move upstairs and Hamish and the new one will take our room down here." John rubbed a hand across his face and blinked.
"Sherlock." he began simply and took a deep breath. "Hamish isn't going to stay five forever. I'm speaking about years, not months. As he said himself, when he's ten this little baby'll be five. They'll need room of their own at some point, that's something our flat can't provide."
"No family can provide everything for their child." Sherlock sighed. "This is just a minor setback. So far not a problem, therefore nothing to worry about. And think about Mrs Hudson. What would she do without us." The doctor got smaller on his seat, staring at the table as he pondered about how he would explain something that was bothering him. With a small breath he looked up and met Sherlock's dark eyes.
"Mrs Hudson isn't going to be around forever." he whispered with a painful voice and saw Sherlock frown. "You do know that, don't you?" The detective opened his mouth but closed it again. Of course he knew, it was just something he didn't want to think about. "We're in the need to plan for the future, love. We can't just wait and see what happens like before, not with two kids. I'm not saying this to hurt any of you. I'm saying this because I care." The detective lowered his hands from his chin and gave a soft hum that indicated that he understood. "It's hard to think about, I know, but it's something we need to do. Maybe not right now but soon." Sherlock gave a slight nod and reached out for John's hands, grasped them tightly before leaning down and kissing his fingers.
"Just don't talk about in front of Hamish again." he begged. "He doesn't want to leave Baker street. This has always been his home, think about that." John smiled and closed his eyes.
"I know." he sighed and tilted his head to the side. "I should go talk to him."
"I'll do it." Sherlock smiled and kissed his hands again. "I'll explain what you meant." Maybe that was a good idea, after all Hamish probably didn't want to listen to him right now.
"Just leave out the part I said about Mrs Hudson." he sighed and looked up at his husband again. "Don't make him more upset."
"I'll try." Sherlock smirked and stood up, kissed his John before he hurried up the stairs.
So who d'you think Sherlock was talking about when he mentioned a new edition to their social circle?
Hope you enjoyed. Hopefully the holdup wont be as long as the last one. Write a review and tell me what you think.