A/Note: Not having a beta makes me re-write more. I had to completely change the structure of this chapter (but not the actual spirit) once I realized it could be better - at the last minute. And refine the characters a bit more. That's why this is going out so late. Hope you'll like it.

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20. Harry and her parents

Sherlock came over on the following day as usual. Harry opened the door and smirked at him.

'Oh hello, Sherlock.' She dropped her voice and brought her face really close to his, still smirking. 'If you ever hurt my little brother, I'll personally hunt you down and break your teeth, you little bugger.' She finished the sentence with a quick wiggle of the eyebrows (how much alike John and her are). Without waiting for his reply she turned and yelled, 'Johnny! Your boyfriend is here!'

'Harry!' John yelled from upstairs.

'You've told them,' Sherlock said.

She turned back and looked at him, uncertain. Her teasing smirk now gone. She was about to ask him something, but John came running down the stairs.

'Harry! Stop it!' He looked at her with knitted eyebrows and pulled him away from her. 'Come, Sherlock.'

...

John closed his bedroom door. 'Phew! Glad that's over. I was wrong, telling my family was the most I've sweated in my whole life.'

'Now that this whole issue is behind us, can we kiss?'

'Yes, dear God. Yes.'

There was loud banging on the walls and they heard Harry's muffled voice, 'Hey! No sex while I'm in the house!'

'Shut it, Harry!' John yelled back. 'Mm, where were we?'

...

Due to Harry's constant teasing they had to hang out in the telly room, mostly talking, with some light snogging now and then. John told Sherlock all that had happened the previous night.

...

They were all seating at the kitchen table, dinner long gone; John's dad had his mouth open, his mum's eyes were watery, Harry stared wide-eyed. His mum got up and John copied her. She hugged him tight and they stood still for a while.

'You're still my son. I will love you no matter what.'

'Thanks, mum.'

John's dad still had his mouth open. He got up, went to a cupboard, got a whisky bottle out (showing some surprise once he noticed the amount left), poured himself a drink and downed it in one gulp, while still standing by the sink. Everybody waited.

'But... you've always dated so many girls,' was all he managed to say, palm up.

'Apparently, I like both. Although it wasn't until Sherlock that I've learned that.'

Mr. Watson still stared, still with his mouth open. He started to say something but stopped himself. He took a deep breath, frowning. He started saying something again and changed his mind. He leaned back against the counter and placed his free hand on it for support. He lowered his head and shook it briefly. Taking another deep breath he finally looked up. 'Well son, forgive me if it'll take me a while to get used to it. But like your mother said, you're still our son. I, ahem.' He poured himself another drink, but Harry reached out, took the tumbler from his hand and downed it herself.

'Harry!' All three Watsons yelled in unison.

Still holding the cup, she touched the back of her hand to her lips and closed her eyes. Then she started laughing. All three Watsons exchanged worried looks.

'Bravo. Bravo, little brother. Wow. Upstaged and shown by my own little brother.'

Everybody still stared at her. She put the tumbler down at the kitchen table, clunking it a little harder than she had intended.

'My perfect little brother, the star of the family, "the good one", the impeccably well mannered boy, captain of the rugby team, perfect grades. Gay.' And she laughed again.

'Bi-,' John corrected a bit sheepishly, omitting the "sexual" part of the word. The last thing he wanted was to bring attention to that aspect of his relationship and make his dad even more uncomfortable.

John's mum sighed, 'Harry, please.'

'No, no. I'm not saying that to be mean. I'm just astounded at the turn of events. Johnny, you pesky little shit, I so goddamn love you.' And she flung her arms around him, in a tight hug.

John's surprise was mirrored in his parents' faces. After a moment, she pulled back and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she looked into his eyes and said, 'If you have the guts to do it, so do I.' John stared at her with surprise.

She finally let go of him and turned to face her parents too. She took a deep breath. 'Mum. Dad. I'm gay.'

John's mum sat down with a thunk. John's dad's mouth dropped and he braced himself against the kitchen chair. After a few seconds of silence, he turned wide-eyed to his wife and asked, 'Love, you're not going to tell me you're gay too, are you?'

She snapped her head back at him with her mouth agape, then, after a pause, she started laughing.

'Now you know why I've been drinking so much lately. Didn't mean to upstage you, little brother,' she slapped the back of her hand on his chest.

'Drama queen,' he said, punching her lightly on the arm. Then he put his arm over her shoulders, 'I wish you had talked to me instead of going out and getting pissed.'

'Didn't know that, did I? Should've guessed when the only person you brought home was a pretty boy.'

'Now you know you can,' he tightened his arm.

'Yeah.'

'Harry, Love. I wish you had told us sooner.' Mrs. Watson pulled her into a tight hug. 'You are also still my daughter and I will love you all the same. I hope you know that.'

For the first time in a long while, Harry broke down and cried. 'Oh mum. I didn't know what to do, I was so scared.'

John couldn't remember the last time Harry had shed a tear, it surprised him. He finally understood what kind of pressure she must have been under that had led her to drink so much. He was just lucky he had Sherlock in his life.

'Harry, Harry. Hush, love. We're here for you,' Mrs. Watson whispered.

They stayed embraced for a while, Mrs. Watson caressing her daughter's hair to calm her silent crying. Then Harry pulled away and smiled at her mum, wiping away her tears.

'Oh Harry, Love.' Mr. Watson put a hand on her shoulder, his face scrunched, but he didn't say anything else.

'I know dad.'

He squeezed her shoulder and tightened his lips, then let go.

Mr. Watson looked around and all the family was staring at him, waiting. Clearing his throat, he frowned and started to say something, but changed his mind again. Widening his eyes and taking a deep breath, he spread his arms and said, 'Well, what am I supposed to say?' He crossed his arms and looked away. 'Bloody hell.' Then something occurred to him. 'I guess we won't have grandkids, will we?'

Mrs. Watson was the first to snort. Soon all four were laughing.

...

(...) 'mmJohn?'

(...) 'Mmm?'

(...) 'You're (...) going to be late for your non-date.'

'Oh, bugger! Can I see you tomorrow, then? Now that the talking is over?'

'Yes. Please.'

...

Sherlock was crossing the garden when he heard Harry's voice. 'You knew.'

He turned and now her usual teasing tone was gone. He nodded.

'You never told Johnny. He was surprised yesterday. Why?'

Sherlock shrugged, 'Until today, I thought everyone knew.'

She snorted a little. 'Well then, I guess I should thank you for keeping it in.'

It wasn't so much that he had been discreet. Truth be told, we was too absorbed with John to pay her much attention. Not knowing what to say, he nodded.

'Take care of him, will you? He really likes you.' She dropped her eyes and whispered, 'And thank you.'

Sherlock nodded again. He understood her: despite all the teasing, she did love John. She was turning to leave when he added, 'Your best friend-.'

She looked back at him.

He added, 'yes.'

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A/Note: Lucky for John, I have a more generous view of John's dad than TheCauldron and Lulukaw. :) You guys worry too much! I'm not that mean to John. But I couldn't reply to your reviews without giving away the plot.