"Unca Wock! Auntie Mowwy!" Rosie exclaimed, climbing up onto their bed. "Santa came!"
"Did he now?" Molly asked sleepily.
"He did, he did! Unca Wock's gotta wake up!" Rosie told her.
"I promise I'll get him up," Molly said to her goddaughter. "Go on downstairs and we'll be right there." That was enough for the little Watson as she ran to the room she and her father were staying in. "Sherlock, darling, wake up." She nudged his arm but turned herself around to sprinkle kisses over his forehead, eyelids, cheeks, nose and lips.
"Mmm, I could get used to waking up like that," he smirked cheekily at her.
"Good, cause you're stuck with me now," she giggled. "C'mon, our goddaughter is quite eager to open her gifts."
They gathered with everyone else downstairs in front of the tree. Mrs. Holmes loved the jumper Molly had knitted for her and Sherlock was more than delighted that she had knitted him a new scarf in oxford blue. He was sure he wouldn't wear another scarf again. Sherlock and Molly watched in delight as Rosie opened up her gift from them, a teddy bear with a deerstalker upon its head.
"Unca Wock bear!" she smiled. "Thank you!" Rosie hugged them both before cuddling her new bear. They all looked on as the little girl was handed another gift.
"This is from your mummy, Rosie," John told her. "She picked this out for you almost a year ago."
"I miss mummy," she said softly, opening up the gift with more care than most two year olds could. The wrapping paper fell away to reveal a recordable storybook of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.
"You see, Rosie, mummy recorded herself reading this story to you so you could always have her read you to sleep," John explained to her, choked up. Rosie pressed the button to play and Mary's voice came alive through the speaker. There wasn't a dry eye in the room; even Mycroft and Anthea were nearly crying. Molly, John and Sherlock definitely were along with Rosie. Mr. and Mrs. Holmes held their tears back in favor of wanting to comfort the others should they require it.
So, they all sat and listened to Mary read the story aloud, watching as Rosie flipped through the pages accordingly. She was a strong little girl, caught between wanting to cry and smile. At one point, they had all hoped against all odds that Mary might have faked her death and she would come back soon like Sherlock had, but it was not to be.
"I wuv you, mummy," they heard Rosie whisper when the story ended. The little girl's eyes widened when she noticed the sparkling vintage rose gold ring on her Aunt Molly's finger. "You're getting married!?" Rosie was quick to approach Molly and lift her hand up higher, inspecting the ring. Everyone in the room had their eyes locked on the pretty Holmes family heirloom that now decorated Molly's finger.
"Weren't you going to propose with all of us present?" Mrs. Holmes questioned.
"Well, I was going to but it sort of slipped out last night," Sherlock explained. "I couldn't help myself; I had absolutely no control in the situation."
"To be fair, I was going to ask him last night as well," Molly laughed. "We started talking at the same time!" This lightened the mood and everyone joined in with laughter and amusement.
"I hope you two plan to give me a grandbaby," Mrs. Holmes teased.
"Oh, I was thinking two or five," Sherlock remarked.
"William Sherlock Scott Holmes," Molly scolded him, quickly losing her faked anger. "The more, the merrier."
"Watch out world, the Holmes family line will soon rule the world," John joked.
Five years later…
The three year old twins, Charlotte and Victor, were playing with their gifts in the sitting room of 221B whilst their parents sat in front of the fireplace, Sherlock in his chair and Molly on his lap. She had just finished her newest essay to be submitted in one of the most prestigious medical journals in London and Sherlock was reading it with enthusiasm. Both of them had a hand on the soft swell of her tummy, three months pregnant with their daughter, whom they were naming Lydia Rosemary Holmes.
After tucking their children into bed later that night, the pair of them cuddled a bit on the sofa watching the later airing of the Doctor Who Christmas special. Molly had gotten Sherlock addicted to the show a few months before they married and it was always tradition for them.
"What's this?" Sherlock asked very suspiciously. Molly glanced over at him, noticing the gift in his hand, wrapped in gold with a red ribbon. "Merry Christmas, Molly Holmes." She began unwrapping the gift and let out a soft gasp when she realized what it was.
"A Christmas Carol," she muttered to herself. "This looks like the exact one my father had passed down to me." Sherlock leaned over to whisper in her ear.
"That's because it is the exact one, darling," he told her. "Look inside the cover." When she did as he suggested, she saw the inscription of her father's name, Edward Hooper, and her inscription that she added herself at the age of eight.
"How did you find this?" she cried. "I lost it long ago. Oh, Sherlock, thank you!" Molly threw her arms around his neck, burying her face against his neck. She murmured soft thank yous and I love yous, interspersing them with kisses.
"I had a bit of help from my homeless network," he explained. "I thought you should have it back. It was the only thing you had left of your father aside from photos."
"He would've loved you like his own, you know," Molly informed him. "He would've seen how wonderful you are, just as I do."
"I love you, honeybee," he smiled.
"And I you. Merry Christmas, my darling husband," she smiled back, completely wrapped up in bliss.
"Say, we'll have to look into expanding this flat or rather look into a cottage soon," Sherlock realized.
"Goodness, you really want those five kids," Molly laughed, remembering the Christmas they had gotten engaged during. They laughed together, warmed not by the fire, but by the love and happiness in their hearts.
Author's Note: You can buy recordable storybooks btw! They're ever so cute! I have a photo of Molly's engagement ring added at the end of this chapter on Ao3 if you wanna check it out! What did y'all think? Let me know your favorite moments! Did you cry? Laugh?