45While I have this chance I'd like to give a lovely thank you to Shizzykins (you are wonderful), panocha (you rock) MissWhiddlesmort (much love and happiness to you)WayTooEasilyObsessed (I do love your reviews and oh, how right you are!) Abbey, Bucky5, Guest,(really thank you, really) Sammykatz (Oh, I'm ever so happy to read your reviews and the line about my favorite mad man in a box, made me smile!) Hcolt (thank you for taking the time to encourage for you are wonderful at it) Applejacks0808 (I admire you greatly) Oh, TheHolmesSister, you are truly lovely and wonderful!
Ah, the last part! I hope you are as excited about reading it as I am in writing it. The infamous happy ending, I have been promising it for a while now and here it is! Even if I'm the only one cheering, I'm quite happy about it.
Now, do me a favor and think about what you think Sherlock Holmes would give to the love of his life…Hmm, interesting…Wish I had thought of that…However this is what you get!
Anyway, thank you for all your encouragement… I keep sharing my stories with you because you are all so lovely and wonderful…I know I will never please everyone but those of you that are pleased I treasure greatly…
Now on to the end of the story!
~*~Given Time~*~
~*~Part 6~*~
Women have seldom been an attraction to me, for my brain has always governed my heart, but…
-The Lion's Mane by Arthur Conan Doyle
'It is true that I loved this lady.'
-The Lion's Mane by Arthur Conan Doyle
~*~SHERLOCK~*~
Somewhere in a highly classified, very secret government military compound Dr. Ray Ernest, truly brilliant scientist, studied the coolly elegant dressed white haired man, well what was left of his hair anyway, before him with joyful anticipation.
"Well…Mr. Holmes? D-Did i-it work?
Mycroft's arctic eyes opened slowly to study the elderly scientist, who had spent over a decade creating…this…A complex machine in which his left hand was currently hooked to. Mycroft was a very smart man, smarter then most, but even he didn't understand how exactly this machine worked but he knew this machine was much too dangerous to continue its existence.
"I believe so…" Mycroft stated coldly. "So, if something should happen to this machine…the time line that was changed would stay permanent, yes? The subject who had that future glimpse would remember it and if he wanted could still change it, correct?"
"It's a theory, but yes, if one thinks about it one always changes something about their future even without this here machine. It's their free will you see. I go to a restaurant and two things look good…I can only chose one…Or take this example, will I have a brownie later or not? My blood sugar is already quite high so it really wouldn't be wise but…I will have an excuse to celebrate don't I? So the likely hood is quite high that I will be eating that brownie but if I didn't have this as my excuse…Highly doubtful that I will be eating it later. Also, that first time line has been erased, seeing that the subject remembers it, even if he thinks it was all a dream, it will have been erased. It's up to him to remake the time line so to speak. He could easily make the time line the same but why should he?"
A small smile graced Mycroft's face but it never once reached his eyes. "That's nice, your theories however…Well, you also believed that the subject I had chosen for this would suddenly be overwhelmed with three years of his life. Yet, he wasn't…But I did show him what he needed to know. Hopefully, it will be enough to make him want to change that time line. To change his future as well as his Molly's…Sadly, I've never held much faith in my brother's intelligence. Still, maybe the future will be better after this machine is long destroyed…Hopefully, he will still change what needs changing."
"B-But why would the machine be destroyed? Nothing could ever happen to the machine, Mr. Holmes, it's too perfect…Almost has a life of its own in some ways."
As Dr. Ernest spoke Mycroft had been quickly typing something into the machine, still very much hooked up to it.
"Now you said that because I had turned this little nob in this direction my chosen subject and myself would remember that ghastly time line, both of us, yes?" Mycroft asked patiently as he turned the nob in the other direction.
"W-Well, y-yes, now the way you had turned it that way, however, will have the subject you choose…Well, he will never remember the correct time line, only you for you are hooked up to the machine and the one in control. "
Mycroft nodded before sarcastically muttering, "Lovely. Now I've chosen a new subject…"
"Um…Sir?" Dr. Ernest finally asked actually sounding like a nervous little boy.
"Yes?"
"W-What are you doing?"
"My past self is talking to you, Ray, you don't mind if I call you Ray, do you?" Mycroft asked calmly.
"N-No…Sir…" Ray's eyes were wide with utter stupefaction. "Um…W-Why are y-you doing this?"
Mycroft's wrinkled face was expressionless. "This is not a toy, Ray; no one should change the unchangeable…Or even carry such power, ever. The past makes us, all of us; it's even part of who we are! Be the history book a well-placed lie or a bitter truth."
"B-But, Mr. Holmes! You just changed the past…Your brother's past and you are changing my past just this very minute!"
"Yes, and I accept that I could end up bitterly regretting it! There are many things that I have done in my long life that I have accepted that I can never change…and to be perfectly honest there is not much that can cure insomnia…Perhaps…Just perhaps this will be yet another reason I can never get any sleep. I know this is wrong, but my only excuse I have is that I'm an old man, who simply misses his brother…and I'm so very tired of wondering about what mighthave been!"
Both men grew silent for a moment as Mycroft looked down at his left hand…the skin looked so thin with time, countless age spots and a thick blue vein ran clearly underneath his fragile looking hand…His fingers, he wiggled slowly were still hooked to the machine.
Finally, Mycroft spoke once more, on this rare occasion his voice held deep, raw emotion, "No one should have the power to change the past…no one…Not even when we believe it would be for the better good…Or hope it will make things better…You see, Ray, I could have just made things so much worse with my interfering...All I want is my brother back, but I also want him happy…so I had to interfere with Molly Hooper's death as well and make my brother realize…" Mycroft snorted, "I don't even know if it worked! I guess it's true what they say…Only time will tell."
Mycroft looked around the lab and noticed without much expression or even childlike awe as others might have done if they were seeing things slowly fading away into nothingness right before their eyes.
All the colorful dry erase boards with all their important notes, books, pieces of paper, post-its, laptops, and files…fading…until nothing…
"Sir…M-Mr. Holmes, p-please, what will happen to…me?" Dr. Ernest asked as he watched all of his lifelong work fade away…He had spent so much of his life on this…well past his retirement years…Now it was nothing…He was…turning into nothing…
"Oh, please don't worry…You'll be fine! Remember when we first meet? Hmm? All those years ago and how you were seriously thinking about retiring instead the government stepped in and offered to back you…Well, instead of that…I have been telling you how a distant relative of yours, that you don't actually have, actually this person I'm telling you about has never excited, has sadly died. He was a loyal servant in a low branch of the government, a good friend of mine in fact, and well, he left you some money. A very nice amount, actually, as well as a lovely little cottage in Sussex. You even told me more than once how it's a dream of yours to keep bees…Well, now you can! I honestly think you will be very happy, Ray…Plus…"
Mycroft cut off for a moment, looking at the scientist before him, who was looking slightly less solid. Soon enough he'd fade away.
"Plus?" Ray asked curiously.
"I'm no matchmaker, of course, but there is a lovely widow named Mrs. Amberley who is your neighbor and I happen to know how much you both love chess and one day…I feel certain that wedding bells will ring!" Mycroft didn't even attempt to sound interested or even happy for him…There was a faraway look in Mycroft's eyes as if he was seeing something only he could see…
"Oh…So, um, j-just how lovely is this widow—"As Dr. Ray Ernest was asking this he completely disappeared…to a little cottage in Sussex…to keep his bees…and finally find love and happiness.
Suddenly Mycroft groaned in pain as the machine burned and hurt his hand as if punishing him, for he helped give it life just to take it away and as the machine disappeared it took the man attached to it with him…into a cold, lonely darkness…
Then just as suddenly, Mycroft was no longer cold or in darkness. His hand hurt like hell; incredibly sore…He slowly opened his eyes to find himself in his old office. An office that he could clearly remember from his past…He looked down at his hands and they looked…years younger…at this he was surprised…A quick glance at his calendar confirmed that he was indeed younger…In fact, it was the very night Dr. Hooper had been killed all those many years ago…Now, he was no longer an old, lonely man…A single knock and Mycroft drew in a sharp breath as Anthea, looking incredibly beautiful, entered the room. He found that he couldn't seem to look away; drinking her in…She set down some Top Secret files upon his desk.
"Sir, the General Director of MI6 is on line one for you and the Prime Minister is waiting on line two. I also must remind you that you are having tea with the Queen in an hour."
The pain in his left hand throbbed and tingled as if it had been asleep and was only now waking up…
"Fine…Good…Thank you, Anthea…Also; will you please get me a cold water bottle and a couple of extra strength tablets?" He found himself requesting, his heart pounded with something he hadn't felt in years as he watched her smile.
"Yes, Mr. Holmes." She moved towards the door yet stopped with her hand on the door knob, before asking with real concern in her voice, "Are you okay? I've never seen you quite so pale…"
Mycroft moved his sore fingers before answering honestly, "I don't know, I guess…Only time will tell…"
With that said, he waited a moment before continuing carefully…But needing to know something that had been on his heart for so many heartbreakingly lonely years now…
"Tell me, Beverly…" He decided to use her real name for once, "Would you ever go out with a man like me?"
Her response made him smile, this time his smile, for the first time in over a decade, his smile actually reached his normally cold eyes…
~*~SH~*~SH~*~SH~*~
Molly had just entered the locker room and was about to open her own personal locker, for really why would she open someone else's? When Molly heard a loud commotion from the door way, she whirled around to face Sherlock. Who was entering the room loudly with both of his hands full of large bags.
"Oh, good, there you are! My Molly! It's been quite a day, let me tell you! Actually, the story about my day is much too long and sounds silly, though I have something much more important to tell you…" Sherlock set the bags down and then quickly looked through them before finding the one he wanted, just to toss it her way.
In surprise she caught it, "Sherlock! What are you doing?"
Her eyes were wide as she studied him.
"Those are your clean clothes, nice clothes actually, I stopped by your flat and picked them up for you…I also checked on Toby, he's fine by the way." Sherlock explained his eyes completely on her. As if trying to remember ever detail of her face…Which Molly knew he wasn't…right?
"You got me clean clothes?" Molly asked in complete astonishment.
"Yes, for you have something quite yucky on your trousers. If you want I'll be happy to tell you what it is…"
Molly looked down at the stain with some embarrassment. Now her face was a bit red. "H-How did you know?"
"As I said, quite a long story so just say thank you, Molly." Was her response from Sherlock as he continued to keep his eyes focused on her…Completely focused on her…
It made her wonder if she had something on her face except Sherlock being well…Sherlock, he would have said something by now! Right?
"Oh, well…Thank you, Sherlock…" Molly replied softly, meaning her words. She was thankful.
Sherlock softly smiled, "You are quite welcome."
He then rubbed his hands together as he told her, hopefully in fact, "You can change now if you want. I don't mind. Really, I'll be happy to stand right here…and wait…You don't mind if I watch, do you? Or I can close my eyes…I do plan to peek, so if you did ask me to close my eyes…that would be a bit silly."
Molly thought she could taste the floor with how her jaw had hit the floor. It took her a minute to remember to shut her mouth. What the…WHAT?
His eyes looked her over slowly as he waited for her response…
Molly blinked…Had he been hit on the head or something?
"Um…Well…Um…Why do you want to watch me change my clothes?" Hopefully, she asked a reasonable question. If it was another man, she'd think he was attempting to flirt or…something…Yet; Sherlock never flirted unless he wanted something…
"OH!" Sherlock suddenly burst out and went back to the bags he held. To simply hand them over to her. "Happy Birthday!"
"You…" Molly was truly stunned and deeply touched. "Y-You remembered my birthday? Really?" She hadn't thought he'd remember her birthday, much less care about it.
Sherlock's smile faded before he said seriously, "Molly, I will now always remember your birthday. I find that…it's now very important to me. Very important…Your life should be celebrated…Also, one should celebrate the fact that you are alive…You are alive and that makes me very happy."
"It does?" Molly asked surprised.
Sherlock nodded making Molly breathe... "Oh, Sherlock…"
He suddenly looked away as if nervous, "So…What do you think of your present? Or presents really…"
Molly looked down into the bags and blinked, a bit perplexed to be totally honest, "You brought me…boxes of tampons?
Now he looked at her with something sparkling within his intelligent eyes…Excitement? Warmth?
"And some chocolate bars as well as some romantic comedies!" Sherlock informed her sounding quite proud of himself.
Molly dug around in the bags, curiously looking for the romantic comedies. When she held them in her hand she told him dryly, "These are porn, Sherlock."
She slid them back into the bag.
"Porn…Romantic comedies…I'm certain they are the same thing. Pretty much you have two people getting involved…or wanting something the other wants and sometimes all of it is set to music. Also, two people naked, what's not funny about that?" Sherlock stated with a careless shrug before continuing, "Now, I know it's not your time of the month, for that won't happen for another two week and three days…however…I had an enlightening talk with Mary. I simply had to ask her a couple of important questions. The most important question was how in the hell did she know she loved John…Another was how did she know she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, her being a psychopath and all; I would have thought love impossible. Well, she said had been dating John for a couple of months, when she called him and said that she had to cancel their date. Mary freely rated at him about how she wasn't feeling all that great and worse of all she had ran out of blasted tampons. So, he told her that he'd be happy to pick some up for her and perhaps bring her some take away and some movies. He could then go away or give her a back rub, then go away…But she knew right at that moment that John Watson was a keeper and she could love him easily…Then she realized that she did and that was that!"
"Ah, that's a sweet story, Sherlock, but I'm not sure why you have given me tampons…" Molly told him curiously, voice gentle and kind as he seemed to move closer towards her…
"You see, I am giving you tampons because…I…I want you to know without a single doubt that I'm the man with whom you want to spend the rest of your life with, Molly Hooper. I know you already love me and know you know, I'm that famous one that stupid romantic girls dream about and wait for. I'm thinking that you have waited long enough, don't you?"
"Are you…Are you actually saying what I think you are saying?" Molly asked breathlessly…Stunned…Hopeful…Did she hit her head or something? Her heart seemed to be racing wildly…Seriously, was this moment real? It felt real…
Especially, as Sherlock moved closer and she could almost feel his body…His very real body!
"Yes, at least I think we are on the same page…You see, only a man who cares deeply and wants a commitment with someone that find very special would ever buy that woman tampons…Especially if that man loves that woman and wants to spend the rest of his life with her…Sometimes it takes a couple of well-placed love taps to make a man like me…realize that the one he has been waiting for…has always been there if he had just bothered to investigate such a matter…"
Molly looked at him with suspiciously wet eyes and a hopeful smile… "Really? Did you actually investigate the matter for I never thought you the type to be waiting for anyone special…"
"I didn't know until…I sometimes miss important clues, Molly…I am a man who prides himself on seeing everything but sometimes…I need them pointed out to me." Sherlock reached out to lovingly and tenderly touch her cheek, before continuing, "So…Yes, Really! Why else would I buy you tampons?"
Molly let go of the bags…Leaning in even closer… "Sherlock, are you sure? I-I mean, I'm quite happy simply being your friend…Seriously, nothing has to change."
"No, Molly, trust me, there needs to be a change. A big bloody change! For I need to make more memories! Of you…with me. I've seen certain things that made it clear to me just how important you are to me…I now know just how badly things need to change and Molly, I want…need that change to be with you."
And so with that Sherlock pulled Molly closer, pressed against him, and brought his lips down onto hers. The kiss was wonderful, loving, and a bit possessive.
To be honest, it was quite a serious kiss. The kind of kiss that promised even more wonderful kisses! This kiss seemed to swear that he wasn't messy around, not at all damn it! It was as if he wanted her to know, to completely understand, that there was no doubt…He, Sherlock Holmes, loved her!
Molly happily kissed him back. She found it perfectly normal to kiss Sherlock back. There was even some impressive tongue action going on. Molly happily enjoyed his passionate kiss and the welcoming strength of his arms…
After a long pleasant field moment Sherlock removed his lips from hers, his voice deep and raw, "Happy birthday, Molly Hooper…"
"BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!" Molly declared, with her hands in his curls as she attempted to move his head back down so their lips would touch again…
"And may you have many more…" Sherlock answered with a smile before he did as she wished and closed his lips over hers…
~*~SH~*~SH~*~SH~*~
"Oh, Sherlock…It's all simply amazing, just amazing!" John sounded as if he was in deep awe. "You caught a serial killer and made Lestrade very happy…Which both of us has no idea how you figured it all out! Lestrade said when he brought the case to you that you claimed it too boring for your time! Yet, you found the time to hunt the bad guy down! He's off the streets because of you. It's also odd how you told Lestrade that he was safer in prison because if that killer ever breaks out, all bets are off and that you would kill the bastard with your bare hands…Seriously, Sherlock, you act as if he had done something that you've taken quite personally! It's odd, to be honest, but what is really amazing is the fact that you are here at Molly's party! One you brought her to! Also, you both are a couple, now…I'm in shock, Sherlock! I never thought in a million years that you two…not that I didn't hope, mate, I did, but…I'm happy for you both…Damn, I love happy endings!" John told him after such a long speech, rocking upon his heels, looking quite happy. Almost as if he had been playing matchmaker all along and everything had worked out beautifully.
"Do stop your babbling or at least save it for your blog! And you love happy endings because you are a romantic, John." Sherlock replied as he heard a familiar, lovely laughter close by and searched for his Molly. The sight made him smile…She looked so beautiful…so alive…
Her cheeks were flushed with happiness and as she finished talking to a friend she started to walk up to Sherlock and placed her hand lovingly upon his arm.
"Oh, isn't all this wonderful?" Molly asked before admitting, "I've never had a birthday party before! It's absolutely lovely, thank you, John!"
John smiled and nodded…
"I'm actually looking forward to your next birthday party…all your future ones in fact." Sherlock told her softly, leaning towards her ear. He suddenly shoved his fruit punch at John. "Come let's dance!"
Molly couldn't help but be happy as he took her hand and lead her towards the dance floor.
He took her into his arms and focused on her dark beautiful eyes that sparkled with humor, love, and more importantly life.
Miracles…
Perhaps miracles weren't well placed illusions…Maybe life was simply full of miracles if one was willing to look and see them.
Sherlock Holmes may never become a true romantic like his best friend John, but like him, he too could appreciate happy endings…Not that he'd ever admit that out loud…
~*~One Year To The Very Day~*~
Mycroft moved out onto the balcony to breathe in some cool fresh air. Damn, he hated parties. All the people and the silly noise! It was always chaos, really…
Yet, as the British government he was normally forced into coming to these bloody things when it was deemed quite necessary…Today, it was quite necessary, not because Mycroft was the British government however but because the invite to come had indeed been too important to miss…
Still, he hated parties even if he knew and was comfortable with most of the familiar people here. Even if he being the legendary ice man…Loved most of them…Even his dear uncle Rudy…
He sighed in annoyance when he heard a soft sound behind him, Mycroft turned and whatever he'd been about to say however sharply…died a most peaceful death.
His handsome brother moved slowly to stand beside him. They seemed to ignore one another as they both stared down onto a lovely garden below…The smell of roses easily filled their nostrils.
"Cigarette?" Mycroft finally offered.
Sherlock snorted, "No, I better not. Molly and John have started a campaign of nagging me about it. So, I've given them up…Again…Some more still…Though perhaps this time…Doubtful, I know but I do take comfort in the fact I have some cigarettes hidden away in my Persian slipper."
Mycroft nodded slowly, knowing that one of Molly's nagging comments had been she wanted a long life with him…Which Sherlock seemed to be paying attention to. For he hadn't touched that Persian slipper for quite some time now…
"Mummy really loves your bride, Sherlock…" Mycroft decided to say, knowing this was true.
"Well, yes." Sherlock stated simply. "And I love her as well, which is the important thing."
"Well…Molly Hooper…I mean, Molly Holmes, is quite loveable. Or so mummy says. I wouldn't know really, you and I have always been a bit different in some ways. We both seem to love different things. Even if one day they might break our heart…"
Silence fell. Mycroft hadn't said what he said to be mean or cruel or to even suggest that Sherlock's wife would one day break the great detective's heart. For Molly Holmes would never do that willingly. Perhaps he was talking about himself in many ways…For he knew things…About his time line and his brother's…And he clearly remembered certain things…
Luckily, Sherlock didn't take offence…It was if he knew his brother was remembering a time that no longer existed. He wasn't dead. Molly wasn't dead…Sherlock was doing his best to keep the new time line up and running, trying to keep it from ever going back to what had been…
Yet, the past, the real past seemed to haunt both men…
Sherlock finally broke the silence with a soft heartfelt, "Thank you, Mycroft."
"Ah, so you like the toaster I'm giving you as a wedding gift?"
"Well, one can't go wrong with a machine that burns smiley faces into slices of bread but that's not what I'm thanking you for."
"What for then?" Mycroft asked carefully…
"Oh, you know what." Sherlock stated with great certainty.
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Mycroft denied stiffly, though he did glance briefly down at his left hand and wiggle his fingers slightly.
"You are such a liar!" Sherlock breathed, ignoring his brother's sharp glance.
"Well, yes, I have been known to lie on occasion and with the greatest of ease. But…Let's say…I do in fact know exactly what you are talking about. Hmm?" Mycroft said in a conversational tone as if discussing the weather with a servant, "You get no other do overs, Sherlock. No third or fourth chances at getting things right. Only this one second chance, this chance to get things right…Although I must say…You are doing quite well with it, perhaps you are not as stupid as I feared."
"No, Mycroft, I'm not as stupid as you feared. I simply miss some things but once I see them…And I know, this would be the only do over I'd ever get…" Sherlock answered back, catching Mycroft's questioning side look before he explained, "Whatever…However…All this came about, Mycroft, I know you. You would have destroyed whatever it was that made all this possible. For it would be much too dangerous to let anyone get their hands on it, especially yours. You know, bloody well that no one should ever have that power, no one. It's in no way a toy…Hell, just thinking about terrorists or someone thinking they have the right to play God getting their hands on it could give me sleepless nights. Anyway, knowing that I only have this one shot at this…Makes this second opportunity even more special. Makes it worth so much more, makes me treasure every moment that I spend with my Molly. I'm not sure if I will have the pleasure of storing a lifetime of memories of us together but I'm sure going to try."
Sherlock reached out and actually touched his brother's arm. They normally didn't touch unless it actually meant something…Like Sherlock actually saying 'thank you' and meaning it…
"So…Really, thank you, Mycroft…Also, just between us, you are not a total ass hat no matter what John might say…"
Mycroft simply nodded, staring straight ahead, refusing to look at him…
Sherlock continued softly, "You know, we have both been extremely busy as of late but when I come back from my sex holiday we should spend a lovely afternoon simply playing board games…I find that I have been missing it…"
Only then did Mycroft turn and face him.
"I'd like that, Sherlock." He breathed, "It actually feels like years…Far too many years in fact…Also, brother mine, this sex holiday that you speak of is actually known as a honeymoon."
Sherlock waved his words away. "It's a holiday where two people spend money to go somewhere nice just to have lots of sex…I'm not even sure where the honey or the moon comes into play! So really one should call it what it really is."
Mycroft chuckled as Sherlock turned and walked back inside to make more memories with his Molly. Oddly, enough he wondered if he should have shared with Sherlock that the Once A Year Killer had recently died in his jail cell. A well placed rumor about what the killer had enjoyed doing as a hobby brought him to an end. Mycroft had made quite certain Molly would now never die from that man's hands…
Well, he didn't wonder this for long as he found himself slowly following his baby brother. All from a distance, of course, to watch as Sherlock tapped John on the shoulder to cut in and dance with his lovely bride.
Molly and the others laughed with great joy as they witnessed John shrugging and stepped into Sherlock's waiting arms to dance a few steps before they let go so Sherlock could dance with the one he actually wanted to dance with.
Quite suddenly, Mycroft's left hand started to burn and with a zap of pain flashed through him. It was strange but he was starting to get use to these odd moments. His price, perhaps, for messing with time…He had a feeling he'd always have to deal with small pointless visions of Dr. Ernest and his brother's future…Things he couldn't change…Simply watch…
~*~SH~*~SH~*~
An old salt and peppered, yet, still a wild bunch of thick haired Sherlock held a tiny baby in his arms.
"Hey, Dad, look up! I want to take a picture!" A young man with dark sharply intelligent eyes that seemed to notice everything around him ordered…He looked much like his father, Sherlock, yet there seemed to be something quite warm about him…Perhaps this was from his Mum…
Sherlock gave his grown son a look, "Should I toss my new grandson off to the side or do you want us both in the shot?"
"Both, Dad!" Sherlock's handsome son declared as he quickly snapped a picture.
"Now, take a picture of us both with your mum." Sherlock ordered, "MOLLY! Get over here, woman!"
"Sherlock..." Molly tsked as she walked into the room, she looked so delicate in her old age, yet still quite beautiful even with the wrinkles and countless laugh lines near her eyes. Her very eyes seemed to sparkle brightly…She wore a bright, colorful jumper with a very cute cat pin off to the side…"Really, you don't need to yell."
"MUM!" A woman's voice yelled from the kitchen. "May I please take some eyes home and perhaps a liver?"
"You really must ask your father, dear." Molly answered calmly as if completely use to these questions.
"Daddy? PLEASE!"
Sherlock sighed, before answering. "You can take the eye balls, but I have plans for that liver."
Sherlock then took his wife's hand tenderly, lovingly with his own. Molly smiled and leaned forward to happily brush her lips against his. They never noticed their son capturing that moment with his camera.
"GRANDMA! GRANDPA! Myc, pinched me!" A little young girl's voice tattled loudly and with a bit too much pleasure in getting her twin brother into trouble.
"You dared me to, while playing 'truth or dare' you little wit—"An equally young boy's voice responded back hotly…
"MYCROFT! Don't you dare pinch your sister even if she dares you to! Actions like that, young man, will have you being the first one to walk the plank when we play pirates later!" Sherlock warned his young grandson. He then turned towards his lovely wife of many long years. "I do love our children and our grandchildren, really I do, Molly…But I do wish you had warned me about there being twins and triplets in your family."
Molly blinked at him in complete surprise. "Sherlock, you are a great bloody detective, some even claim that you are legendary! Couldn't you have detected that there was twins and triplets running wild in my family when you met them? There was my mum and aunt, both twins! Or even when you met my grandmum and her two brothers who were oddly the same age! Or noticed their children…or even their children's children! Sherlock they were all there at our wedding! Even my twin brothers came up and tried to get you into a conversation about taxidermy! All the clues were there!"
"Really? Are you certain?" Sherlock asked faintly as if trying to remember before muttering, "I must have filtered it…Damn, why do I miss certain things?"
At his wife's look he quickly added, "Not that I mind…" A beautiful smile lit his handsome face and continued honestly, "I really don't mind at all."
They shared a sweet kiss…Their family seemed use to their loving moments and never once blinked an eye…
Sherlock, who still carefully held his new grandson in his arms, leaned in close to Molly's ear to whisper, "When everyone leaves there's a bottle of honey that I believe I finally know what to do with!"
Molly actually blushed, before whispering back. "Oh, Sherlock…Well, you know what they say…You can catch more flies with honey instead of—"
Sherlock quickly cut in, "I don't want flies, I only want to get my Molly…"
~*~SH~*~SH~*~
Sherlock's words faded as Mycroft left the vision, of a point in his brother's future. Mycroft took a long, deep if not shaky breath…
As the famously known ice man watched Sherlock and his lovely sister-in-law, he found that he couldn't help but smile softly. The smile was real and true.
He quickly eyed Sherlock's new mother-in-law as she talked with wide happy hand movements with her twin. Oh, how Mycroft hoped he didn't start laughing like some bloody fool in the upcoming months when Sherlock would inform him that they were going to have a baby!
Suddenly, Mycroft noticed how Sherlock leaned in close to his Molly and with his ability to lip read knew instantly that he was wishing her a happy birthday.
They were both celebrating life, Molly's life, Sherlock's life…and now their life together.
Finally, with a completely happy heart, a heart Mycroft would never admit to having, he whispered, "You are so welcome, brother mine."
It was well known in certain circles that he would do pretty much anything for his baby brother. Mycroft would even do the impossible, even playing with time in hopes that Sherlock would actually get things right the second time, the last time, around.
A part of himself had feared that he was doing a great wrong, playing with time, playing God for his brother. Yet, as he watched Sherlock and Molly…dance and laugh…
Sherlock had what he wanted, Molly alive, and he now could make many memories that involved the love of his life.
It was odd but watching them together, Mycroft knew with the greatest of certainties that he would now never regret what he had done. Not now. Not ever.
His dear brother was alive…Though he had read on John's blog how Sherlock seemed determined to be careful about something his brother called 'killer cleaning rags' that were out to get him! Surely John knew they were indeed dangerous…Always lying in wait to do the great detective in!
Then there was Sherlock's dear sweet Molly. Now she was his wife and would become the future mother of his children and future grandmother…
Sherlock's ancestral line wouldn't die out with his death. It would now continue strong as ever. Much like Sherlock's love for Molly and hers for him. Their life together would go on.
Anthea, his lovely Beverly, came up to Mycroft and handed him a tall glass. Mycroft calmly thanked her and with the great knowledge that his brother wasn't the only one who could completely change his own time line took a chance and decided to ask, "So tell me, my dear, would you ever marry a man like me?"
Yes, he was tempted to ask if twins or triplets ran wild in her family, he doubted it…not that he'd mind if they did…But seriously how in the bloody hell could Sherlock not notice just how strong the Hooper family tree was? Damn, it looked more like a bloody forest instead of one tree!
Perhaps his brother's brain had simply gone into shock and his mind palace decided to reject such knowledge for if he filtered and deleted enough Sherlock felt it safe enough to ignore. Though to be honest none of that mattered.
Mycroft's beloved brother had willingly, purposely, changed his and Molly's own future. He had made things right…and because of that profound fact, an odd peace that was calm and steadfast settled over him. It left him with absolutely no doubt that tonight he'd sleep quite well.
Perhaps for the first time in many years he'd have no dreams or if he did they would be good dreams…sweet dreams. Like the one Mycroft had when he was a little boy were he got lost in a chocolate factory…
So, even with an extremely hurting hand, Mycroft Holmes knew without a single doubt that he and his brother, this time, had made things right…And really he was perfectly fine with that!
~*~THE END~*~
Alright, a bit long but here is the happy ending that I promised! Everyone lives and everyone is happy…Well, except for the 'Once A Year Killer' but I'm not bothered that he doesn't have a happy ending.
I hope you found pleasure in my weird story; it was a pleasure to write it for you.
Also, a little side note, the characters Dr. Ray Ernest and Mrs. Amberley are from the original Sherlock Holmes story 'The Retired Colourman' though in the story they are both quite dead and Sherlock solves their murders, pretty much telling Mr. Amberley, "I know how you killed and where you killed them but where did you hide the bodies? Oh, wait let's see what the strong smell of paint on that wall is covering up!" Anyway, they two also got a happy ending!
Have a lovely day and thanks for the encouragement and for reading….
