Epilogue

4 Years Later: Christmas

Molly stood beside her mother-in-law and watched her curly-haired son run across the small yard. Her little family spent many holidays at the Holmes estate, but Christmas was probably her favorite. The winter was mild so far, a bite to the air but nothing unbearable.

"Put on your coat!" Mary's voice floated out of the kitchen just as a blonde head rushed past Molly's knees. Charlotte ignored her mother in favor of running through a freshly raked pile of leaves. Beside Molly, Mary huffed. "How on earth do you get Will to listen to you? If I didn't know better, I'd swear Charlotte was deaf."

Molly smiled as Charlotte bounded out of the leaves and tackled Will to the ground. His chocolate curls, so similar to his father's, were aflame with bright red and brown leaves.

"He looks just like his father at that age," Sherlock's mother piped up. "And Charlotte is the spitting image of you!" She patted Mary on the cheek. "I'm going to put the tea on." She left the two younger women standing on the stoop, bundled up in shawls against the breeze. Mary and Molly had become closer in the past several years, which wasn't altogether surprising considering how often their husbands were together. Even their children had become the best of friends.

"I heard a rumor," Molly teased, bumping shoulders with Mary. "This rumor has two legs, two eyes, ten fingers and toes, and a pair of fat cheeks. And the rumor came from my husband, so don't try to deny it."

Mary rolled her eyes and laughed. "Of course Sherlock would guess. There's no hiding it, I suppose. John and I are adopting an old fat man this Christmas." Molly snorted into her shawl. "In all seriousness, it's still very early. But Sherlock is right. John and I are expecting again. I haven't told Charlotte. She's been an only child for five years, I fear she won't take the news well."

"She'll be fine. Kids are resilient."

"Have you and Sherlock thought about having another?" Mary asked conversationally. Molly shrugged.

"I'd never really thought about having one child, let alone two. Will's made me the happiest I've ever been, though. I wouldn't mind several more." She smiled slyly up at Mary, who only laughed.

"I may have to limit myself to two. Charlotte's a handful enough already."

Mary joined Mrs. Holmes in the house for tea, and shortly after, Sherlock took her place. He put one arm around his wife's shoulders and began to nibble at the muffin he'd brought with him. Nothing had really changed in the nearly four years since Will had been born. Sherlock still took on cases as a consulting detective for New Scotland Yard, and although John remained a general physician at his small practice, he still joined in occasionally. Sherlock took fewer cases than before so that Molly could still work at St. Bart's, and she had to admit she enjoyed it. She'd thought her marriage to Sherlock would be anything but typical, but they managed to find the time to vacation together and balance their work with their home lives so that Will was never neglected his parents' attention.

Just then they heard a shriek from the yard and Charlotte came barreling toward them.

"Will has a frog!" she shouted in horror, pushing past them and into the house. Will followed shortly after, tiny hands gripping a small green frog. His blue eyes were bright with excitement, cheeks red from the cold. His hair was mussed and little leaf twigs adorned his bottle green sweater. Sherlock looked down at his son and didn't say anything as Will lifted the frog so they could see.

"Can we dissect it?" His voice was small, but thrummed with a restless excitement. Molly couldn't help but laugh. Will may have looked exactly like his father, but he was more like his mother than anything.

"After dinner," she promised. Sherlock kneeled down in front of his son and smiled.

"Chase Charlotte around with it first," he suggested. Will broke into a toothy grin and ran inside. Molly swatted at her husband's shoulder, but made no attempt to stop her son. Instead, she pulled him back into a standing position and wrapped her arms around his slim waist.

"Sherlock. Dear. How do you feel about having more children?"

THE END

A/N :: YAY.

IT'S OVER.

This is somewhat surreal, I think. I've been working on this fic for almost two years now. I knew I wanted to finish it before the next series, and I am so glad that I was finally able to do that. I know it's been a while since I last updated, but I hope finishing it out all at once makes up for that.

This series, and you guys, saw me through two of the weirdest and toughest years of my life. Even since I last updated in August, I quit my job, moved back across the country to my home state, got another job, and moved once again ... so needless to say, the last two years of my life have been hectic. Thank you so much for sticking with me until the end. Your reviews, faves, and follows mean the world to me, and really motivated me to get these chapters written.

I implore you to review, tell me what you think. Ask questions. Keep this story in your fic rec lists. Keep in touch. And thanks, once again, for everything.

Merry Christmas, y'all.