The next morning's light filtered in through the open crack of the bedroom door. Molly stretched, yawning, on the empty bed before rolling herself onto her stomach on Sherlock's side. Breathing in his scent, she flexed the fingers on her left hand, grinning at the gem on her finger.

Glancing at the alarm clock on the bedside table, her eyes widened as she scrambled of the bed. Eight A. M- dammit.

"Shit." She muttered, looking for her phone to call in late for work.

.

Molly entered the living room, tying the sash on her robe. She found Sherlock in the kitchen; dissecting the hand she'd given him. Locking her hands under his arms and over his chest, she perched her head on his right shoulder.

"Morning." He mumbled, without looking away from his work.

"I called in to apologise for being late today, seeing as someone switched of the alarm last night. Care to explain why I have the next three days off 'to get back on my feet'?" Sherlock's mouth twitched into a smile.

"I may have called in and told them that you caught a rather nasty stomach virus and could barely talk since you were in the toilet being nauseous the whole time." Molly wrinkled her nose.

"You could've said I had the flu."

"But where's the fun in that?" Molly giggled.

"You know, you could've told me I was off work today. I was a mess just now until Mike picked up- unless that's exactly what you wanted." She said, narrowing her eyes. The detective turned to her with 'innocent' eyes."

"Of course not," Sherlock said angelically, "you just looked so peaceful this morning- I didn't want to disturb." Molly snorted.

"Not buying it, and you know it." Sherlock grinned, before returning back to his work.

Desperately needing her morning tea, Molly pulled away after planting a kiss on the back of his curls. She felt him wince and rub his head.

"What's wrong?" she asked, instantly worried. Sherlock gave her a pointed look before glancing at the hand he was dissecting.

"Oh, right- sorry about that."

"It was expected to happen- it was a means of distraction to get us both out of the room for awhile." Molly stared at him, confused.

"You put the hand on the beer just so we would leave the room. Why?"

"So that John could tell the others that he wanted in on the bet."

"Oh, okay." Molly said, before wheeling around "What bet?"

"The bet on whether or not I would propose by the end of the month. When John followed me to buy the ring, he wanted in on it- knowing her would win."

"O-kay…I thought you weren't a betting man."

"I'm not- I did it for John."

"You got yourself hit on the head so that John could win a bet?" Sherlock shrugged.

"Small enough price to pay- without his help, I don't think I could have pulled of what I did yesterday."

"Sherlock Holmes, are you actually admitting you got help from someone?" Molly asked, chuckling. Sherlock's glare melted once he turned around.

Leaving his experiment, he got up to grip Molly's hips.

"I'll let that comment go for now." Sherlock murmured, pulling her closer.

"Oh really?"

"I have other things in mind right now."

…

…

…

"Sherlock, get ready, will you?' Molly scolded as she tried to shove Sherlock of his armchair. He let out a whine before turning around, facing the back of his chair.

Usually, Molly'd find his curled up position to be adorable, but today was not a good day.

"Get your arse off that chair and put on some good clothes because we have guests coming, or so help me, Sherlock Holmes, I will call your mother." The detective scoffed, turning his head.

"You wouldn't. You're hardly strong enough."

"Try me." Molly gritted, removing her phone from her pocket "It was her idea to have this party anyway."

"It was your mother who planted the seed in her brain in the first place."

"Either way, Sherlock-" Molly extended her hand, forcing Sherlock to watch as her thumb hovered closer and closer to the dial button.

"Alright." He finally exclaimed, detangling himself from his chair before stomping to their room.

"Thank you!" Molly yelled when the door slammed shut.

…

Music and laughter filled the apartment a few hours later. Molly stood with some old mates of hers, all of whom were completely obsessed over the famous un-dead detective 'Mousy Molly' had 'hooked around her pinky'.

"My god, Molls; he's just- h-how'd you nab him?"

"He's so perfect!"

"I wouldn't mind one of him."

"Does he have a brother?"

"Tell me your secrets!"

Molly grinned, trying to answer the best she could. She caught Sherlock walking to the door to let his mother and Mycroft in.

"That's the brother, over there." Molly told her groupies, pointing to Mycroft with her drink.
"Ooooh he's older," one of them muttered, "introduce me?"

Later on, Molly found Matt chatting to some mates from school. It was amazing how her mother could invite so many people; and how they could all fit into the apartment, more or less, comfortably.

He seemed more relaxed, and even threw her a genuine grin when they locked eyes. For that, Molly was happy- at least he was sorting his life out again.

She ended up gravitating towards John, Mary and Greg, who'd brought his wife. She raised her eyebrows when she hugged the woman.

"Rekindled, again." John whispered to her "But this time, it's apparently Greg who's found the new 'friend'. Good on him, I say." Shaking her head, Molly chuckled. Oh, when would that D.I learn?

Feeling a warmth slip between her and John, and a hand coil around her waist, Molly looked up and smiled. Greg nodded to Sherlock.

"So how's he been treating you, Molls? Anyone's balls I need to kick?" the detective asked. Molly laughed.

"That bit's all sorted." She answered, earning laughs from the group "But it's great- less annoying…and insulting for that matter." She felt Sherlock hand squeeze her waist.

"That's good, you two. I'm happy someone finally managed to tie him down and beat some human into him."

"It's impossible to beat human into somebody." Sherlock scoffed.

"Accept it as a compliment, Sherlock." John said.

"You gotta admit, though- he's calmed down with the insults- at least when it comes to his friends." Mary pointed out.

Sherlock looked down at Molly, catching her stare. They smiled at each other, looking back up when John spoke.

"Yeah, nice to everyone, except Anderson." The group burst out laughing. Lestrade scratched the back of his head.

"Off the record, it's true." He admitted, "Man is a bit of a wanker. No idea what Sally sees in him."

The doorbell rang.

"Oh, I'd better get that- not sure who it'd be though." Molly said, before walking away from the group. She was joined by Sherlock as she weaved through the crowd.

"Hey Aunt Molly." Rachel smiled, hugging Molly when she opened the door. Surprised, Molly stilled before responding.

"Hey, Rachel, Charlie." She greeted. Rachel broke away, following her brother to go talk to Sherlock.

"Mia, hi." Molly said, unsurely. Her almost-ex sister-in-law stood awkwardly, a small smile on her lips.

"Hi, Molly."

"I-I didn't think you'd come." Molly answered, before snapping out of her daze "Come in." she ushered, shrugging at Sherlock when he gave her a questioning look.

"You remember Sherlock Holmes right?" Molly asked as she introduced the two formally.

"Of course- how do I not forget the famous fake suicide of the non-fake detective who is dating my sister-in-law?" Mia joked. Molly laughed, taking it as a good sign when the other two shook hands.

"Well, Greg and a few others are by the window, and a few chaps from school and uni are somewhere around here. Mine and Sherlock's mums went slightly overboard with the guest list."

The pair laughed. Sherlock had walked off, along with the kids.

"Look, Molly, what happened these past few weeks, it was unfair to take it out on you. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be- you were right I should've told you. I was in the wrong as much as Matt is. He's here, by the way." Mia bit her lip.

"I know. I was hoping to maybe talk to him."

"Yeah of course." Molly nodded, looking around for her brother. She felt herself being pulled into a hug.

"You're like a sister to me, Molls- I really do hope-"

"Of course, Mia." Molly answered, pulling away. Mia caught the glint on Molly's left hand. The blonde's eyes widened.

"No way- Molly, are you two-"

"Shhhh." Molly hushed her friend "No one actually knows yet- we're making an announcement later on- saves us having to tell everyone so many times."

"I'm really happy for you, Molls." Mia answered "Now, I have to look for my no-good husband." Molly laughed, moving to allow Mia to get into the crowd.

"By the way," the pathologist called "I think Mycroft's with his mum, if you want the back up."

Molly winked at Mia before turning to look for her friends.

…

"Oh, my sweet baby, my sweet girl is getting- oh, I need a chair!"

Sherlock rolled his eyes at his soon-to-be mother-in-law's drama, earning himself a kick in the shin by Molly's heel. He smirked at his fiancé's glare, leaning down to kiss her head in apology.

"Mum, come on- calm down. Please?"

"She's getting married, oh finally- more grandchildren-" the couple choked, looking at each other awkwardly.

"Uh, mum- now isn't the time to talk about that." Molly muttered, the heat rising to her cheeks.

"I am so very happy for you two," Sherlock's mother said but grandchildren are a must, Sherlock, seeing as there is no chance with your brother."

Two spots of colour dotted Sherlock's cheeks.

"Anyway, we're going to tell everyone else in a few minutes."

"We are?" Sherlock asked, shocked. Molly frowned.

"Sherlock we've talked about this-"

"A wonderful idea, Molly." Aliana said "Sherlock- remember, the wife is always right."

"I rea-"

"Always." Sherlock admitted defeat with a groan. Molly grinned and pecked his cheek on her tiptoes.

"I'll let you win, sometimes." She whispered, pulling away.

"When are you telling everyone?" Marion asked.

"In a few minutes, mum." Molly answered.

"Nonsense- you can tell them now."

"Wait, mum-"

Marion beat the stem of her champagne flute as hard as she could

"EXCUSE ME!" she yelled, instantly shocking everyone to silence "MY DAUGHTER AND HER BOYFRIEND-"

Sherlock winced and threw a glare at Marion's head, this time receiving a painful poke in the ribs.

"-WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT. PLEASE BE QUIET." Marion coughed "Thank you." She finished sweetly "Molly, dear, you're up." She whispered with a wink.

Molly smiled weakly and grabbed Sherlock's hand as she walked forward. She raised her wine glass.

"Thanks, mum, for getting everyone's attention for us-"

"-and breaking all our eardrums in the process-" Sherlock continued, earning many laughs around the room.

"Yeah, that as well- thanks mum. Anyway, thank you all so much for coming today, it's been great seeing all of you again, and I hope you lot had as much fun tonight as we did. Okay, enough with that, I'll just say what I have to, and we can get back to the party." Molly took a deep breath.

"We're engaged." Sherlock finished finally. Surprised, Molly glanced up at Sherlock to see him grinning down at her. She leant up and pulled his lips to hers chastely, before pulling away. There was a lot of applause in the room as all the women crowded Molly.

Everyone was trying to get a look at the gorgeous diamond on her left hand. People congratulated her happily, genuinely and some, to her amusement, even with envy.

Laughing, Molly looked out for Sherlock, who was very uncomfortable being in the middle of a tight group of his family's friends as well as a victim of many hard slaps on the back. After a while, however, the craze mellowed and people went back to their respective groups.

About two hours later, the crowd had thinned out to the mothers, John and Mary, Greg and his badly concealed grumpy wife, Mia, Mycroft, Matt and the kids. Poor Lestrade took the hint from his spouse's face.

"Never realised you had it in you. I'm proud of you, Sherlock." he said, shaking the detective's hand firmly. Turning to Molly, he hugged her tight.

"Take care of that man, Molls." He said, walking to the door.

"Congrats, again- see you lot next murder." He said, before walking down the stairs.

"Has Mrs. Hudson gone down?" Molly asked, looking around the room.

"Yeah, a while back- a bit too tired, I think."

"That's sad, I wanted to say goodnight."

"Dear brother, I think the diet is actually working."

"What is that supposed to mean, Sherlock?" the younger man grinned.

"I see you have become closer to Mrs. Hooper." He stated.

"And you well know that the relationship is purely platonic. The same doesn't go for you it seems." Mycroft sneered.

"You say it like it is a bad thing." Sherlock retorted.

"A year ago, brother, you and I both would have agreed that it was; however, now I can see that we both would've been mistaken." Sherlock looked at Mycroft in surprise. The older man smiled.

"Ms. Hooper, or should I say the future Mrs. Holmes, is good for you. Maybe I won't have to take care of you so much." Sherlock snorted.

"I see you have set a relationship back on it's right course." The detective said, changing subject. Mycroft turned to look at Matt and Mia, who were conversing, albeit awkwardly.

"I did it mainly for our niece and nephew. After all, they are family." He said, turning their attentions to the children "I decided no one should have to go through what we did as children. Doesn't Mia remind you vaguely of Mummy?" Sherlock nodded, thoughtfully.

"Hey, there you are." A voice broke through the brothers' silent reveries. Mycroft smiled down at Molly.

"I believe, congratulations are in order." He said, extending his hand. Molly ignored it and leaned in for a hug, which he responded to stiffly.

"Come on, Mycroft- we're going to be family soon." Molly teased. Sherlock smirked.

"Yes, Mycroft- I don't believe handshakes are socially acceptable within family boundaries." Molly swatted Sherlock.

"Shush, Sherlock." Molly scolded "I have to get back to the mothers. They're drowning me in wedding plans already. This should have been secret just a bit longer." She groaned "Sherlock, I need you there in two minutes. I'm dying by myself. And Mycroft, thank you, for what you're doing for Mia and the kids."

Smiling, she walked back to the very excited mothers.

"You will never here me say this ever again," Mycroft started warningly "and I will deny if asked about it, but Sherlock, I believe you've won yourself a keeper."

…

Mycroft excused himself minutes later, followed by the mothers. Matt and Mia went of into a corner to talk, properly, like adults.

"I win." Rachel said suddenly. "Cough it up." She said, holding her hands out to Mary and her brother expectantly.

"Excuse me?" Mary asked.

"The bet. I won. So did John, but knowing him, he won't take money from Charlie and technically whatever that's yours is his as well. No, he'll just bask in the glory of being right around you for the next, I don't know, three weeks?" Rachel answered "But I'm not John, so as well as bragging rights, my money, now please."

Molly and John couldn't hide their sniggers as the money was passed around reluctantly. Molly burst out laughing when Mary refused to loosen her grip on the note.

"Mary, let it go, it's all right."

"It's one hundred pounds, Molly!"

"That's what you get when you bet against your best friends well-being." She retorted, sinking back into Sherlock on his couch.

"You really are as sneaky as Sherlock is." John said. Rachel beamed as Charlie scowled.

"Look at that scowl as well." The ex-army doctor continued, pointing at Charlie "It's like two mini-Sherlocks."

"They are my nephew and niece." Sherlock smirked.

Mia walked into the room.

"Kids, come on, time to go." She said ushering them to stand up. "Rachel why are you holding so much money."

"I won a bet." Mia nodded, not really understanding. As Mia hugged Molly and Mary and said her goodbyes, Matt entered.

"See you, Matt." Mia said with a smile, before hugging Molly one more time.

"Congrats again, Molly- coffee sometime?"

"Of course, call me soon, yeah?"

"I have to get going as well." Matt said.

"How's it going between you two now?"

"Not bad, actually. Your fiancée's brother may have helped a lot earlier." Molly smiled.

"Not all Holmes are bad."

"Yeah."

"Keep up what you're doing right now, Matt. It will get better." Molly said finally, pecking her brother's cheek.

Once he left, Molly returned to her seat on the arm of Sherlock's chair. John and Mary snuggled together on the couch.

"I love what you've done to the place, Molly." John stated. Molly groaned.

"It was a nightmare. How messy could you two get?"

"I know, right?" Mary exclaimed "John just leaves his things everywhere: coffee mugs in the bathroom; his shoes in the kitchen-"

"-I don't think anything beats the body parts I find in the most random places of the apartment. Once, there was-"

The two men shared looks.

"I see this happening a lot in our future." John muttered.

"I couldn't agree with you more." Sherlock answered.

"I guess that's what you're gonna have to put up with for the rest of your life." Mary grinned. "Seeing as you two are engaged."

"I really will have to, won't I. Maybe I should've thought through my decision a bit longer."

Catching the look on Sherlock's face, Molly started laughing.

"Sherlock, I was joking!" she said leaning over to peck his lips.

"I knew that." He said casually, though the other three knew better.

John and Mary left a little while later.

"At least he isn't the dead fish we all thought he was in bed." Mary said as she hugged Molly, "Maid of honor by the way."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Great, 'cause I know this great strip club for your hen night." She called out as she walked down the stairs.

Molly turned to John.

"Night, Molls. And congrats again." He said, pecking her cheek as they hugged.

"Thanks, John. He couldn't have pulled it off without you."

"I only helped with the ring." Molly smiled knowingly.

"As amazing and brilliant he is, I know that the proposal wasn't his original idea. Thank you- use it on Mary when it's time, it'll work." John spluttered.

"Uh, well-"

"Come of it, John- you can't lie to me." she smirked. John laughed.

"I'll definitely be calling you up for advice." Molly grinned.

"The flowers were a nice touch by the way." Molly added.

"What flowers?"

"The primrose and red rose, plus the lilacs from our first date- really smart." John frowned, a small smile on his face.

"I had nothing to do with any flowers. That would've been all Sherlock, no whatever it was."

Molly felt a tug on her heart.

"Goodnight, John." She said as the man waved.

…

Molly sat up in bed, under the covers, the tags in her hands as she read and re-read them. The bed dipped next to her.

"I didn't know you were sleeping."

"Your mother drains my energy." Molly swatted his chest.

"Stop it- one day she'll think you mean it."

"Doesn't she already?" Sherlock asked eyebrows raised "What are you looking at?"

Leaning over, Sherlock peered over her shoulder. He smiled against her shoulder when she showed him. He pressed a kiss against her skin and pulled her towards him.

Sinking back into him, Molly traced the words.

"I actually have you saying you love me in writing." She murmured softly.

"It's true." He said simply, his nose nuzzling against her neck "Every word." Molly silently slipped out of his arms and walked to the dressing table. She unlocked one of her jewellery boxes and carefully placed the tags inside before shutting and locking it.

"My father would've loved to meet you." Molly said as she laid down next to Sherlock, "He would've loved you. Well, the you that doesn't insult me." Sherlock opened his mouth, but was shushed by a finger on his lips.

"Stop apologizing." Molly told him, "What's done is done. All that matters now is the future."

Sherlock pressed a kiss against her finger- it was soon replaced by her own mouth.

"So, you can't live without me, huh?" Molly teased against his lips. Sherlock placed butterfly kisses along her jaw.

"That," he said between pecks "is the only faulty statement."

He made his way down his neck and stopped at the top of the low hem-line of her pyjama top. His hand travelled under her shirt and rested along her ribs; he could feel her heartbeats quicken.

"So what's the corrected statement?" Molly breathed as Sherlock lips traced back up to her cheek.

"I," he began, pecking her lips "won't live without you." He said capturing her lips again. Her tongue traced his lower lip, gaining her access as she straddled his lap. Her hands wound themselves into his hair and tugged, giving her the wonderful noise he made when she did that.

His hands braced her back when he flipped them over. He broke the kiss, hovering over his, their lips almost touching.

"Yeah," Molly said, after a beat "definitely better- and true for both of us."

Her left hand slid over his face; her fingers tracing his flushed cheekbones and swollen lips.

"But thankfully, we won't have too." She muttered as she reached up to capture his lips once more.

-THE END-

The final chapter- how was that?

I'm so proud to see this finally completed, but I am definitely going to miss this. Thank you EVERYBODY for the follows, favourites, flames, reviews and reading this fic. It means so much that you followed this through to the end with me :')

Hope you guys continue reading my other fanfics and see you guys soon, somewhere on another fic or fandom!

Love you all!

-Ash :)