Now and Forever

29

It was a trick of fate that Benjamin's first child was born on the date that Sherlock and John had reconciled their relationship after the fall.

The timing was convenient, too: Sherlock and John were actually at St. Bart's, checking out a body that had been freshly delivered (Sherlock shuddered with delight) that morning. Single stab wound to the abdomen; it shouldn't have killed him, so Sherlock had been conducting blood tests for most of the morning trying to find a poison or substance that may have been responsible.

He had been adding sulfuric acid to impure copper when John had gotten the call.

Sherlock had only been half-listening to the conversation, mostly because Lucas Hooper, the new pathologist (and Molly's eldest son) had been making a very interesting point about the lack of iron in the bloodstream, but upon hearing John say, 'Hi, Diego,' he had looked up quizzically.

Sherlock's hearing had deteriorated slightly with old age; he had had superb hearing, it was now slightly above average. This meant he couldn't hear a word Diego was saying to John, only John's depressingly short replies.

'So you got a call?' John said urgently. Lucas looked up, shrugged, and put a drop of pure copper in a test tube.

'That's quick. You don't have long?' John said, examining his nails. Sherlock huffed impatiently.

'We're here already,' John murmured. 'We wouldn't want to intrude...no? Of course, then. See you soon, Diego. Tell Benjy not to worry.'

Sherlock raised an eyebrow at John, who refused to meet his gaze. 'Diego's buying an old car and wants us to have a look at it to see if it's sound.'

Sherlock's mouth dropped open as he glared indignantly at John. 'You made me think-'

John burst out laughing, shaking his head as he leaned against the table. 'I'm kidding, you idiot. Becky's gone into labour and is on her way here.It's going quickly: the baby should be here in the next hour.'

Sherlock scowled at John, though a smile was threatening to break through his hard exterior. 'You bastard.'

'I love you too, Sherlock.' John chuckled, wiping his eyes. 'Alright, I'm going to call Jacob and tell him. I have no idea if he'll decide to come or not, but it's worth a try.'

Sherlock adjusted the microscope and took a barely legible note with his left hand. 'I doubt it. But try, anyway.'

John nodded, already halfway out of the door. 'Be good, love. I'll text you if it looks like go-time. Make sure he checks his phone, Luke?'

'Course, Mr Watson.' Lucas said, flashing a grin at John. Sherlock had been cordial with Molly's children as they were growing up, though they had moved to Germany about four years previously; Lucas, the eldest, was two years older than Benjy, the middle one and only girl, Grace, was the same age as Jacob, and the younger son, Frederick, was only thirteen. Sherlock and Molly's offspring had never really socialised, mostly because John didn't like Molly, but Sherlock had enjoyed the few occasions he had met the children; he had automatically like Lucas because he liked pathology and dead bodies and experiments. Lucas was highly intelligent, with ruffled blonde hair and an easy smile. Grace was intelligent but less so. Grace was sweet, though shy around people she didn't know.

Frederick, or Freddy to most, was a bubbly child who suffered from dyslexia. He found English hard, but Sherlock had never seen a child so gifted at the Sciences. Sherlock would have bet money on Frederick Hooper one day being as well-known as Albert Einstein.

'Grace is coming in in about five minutes,' Lucas said, eyes fixed on the test tube. 'She could entertain Jacob, if you wanted?'

Sherlock let out a sigh of relief. 'Thank god. I can't have him hanging around while Benjamin's worried; I can only handle one emotional child at a time.'