On Your Doorstep

[onlycareaboutshipping]

On Your Doorstep

They ended up on your doorstep, quite literally. Bloody, possibly. Bruised, most definitely, though the wounds may be mental. You probably don't know them from Adam, yet you couldn't find it in you to turn them away - whether they wanted you to or not. So you opened up your home, just for a little while.

But it's getting to be more than a little while. Both of you are finding a comfort zone, because you didn't simply open up your home. Admit it or don't, but you've opened up your heart all the same.

Their's is slowly following, if its reluctant at all.

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[acclimatize]

[ The baby just gives a little huff through her nose, keeping her eyes closed. ]

A restart button would be nice...

[consulting_freak]

Fresh out of those, sorry.

[Sherlock gives the baby a bit of a hug before he takes her off of his shoulder and forces her into John's arms. As much as he's been enjoying the cute factor, he figures John could use it a bit more in the state he's in.]

[acclimatize]

[ John tries to take the baby in his arms but hisses at the pressure she brings to the injuries around his chest. The baby whines and John shakes his head. ]

I can't. You keep her.

[consulting_freak]

[Sherlock takes Alice back and he cradles her with one hand on her back and head and the other under her bottom.]

Are you telling me that if you were given a reset button, you'd press it?

[He tucks his face next to the baby.]

Don't listen to him, Alice. I'm sure he doesn't mean it.

[acclimatize]

[ He groans at that, turning his face away once again. ]

You don't understand.

[ He would press it if it meant Alice not having to go through this, not having a mother that was a killer and a liar, and to prevent Sherlock from going through what he did when he came back. ]

[consulting_freak]

I understand well enough, John.

[Sherlock shifts the baby until she can get comfortable. She's starting to get fussy for being moved around so much when she just wants to have a nap.]

But I think you're wrong to cling onto some impossible hypothetical scenario when you could be focusing your attention on correcting the mistakes you've made and making something beneficial come out of them.

[Okay, so maybe he's speaking from experience.]

[acclimatize]

Sherlock, I've been through hell tonight. I'm allowed to feel sorry for myself if I choose.

[ Adding, ]

Let her sleep, would you?

[consulting_freak]

And I'm allowed to tell you how silly you sound doing it.

[But Sherlock nods when John tells him to let the baby sleep. He'll stop moving around so much and as soon as John falls asleep again, he'll take her back into the other room.]

We can talk about this more when you're not drugged to the gills.

[acclimatize]

[ John keeps his face turned away, eyes closed and remaining silent. He'd much rather go back to sleep than deal with this rubbish life he has.

And the guilt he feels for bringing an innocent child into all of this. ]

[consulting_freak]

[Sherlock stays knelt down in front of the sofa until he hears John's breathing even out to a more restful sound. Then, he checks the IV line and the bandaged up wound before he feels comfortable with leaving John to sleep.]

[acclimatize]

[ It's about another three hours before John wakes up again. Mostly because his bladder dictates it so.

Slowly, he'll push himself up, trying not to cause any strain but also trying not to make any noise. Once he's stable on his feet, he'll take the IV with him to the bathroom. ]

[consulting_freak]

[Mrs. Hudson's gone downstairs and Sherlock's fallen asleep on his bed. He hadn't meant to fall asleep as is evidenced by the fact the baby is curled up and sleeping on his chest. He'd been researching babies, actually. On his mobile phone, but it's not the sort of research that engages his mind enough to keep him from getting drowsy.

John should get a glimpse of it through the door between the bathroom and his bedroom.]

[acclimatize]

[ John uses the bathroom, first, his mind solely focused on emptying his bladder. It's only after he flushes and washes his hands that he hears the familiar sleepy sounds his daughter makes. He peeks into Sherlock's room only to push the door open and shuffle his way into the room.

The sight is definitely a pleasant, endearing one after the night he's had.

And to think, he had been sure Sherlock wouldn't want anything to do with the baby.

He doesn't try to wake either up, just carefully sits down on the edge of the bed, watching them both.

The two people he cherished most in the world. ]

[consulting_freak]

[Sherlock's learned to be a light sleeper during his two years away from London, so the feeling of weight depressing the edge of his bed gives him a minor start. He opens his eyes and searches around until he finds John sitting there on the side of his bed. He meets his eyes and then glances down at the baby.

Alice seems to be less weary of her surroundings and she stays sound asleep.]

Didn't mean to fall asleep.

[He says it overly quiet, not used to being around a sleeping baby. Once he learns the ropes better, he'll know they aren't particularly susceptible to noise.]

[acclimatize]

[ John shakes his head slowly, ]

S'okay.

[ He tips his head to Alice. ]

Do you like her?

[consulting_freak]

[Sherlock tries to shrug but gives up shortly after he starts so as to not move his chest.]

When she's quiet.

[Which has been most of the evening, actually. Once Molly brought along some nappies and a few other essential items for raising a baby for a few weeks. 'Milk' formula, toys, clothes, things like that.]

[acclimatize]

[ John feels himself almost smile but he stops when his spilt lip stings. ]

Lucky for you, she's a quiet baby.

[consulting_freak]

Lucky for her.

[Sherlock starts to move, then he sighs and lays back in defeat. He doesn't have the heart to wake a sleeping baby, so he'll sacrifice a small amount of comfort so he doesn't have to.]

How are you feeling?

[acclimatize]

[ He feels that push again in his chest at the sight; how his daughter is easily "defeating" one of the world's most stubborn men. ]

Like I've been hit by a bus. Repeatedly.

[consulting_freak]

[Sherlock starts to reach for John, then he changes his mind and presses his hand lightly against the baby's back instead. It just seems easier to deal with for the minute.]

Well, we'll get the bus back.

[Yes, he's speaking delicately about the matter. He doesn't really feel comfortable talking about hunting and bringing Mary to justice in front of Alice. It seems inappropriate somehow.]

I've already got my brother and Lestrade looking into it. I'll start involving myself more personally tomorrow when you can sit and watch your daughter.

[If his theory is right, then it will be a while before Mary, David, and their employer pop out of hiding.]

[acclimatize]

[ John sees that attempt to reach out and then how it was abandoned.

He looks away, ]

We'll see.

She won't be pleased she failed to complete her hit.

[ There's a cold sort of detachment to his voice and he doesn't bother to correct it or hide it. ]

[consulting_freak]

She'll likely be punished for it.

[When it comes to Moriarty, it's hard to say what he'd do. Yell? Torture? Nothing? What he can count on is him waiting to make his move until he thinks it will give him the best reaction. Right now, they've got MI6 watching over the flat, so it would be too risky. If Mary came in, she'd be killed on the spot.]

Leave it to me, John. You focus on your recovery and I'll focus on the case.

[Sherlock strokes his thumb idly over the baby's back while he speaks and thinks.]

I doubt we'll have enough to make a move against her for a while yet. I assume you'll want to be part of it. If it's possible, then I'll make sure of it.

[Unless MI6 gets to her before them, in which case he can't do much.]

[acclimatize]

[ He looks back at Sherlock, ]

Her nearly killing me isn't enough? Her threatening the life of my daughter isn't enough?

[consulting_freak]

That's not what I meant.

[Sherlock sighs and his hand stills on Alice's back.]

There's more than enough evidence and reason to put her in prison.

[Where she would likely die considering her former life and the fact that it would be leaked when she went.]

We just don't know where she and that's where I'm going to come in. We need to find her before we can do anything.

[acclimatize]

[ He huffs out a small breath, ]

And you think a prison will hold her?

[ The look he gives Sherlock is one of 'don't be so naive'. ]