Face the Odds

Chapter 40: Sherlocked

John's house

Marie yawned, having just placed the twins and Rosie to sleep for their afternoon nap, when something caught her eye.

A soft smile lit her face and she stood up carefully, leaving the sleeping babies as she walked across the room to pick up a framed photograph. It was from John and Mary's wedding, one of the few photos that they'd managed to have taken where it was just the four of them.

John stood beaming on the left, while Mary smiled as she hung onto his arm lovingly in the centre of the frame. Beside the blonde woman was Marie, laughing at the camera as she grabbed Sherlock's arm and dragged him into the photo. He'd joined the picture reluctantly, but there was a small smile on his face as his gaze remained on Marie, ignoring the camera as it took the group shot.

'It's just as well.' Marie mused to herself. 'The rest of us were smiling and laughing while facing a would-be murderer - typical.'

Marie chuckled as she ran her thumb fondly over the photo.

Her thumb paused over Mary's face as she did, and her gaze softened as Marie remembered John's latest announcement to her and Sherlock: he was selling his house - the house he had bought with Mary after their marriage had been formally decided.

It had been a monumental decision; but after great deliberation, John had concluded that Rosie would need more than his paternal supervision. He couldn't rely on Molly or Mrs. Hudson forever, and so he'd decided to move closer to the best maternal figure Rosie could have.

Therefore, he'd said, he was moving to 221C Baker Street. It was the best decision for both Rosie, and himself, and John knew Mary would have been proud and happy with his decision.

Mrs. Hudson was ecstatic too, happy to have John back and to have the basement flat taken once more. It had needed very little fixing and cleaning, for Marie had been efficient in having it restored when she'd first moved in six years ago.

'Six years...' Marie mused. 'That's all it's been – six years. And yet, it's been so much more. So much has changed; but at the same time... so little has, in the end.'

"Isn't that right, Mary?" Marie asked, as she looked up and smiled at the apparition of Mary before her, who grinned back.

"Of course." Mary replied smugly, and Marie laughed.

"They're safe, now." Marie noted. "Safe from it all... and from themselves. You don't have to worry about it."

"Just like you now have nothing to fear." Mary pointed out, and Marie smiled softly.

"I wish you could have been here with us." She murmured, and Mary smiled kindly.

"I'm just glad you didn't share the same fate as me." Mary answered gently. "We, who were too similar..."

**********

Flashback

2014

"Your other best friend is an ex-assassin," Sherlock had said to John impatiently, "who now works for the secret service and is currently engaged to your sociopath best friend..."

"You're abnormally attracted to dangerous situations and people, so is it truly such a surprise, that the woman you've fallen in love with conforms to that pattern?"

Marie's green eyes met Mary's blue ones, and Mary swallowed as she finally saw a hint of sympathy. Mary had been right - Marie did know too well what it would feel like to be in Mary's shoes.