In the rays of the morning light, Sherlock ran his hands through his curls, frustratedly spinning around, his tan gown flourishing as he did, to confront the demonic wailing, a manic look in his eyes.
"Please stop crying. Crying does not help me understand what you want. Use your words."
Baby Ava simply cried harder as Sherlock looked down at her, her little hands balled into tiny fists, face red and mouth wide open as she released ungodly screaming. Sherlock sighed as he looked down at her and then turned away. Why didn't these things come with an off switch?
"Everything alright in there?" Elizabeth called from the bathroom.
"Absolutely fine!"
Sherlock called back urgently, knowing Elizabeth was showering before work. He didn't want her to think him incapable of such a simple task such as child rearing of a stranger's child. And yet...he found himself grimacing at the thought: how could he leave her with this screechy human being?
As though Ava could sense his offensive thoughts, she screamed louder and Sherlock rolled his eyes looking back down at her.
"Look, if you want me to find your mummy, you need to pipe down. I can't think when you're acting like this." He said, exasperated.
And yet the child still cried. Sherlock huffed and did the next best thing he could do - approached the desk by the window and promptly put in some ear plugs.
"What in God's name is going on? Who on earth is crying?" Came John's voice as he walked into the flat.
Sherlock waved at him, not really hearing what he said. John peered around the room, trying to locate the sound of the crying when he peered over the edge of his chair and saw a baby lying there. His brow was the epitome of confusion as he slowly looked up at Sherlock.
"Sherlock, why is there a crying baby on my chair?"
"What?" Sherlock asked and then shook his head, removing the ear plugs, "Sorry, John, say that again?"
"Why is there a crying baby on my chair?"
"That is Ava," He smiled fakely, "Spawn of the devil. Her mother left her here last night and now she won't stop crying."
"Well, have you fed her? Changed her? Where's Elizabeth?"
"No and no because Mrs Hudson is currently fetching supplies and Elizabeth is getting ready for work?"
John gently picked up Ava and gently held her in his arms, bouncing her a little to calm her down. Sherlock watched this curiously as the crying seemed to become less and less until she was merely blubbering.
"Poor Ava, left with Sherlock who clearly can't look after a baby to save his life." John quietly cooed.
The detective's mouth fell agape at this statement. He found that quite harsh. He could look after children. It wasn't that hard. No different to...looking after...a puppy. Only a human puppy. Yet...he knew deep down that looking after a puppy was much more different to looking after a child.
"I - I can look after her."
John scoffed, "Sherlock, you were wearing ear plugs and ignoring her."
"She didn't listen to me. I asked her to stop crying if she wanted to see her mother again because I couldn't focus with her shrieky volumes."
"Because she's a baby, Sherlock. She hasn't yet learnt how to speak nor understand our speech yet."
Elizabeth finally came out of the bedroom, dressed and ready to go, her eyes softly falling on John and Ava. A quite 'aw' left her lips as she approached.
"Morning, John. See you've met our new, very loud resident." Towards the end of her sentence, she used more of a baby voice as she booped Ava on the nose, "Did Sherlock not know what to do you with you, eh? Isn't he hopeless sometimes?"
Now, the detective was twice as put out at hearing this statement of doubt from his own partner. And then he watched his friend and partner together, chuckling and using baby voices to communicate with the baby shockingly well. Why didn't they just use normal voices? Surely that would help her get used to normal human speech patterns faster? Perplexed, he cleared his throat.
"Don't you two have work to be going to?"
"Uh, we do." John nodded, looking at Elizabeth, "But something tells me - "
"Us." Elizabeth interjected.
"That you shouldn't be left alone with a baby."
Sherlock scoffed at this as he looked at the two of them. They couldn't be serious?
"Yoo hoo." Mrs Hudson shuffled into the room with two full shopping bags, "I've got your supplies. I hope you solve this case soon, Sherlock, because it certainly isn't cheap having a baby around, as sweet as she can be."
"You're a star, Mrs H."
"Bah-bah-bah!" Came Ava's loud exclamation.
John smiled widely at Ava and Elizabeth chuckled a bit, placing her hand on John's shoulder as she spoke in gibberish back to the baby. John moved slightly so Ava could see Elizabeth more and they chuckled together, almost harmoniously.
Sherlock took in this action rather seriously - they looked good together...with a baby.
What if she saw him as an unfit candidate for future progeny? No, wait, what was he saying - thinking even? No, no children. They were a mere distraction. Couldn't get anything done with them around. But what if Elizabeth wanted them? If he still didn't want them and the conversation came up...would they still be partners after he would admit something like that?
God, they weren't even married and he was already overthinking about this. And marriage!? They had only just gotten back together. No. Nope. He had to stop this thought process. How?
"Couple." Sherlock said suddenly.
The three stopped and looked at him, intrigued, waiting for him to elaborate. Even Sherlock hadn't known why he had said that - that word was more on track with the thought process. Use the excuse of a Freudian slip!
"I said 'cu...ddle'..."
No. Most definitely not any better.
"Uh..."
Elizabeth snickered, "Sherlock, are you buffering?"
John laughed at this too as did Mrs Hudson who had joined the two to coo at the baby too. Sherlock blinked and nodded slowly. Yes. Buffering. This was better. He could always count on Elizabeth to help him. The thief shook her head fondly at the detective.
"John, Elizabeth, aren't you both meant to be getting to work?"
"We are," Elizabeth responded, "But now because of Sherlock's lack of ability to look after Ava, we are thinking we should stay."
There it was. This was bad. She already saw him as an unworthy partner for offspring. He wasn't lacking in ability. He was simply very, very, very inexperienced. The nurturing element came more easily to women, studies had found...but then he looked at John and thought about how quickly he had calmed her down. He had competition. He had to prove himself to her.
"I - "
"Oh, nonsense, you two." Mrs Hudson beat him to it, "Go to work. I'll look after Ava."
"Mrs Hudson, we can't ask that of you." John said.
"You're not. I'm offering because she's such a little cherub."
Little screaming demon more like, Sherlock thought.
Elizabeth checked, "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. I still expect rent by the end of this month and Sherlock over there isn't doing too well money-wise what with having been injured and all."
"I'm doing just fine!" Sherlock spoke up suddenly, louder than anyone expected, "And I'm not incapable of taking care of a baby."
"Well then, you can help me, can't you, dear?" Mrs Hudson took little Ava from John and walked over to the detective, "You can start by entertaining her while I organise her a bottle."
Sherlock stared at the wriggling, gurgling, babbling human almost as though it would bite him. Sherlock looked up, looking past Ava at John and Elizabeth (who had crossed her arms) who were both waiting for him to show some care, to prove that he could be capable. The detective looked back down at the baby and begrudgingly took her from the landlady.
"Ba-bah-baba." Came her incoherent speech.
"Yes." Sherlock said, "You are a baby."
Elizabeth and John shared a look, both smirking at each other. Little Ava's hands went straight for his dark curls and tugged, catching the detective off guard.
"Ow. No. This - no. Ava, let go. It's socially unacceptable to grab people's - ow - hair. Ava! Mrs Hudson, could you - ow!"
Mrs Hudson hurriedly got to work on detangling Ava's grabby hands from the detective's hair as the thief and the doctor giggled, both heading for the door and both quite saddened by the fact they wouldn't get to see the day's events ensue. Elizabeth lingered by the door, watching the struggle briefly and watching it with a gaze full of love for him. She knew he had it in him to care for a small human, Elizabeth just thought he needed to feel challenged enough to unlock that potential.
She wondered what she would come back to at the end of her shift.
"Have fun!"
* * * * *
Elizabeth sat in the store room, taking a her little five minute break. She thought a call to Sherlock might be good. Dialling the number she sat and waited for him to pick up.
"Yes?"
"Hiya, Sherlock. How's everything going?"
"You've only been gone for two hours."
"Sherlock, if you avoid answering a simple question that only makes me worry more."
"Fine. Everything is - ow! Ava! We do not throw - ow!"
There was some scuffling in the background and Elizabeth listened, wide-eyed until she heard crying.
"Sherlock?"
"It's fine. I just took the skull away from her."
"Skull? Why are you letting her play with the skull?" Elizabeth pinched the bridge of her nose as she listened.
"Well, it was the skull or the chemicals - "
"Sherlock!"
"I'm kidding! I wouldn't let a baby play with chemicals, what do you think of me?"
Elizabeth didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Okay, look, I'm coming back."
"Finish your shift. Mrs Hudson is here - "
"Sherlock!" She heard the land lady over the phone, "Won't you give Ava that skull back? It clearly keeps her quiet."
"She keeps throwing it at me!"
"Would you rather her cry all day? Hm?"
"...No..." Sherlock sighed, "Look, Elizabeth, we're fine here. Here, you want the skull? Don't throw it - ow! Ava!"
And she heard the baby crying more.
"Good luck." She sighed, "You obviously need it."
"Luck isn't real and is always against the person who depends on it."
"Goodbye, Sherlock."
"Have a - ow - nice day."
And then she hung up the phone, shaking her head and running her fingers through her hair. She was fighting against every guy feeling in her body not to go back to the flat now.
* * * * * *
At the GP clinic, the second John was on his break, he was on call to Sherlock too.
"Hi mate, how's everything going with Ava?"
"Ava? Who's Ava?"
John couldn't tell if he was joking or not, "The...baby?"
"Oh right, yes...the baby..."
"How is everything?"
"Uh...great. We're doing really well."
"Okaaay." John's eyes narrowed as he listened, "Are you sure?"
"John. Can I ask you something?"
"Yes?"
"Theoretically...if I were to lose a baby - "
"Oh God. Sherlock, where the hell is Ava?"
"No. No. She's fine, she's here. I'm capable of looking after a small child. This is only theoretically - so theoretically, if I were to lose a baby, where would you look in the flat?"
John pinched the bridge of his nose, despairing, "Where's Mrs Hudson?"
"She went out to get more supplies. Something about the wrong milk."
"Okay, I'm coming back to the flat."
"What? No! Stay at work. I can do this. I just - where would you look John?"
"Under tables, chairs? Jesus, Sherlock, she's a small child? Are the flat doors closed?"
"Yes." Sherlock gave a nervous chuckle, "Yes, of course!"
John heard the sound of a closing door and felt the panic rise in him. This was such a big mistake. What had they done? You couldn't have one child look after another. Then he heard a gasp.
"There you are!"
John sighed with relief.
"Devil child." Sherlock muttered, "Get here. There we go. Say hi to John, proof of life and all."
There was the sound of a hiccough and Sherlock's disgusted sigh.
"Oh...okay then. Spew over the person that just saved you from instant death by electricity."
John didn't know whether to laugh or cry - Ava certainly knew which and her answer was the latter.
"I think - no - I have got things handled here John. No need for you to come back early."
"Okay..." John just nodded slowly.
"Have a - ow! Ava, not my hair - "
The phone hung up and John gently put his mobile on the desk in front of him. Dear God, what had they done to deserve this? Arguably, one would say they were simply good people seeing as someone trusted them enough with their own child but this? This was a mistake. He shook his head, rubbing his hands over his eyes. The quicker he could finish, then the quicker he could get back to the flat.
* * * * *
John and Elizabeth arrived on the Baker Street pavement at the same time, both equally as concerned.
"John!"
"Ah, you're here too, that's good. I'm - I'm scared of what to expect because I called earlier - "
"Oh, me too." Elizabeth nodded, unlocking the front door, "I don't even know what to hope for at this point other than not chaos."
John chuckled anxiously and followed her inside.
They heard the subtle song from a violin crank out into the air from upstairs. The two friends shared a look with each other as John took the lead. The flat doors were closed - much to John's relief - and as they got nearer, they could hear the music becoming a little sloppy. This was unusual for Sherlock. They cracked open the door and peered into the flat, seeing Mrs Hudson asleep on the sofa and Sherlock in his chair, eyes closed and his hand lazily dragging the bow across the violin, wearing his wine red gown now instead of his tan one from earlier.
They walked in further, silently, peeking over the arm of John's chair to find Ava fast asleep, sucking her thumb, and curled up in the blanket she had been brought to them in. The two friends shared a solaced smile.
"Sherlock?" Elizabeth called to him softly, approaching the detective in the chair and delicately laid a hand on his shoulder, "Sherlock?"
He started at her touch, suddenly picking up the gentle tune of the violin again perfectly. He looked up at her with sleepy eyes and stared at John wearily before looking back at the sleeping babe.
"She...likes violin." Sherlock blinked hard.
Elizabeth frowned as she picked a small dummy out of his mop of curls, showing it to John amused.
"She's a thrower. Wanted the skull but didn't want the skull. Wanted the pillow but didn't want the pillow. I gave her Shakespeare and she tore it up. Mrs Hudson got her a dummy but she didn't want it either. She's Satan's spawn disappearing only for me to find her under the table with the wires. And she also doesn't understand that being sick on someone does not constitute as a thanks for saving them from certain death. But...Ava likes violin. Violins...she likes. I could work...with that."
The detective's head lolled and again the music became sloppy.
"Only thing...that...puts her...to sleep."
Elizabeth bit her lip, brows raised as she watched the detective's head droop. She gently removed the violin and bow from his hands and carefully placed them in their stand. John looked over to Mrs Hudson who also looked exhausted and then back at Elizabeth.
"I guess we're tag-teaming then?"
"I guess we are."
* * * * * *
They mindfully moved Ava up into John's room and the two friends sat on the bed looking at the peaceful child that lay there adoringly. John started chuckling quietly.
"What?" Elizabeth couldn't fight back her own smile.
"To think we left a baby alone with Sherlock and he and the baby survived."
The thief chortled, "Truly a miracle. But I think it could have gone worse without Mrs Hudson."
John watched Elizabeth as she looked down at the baby sweetly. He thought of her and Sherlock together and wondered if they would ever be parents themselves. John wondered if he would ever be a parent.
"Do you want kids?" He asked.
"Hm?" Elizabeth looked up at the doctor with a pensive frown and shook her head, "I don't think I'd be a good mother. Ex-criminal and all. And besides...Sherlock doesn't seem that keen."
"You've spoken about it then?"
"What? God no. We only just got back together. Doesn't stop me wondering about it myself though." She tilted her head as she looked back down at Ava, "Kids are cute but yeah, I just don't think I'd be a good mum. Didn't have the best childhood myself either."
"Well, you can't do worse than Sherlock."
The two chuckled and then fell quiet again.
"I think you'd be a good mother because of your upbringing."
"What makes you say that?"
"Well, you'd know exactly what not to do. I think you would treat your child the way you wished you had been treated."
Elizabeth frowned thoughtfully, "Thank you...I think you'd make a good dad."
"One day, eh? We can call this one a practise run."
"Ha, yeah."
* * * * * *
Late afternoon slipped into early evening and Mrs Hudson had returned to her flat. Sherlock was still out of it, snoozing uncomfortably in his chair as John made a bottle for Ava in the kitchen.
The detective shifted, his muscles now cramped so much so that it woke him. He opened his eyes to see John in the kitchen, looked to his left to see Mrs Hudson gone and then at John's chair to see the baby was gone - again. He shot up hurriedly.
"John? John, where's Ava?" Sherlock asked urgently, "She - she was on the chair and now she's - "
"Upstairs with Elizabeth."
The tension in his body visibly left him as he relaxed in front of John who smirked at his behaviour. Then he questioned the statement with a puzzled look. Had she already left him for his best friend that was clearly a better potential father?
"Why is she upstairs?"
"We didn't want to disturb your sleep."
"Oh...thank you."
"You need to start solving the case."
"Yes. About the case. Missing women and children."
"Yes. Ava's mother is missing...and? Have you found her yet?"
"She left her child here to keep her safe. She's running from someone - if it's a controlling family member or partner, then they would have filed them as missing at the drop of a hat. So we check the list, we find the most recent report and we find a name."
"And then? How will a name help us find out where Ava's mother is."
"We find a name, we find the family and/or partner and we question said people and then we can start working out where she could have gone."
* * * * * *
Elizabeth, wearing Sherlock's navy blue gown, rocked the baby to sleep, cradling the child in her arms, gazing down at little Ava lovingly. Elizabeth found she could sympathise with her with regards to a missing mother.
"You have what I didn't have back then." She whispered, "You have a brilliant detective on your case. He'll find your mother, I know he will."
She pressed a chaste kiss to the forehead of the child, for a moment forgetting that Ava wasn't hers. Thoughts of what John had said to her crossed her mind - would she really make a good mother? Elizabeth appeared to be doing well at the moment. But would Sherlock be willing enough to be a father? She loved her detective and she didn't want to lose him again. But what if her want of a child grew over time and what if Sherlock didn't want one? What would happen then?
Sherlock lingered in the doorway to John's room watching his partner soothingly sway as she peered out of the window. Her brunette hair was down and her silhouette looked beautiful, especially in his gown.
"Elizabeth?" Sherlock called to her softly.
The thief turned, a smile on her lips. God, how he loved that smile, so much so he felt the hint of one on his own lips. Again, he took in her form. Motherhood oddly...suited her. But did she ever want to be a parent herself? Did he ever see himself being a parent? Knowing what he was like when he was younger, Sherlock dreaded the thought of little Holmes' running around. Holmes'? Why did his mind default to a plural?
"You're awake." She spoke in a hushed tone, "Ava really did a number on you, eh?"
A light chuckle erupted from his chest, "Are you...coming downstairs?"
"Mm hm." She nodded, approaching him by the door, "John still downstairs?"
He nodded and she nodded again in understanding too, making her way down the staircase with Ava carefully.
Again, Sherlock watched after her, watched the gentle sway of her hips. He thought back to them baking in the kitchen, back to that blissful moment before they were interrupted. If there had been no interruption, he wondered where his actions might have taken him. And then he dismissed the thought. It wasn't polite of him to think so crudely of his partner...and yet that odd pull remained.
He shook his head quickly, trying to snap himself out of it as he followed after her.
Sherlock found Elizabeth and John in the kitchen, now exchanging the baby between them.
"You going to be okay looking after her tonight?"
John nodded, "We'll be alright. I have Tuesdays off remember."
"Oh, of course. Well," Elizabeth tilted her head to look at Ava again, and smiled, "Sleep tight then."
"Goodnight Elizabeth, night Sherlock." John said as he passed them both by, bottle and baby in hand as he went back up to his room.
"Night, John."
"Night!" Elizabeth quietly called after the doctor and then let her sweet gaze fall back upon Sherlock, "Right, so...case solving while tidying the kitchen."
"Yes..."
Sherlock found that was not what he wanted her to say though. Elizabeth turned away, rolling up her - well, Sherlock's gown - sleeves and turning the kitchen tap on so she could wash the dishes. There was something about her stood there, facing away from him like when they had been baking, that attracted him to her.
Elizabeth felt a presence behind her and, as she turned her head to look over her left shoulder, Sherlock's hands rested on her waist and he kissed the right side of her neck. She chuckled, moving away from his lips so she could turn her head to look at him.
"What are you doing?" She smiled at him curiously.
"I...I don't know." He whispered, "But what I do know is that you are...captivating."
A little bit of red rose in her cheeks as she felt his hand reach up to move her hair away from her neck. He pressed his lips to her skin again and she swallowed, shutting her eyes, revelling in the feeling. This spot, between her neck and shoulder, did nothing, but the spot just on the side of her neck made her shudder.
He pulled his lips away, a mischievous, curious smile gracing his own lips.
"Washing up can wait until tomorrow, can't it?" He whispered to her.
Elizabeth inhaled, turning to face him with a knowing look upon her face. She didn't bother to dry her hands before reaching up to adjust his collar as he held her in his arms. The thief's hands lay on his shoulders as she looked up at her partner and he down at her, both with an equally lustful look.
"What do you want, Sherlock?" Elizabeth asked softly.
He simply bowed his head down, capturing her lips in a slow, passionate kiss. Gradually his lips trailed off down her cheek.
"What do..." She breathed blissfully, "You...want?"
She felt his warm breath on her ear.
"I want you."
"Then take me..."
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A/N - Only took them 40 something chapters 🤣🤣🤣