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“I don't know why they make you come so early if it only takes 20 minutes to check in and get through security. We won't even find out our gate number for an hour and a half.”
“Stop your whinging, Sherlock, and take Rosie.” John passed Rosie over to Sherlock while he settled his carry all after going through airport security in Terminal 2 at Heathrow. Their flight to Dublin on Aer Lingus would be a quick one, thankfully. He didn't think he could deal with too much of Sherlock’s complaining about the air quality in the plane, or the affair that the stewards were having. “Look, there's a Fuller’s. Let's go have breakfast.”
John and Sherlock let the grandparent-looking American couple distract Rosie from their table while they had a Full English. Their black pudding was good, tasted homemade.
Sherlock was struggling to get Rosie to eat. “John, she won't even eat her baked beans. She loves baked beans.”
“I think she’s teething her two year molars, she hasn't felt well or eaten well the last couple of days.”
“I know, but beans, John. She always eats my beans.”
“Excuse me.” The American woman leaned farther over. “I couldn't help but over hearing. I have a banana, would your daughter like it?”
“NANA,” Rosie made her desire for the fruit known to everyone in the restaurant. The woman laughed and pulled it out of her carry all. Rosie grabbed it out of her hand before Sherlock could open it.
“Hold on Rosie, let me at least open it for you.” He peeled the banana and gave her a piece. At the same time John looked at the couple.
“Ta for that. Hopefully that will help her feel a little better on the flight.”
“We have three grandsons, so it's nothing. They've all gone through teething. It's horrible for them, isn't it? Anything I can do to help is fine by me. I'm Lucille and this is my partner Austin. We're heading to Dublin -”
“They don't care about our travels, Lucy.” Her husband looked like the kind of guy who apologized often for his wife’s over-sharing.
John kicked Sherlock’s foot as he opened his mouth to agree. “We're also going to Dublin. My husband’s brother is getting married to my mate. Rosie here is going to be the world’s cutest flower girl, aren't you darling?”
Rosie held up the mashed banana in her hand and smiled at John.
Lucille’s face brightened up with a big smile. “Oh how lovely! My son Charles married his long-time partner in Jamaica last year. They're working on their adoption now. Is your daughter adopted?” Sherlock tensed up just enough for John to notice.
“She's mine, with my late wife.”
Lucille looked embarrassed as she apologized to John, her eyes darting to his and Sherlock’s daughter.
Their memories of those hard months were losing their sharp edges, but they still didn’t like talking about it. They'd decided not to keep Mary's role in Rosie's life a secret from her, though they'd probably keep the international assassin part to themselves.
Austin paid his bill and dragged Lucille away from Rosie.
John peered at Sherlock with concern in his eyes. “You are the only person I want to raise Rosie with. You're the best father she could have. You know I get jealous of how much attention she gets from you.” He smiled his for-Sherlock-only smile.
Sherlock rubbed his hand through Rosie's curls. He loved that she had Mary’s hair. She looked more like John though. And that he was happy about. “You're very good at making me feel like one of her parents.”
“You are her parent. In every way.” John loved raising a daughter with Sherlock. They challenged each other, and pushed each other to acquire knowledge. Sherlock loved having someone in the house as curious as he was.
John cleaned up Rosie after she finished her banana, and the beans she did end up taking. Sherlock picked her up out of the high chair. “Let's go get this horrible weekend over with, John.”
John watched Sherlock and Rosie walk down the terminal together, hand-in-hand. Everything he loved, everything he needed was right there. As they walked by the Nitro Ice Cream Parlour, Sherlock reminded Rosie that ice cream wasn’t for breakfast. John knew that Sherlock would end up giving in.
She was going to grow up spoilt. And with the world’s only consulting detective and the British Government in the family, she’d always be safe, to boot.