HEY, Y'ALL! I JUMPED RIGHT TO THIS EPILOGUE. HOPE YOU LIKE AMELIA AND THE STORY. I DO.

GOD BLESS AND GOOD DAY!

~THE LUPINE SOJOURNER

"How?" Sherlock asked, bewildered, head still buried in my shoulder. "I...I can see now how much what I did hurt, even now, and..." I sigh heavily, moving to sit against the edge of the bed pressing against the wall. Sherlock clung to me like he would never let go, like I was his lifeline, further convincing me that I had done the right thing.

"I won't lie. It still hurts, but...I know you didn't exactly enjoy your business trip, either, so I can at least forgive you. Doesn't mean I am happy and completely at peace with what happened, but...I forgive you." Sherlock nods into my collarbone and directs me to lay down. Interestingly, he chooses to pose me on the outside, curled around him like a blanket. I pull him a little closer. We don't need to say anything. He knows I am not happy at being excluded, but also I know he went through Hell to get that network out of commission for good, coming closer to understanding each other and that alone had mostly repaired the rift in our relationship. I, on impulse, kissed the top of his head.

"I love you, you know that?" I stiffen slightly, never one to know what to do when approached with things like this by my brother.

"Really, Sherlock, you're exhausted. Just go to sleep." His hand clenches mine harder, as if afraid I'll disappear if he lets go. "Sherlock, I swear I will not leave. Just go to sleep." I mutter, suddenly succumbing to the need to return to sleep. He presses himself harder against me. I squeeze harder in return, but can't help feeling a little bewildered.

"I really do mean it, Amelia. I have never told you because I feared it, like all other emotions, but...I really do love you." I swallow.

"I know. I love you, too, even if you are a majorly asinine, insensitive jerk most of the time." I reply in a light, teasing tone.

"I really can...can be, you know." Sherlock muses in between tiny yawns. I squeeze him gently. We both know what he's like.

"Let's go to sleep, kay?"

"Alright, Amy. I love you." There it is again; I haven't heard that phrase since he was fifteen and I was twelve. He'd been getting more and more distant, absorbed in his studies, especially after...Redbeard. I like it.

"I love you, too, Sherlock. Now, shu...shush..." I mutter, genuinely but tiredly, as I feel myself falling asleep even as I spoke. I almost miss Sherlock's turning around and kissing the top of my forehead before I fell asleep.

=#=#=#=#=

"Caught in the act!" Came the hyper, happy voice I knew all too well, even when barely half-conscious and not willing to make the rest of the journey. "Heard from Mrs. Hudson, but didn't believe it."

"It's not what it looks like, dork. Sherly just...well, doesn't matter, cus nothing happened." I grumbled, catching myself in the nick of time and sitting up, tossing a pillow half-heartedly at my extremely nerdy and lovably dorky husband, Samuel. "Now, please, before-"

"Too late." Sherlock grumbles beside me. I try and force him to lie back down, but he's having none of it. "Good morning, Samuel. How was the biscuits and tea?" He asked lazily as he left. Sam merely shook his head.

"One of these days, I'll learn how you two do that..." He muses.

"Crumbs on your jacket, love, and drips of tea still on your goatee to match. As for teaching you, it's in the Holmes' DNA, I'm afraid." I reply lightly, standing up and hugging him. "Can't be taught."

"Well, perhaps I can persuade you." He muses, dipping me and stealing a passionate kiss before I can reply.

"I would, 'specially after that, but...like I said, DNA." I muse, laughing, and steal another kiss and then leave to get coffee before Sherlock takes it all. "Good morning, by the way, now let's get something to eat." I call back, yawning as I stretch and find Sherlock still making coffee. I feel Sam wrap his arms around me from behind, and I lean into his embrace. "I take it the Dublin office didn't need you as bad as they thought they did?" I ask. He nods.

"Yep. How are you, with...all this?" I sigh.

"It was a little rough, at first, but...we worked it out, Sherlock and I." I reply after a moment. Yes, we had certainly worked it out. Myc and I's relationship still needs work, but I doubt that's ever going to happen, on account of him rarely involving himself with us.

"So...have you seen John yet?" I ask. Sherlock grimaces.

"Yes. My nose still hurts."

"Oh, my. Head-butt?" I ask lazily, leaning my head back to kiss Samuel as he came over with eggs and toast. "Thanks, love." I murmur genuinely and he sits next to me and Sherlock rolls his eyes. I liked cooking, as well, but Samuel sometimes got it into his head that he would be the cook for the entire day. This led to small bickering until one of us conceded and sat down.

"Still sort of gettin' over the fact that you're back, Sherlock." He muses, chuckling. Sherlock gives off that 'why am I not surprised?' smirk. I roll my eyes, but don't want Sam to feel bad if I call Sherlock out on it.

"Yeah, same. Nice eggs, by the way. Oh, and Sherlock? I am hoping to get a half-day off work, but no promises." Sherlock looks up from scrolling through his phone.

"Work? What work? I've been away." I mock(but not really)-glare at him.

"Haha, brother mine. I work as a Librarian." My brother frowns. "I needed steady and monotonous. That fit the bill." He nods, easily picking up on the why I needed monotonous. I sigh. "So, I'd better see if I can get a lunch date with him?" It was a Monday (Sherlock having been mute and busily setting something up all Sunday, thus I had been out with Sam to church and shopping) now, and so I had to leave soon.

"And what?" Sherlock asks, mouth quirking in a grin. "Have to confess that you saw me before he did? That would probably result in you getting a bloody nose, as well, and I'd rather not have to reciprocate." I roll my eyes.

"I wouldn't want you to reciprocate, Sherlock. Wouldn't end well for either of you. And, if you did reciprocate, he'd see that as you picking my side and alienating him. Again, so you're probably right; no lunch date." I say.

"Oh, I agree. Bad idea. By the way, how's married life going?" I grin. Only a matter of time before he noticed. Either the rings, or just something about us would have eventually given it away.

"Marital bliss, brother mine. Might want to try it sometime. Come close with Janine."

"That was for a case. I...felt no attachment." I cock a brow, but refrain from unleashing a sarcastic comment boiling up.

"Right. Sorry, loves, but I gotta dash!" I proclaim. "Love you both, see you later!" I cheer, kissing Samuel one last time before sliding my jean jacket on and heading out.

"Love you!" I hear both men call after me. I smile, truly happy and giddy for the first time since Samuel proposed and we went that same day to get the marriage license. No sense making a fiasco out of it. We had felt married (without consummation, of course) for a long time previously, so why make a big ceremony of it?

=#=#=#=#=

"You are remarkably happy today." My dear friend, Trinity, notes happily as she slips arrived holds onto the shelves. "You aren't married again, are you?" She asks wittily. I roll my eyes, unable to stop grinning.

"No, just...uh..."

"You're pregnant?!"

"Shut up, Trin! No, I am not pregnant!" I hiss good-naturedly. "Just...I'm happy." I reply with a shrug. Trinity eyes me suspiciously.

"I still think you are pregnant." She whispers.

"I am not pregnant!" However...I kinda wish I was. Be easier to explain my giddiness, as Sherlock obviously doesn't want some spectacle made of his return. So, I kinda just have to wing it and hope no one notices the inconsistencies.

Oh, well. Wouldn't want it any other way.

THERE! MUCH SHORTER! IS THAT BETTER? ANYWAY, HOPE YOU LIKED AND I KNOW THE ENDING SUCKS. COULDN'T THINK OF HOW TO PROPERLY END IT WITHOUT MAKING MYSELF WANT TO WRITE MORE.

CHAIO!