Sherlock snatched his phone off the table when the text alert sounded.

"Case?" John asked from his spot on his couch.

"Yes." Sherlock replied. "Body found in an alley, no apparent cause of death."

Sherlock pulled on his coat and headed for the door, stopping when John came over to him.

"Is it far?" John asked as he reached for his coat.

Sherlock's Alpha instincts warred with his logical mind. John was only twenty-two weeks into his pregnancy and was healthy and strong so Sherlock knew he shouldn't worry about him, but the Alpha part of his brain did anyway.

"I think it be better for you to stay here." he asked.

John gave him a thunderous look.

"I will if you can give me one logical reason why." he said, "And if you say because I'm pregnant, I'll slug you."

Sherlock sighed and wrapped his scarf around John's neck.

"Just make sure you stay warm." he said, trying to project his Alpha authority.

John just snorted and headed out the door, forcing Sherlock to follow. John growled when Sherlock tried to open the cab door for him but tolerated Sherlock's guiding hand on the small of his back as he got into the car. The Yarders at the crime scene stared as Sherlock held up the tape blocking off the area for John to go under.

"Should he be here?" Lestrade quietly asked Sherlock as the detective came over to him.

"He would not stay at home." Sherlock replied.

"I am pregnant, not terminally ill." John snapped at them. "I do not appreciate being treated like some hot house flower that has to be coddled."

Lestrade gave Sherlock a knowing look and turned to the body. John stood quietly to the side while Sherlock scrambled around, examining the body and the surrounding area. He followed as Sherlock headed back to the mouth of the alley.

"John would you go stand somewhere else." Sherlock said eyes on the ground.

Because he was not looking at him, Sherlock did not see John's scrunch up as he began to cry.

"You just want me out of the way." John sobbed, "You think I'm fat and useless."

Sherlock stared at his Omega in horror. He had meant no such thing; he had only wanted John to move so he could look for more clues. When he tried to explain to John, he only sobbed harder. Sherlock reached out to take John's hand but John yanked away.

"Great, now my face is all splotchy and I need a piss." John grumbled, stomping off toward a café down the block.

Sherlock threw his hands up and watched stunned as his Omega stormed off. He gave Lestrade a helpless look as he walked up.

"He'll be ok," Lestrade said, "it's just the hormones. My wife was a real bear when she was pregnant."

"What do I do?" Sherlock asked.

"Nothing you can do but be patient." Lestrade told him with a chuckle, "It'll all be worth it, you'll see."

Sherlock gave him a dubious look. Lestrade chuckled again and patted his shoulder. Sherlock was standing outside the café when John came out, smiling and calm like his outburst had never happened.

"The case all solved?" he asked.

"Yes." Sherlock replied.

"Good because I'm starving. Let's go to Angelo's." John said.

John allowed Sherlock to help him into the cab and let him hold the door when they got to Angelo's. He happily tolerated Angelo fussing over him as he led them to a table.

"Aren't you going to eat?" John asked when Angelo set plates of steaming food in front of them.

"I am not hungry." Sherlock said.

"OH sure, don't eat. Make me look like a pig, scarfing down all the food." John snapped, bursting into tears again.

Sherlock watched as John bawled, at a loss as how to comfort his Omega. After several minutes, the tears stopped and John hiccupped.

"I need to piss." he announced, pushing his chair back and fleeing the table.

Angelo came over and began scrapping the food into takeout containers.

"It will all be worth it, you will see." he told Sherlock.

Sherlock was starting to wonder about that. His usually calm, happy Omega was a time bomb and he wasn't sure if he could handle several more months of it. He searched John's face as he came back to table, searching for any signs of distress but John seemed calm for the moment. Sherlock helped him into his coat and followed him out of the restaurant. Back at the flat, John moved around the kitchen, warming up the food. Sherlock sat at the kitchen table and took a few bites, determined to avoid another disaster. For most of the meal all was peaceful and Sherlock was starting to relax when John spoke up.

"You know what would go great with this?" he asked.

Sherlock shook his head.

"Some of that black forest cake from that little bakery in Blackpool. You remember the one just down the street from the inn we stayed at while you were on the case of that jewel thief, remember?"

Sherlock membered the case but not the bakery.

"I could sure go for a piece of that cake." John said with a dreamy look.

"We are not in Blackpool, John." Sherlock said.

"I know we are not in Blackpool, Sherlock," John snapped, "I am not an idiot. But I want a piece of that cake and if you loved me at all, you would figure out a way to get it for me Mister brilliant consulting detective."

John's voice rose in pitch with every word until he was almost shrieking.

"I want that cake, Right Now!" he yelled, pounding his fist on the table.

Sherlock's brain blanked for several heartbeats and then a though formed. He grabbed his phone and sent off a text.

John needs black forest cake immediately-SH

Details- MH

Sherlock sent the details. A few minutes later his phone chimed.

On its way- MH

Sometimes having a brother who ran the government came in handy.

"You're cake is on its way." Sherlock told John.

"Good." John pouted.

Sherlock decided to wait for the delivery downstairs. Mrs. Hudson poked her head out her flat.

"Is everything alright, Sherlock?" she asked.

Sherlock started to tell her everything was fine and then sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

"John is a hormonal mess and I do not know what to do. I am afraid I am not a very good Alpha. I cannot seem to take care of my Omega." Sherlock said, the words pouring out of him in a rush.

Mrs. Hudson chuckled and took his hand. She led him in to her kitchen and sat him at the table.

"You are a very good Alpha, Sherlock." she said as she made tea.

Sherlock shook his head.

"I cannot seem to do anything right." he said

"Oh Sherlock, you are doing just fine." she said. "Just be patient with John. He doesn't want to be this way anymore than you want him to."

Sherlock didn't say anything. Mrs. Hudson squeezed his shoulder.

"It will be worth it, you'll see." she told him.

"Everyone keeps saying that but I am not so sure." Sherlock said.

"It will, Sherlock, I promise." Mrs. Hudson said.

Just then the doorbell rang. Sherlock stood up.

"That will be John's cake." he said.

"See, you are a good Alpha," Mrs. Hudson told him, "making sure your Omega gets what he's craving."

Sherlock kissed her cheek and went to get the cake. John pounced on his the moment he came through the door and snatched the bag containing the cake out of his hands. He sat at the table, shoveling it into his mouth and humming contently. Sherlock nervously slid into the chair across from him and waited for the next explosion. John finished the cake and pushed back his chair with a sigh.

"That was good," he said, "please thank Mycroft for me."

"I will." Sherlock told him.

John stood up with a groan.

"My feet hurt." he grumbled.

Sherlock grinned. For once he knew just what to do. He stood up and took John's hand, leading him over to the couch. After John had sat down, Sherlock sat on the coffee table and lifted John's feet to his lap. John groaned as Sherlock began to rub them.

"Oh, that's lovely." he purred, closing his eyes and letting his head fall against the back of the couch.

Sherlock would have sat there rubbing John's feet forever if it would keep the happy look on John's face. Just when Sherlock thought John had dozed off, he lifted his head and looked at Sherlock.

"Thank you for putting up with me," he said, "I know I've been a little mental lately."

"You have not been yourself," Sherlock said, holding up a hand to ward off an outburst, "But I understand it is not by choice. I have accepted that I shall be living with a mad man for the next several months."

"Payback for making me live with a mad man all of the time. "John said with a smile.

Sherlock smiled and leaned forward, intending to kiss his mate. He froze when John gasped.

"What is wrong?" he demanded.

John shook his head, grinning as he placed a hand on his belly.

"Nothing's wrong." he said, "The baby just kicked me."

. John grabbed his hand and pulled him to his knees between John's thighs.

"Can you feel that," John said, placing Sherlock's hand on his stomach. "that's our baby."

Sherlock stared at him wide eyed as he felt the movement under John's skin.

"Oh, that was a strong one." John said, pressing his hand against his side.

"Does it hurt?" Sherlock asked with concern.

"No, not at all." John said with a laugh.

Sherlock rested his cheek against John's stomach. He could hear John's heartbeat, steady and strong. occasionally, there were would be a ripple or bulge as the baby moved.

"He's quite active." John said as he stroked Sherlock's hair.

Sherlock looked up at John.

"You think it is a boy?" he asked.

"No, but I can't call it an it, that doesn't sound right." John said.

Sherlock nodded.

"Do you have a preference to the gender?" he asked.

"A boy might be nice." John said, "I could teach him to play rugby."

Sherlock thought about a little boy who looked like John and smiled.

"Though a little girl would be nice too." John continued. "If she had your looks and brain nobody would stand a chance against her. She'd probably conquer the world before she was a teen."

Sherlock laughed.

"I really don't care; as long as he or she is healthy I'll be happy." John said.

Sherlock finally understood what everyone had been saying. All the mood swings and emotional out bursts and the crying was worth it because he and John had created a baby, a new life that was part him and part John, hopefully all the good parts and that was all that was important. He rose up on his knees so he could rest his forehead against John's.

"You are having my baby." he said.

"You just now realized that you silly git?" John asked with a grin.

"I love you, John."

"I love you too Sherlock."