Greatly enjoyed this story - thank you for writing and sharing it. The duo had the heart-to-heart they needed to have (and not a bomb in sight!) and it was all lovely and in-character.

Some nice moments between them...loved that John saved Sherlock a piece of cake! And that Sherlock has his own, personal pair of chopsticks. ;-)

Chemical formula, spelled out, in FRENCH...sheesh, and not backwards?! Sherlock must be slipping! Seriously, I'd never be able to access any of my stuff with him around! But to the point – I love how in-character you always have the boys. Stuff like this that you throw in always makes your stories feel so authentic.

Ha ha! Love how Sherlock's showing off lands him in a hotbed of unwanted emotion to deal with – and John leaves him to deal with it! Hats off to you for your research...this is all such creepy stuff

Oh, no...not Erika! Hopefully there's a reasonable explanation, or Big Brother will have a lot to answer for! Great scene with Sherlock (coming on the run, as I'd expect) and the investigative officers, btw.

Finally able to catch up on my reading!

A few years ago, I heard a strange voice in another room late at night – a tinny voice, like one coming from a speaker. It was only my husband's radio which he'd accidentally switched on when putting down his bag, but the rush of fear and feeling of violation that went through me at that moment was one I'll never forget. So I can sympathize with John...I'd probably have grabbed Rosie and bolted from the house!

I hope you know it's a compliment when I tell you this story is almost *too* realistic for me – John's visceral reactions to Rosie's safety, etc. Her presence, however sweet, throws a serious monkey wrench in the Adventures of the Baker Street Boys, and you capture John's dilemma perfectly.

Beautifully plotted and exquisitely written - as always! The characters are presented just as we know them, with completely believable dialogue and actions, and their individual personalities always shine through. I loved the combination of the "case" and the "personal decision"; that is truly a depiction of Real Life. Unfortunately, I galloped through the final chapters, needing to know what happened and how. But this is a story to be savored at length, so now I can go back and enjoy it leisurely - unless you have another to posted? Soon? Please?

I was surprised to see this story come to an end so soon, but was delighted by the ending itself! I loved watching Sherlock think more about what he believes Rosie and John need than about himself, while John's turning of Sherlock's logic against him was completely satisfying. You do a beautiful job suggesting the emotions under the surface throughout this scene. And John's having saved a piece of cake for Sherlock, knowing he would show up for it, was a marvellously comic and also emotionally satisfying touch!

And a satisfying conclusion!
I freely admit that I wasn't expecting the actual case to end up taking the back seat in the story after all. But it's very convincing that it would, given the greater issues between these two that needed fixing. And you fixed those really well. John's change of heart comes rather suddenly, but it is the only conclusion that makes any sense at all, so that was a big relief. As always, you have a great handle on these two and their relationship. Well done!

This is the perfect, perfect ending for your lovely story. You've wrapped the mystery up perfectly and, more importantly, brought out two heroes back into perfect accord. I was also delighted by the birthday party, which I was able to imagine even though it happened "off-set", as it were. Sherlock showing up after the guests had left but before the cake was disposed of was wonderfully typical!

"Turning his back on Sherlock he planted two hands on the worktop and bowed his head." This is so perfectly John. I love this description.

"... it would be my privilege to continue helping you.” Hooray for a paraphrase from "The Devil's Foot!"

And again, John out-logics Sherlock: ". . . there is no point in our fighting perception. We—Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson—must stick together.” Yes! And: “You must know I will always consider you my ally, but more importantly, as my friend—my best friend." Perfect!

And I love this so much: "Rosie deserves to enjoy a lifetime of learning from her Uncle Sherlock who will do his extreme best, while on his great adventures, will promise to stay out of the needlessly dangerous and ridiculously idiotic situations. . . . This way he will ensure that her mother’s ultimate sacrifice was worth it. . . .”

Ending with Mary's voice-over was the perfect way to end this lovely story. Well done!

Your comic timing is impeccable, as always, and you balance the humour perfectly with poignance. This chapter is lovely. Some of my favourite bits:

"It’s a damned chemical formula in words!—” "And, why the hell did it have to be in French?”
“It was an added precaution. I left off the diacritical marks to make it easier for you." Too funny! And I loved it that John out-logicked Sherlock regarding the password.

". . .he wanted to believe again in an afterlife, for it seemed far better for him to be deluded by a faith in something and Someone beyond this here-and-now, than to despair and lose all hope at the bottom of a bottle or the wrong end of a gun." This felt very real to me. So many times people come to faith out of just such desperation.

And it seems just like Sherlock to be reticent about a birthday party, even his goddaughters. You've kept our boys very much in character throughout this story. Well done!

Friend, I'm attempting to write this real quick in the 5 mins I have so lemme be quick.
I loved this chapter and the previous one. Exceptionally well thought out! And Sherlock's gift to Rosie is so moving and really emotional to read. The last bit about cake - HA! good job! Looking forward to what more you have to share with us!

You can feel John’s love for Rosie so strongly when he looks at her and his eyes are just filled with adoration.. I can him that very clearly in my mind, and it makes you feel warm and fuzzy.. Hehe-“I meant for you?” that was funny; the amusement in Sherlock's eyes making it clear how much he loves them both and that’s so endearing. It’s so sweet how he is with Rosie, folding himself up to sit and play and sweet talk with her (and endure her abuse!) The thought of a volcano makes me chuckle as much as I am sure it makes John wince...won’t be long before Uncle Sherlock has her blowing up all sorts of things. Love the way they banter back and forth, over the Thai and Chinese food, etc..and the way Sherlock just pulled those chopsticks out of his jacket was priceless. “Are you praying for me to go away, John?”-LOL! The Kumar case wrap-up was great, and how Sherlock figured out who was who that was following John’s blog was brilliant. His hacking skills are amazing, and although he attributes help in that area to Mitchell, his own brilliant mind but be responsible for most of that. When John snapped at Sherlock, exclaiming that he did not need his help, you could feel how deeply that cut Sherlock. For a minute I panicked that John was going to undo all that they have managed to recapture but then he apologized and I was relieved. Sherlock was ready to leave without a word of protest though, & made me melt when he vows that his deductive abiliies “shall always be yours”
“Keep your friends close before your enemies draw closer”-John really delivered the clinching blow there and employed some powerful logic of his own. Their back and forth conversation about John being linked to Sherlock or not and how that affected them and Rosie was awesome (loved Sherlock’s reference to Rosie as a case) and needed to be said by them both. Sherlock’s resolve that no matter if John called him years from now, it would be as if no time had passed, was overwhelmingly touching. Aww, and I thought Sherlock had been snubbing tradition too by coming late to the party. Instead, he was threatening to break all our hearts by offering the “gift” of staying out of John and Rosie’s life! But John turned that on its head beautifully. He’s absolutely right, where would he and Sherlock be if they did not have one another in their old age, and Rosie would have been deprived of a godfather all that time; a brilliant man who loves her and her father more than anything and could teach her so much. Sherlock's appreciation of what he has "now", his nod to what Mary taught him, and his joyful exclamation at the end, all point to how far he has come in how he is as a person and how he is with the people he loves.
As your end notes say, this story was not strictly a “case fic” and I loved it for that, for tackling what it did with John and Sherlock. The ending leaves them in a wonderful place and leaves you so content with where they are at in life, and going forward.

Kiddo, this gave me goose bumps it was so good. You got the boys perfect. Well done.

I enjoyed this, especially the last conversation, which tied everything together and was very poignant. Thank you for your hard work.