A/N: Someone once asked for a happy ending to Sherlock and Irene. I personally don't believe this will ever happen, but one could only wish such a positive outcome for our favorite sleuth.

Rarely has Sherlock ever cared about what was going on in someones mind. Early in his life, he would look someone in the eye and realize that the machinery was never turned on. Before he learned his lesson, Sherlock realized that people typically cared about things that were not their business. Celebrities, possible pursuits, television, people they dislike all cloud the minds of the boring.

And he grew bored of them.

It wasn't until he found himself looking into the eyes of Irene Adler that he found himself caring what was going on in the mind of another. What gear was turning and in what direction? Regardless, he never found it boring. Something was brewing behind her icy blue stare. Whether the brew was poison or antidote, he did not know. Figuring it out was part of the game they played.

Watching her watch others, watching the brain of another work, brought a smile to his face. She would analyze their personalities based on their walk, how they enunciated their words, how they offered their hand for a greeting, how they smiled or frowned. He could do similar to discover their past, their actions. She would offer a glance and see into their soul. Sherlock found himself envious of the types of gears in her head, they offered a different view of the world than his offered. He knew her ability to deduce others would never bore him.

What he found was a much more fun partner when it came to his favorite childhood game. Deductions with Irene was much more enlightening that it could ever be with Mycroft. Many things with Irene were much better, in general. He found himself wanting to share with her the things he found difficult to share with others. His personal space became hers, his random thoughts became hers, his wishes became hers. With John, he found himself wanting to share in his adventures and the thrill of his work. Sharing more than that with John did not seem acceptable. Irene offered no question when it came to acceptance. He knew it was right as she was right.

In the beginning, he held her at arm's length, safe from his palace and his mind. However, seeing her gears set into rotation and produce amazing analyses of the world around her relaxed that boundary he set. Trusting her with information about him and his history nearly erased it. Sharing in deductions and observations and finally reaching a whole picture of something he never knew was missing made him want to bring her closer.

It's not to say he was using her. He would agree that it could be perceived as such, allowing her to share in his life because he saw benefit in her ability to read others in ways he never thought would be important. Deep down, he knew he wanted to hear her observation. He wanted to watch her mind set in motion as she observed the world around her. She had a similar look in her eyes when they would share a bed that would shatter his world. Recalling such an image would cause an ache in his chest that only seeing her would fix. His body might have been a vessel for his mind but his mind had it's own agenda that only acceptance could fix.

Legally, they were not married. Spiritually, Sherlock would think of her as something similar: a partner in life. Seeking acknowledgement from the courts or religion was never in their plans. It was never in their plans to expect anything less for each other. Sherlock never found it hard to make such a commitment because he never could find anyone more fascinating.

It wasn't until he was first introduced to Evelyn then, a year and a half later, William, that he ever found himself caring what would go on in another human's mind. Their children shared the same careful gaze as Sherlock and Irene. Evelyn would mirror his stares and his facial expressions when concentrating on the world around her. As a baby, he would hold her and imagine what gear was turning in what direction and how he could help her see how amazing the world was around her. And when Evelyn became sister to William, Sherlock was shattered by the infantile curiosity of the world around him displayed in his icy blue eyes.

To say Sherlock was happy with the outcome of his life would be an injustice to the feeling he found himself with when he took the chance to observe his family. After waking up next to the same person everyday, Sherlock never grew tired of her mind. He was positive he drove her insane at times with the constant motion of the machinery in his mind and the loud motions of his gears. "I love you for it," she would say to him in bed, in his arms, when he would apologize for his antics. Over the years, she never changed her answer.

When they met, it was his mission to never be bored. Now, the only thing he could hope for is to never see his children bored and dulled by the world around them and to never have Irene grow bored of him. Having either of them become reality would break him.

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