Epilogue: A Piece of Heaven

"Daddy! Daddy!" Sherlock opened one eye to find a small child poking his cheek. "Wake up! Papa said that he's making pancakes for breakfast this morning! Come on!"

Sherlock pushed up out of the bed, shaking his head. "Go on Miles. I'll be down in a minute. Is Carl awake?"

"Yeah, he is. I think he was helping Papa."

"Alright. I will be down in a few minutes." The boy began to bound out of the room when Sherlock said, "Miles, have you been practicing like I asked you to?"

"Yes Daddy."

"Good. We'll play Deductions after breakfast then."

Sherlock got up, going to the bathroom, washing his face. He smiled at himself in the mirror. Everything he could ever want, right at his fingertips. Sherlock glanced down at the ring on his left hand and felt his heart flutter. Still to this day it gave him goosebumps. Ten years later and John Watson was still the greatest thing that had ever happened to him.

The day that he'd arrived at their flat, he and John had had the biggest domestic that 221B had ever seen. John had taken swings at him, had struck him over and over. Sherlock had done his best to stop him, but knew that it had to all be let out.

"YOU STUPID, SELFISH ASSHOLE!" Sherlock grinned at the sound of John's voice shouting at him in his head. "YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW ME YOU IDIOT!"

There was a knock on the door and Sherlock opened it to find the doctor standing there. "Didn't you hear me?"

"No, I'm afraid I was lost in thought. What did you say?"

"That perhaps we should take the children and Redbeard down to the park. Soo Lin wanted to meet us for tea later as well." John frowned. "What's the matter? You look a bit pale."

"Nothing...it's fine. I think that...well, it's close to the day again."

"Ah," was all John said. "Right. I haven't quite figured out how to control it yet."

"It's fine. No need to worry about it. So, you've made pancakes? How domestic of you."

John rolled his eyes. "The children were hungry."

"Did you forget that they don't need to eat?"

John sighed. "Did you forget that we're trying to make life as normal as possible for them?"

Now it was Sherlock's turn to sigh. "Carl at least knows that he's dead."

"Yes and when we found the poor boy he was in such a state of shock that he couldn't communicate. Its taken us how long to get him to talk?"

"Fine. Let them eat their pancakes. Has the paper come yet?"

"Yes."

"And? Any word on Moriarty?"

"Your brother finally caught him."

"And?"

"And Moriarty was killed in the stand-off. Finally. Ten years later and he finally manages to nail the bastard." John's face and voice were filled with rage. Sherlock touched his cheek tenderly. "This wasn't how it was supposed to happen."

"No," Sherlock agreed. "You're right about that."

"We were supposed to have a lifetime together."

"And we do. It's just...not where we wanted it to be."

John ran a hand through his hair. "At least we have the children. Does Miles know what happened?"

"No."

"Do you?"

'Broken glass in the boy's hair. Blood trickling down the back of his neck. Spine snapped in four-no-five places. Money clutched in one hand, a book on psychology in the other. School boy, bullied by his peers for being different, shoved out of a window when he tried to defend himself.'

"Sherlock?"

"No, I've no clue. He'll remember eventually. Hopefully."

"Come on Sherlock. Let's go and get some breakfast."

As John turned to walk away, Sherlock grabbed him, pulling him close and kissing him. John relaxed against him, wrapping his arms around his waist. They stayed like that for a minute before Sherlock pulled away. "John?"

"Yes Sherlock?"

"Are you still angry at me?"

"For what? What have you done now?"

"Nothing. I was...thinking about our fight."

"Sherlock, that was ages ago."

"Yes, I know. But...are you still angry with me?"

John sighed, closing the door to the bathroom so that the children wouldn't hear. "I'm not angry, no. I'm sad that you would choose to follow me instead of living and helping the lives of those around you. But I'm not angry. I still think you're an idiot for it. But I'm not angry."

"John...how could I have stayed without my doctor?"

John frowned. "I don't know. But you should have. It must be very boring up here for you."

"Quite the contrary. I didn't believe that heaven existed, so this has been something for me to study. Coming here made me realize that I like being proven wrong."

"That's not something that I ever expected to hear come from your mouth."

"I'm certain of that. And you will probably never hear it again. Now, you said that there were pancakes?"

"In the kitchen. I've already made a plate for you to go with your tea."

Sherlock nodded, giving John a gentle kiss. "Thank you."

"For what?" John asked, confused.

"For not being angry with me still."

"Oh...well...you're welcome." Sherlock walked out of the bathroom and John looked up into the mirror for a brief moment.

He could see that day as if it were yesterday. Their wedding, how relaxed Sherlock had looked before their first dance. He could see the red dot appearing on Sherlock's chest. He was shoving him out of the way of the bullet. Blinding pain. A cold washes over him, overwhelming his senses. The only thing he can feel is Sherlock's lips against his as he died, the only thing he can hear are the words 'I love you' ringing in his ears. John looked down to see the blood on his shirt. He had to tell himself that it wasn't there, that that had been ten years ago.

John looked down again, the blood gone on the front of his tan jumper. He straightened himself up in the mirror, smiling. It wasn't what he'd wanted for him or his husband, but it was his new life. Two adopted boys, one five, the other eleven, and his husband, who, for better or worse, was with him for the rest of eternity.

John found that he didn't mind. After all, this was his and Sherlock's piece of heaven and for once, they would actually get to enjoy it.

"John? Are you coming to breakfast?"

"Yes Sherlock. I'm coming." John smiled before mumbling to the ceiling, "It's not how I wanted it...but I'm glad I have it. Thank you for my heaven."