"Come to see your daughter have you?" She asked playfully and gave a soft smile.

"Sort of…" He trailed off, but Faith held the baby out to him regardless. Ever so carefully, Sherlock took the fidgety child in his arms and held her close. She blinked at him and brought a hand to her mouth, still not sure of its purpose yet. He observed her dark brown hair and baby-blue eyes which seemed to have a sort of gleam to them that he hadn't noticed before as well as the color being darker than normal baby-blue eyes would be. Her skin was also a pallor color similar to her father, but had an olive-tone to it which suited her mother. Sherlock brought a hand to her forehead and gently brushed off a piece of hair with his finger, as he did so the baby girl reached out and grabbed his pointer finger with a strong grip which surprised Sherlock. He wiggled it around and she stared in amazement at his fast movements and Sherlock couldn't help but chuckle. Faith smiled and laughed as well.

"I think that means she likes you."

"Does it? I mean technically it's just a natural reflex that new born babies elicit because of—" Sherlock glanced over at Faith and noticed she had one eyebrow cocked and her arms where crossed. "Uh… or perhaps it just means she likes me." He admitted, knowing he wasn't going to win this battle. She just smiled and shook her head.

"So, was there something you wanted to talk to me about? Like, perhaps, what you plan on doing now that the baby's here?" Faith asked and Sherlock looked away. "Look, I know that you said you didn't want anything to do with her or I and I understand it would be a huge change for you… but you should know that I'm still going to have contact with my brother who just happens to be your flat mate so completely ignoring me is going to be hard even for you."

"I have no intentions of leaving either of you."

"Exactly, which is why I'm trying to convince you that—wait… what did you say?" Faith asked suddenly confused. Sherlock simply smirked.

"I said, I have no intentions of leaving you; either of you. You were right, you and John both, I can't just run away from this; from her. She's my daughter and you her mother, it would be wrong of me to just abandon you. I guess it just took me this long to figure it out." Sherlock explained and Faith found herself feeling… relieved out of all things.

"Are you being serious right now? This isn't some kind of game to test me or anything?" Faith asked skeptically.

"No, this isn't a game and I'm not lying… there was something else I wanted to ask you as well." Sherlock stood and placed the baby in her cradle that Mrs. Hudson had brought up from her flat a few hours ago before the baby arrived. It was old and most likely from a child from the land lady's past, but Sherlock didn't care to delve much deeper into it; he trusted her and that was that.

"And… what would that be?" Faith asked hesitantly and spoke softer than she anticipated. Sherlock turned around and came to her side of the bed, then sat down and placed his hand on hers. Faith's heart was practically pounding in her chest and she was afraid that Sherlock might be able to hear, although highly unlikely.

"A rather simple question that most women from the age of 7 dream about hearing. Faith Watson, I have caused you so much turmoil and trouble over this past year that I can't possibly apologize for, but I can start by giving you this." Sherlock takes a small box out of his inside jacket pocket and holds it in his hand. Faith stares at it wide eyed and with her mouth slightly open in aw, almost unable to tear her eyes away from it.

"Sherlock…" She practically breathes the name and finally manages to look at him. "Are you—are you doing what I think you're doing?" A smile begins to pull at the corners of her mouth.

"In a way, yes." Sherlock opens the box, revealing a ring much unlike the conventional engagement ring. The band was black and contained ten smaller stones on either side of a larger one set in the middle; all of them the color of the ripest red grape. The larger stone was set in a bracket with the shape of a fleur de lis on either side as well. Faith had no idea where he could've gotten such a unique ring or the diamonds placed within it, but she didn't necessarily care; it was the most beautiful thing she had ever laid her eyes on. "With this ring, Faith, I hope that you can accept me with all my flaws and broken pieces in order to help me fix them during the remainder of my life. Of course, I don't expect you to say that you will or that you even feel the same way about me as I do about you, but I hope that this can at least be a start on that path." Sherlock finishes and takes the ring out of the box and places it in the palm of her hand; closing her fingers around it.

"Sherlock Holmes, you brilliant idiot." Faith starts and receives a puzzled look from the detective. "If this is your complex way of asking me if I'll marry you, then the answer's yes of course I will. If I had wanted nothing to do with you or didn't care about you at all, then do you really think I would've come back here and tried to convince you to be a part of my life and the baby's? No, I wouldn't have." Faith places a hand on Sherlock's cheek and strokes it gently with her thumb. "I love you, Sherlock. No matter how broken or messed up you may be, know that I always will. So I want you to take this ring, and put it where it really belongs." Faith says and opens her hand revealing the ring. Sherlock grins and takes the ring from her palm and slides it gently onto her ring-finger on her left hand.

"Perfect." They say in unison and smile as they realize it. Faith giggles and holds up her hand, splaying her fingers.

"It really is. Now, dear daddy, what ever are we going to name our daughter?" She asks playfully and draws a finger down his chest. He takes that hand and kisses the back of it.

"Well, I was thinking about that… her skin has the shade of nature in it, as does yours, so something to that liking."

"You want to name her after a tree?" Faith asks incredulously, intertwining their fingers. Sherlock chuckles and traces circles on her hand with his thumb.

"Not exactly… when I was growing up we had the largest willow tree in our backyard that I had ever seen and it never seemed to be affected by time; as if it was above the mere idea of it. And well, I was thinking that, perhaps, we could name her that."

"Willow? You want to name her Willow?" Faith asks and Sherlock nods. He looks away for a moment, afraid Faith might tell him that it's a stupid idea, but she places her hand under his chin and turns his head back around to face her. "I love it." Sherlock smiles and slides a hand around her waist and pulls her close as she does the same around the back of his neck. Their forehead's touch and for a moment they both linger above each other's lips.

"Faith and Willow Holmes, I rather like the sound of that." Sherlock says barely above a whisper and grins, then pulls her into a kiss.

It was one that neither of them would ever forget.

AN: And that's the end! I hope you enjoyed this story! Hopefully there will be a sequel by SuperWhoLockian75, but that's only if she wants to write it. :) I can't tell you what the sequel would be, gotta keep you in supsense! Haha, well, reviews are welcome. And thanks for sticking with me 'til the end. I'm still working on my other story, so hopefully the next chapter will get done soon. :) Until next time, TardisChic.