"I used to think I was better alone"

-One Direction, Rock Me

-Chapter Two-

"Only you could be so bloody stupid!" Mycroft growls, falling down into his chair with a groan of frustration.

Sherlock just nods, no stranger to feeling dumb around his older brother. Feeling like such a disappointment, time and time again.

He'd known from the beginning it was stupid but never did he imagine that this would happen.

It should be a dream come true, really. He was pregnant with the baby of the man he loved, the only person he'd ever been with.

Yet, it wasn't a dream come true. Because James wasn't here.

James wasn't in his life any more. He and Jim had gone their separate ways. Not even each other's enemies any longer. Just people, that used to be something but were now nothing.

He hadn't so much as hard about Jim since the day he chose to walk out and never go back.

"I didn't know" Sherlock says softly as he leans back into the chair, wishing he could melt away.

Mycroft huffs "Clearly." A pause. Sherlock screwed his eyes shut, knowing what was coming next. "Dear God, Sherlock, how could you be so careless? Others in our family have the ability, did it not occur to you that you might as well?"

Sherlock barely musters up the energy to glare at the older Holmes. "No, it didn't"

Uncle Rudy, the cross dresser, the oddball among oddballs, had the ability to get pregnant. He'd had a child in fact, with a man named Charles.

One person in their Goddamned family wasn't enough for Sherlock think he could be one of the few men able to conceive. He was a little too busy pretending the sex had meant nothing to even consider the possibility.

Mycroft runs a hand over his face, letting out a sigh. He pulls his phone out and begins tapping out a message.

"I'll have Anthea arrange an appointment at a clinic for you"

Sherlock frowns, sitting up straighter and openly showing how bemused he was. "I've already had a scan, two days ago, why would I go for another?"

There's a moment where Mycroft just stares at his younger brother, as if trying to assess whether or not he was messing around.

"Not that kind of clinic, brother mine. A clinic to get rid of it." Mycroft smirks.

Sherlock stands straight away, shaking his head and resting a single hand over his only just bulging stomach. "I am not getting rid of her!"

Mycroft's smirk drops immediately, his eyes losing the twinkle they held when arguing with Sherlock. He grew disturbingly serious and Sherlock fought the urge to sink back down and nod like an obedient child would.

"Sherlock, listen to me, you are not prepared for a child. In your life, a child has no place. And let's not forget that it will also be the spawn of a man that should not walk this Earth" He spoke quietly. Deadly quiet.

Sherlock ignores how his anger flared at the comment about Jim and focuses on the discussion of his child.

"She will also be my child, Mycroft. I'm not getting rid of her, not before or after she's born" Sherlock sticks his chin out, ever stubborn.

He steps out from the chair and makes his way to the door, not planning on pausing but getting stopped by Mycroft's voice.

"Do not come to me if this ruins your life, brother dearest" Mycroft says, bitter sweet.

Sherlock looks over his shoulder. "Screw you, Mycroft"

He leaves then, without another word and ignoring the laughter from behind him.

-

"What?" John coughs, choking on his tea.

He places the cup down and leans forward in his chair, still spluttering a little where his drink had gone down the wrong hole. John stares at his friend, convinced he'd misheard.

"You know how I loathe repetition, John" Sherlock sighs with a verbal eye roll.

There's a moment of silence as John's face changes expression quite rapidly. First comes disbelief, next was confusion and finally interest, and maybe just a hint of pride.

"Pregnant..." John trails off, giving a small smile.

Sherlock smiles back, glad John was reacting like a normal person to the news. Sherlock almost feared the excitement to come from his mother. She'd be overjoyed to hear she was going to have a granddaughter.

"Who's the father?" John asks "The other one, I mean" He adds with a small laugh, not even seeming fazed by the fact he'd just learnt Sherlock, his best friend, is gay.

Sherlock gives a shrug. "There's a few people it could be" He lies. "I doubt any of them would be thrilled, if I'm honest"

John nods, giving a small sad smile. It leaves his face a moment later and he's smiling happily again.

"Wow.. So, we're going to have a little girl around the flat in..?"

"Around five and a half months" Sherlock informs. "And yes, it's definitely a girl"

John congratulates him again before leaving to make tea, as he'd spilt his and Sherlock had just come home.

Less than an hour later, Ms Hudson is buzzing around the flat, overjoyed by the news. Sherlock basks in the happy reactions, forgetting all about his brother's words.

Thankfully, no one badgers him about who the father is. He sticks to the idea of there being a few one night stands it could be and no one questions him.

In the back of his mind, however, Sherlock couldn't help but ponder how Jim would react and where he was and what he was doing. As per usual, Sherlock scalds himself for allowing himself to fall in love.

At least, he'd always have a part of him with his Jim. Even if he never saw the man himself again.

He'd never admit it, but a small part of him hoped Jim would turn up again.

Murder someone, text him. Whatever it may be. Sherlock craved the man worse than he'd ever craved any drug.

He needed Jim, almost desperately. But he'd manage without. He had to. For the sake of their daughter.

-

"Alice?" Molly suggests.

Sherlock shakes his head. "No"

"Katie?" That suggestion was from John.

"Certainly not"

All suggestions for names so far had been horrid and Sherlock couldn't think of a nice name either. He had months to decide but typically the discussion of names had become almost immediate within his group of friends.

"Violet?" His mother hints, nudging his shoulder playfully.

Sherlock smiles at her, but shakes his head. He didn't want to name his daughter after his mother.

"Jane?" Molly again.

"Ugh. No. Plain Jane.." Sherlock waves away the suggestion, wrinkling his nose up in distaste.

"Evie?" Violet shrugs, running not of ideas now.

Sherlock snorts. "I'm not naming her after a Pokémon"

John pulls a face, wondering how the hell that didn't get deleted. Surely knowing Pokémon names wasn't something worthy of being saved on Sherlock's oh so previous hard drive.

"Carla? Claire?" John asks, also running out of ideas now.

"They're okay names, Claire's a nice one in fact but it just doesn't seem.. right?" Sherlock make a face, not even sure if his own words made sense.

"If you were a girl I was going to name you Keira" His mum tells him.

"Hmm.." Sherlock hums, considering it. It still didn't seem good enough though.

Part of him wanted to grab his phone and text Jim, asking what he'd call his daughter if he ever had one. He wouldn't though. He was done with Jim, forever.

He was doing this alone.

"Maybe.. Still doesn't seem they the perfect name, though"

Molly, John and Sherlock's mother all sigh. Sherlock smile at them all, knowing they must be tired. Their get together had turned into a brainstorm of names for the baby that was just three months away now.