(Dear Rachel, and dear Dylan.

Happy birthday. I know this is late but I finished it just now and I copied it down from memory as best I could. I think it turned out pretty well. If not, give me a break. It's 12:40 AM and I'm goin from memory, AND this is written on my phone xD

But in all seriousness you two. I love you guys, and I wish I could see you in person to give you a real present or at least a hug (even though I know you detest them, Indy.)

You two are two of my best- and very few friends that I have, and I wish I could do more for you than write some fluff.

Sadly, I live on the opposite side of the country for you, Dylan. And the opposite side of the world nearly to you, Rachel.

Just know that I do the best I can and that I love you both more than I am able to express.

Wow, that got sappy. Sorry heh.

Okay, I need to quit rambling.

Happy Birthday, happy Ragnarök! (whatever that is)

I love you two.

-Han, Anelle, Aim, whatever you wanna call me.)

Val, Sherlock, Gavin, Aim, and Jim would not stop complaining.

Irene had decided that it was a good idea while they were all visiting Spain for the week to take everyone to the beach. Seb had immediately agreed, seeing as he thought everyone was too pale.

Sherlock outright refused because he didn't like wearing swimming attire and Val just didn't like going out.

Jim was the whiniest out of them all, actually trying to bribe people to take him back to the hotel. Gavin was helping bribe.

Aim couldn't swim and didn't like swimsuits.

Irene insisted on going swimsuit shopping (that part no one objected to) and getting everyone a decent tan.

Needless to say, no one but Annabel and SJ were happy when the party got to the beach.

Irene had made Jim rent out the entire beach for the day so they could have it to themselves.

What was a planned day full of swim lessons and tanning was instead a horror for everyone.

Jim ran to the car and locked himself inside with the air conditioning on, messing with his phone.

Gavin had dug a hole in the sand and sat in it with a blanket covering the top. Annabel sat next to said hole, tanning.

Val and Sherlock just sat on the sand under a huge black umbrella with lots of surrounding shade, not speaking to anyone but each other.

Aim refused to go anywhere near the water, which resulted in Seb throwing her in, which resulted in many many death threats.

Poor Irene spent her time trying to coax them into the water and breaking up the occasional fights.

SJ was the only one really enjoying himself, building intricate sand cities and then demolishing them, but he still wouldn't go near the water.

In the end, everyone went home except Val and Sherlock, who had stayed for the 'nighttime beach ambiance' as Annabel had so poetically put it. Everyone really knew why though. Irene and Jim even went to a different part of the beach to do the same.

As the two sociopaths looked around at the dimming and now-empty beach, then at each other, they burst out laughing.

The held-in laughter from the days events had been bubbling up and to keep the unhappy atmosphere around them while Irene was watching was quite the effort- especially when Irene chased Jim to the car.

They laughed and giggled for a few minutes, holding onto each other as the last of the sun went down.

Their noise quieted as the full moon began rising, and they looked out over the beach.

The sand looked white, and the water looked black. Sherlock looked almost fluorescent in the moonlight and Val looked darker.

The two liked the contrasting colors, as everything was just black and white.

Like an old black-and-white film that Val loved and Sherlock was learning to love.

They discussed cases and law and boring things of the like but they soon branched off into their upcoming marriage.

"I want a black dress..." Val said thoughtfully, her arms resting on her knees as she looked out at the black water, leaning on Sherlock.

"I don't think Irene will be too happy with that. It's untraditional," Sherlock answered, his arm around her and his legs outstretched instead of bent like his fiancée's, and his free arm holding himself up with it behind him.

"Screw tradition. I don't care what Irene says; I'm having my wedding how I want it," Val retorted in a rebellious tone, smirking a bit as she said it. Sherlock chuckled and quickly kissed her cheek, his eyes not leaving the moon.

"So what will be traditional then?" He asked, lazily drawing a circle on her bare arm with his finger.

She thought for a moment before answering.

"Not much. I want a little wedding. Just our little group. Maybe Mycroft. And Greg and Mrs. Hudson-"

"Greg?" Sherlock interrupted.

"...Lestrade." She rolled her eyes. He nodded, giving her a teasing smile.

"Them, and no big meal. And the cake. I don't want-"

"What about kids?" Sherlock interjected. She froze and looked at him with a half confused, half scared look. He actually couldn't really tell what she looked like. He just continued.

"We haven't really spoken about it. What about kids? I know you want them, and Irene and Aim will hound us about it. They want to see our 'sexy babies' quote unquote."

She flushed slightly but it couldn't be seen in the light.

"I don't know. I mean, if it happens then it happens. We aren't going to try, but we aren't going to prevent, right?" She mumbled a little, moving down her left hand to fiddle with the sand.

Her husband-to-be looked over at her.

"What's wrong? You do want children, correct?" He asked, frowning and lowering his brows.

"I do. I just..." She trailed off, shrugging and looking at the hand playing in the sand.

"What's wrong?" He repeated, leaning forward a bit to try and get her to look at him. She didn't react. He leaned back again and pursed his lips.

"Alright. Names then. Boy name," he continued, speaking a bit flatly but unable to hide his slight excitement.

"William," she said in a slightly amused tone, a smile tugging at her lips. He chuckled and nodded.

"Hamish," he suggested, purely teasing but Val nodded, much to his surprise. He smiled and nodded again.

"Girl names?" Val finally looked at him.

He thought for only a moment.

"Eleanor," he said quickly, making his accent more posh just to say it.

She smiled now, then thought for another moment.

"Margaret?" She raised an eyebrow, asking herself almost.

Sherlock nodded thoughtfully.

"William Hamish Holmes and/or Eleanor Marharet Holmes..." He trailed off, looking back at the moon and smiling almost proudly.

"I like those," his fiancée said, looking at the moon again with a smile almost identical to her partners. It was different only in a way that it WAS a proud smile, instead of almost.

"The problem is, we'd have to choose. You know, realistically we should choose two full names for each gender in case something unexpected happens like twins, even though that's highly unlikely-" Sherlock was cut off from his ramble by a serious look from Val.

"Would it be bad if we got twins?" She asked, her tone flat. Sherlock shook his head.

"No of course not. No gender of child or number of child you give me will ever be bad," Sherlock told her quickly.

"Oh good," Val sighed, smiling softly and looking back at the water. Sherlock cocked an eyebrow.

"Were you worried?" He knew something was off with her by now. He had been trying to figure it out.

"A bit, yeah. I was afraid two would be too much for you," she responded casually, nodding some.

His eyes got huge as he quickly made connections.

"Are you-?!"

She looked at him and gave him a sly grin.

His eyes got huger if that was possible.

"Twins?!" He was nearly shouting by now.

She grinned wider and the sly disappeared, replaced by pure joy, and she nodded.

His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he flung himself on her in a large, tight hug.

She quickly tapped on his back and he let her go, grinning stupidly and running a hand through his hair.

"Val... Val this is great! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He took her hands and pulled her on his lap, facing her then moved his hands to her waist, beaming up at her.

"I just found out a couple days ago they were twins, but I've been pregnant for a while now," she told him happily, beaming just as wide as him.

"You were kind enough to not mention my weight and diet change," she added, chuckling a bit.

He shook his head fondly then pulled her to him, kissing her deeply and moving his hands to her just slight baby bump that he had been very uncharacteristically kind to not point out.

She kissed him back quickly and slid her hands into his hair.

He broke away before anything else could hapen, having one more thing to say as always.

"You're gonna be the best mum."

It was all he could say before Val pulled him to her again to kiss him deeply.

(Things escalated obviously, but that's between them, so I'm not including it ;D)