221B Recs

Title: Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Baker's Yeast)
Author: yaycoffee
Pairing: John/Sherlock, Sherlock/Sally
Length: 60,893 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Sometimes, one makes an imprudent decision born of a devastating combination of drink and sentiment. Sometimes, the consequences of that decision take on a life of their own. And sometimes, the facing of those consequences shapes every aspect of one's life--from the hugely meaningful down to the seemingly insignificant.

Reccer's comments: The first thing that hooked me in this fic was the premise: Sally and Sherlock seek (ill-advised, alcohol-fueled) comfort in each other for their wounded hearts, and Sally ends up pregnant. I've seen a couple of Parentlock fics before with Sally as the mother, but they started much later, after the child was born. Here, the main story deals with everything that came before. And all of that - the way Sherlock, Sally, and John handle the situation - is what really moved this fic up to the top of the pile for me. I think the author has done a great job showing how each of the characters tries to do the right thing, straddling lines as they try to protect themselves and allow for the feelings and rights of everyone else. Sherlock and John aren't an acknowledged couple at the start of the story, but as these things tend to happen, the situation forces them both to take a closer look at how they relate to each other and how they want the rest of their lives to go.

They’ve seen each other often since they’d had sex, either at crime scenes or at the NSY offices, and both had done a decent job of pretending as though it had never happened. It hadn’t even been awkward—simply back to the normal business of open dislike and public insults, if they spoke at all. He doesn’t really know what to think of this sudden need for a private conversation.

“What is this about, Sally?” Sherlock asks plainly.

She takes a deep breath, eyes on the pale yellow liquid in her cup. She clears her throat. “Right,” she says, suddenly looking up, eyes determinedly not moving from his. “I’m pregnant. It’s yours. I’m keeping it.”

Sherlock is not often surprised, but he feels as though someone has punched him directly in the stomach, hard. He opens his mouth, but for once—words utterly fail him. “What?”

In addition to exploring the John/Sherlock side of things, the story features an extensive and in-depth portrayal of Sally, including insights into her family, career, and personal life. I came away from this feeling that the author didn't simply use the pregnancy as a plot device in the service of getting John and Sherlock together, but treated the situation with a great deal of thought and respect. Add a couple of very piquant cases to the mix, and this was a superbly done, well-rounded piece of work.