Tempered by Love

Chapter 35 Dreams and Special Cuddles

Author's note: Picture fan art by LicieOIC. 

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Two days of the week garnered most of Rose's attention; Fridays and Mondays. Fridays because the day signalled the end of the work week, affording her the chance to spend hours wrapped in his arms. And then Mondays which she increasingly hated. The day meant an early morning drive back to a flat still under renovation for another week without him whilst she dealt with the world. She didn't know if a person could nest so early on in a pregnancy or if the bond strengthened the desire, but every time she came to this house, her urge for a real family grew.

After losing the Doctor, she'd never thought it possible to love someone like this again. But Rose did. It might have started in drips and drabs, but from the moment she realised how deeply she'd come to love Daniel, her life changed forever. His arms wrapped around her, his mouth devouring hers, she ached to join with him. Her heart pounded; her breath came in gasps. When he pulled back and looped his arm around her waist, it was all she could do to stand. Somewhere between self-recrimination, reminders of the no cuddling rule and worries Mrs Webb might discover them snogging on the sofa, Rose took his hand and led him up the stairs to their safe zone.

His pensive eyes reminded her how much she had to learn about control. He grinned that lopsided grin that always made her toes and so much more curl and then squeezed her hand. She expected him to pull her through his office to the TARDIS, instead he stopped outside Robbie's room and peeked in. Finn lifted his head from his place on the bed, his tail thumping gently against the mattress. Daniel eased the door closed and nodded toward his bedroom. In their weeks together, they'd never spent the night in this bedroom. She knew he felt uncomfortable taking her into the place where he'd made love to Nora and conceived his sons. This was the place where they'd made plans and held each other during those nights when he suffered nightmares and she'd told her secret worries about Ian. Rose pulled back. It felt like walking into a shrine to another age.

Daniel cupped her face and kissed her, soft and sweet, making her lips tingle.

"I thought we would cuddle or -- maybe -- even dance ... in the TARDIS. That's where we always stay," she said.

"Not anymore. Do you remember when you told me that now we had to live in the real world?" Daniel said.

"Yeah," she whispered.

"Well, this is me doing that," he said pointing to his room, "I am knackered, and I just want to watch telly with your head on my chest and the remote in my hand, worrying about nothing more than whether Kyle has that shrill-voiced toad on tonight."

"But I've never .... Robbie, what if he wakes up?" she asked.

"I think we need to explain things to Robbie -- tomorrow," he said opening the door.

Not much had changed since the autumn. He'd taken down her portrait, but the nightstand still held family pictures. Carefully placed portrait sized photos, capturing the kids and the Scottish landscape, hung around the room and decorated the dresser. It was the bedroom of a man who loved his family. The hand carved headboard, with its Gallifreyan symbols, still took her breath. If she traced the symbols path, it would form a ribbon tied in a simple bow.

"So ...." he said.

"You didn't change much." she said.

"No. Put her portrait in Robbie's room, got a new duvet. I'll just go...." he said, nodding toward the loo.

"Right," she said as she surveyed the room. The TV sat on the dresser, its remote lay on the right side of the bed. That made sense. If someone woke up in the middle of the night he had a straight line out the door, unencumbered by any obstacles. She walked over, and turned the TV on, snorting when Graham Kyle popped on. She wondered when he'd last actually slept in this room. Visions of Nora cuddled next to him, watching some show, popped in her head. She huffed and turned for the bed. Rose slid under the duvet, sinking into a mattress that supported every inch of her tired body.