The Doctor had never felt so tired in all of his lives. He was bone-achingly exhausted; his eyes were heavy and scratchy, and he had the beginnings of a tension headache coming on, causing him to be much more irritable than he would have liked. He had just snapped at Rose for something that wasn't her fault; in an attempted apology, he took the screaming baby from her and ushered her to the loo, where a hot bath was waiting for her.
"C'mon, love," he murmured to their newborn. "This life isn't all that bad, I promise. There's so much to learn and explore, and there are so many people here that love you. Oh, yes, darling. Your mummy and I love you very, very much, and so does your Grandma Jackie and your Grandpa Pete, and even your Uncle Tony, even if he is disappointed you're too little to play with him yet."
He continued talking nonsense at his infant daughter, walking around their flat in a daze. He trekked into the kitchen, into the office, into their bedroom, and back to the sitting room, making that loop multiple times.
The Doctor was just telling his daughter about the day he'd met her Mum when the overwhelming silence seemed deafening. He glanced down and saw that the baby was finally asleep.
Breathing out a soft sigh of relief, he gingerly sat down on the sofa, taking great care not to jostle the infant. He nearly panicked when the baby wriggled just as his bum hit the seat, but she thankfully settled down again.
She had squirmed enough to place her head directly over his heart, and her tiny little hands were clutching his t-shirt, gripping him tightly to her.
The Doctor's throat felt swollen and achy from the sheer love he felt for his daughter. He never once thought he would get a second chance of having a family, let alone have the chance to have a family with Rose. Suddenly, he didn't mind the exhaustion, because if that was the price for this beautiful life, he would gladly pay it every time.
He pressed his lips to his daughter's soft hair, inhaling that wonderful baby scent, before leaning his head back.
When Rose entered the sitting room twenty minutes later, her heart melted when she saw her husband and daughter sleeping peacefully on the sofa.