Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

A/N: Hi guys! As promised, I'm writing a side story which covers the gap of time in between chapters eleven and twelve of 'Pregnant Preparations'. It won't be updated as often as 'The TARDIS Family', but it will have a few themed chapters and a lot of cuteness, especially in the early chapters.

Chapter One – Tears and Tiredness

Once Sister Andrea and the other staff were satisfied that both Romana and Emily were both healthy, the Time Lords prepared to leave the TARDIS. This process involved taking Romana back to the TARDIS in a wheelchair, with Emily in a carrier. Then the memories all of all the staff on the ward were wiped, just to be on the safe side; they couldn't have rumours of a new Gallifreyan infant floating around the hospital and then around the galactic sector.

The Doctor collected all records of Emily's existence, and memorised every single detail on them, storing the information away in his mind. Then he tore the papers into tiny pieces, and set fire to them. When they were nothing but ash, he brushed it over to the door. The TARDIS hung in deep space; he opened the door and brushed the ashes out into nothingness.

Romana balked at the idea of going back to their cloud. "It's too dangerous! What if she crawls out the door and off the cloud? Or the cloud evaporates? Don't look at me like that, it could happen!" she'd insisted, on the verge of tears. So to placate her, they landed the TARDIS at Madame Vastra's home. Jenny had all but squealed with glee at the sight of Emily. "Oh, ma'am, she's adorable. I'd be quite happy to baby sit her if you ever want me to" she offered at once, cooing at Emily.

Then Strax stomped up and declared "I think, boy, I am much better equipped than you to care for this infant. Unlike you, I am equipped with supplies of first rate lactic fluid".

"So am I, and mine weren't gene spliced! Besides, Romana won't want a Sontaron taking care of her little angel; Emily needs love and tenderness, not military commands and grenades" Jenny retorted. Romana hugged Emily a bit closer to her chest and said "Um, thank you for the offer…both of you…but I can manage".

Jenny looked unconvinced. "Are you sure, ma'am? Looking after a baby is a lot of work" she pointed out, but Romana just pasted on a smile and nodded. "Oh, I know, but Emily and I are psychically linked. She can just tell me what she needs – like now, she says she…needs changing, ah heh, I'm just going to…" Romana fled back to the TARDIS, leaving the others staring after her. The Corsair offered an ominous prediction. "This isn't going to end well".

/

As far as Romana was concerned, looking after Emily would be a piece of cake. She'd memorised all the instructions about how to bathe Emily, change her nappies, and dress her; she'd even practised on a doll! Of course, a doll didn't wriggle as much as Emily…but so long as she stayed with her daughter, and stayed awake, everything would go swimmingly, and her little one wouldn't even have to cry. The problem was that she was exhausted, full of hormones, and generally not thinking straight.

The Doctor, Flavia and the Corsair, as well as Jenny, all offered to help look after Emily, but Romana refused. "I'm fine!" she snapped, when the Doctor tried to convince her to let him put Emily to bed. She began to wail, and Romana simultaneously gave him a death glare whilst attempting to sooth their daughter, rocking her gently. The Doctor backed away slowly, hands up in surrender; it wasn't until he was out of the actual room that Romana calmed down and smiled at Emily, kissing her little head and laying her down in her cot, rocking that as well.

After just two days of attempting to look after Emily on her own, Romana began to wonder if she was going mad. She kept hearing things; Emily crying when she wasn't, footsteps behind her when she was holding Emily that turned out to be the creaks of the TARDIS, and shadows in the nursery that she thought were everything from the Silence to Weeping Angels. "You're not mad, dear. Your maternal instincts are in overdrive but your hormones are messing with your head" the Doctor explained to her, "darling, you need to rest".

"No, I'm fine. I can manage. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to give Emily a bath" she insisted – before walking out of the nursery. She came back in a moment later, picked Emily up from her cot, and walked out again. The Doctor ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. He had to get her to rest; he gave her a couple of minute's head start so she wouldn't realise he was following her, and then he trailed his wife to a bathroom.

What he found when he walked in almost stopped both his hearts. Romana was falling asleep over the bathtub, holding Emily up with one hand; the baby had her fingers curled around strands of Romana's hair as her head drooped over the tub. The Doctor rushed over, pulling Romana back with one hand and holding onto Emily with the other. "Ow!" she winced as Emily pulled her hair, "Wh-what? Oh no, oh dear, I'm sorry, I just"-

"Romana, please, please get some sleep and let me take care of Emily" the Doctor insisted firmly, determined not to take no for an answer this time. Romana shook her head helplessly. "I can't, I have to…have to prove…"

"You don't have to prove anything to me, or anyone else"

"No. I was trying to prove it to myself, that I could do this, be a mum but I can't, I can't do it, I"…Romana dissolved into tears, and Emily, distressed by seeing her mum upset, burst into a wail as well. The Doctor scooped her out of the shallow water and tucked her against his chest with one arm, ignoring the dampness seeping through his sleeve. He put his arm around Romana's shoulders and held them both close, murmuring comforting words and sending them feelings of love until they'd both calmed down.

When Romana had stopped sobbing and was looking at him with red rimmed eyes, he told her "You are a wonderful mother, and you don't need to take care of Emily all by yourself to prove that. Being a mum is supposed to be hard, you're allowed to ask for help, and you have four people willing to look after your baby whilst you rest. I know you were just trying to be a good mum, but this has to stop. If you won't do it for me, then do it for Emily. Just look at this face" he said. Romana looked down at her daughter, who gazed up at her with those lovely blue eyes, and said Mummy sleep.

Romana choked out a laugh. "Okay. You're right. I'll go to sleep…will you finish giving Emily her bath?" she asked the Doctor, and Emily grizzled. No bath! The Doctor smiled, bouncing her in his arms slightly, and said "Sorry, sweetheart, but you do need a bath. I'll put her to bed and everything, don't you worry" he assured Romana. She got to her feet and began to leave the bathroom, but then she turned back. "What about feeding her? I always feed her before she goes to bed, I'm the only one who can" she pointed out.

"Um, actually Time Tots can drink regular milk and err, your milk…it's a sort of failsafe in case the mother regenerates before the baby is weaned onto more solid food, and she either stops producing milk or turns into a man…didn't you read about that in the books?" he asked. Romana just stared at him, stunned. She slowly turned on her heel and walked away in a daze; he could only hope it was towards their bedroom. Mummy odd Emily commented.

"Yeah, your mum has been acting a bit odd lately. She was just trying her best…now, let's give you that bath. Oh, don't grumble, you were going to have a bath sooner or later…"

/

Once he'd given Emily her bath, the Doctor dried her off, put a clean nappy on her, and dressed her in Donna's 'Time Tot' outfit. She looked absolutely adorable, getting cooed and fussed over by Flavia and Jenny alike. The Doctor did a fair bit of fussing himself, but it was his daughter after all. Romana's misguided attempt to prove herself led to him not spending much one on one time with Emily, and he was more than making up for it now.

He loved this little girl more than anything else in the entire universe. It made his hearts melt to hold her in his arms, and see her gaze up at him with an endearingly confused expression, like she wasn't sure what to make of him. Her big round eyes were a bright shade of blue, glinting with wonder even now, and her hair was already grown into sweet yellow brown fuzz. She was fond of squirming and wriggling, kicking her little feet energetically. "So much for her not taking after the Doctor, eh?" the Corsair chuckled, "two days old and she's already running".

The Doctor gave Emily a bottle of milk; she was reluctant to drink from it at first, but he managed to convince her it was the milk she normally had, and after that she couldn't get enough of it. Then he cuddled her and read her bedtime stories, all the good ones, until she needed changing again; and then it was time for bed. Goodnight, my little angel. Sweet dreams he murmured gently as he laid her in the cot. Daddy?

Yes, sweetheart?

Give mummy hug

I will, darling, I promise

He turned the lights to 'night time mode', closed the door softly behind him, and just as quietly opened the door on the right. He got ready for bed, slipped under the covers and wrapped his arms around Romana, burying his nose in her strawberry scented hair.