A/N I wasn't really planning on a third chapter…but I kinda watched Terror of the Autons and found out it was the last episode with the Brig in for about 8 years. And it was the last episode with Harry Sullivan in. I was heartbroken. So this. Well, I think there will be a Harry/Sarah story coming up soon. Although, I was thinking of doing a rewrite from the third doctor, because he is such a matchmaker in his earlier regenerations, but then they all start loving him. So I figured, if he was extremely obviously taken and in love with that person, who would Sarah fall for? Harry of course! And this woman can prompt Liz and the Brig into a relationship… And I really don't have that much time on my hands, I have far too much studying to do. But I think it will end up being done anyway…

Anyway, all of that is entirely irrelevant to this story. This chapter WILL BE THE LAST! (I think) and takes place a few months after Brigs retirement. He is bored…

Disclaimer: Usual. I don't own DW. I own 7 classic whos, and up to series 5 of the new series. (Jon Pertwee is my favourite doctor! So, I'm rather looking forward to seeing what Capaldi brings to the role.)

….

He had been retired five weeks, and three days. It was a Saturday. Saturday's used to be exciting, well, the few he managed to get off anyway. Saturday's meant visiting his two favourite ladies and taking his girls to the seaside (downside was having to deal with his ex-wife's snide comments about his new partner). Now, Saturdays were like Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Nothing happened. Liz was nearing a major breakthrough with her research, so was eating, breathing and sleeping her theories. He knew what she was like, he really did. Liz loved her work. Just like he had loved his work. They both had that passionate personality type. Made life more interesting certainly.

Except, now Liz wasn't really there. She would float in at the normal time, give him a kiss and chatter distractedly about their days while she poured over notes. She would climb into bed, the results from her experiment her nighttime reading, and usually would wake up halfway through the night with some inspired thought she just had to write down to tell Chesterton the next day. It was good to see her so excited, and Alistair truly loved the way her eyes would light up with enthusiasm when she was explaining something to him. She truly loved imparting information. She was just so busy…

If Alistair was honest, he was bored. Civillian life really did not suit him at all. He liked being active, kept busy, that sort of thing. He had been offered a Whitehall policy job, and it scared both himself and Liz how seriously he was actually considering it. He had been going to woodworking sessions, and was actually getting reasonably good at whittling again. He never had time in UNIT. Now he had buckets of it. Time, that was.

He needed something to distract him during the week. The weekends, every weekend (except this one – Liz had some conference and Katie was going to a sleepover) was spent with Liz and Katie, it was an unspoken agreement. Except Liz had been so busy with work recently that she hadn't gone down to Cornwall with him for at least two consecutive weeks. Katie kept asking after Liz on the phone, and Liz asking after Katie when she got back. He missed them. Both of them.

Maybe he should call Benton, ask if her fancied popping down to the bar… catch up… UNIT hadn't called upon his wisdom yet. No alien incursions that were too confusing/abstract/generally absurd for Benton to handle on his own… He rather missed the lad. Benton had been a good friend. But. Benton was now in charge of the troops… which meant he no longer understood what a Saturday night or a Bank Holiday meant. He would be working. And, well, Alistair could sympathise more than anyone, and despite Benton probably welcoming the intrusion, Alistair wouldn't give the poor fellow more work for Sunday.

So here he was, on a Saturday night, staring morosely at the television set, watching a rather extraordinarily dull games show of sorts, a tumbler full of whisky in his hand and a single empty plate in the sink. He had no idea how normal people coped. He had read all of the books that he had been stacking up over twenty five years service.

He had always known that adapting to civvy street was going to be absurdly difficult…but he never anticipated how difficult it would be. Maybe it was the house. Liz had bought it ready furnished, all finished and well put together so she wouldn't have to worry about fixing the house up while her head was full of physics and chemistry experiments. In all fairness, she would be quite distracted when her head was full of theories. It was rather amusing to watch her realise that she had left half of her dinner to reference something mid sentence.

Maybe he should buy a big house… One that needed a lot of work. He still had a month before he needed to make a decision on the Whitehall job. It would give him something to do. And Fiona might then let Katie stay over. And Liz could have a room for her tinkering, they could have a shared study, with bookshelves and a fire and armchairs…

Alistair sat and mused on this domestic daydream, imagining Katie coming into the study to ask Liz for help with her homework or asking her daddy to read with her, when he heard the key in the lock. He shot up in shock, Liz wasn't due back until the next evening.

Instantly, the seasoned soldier was on his guard, pulling a handgun from the desk drawer and moving slowly and carefully towards the door. Whoever it was, they were having trouble with the door. And using keys…

Then the door opened, and just before Alistair could whip round the corner and point his gun at the intruder, he heard Liz's voice float through, muttering at the door. Alistair relaxed and smiled slightly at her words. Liz and her door had a few unresolved issues.

"Liz?" He called, slipping the gun back into the drawer.

"Alistair?" Liz called back. "Stay there! I have a surprise for you!"

"Liz," He sighed, a smile on his face. He could practically hear the grin on her face. She was excited about whatever it was. "You know I don't like surprises."

"You'll like this one," she said gleefully. "Close your eyes!"

Obediently, Alistair closed his eyes, disliking having one of his senses prohibited. He heard Liz's heels clipping, then the rapid patter of a different pair of feet. Then, suddenly, something wrapped its arms around his waist.

Startled, Alistair opened his eyes and looked down to see his gap-toothed seven year old grinning up at him. He blinked in shock, the looked up at Liz, to see her leaning against the doorway smiling softly.

"Hey Tiger!" He scooped Kate up to give her a bristly kiss and hug her close. "What are you doing here?"

"Liz picked me up Daddy!" Kate said excitedly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "We had grown up girl bonding time on the way up. We got ice-cream at a survish station!"

"Service, Katie," Liz corrected from by the door. Alistair looked at her, startled, adjusting Kate so he could pull Liz into a one-armed hug.

"How did you manage it?" He asked in awe. He knew how much his ex-wife disliked Liz, and Liz's influence on Katie.

"I called her up earlier this week," Liz smirked, ruffling Katie's hair and chuckling as the little girl pouted and attempted to straighten it again. "And I told her that she had better get used to having me around, and I said that I missed her, and that I would be picking Katie up at around lunch time today, and you and I were taking her on holiday for a week."

"What?" Alistair asked, shocked. "And she let you?! Hang on, where are we taking her?"

"Lake District," Liz smiled mischievously. "Her stuff, and mine, is in the car. As is yours. I've been collecting suitable clothing for a few days now. I just need that jumper that you are so fond of. You would have noted that it was missing and I couldn't risk ruining the surprise!"

"Surprise Daddy!" Katie interjected with a big toothy grin "Are you excited? Liz got us a holiday!"

"But you're supposed to be at a conference…"

"I didn't need to go," Liz shrugged nonchalantly, lifting Katie from her fathers arms and putting her down on the floor. The little girl instantly leaned against her legs, Liz's hands on her shoulder. "Besides, I have a family now! And I think I've rather been neglecting you both for my work. Ian can cope without me for a week, nothing else is going to happen, and if it does. Well. It can jolly well wait!"

"So, let me get this straight," Alistair clarified, slipping back into his Brigadier persona a little. "You are taking a week off during a critical point in your research, to take my daughter and myself up to the Lake District for a week?"

"What do you think Katie?" Liz addressed the little girl. "Does that just about sum it up?"

"Yep," Katie said, beaming. "Come on Daddy! We need to get you finished packing, and get the car loaded up and for Liz to find the maps to the hotel. Then she is going to plot a route, and we are going to drive up to windymum-"

"Windmere," Liz corrected gently. Alistair wondered when Katie had started to even sound like Liz. No wonder Fiona had such an issue with his red-headed other half.

"Yes, Windymere, tomorrow morning! So we all need to go to bed nice and early…" Suddenly, the little girl frowned and turned to Liz, "Liz," she asked curiously. "Where am I going to sleep?"

"You can have the second bedroom," Liz said gently.

"But where will daddy sleep!" The little girl asked horrified "Doesn't daddy sleep in the second bedroom?"

Liz maintained composure for a few seconds before bursting out laughing at the distinctly uncomfortable look on Alistair's face. His eyes begged for her help.

"Why don't you ask daddy that question," Liz said, still chuckling. Alistair had turned rather red. How does one explain to ones seven year old daughter about adults sharing a bedroom…

"Well, you see Tiger," he started confidently, "I think I will be have to have a sleepover in Liz's room tonight. If Liz doesn't mind that is?"

"Of course not Alistair," Liz bite back another chuckle.

Kate frowned again, and put her hands on her hips. "But I want a sleepover! Can I come and stay in your room too Liz?"

Liz had to look away to stop herself from hurting the little girls feelings. Oh, you couldn't pay for entertainment like this!

"Well…" Alistair shuffled about. Kate raised an eyebrow. And Liz couldn't help herself and burst out laughing.

"Oh Alistair look!" she laughed, "She's inherited your look and the eyebrow! Now Katie, don't look like that sweetie. You can't have a sleepover in my room because you need to go to bed now so you'll be all bright and ready for our holiday tomorrow, and daddy and I wouldn't want to wake you up when we come to bed after getting everything ready now would I? Good girl. Also.." Liz knelt down to the little girls level and bopped her on the nose. "Daddy isn't really having a sleepover in my bedroom, because its daddy's bedroom as well. Daddy and I share a room, so if you have a nightmare, or you need daddy or me in the middle of the night, you just need to come and get us. Ok sweetie?"

Kate looked at Liz confused for a few seconds, before slowly saying "Like mummy and Mike share a bedroom? But I'm not allowed to go to see mummy on those nights. She says I need to be a big girl and sleep all by my own."

Liz felt Alistair's sharp, indignant intake of breath, privately thinking that the two of them really couldn't judge!

"Well, sort of like mummy and Mike," Liz said, pushing Kate's hair behind her ears "Except that we will leave the door open so you can come in if you want to. How about that Tiger?"

Kate seemed to ponder for a few minutes, before nodding and smiling. "But can we all have a sleepover when we're on holiday?"

"With ice cream and movies Tiger," Liz smiled, patting Kate's shoulder and standing straight again. "Now, why don't you go and get your rucksack, then daddy can take you up to bed, and maybe – if you ask really nicely, he'll even read you a bedtime story as well. What do you think?"

Kate beamed, and went darting off to the front door. Taking the chance, Alistair wrapped his arms round Liz's waist to pull her in for a quick hello kiss. "Have I ever told you how amazing you are?" He murmured against her ear.

He felt Liz smile as she replied "A sleepover in Liz's room? Really"

Yes, he really did love this woman. Suddenly, Saturday wasn't such a boring day after all…

A/N So, this tale took on rather a life of its own I do believe! No plan, nothing. Just…me, and a keyboard and words. Kinda sweet and fluffy And at the conclusion of this chapter… well, I can rather think of a few more! Irritatingly enough, so there may be more chapters to come.