Warning: the following contains a very fluffy ending. I feel like I'm made of candyfloss after writing this! (Sorry it's taken so long, assignments are looming).

Hopefully it won't take me so long next time!

Enjoy, Reader :)

L_M_D

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree...

The Doctor and Rose were relaxing in the TARDIS lounge, on a rare bit of down time from chasing aliens, running away from aliens, and generally interacting with anyone except the two of them.

A comfortable silence had fallen some minutes ago. The Doctor perused a book they'd picked up in an alien mall some weeks ago; Rose had closed her eyes and was starting to nod off.

No screaming. No running. No dying. Rose had forgotten what it was to relax. Just a warm room, a comfortable chair, the distant sound of birdsong….

Hang on. She thought. What?

She strained to listen. Definitely birdsong. She nudged the Doctor with a foot.

"What?" he asked, slightly disgruntled.

"I can hear birds. Like tweeting and stuff!"

"I think you're dreaming!" he laughed.

He stopped short suddenly as from close by came the unmistakeable twittering.

"Rose? I think I can hear birds on the TARDIS!"

"You don't say?" Rose rolled her eyes sarcastically, and stood up. "Come on then, we better go and have a look."

They crept quietly down the halls. It would have been silent except for Rose's occasional interjections about how she was finally enjoying a day of peace and flipping quiet

The Doctor hushed her as he stopped outside a seemingly arbitrary door. He opened it to reveal… a broom cupboard.

"Really, Doctor?" Rose raised a teasing eyebrow.

"Just hold on a second, I think I've got something…." The rest of the sentence was muffled as the Doctor stuck his head in the cupboard and rummaged around.

He pulled himself upright, a triumphant grin on his face.

"There!" he said proudly. In his hand was a net, the kind you might see a cartoon character catching butterflies with. Rose suspected it was actually taller than her.

"Come on!" The Doctor took Rose by the hand, dragging her along the corridor.

They crept along silently as the twittering grew louder. Turning into a short corridor, they saw it… a small starling was hopping and pecking hopefully along the floor. The Doctor turned to Rose and raised a finger to his lips, before turning back and, taking exaggeratedly quiet steps, moved towards the bird.

Unfortunately, the tiny bird outwitted the 900 year old Time Lord, and flew away, cueing much laughter from Rose as the Doctor ran after it, waving the net wildly and shouting.

Three hours later and three starlings had successfully been caught and released into the Cardiff countryside. The Doctor had found Rose an extra net, and the pair had split up, each searching for the elusive fourth bird. They could hear its call, but every time they thought they'd found it, the tweeting reappeared from another part of the TARDIS. The Doctor was beginning to think his old machine was playing tricks on them…

Rose crept silently along one corridor, sides still aching from laughing with the Doctor as they caught the third bird. The tweeting was definitely getting louder; she couldn't wait to see the Doctor's face when she showed him the final starling, nestled in the little carry box she was holding. It would serve him right for not believing her at first. Her back to the TARDIS wall, she peered slowly around a corner. There it was! Contentedly hopping along the floor, just like the first one, occasionally letting out a happy note. She gathered herself together, prepared her net, and flung herself around the corner, desperate to catch it so she could go back to nodding off on the couch.

She collided with the Doctor at full speed, and both of them crashed to the TARDIS floor, legs, arms and nets tangled.

"Oooft! Bloody hell, Doctor, what are you doing here?!"

"Trying to catch that starling, what are you doing here?!"

"Same… Where is it?"

From their slightly uncomfortable vantage point they tried, unsuccessfully, to locate the bird.

"Bloomin' gone now that you great lumps gone and scared it off!"

"I've scared it off? You were the one waving your net about like I don't know what!" The Doctor turned his face to look at Rose, before realising he was half laying on top of her and quickly moving to extricate himself from the tangle, muttering about how he must be too heavy.

She blushed and pushed herself slightly more upright.

The Doctor offered her a hand, and pulled her upright. They stood awkwardly blushing for a moment.

"Thanks…" Rose said, eventually.

"It's okay…" he went to ruffle a hand through his already dishevelled hair. It was only then that he realised he was still holding on to Rose.

To the surprise of both of them, he didn't let go.

"Let's umm.. let's go get a cuppa, shall we?" he grinned slightly.

"Yeah," Rose nodded. "Tea sounds good… But what about the bird?"

"Oh, he'll be okay. I'm sure we'll find him later."

Rose nodded again, and they walked towards the kitchen.