There was something about those two that really freaked Francine out. The way he looked at her, the way his eyes strayed to his surroundings as if looking for potential danger, they way he wouldn't let his eyes leave her. And the way she kept her hand resting on his as if she was soothing him, the way she smiled at him every other second, the way she jumped to his defence at the slightest criticism or challenge that came his way. It was like devotion, but so much more.

Two months had passed since they'd returned from their honeymoon- the Doctor and Martha, that was, of course. It had been a mundane few months (excluding one particular incident when her daughter had materialised in the TARDIS, given her Jenny to look after, shouting something about a distress call and needing Jenny to be safe and promptly disappeared) but now everyone was round her house to celebrate little Keisha's tenth birthday. Tenth! Francine could remember when Keisha was born, all that ago in 2003. And how worried she had been. A dad at seventeen! And now Leo was twenty-seven, and Martha was technically twenty-nine but she hadn't aged in the last three years so she looked twenty seven but she didn't because everyone said Martha looked younger than she was…

And now Francine was babbling, because everything was going so fast and nobody told her anything.

The Doctor, Martha and Jenny had been the first to arrive. Jenny, who had just turned three, had squealed excitedly and lapped the living room at least six times, laughing manically.

"Hello," said Francine weakly, eyeing her third grandchild as she dived over her favourite reclining sofa.

"Hello Mum," said Martha, breezing in, hugging her gently. Francine hadn't seen her so happy for ages. "Sorry about this, the Doctor introduced her to some alien sweets, they're higher in sugar than most earth ones… how are you?"

"Me? Oh I'm ok… Martha how did you get that cut on your cheek? Have you cleaned it out properly?"

"Mum, I'm a doctor, I know how to treat a tiny little cut. And it was nothing major. There was this thing we got caught up in. I need to use the loo." And she drifted out the room.

"Hello Francine," said the Doctor, kissing the old woman's cheek. "Nice to see you."

"What thing? What have you been getting her into?" Francine moaned.

"It won't happen again," he said.

"Grandma, you're wearing the necklace I made you!" Jenny said, skidding to a halt against the Doctor's legs.

"What? Oh, yes, darling. Thank you. But seriously Doctor, are you taking care of her?"

"I'm taking very good care of her," he said solemnly. "As is she of me." At that moment the doorbell rang again and Clive appeared, and the Doctor and Jenny were ignored for a few seconds. The Doctor sighed a long breath and picked up the hyperactive Jenny for a hug.

"What's wrong?" asked Martha, returning from the bathroom.

"Your Mum thinks I'm not looking after you properly." Martha pouted and kissed him quickly.

"I'll talk to her," she said. "Oh, hello Dad."

"Martha," he beamed. "Doctor, good to see you." The two men shook hands warmly and started a conversation about something mechanical that Martha wasn't in the least bit interested in. She sighed, and was almost knocked off her feet as Megan ran into the room. Jenny began shrieking in excitement and struggled out of the Doctor's arms (he had to lower her down to prevent her from falling and cracking her head open) and the two three year olds began to run around the house madly.

"No! Jenny, no, careful!" Martha cried, as the young children weaved in and out of the legs and items of furniture that provided the ultimate obstacle cause for toddlers. But she didn't have to run very far; they collided into Leo as he walked through the door.

"Whoa!" Leo swore softly, earning a slap from his mother ("not in front of the children") as the bottle of wine he had brought tipped from his hands. The Doctor leapt forward and grabbed the bottle before it crashed onto the floor.

"Nice catch mate," said Leo, taking back the bottle with a relieved grin. "How d'you get there so fast?"

"I play a lot of squash," said the Doctor without blinking. "Good reflexes."

"You can say that again," said Martha, smiling sweetly when Francine stared sharply in her direction. Jenny stumbled and fell at her mother's feet, her cheeks flushed, giggling madly. Martha picked her up and marched her across the room. "You are sitting down right here, on this sofa with a glass of water until you calm right down." Jenny blinked innocently and sniggered across the room at where Megan was having a similar conversation with Shonara.

"Don't do this to me baby," Martha whispered. "Not today. Just please, please, please be good for Mummy." She smoothed her daughter's dark hair back from her face and fanned her with her hand. "God, you're so overheated."

"Martha," said the Doctor. "Calm down. I've got this." Martha smiled and stood up.

"Thank you," she said, leaning in for a hug. From the other side of the room, talking to Clive about how disgraceful it was to introduce her granddaughter to alien products without her say so, Francine's eyes opened wide. What was going on? So now Martha found it to strenuous to gently tell of her own daughter? The Doctor apparently thought so. And Martha had let him. What the hell was going on? He'd always been looking out for her, despite her previous accusations. But he'd never been this… tense. She'd been watching him throughout his conversation with Leo about whatever the hell they were talking about and all this time his eye had never left his wife. Then, at the first sign of Martha partaking in anything active (erm… bending down to speak to her three-year-old child sitting on the sofa) he had rushed in to assist her. And what's more, Martha hadn't protested! This was the woman who, when on a family holiday at the age of fifteen, had cracked three ribs but still insisted on staying until her sister had performed her dance routine at a show she had been spotted for by local talent spotters. And now she was allowing a man who she insisted she could more than hold her own with help her with the simplest of tasks! Very, very odd.

"Water," said the Doctor, pressing a glass into Jenny's hand. "Small sips, Jenny, small sips." Jenny buried her nose in the cup and Martha looked into the Doctor's eyes.

"I love you," she said. The Doctor pressed his lips against hers, cradling her face in his soft hands. She smiled, her arms looping around his neck, pulling him in closer. Then she gasped as the pair of them were knocked onto the couch when their daughter tunnelled through their legs like a desperate rabbit burrowing under a fence.

"Jenny!" Martha began to laugh as they lay on the sofa, their arms draped over each other as Jenny made a break for Megan. Fortunately Shonara prevented a very nasty accident by diving between Jenny and the glass doors. Smiling grimly, she dragged Jenny back over to her parents.

"Does this belong to you?" she quipped.

"Ok, stop this right now young lady," said the Doctor to his daughter. "There is nothing to stop us turning round and going straight home."

"Why don't you three girls sit down with a quiet board game," said Francine, zooming in to save the day. "I think I have some upstairs from when my three were kids. I'll just go and get some." And she disappeared.

Keisha crossed over to Martha, who hugged her eldest niece, who she hadn't seen yet that day. "Hey honey. Happy birthday."

"Thanks," said Keisha. She was a picture of childlike beauty, her light brown skin smooth, her eyes calm, and her expression cool and collected. "Thank you for my present. I'll be able to thank you for real when I really open it."

"Whatever you like," said Martha. She gestured at the two young girls and rolled her eyes. "I'm hoping Jenny will calm down within the next hour or I might have to lock her in the bathroom." Keisha giggled uncertainly, not really sure if her aunt was joking.

"Dad said I should write a thank you card for you. But I don't really see the point. Your home sort of moves around doesn't it?"

"Just a little," said Martha. "So, how are you?" The aunt and niece sat down by Jenny, who climbed onto her lap.

"Calmed down now," said Jenny. "Can I-"

"No you haven't," said Martha. "Look, Grandma's got a game for you to play. Go sit down quietly." Jenny slid to the floor and waited expectantly. As Keisha sat down to play with her sister and cousin, the Doctor slumped next to Martha. Francine watched as he put his arm round her and mumbled into her ear so quiet Francine had to strain to hear his words.

"Are you sure you're alright," he said. She nodded firmly.

"We'll tell them after lunch," she said. "I don't want it to overshadow Keisha's birthday."

"If you start to hurt or you feel sick we can just go home and everyone will understand."

"I know they will," she said. "But I'm fine. Really."

"I know you are," he said. "But if you weren't-"

"Stop it Doctor," she said, and Francine chewed her lip. Was something wrong with her daughter? Was she sick? That cut by her eye… was that something to do with it? What was going on? And why didn't Francine know?

"Martha Jones what have you been getting yourself into?" she whispered.

"Sorry?" Francine blinked. Shonara had been talking to her. She smiled vaguely.

"Sorry I… zoned out," she said. "Carry on Shonara…" But she continued watching Martha and the Doctor. They weren't saying anything, but Martha was lying across the sofa, her head rested on the Doctor's lap and suddenly she looked exhausted.

"-and I said-"

"Shonara." Francine interrupted her daughter in law with an apologetic smile. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure… yeah," said Shonara. "What?"

"Does Martha look… ok to you?" Francine asked picking her words carefully. Shonara scrutinized the couple and shrugged.

"I've seen her better…"

"Uh-huh."

"Equally I've seen her worse."

"Hmm," said Francine crisply. "Well let's not go there, please. Do you think she looks… ill?"

"She looks a little tired," Shonara observed. "Look at the shadows under her eyes. And she's got a cut on her face."

"Do you think her tiredness is just that?" asked Francine. "She's not got some weird alien disease?"

"She looks a bit fluey," the younger women said. "Maybe she's got a cold."

"Maybe," Francine echoed, but she still doubted it. She trusted Martha with every fibre of her being, and Martha trusted the Doctor. And so did Francine- or at least she did now. She didn't think that the Doctor was being overprotective- the whole family were careful of that because of what happened with Tom all those years ago. So that meant Martha was really ill. She watched as Martha kissed the Doctor and went over to talk to Leo. She snapped out of her reverie.

"Sorry Shonara I'm going to talk to the Doctor for a second… hold that thought." She rushed over to where he was sitting and sat down beside him.

"Doctor," she said.

"Hello Francine," he said out the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were following his wife as she talked to Leo.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you," she snapped. The Doctor jumped and met her gaze.

"Sorry."

"I need you to tell me something," she said without a pause. "It's about Martha."

"Francine," said the Doctor, looking deep into her eyes. "You have to trust me. I swear I'm looking after her, there's no point you just-"

"It's not that," she cut in. "Doctor, tell me truthfully, is my daughter sick?"

There was a sickening pause.

"Not exactly," he said. Francine's face crumpled.

"Why is that not a no?" she whispered.

"Doctor!" It was Martha. "Can you come here a sec, please."

"Coming." He jumped up immediately. "Sorry Francine, I'll be back… we'll continue this conversation later." Francine sighed.

"Are you ok?" he demanded. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she said. "I just saw you talking to Mum and I thought you were going to blurt everything out, and I didn't want that."

"We have to tell her," he said.

"I know, we're going to. But later."

"Today," he insisted. "We can't keep putting this off."

"It's not that. We'll tell her after lunch, like I said. Alright?"

"Mummy! Mummy! Help me!" Jenny was screaming at the top of her voice, her tone stricken with terror and fear. Martha jerked.

"Jenny!" She ran across the room, searching for her daughter, her family stunned into silence. The Doctor grabbed hold of Megan by the shoulders, who was sitting, trembling on the floor.

"Megan! Where is she?"

"She's on the ledge!" shouted Keisha. "She's on Grandma's window ledge!" Martha swore under her breath, and ran towards the stairs. The Doctor pushed past her and thundered up the stairs, followed by Martha, Clive, Leo and Francine. Megan tried to run up but Shonara stopped her.

"What the hell did you think you were doing!" she cried hysterically. The Doctor sped into Francine's room and for a second, his hearts stopped in his chest, as he saw his only child half sitting, half falling from the window ledge. She had climbed out the window and sat on the outside ledge, and lost her balance.

"Daddy!" she screamed. "Daddy I'm falling!"

"No," he cried. "I'm coming." He crossed over to the window and carefully wrapped her arms round his daughter. She was shaking; tears spurting down her cheeks as the Doctor pulled her safely inside.

"Daddy," she sobbed. "Daddy I'm sorry."

"Oh God Jenny." Martha, her skin pale, walked over to the Doctor. He enveloped her in a hug and she took Jenny in her arms. "What were you doing?" she asked. "You could have fell, you could have died."

"Sorry Mummy," she said, her voice high and scared.

"Jenny I don't believe you…"

"Sorry Mummy," said Jenny.

"Martha," said the Doctor gently. "Put her down." Martha felt tears welling up in her eyes, and put her daughter down on the bed. She leant against the Doctor, weakened by shock and terror.

"Doctor…"

"Francine," said the Doctor. "Take Jenny downstairs and give her back her glass of water. We need a moment." Francine nodded, silent.

"Come on honey," she murmured, taking Jenny's hand. "Downstairs." The family trooped downstairs. Martha wiped her eyes shakily.

"Hey," he said. "It's ok. She's ok." He dabbed her eyes with his sleeve and she smiled slightly.

"She scared me."

"She scared me," said the Doctor. "What she thought she was doing, I have no idea."

"She's so delicate," said Martha. "She can't regenerate. She's so breakable."

"I thought that everyday when you were like her," said the Doctor. "We just have to be careful."

"Yeah," said Martha shakily. "I feel a bit sick."

"Are you-"

"I'm not going to throw up," she said. "It's just the... Should we take Jenny to hospital?"

"What for?"

"Shock."

"We'll see how she is after a quarter of an hour or so," the Doctor said. "Unless you want us to leave early, have a bit of a lie down…"

"No," she snapped. "Come on." She took his hand and led him downstairs. An ocean of concerned faces greeted them. They went into the kitchen where Jenny was sat with a cup filled with squash and a chocolate biscuit. Martha knelt down and embraced her. "Are you ok?" she asked.

"Yes," said Jenny. "Mummy I got scared. I thought it was safe."

"Now you know," said Martha. "Just don't do it again."

"Martha," said Francine quietly. "I was going to serve up lunch but everyone could go home if you like."

"No," she said. "We'll have lunch together. Don't want to spoil Keisha's big day."

"If you're sure," said Francine. She seemed to have forgotten her and the Doctor's half finished conversation, and struggled with the roast dinner she had prepared.

"I'll help you Francine," said the Doctor. "Martha, you go and sit Jenny down." She nodded, numbness spreading across her.

"Ok," she managed. "Come on Jenny."

"Martha," he caught her arm. "Be careful." She smiled faintly, confused.

"What of?"

"Just be careful," he said. "Please."

!

The meal had been half finished, the birthday cake brought in, amid the off tune rendition of 'happy birthday', and the Joneses were all sat around the table.

"Martha, have a drink," said Leo, offering her the bottle.

"No thanks," said Martha, eying the bottle warily.

"Ah, come on," said Leo. "Just a glass."

"I can't."

"Of course you can," said Leo firmly, taking her glass. "Just one, Martha."

"No, Leo," she said. The Doctor put a hand on hers.

"Me and Martha have something to tell you," he said solemnly. "We only found out this morning." A ghost of a smile fluttered across Martha's face.

"Go on," said Francine. Martha hesitated, looking round the room at the expectant faces of her family.

"I'm pregnant," she said. "Me and the Doctor are going to have another baby." Excited squeals, cheers, clapping.

"Can I help name it! Please can I help name it!" Keisha cried.

"How far in are you?" asked Francine.

"Just under a month," said Martha, leaning in to kiss the Doctor on the lips. His hand rested on her stomach.

"Martha was feeling a bit sick this morning, we weren't sure if we could make it," said the Doctor, beaming as Clive pumped his hand up and down.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" asked Shonara.

"I don't care," said Martha. "Whatever gender, it'll be beautiful."

"Just like you," said the Doctor, and he kissed her again.