"You know I work all day to get you money to buy you things
And it's worth it just to hear you say you're going to give me everything
So why on Earth should I moan, 'cause when I get you alone
You know I feel okay

When I'm home everything seems to be right
When I'm home feeling you holding me tight, tight yeah

It's been a hard day's night, and I'd been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright."

…

"Cleo, dinner's ready!" Jemma shouted as she plated up some pasta on the kitchen table and sat down. Cleo rushed in and sat next to Jemma, smiling as she immediately started tucking into her food.

"You cook the best pasta ever." Cleo stated.

"Thank you very much." Jemma smiled, pleased. As the two continued eating, Jemma's phone rang and she instantly rejected the call and slammed the phone down on the surface of the table, clearly aggravated.

"Are you okay?" Cleo asked. Jemma decided not to spill all about her life's troubles to a ten year old.

"I'm fine; just another business trying to sell me something. I get very fed up with them." Jemma lied. Cleo accepted the answer as she continued eating and Jemma was forced to keep her fury hidden.

The truth was, she and Trip were in the middle of yet ANOTHER argument.

He'd started it like he always did. He was the one who accused her of not spending enough time with him ever since she'd started working for Leo, and her instant response made it clear she was tired of him not looking for a job; that's the reason she has to use all her free time working in the first place. That didn't go down very well.

Jemma never wanted her personal life to affect her working one, so she had decided to keep the details of her stressful home situation under wraps from Leo and Cleo. Despite encouraging Leo to be more open about his feelings, Jemma struggled to take her own advice.

Still, things with Leo and Cleo had visibly gotten better over the past few days, with him making all the free time he had about her and her alone. It was mostly down to the fact that Leo had taken some time off as Cleo had been unwell; high temperature, dry mouth, headache, loss of appetite...Jemma observed Leo through all of his caring of her; he would make a good doctor.

"So, I heard your dad took you to the zoo last weekend?" Jemma asked and Cleo nodded happily.

"It was amazing! They had every animal you could think of. Though daddy wanted to spend the whole day in the place where all the monkeys lived."

Jemma chuckled slightly.

"Yes, your dad is a funny one, isn't he?" Jemma smiled.

"A good funny one." Cleo clarified with a grin.

"Absolutely." Jemma nodded, making Cleo giggle.

…

"Trip, I've told you time after time I can't talk right now; I have a little girl to look after! Yes, that is my priority right now! She's been really sick for the past few weeks, actually! No, I'm not making it up! Well, if you have such a problem with me doing this job, maybe you could find one of your own and not leave it to me to pay the bills for the both of us! I'm the one slaving away all day to earn money that you use to buy alcohol and new video games! I'm not going to fight with you again Trip, goodbye." Jemma exclaimed, hanging up her phone and putting it away.

She returned her attention to slicing up some vegetables to prepare for Cleo's meal the next day, but her distracted thoughts about how angry she was with her boyfriend caused her grasp on the knife to slip and slice open her hand.

"Oh, bloody hell." Jemma winced, rushing to the sink and washing the cut under the tap. Luckily, it hadn't cut too deeply and while it still stung, a bandage did make it better. It was still quite the inconvenience, however. Could this night get any worse? She'd already been working at the diner until 3pm and headed straight to Leo's from there. It had been an exhausting day and looked set to be an exhausting night.

"Cleo, I think it's getting close to bedtime, right?" Jemma asked. There was no reply.

"Cleo…" Jemma said as she opened the door to Cleo's room and was surprised to see Cleo was already in bed, but the duvet was covering her over completely.

"Cleo?"

The sniffing sounds from the crying girl underneath the duvet made it clear to Jemma things weren't right at all.

"…It hurts." Cleo cried, her voice muffled by the sheets.

"What hurts, darling?" Jemma asked, walking up to the bed and pulling the duvet back, her face dropping and turning white at the sight of Cleo's swollen cheeks.

So, the night could get worse.

…

Jemma nearly burst into tears when she saw Leo rushing down the hospital corridor towards her, his face as white as hers. She stood up as he reached her.

"They let me go as soon as you called; is she okay?" Leo asked, panicked.

"They've been examining her, I…I haven't heard back yet. I think they'd have to wait for you anyway. Her cheeks had just swollen up and she was suddenly in pain. I've read about illnesses like that before and I knew swollen glands could be glandular fever or tonsillitis and I panicked and called you and got us a taxi straight here and…" Jemma explained, unable to finish as she'd forgotten to take a breath.

"Jemma, relax." Leo said, putting his hands on her shoulders and was shocked to find she was shaking.

"I'm so sorry, Leo…I should've been watching her more closely, I didn't realise…maybe I put something bad in her food or something, I-"

"-Jemma, stop. She's been off colour for two weeks now; it must be something to do with that. Don't blame yourself. This probably wasn't preventable." Leo explained.

"No, you should be blaming me, I was supposed to be looking after her!" Jemma said, tears in her eyes.

"And you did; you brought her straight here. Jemma, this is not your fault. I have no reason to be angry at you. Kids…kids get sick. As long as she's okay I couldn't care less about anything else." Leo said. Jemma let a few tears fall as Leo wrapped a comforting arm around her.

…

After some examination and testing, Cleo was diagnosed as having mumps, an infection that would pass within a week or two providing she got plenty of rest and drank enough fluids.

The car journey home was a silent one. After taking some medication Cleo was more than happy to go straight to bed the second they returned to the apartment. As Leo tucked her in and said goodnight, he walked back into the living area, where Jemma was sat on the couch looking at the floor.

"I should have spotted something was up." Jemma said.

"Jemma, she caught it out and about somewhere. Apparently it's not that common anymore; it wasn't your fault. If anyone should have spotted it then it should have been me. I thought it was just the flu or something." Leo said.

"I'm going to cancel my shifts at the diner and be here every day until she gets better, I promise. I want to make it up to the pair of you." Jemma said.

"Jemma, you have NOTHING to make up to us. This couldn't have been helped, okay?" Leo said, staring right into Jemma's eyes, desperately trying to make her understand. Eventually, she nodded in silence, her face still reddened from her tears.

"Tea?" Leo smiled. Jemma nodded again appreciatively, and soon enough the two were sat on the couch together again.

"I'm so sorry about this; I've been a nightmare. Tonight really hasn't gone my way. It's been a long, hard night." Jemma said.

"No problem. Everything okay?" Leo asked, feeling it was his turn to be the supportive friend.

"I just…me and Trip had this big row. Basically, I've been paying all the bills with my income while he does nothing to try and get a job to help me out then has the audacity to complain that I don't have the time for him! I work hard to earn money that he spends then he'll promise that he'll find a job soon, I believe him but he never does. I just got fed up with the same old song and dance. We had a screaming match, then I spent all morning working in an understaffed diner, the rushed here only to cut my hand open preparing food for tomorrow and then Cleo…well, you know all of that. Tonight has been hellish." Jemma explained.

"I didn't realise you had it that tough." Leo said.

"I normally keep on top of things, but tonight everything that could possibly put pressure on me all did so at once. It's making me not perform at my best. Maybe I shouldn't be a babysitter anymore if I can't even spot when-"

"-Jemma, you need to stop. You are incredible at what you do; Cleo adores you and you've made life so much better for me. Honestly, you're an inspiration. You're doing great. This is just one night in so many that have come before it; don't let this one night throw you off your game. You're far too good to lose." Leo said meaningfully and Jemma smiled.

"Really?"

"Really. Plus, you like Doctor Who so you have to stick around." Leo teased and Jemma chuckled, wiping the remnants of her tears away and hugging Leo.

"Thanks, Leo."

"My pleasure. Why don't you go home and get some sleep; get this night behind you. It can never come back to haunt you ever again. You told me a few weeks ago that everything will work out for me, and it'll work out for you too." Leo said kindly.

"I know."

"So no more tears, okay?"

"Okay."

A happier Jemma walked up to the door and stepped out into the corridor, Leo standing in the doorway.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow." Jemma said with a shy smile. Leo nodded.

"You bet. And Jemma, you really are doing a great job. You're too good of a person to not have faith in yourself."

"Funny, that could be said for this guy I know." Jemma teased with a grin.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. He can be a bit odd but he has every single episode of Doctor Who on DVD so I'll have to stick around." Jemma smiled. Leo chuckled as she waved and walked out.

…

Jemma entered her apartment and sighed as she took off her coat and threw her things to the floor, praying she'd never have a night quite like that one ever again. Leo was right; she shouldn't let one bad day force a view of the world upon her. She knew better than that,

She opened her bedroom door and Trip was already in bed asleep. She crawled in next to him, deciding not to wake him and try and talk things through in the morning.

After all, tomorrow was a new day.