"Ive seen Aliens I know how this ends. Ill be sitting here and your child will burst through my stomach looking for its next dinner." I am gripped by a contraction, my second in about 10 minutes. I shift uncomfortably on the couch and glance at my watch.

"I hate that movie." he says lowering his book, giving me a scowl, "Racial profiling it is. No wonder humans think we are so bad. .I met the queen once, nice lady makes the best cuppa tea in the galaxy. Outside your mum of course." I roll my eyes in exasperation. Then shift again on the couch pushing the pillow a little lower on my back. This makes contraction number three.

"Daleks, Cybermen, Slitheen." I say rubbing my stomach and exhaling a long and slow breath.

"Okay you win." He says treading his fingers through mine and laying them in his lap. He turns the page of his book. "You know if you are hungry Rose I will go get you whatever you want."

"Hey!" I say defensively, "What makes you think I am hungry."

"I faintly recall being rudely awakened from a very sexy dream about a gorgeous blonde pirate and a jar of orange marmalade' He says not looking up from his book, then licking his fingertip (which of course causes me to gasp) he brings his finger down turning his page with a dramatic flourish, " I was then ordered to the kitchen to prepare not one; but two grilled cheese sandwiches at 2:30 this morning."

"The baby needs calcium." I say giving him a sly grin.

"The baby eats so much cheese it is going to be born with a set of mouse ears." he says giving me a full smile. He puts his book down and kisses me softly on the lips. I love this more tender side of him. He places a hand on my belly and starts tracing intricate circles on the surface writing love notes in Gallifreyan to our unborn child. He leans down, lying his cheek upon my stomach and I begin to run my fingers through that beautiful hair of his, when I have another contraction that causes me to clench my fist a little tighter than the previous two.

"Ouch! Rose…..Geeze that hurts!" he says disentangling my hand from his hair and bolting upright to look at me.

"Tell me about it!" I say gritting my teeth. I grip the arm rest so tight my knuckles are white. If I could have had a camera right now to picture his face. I am sure I would have blackmail material on hand for life, as the gravity of my present state is starting to dawn on him. His eyes widened and his mouth opened and closed like a goldfish, he stammered " Is this IT?….I mean like the IT IT…..you know baby time?! Cause that felt like a contraction to me"

"Baby time?" I say exhaling again and giving him scowl, " Is that so?….. it felt like a contraction to you?… It was a contraction captain obvious!….. OH MY GOD!" I say as another contraction hits me with such force I am certain I could bend steel with my bare hands.

"OH FOR PETES SAKE HOW LONG YOU BEEN HAVING THEM ROSE!" He says climbing off the sofa and rushing to the coat rack beside the door. He throws on his coat leaving an arm out of one of his sleeves, all the while balancing with one blue Converse on and the other in his hand; he grabs his keys off the table, shoving them both into his pockets. "OH BLOODY HELL WHERE DID I PUT MY DAMN KEYS!"

I laugh, because if I don't I will surely cry as the sight of the calm cool and collect Oncoming Storm is now frantically searching for his lost keys. "Left…..pocket…John…." I say between expelled breaths. He searches his pocket grinning triumphantly as he lifts the keys and jingles them in front of me for effect. Normally I would find this cute and endearing but right now I want to shove those keys into an orifice to be named at a later date. "OH…FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING HOLY!" I belt out, not recognizing my voice as it has somehow been replaced with the same demon that possessed Toby on the Impossible Planet.

John gives me a look of concern that overwhelms me as he reaches out a hand to me to help me off the couch; his eyes say hes sorry for everything I am going through, but I see his offered hand as an intrusion and swat it away. " Don't touch me!," I say " I can get up on my own! You just leave that hand away from me mister! Its that hand that got me into this anyhow." I say gesturing to my expanded middle.

I don't know what this kid is doing inside me but remind me to apologize to my mother later.

John takes his hand away as if it had been stung, a wounded pout stretches over his lips as I make one poor attempt after another to lift myself from the couch cushions. Finally I collapse back on my back, crying. " Look….at…me…I'm…..as….big….as…a…..planet!" I bring my arm over to cover my face in defeat. " Just look at me John….I cant even see my feet!" I lift my toes and wiggle them, not an easy task on your back mind you but I get it done and for a moment I am proud of that little victory until I feel another contraction start to build.

He kneels down beside the couch and smoothes out my hair whispering to me in Gallifreyan and I am sure he's just used some voodoo mind trick on me, but it works and some of the pain from the next contraction subsides. " I think you are the most beautiful planet I have ever seen." he says softly." I am so grateful to you Rose. So grateful. I am proud that you are having our child." I turn to face him, he is chewing the inside of his cheek so hard I am sure he can taste blood.

"Do you mean that?" I say sniffling and wiping my nose with the back of my sleeve. John flinches at the sight, but kisses me softly.

"Oh yes, Rose. I do. Please just let me help you…. I am a Doctor you know." he says wiggling his eyebrows and giving me a smile that would have made a woman in white gloves buy a ketchup popsicle from him.

"I hate you." I say pushing his face from mine.

"No you don't" he says smiling.

"Shut up."

I can feel the wave of the next contraction start to crest over me and I grip his hand. He leans forward, touching his forehead to mine and we ride it out this new adventure together. "That one was a good one." he says rubbing my shoulder and then lifting me to a seated position.

"Good for whom?" I say arching my brow at him and exhaling a long and slow breath. He nods his acceptance.

" Look Rose, that was six minutes from the last one. We really should be going to the hospital." I feel his hands start to shake on my knee and I still them with one of my own. He looks so scared and to be honest so am I.

"You goin with one shoe?" I ask pointing at his right sock covered foot. He shrugs embarrassed, then looks around the floor near the couch. "check your right jacket pocket." I say gesturing to his coat. I can feel another contraction on the rise as he helps me to a standing position, he wraps his arms around my waist and rubs my back as we sway back and forth. My knees threaten to buckle from the pain and I can feel him steady us. " Oh God this hurts so bad." I say through my clenched teeth.

"Oh baby, its going to be okay, We are going to be fine. We are going to get through this together, Eh? The way its always been, just you and I. Trust me and run Rose." he says his words flowing from his mouth like a prayer, he rubs small circles on my back , " take my hand and run with me Rose. Lets just run." He entwines our fingers bringing my hand to his lips, brushing it ever so softly in a kiss.

I reach up and stroke his cheek, wiping tears away with the pad of my thumb. " I love you." I say wrapping him in a hug. "Thank you "

"What for?" he pulls away from me, giving me a puzzled expression.

"For forever." I say placing his hand on my stomach, our child rolls and stretches underneath our extended palms, and I say a silent thank you to my doctor a universe away.

"Allons-y Rose." He says as he grabs my hand and leads me out the door, he stops and flashes me his maniac grin. " What if we have a boy?…..Can we name him Alonso?"