Warning: Contains a wee bit of angst and adult themes with innuendo.

Summary: Set in a (normally) fluffy AU where Donna and the Doctor have two young sons, John has returned, and they were trying to find him a girlfriend. This is a sequel to Blow Your House Down.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters apart from the two people I've given them to love; and the university people.

A/N: Sorry it has taken so long with this, but it wouldn't turn out as I wanted! And my muse has decided to work part time.


Little Boy Blue

.

Donna snuggled into the Doctor, "How about we go have a trip somewhere? Somewhere to take John's mind off things?"

"Sounds good to me," he softly answered as he began to kiss his way down her neck. "I'm a bit sick of Earth to tell you the truth."

"Oi!" she inevitably complained. "That's our home world now, remember?"

"As if I could ever forget!" he stole a kiss from her annoyed lips. "I'm not saying I dislike the place, but…"

"Yeah yeah, I know… places to go, people to see, evil villains to overthrow, that sort of thing…," she fondly caressed his worried face. "And always back home in time for tea!"

"Ah, now, I'm glad you mentioned tea, because I was going to mention…," but she halted his words with a passionate kiss.

She giggled. "Is this explanation going to take long? Only, John can distract Jamie from running in here for only so long, so we'll need to hurry up if…," she gave him an eyebrow waggle, "you want to give me a demonstration."

He chuckled as he pinned her down onto the bed, "Demonstrations are good… very good."

"Then you'd better sort out your visual aids," she cheekily told him, "because your projector is on the blink!"

"You saucy minx!" he playfully scolded her, and went on to give her a full presentation

~o~

John had just finished cooking a batch of pancakes when Donna and the Doctor appeared. "Smelt the tea, did you?" he greeted them, and Teddie handed them each a welcoming cup.

They all sat down together and tucked into their mini banquet. "Where are we going today, Dad?" Teddie helped himself to another pancake.

"I thought I'd let John choose since he's cooked breakfast," he tried to steal part of Donna's last pancake and almost got stabbed in the hand by her fork for his cheek.

John's face lit up in delight, "Can I choose anywhere? Anywhere at all?"

"More or less," the Doctor hedged his bets.

"I was thinking of the Library!" He saw Donna and the Doctor's faces quickly fall, so he quickly amended, "Way before you were there, obviously; back when… sorry, it was a bad idea. I'll shut up about it." He turned his attention back to his plate in a vain attempt to avoid their scrutiny.

Donna touched his arm, "Why there, John; of all places!" She felt tears well up in her eyes as she remembered what they had lost in that place.

He shrugged, "I forgot about your pain. I'm sorry, I didn't think. I was only thinking about the books." He looked up at her and gave her a sorrowful smile.

"No, we're not going there," the Doctor stated. "I'm not risking…," he almost choked on the rest of his sentence. Donna rushed to engulf him in a hug.

"We don't have to think about her," she whispered to him, "or those evil little critters."

"It's not that…," he mumbled into her hair, and squeezed her tightly.

Jamie looked plainly worried, "Uncle John? Why is a library bad?" He had made his way over to John and hovered nervously by his side.

"It was a special library," John started to explain, allowing Jamie to sit on his lap and gain the comfort he obviously needed. "Don't worry, Squeaks; most libraries are glorious places. We like them, don't we?"

Jamie snuggled into him, "Oh yes! I like all the different stories the most. Ones where brave people fight against evil-doers or strange monsters."

"So you only like the ones that have your dad in, eh?" John teased, and made Jamie smile up at him.

"Oh no!" Jamie quickly replied. "The ones I like have Mummy in them."

"Oi! Flipping cheek!" the Doctor exclaimed indignantly, making them all laugh. And the conversation changed to his acts of daring do's.

~o~

The TARDIS materialised onto a patch of wet-looking grass beside a modern building. Modern if you were born in Tudor times. Teddie stuck his head out first, since it was his turn, and muttered a low exclamation of amazement. "You have got to see this!" he insisted.

"Where?" Jamie looked out next, "Wow! That is fantastic!"

"Does anybody else get a look in?" John had just asked when his hand was grasped firmly by a little body and he was dragged outside. He too stared at the building in wonder; that is, he did, until he noticed something that was out of place. "Why has it got a satellite dish?" he enquired.

"Has it?" the Doctor followed his gaze. "So it has! I wonder how that got there?"

"Probably some poor bloke on a ladder," commented Donna. "Pity he didn't give the window frame a lick of paint while he was up there."

"Those don't look like Elizabethans; well, not original Elizabethans," Teddie stated, pointing out three figures who were about to walk around the corner towards them.

"Yeah, they look a bit...well, modern!" Jamie squeaked.

The three figures were indeed present-day Elizabethans. The Doctor immediately stepped up to them, "Hello! I'm the Doctor and this is my family!" he greeted them. "We seem to be a bit lost. Can you tell us where we are exactly?"

"You are in the grounds of the History department on the University of Stansted campus. Behind you is where the History experiment being carried out," the middle woman of the three told them.

Raising an eyebrow at the Doctor, Donna stepped forward, "Hello, I'm Donna! Please forgive my husband's unusual rudeness in not introducing us!" She shook the woman's hand then pointed to the others, "This is our son Edward, our other son James; and this is our brother John."

"Oh, I'm Ashlie," she told them as she shook each hand in turn, "and these are my friends Laura and Karen," she swept an introductory hand at her friends who both said 'hello' and shook hands with Donna.

As they talked a low eerie cry rang out. "What the hell was that?" Donna wondered aloud.

"It came from inside there!" Teddie pointed towards the Tudor building. Donna barely had a chance to hold him back as he raced into the building, closely followed by the Doctor. She turned to see what John was doing, and was surprised to see that the three women had almost leapt on him in their panic. His expression amused Donna with its mixture of desperation and exhilaration!

"Don't worry," he soothed them. "My brother with find whatever it is and sort it out."

"Do you really think so?" Karen turned her worried gaze on him, before it softened.

"I know so!" he confidently told her, adding a little wink for emphasis.

Donna noted that the women hadn't exactly let go of him, but at least their grip wasn't as tight as earlier, and he seemed to be enjoying being surrounded by good-looking women. "So what do you three do around here?" Donna asked them.

"I'm associated with the library," Ashlie told Donna, to which John's attention perked up.

"I'm in the music department," Laura told them.

"And I'm in the mathematics department," added Karen.

John was doubly interested. He didn't know where to start, or who to talk to first; he was overwhelmed by the choice.

"Is there much cross curriculum activity around here?" he weakly asked, but his audience pleasingly laughed anyway.

"John, I could do with a cup of something. What about you?" Donna tried unsuccessfully to coerce him into making some sort of arrangement with at least one of them.

"That's a good idea! We can leave the others to it, and go find the refectory?" he gave Ashlie a questioning look.

"Jamie, can you… Jamie?" Donna whirled round to look for him, expecting to find him investigating a shrub or puddle. "Jamie!" Donna yelled out. She turned her fearful gaze on John, "Where is he?"

But John merely shook his head, "I don't know! He was here a second ago!" He removed himself from the clutches of the three women frantically, and joined Donna in calling out Jamie's name.

"I think he went that way," Laura pointed towards the nearest college building; that was covered with scaffolding whilst the stonework was cleaned.

"Is that him up there?" Karen asked John, as she pointed at an upper level window.

Donna gasped as Jamie shouted down to them, "Mummy! Help me!" he was sitting precariously on a window ledge with a terrified expression on his small face.

"How the hell did you get up there?" Donna found herself shouting inanely. "Hold on!"

Both she and John rushed to the base of the scaffolding. "I'm coming Jamie!" John called up as he began to attempt the climb up, winching himself up with ease.

A whimper was his answer and Donna tried to attempt the ascent herself; watching John's nimble form climb with envy. Every time she placed her foot somewhere it slipped. "It's no good John, I can't hold on!" Donna held in her panic, her tone pleading.

"Don't worry… I'll save him!" he assured her as he climbed, hoping he sounded more convincing to her than to his own ears.

He continued up the outside of the building, using the free climbing skills he'd only read about and never used. In a few seconds, that felt like aching minutes, he reached Jamie and grasped him firmly with a comforting embrace. The boy held on desperately, almost choking him in the process, but John had the presence of mind to only whisper, "Not so tight, Squeaks!"

"Sorry, Uncle John!" the boy sobbed into John's neck as he trembled uncontrollably. "The window… it shut."

John tried to prise open the window with his strong fingers, and managed to get it to budge a few centimetres. Nothing was going to stop him getting in once he'd achieved that, and he battled with the catch until it gave way. The pair of them fell into the room behind the window; and Donna found herself able to breathe again. By the time she reached the main door John was emerging with Jamie still clinging onto him.

"My baby!" Donna cried, diving for them and hugging them both tightly. She kissed Jamie first, reassuring herself he was okay; and then she kissed John in gratitude. "I can't thank you enough. What would I do without you?" she asked him in a low voice.

For once he didn't give their normal jokey reply to that question, but returned her hug instead with one arm. They each offered other a watery smile and gave each other a squeeze. "Just repaying some of the debt," he muttered.

"I'm sorry, Mummy," tears began to course down Jamie's cheeks. "I was trying to be helpful."

Donna bit back an angry retort. "How were you being helpful?"

"Daddy said to always see as much as you can. I was getting up high to…," his voice trailed off forlornly. He gave a sniff, "I saw a pretty butterfly."

Donna wiped away some of the tears on his cute face with her free hand, "Why is it the beautiful things that are the most dangerous, eh?"

"That's if they last more than a second," John answered her. "Shall we go and see where the other two are?"

Donna nodded as they broke apart, he put Jamie down and they both grasped his hand. John and Donna began to move their arms and Jamie delightedly found himself swung between them. "Again!" he trilled.

"You're getting a bit too big for that, Squeaks," Donna told him, before laughing at his answering pout. They swung him again anyway.

The three women ran over to greet them. "You were so brave!" Ashlie blushed at John.

"I don't know how you did it!" beamed Laura.

Karen smiled shyly at him, "Your family must think you're wonderful."

"Oh, we do!" Donna replied enthusiastically.

Jamie let go of Donna to tug on John's arm, "Uncle John is the bestest uncle in all the universes!" Jamie loved being the centre of their attention, and let the women fuss over him as he cutesied his way into their affections.

Donna eased herself away to scan the area for any sign of Teddie and the Doctor. She caught sight of them sauntering over the grass towards her.

The Doctor was talking animatedly, "…and that's when they discovered what barelium was really for!" to which the pair of them burst into laughter. "Hello, love!" he greeted Donna. "What have you been up to while we were away?"

"Oh, you know, the usual…. A bit of a life and death situation followed by a flirt," she informed him.

"What?" he frowned; then took in the scene before him.

"You didn't, did you?" Teddie accused Jamie as he strode up to him. "I told you not yet!"

Jamie's smile disappeared off his face. "No, I didn't!" his gaze flicked to his father. "I did something else." A deep blush spread over him and he hung his head low.

"What did you do?" the Doctor asked pointedly. "Tell me!"

The three women started babbling over each other about something to do with a window, and how courageous John was. John merely placed his hands on Jamie's shoulders protectively, "Just a spot of bother… all sorted now."

"I think we need to get back, and let these poor ladies return to work before we lose them their jobs!" Donna tried to lighten the mood as she took hold of the Doctor's arm. "We can easily walk and talk."

The Doctor glared at her before turning the usual charm offensive on with the women. "Sorry we have to leave. It was lovely to meet you," he smiled at them.

"Before you go, what caused that weird sound?" Laura asked pensively.

"Oh that! It was a dislodged ricrunja! Harmless creature with a fascinating history. Did you know…," the Doctor began, but Teddie interrupted him.

"Dad! Don't forget the…," Teddie did a small single-fingered 'cut' motion near his neck, "…thing… you know, the plan with the thing!"

The Doctor looked momentarily sheepish. "Ah, yes, the thing. It's good to have a plan with a thing."

"What are you on about this time?" Donna grinned broadly at him though her tone was exasperated.

"That would be telling," he enigmatically smiled at her and winked. But Donna didn't look impressed, so he started to wrap his arms around her waist. "I'll be open for my Doctor's surgery at the usual hour, should you want to…"

John gave a cough, which re-focused the Doctor on his surroundings. "Perhaps we should be going?" John pointedly asked, ruffling Jamie's hair and taking hold of his hand again.

"Before we go…," Donna caught John's attention, "…shouldn't we collect some phone numbers… for the insurance company?" She nodded towards the women.

"Oh! The insurance company!" he started to pat his pockets, and eventually pulled out a small notepad. "I need some witness information. Can you help?" He passed the notepad and a pencil to Karen, who eagerly wrote down her number for him before passing it onto the others. Fortunately they didn't see Donna clamp her hand over the Doctor's mouth to stop him asking any awkward questions. Teddie merely giggled silently.

Ashlie shyly handed the notepad back to John. "Are you… will you be… erm… hanging around here?" she stammered.

"I'm normally about the place somewhere," he reassured her. "I'll be getting in touch… for the insurance company."

"Uncle John? When we get home, will you help me with my book?" Jamie gave John his latest adoring look; and the three women melted. He fiddled with his little collar, "I think I might have done something wrong."

John smiled indulgently at him, earning himself a loyal fanbase. "Of course I will; after we've had tea," he promised.

Teddie sidled up to grin at John. "Uncle John really looks after us well," he told the women. "He's there whenever we need him. He really is wonderful. Sometimes I think he is…"

"That's enough, Teddie!" the Doctor halted his words. "Your uncle doesn't need you making him feel uncomfortable." His gaze penetrated Teddie, and the boy's demeanour completely changed to that of defeat.

"Bye then!" Donna brightly intercepted, breaking the mood. "Come on boys!" she reached out to take Teddie's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze while John took Jamie's. With 'bye's reverberating all round, the family group finally made its way back to the TARDIS.

~o~

Later, Donna sat with John in the kitchen; the Doctor was elsewhere supervising the bed time ritual. "Well, that was different today, wasn't it?" she shared a smile with him.

"Yeah, you could say that," he agreed. "Three phone numbers though!" He retrieved the note pad and waved it at her.

"Pfft! I'd be more impressed if you actually used one of those numbers. I'm beginning to think you're collecting them like bus numbers or like train-spotters do." She reached across and patted his arm, "You do intend to use them, don't you?"

"Of course!" he blushed. "Eventually."

"I don't believe you, Bubbers!" she scoffed. "I think you're frightened."

"Frightened? Of what?" he countered. "Are you saying I'm a coward?" He started to puff himself up.

She squeezed his hand, "Why would I say that? I mean… the whole contacting business. You seem a bit reluctant."

"Do I?" he glanced away. "Can't see what gives you that idea."

Donna chuckled. "How about the fact that I have forced young women to hand over their numbers in a variety of places, and I've only known you to actually call someone once?" she teased. "I think that speaks for itself."

"Well…. That's true… it got a little awkward, didn't it?" he played with the woodgrain on the table with one finger, keeping his line of sight away from her.

"John Marvin Noble, listen to me," she got him to snap his attention to her. "That whole incident was not completely your fault, so don't you dare think it! That woman was loop, d'you hear!" she tenderly kissed his cheek as she spoke. "Nobody in their right mind would refuse you."

"Then why…?" he faltered, and sighed. "I want what you have, I suppose; and I know that's an idle dream…"

Donna snorted a laugh, "You have the opposite problem of most people. They have to kiss an awful lot of frogs to find a prince. You, on the other hand, are spoilt for choice."

"What do you mean, spoilt for choice?" he indignantly asked. "Where are all these women clambering for me?"

"I think you'll find…," she pointed at the notepad, "…that they're all in there."

"I could point at the bag of flour in the cupboard and say there are loads of cakes sitting there; but it's not the same thing!" he gave a pout, and Donna had to bite her tongue to not laugh at him. "I can see you smirking at me! I'm not blind!" he insisted; and Donna lost her control. "Stop laughing at me!" he ordered, as his own resolve dwindled. As Donna starting hooting with mirth, he added, "I'm not laughing… I'm not!" But he was; and the pair of them hooted with laughter together.

When they calmed down she gave in to an impulse she'd been holding off all day: Donna hugged him tightly. "Thank you for earlier," she whispered close to his ear.

"I didn't really do anything," he murmured back, but squeezed her back.

"And I'm the Queen of Sheba!" she retorted, pulling away slightly.

"In that case, your Majesty, may I offer you another cup of tea?" he grinned at her.

"You can do better than that!" she giggled. "You can open a fresh packet of biscuits!"

"Chocolate Hob Nobs?" he asked, rising from his seat. "It is king of the biscuits after all, your Majesty."

"Go on then; you've talked me into it," she rose to fetch fresh cups. "And afterwards I'll help you chose one of those numbers to call, Bubbers."

The answering groan was exactly what she wanted.


TBC in "Blow Your Horn" .