"Are you sure you don't mind doing this?" Osgood asked Kate for about the twentieth time. They were standing in the doorway of their house watching Osgood's sister unloading her children from the back of her car. "Normally my parents would have them, but Mum's really not well and Grace has to go to her meeting. If you're not feeling up to it–"
"Os, it's fine. I'm fine." Kate assured her with a smile, squeezing her hip gently and pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "You never know, it might be fun."
Osgood looked at her like she was mad. "Ah… really? I'm not so sure. Children and I don't exactly…"
"How much time have you actually spent with children? I mean with children… not just in the vicinity of children." The blonde asked, arching an eyebrow at her. When her girlfriend gave a small shrug of her shoulders she smiled. "Exactly. I think if you give it a chance you'll really love it. Maybe then…"
"What?"
"I don't know… maybe one day…"
Osgood shot her a strange look. "Maybe one day… what?"
Kate had opened her mouth to speak when a small voice distracted them both and they turned to see Osgood's nephew grinning up at them. "Hi, Aunty Nell! I've lost another tooth!"
"Well done?" She responded, slightly unsure of the correct response to that piece of information.
Beside her, Kate rolled her eyes. "Wow, James! Did the tooth fairy come?"
He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah and he left me two pounds under my pillow."
"Two pounds?" Osgood's eyebrows shot up. "Inflation's really hit…"
"Thank you so much for doing this at such short notice." Grace smiled between the two women as she led her daughter towards them by the hand. She handed two backpacks to her sister, ushering the four-year-old past them into the house. "I really owe you one."
"Yeah, you do." Osgood told her; unable to hide the smile that was twisting her lips. "Good luck at the meeting."
"Thanks, Nell… Kate. I'll call you when I'm on my way to pick them up."
With that, she was rushing back towards her car and reversing off the drive. Osgood glanced at Kate and then the backpacks in her hand. She sighed deeply and retreated into the house, closing the door behind her. Dropping the bags onto the floor beside the coffee table, she looked at her niece and nephew, who were staring at her expectantly from the sofa.
"So… what do you guys want to do?"
"Hairdressers." Louise announced, blinking up at her aunt.
James huffed, folding his arms. "No! That's so boring! I want to play star wars! I want to explore!"
"Err… how about colouring?" Osgood suggested hopefully, earning a resounding negative response from the children.
"Please Aunty Nell…" Louise implored her.
"Tell you what, why don't you play hairdressers with Louise and I'll take James here into the jungle outside the backdoor. It's not quite space, but it's well worth exploring." Kate suggested, taking pity on her girlfriend. "When your Aunty Nell looks even more beautiful than usual and the fearless explorer here has discovered everything there is to discover in the jungle, we'll have a snack and decide what to do next. Alright?"
"Yesss!" James grinned at the blonde and scrambled off the sofa. He held out his hand to Kate, allowing her to lead him through the kitchen and out into the garden.
Kate smiled fondly as the six-year-old thoroughly explored their garden, remembering Gordon at his age. Her son hadn't been much of an explorer, not really liking to get mucky if he didn't have to. Emily, on the other hand, was always covered in mud and cuts and bruises, unwilling to back down from a challenge; something that often got her into trouble with adults and other children.
Every now and then James would rush back towards her to eagerly show or tell her about something he'd found, occasionally grabbing her hand and dragging her away from her potting shed to see for herself. She smiled at his excitement, promising him that as soon as the frogspawn appeared in the pond or the birds started nesting in the hedge he would be the first person to know.
Finally he got bored of running around and returned to her side, slipping his hand into hers and looking up at her beseechingly. "Do you have any of Aunty Nell's cookies?"
"I'm afraid not, love, but we do have Jammy Dodgers."
He considered her for a moment and then nodded. "They'll do."
Chuckling, Kate led him back to the house and settled him at the kitchen table with the biscuit tin and a glass of squash before heading into the living room to rescue her girlfriend. She stifled a laugh at the sight of a thoroughly miserable Osgood who was having her hair plaited by her niece.
"Beautiful."
"It is, isn't it?" Louise nodded her approval. "I can do yours later, Aunty Kate."
"I will look forward to it." She assured her, shooing her into the kitchen to join her brother. "You look adorable."
Osgood grumbled, pulling the elastic bands out of her hair and running her fingers through it to remove the plaits. Kate stopped her before she could tie it back neatly, threading her own fingers through the dark locks and using the position of her hands on the back of Osgood's head to pull her in for a kiss.
"Ewww!" James laughed, suddenly appearing in the living room and covering his face with his hands. "Gross!"
Osgood blushed, but Kate merely laughed. "Really gross."
"Oi!"
Kissing her girlfriend swiftly, the blonde winked. "Now, sweetheart, what would you and your sister like to do next?"
Pausing in pushing Louise on the swings Kate glanced at the display of her mobile, frowning lightly as she read her daughter's name. Clamping it between her ear and her shoulder, she stopped the swing and lifted the little girl out.
"Hey, love, what's up?"
"I've got a problem." Emily sighed, sounding thoroughly miserable. Kate could instantly tell that it was something that was really bothering her.
"What's happened?"
"Serena's really pissed off with me. We were supposed to go out for lunch, but she suddenly claims she's got lots of work to do and shut herself in her office."
Kate paused for a moment, before walking across the play park to sit on the bench beside her girlfriend. When Osgood shot her a curious look, Kate lowered the phone from her ear and put it on speaker so they could both hear.
"What did you do?" She asked, guessing immediately that Emily had caused the problem. Turning to Osgood, she rolled her eyes. "She's upset Serena."
"Why do you automatically assume that it's my fault?" Her daughter groused.
"Prior experience." Kate replied bluntly. "So? What did you do?"
"I may have accidently implied that she was acting like my mother…"
Her actual mother sighed, rubbing her forehead tiredly. "How?"
"I told her to stop acting like my mother…"
"Oh, Em!" Osgood exclaimed. "Why would you say that?"
"Because she was asking me about what I was planning to do… university and all that… going on and on about it…"
"Well I think we'd all like to know what you're–"
"Not the time." Osgood muttered, shaking her head at the blonde beside her.
"So what do I do?" The younger woman wailed through the speakerphone.
"Apologise?" Kate suggested, glancing at her girlfriend who simply shrugged.
"Obviously I've already done that. I'm not completely dense." Emily muttered. Kate guessed that she was rolling her eyes as well. "Any other advice? I don't normally have to deal with all this… usually I don't care if–"
"I really think you just need to apologise and make sure she knows you mean it, Em."
"Or grovel, even." Osgood suggested.
"Well… she won't let me in the office, so… What would you two do in this situation?"
"I really don't think I'm the best person to ask about this…" Kate told her, looking over to the climbing frame where the children were playing.
"Oh!" There was a soft snigger from the other end of the line. "I understand."
"Em… just talk to her." Osgood said. She blinked in bemusement as her niece ran over and clambered into her lap, curling into her. Awkwardly she wrapped her arms around the little girl, patting her several times on the shoulder before allowing herself to relax. "Let her see how sorry you are."
"Should I be fully clothed for that part, or…?"
"Emily!" Her mother snapped. "Small ears present."
"Oh! You've got the munchkins. I completely forgot! How's it going?"
"Good… I think even Os is having a good time."
"Wow!" Emily laughed. "So, which small ears are listening? Is it snot-box or puke-face?"
Louise giggled. "Puke-face!"
"Ahh, greetings earthling. How goes it?"
The little girl grabbed for the phone, wanting to speak to her step-cousin. Kate handed it over without argument, frowning at the device as though her daughter could see her reaction. "You really shouldn't call them that… I don't think their mother likes it."
"She's not there… is she?"
"No." Her mother assured her.
"So it's fine." Emily replied firmly. "So, puke-face, what've the parents been making you do? Clean toilets? Scrub floors?"
"Noooo!" Louise giggled again. "We're at the park!"
"They never take me to the park. What's so special about you two? You can't even swear yet."
"Will you teach me, Emmy?"
Osgood hastily took the phone off her niece, handed it back to Kate and stood up, balancing Louise on her hip. "I think we're going to see the ducks."
As she watched her girlfriend carrying Louise towards the river, calling to James who ran over to join them, Kate smiled fondly. She thought that, given the chance, Osgood would make an excellent mother and, not for the first time, a small shiver of regret passed through her at the thought that it might not happen.
"Mum?"
"Hmmm?"
"You OK?" Emily asked softly. "I'm sorry I interrupted your day. I'll… I'll figure this out, I guess…"
"No, love, it's OK. I just…"
"You're going all gooey-eyed over Os with the kids, aren't you?" Her daughter asked. Kate could picture the fond smile on her face. "She'd make a fantastic mum."
"She would…"
"If you're thinking you're too old, then stop it." Emily ordered, suddenly serious. "So what if Gordy and I are grown up? That shouldn't stop you and Os having kids if that's what you want. You know we'll support you whatever happens."
Kate let out a quiet sob. "Oh, Emily…"
"Mum?" The young woman was instantly worried. "What? What is it?"
"Nothing… I just… sometimes I don't know what I did to deserve you and Gordy and Os…"
Emily laughed, relaxing slightly. "You silly old goose… you're you. That's what you did. We all love you because you're you."
"Did… did you just call me a silly old goose?" Kate asked, laughing softly and wiping at her eyes.
"I might have done." Her daughter admitted. "Now… I think you need to go and tell Os you want to get her pregnant and I need to go and show Serena just how sorry I am."
"Well, that's… right." Kate wasn't really sure how to respond to her daughter's assessment of the current situation, so she simply said goodbye and ended the call.
Pushing her mobile into the back pocket of her jeans, Kate picked up the bags beside her on the ground and wandered in the direction of the river. She smiled, dropping the bags on the grass and moving to stand behind Osgood, wrapping her arms around the brunette's waist and resting her chin on her shoulder.
"Alright, love?" Osgood asked softly, placing her hands over Kate's on her stomach.
"Mmm…"
"I think I'm getting the hang of this 'children' thing." The younger woman admitted as they watched Louise chasing James in circles around a tree trunk.
"Good," Kate sighed, "because I think you'd make a wonderful mother."
Osgood twisted in her arms, furrowing her brow. "What?"
Kate took a deep breath. "I think… I think we should maybe think about…"
"You want to have a baby? With… with me? Really?"
"I can't think of anyone I'd rather have a baby with."
"I… I need some time to think…" Osgood admitted, chewing her lip.
"Of course." Kate nodded as her girlfriend turned away. "Take all the time you need. Whatever you decide, it's fine by me."
She wondered briefly whether she'd ruined everything. But then Osgood leant back against her, pulling Kate's arms around her waist once more and she sighed, pressing a kiss to the side of the brunette's head.
A/N: Last update of 2016! Happy New Year and let's hope 2017 is better than this year has been!
Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting! It's very much appreciated!
To the guest who asked about whether I'm planning to include the Zygon situation, if you mean about there being 2 Osgoods around, probably not. It may be mentioned, like in the last chapter, but it won't be explicitly shown :)
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