"What do you think of this dress?" Clara said to Amy as she was flipping through a bridal magazine.
"It's cute, but it's really hard to picture myself in a dress right now. I'm the size of a bloody house." Amy lamented.
"You are not." Clara said trying to reassure her friend. "You have a cute baby bump."
"Thanks, but it looks like I swallowed a basketball." Amy said as she ran a hand over it. "Can't I just get a nice black dress after the baby is born and wear that?"
"That sounds like a good idea." Clara agreed and looked down at her list of things she still needed to do for the wedding.
She had two lists that she was working from, one for the wedding and one for packing and moving. They had found out 2 days after they put an offer on the house that they got it and, in a few weeks, they would be moving into their new home. It was hard to believe that it was only a short time now since it felt like forever since they had signed the papers. It seemed like everything was beginning to happen so quickly now, and all at once. John would be back in a couple of weeks as they were about to wrap another season. It would be nice to finally have him home since it had been over a month since she had seen him. It would also be nice to have him back to help with all of the last-minute details.
Amy had helped Clara with a lot of wedding stuff. She helped her pick a dress, find a venue, send out invites, and all the other little details Clara would have forgotten about. Now there wasn't too much left to do, which was good because Amy was a few weeks from giving birth. Clara had managed to help her with a lot of baby preparations too and now all that was left for Amy to do was have the baby.
"So, what's left on those lists of yours?" Amy asked.
"Not much. Just need to get the groom home to do the rest." Clara answered.
"And how long before that happens?"
"13 days, but it's not like I'm counting or anything." Clara smiled at Amy.
Amy returned her smile and then suddenly winced. "Oi, this little one is really active today. I'll be very happy when this baby is no longer living inside me."
"I think everyone will be happy about that." Clara said as she made some more notes on her lists. Amy had been quite cranky the last few weeks, mostly due to her discomfort, and everyone had been walking on egg shells around her.
"You're still going to be there when the baby comes, right?" Amy asked. She had made Clara agree a couple of months earlier that she would be with her and Rory in the room, mostly because Amy was sure Rory wouldn't be able to handle it on his own. Amy could be pretty angry on a normal day, but when she was pushing an eight-pound baby out of her, lord only knew the wrath Rory would receive.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Clara assured her.
"Even if it's in the middle of hot reunited sex."
"Amy!" Clara exclaimed.
"What?! I'm just stating the obvious. You guys are going to be going at it like teenagers when he gets back."
"Nothing will keep me from welcoming this little baby into this crazy world." Clara answered as she shook her head, ignoring her friend's ridiculous comment.
"Good. Now let's work on packing, well you pack and I'll order you around." The two girls laughed and Clara went and grabbed some boxes.
John was so happy to finally be home. It had been a crazy shoot schedule thanks to River's recasting, but it was worth it. He really felt that he was able to give a better performance with the new actor and life on the set was much better. His relationship with Missy had evolved into one of friendship and he had even invited her to the wedding. He was actually looking forward to returning to shoot his final season, but not until he married the woman who had stolen his heart.
He looked around the flat and saw that Clara had been very busy packing. She had obviously, and not surprisingly, had everything ready for the move tomorrow. He had dreaded telling her that his schedule had been pushed by a week, which meant that he wouldn't make it home until the day before, but she was fine and said he'd likely just get in her way of making sure everything was organized. He left his bags at the door and walked into the kitchen to see if there was any food in the fridge. He opened it to see that it was completely empty, along with all the cupboards. He then glanced at his watch to see that Clara would be home from work soon, so he decided to send her a text and go down the street to pick up take away fish and chips.
On his way back, he spotted Clara across the street coming from a different direction from her normal route home. He shouted at her to get her attention and when he did he gave a big wave to her. She looked before crossing the street and ran over to meet him, instantly wrapping her arms around him and hugging him hard.
"Hey you!" He said as he returned her hug.
"I'm so happy to see you." She replied happily.
"You too! Where are you coming from?" He asked as he pulled away from her, but took her hand in his and they walked towards her flat.
"Oh, I thought I would walk to the new house from work to see how long it would take. Not much different from my commute now, so that's good."
"Fantastic. How's everything looking?"
"Good. Just anxious to get settled in the house and start our life together." She answered.
"Me too, sweetheart, me too."
Later that night after they ate, their real estate agent came over with the final papers and the keys to their new house. It was exciting for both of them, but more so for Clara as she had never owned anything in her life and she could hardly contain her excitement.
"Congratulations!" Their agent said as he handed them the keys.
"Thanks so much!" Clara said enthusiastically.
"Yes, thank you." John added. "You've made my future wife and I very happy."
"Well I'm glad I could." He said as he got up and shook both their hands. "I don't doubt that you will have many happy memories in your new home."
They saw the man out and then turned to each other grinning like kids on Christmas morning. John scooped Clara up in his arms and spun her around before setting her back on the ground.
"We're home owners!" Clara exclaimed.
"That we are!" John said.
"Oh my god John! This is crazy!" Clara said as the reality of what just happened started to sink in. "I just bought a house with you! We own a house together!"
"Are you having a fangirl moment sweetheart?" John asked as he quirked an eyebrow at her, smiling.
"Of course, I am." She said laughing. "Sorry, but I've been having these moments lately where I suddenly realise what is all happening and then I think back to a year ago when I didn't even know you."
"It has been quite the year, hasn't it?"
"That's for sure." She answered as she walked back into the living room to gather the papers. "My life has changed so much since you came into it."
"For the better I hope." John said as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
"Yes, for the better." She answered as she turned around and kissed him softly.
"Soooo." He said as he pulled away. "Bed?"
"Yes, but for sleep." She said almost sternly.
"Ahh come on!" He whined. "I haven't been with you in over a month!"
"So, you can wait one more night than." She replied as she walked away and started walking towards the bedroom. "We have a big day ahead of us and I need all the rest I can get."
"Fine." He grumbled, following behind her. "I can wait one more day."
Everything was going smoothly the next day. The movers showed up on time and quickly got to work loading their truck for the short trip to the new house. Once Clara's flat was empty she stood in the middle of the bare living room and suddenly felt very nostalgic for her little home. It was the first place she had that she didn't share with someone else and it was full of so many great memories. She had been so busy the last few months that she really didn't have time to really think about what the move meant. It was more than just getting a new place to live, she was starting a new chapter in her life. It was no longer just the story of her, but the story of her and John. She suddenly felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her middle and a soft kiss behind her ear.
"Are you thinking about how much you're going to miss this place?" John asked.
"Yeah, but also the future. And how ready I am to spend it with you." She answered.
"Ditto." He said. "You ready to go our new home?"
"You better believe it."
They walked towards the door, and Clara took one last look before she locked it for the last time, then turned and took John's hand as they went down to instruct the movers on where to go. It was not far and they were there in no time at all. They walked up to the door and John let Clara have the honour of opening the door for the first time, but before she had a chance to walk in he scooped her up in his arms and carried her in the house.
"Ahhhh, John!" Clara screamed in surprise. "What are you doing?"
"Isn't it obvious. I'm carrying you over the threshold." He answered as he leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss.
"Always the romantic." She said as he put her down.
"I try." He said as he wrapped his arms around her. He was just about to kiss her again when Clara's phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and saw that it was Rory.
"Oh oh. I think Amy might be having a baby." She told John, just before she answered. "Hey Rory."
"Clara, Amy's water just broke!" Rory said excitedly.
"Oh my god! How is she?
"She's okay." Rory answered. All of a sudden Clara heard Amy yell in the background.
"Are you sure?" Clara asked again.
"Yeah, she's just having contractions. We're on our way now to the hospital."
"Okay, I'll meet you guys as soon as I can." Clara assured him.
"No rush, the contractions are still far enough apart and I know that you and John are moving today."
"Her arse better be in the hospital by the time this baby comes!" Clara heard Amy yell in the background.
"Tell her I'll be there. Good luck Rory and I'll see you soon." Clara ended her call and put her phone back in her pocket.
"I take it Amy and Rory are about to become parents." John said.
"Seems so. Let's get this truck unloaded and then I've gotta go." Clara said.
"Nope. You're going now."
"John, I need to make sure the boxes end up in the correct rooms."
"I can do that. You've labeled them all really well, so you don't need to be here." John insisted as he walked with her outside.
"John," Clara said, but he cut her off before she could finish.
"Go. I've got this. Amy and Rory need you more than I do right now. Just keep me posted as to what is happening, okay?"
"Alright. I know when there's no point in arguing with you. I'll call you later." She said as she gave him a quick peck on the lips and ran off towards the tube.
"I swear to god Rory, you're never touching me again! Whose bright idea was this for me to have a child!" Amy yelled as she squeezed Clara's hand and glared at Rory.
"You're doing great!" Rory said trying to encourage her. "If I could do this for you, I would."
"Shut it!" Amy shouted as another contraction hit.
"Rory, why don't you go see about getting some more ice chips for Amy." Clara suggested thinking it would be best for him to leave the room for a bit.
Rory nodded and walked out. They had been at the hospital for nearly 10 hours and Amy's contractions were getting closer and closer, which meant the baby should be coming soon. However, the more pain she felt the angrier she got with her husband. Clara felt for him because she knew that Rory was sincere in saying he wished he could be the one to go through the pain.
"Seriously Clara, don't ever do this." Amy said as she was calming down after her latest contraction.
"Oh, come now, Amy. You're going to forget all about the pain once this little one comes out." Clara said.
"I hope so, otherwise this kid is going to be an only child."
Rory walked back into the room with one of the nurses. She wanted to examine Amy, so Clara took the opportunity to step out and give John a call. She had last spoken to him a few hours ago and told him she still had no idea when this baby was going to arrive.
"Hey." He said as he answered the phone. ""Any progress?"
"Yeah, should be soon. How is everything there?" She asked.
"Good. The movers just left a couple of hours ago after getting my furniture from storage and I was just about to step out and get some groceries, so we at least have some food in the house."
"My hero." Clara said smiling into the phone.
"Clara." Rory called for her from Amy's doorway. "She's almost ready to deliver."
Clara turned towards Rory and motioned that she would be there in one moment. "Well looks like it's time to welcome a new Pond into the world."
"Give them my best." John said and Clara promised she would before hanging up and walking back into the room.
Almost an hour later, Amy and Rory welcomed a healthy baby girl into the world, Melody Pond. Clara stepped aside and marveled at the new family, as Amy was holding her daughter and Rory was perched next to them on the bed with his arm wrapped around his women. Clara couldn't help but smile at the site and got a sudden flash of her and John doing the same thing. Just another affirmation that she wanted more than anything to have a family with him. She stepped out of the room to call her fiancé and tell him the good news, but didn't have to as she spotted him sitting in some nearby chairs.
"I was just about to call you." She said as she approached him. "How long have you been here?"
"Not long. So?" He asked waiting to hear about the baby.
"It's a girl!" Clara exclaimed. "They're just about to clean the baby up and check her over, but she certainly has a set of lungs on her. Came into this world screaming."
"Sounds like she takes after her mum already." John said as he smiled at Clara, who laughed and agreed.
"You must be tired." He added.
"Nah, I wasn't the one pushing a 7-pound baby out of me. But I am hungry. Care to come with me to find some food?"
"Lead the way." He said as the two walked off down the hall to get Clara some dinner.
They returned to the room an hour later. Clara slowly opened the door and saw that Amy was napping while Rory was sitting in a chair next the bed holding his daughter. She and John walked in trying not to wake the new mum, but no such luck.
"Hey mum." Clara said as she walked over towards Amy and John walked over towards Rory to take a look at the sleeping bundle.
"Congrats you two!" John said. "She looks adorable."
"Thanks." Rory answered. "Do you want to hold her?"
It had been a long time since John had held a new born baby. In fact, the last time was probably when his niece was born. He wasn't sure if he wanted to, but there was something inside him that was pushing him towards saying yes.
"Sure." He answered as he held out his arms and Rory gently placed Melody in them. He smiled down at the baby and was amazed at how light and fragile she felt. He looked up still smiling and glanced over at Clara who was smiling at him. The looks the two exchanged did not go unnoticed by Amy, but she decided not to say anything. Clara felt a wave of emotion come across her when she saw John holding the baby. There wasn't any doubt in her mind that she had made the right decision to stop taking the pill a couple of months ago because now she wanted more than anything to have a family with John.
"You look good with a baby." Rory said as he smirked at Amy. "Any time you two want to take a test run with ours let us know."
"She's like an hour old and you're already trying to pawn her off on other people." Amy said.
"We would be happy to babysit for you guys whenever you need a break." Clara said as she walked over towards John and her new niece. John turned and handed her the baby, giving her a chance to hold the little girl. He immediately envisioned her holding their child and hoped that Clara had changed her mind about the idea of having a family. It certainly seemed that she had.
The couple stayed for twenty more minutes and then left, leaving the Ponds to bond as a new family. Both were pretty silent on the way home, deep in thought. When they walked into the house, Clara was amazed to see the progress that John had made. There were still a ton of boxes around, but at least the furniture was in place. They climbed the stairs to their bedroom, where once again Clara was surprised to see that John had made the bed and set up the en suite bathroom.
"Wow, thanks for doing all this." She said as she hugged him.
"No need to thank me. I mean it's the least I could do given you did all the packing and were helping bring a baby into the world." He said as he placed a light kiss on the tip of her nose.
"The only thing I did was let Amy squeeze my hand and make sure she wasn't too nasty to Rory." She replied.
"You were being a good friend, so that's help enough." He replied as he pulled away and started striping down to his boxers to get into bed.
"So, did the whole thing turn you off the idea of having a family of our own?" He asked, casually throwing the topic out there and see how she reacted.
"The opposite I think." She answered as she stripped naked, not bothering to look for her pajamas.
"Really?" John said surprised.
"Really." she said as she pulled back the covers and climbed in next to him. "Seeing you holding Melody did something to my ovaries."
"Well seeing you naked just did something to me." He said as he smiled and leaned over top of her.
"Hmmm, I can feel." She said smiling back.
"Care to feel more?" He asked as he started placing kisses on her neck causing her to sigh.
There was no more talking for the rest of the night, except for the occasional 'I love you' and moans of pleasure. The couple made love that night, for the first time in their new home, creating their first shared memory in the house that would hold so many more.
