A little girl is celebrating her first birthday

It's been a while, remember me? As I said before, life's been insane these last few months and I hardly found time to write anything. On the upside, though, this is easily the longest chapter in this story so far, so I hope that makes up for the delay a little at least.
There is a lot going on here, quite a few old and new faces make an appearance and I have to admit, I was very reluctant about the latter. But then again, Sky needs friends too and some of them will show up again at some point in the future. So I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll try to not take quite as long with the next one :)

Sky's first birthday was on the Friday before half term. That, the kids decided, was very lucky because it meant that all of them could come home to celebrate with her.

They realised that even without the break, they would have come home that weekend anyway because it was the weekend of Martha and Mickey's respective bachelor and bachelorette parties. Sarah herself wouldn't go but all four teens had been invited. She had laughed when Gita and Carla had come over to quizz her about how their children had ended up being invited to something like that, who were they - how did their kids know them, where did they meet, how did Sarah know them? It wasn't, Sarah had eventually realised with amusement, worry about their children's wellbeing - they trusted Sarah Jane, so if she trusted someone, surely they were alright for their kids to hang out with. If only they knew - but no, it wasn't that. They were just plain curious.

Sarah suspected that Gita had roped Carla into coming with her to pester Sarah about the latest gossip, but it turned out to be quite a fun afternoon. They had all bundled up and then sat on the patio in the slowly warming March sun, watching as Sky happily crawled around on the grass and played with her outdoor toys. By the time the teapot was empty and the scones Carla brought were eaten, Sarah had been promised a proper birthday cake from Carla and fairy cakes from Gita and she laughed when she realised that she would neither have to attempt baking herself (which would probably end in disaster) nor have a store bought cake for Sky's first birthday.

And she hadn't even tried! They had just offered, because they adored Sky just as much as their children did. Once they had left, Sarah had given Sky a bath to wash off the dirt from outside and then sat down to plan a birthday party for a bunch of one-year olds. Not something she had ever expected to do, but there was a first (and last) time for everything.

Although Martha had promised to drop in and wish Sky a happy first birthday, Sarah had stopped her from helping with anything - she had a wedding to focus on, after all. She needn't have worried anyway, because Maria and Rani had immediately offered to help with the preparations while Luke and Clyde, for once, decided they'd rather stand by and watch.

Maria had arrived with Luke on Thursday evening already; neither of them had classes on Friday so they had driven down from Oxford after their afternoon classes. Rani and Clyde would both arrive sometime around before noon if all went well, and their guests were invited for 2pm - after naptime, just enough time before tea and then some after for the children to play. Or what counted as play for one-year olds.

'Are you sure you don't need us to bake anything?' Maria now asked for what Sarah was sure had to be the hundredths time.

'No, we're all set. Gita is bringing fairy cakes, Carla promised a the cake and Martha said they just received their final cake samples yesterday, so she'll be bringing some of that as well - we're feeding a dozen adultes and half as many toddlers, there'll be enough that everyone will have to take some cake home!'

'Well, but two of the adults are Luke and Clyde, they could probably eat a cake on their own.' Maria grinned and Sarah had to laugh.

'They're growing boys,' she answered, but Maria had a point. Those two were bottomless pits sometimes - typical teenage boys, really. Still, they'd be eating leftover cake for days already with the cakes they had, no need to add to that.

'Where should I put these up?' Sarah turned to see Maria holding up a set of colourful garlands. She bit her lip.

'I was going to have them dangle from the ceiling in the hall.' She followed Maria out of the kitchen and they shared a look. Their problem was evident.

'I don't fancy falling off a chair trying to reach up there,' Maria said decidedly and turned towards the stairs. 'LUKE! We need your help! - What?' She shrugged when she saw Sarah biting back a laugh. 'He's tall.'

He certainly was, and a little grumpy too. It was barely nine in the morning and after getting up entirely too early for class every day, he had very much been looking forward to having a lay-in this morning. Which was now interrupted by a way too cheerful Maria calling for him.

'Morning,' he grumbled and rubbed his eyes as he made his way down the stairs towards his mother and his best friend.

'Good morning, honey,' Sarah Jane smiled and pulled him down so she could press a kiss to his cheek. Next to her, Maria bit back a grin before giving him an innocent look.

'You need to help us put these up.' She thrust the garlands at him. 'We can't reach.'

Finally waking up properly now, it was Luke's turn to give them a teasing grin. 'Yeah, you're both tiny. There's no hope for you, mum, sorry, but maybe we can water you some to help you grow? What do you think, would that help, Maria?'

'Oi, cheek!' She laughed and punched his arm. 'Uni's making him all cheeky, Sarah Jane! Do something about it!'

'Am I not allowed to be funny?' His tone was serious, but Luke's eyes were sparkling and Sarah patted his arm, smiling.

'Oh, you certainly are. I just sometimes miss that innocent boy you were, no idea how to be cheeky yet.' Her eyes were sparkling too, and Luke grinned.

'Well, mum, I grew up.' His grin broadened. 'Literally.' Quickly, he bent down to drop a kiss on his mother's hair and then gave Maria's head a pet, which had both of them dissolved in indignant laughter. Before they could give him a witty comeback, he had slipped past them and sauntered into the kitchen - tea first, then he'd help.

Maria gave Sarah Jane a look, her eyes narrowed and sparkling with laughter. 'He'll pay for that, right?'

Sarah nodded, a similar expression on her face. 'Oh, he most certainly will.'

Their revenge would have to wait, though, because they had to finish decorating before their neighbours came over - it was a ridiculous notion, really, but Sarah wanted to prove to Gita that she could get everything ready for a birthday party. Not that she had ever given her the impression that she thought Sarah couldn't do it, but she was always so keen to offer her assistance that it was starting to become a little frustrating.

While Maria followed Luke into the kitchen, Sarah Jane went upstairs to get Sky. She had been awake early in the morning, just before five, and it had taken some chopped fruit and another story to get her settled down again. Like Sarah had hoped, her daughter had been fast asleep through most of the ruckus she and Maria had made while decorating downstairs, but the call waking up Luke had woken her as well.

When Sarah entered the nursery, Sky was lying awake in her cot, sleepily rubbing her eyes as she blinked up at her mother.

'Good morning, birthday girl,' Sarah beamed with a smile and easily lifted her into her arms. Immediately, Sky's little hands found Sarah's collar and she buried her face in her neck. Unlike Maria or Sarah, but very much like her big brother, Sky was everything but a morning person. She very much enjoyed being cuddled for a little while first thing, and Sarah usually made herself comfortable in the rocking chair while Sky took her time to wake up.

Today was no exception, they had finally gotten a routine down even if it had been disrupted a little by the surprise early morning.

'It's your birthday today, Sky,' Sarah explained and gently ran her fingers across Sky's arms. She giggled a little and snuggled closer. 'You're going to get presents and some of your friends will be coming over later, to play with you. You like that, don't you?' It got her a little nod from Sky that made her smile and she pressed a featherlight kiss onto her daughter's hair before lifting her up again and setting her down on the changing table to change her nappy.

It was hard to believe that it had been a year already. A whole year with Sky in her life, since they met Ms Mayers and the metalkind. A whole year of being a mum not only to a teenager, but also to a wonderful little girl - she was changing every day, growing up so fast, Sarah could scarcely believe it. She used to snort when parents told her that; that their grown children had been toddlers just yesterday but she understood the sentiment now. In just one short year, her life had been changed entirely, taken a 180° turn and if anyone would have told her she'd be here today a year and a day before, she would have laughed them off.

And yet here she was, a year later, and she wouldn't have changed a thing.

Time had passed so quickly, she hadn't even realised it was a year already, really, although she could still see Sky the way she had come to her, and the way she would be one day.

Luke was the one who always told her how much Sky changed when he came to visit - and he came to see them as often as Sarah would allow it, because she wanted him to spread his wings too, live his own life. It had been her son, too, who pointed out that Sky should have a birthday. Of course, like him, she technically didn't have one because she had been grown, not born, but he made an excellent point when he noted that she wouldn't understand that. He had been 'born' a teenager who did and they still held a small celebration every year on the day they blew up Bubbleshock, but Sky would only see her friends have their birthday parties while she didn't. Not to mention all the other parents, who surely would wonder why Sarah didn't celebrate her daughter's birthday?

In the end, his argument had been convincing and although Sarah doubted that Sky would actually remember much of this birthday party, one day she would look at the pictures and know that they had celebrated her from the beginning.

Sarah didn't bother to change Sky, who was finally awake and babbling a mile a minute as she sat in her high-chair, still in her jammies, and watched the highly amusing display of Luke trying to feed his sister her breakfast.

It wasn't going too well. Maria couldn't stop giggling long enough to actually get a bite in herself and that, in turn, made Luke shoot her mock-glare after mock-glare and Sarah Jane was barely able to hold back her own laughter. The display was quite sweet, though. Luke, desperately trying to feed Sky a spoonful of porridge Maria had made - she had offered, and Sarah had seen no reason why they shouldn't at least have some healthy breakfast before eating nothing but sugar for the next three days.

Luke was doing everything right, really, he was playful and determined - and Sky was having none of it. The one spoonful Luke had managed to sneak in she had spit out again, which had gotten her a soft chastisement from her mother that she wasn't supposed to do that, but since then she had simply refused to open her mouth. Instead, she had her arms crossed on the table of her highchair and kept glaring at her brother, shaking her head whenever he tried to offer her the spoon again.

'I give up, mum,' he said after almost ten minutes and handed her the spoon with a helpless look. 'Maybe you'll have better luck.'

'Let's see. Mhm, isn't that nice porridge Maria made there?' And promptly, coming from her mother, Sky ate perfectly, spoonful after spoonful until her small bowl was empty. Seeing that, Luke huffed, not really mad, but gave Sky a playful glare that had her dissolve in giggles before her attention returned to her food.

After breakfast, Maria and Luke went into the hall to hang up the garlands - or rather, Luke putting them up while Maria directed him - while Sarah tidied the dishes and then set to clean up Sky.

'It's a good thing I didn't let you put on your nice dress already,' she said with a smile as she wiped down Sky's face with a flannel. Yet another thing that changed, she never used to keep those in the kitchen, but they had proven quite useful to be kept on hand here. 'You'd have gotten everything sticky. Why don't we go upstairs and give you a bath now, then you'll be squeaky clean when everyone gets here later. What do you think, does that sound good?'

Instead of answering, Sky planted a watery kiss on her mother's arm and then gave her an adorably wide smile. Sarah smiled and brushed her curls from her face. 'Oh Sky, what would I do without you, mhm?'

Sky's answer was a string of babble that sounded vaguely like intelligible words but didn't make very much sense, so she lifted her daughter from the counter by the sink and set her on the floor. For a moment, Sky looked up at her, then she turned and started to crawl towards the open door into the hall.

According to her...well, Sarah supposed she should call them friends - the fellow mothers she had met in the park, some of whom would be over later with their own children - Sky had been early with the crawling and starting to talk, but she didn't seem very interested in walking yet. Some of the other children had begun to toddle around a little recently, but so far, Sky had only made a few attempts to pull herself onto her feet. It was normal, the other mothers assured her, she didn't need to worry, all children had their own pace - and Sarah wouldn't have worried anyway, Sky was perfect no matter what.

In the hall, she made a beeline for Luke, who had just stepped down from the ladder he had used to put up the garlands, and then plumped down right in front of his feet.

'Hey Sky,' he smiled and crouched down. She beamed at him and tried to crawl onto his lap, which almost made him topple over backwards before he caught both of them. Sitting on the floor, in the middle of the front hall, wasn't exactly what he had planned but hey, it made his little sister happy. At least she looked happy, from the toothy smile she was giving him. As Sarah looked down at them and then held out a hand to help her son up, Maria silently slipped into the kitchen to allow them a family moment.

'Maybe I can go up and give Sky her bath?' Luke suggested and tapped his sister's nose. She scrunched up her face and smacked at his hand, then giggled when he caught her fingers and held on. 'Have some brother-sister time?'

The sight of her children playing like that made Sarah's heart swell, she loved them both so dearly and seeing them together like that, it was wonderful. Luke had told her, last year when Sky had first come to live with her, that he had never thought their family would be anyone but the two of them. And then they had found Sky, and suddenly their family had grown by one person and really, they wouldn't miss it.

'Why not?' She said with a smile and took Sky's hand from Luke to press a light kiss to it. Once again, Sky giggled and quickly pulled her hand back to bury her face in her brother's shoulder. Sarah shared a smile with her son. 'Just try not to flood the bathroom again, please.'

'It was one time, mum, one time,' he whined in response, but the grin tucking on the corners of his lips was evident. Of course it was, the last time Luke and Sky had been allowed in the bathroom, Luke had ended up in the bathtub with his sister, fully clothed and afterwards dripping down the entire hallway because he hadn't thought of leaving his wet clothes over the tub to dry. 'We'll be fine, won't we, Sky?'

Sky nodded so enthusiastically that she nearly smacked her head against Luke's chin and he managed to turn his face just in time for her to miss. He laughed and put a hand against the back of her head to avoid a repeat, then smiled at his mum. 'We'll be fine mum, really.'

'Fine.' Sarah sighed. 'I'll put her dress for later on the changing table - the nappies are on the right now, I rearranged that the other day -'

'I know, I changed her yesterday, remember?'

'Right, you did. Sorry…'

'Don't worry mum.' Of course she would, she always did. Wasn't that her job as their mother? 'I promise, we'll be good. Come on, Sky, let's get you ready for your big party later…'

Sarah was still smiling about her children when she entered the dining room to finish with the decorations there. In the six years she had lived on Bannerman Road, she could count the times she had actually used it on one hand. When it was just Luke and Sky and her, they ate in the kitchen, and Clyde, Maria and Rani had always prefered to lounge in the living room and have their tea there. The dining room had only ever been used on Christmas with Luke, and the few times she actually had guests that needed to be impressed. So, very, very rarely.

However, unlike the living room, it had wooden floors and if there was one thing Sarah had learned since Sky had started to eat solids, it was that food would inevitably end up on the floor. Barely a day passed where she wasn't scraping something off the tiles - and that was just one child. Half a dozen? No, the toddlers could play in the living room while the adults were having tea (that was, according to Clyde, Maria, Rani and their mothers, the norm for toddler birthdays) on the sofa, but when it was actually time for cake, she would usher everyone over where they couldn't do that much damage.

Preparations never stopped - just before lunch, Clyde came knocking, arriving with a container full of prepped sandwiches - 'because, Sarah Jane, you all forget to eat when you're busy and someone needs to look out for you!' - which then ended up being the only reason they actually had lunch in the first place. Then, half an hour before the guests were set to arrive, Gita came over with a tray of adorably decorated fairy cakes and a few minutes later Carla appeared with the promised birthday cake. Apparently, the two had been in cahoots with each other because both the big and the tiny cakes matched.

They set everything up in the dining room for later, Sarah went upstairs to check again that she had locked the door to the attic - no alien invasions today, she was off the clock just for the afternoon - and then allowed Gita to take a few pictures of her and Sky on the sofa.

Gita had insisted, and then Carla and all the kids backed her up, so Sarah had given in and sat down with Sky on her lap, her daughter cuddling her beloved brother bear. Luke had sat down next to them and wrapped his arm around her, then Sky had decided that she was more comfortable sprawled across both their laps and when Clyde had made some silly joke, they had both burst out laughing - the pictures, she would later realise, were absolutely perfect. They were memories, not only for Sky one day, but for all of them.

The kids - they were almost adults, Sarah thought wryly as she was looking at them, all taller than her by far now, and off living their own lives, spreading their wings - suggested to take some more, with all of them, and their mothers were all too happy to comply. Perhaps they didn't know what role Sarah played in their lives but it was obvious to both of them that they all adored each other.

Just as they were about to wrap up their impromptu photo session, the doorbell rang and then, chaos descended on 13, Bannerman Road.

For a house that had seen quite a lot of chaos of all alien kinds, this was an entirely new and unknown kind of chaos. Sarah had invited five of Sky's friends, all children they had met in the park the previous autumn. She still found it incredibly odd to have friends like them, people completely unaware of the universe out there.

Sometimes, Sarah wondered what they must make of her - there had been some who kept giving her strange looks, but on the whole, they had been very accepting and kind to her.

Somehow, she had managed to get through the entire winter without having them over at her place - and surprisingly enough, no one had made a snide comment about it. Except for Mable, who had been over a few times because Sky and her youngest daughter Poppy got along wonderfully (and she lived just around the corner, down Bromberry Road), it was the first time they saw her house and it seemed that everyone was quite impressed.

'How do you manage to keep it clean?' Ashley had asked in astonishment. She lived on the other side of the park and was still in awe about the sheer size of the house.

Sarah shrugged nonchalantly. 'Good time management?'

'You know, love, I've been asking myself the same question ever since I moved in over the road,' Gita chimed in and pulled the younger woman towards the living room. 'I don't know how she does it either, running around all day, raising two kids, working - I barely get anything done myself and my Rani is grown and I have a husband to help out...although I suppose he usually makes things worse when he tries to help…'

'They tend to do that, don't they?' Ashley and her son Ray had been the last to arrive, so everyone else was already gathered in the living room. The older children didn't seem to mind sitting on the floor with the toddlers and Gita had kindly taken over part of Sarah's job as hostess and seen that everyone was comfortable.

For a moment, Sarah just stood in the doorway and watched the scene before, yet another one that she had never expected to find herself in. She held back a sigh and instead took a deep breath. She had guests to take care of and a birthday to celebrate.

'Thank you everyone for coming today.' She smiled at everyone and then sank into the armchair, the only seat not yet occupied. 'It means a lot that you're all here.'

'Of course we are, Sarah Jane.' Mable smiled at her. 'Where else would we be?'

'You only have one first birthday, after all,' Lauren added and everyone nodded.

'So, which one of them are yours again, Sarah Jane?' Ashley asked and nodded at the four teenagers on the floor. Currently, Clyde and Luke had two children each climbing over them while Maria and Rani were trying not to laugh at them.

Sarah smiled at them, then Ashley's words sank in and she frowned. 'You weren't introduced yet?' No answer, just headshakes. Oh. Well. No harm done. 'Luke?'

'Sorry, mum.' Luke gave her a sheepish smile and waved at everyone. 'I was busy not letting Sky get blueberry juice all over her dress, so I forgot to say hello to everyone - hello, everyone, I'm Luke.' He was entirely serious, still a little stiff sometimes in front of strangers, even in his own home like now.

'And these are Rani and Clyde, and I'm Maria - I used to live over the road, before Rani moved in there.'

'Yeah, we've all been friends with Luke and Sarah Jane for ages now,' Clyde added. Oh, Sarah thought to herself, you are so much more than that. You're no friends, you're family, you and Rani both.

'They spend more time here at Sarah's than at home,' Gita threw in and Carla nodded in confirmation.

'Sometimes I thought Clyde moved in here with Luke,' she said and the children all grinned.

'Well, Maria did move in now, mum. Sarah Jane's all but adopted her'

'She did not!' Maria laughed and lightly smacked Clyde's arm. When she noticed the confused looks of the other women, however, she sobered up quickly and helplessly looked over to Sarah.

'Maria has been staying with us during breaks because her dad's working in America.'

A thankful look settled on Maria's face at Sarah's words and she added, 'Going home for just a week or two isn't worth the jetlags and all of that, so I stay here with Sarah Jane and Luke, and Sky.' Not to mention that since they had acquired a teleportation device, she was able to pop over to visit her dad without having to sit on a plane for half a day.

'That's very kind of you, Sarah Jane,' Rachel noted and supportive nods were given all around. Sarah found herself blushing a little - she had never really thought twice about letting Maria stay, but how could she explain her friendship with those three children - young adults, now, really - to strangers who knew close to nothing about her life? And also had no intention of ever involving in said life?

'I suppose it is,' she said instead and shrugged. Before she could add anything else, though, Ashley piped up again, giving Maria a scrutinizing look.

'You said her dad's in America, but what about her mum?'

The look Maria and Sarah shared, as well as the protective way Luke, Clyde and Rani instinctively moved closer to their friend, wasn't lost on anyone but Ashley herself. She still eyed Maria, clearly expecting an answer and Sarah dearly wished there was anything she could do to make the situation less awkward for Maria. But she didn't know how much Maria wanted people, strangers, to know, so she sat back and watched. By the looks of it the four teenagers had things well under control.

After a moment, Maria seemed to straighten up and her eyes fixed on Ashley. 'We're not talking.' Without adding anything else, she turned and picked up Sky to pull her into her lap. That was the clue for everyone to move again, it seemed, and only when her guests came back to life did Sarah realise that they had all held their breath while waiting to see how the scene played out. Even the children had been as silent as children could be.

Sarah found herself able to finally breathe again when conversation around her picked up again. Gita and Joan apparently hit it off and were chatting about flower arrangements, Rachel as a scientist found herself in a conversation with Luke about some phenomenon Sarah herself had never heard of before, Carla was swapping recipes with Mable, and Clyde was busy entertaining Louise, Ashley, Maria and Rani by telling them about the latest shenanigans he had gotten himself into at university. Sarah found herself chiming in here and there and whatever awkwardness and worry she had about her ability to entertain a bunch of mothers melted away. If she was being entirely honest, it wasn't just 'not bad' - it actually was kind of fun.

Time seemed to fly by, everybody was talking to everybody, their conversations only interrupted by the occasional 'no honey, don't do that' and 'sweetheart, don't put that in your mouth' and once a 'would you like some tea as well, Macey?'. But Macey, Rachel's older daughter - six years old - had shaken her head and gone right back to her book, utterly uninterested in socialising or playing with 'the babies'. Sarah envied her a little; she did enjoy herself but she had long fallen out of the habit of socialising like this and she vowed to curl up with a book tonight to relax.

Eventually, Sarah pulled Sky onto her lap to help her open her presents - mostly toys that the other apparently, she just needed to have. Everyone laughed when Sky showed very little interest in the actual presents and cuddled back into her mother instead with the scrunched up wrapping paper clutched tight.

'Macey was like that as well,' Rachel grinned and glanced at her older daughter, who barely even looked up at the mention of her name. 'Only interested in either the paper or books - but none of the other presents.'

'I suppose it's colourful and it's rustling.' Sarah smiled and dropped a little kiss on Sky's hair. 'I've been told children like that.'

'Oh, yes, they do.' That much, at least, everyone agreed on.

The only other thing that got a unanimous vote was the move to the dining room for cake around three thirty. And, like promised, the doorbell rang just when everyone was about to sit down and Martha arrived. She was greeted with open arms, although her guests seemed a little too curious how Sarah had met her. They had shared one look and grinned.

'A mutual friend.'

'Oh, really? Who, Sarah, someone we know?' Martha nearly choked on her tea at Gita's question - she made it sound like their 'friend' was someone they had been romantically involved with. Even Sarah had to bite back a laugh at that thought because...well. It was the Doctor.

'No,' she said after a moment, fighting back the her grin, 'I don't think so. Rani's met him, though.'

'Yeah, we did, mum - and Luke and Maria went to see him with Sarah in Bristol last summer, didn't you?'

'Bristol?' Martha mouthed silently and gave Sarah a curious look.

She shook her head and, equally silent, mouthed 'I'll tell you later'. To Gita, she said, 'Yes, we did go see him - did we invite someone else?' Because once again the doorbell was ringing, and rather incessantly too. Frowning, Sarah got up. 'I'll go see who it is.'

She had no idea who else could show up, perhaps someone had sent a present - but when she opened the door, Sarah couldn't suppress a squeal of excitement. 'Doctor!' Speaking of the devil.

He gave her that wide, beaming grin of his and whirled picked her up as if she weighted nothing to twirl her around, his eyes never leaving hers.

'Where's the birthday girl?' He wanted to know once he set her down again and Sarah felt her eyes welling up.

'You came for Sky's birthday?' She asked softly and he drew his bushy eyebrows together in a frown.

'Of course I did. She's my Sarah Jane's daughter, where else would I be? Why are you crying?'

'I'm not,' she said quickly and hastily tried to wipe away the evidence of the contrary. 'I'm just - thank you. I'm glad you're here. Let's go in - there's someone I'm sure will be thrilled to see you.'

She smiled in answer to his questioning look and directed him into the living room - he had been visiting before, of course, but considering how much older he was than his tenth face, she didn't rely on that. Martha sat with her back to the door, so he didn't see her immediately, but he received beaming smiles from Luke, Clyde, Maria and Rani the moment they recognised him.

'Everyone, this is my dear friend John Smith from Bristol - also known as the Doctor.' Martha whipped around and stood so quickly that her chair screeched over the floor.

'Doctor?'

His smile was just as big as he recognised her as it had been when he had greeted Sarah. 'Martha Jones!' He gave her a scrutinising once-over. 'You're older.'

'It's been three years since I've last seen you,' she shrugged, not at all offended by his words - he was, after all, the Doctor. The other women seemed less charmed, though, but then they also didn't know the Doctor. Martha might not have met this face before, but considering her work with UNIT, Sarah wouldn't have been surprised if she had met one or two of his previous faces visiting the future. 'What are you doing in Bristol?'

'I teach.'

'He's brilliant as a professor, Maria and I sat in on one of his lectures,' Luke explained, consciously leaving out what had led them to Bristol in the first place.

Now it was Martha's turn to look him over before giving a thoughtful nod. 'I can see this you as a Professor, yes.' She smiled and pulled her chair back to sit. 'It's good to see you, Doctor.'

'So, you are the mutual friend?' Ashley, of course, perhaps the nosiest of the group apart from Gita.

He barely spared her a glance, so Sarah took it upon herself to nod. 'Yes, he is.' The Doctor, on the other hand, had zeroed in on her children on the other side of the table. He and Luke had an understanding without words, so while he rounded the table, Luke turned Sky around on his lap to allow the Doctor to pick her up.

'Hello, young lady. Yes, I'm the Doctor, clever of you to remember me. Of course I brought you a present, it's outside with Bessie -'

'You brought Bessie?'

'Who's Bessie?' Confusion was written on everyone's faces this time, only Sarah's eyes were sparkling with understanding.

'His car. You called the Brig to get her?'

'I did. Or you'd have told Kate, wouldn't you?'

Sarah shrugged nonchalantly. 'Maybe.' At his pointed look, she rolled her eyes. 'Probably. She can keep mumm, you know.'

'She's the Brigadier's daughter - ow, don't pull my ear, I'm listening.' Gently, the Doctor pried Sky's fingers from his ear and nodded along to her babbling.

When she noticed the puzzled expressions on her other guests' faces, Sarah gave them an all too pleasant smile. 'He speaks baby.' Then, without giving them time to comment, she gestured at the table. 'Cake, anyone?'

Once the novelty of the Doctor as their exotic surprise guest had worn off, the earlier conversations started up again, despite everyone being focused on having the children eat the cake and not throw it across the table. Only Sky, still on the Doctor's lap, was on her best behavior, animatedly blabbering at him while he fed her and answered like they were actually having a conversation.

After tea and cake, they went outside to admire Bessie - Luke and Clyde had wanted to see her, and everyone else tagged along. Carla and Gita said their goodbyes then, they would be by sometime during the week to collect their cake tins, and somehow that was the beginning of the end.

One by one, everyone left and when they finally went back inside - just Martha, the Doctor, the children and Sarah herself - Sarah felt exhausted. It seemed to show.

'We'll clean up, Sarah Jane,' said Rani.

'You don't have to do that - you shouldn't, actually -'

'We want to. You and Martha and the Doctor should go catch up and we'll take care of the rest.'

'Maria's right, you've done enough already, Sarah Jane. You're allowed to relax now.' Oh, just a few years ago Clyde wouldn't have thought to boss her around like that but now he didn't seem to worry about it any longer.

All four of them looked rather determined that she wouldn't lift a finger to clean, but it were her son's words that send her to join the Doctor and Martha in the end: 'You get to enjoy today too, mum.'

There wasn't really very much that she could say against that, so she led Martha and the Doctor upstairs into the attic. Martha had Sky in her lap and was cooing at her, the Doctor, in typical Doctor-fashion, inspected some of the more exotic artifacts on display and Sarah found herself sinking into the plush sofa. She let out a sigh.

'This was...different,' she said slowly, a thoughtful smile on her lips.

Martha looked at her. 'I was going to say normal. It's not what you usually do, is it?'

'No, it's not. But that's not necessarily bad, you know? It's not better or worse - just different.'

'That's the definition of different, Sarah.'

'I know - will you come sit down for a moment, Doctor?' For a moment, he seemed to contemplate her request, then he unceremoniously plucked Sky from Martha's arms and plopped down on the sofa next to Sarah.

'You've always made me proud, you know that Sarah, don't you?'

She gave him a small smile. 'I learned from the best.'

Surprisingly, he didn't comment on her answer, just tilted his head as if he was emberrased before looking at Martha.

'You make me proud too, Martha Jones.'

'As Sarah Jane said - we did learn from the best.'

They sat in companionable silence for a while, the only sound Sky's sweet babbles as she crawled over onto her mother's lap. Once she was situated, Sarah flashed Marhta another warm smile before turning back to the Doctor. 'It's not going to be Jones much longer, you know? Martha will be a Smith too, soon.'

'How's that?'

'I'm getting married, Doctor. To Mickey.'

The Doctor's eyebrows shot up. 'I haven't heard of Mickey Smith in a long time.'

'Well, he's around a lot, you know,' Sarah informed him gently but Martha interrupted her there.

'I didn't know where to send the invitation. I'll send you one tonight, to the university - but you're invited, of course you're invited! You'll come, will you? Please?' The look on Martha's face was almost pleading and Sarah had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. The Doctor, however, eyed her thoughtfully before slowly nodding.

'I will be there.'

They had sat like that, chatting about this and that, for a while longer - once they had tidied up downstairs, the big children joined them, but eventually, everyone had to leave for the night.

Sarah had seen them all off in the front hall, asked Martha to give Mickey their best and then the Doctor to drive safely and then Maria, who was sleeping over at Rani's, to not stay up all night to gossip, and Luke and Clyde to not play video games until dawn. And then, she was blissfully alone with Sky, who was already overtired and coming down from the afternoon's sugar high.

She was tired, drained in a good but unfamiliar way. There was something different about this kind of exhaustion that didn't stem from running after - or from - aliens all day but rather came from hosting a bunch of toddlers and their mothers. It was strange, but not entirely unpleasant.

Sky was sitting on her bed, squeaky clean and with cosy looking in her fluffy pjs, while Sarah slipped on her own pyjamas and then sat down next to her. Immediately, Sky crawled over and plopped herself in her lap. Her arms went around Sarah's neck and, with a tired smile, Sarah pulled her close as she scooted back to lean against her pillows.

'That was a long day, wasn't it Sky? But you had fun - I think we all had.' She lightly ran her fingers over her daughter's arms and felt sniffle a little. Clearly, after the long and exciting day they'd had, exhaustion was hitting her now as well.

'It's alright, poppet,' she soothed her. After a moment's hesitation, she bend over and pulled the duvet up to cover her legs while she calmed Sky's tired tears. It didn't take very long before her breathing evened out and her eyes flattered shut as she drifted off in her mother's arms.

Softly, Sarah pressed a kiss onto her curls. One year Sky had been with her now, one year where she had a small, wonderful daughter she loved so very dearly. It had been a year but it still felt new - the time had gone by impossibly fast and that was terrifying in it's own right. For now, though, Sarah thought with a smile, Sky was little enough to happily fall asleep curled up in her lap and she just wanted to soak up that feeling of pure love a little longer. She'd take her over into her own room in a little while.

Needless to say, mother and daughter both slept peacefully until midmorning, curled up in the safety of each other's arms.