A/N:

All you lovely reviewers are brilliant! Thanks so much.

Oh hey, SerinaKat, what a great plot. I'm afraid I'm not good enough to cover such an awesome turn of events, although I may muse on it endlessly!

Dr Dredd and Erisinia – would be kinda nice, but I can't handle another twelve year fic ;-) so not here!

Sorry, forgot to glossary these from Chapter 3. I'm sure you got them anyway…

tibialis anterior – a muscle on the front of the shin

flexor carpi ulnaris – a muscle on the forearm

Thanks to ellex for the unwitting inspiration for part of this chapter. :D

Spoilers: Continued spoilers for Home.

Chapter 4

As I woke, I remembered how the previous evening had ended. I had made a complete idiot of myself. I didn't want to open my eyes. Stupid. Stupid. Maybe I could hide in here all day. I groaned, and leaned over to put the alarm off before it came on. Busy day of out-patients that would not be pleased if I didn't turn up. Not to mention the irate manager. With a deep breath, I got up and prepared to face the more immediate music.

With the door open a crack I could see the couch – no Rodney. I turned my head to check the clock. Seven o'clock. Oh, he was going to be interviewing, wasn't he? Fermat was still on the couch, very cosy on the blanket. There was a bit of clatter from the kitchen. I guess he was still here then. I made it to the bathroom and back to get washed and dressed without trouble, but now I needed breakfast.

There was coffee, juice, muffins, eggs, all laid out on the table. Rodney was grabbing cutlery from the drawer. He was all decked out in his uniform gear that he'd arrived in. Looked great. So did the food.

"Oh, good, you're up. Breakfast?" He was tentative, his expression a little uncertain.

I gave him a small smile. "Thanks. This looks great. Sorry…you know…just ignore me…I was just tired…" I waved my hand randomly.

"Sure. No problem." He looked a little relieved, and sat down. He tucked in breezily. "I'm getting picked up soon. I wasn't sure…"

I got it. "It's OK, Rodney. You can come and go as you please. Fermat would never forgive me if you didn't. And I still think…"

"I agree," he interrupted, "He needs to stay here. I'll be gone in a few days." He kept his eyes down and put another forkful in his mouth.

We finished breakfast, and cleared away together. A car horn sounded outside.

"That'll be my ride. I'd better…I'll see you later?" He'd become a little edgy again.

"I'll be here. What time are you going to be….back?" I'd almost said home. Idiot.

"Oh, maybe six, seven. I'll eat at the base." He was almost wringing his hands now.

"Oh. OK. No problem. See you later then, you'd better go…" I almost shoved him out the door, closing it hard after he'd gone. I just needed a day to get my head straight. One day, that's all. Fermat trotted up to my feet and rubbed his side across my leg. Purring, he took up guard a few feet away and began to lick his paw. I appreciated the gesture.

0o0o0

Rodney looked so tired as he stepped through the door. He flopped onto the couch, groaning and rubbing his head with one hand. I was pleased at my neighbourly reaction. Sympathy, but not to distraction.

"Did you have any idea the world was so devoid of intelligent life?" He bemoaned.

I grinned. "I was beginning to think that myself! Good day, then?"

"Ugh. I hope tomorrow is more fruitful. I'm not going to employ anyone just because they have enough letters after their name!"

I wondered what kind of intelligence he was talking about, in that case.

Then a crash from the kitchen caught my attention. I hurried through, Rodney hard on my heels. We scanned the kitchen from the doorway. Fermat had managed to flip his bowl upside down, and was scratching at the cupboard door, the one where his food was kept.

"Neat trick, Fermat!" Congratulated Rodney. "He never did that with me!"

"You probably fed him as much as you do yourself." I countered, righting the bowl, and moving Fermat from the cupboard.

Rodney gave me his best hurt look. "He wants his dinner early, then?"

"Yes. I rarely give in. But he works on the principal that it doesn't do any harm to ask." I stood determinedly in front of the cupboard as Fermat mewed around my feet.

Rodney shuffled and I could see him swallow hard.

"Er. I wonder…Would you go out with me at the weekend?" He looked up at me, his head held down, hands deep in pockets.

I had to smile. Nice try. Didn't do any harm to ask, right? And I was right, one day to get straight.

"It's not like I don't want to, Rodney. I think I would like to, actually. But I can't. We can't. You know we can't."

He nodded, glumly. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked…I just don't think I've ever had such a good chance before." He was teasing me now, damn lopsided smile making fun of me.

"Not fair!" I turned around and opened the cupboard, bent down to get the cat bowl, and proceeded to fill it. Fermat got very excited.

"Hey!" Rodney protested. "He's gets fed, but I don't get a date?"

I gave Rodney a raised eyebrow.

"OK. I get it. I need to work on my charm, right?"

"Don't worry, Rodney. Someone will get to take full advantage of your charm, when the time is right. Probably some gushing redhead with a high error tolerance."

He had a strange semi-hurt look, mixed with a wistful wondering. I shook my head. He clearly hadn't missed me as much as I figured I'd missed him, then.

"Sorry. Bit harsh. But I guess you and me will only ever happen in some dream." I said softly.

He seemed to snap back in an instant. I'm sure he muttered, "Tried that. Never quite made it." I didn't ask for clarification.

A familiar routine was pursued, Rodney making the couch habitable for the night. The atmosphere was much warmer, quite comfortable. I wanted it to last. I left the door open a crack so I could hear Fermat sleeping.

A/N: Hope you still like. Maybe the goodbye scene next, to finish off? It can never be, can it?