The cool, salty air stirred briskly in the late autumn breeze. It was ruffling his hair impossibly, but the Doctor didn't mind as he stood upon the sand, his gaze focused on the distant horizon beyond the sea.

He still remembered traveling out there, so far past the line of sight, so far beyond the confines of this village, this country, this little plant called Earth. He would always carry the memories of the wonderful, horrible, brutal, and awe-inspiring things he'd seen. But they would be tinged with distance, removed from his own experience. He could never truly understand them because they'd been devoid of human emotion.

He knew that was for the best. How could anyone bear to witness those events with a human heart? The cruelty, the brutality, the utter callousness that had accompanied many of the Time Lord's tasks had screamed for detachment, had required it to ensure his capacity to help.

Perhaps his half-human stature contained a little more than half of the human emotional spectrum. Indeed, sometimes he felt as though he'd received one hundred fifty percent, but he recognized that much of the feeling was due to his inexperience with the emotions. He was still learning how to process them and how to express them.

If he went a bit overboard, well, he supposed he could be forgiven. He knew that Rose didn't mind. In fact, that was one of the things she loved most about him. She'd held him gently as he'd cried tears of relief when he could finally admit fully that their child was unharmed. She'd waited patiently while he—normally the most garrulous git on the block—struggled to find the right words to articulate his immense love for her and their unborn daughter.

And now she stood beside him, her eyes trained on the waves, not upon the far horizon. He watched her face for a moment then pulled her a bit closer. She snuggled into him as her arms wrapped about his waist. Her round belly pressed against his lean abdomen, and he felt the baby stir.

His gaze moved out to the sea again, but not as far as the horizon. The water was calm today; no storms were in sight. But when the next one hit, he would be sure that Rose and the baby were absolutely secure and safe. Tempests held little fascination for him now: They were a force to fear.

"What're you thinking about?" Rose asked, her voice slightly muffled by his wool jumper as she nuzzled her cheek against his chest.

"You." He bent to press a kiss over her hair. "Only you."

**

Fin

Note: If there is sufficient interest, I will continue this in a sequel…