The Doctor had his nose buried in some complex medical book when he noticed she'd gone. He and Donna had spent the day lazing around in the library of the TARDIS. After their excursion to the remote jungles of Shlantaref the previous day, a day of reading and nursing a few cuppas was exactly what the pair needed. Putting his book down and grabbing their mugs from a nearby coffee table, he went in search of his wife. He made his way to the kitchen and placed the mugs into the sink. It is just then that he remembers Donna telling him she was going to take a bubble bath and that afterwards she was promptly going to sleep. She wanted to be well rested for their trip to Chiswick the next day.
"But that was hours ago…", he mutters to himself as he grabs a few jelly babies from the cupboard. The Doctor hadn't realized just how engrossed he was in his reading and felt a pang of guilt in his chest for sending Donna to sleep without a goodnight kiss. These past few months had been rough on Donna, and he knew that. Being married to a Time Lord wasn't easy and he understood the worry and stress she dealt with from day to day.
The Doctor moves a hand through the mess of spiky hair on his head and sighs. He glances at the clock above the sink. It is half past one in the morning. He turns out of the kitchen and goes into the console room. "Well old girl, I better get some sleep if I have to deal with Sylvia Noble today.", he pats the console and yawns as he slowly pads towards the bedroom he and Donna share.
Reaching the large mahogany door, he slowly opens it poking his head in. Just as he had thought, Donna peacefully snores in the large bed across the room. It is quite dark, but there is a dim blue light glowing throughout the room, throwing enough light for the Doctor to see his sleeping Donna. The Doctor slowly crosses the room and sits on the bed. The sight of his tranquil wife takes his breath away. She lies on the bed curled onto her side, wild and fiery hair sprawled over her face and pillow and her hands subconsciously cradling the swell of her abdomen, protecting the precious little life that lie inside. The Doctor is always amazed by how calm and serene Donna is when she is sleeping. It is a large contrast to the woman who loves to shout at the world and fill the TARDIS with as much sass and cheek as possible. But, he wouldn't change anything about her for the world. Not her short fuse, the way her hair smells after she washes it, the freckles that dot her porcelain skin, the way she throws her hands up in the air when she has had enough of the his antics, none of it.
After a particularly loud snore, the Doctor is pulled away from his thoughts. As he leans in to Donna and pushes a ginger lock out of her face, she stretches and sleepily opens her eyes.
"Hey, Spaceman.", she says pulling his face towards hers.
"Hey, Earth Girl. Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." He presses a soft kiss to her temple.
"It's alright. I don't mind. You coming to bed? You'll need all the strength you can muster to face Mum in the morning.", she murmured as she opened the plum duvet for the Doctor. He nodded and slid into the bed next to her. And after a few moments of uncomfortable maneuvering, Donna was now resting her head on the Doctor's chest being lulled back to sleep by his dual heartbeats.
"I love you to the end of the universe and back, Donna Noble.", he whispers into her ear as he gently rubs her expanded belly. He sighs contentedly; the TARDIS hummed happily and turned out the blue lights over the slumbering parents to be.
