Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or the Millennium Falcon…

You know when you stay up really late, and the next morning you know you should get out of bed but you can't. You just lay there, moving around and telling yourself 'five more minutes.' Yeah, I never felt like that. Sleep was important to me, so I never stayed up late and always woke up at a decent hour.

Today, I ruined it.

I didn't want to get up. The Doctor had needed help making random repairs in the TARDIS throughout the entire day before (none of which had been the cause of his problem), and he hadn't let me go to sleep until really late. I just held things and stuff, but it was still interesting. He told me more stories, most of them including Rose.

I groaned and flipped over, burying my face in my large fluffy pillows. It was warm, rolled up and folded in my large comforter. I eventually forced my neck to work and glanced at my shiny, old-school alarm clock. You know, the kind with the two bells and the little hammer? It read ten o'clock, and it was about time I got out of bed.

With a sigh, I sat up and pushed my large mountain of blankets from my feet. I snatched my glasses from my bedside table and lazily set them on the bridge of my nose, a yawn escaping me. Slowly, I shuffled out of my room and through the hallway, taking a left down the stairs. As I reached the bottom step, I glanced into my living room.

"Hey, Nicky…" I mumbled tiredly to my nephew as I started towards the kitchen.

I froze with one foot on the tile in my kitchen.

Nicky was here? Why was Nicky here? I hadn't talked to Ian about him coming, had I? Oh, wait, I had. The day the TARDIS had appeared in my backyard, I'd called him because he left me a message.

I sighed. "It's Wednesday, isn't it?" I asked as I spun around to face him.

Nicky nodded, his overgrown blond hair falling in front of his bright blue eyes. "Daddy says it's okay that you slept in."

I pulled my glasses off and ran a hand over my face before putting them back. "Oh, I'm sorry about that, kiddo…" It was them that I noticed that my TV was on, and Miley Cyrus was dancing around the screen in a blond wig and sequined clothing. "How long have you been here?"

"Since the little hand was on the nine and the big hand was on the twelve." He pointed to the clock on my wall.

I groaned. "So you've been here alone for an entire hour?" I mumbled, mostly to myself.

Nicky shook his head with a large smile, flashing the gaping hole left by his missing two front teeth. "Not alone!" He giggled. "The nice man took care of me! He's helping me with my spaceship!"

"Nice man?"

"Alright!" I turned at the sound of the Doctor's voice. He grinned at me as he closed the bathroom door behind him, clapping his large hands together. "Morning! Sleep well?"

"Yeah, fine," I blinked. "Spaceship?"

He grinned and winked at me. "Ironic, huh?"

I nodded. "Did you talk to my brother, by any chance?"

"Yup!" He swaggered over to me, that stupid grin still on his face. "Told him my name was John Smith."

I raised an eyebrow. "And he actually believed you?"

For a moment, he looked like he was going to confidently answer yes, but then his face dropped. "He said he was going to call you."

I smirked. "I thought so," I nodded defiantly. "Still, he had to have some sort of trust in you, seeing as he left Nicky anyways."

He grinned and stood up straight. "I've just got one of those faces."

"I like the nice man!" Nicky shouted from the couch. He was grinning, and he actually looked like a mini-Doctor for a moment.

I smiled at my nephew, and then turned to the Doctor again. "Why does he call you the nice man?"

He just shrugged and strode over to the couch. He lifted Nicky onto his shoulders and headed for the kitchen. I followed, smiling as I heard Nicky's obnoxious laughter. Nicky laughed a lot, but never like this. Then again, the Doctor did have that sort of effect on people.

He set Nicky down on one of my four wooden chairs (I only used one, but I still had four. Not really sure why) and pulled the one to Nicky's right out, grinning at me.

"Thanks." I mumbled as I smiled and sat down. He pushed my chair in, and I looked at what was now spread out across my table. There were hundreds of little dully-colored Lego pieces, all different shapes and sizes. It didn't seem odd. I'd seen kids build things like this before. Riley's younger cousins stayed with her a lot, and they loved this sort of thing. No, it wasn't weird. However, the fact that the directions seemed to be missing was a little odd.

"What are you building?" I asked Nicky.

He beamed. "The Mil…" He paused, his face contorting as he tried to concentrate on the word. "Mill…enn…ium… Falcon."

"The Millennium Falcon? I didn't know they made a Lego Millennium Falcon."

The Doctor pulled his glasses out of his inner jacket pocket, and grinned at me as he placed them against his eyes. "Neither did I." He mumbled as he gazed at the pieces in front of him.

My brow jumped. "I thought you knew everything."

He blinked, glancing at me with a smirk on his face. "Legos aren't exactly my area of expertise."

"Well, they should be," I smiled mischievously. "Girls are really attracted to men who know their Legos."

He jerked his head. "My hair does that on its own, thanks." He winked, and I couldn't help but to nod. He did have some fantastic hair.

"So," I started, glancing between the two boys. "Where are the instructions?"

Nicky pointed to the silver kick-top trash bin in my kitchen. "The nice man says it's more fun without them."

My brow furrowed. "How do we figure out where they go?" I gestured to the Legos.

The Doctor grabbed several pieces and attached them. "Trial and error." He mumbled as he pulled them apart.

I looked to the Doctor, a frown on my face. "There are hundreds of pieces," I reasoned. "We'd need a supercomputer."

"We have a supercomputer." The tip of his tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth as he stared at me over the black frame of his glasses.

"We do?" Nicky asked, looking up at him with interest. "Where?"

I leaned back and folded my arms across my chest. "Yes, Doctor, where?"

He grinned. "Right here." He tapped his temple. "And here, in a few years." He stretched his long arm to tap Nicky's temple, who grinned at his touch. "And here, too." He got to his feet and stretched across the table, gently placing the tip of his finger against my forehead.

I reached up and pushed his hand away, shooting him a questioning look. "My brain's no supercomputer."

"'Course it is!" He exclaimed, smiling at me tenderly. "You're brilliant! Really, you are!"

I laughed dryly. "No, Albert Einstein was brilliant."

"Mathematically and scientifically, yeah," He said. "But Albert Einstein didn't write a series of extremely successful books."

I smirked. "Series?"

He froze as he realized what had slipped out of his mouth. "Supercomputers on…" He squeaked, looking down at the pieces in front of him. He then proceeded to command Nicky and I to put pieces together, take them apart, and build the famous Millennium Falcon.

An hour later, Nicky and I had gotten bored. The Doctor had whined and said he wanted to finish it, but we'd dragged him away and managed to get him to sit on the couch with us as we watched a special on undiscovered galaxies. He soon forgot about the unfinished spaceship on my table, and moved onto correcting the scientists that were shown to give their theories. Listening to him was fun all by itself. He made the scientists sound like idiots, and that made me feel rather smart.

After the special had ended, Nicky had insisted on watching the Goblet of Fire, and the Doctor had gotten up and went back to the Legos muttering about inaccuracy. With a roll of my eyes, I'd let him go and watched the movie with Nicky. Lunch eventually rolled around, and even then he refused to stop. He'd passes up strawberries, claiming he hated them. How could someone hate strawberries?

Throughout the day, Nicky had gone outside, watched more TV, and even played a few games on my laptop. I'd kept him entertained and gotten in a bit of writing time, too. And, as the night drew to a close, we found ourselves on the couch again, watching an episode of Pawn Stars through my Wii.

As the episode ended with the cast in the back room taking wise-cracks at each other, I sighed and glanced at the clock. Nicky had a bedtime, even during the summer. I'd never understood why Ian did that to the poor kid, but I followed his rules anyways… most of the time.

"Alright, kiddo," I mumbled, getting to my feet and smiling down at my nephew. "Bedtime."

"Awe, but Auntie Cat-"

"Nope, no buts." I interrupted. "You know the rules, now go change."

He grimaced, but did as I said and slid of the couch. As he made his way into the bathroom, I climbed the stairs and opened the linen cabinet that was in my sitting room. I pulled some clean sheets from the top shelf, Nicky's favorite blanket from the bottom, and one of five pillows from the center. With all of that piled up in my arms, I started shuffling down the stairs again, crippling my vision slightly. I almost fell about four times due to my lack of sight, but eventually made it to the bottom without breaking anything and dumped everything I was holding onto the couch.

My vision restored, I looked towards the kitchen. The Doctor was sitting at the table, his glasses on as he stared at the piece he held between his thumb and index finger. His other hand was buried in his hair, which was a fair bit messier than normal.

I walked over and picked up what looked like a half finished Millennium Falcon. "You really are brilliant, huh?" I asked, flipping the solid clump of Legos in my hands.

"Yup…" He mumbled, staring intently at the piece. "Would you mind?" He held his hand out, his eyes never wavering.

I set the clump in his open hand and watched as he stuck the piece onto all of the others. "Listen, I'm glad you enjoy exercising your brain, but Nicky needs to get to bed."

"Then put him in bed." He picked up another piece and started to stare at it as he had the other one.

"No, see, he needs it to be completely dark to fall asleep," I mumbled. "Unlike every other five-year-old alive, he doesn't have any remote fear of the dark."

He smirked. "He should," He turned his head and stared up at me. "Remember the story about the Vashta Nerada?"

"Yeah, you said they live off road-kill." I folded my arms across my chest.

"Not always," He leaned back, the ship momentarily forgotten. "Someone goes missing every now and then."

I rolled my eyes. "Back on topic," I snatched the unfinished toy from his hand and set it on the table. "I'll leave it out and you can finish it tomorrow."

With a sigh, he got to his feet and pulled his glasses from his eyes. "Alright, I've got stuff to do anyways." He tucked his hands in his pockets and smiled down at me. "Speaking of, I need an extra pair of hands…" He hesitated. "I mean, if you're not busy…"

I smiled and one of my eyebrows jumped to form an amused face. "Yeah, 'cause I've got loads to do at nine at night."

He grinned. "See you in a few minutes, then." He set his large hand atop my head and ruffled my hair.

I shook my head as he strolled out of the kitchen and into the living room. I followed, only instead of going outside, I just walked around the sofa. I grabbed the sheets and spread them out, over the back of the couch and tucking it into the creases. Then came the pillow, and then the blanket. At that point, Nicky ran out of the bathroom and leaped onto his temporary bed.

I swear, Nicky at bedtime was the most adorable thing I'd ever seen. He had these little Buzz Lightyear footy-pajamas that reminded me just how young he was. Sometimes, I could swear he was my age. Anyways, he also had this raggedy old bear with a red bow around his neck. The bear had, at one time, belonged to Ian. My dad had brought that back with him from Germany. He'd given me one, too, but I lost it. I was only two, it's not like I was careful with it.

I pulled myself out of my head and pulled the blanket over Nicky's small form.

"Auntie Cat?"

I smiled at him, and reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes. "Yeah?"

"Is the nice man staying forever?"

My heart stopped.

I hadn't thought about that. I'd just been living in the moment, introducing him to Dave and Riley, and now Nicky. I hadn't even thought about how it might impact them. I'm sure Riley and Dave would get over it, but Nicky? No, Nicky would just wait for him to come back. But the Doctor had a home out there somewhere, and he'd have to go back to it eventually. I was absolutely certain he wasn't staying forever, though.

I bit my lip. "I don't know, kiddo."

He smiled at me. "I hope he does."

I nodded, and hesitated for a moment. "Me too…" I smiled and stretched to kiss his forehead gently. "Sleep well, pal."

"Night." He mumbled as he rolled onto his side and curled up.

I smiled to myself and walked over to the kitchen, shutting the lights off before turning around and going to the sliding-door. I quietly pulled it open and stepped outside. I made sure it was shut tightly before turning around and heading across the lawn. I soon found myself at the doors of the TARDIS. I pushed them open, and poked my head inside.

The Doctor was at the Console. The overcoat I hadn't seen all day was slung across one of the support beams and he'd removed his jacket, leaving him in a light blue shirt and tie. He was running his hands over parts of the Console, mumbling to the time machine.

I smiled amusedly and stepped in. As soon as my feet were planted on the metal grating, I felt the floor hum. Nothing big, just a small vibration.

"Ooh, what's got you excited, old girl?" He asked, patting the machine.

I grinned, and slowly took a step forward, a quiet creak coming from the metal. I closed my eyes tightly.

Quiet, please, quiet. I thought, biting my lip. As soon as the words were formed in my mind, the creaking stopped, as if the machine had heard me. Although I knew that was impossible, I decided to respond anyways. Thanks.

I took a step forward, and the floor was silent. I slowly walked up the stairs, holding my breath as I crept up behind him. When I was finally arms-length away, I took a deep breath. "Hiya!" I yelled as I clapped my hands down on his shoulders.

"Jeez!" He jumped about twenty feet in the air and spun around. His eyebrows were nearly at his hairline, and his eyes were wide. "What, d'you wanna give me a hearts attack?"

"You're too fit to…" I trailed off as I fully registered what he said. "Did you say 'hearts'?"

He grinned. "Hold on." He reached across the Console and grabbed his jacket from where it was hooked on a lever with a large handle. His tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth as he fished around inside his pockets, and eventually pulled out the stethoscope I'd seen him using the first time I saw him. He held the ear pieces out to me. "Go on, put 'em in." He grinned.

I grabbed the ear pieces and placed the buds in my ears, watching as he placed the round part against the left side of his chest. What I heard was normal. Two consecutive beats. However, then I listened closer, and heard a soft sort of… echo. As my brow furrowed, he slid the round part to the other side of his chest, and I heard the exact same sound.

I blinked and stared at him. "You're kidding me…"

He shook his head with a grin. "Time Lords, two hearts."

I pulled the buds out of my ears and handed him the ear pieces. "You're impossible."

"Nah," He winked. "Just a bit unlikely."

I smiled and the floor hummed again. I frowned. "Why does it keep doing that?"

He tucked his hands in his pockets and looked around. "Not sure," He mumbled, reaching out to pat the Console. "She doesn't normally do that." He was quiet for a moment, and then a sudden look of realization showed on his face. "Oh, alright,"

My brow furrowed. "What?"

He smiled at me. "She likes you."

"What?" I repeated.

"The TARDIS likes you," He started. "For some reason, she's drawn to you…"

"Oh, great, a time machine likes me," I mumbled unenthusiastically. "I feel so blessed."

"You should!" He exclaimed as he turned around and leaned against the edge of the Console, crossing his ankles and starting to roll up his sleeves. "Being buddy-buddy with a time machine has its perks!"

I rolled my eyes. "What'd you need my help with?"

He stared at me absently for a moment, and then jumped and tossed the stethoscope onto a white seat beside him. "Oh, right, over here!" He spun and ran about halfway around the Console. I followed, watching as he pulled up a grate.

"Am I holding things again?"

"Nope," He grinned at me as he tossed the grate aside, getting back to his feet. He poked my nose. "You get to push a button." He jumped feet-first into the hole left by the grating and disappeared below the visible surface. Seconds later, he popped back up and tossed a large black ball that was wired into the time machine onto the floor beside me. "I get to pull."

I set myself on the floor and poked the ball, making it rock back and forth. "What is this thing?" I asked as the Doctor pulled himself out of the hole.

A long string of unrecognizable words spewed from his throat. Then, he caught the confused look on my face a paused. "Sorry, it's the brakes."

"You could've just said that in the first place."

He smiled and snatched his jacket again. This time he didn't pull out a stethoscope, though. This time it was a silver rod with this blue marble (that's what it looked like to me) at the end. He pressed it into my hand and I examined it. It was heavier than I thought it'd be, and cool to the touch.

"What is this?" I asked as he sat down beside me.

"Sonic screwdriver." He answered as he lifted the "brakes" into his lap. I shot him a look and he grinned. "The button you're gonna push."

I made an O with my mouth and flipped the screwdriver in my hands while he reached around the sphere and braced the tips of his fingers against the edge of an octagonal indent that surrounded what almost looked like a lock.

"Alright, put the blue piece against the lock and push the button down."

I nodded and set the blue piece against the lock. "Tell me when." I glanced at him.

"Ready…" I saw his shoulders brace and all of his muscles tense. "Go!"

I pressed the button down with my thumb and a high annoying sound erupted from the screwdriver. The Doctor barred his teeth and pulled at the edges of the indent. I could see a small vertical crack going around the circumference of the ball, and it was slowly beginning to widen. Then, suddenly, it burst open, and the Doctor's arms flew wide.

I released the button. "Why so much works to get to the brakes?"

He started to chuckle and relaxed as he leaned back. "People used to try to turn them off."

"So… You just leave them on?"

"Yup."

"Why?"

He sighed and smiled at me. "I like the sound."

I blinked. "That's TARDIS abuse." The floor hummed yet again.

He erupted in laughter, throwing his head back as his body shook and convulsed. Eventually, he quieted down and took a deep breath. "Oh, she doesn't mind," He patted the floor. "If she did, trust me, I'd know."

I smiled softly. "Need me for anything else?"

He shook his head. "Nah, but you're welcome to stay," He smiled. "I could always use the company."

I shook my head and got to my feet. "I should probably go to bed. Nicky's a bit of an early-riser."

He nodded and looked down at the split ball in his lap, poking the odd contraption that had fallen out of it. "Alright…"

"Thanks for taking care of him, by the way,"

"Oh, no," He looked up and grinned at me. "My pleasure! I didn't know you two were related."

I blinked. "You know him?"

He smirked. "Everyone knows Nicholas Black," He leaned back, his hands on the grating behind him. "Well, not now, but in… Oh, I dunno, forty years."

"Why?" I asked. "I mean, why does everyone know him?"

He winked and made that clicking sound with his tongue that I found myself liking just a bit too much. "Spoilers."

I rolled my eyes. "He really likes you, y'know." I mumbled. "He asked how long you were staying..." I bit my lip. "How long d'you think you'll be here…?"

He shrugged. "I haven't the foggiest. Who knows when the TARDIS'll move again."

As those words escaped from his lips, I found my heart sinking. He wouldn't have any problem leaving. The minute his machine started agreeing with him he would be out of here. He wouldn't look back. I doubt he'd even remember me. Oh, but I'd remember him. These had been the weirdest few days of my life, and, as much as it pained me to say it, he was one of the most remarkable men I'd ever met.

I sighed. "Oh…"

"I'd ask you to come with me, but," He hesitated for a moment, staring up at me. "You're sort of important."

I smiled, feeling at least some sanctuary in his words. "How important?" I asked with a smirk.

He grinned, chuckling under his breath. "Very important."

I nodded. "Night, Doctor."

His grin softened to a gentle smile. "Goodnight, Catherine."

A/N: Yeah, I thought I'd post this a day early to make up for being late last time. Plus, I must admit, this is one of my favorite chapters and I wanted to share it. And, yes, I did get a little corny there at the end. Sort of like the bit with cheese...

Anyways, thanks to all of you who reviewed for any of the past chapters! I go through those, and I feel like I'm part of something bigger, y'know. Ha, there's the corn again! But, seriously, thank you.

A special thanks to Spirit-of-the-Rain for making me laugh my rear end off lately, and fathering our one-shot so well. I love you, sweetheart! Haha, seriously, I love you.

So, what do you think of Nicky? He's going to be popping up through out the story, so I sure hope that you like him.

Oh, this has been short, but I have this huge research project due on Friday that I've barely even started. Better get to work on that!

Allons-y!

Thanks for reading!

Jazmine