A/N: I'm a terrible author and I'm sorry this has taken so long. For Khashana who encouraged me to get writing again.

More Than a Tea Boy

Chapter 4

Jenny danced lightly round the room, the small child in her arms giggling happily at the movement, clinging tight to her mother's arms.

"She's going to throw up on you if you're not careful," said the man leaning against the door jamb, a wide smile lighting his face.

"You'd never do that to me would you, Ruthie? You wouldn't throw up on mummy."

Ruth responded by gurgling then promptly falling asleep against her mother's shoulder.

The man came forward and wrapped his arms around his two favourite girls.

"She's perfect, isn't she Daniel?"

"Yeah. She's perfect. Just like you."

"That's the problem though, isn't it? How like me is she?"

Daniel sighed.

"We'll just have to wait and see."

"I don't think I could go through it again. It was too hard."

Daniel squeezed her tighter, careful not to wake Ruth.

"I know sweetheart, I know. But even if she isn't like you it doesn't mean the same things gonna happen to her as did Sammy."

Jenny let out a little sob at the name.

OOOOOO

Jenny stood at the graveside as fresh dirt was piled on top of her husband's coffin. It wasn't fair.

"Mum?"

"It's not fair."

"I know it's not, mum, but Dad wouldn't want you getting ill."

"He didn't want to die either so looks like his desires mean nothing."

"Please mum, don't… don't focus on the fact he's gone. Focus on when he was here. Don't-"

"Just stop, Ruthie. I don't want to hear it right now. Go home. I'll see you later."

Ruth nodded and left the cemetery, certain that she'd never see her mum again.

OOOOOO

"Mum!"

Sally snapped awake.

"Mummy!"

Leaping out of bed she skidded in to the hall and practically flew down the stairs. The sight that greeted her nearly stopped her heart.

"What…. What-"

"Amy wanted some milk so we- we were coming down stairs t-to get some and… and she slipped and fell and now she's not- she's not-" Andy broke off, overwhelmed by tears.

"It's ok, deep breaths. I need to call an ambulance."

The next twenty minutes passed in a daze.

"We're sorry Miss Lake. There was nothing we could do."

Sally broke down and cried. Fortunately Andy wasn't there to see how weak she was being. The doctor left with a few murmured words of sympathy that didn't register.

"Mummy? Why are you crying?"

Sally burst into tears, leaping forward to wrap her arms round Amy.

"Mummy? What's-"

"Shhh. Shh, baby. Just let Mummy hold you for a while."

OOOOOO

"Taid, will you tell me a bed time story?"

"Ok, budge up a bit then."

Andrew squidged himself onto the bed beside his granddaughter and wrapped an arm round her.

"Once upon a time-"

"No, Taid! I'm not a baby. Tell me a real story."

"A real story?"

Rhiannon nodded emphatically and pulled her duvet up to her nose, peering over the top of it at her Grandad.

"Alright. Have I ever told you about the Doctor?"

"Doctor who?"

"The Doctor. He's a bit like your teacher, Mr Tennant. Nutty and brilliant fun. He travels through space and time in a big blue box saving the day and having wonderful adventures. "

Rhiannon frowned "Are you sure this is a real story?"

"More real than anything else. Well on one adventure with his best friend he found out he had a daughter called Jenny. Unfortunately some bad guys didn't like the Doctor so they tried to hurt him. But Jenny loved him very much so stopped them. But she got hurt instead. She died."

"No!"

Andrew ran a soothing hand over her hair.

"Shh, sweetheart, it's all okay in the end. So the Doctor left, feeling very sad. What he didn't know was how special his daughter was. Oh, I forgot to tell you. The doctor was special too. He had two hearts instead of one and he could never die. Well his daughter was special like that too. She didn't really die. She went on adventures too and one day she fell in love."

"Ew."

"Love isn't ew."

Rhiannon nodded, "yes it is."

"Fine. Anyway, she fell in love and had a baby girl and that baby was special too. And the baby girl after that. And all the way down to you."

"Me? I'm special like that?"

"Yes you are. But don't tell mummy I told you. It's supposed to be a secret."

"Are you special too Taid?"

"No I'm not, darling. Only girls get to be special."

The bedroom door creaked open and Sian peered inside.

"You not asleep yet, little miss?"

The unspoken words of 'you should be' are clear and Andrew heaves himself up.

"My bad. I couldn't stop chattering. Night darling."

"Night Taid."

The lights were switched off and Rhiannon settled down to go to sleep. On the other side of the room her brother curled into a tighter ball and began to cry. Life wasn't fair.

OOOOOO

A/N: This chapter was necessary but really inelegant. Sorry.