AN: Yeah, manic Stephen who is trying to stay calm but completely failing is so much fun to write xD So glad you loved the last two chapters. I loved writing them. My god, the feels. Yeah, I kinda need the fourth book to come out now and I also need there to be lots of Story finally expressing feelings and kissing and sexy times without Callum interupting. Is it too much to ask for Maureen? Omg, that mini event was so awesome. I can't believe it was the parrot xD I also need an Albert route as well. I'm on part 8 of Alyn on my iPad and part 7 of Giles on my phone. I'll be playing Leo and Byrons routes next xD Emily, yep they'll be a part 5 but I'm not sure it'll be alphabetical. There's only so many x and z words out there xD But there is definately a part 5 coming up. I've read the Hunger Games. Really good books :)

Sleepless Nights

The night was calm outside. Cars occasionally passed by on the streets and sometimes an airplane would fly overhead. Now and then a siren would whistle down the street but the wind was calm, the air was calm and the flat was calm. The moonlight peeked through a crack in the curtains and shone across the legs of the sleeping couple. They both lay on their sides, facing each other. His arm was over her waist and she was cradled close to him. She stirred in her sleep a little but the movement disturbed neither one of them. Their bedroom door was partially open, as was the door of the room opposite theirs. The inhabitants of both rooms were calm.

Her dreams were calm too. The nightmares that had plagued her over the years had lessened considerably. She would have them once or twice a year. She used to have them once or twice a month so it was a vast improvement. Her dreams were still weird but the nightmarish memories that used to result in her awaking with a scream were now few and far between. Her dream now was bizarre. It was one of those dreams where you know you're dreaming but it doesn't make it any less weird. She was with Freddie and Boo on a desert island and Freddie had just announced that her life long dream was to be sandcastle. Rory blinked and then Freddie was gone and where she had stood, now stood a sandcastle. Ok, so maybe bizarre wasn't the word. There must've been a better word for a dream in which your friend turns into a sandcastle. Boo laughed and started jumping on said sandcastle. Rory was strangely aware that by destroying it manically, Boo was effectively murdering Freddie. Ok, bizarre was definitely not the word.

But before she could consider it anymore, a noise disturbed the calm of the flat and her dream. A baby was crying somewhere. She looked around the island before realising that the baby wasn't on the island. She opened her eyes blearily and island with the Freddie-castle dissolved and the dark bedroom formed around her. She groaned and stretched and was about the sit up when she felt a hand rub her arm. His voice was groggy. He had just woken up too. "It's alright love," he said. "I'll see her."

Rory yawned. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah darling." He placed a kiss on her forehead. "You go back to sleep."

She smiled at him. Her eyes were heavy. She watched as Stephen rolled over and retrieved his glasses from the bedside table. He picked up his dressing gown and pulled it around him and then her eyes closed again. She heard him go through to the nursery. She heard him talking soothingly to their daughter. She heard Regina calm. No matter how she tried, the island would not return. She smiled and sat up. She shivered in the mid October cold. She stood and picked up her own dressing gown, tying it as tightly as possible around her. Her feet were cold but she was too tired to find her slippers. She walked to the nursery gently and stopped at the doorway. She leant against the doorframe with a silent yawn. They had only been up two hours ago. Stephen had seen to Regina then as well. As tired as he was, Rory knew that he secretly adored waking up every two or three hours to feed her. He wanted to prove himself as a father, not just to Regina, but to himself. And he adored her. It was clear to Rory that she and Regina were Stephens whole world. Everything else could fall away but he would be ok so long as he had those two. She watched him as he fed their daughter. He was a natural.

He was sitting in the rocking chair, rocking backwards and forwards slowly. Regina lay in his arm and he held the bottle to her. He was looking down at her like she was the most precious thing on this earth. And she absolutely was. Rory watched as Regina moved her mouth away from the bottle. Stephen placed the bottle down and gently moved Regina so that she was against his chest, her small head resting against his shoulder. He rubbed her back gently until she burped and then gently placed her back in his arms. She yawned and whimpered a little. Before she could start crying properly, Stephen rocked her in his arms softly. His voice was tiny and quiet. Rory could just make out the words he sang and she smiled warmly.

"Hush little baby, don't say a word,
Daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird.
And if that mockingbird doesn't sing,
Daddy's gonna buy you a diamond ring."

Regina cooed a little and yawned again. Stephen stood up gently, rocking her as he did.

"And if that diamond ring turns to brass,
Daddy's gonna buy you a looking glass.
And if that looking glass gets broke,
Daddy's gonna buy you a billy goat."

He placed a small kiss on her forehead and walked the few steps back to the cot.

"And if that billy goat doesn't pull,
Daddy's gonna buy you a cart and bull.
And if that cart and bull fall over,
Daddy's gonna buy a dog named Rover."

He leant over the cot and placed her on the cushions gently. She yawned again but was quiet, her little eyes closed as she listened to her daddy's voice.

"And if that dog named Rover doesn't bark
Daddy's gonna buy you a horse and cart.
And if that horse and cart fall down,
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town."

He leant on the cot and looked down to the now sleeping baby. Rory smiled as she gently walked over. Stephen turned his head in her direction but only a little. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Regina. Rory placed her hand on his and looked into the cot. Regina stretched and kicked in her sleep. Stephen finally looked to Rory completely but now she was entranced with Regina. Stephen smiled at her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Rory looked to him with a warm smile. Without a word, Stephen gave Rory a small, soft kiss. Their foreheads rested against each other's when they broke. "Come on," she said. "We only have two hours worth of sleep until she's hungry again."

Stephen chuckled quietly. "Yeah." He turned his attention back to the sleeping baby. "I love you, my beautiful little girl." He looked back to Rory with a gentle smile but he was still talking to Regina. "And I love your mummy too."

She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his middle, his heart beating against her ear. He pulled her close and rested his head on hers as they both watched their baby sleep.