Author's note: A small nod to any fellow Whovians who might be reading this – I know for a fact there's at least one of you following this story as of last night! This wasn't put there recently, as I've had 60+ chaps of this story written for months…I'm just editing and reposting here, I've been posting it on my tumblr blog for a while. Any way…enjoy!

A week later, Sydney found herself alone in the house with Kayla, frazzled and running very much on empty. All week long she had been…indisposed. As soon as she got home from work she was cooking dinner, doing laundry, dealing with the latest Jess drama and helping to care for Kayla. She was everyone's wife and mother without being either of those things to anyone under her roof. She managed to keep her composure and didn't complain much, though she did miss seeing Nathan outside of school. He was the only one she would vent to, and only slightly. It wasn't until she found herself covered in a regurgitation of Kayla's formula that she picked up her cell phone and called him. He was at her door fifteen minutes later.

"Oh…sweetheart." He wasn't sure whether to laugh or pity her. Her shirt was covered in "used" formula, her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, and her eyes were exhausted. Kayla was in her arms, cooing and certainly much happier than "Auntie Syd."

"I…" She closed her eyes and sighed. "Nathan, I'm so tired and I smell like baby puke. I've been doing this all week. I barely got through grading those," she pointed to a stack of tests, a few of them soggy. "She got them too."

"What can I do for you?" he asked, tucking some loose strands of hair behind her ear.

"I don't know why I called you, I just…I'm sorry."

Nathan shook his head and reached for Kayla. The baby cooed once more as he took her into his arms. "I'm glad you called, I hate only seeing you at school."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, this is so much better."

His eyes were kind. "Of course it is." He kissed her cheek. "Need a shower?" She nodded. "I'll clean this little one up, you go take care of yourself, okay?"

"I love you," she said, a smiled finally crossing her lips. "You know…I can handle all of this…" She was clearly embarrassed and didn't want Nathan to think that she wouldn't be able to handle her own family. "…it's just that…"

Nathan shook his head again, more adamant. "I would never leave all of this to you. Go on, honey." She went upstairs and Nathan followed. He went into Arlen's bathroom and cleaned up Kayla, smiling at the baby girl all the while. He missed this…he wanted this again…and he wanted this with the woman currently in the shower. "This is all a bit soon, isn't it?" he asked the baby, his voice pleasant. "Hasn't even been six months and I want so much." He re-diapered and dressed her, not missing a beat, then took her back downstairs to have a second go at her dinner; he was successful. He was rocking her in front of the window when David came home.

"Nathan?" he said surprised and somewhat smug, his voice off.

"David," Nathan replied with a congenial nod.

"May I ask why you're holding my daughter?"

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "May I ask why your speech is slurred?" David glared in response. "Sydney is in the shower. She was having a rough night and needed some help."

"And she called you to help with the baby?"

"I am pretty well qualified," he quipped, puzzled at David's attitude.

"Playing house then?" His eyes were glazed and unfocused. "Using Kayla as a prop?" He reached for the baby, but Nathan took a step back.

"I don't think that's the best idea right now."

"And you having her is a good one?"

"David, do you have a problem with me?" he asked deciding to be blunt.

David laughed, the sound cold. "You're not good enough for her."

"Kayla?"

"Sydney."

"Excuse me?" Nathan had no idea where this was suddenly coming from. His defenses rose and he was thankful he was still holding Kayla in his arms.

"Fairly certain you heard me just fine…"

"And I'm fairly certain you're a little drunk."

"You would know," he scoffed, his words uncensored. "A divorced, alcoholic history teacher with a teenaged daughter? Do you think that sounds good enough for any woman?"

Nathan swallowed hard and took a deep breath. The man in front of him was drunk and Nathan understood how a drunken brain could function. "My unhappy marriage ended, I'm a recovering alcoholic, and I make a rather comfortable living. More than that I make Syd happy, shouldn't that alone make me 'good enough' for her?"

David stumbled trying to approach Nathan, who once again backed away. "I heard your performance the other night, I know you already knew that, and while you might be capable of being a beast in the bedroom…I was able to make her do things you couldn't fathom, Nathan." He said his name slowly, deliberately, but Nathan didn't understand the purpose in it. "She begged me to use her, begged me to make her my whore."

Nathan closed his eyes, hoping this wasn't true and that David was trying to get under his skin. Her sexual past was her own business, but she was better than that…then he began to remember what she'd told him. How she would use sex to divert David when…

"Boys, everything okay here?" Arlen had just returned home, heard David's last few words and didn't care for the tone he was currently using...or what he was saying.

Nathan thankfully handed Kayla to Arlen, who was stone cold sober. "No, it's very much not."

Arlen looked David in the eye. "I thought you were at a business dinner."

"I was, darling," David said, smiling widely. "Got the grant for the department and everything."

"And you decided to celebrate, I'm guessing? Where's your car?"

He thought a moment, tilting his head. "Downtown…don't I get credit for taking a taxi?"

Arlen shook his head, clearly disappointed. Nathan suspected that there was more going on than the tension between himself and David. "I'm taking her upstairs…don't kill one another, I'll be back." Arlen rushed out of the kitchen as quickly as he could without disturbing his little girl.

Nathan lowered his voice and did his best not to grit his teeth. "What is wrong with you? Aside from the stupor, of course."

David ignored him, going back to his last train of thought. "She'd get down on her knees if I just looked at her the right way…I fucked her raw so many…"

"You…what the hell, David? Reminiscing or fantasizing?"

"I was her fantasy."

Nathan ignored his words. "Let's not forget that you left her, something I never plan on doing. You're a bit…possessive don't you think? Is this because you and Arlen are having some domestic…"

"I bet she still thinks of me when you fuck her, wishing it was as good as what I could do to her."

"If you don't shut your mouth, we're going to have a really big problem." He felt his body go into a stance meant to protect himself and cause harm if needed, he hadn't even thought about doing it and couldn't tell if it was a reflex or an instinct.

David smiled. "I'm a doctor, not a teacher, who can do things in the bedroom you could only dream of…" He laughed again. "…and I have this accent. I was beyond good enough for her."

"You chose men over her…"

"She worshipped me!" David spat, finding himself using the wall for balance. "I could go upstairs right now, whisper in her ear and she'd spread her legs…"

"She used sex to keep you clean!" The words were out, hanging in the air…heavy.

David cleared his throat. "W-what?"

He knew he shouldn't have said it, but the things that came out of David's mouth were too much. Drunk or not, he crossed a dozen different lines. "I know about your…past habit. You know, that thing even Arlen doesn't know about?" he kept his voice low.

David swallowed, his eyes sobering just a little. "She…she wouldn't tell anyone." He then realized he should have been denying things. "I have no idea what you're…"

Nathan sighed. "Morphine," he whispered. "I got low one night…she told me about you. She told me what she used to do to distract you…she let you…" He stopped.

"And what, you're…threatening me this knowledge of yours?" He remained cocky and rolled his eyes. "I gave her this," he said, motioning to the room surrounding them.

"Yes, a house that you've moved into." He thought or a moment. "Did you ever actually ask her if you could move in or did you just assume it was okay?"

"I bought this house…"

"You signed it over to her completely, she can't even relax here…and now I know you're a little obsessed with her – at least when you're plastered!" He ran his hands through his hair, frustrated, but calmed himself as best he could. "If you want your secret kept safe…"

"Can someone tell me why Sydney is passed out on her bed, soaking wet?" Arlen asked, interrupting Nathan.

An instant sadness flooded Nathan's eyes. He turned his gaze to Arlen; the man had never been anything but kind to him and had tried to get them together for months, knowing full well they were good for one another. "Because she's over exhausted." He started to walk out of the kitchen, but turned when he reached the doorway. "She loves you both, you when you're sober I'm guessing, David, so she'll never say it…but you're sort of taking advantage of her." He wanted to express his disgust with David, but didn't have the heart to do so in front of Arlen. He left the room and Arlen stood slack jawed. He went upstairs and saw Sydney, very much passed out. "Oh, baby…" He gently woke her. "Sydney…"

"Oh, shit…" She sat up, forcing herself awake. "I'm sorry, Nathan, I…"

He shook his head. "Arlen's home now, why don't you come stay with me for the weekend?" He wanted to tell her that he wanted her out of David's reach, that he didn't currently trust him, but bit his tongue. "You need time to unwind." She wasn't arguing yet. "How about you pack a bag and…" He squeezed her hair into a towel, happy to take care of her. "…you could bring a few things to maybe leave there – or we could run out and pick up…"

"You want me to have…things…in your home?" She was trying not to smile.

"Mm hm." He was running a comb through her damp locks. "That okay?"

"If it's okay with you, then…" She turned around and kissed him, beginning to relax for the first time all week. "Allons-y." Nathan raised an eyebrow. Sydney smiled, blushing with a bit of embarrassment. "Okay, random Sydney fact for the night…my doctor is ten." She cringed a little, waiting for a response. Sure he wouldn't understand what she was talking about.

"Fantastic!" He smiled, briefly forgetting about David. "I'm more of a nine guy myself."

"Marry me!" she laughed, getting up from the bed and already planning on re-watching the series with someone else that appreciated it.

Okay.