Warning: there's some implied sex in here in the middle section that you might want to skip over. But if you want the full thing you'll have to see where I've posted this elsewhere.
A/N: sorry for the delay again. It was unintentional. Bloody migraines!
Part 14
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"Let's see if I can get us a moment alone," John whispered to Donna, and then turned to confront his cousin. "Ricky, I'd better go and check on the sheep in the top field before we talk, since Dad isn't feeling up to much."
"Oh, do you?" Roderick sadly acknowledged this news. "In that case, we'll go and make some notes in my room while we wait. Daisy can amuse herself watching Strictly Come Dancing or whatever is on the television this time of night."
"Thanks!" John smiled at him in relief. "Come on, Donna."
"Can't Donna wait here too?" Roderick wondered, ignoring Daisy's angry pout.
"I drove us here," Donna pointed out. "He can't go anywhere without me."
"Ah, yes. I remember that being mentioned now." Roderick sniffed with feigned nonchalance. "My room number is seventy five, so come and knock on the door when you get back."
"Alone at last," Daisy breathed heavily on his neck from behind, leaning against his back as he watched John and Donna leave the hotel restaurant.
"Quite," he enunciated precisely, not turning to look at her but keeping his gaze firmly on the little blue Peugeot car as it pulled out of the car park. "Time to think, plan and re-organise."
"What?!" Daisy was left to feel baffled as he purposefully strode away from her, and she raced to catch him up further down the corridor. This visit wasn't turning out to be the romantic reunion she was hoping it would have been; and it was all thanks to the blasted Donna Noble! Ooh! She hated her!
"Okay, Scott of the Antarctic. Where am I aiming for?" Donna asked John as she drove down a pitch black leafy country lane.
"The same field we were in last night. I have to check the sheep are okay, and I wanted to make sure the lambing shed is ready," he answered as he directed her to make a right turn.
"Why's that then?" she wondered, manoeuvring the car around a sharp bend.
"It will be pretty busy in a few weeks and I don't want to get caught out," he answered honestly. "So if you fancy some sleepless nights and never-ending tiredness, please feel free to join us."
"Will the farm be sold by then?" her practical side couldn't help asking.
He visibly slumped. "It's possible that it will be, but I can't imagine not playing a part in lambing season."
Giving his knee a fond pat, Donna consoled him with, "Let's hope then that you get more than a chance to."
"I can't see our Ricky rolling up his sleeves and taking over that aspect of the farm," he joked, and they both giggled at the mental image.
Less than ten minutes later they were back at the same barn as before; and John eyed it thoughtfully. "I wonder if Ricky meant this place when he mentioned that barn conversion." He then explained for Donna's benefit, "He's offered to pay for a barn conversion for us all to move into when he takes over the farmhouse. At least Mum and Dad won't be homeless."
"Wow!" she exclaimed. "He certainly thinks the world of you lot. I don't think I've ever seen him be so magnanimous in public before. And I'm not counting the baby moment here."
"Talking of babies… why don't I show you our lambing shed?" he offered.
She batted his arm playfully. "You sure know how to show a girl a romantic time."
"The night is young," he whispered meaningfully into her ear, deliberately sending goose bumps down her spine. Well, it worked, until he thought to ask, "Did you bring your wellies?"
In the end, it was John that wore the wellies that were still in the car, and he laid down some cardboard he found in the car boot that had once been a large box, to provide a bridge of some sort across the mud, in a series of stepping stones to the entrance.
Giggling together, they managed to eventually land in the entrance of the wooden barn and Donna got her first look at the interior. The car headlights illuminated it enough to stop it seeming too scary, but her eyes glanced about to seek out where possible spiders lay in wait.
"It's okay," John gently reassured her. "Nothing is lying in wait ready to strike in here."
She snorted her scorn. "You say that now, and next thing you'll know, a whacking great big hairy spider will jump out and scuttle across us."
To her relief, John found a small lamp and lit it, its feeble light warming the meagre shelter. There were several bundles and bales of hay doted about the place; and in the corner were a plastic bowl and a large water jug.
"Are you cold?" John wrapped his arms around her from behind and hugged her body tight.
"I was bloody freezing out there," she admitted. "But it's toasty in here in comparison."
"In that case," he proposed, gradually turning her within his embrace, "we could spend a little time in here getting to know one another."
Quirking an eyebrow at him, she commented, "Is that your game? I was hoping you'd warm me up."
"I was aiming to do that too," he murmured as their lips met in a tender kiss.
"It's still too cold in here to do anything," she warned him, whilst biting at his bottom lip.
"Now I've got you here I'll find a way," he confidently replied. "And I also might have brought up some blankets earlier in the hope I'd entice you here."
"A man that is prepared. I'm impressed," she breathily commented, and allowed him to ease them down onto some straw.
"John, is that you?" came suddenly from outside the door.
"Dad?!" John yelped in terror as they froze, locked together. "I thought you weren't well enough to come up here."
Sydney's voice stayed distant. "I saw the car headlights so came to check it wasn't anything suspicious" He then gave an embarrassed cough. "I didn't know it would be you and er.. Donna."
"Yes, it's us; so don't come in, we've got everything..." John gulped nervously. "...covered. We just popped up here before spending more time with Ricky."
"Ah, I see," Sydney replied knowingly; caught between being pleased for his son and wanting to run away in embarrassment. Either option would not make him set foot further inside the barn in that moment. "Enjoy your evening and try not to get home too late. Good night you two!"
"I won't," John easily promised. "Night, Dad!"
"Good night!" Donna called out her own farewell, and then buried her face in John's neck to suppress her nervous giggles as Sydney left them back on their own. "Well that held some teenage memories I thought wouldn't happen again," she joked.
"It did?" he growled out in jealousy.
"I was only kissing some bloke, silly!" she reassured him and added a sensual kiss that very quickly deepened into a passionate and hungry one.
"God, the things you make me do," he murmured. "I can't seem to stop myself."
"What sort of thing?" she breathlessly wondered, distracted enough by their bodies moving together to ignore the prickly straw.
A whimper of effort escaped his lips. "Creeping off like this, agreeing to turn up to family dinners, having to avoid my dad in the future, but most of all, wanting to make love to you each and every second," he laboured to say. "In fact I think I love you..."
The last word two words were rather lost within an amorous growl but she knew what he meant. She tried to reply with same sentiment. "I l...I lo..." But a feral yowl tore its way out, and her nails dug into his back. "We've not even known each other a full week yet," she commented with a wry laugh.
"If it's meant to be, it's meant to be," he sagely responded. "It doesn't take forever to know you've clicked with someone. But perhaps we ought to wait a month or two before we make any grand announcement."
"Two at the least," she playfully agreed. "Doesn't mean we have to stop doing this." 'This' being their cuddle.
"Oh no, definitely not!" he happily agreed with their deal/pact. "I suppose we'd better go and face Ricky now and get that other business sorted out."
"You mean the farm and the question of where you'd live? I thought that had been decided," she queried.
"No," he answered, returning to ghost his lips over hers. "I mean him strutting round like a peacock to try and win you from me."
"Well, that ain't going to happen," she scoffed, "not when I can have you instead."
The words were barely out of her mouth when he was kissing her again, with pride and possessiveness. Any doubts that might have remained in her heart were totally wiped away in that moment; John was the love of her life and there was nothing that could stop that happening now.
"Ah! You finally made it back," Roderick greeted them when they knocked on his hotel room door. Relief did not cover what he was feeling adequately enough. There was only so much of Daisy's inane drivel he could put up with in one go when they were completely alone. It was the main reason he hadn't given into her demands to officially move in with him; or unofficially, come to that.
"We came as quick as we could," John answered, resolutely refusing to look at Donna as he said it. He had no intention of giving away the true reason for their absence.
Roderick opened his door wide to welcome them in. "I have a little admission," he confessed as they both stepped in and admired their surroundings after greeting Daisy.
"Oh?" John asked. "Is it bad?"
"I don't think so." Roderick beckoned to them to sit on the large sofa that sat near the large window that took up most of a wall. Daisy was sat on one end, trying to appear pleased they had turned up and interrupted their alone time. "Since we don't get together enough, I didn't want you to worry about getting home; so I… I booked you a room for the night. My treat." He stood looking extremely pleased with himself.
No! Surely not! John blew his cheeks out in disbelief. "That's very kind of you, Ricky, but what about the sheep?"
Roderick's smug grin grew wider. "I've already informed Uncle Sydney, and he said it would be fine for you to miss a few hours in the morning."
Yeah, he bet he did! It also meant that he was likely to never hear the end of this when he got home. "Then I don't know what to say," John admitted. This sort of thing had never happened to him before and he was overwhelmed. "But thank you!"
"Think nothing of it." The grin stayed put on Roderick's face. "Would you like to see it?" he wondered in his eagerness.
"Yes. Yes please." Blimey! John still couldn't get over this; so he blindly followed Roderick, who surprisingly led them to the room next door to his.
"I kept you close; I hope you don't mind," Roderick said as he opened up the room. "And I got the staff to provide a few necessary extras."
The necessary extras turned out to be two toothbrushes, toothpaste and nightwear for both John and Donna. She fingered the nightdress with curiosity; he'd chosen a silky, short number. "Did you choose this yourself?" she couldn't help asking. There was no way she could imagine Daisy doing this for her.
"I merely suggested," he modestly replied. "Just a little gift from me for you to keep."
"It's lovely. Thank you," Donna enthused, holding the chemise tightly.
"I can't wait to see you in it," John deliberately leered; and gained the micro reaction from his cousin that he wanted.
"Yes," Roderick huffed out slowly. "Shall we go and have a drink? I've requested a little something to be put on ice for us."
"Are we celebrating anything special?" Donna meaningfully asked Roderick as she walked passed him holding open the door.
"We shall see," he enigmatically answered.