Ian began to stir as his body teetered the balance between sleep and wakefulness. His senses were heightened just enough to where he could instantly identify the room without ever opening his eyes. The warmth, the feel, the smell—they all held the familiar and comfortable essence of Rose. With these sensations surrounding him, Ian turned onto his side and extended his arm almost instinctively. Yet instead of the warm, soft presence of Rose's body, his hand grazed only empty sheets. Her absence caused Ian's eyes to suddenly open. He looked at the empty spot where his hand was still resting. The sheets were still warm, so clearly she couldn't have been gone long. A sudden, muffled sound from the front of the room caught Ian's attention, and he instantly turned towards it. The sun had yet to fully rise, but there was still enough light to distinguish Rose's slowly moving figure.

Propping himself up on his elbow, Ian called out to her. "Rose?"

On hearing his voice, Rose immediately came to a halt and looked over at him. Even in the darkened room, Ian could tell that she was surprised to see him awake. He took in her appearance, trying to piece together what was going on. She was no longer in her nightclothes, but was instead wearing an oversized jumper and what appeared to be jeans. Her hair was piled high on top of her head in a messy bun, a jacket over her arm, and a pair of shoes in her hand. The silence persisted as they continued to stare at each other, both of them motionless.

The prolonged standstill finally got to Ian and he broke the silence. "Rose, what are you doing up so early, completely dressed at that?" he asked, his voice strained due to unfinished sleep.

"Um…"

Rose lifted her hand to fiddle with a loose strand of her hair, causing her jacket to slip off her arm and onto the floor. Her eyes flickered from the jacket on the floor and then back to Ian.

"I was gonna…," she fumbled, obviously not knowing what to say at unexpectedly being caught.

Something clicked in Ian's mind and he sat up straight, looking at her intently. "You're not trying to sneak off to work, are you?"

Rose began to worry her bottom lip at hearing his question, her eyes flicking from Ian to the door, almost in a calculating fashion.

"Rose?" he asked pointedly, all traces of tiredness now vanished.

"I'm only gonna be gone for a few hours," she said, inching her way to the bedroom door, her eyes never leaving his. "I'm just gonna put out a few things, maybe make a few runs. That's it."

"Rose. No. You're on bedrest. No work."

"Three, five hours tops." She was nearly at the door.

Ian narrowed his eyes at her noncompliance. "Rose. Bed. Now."

"Back in a bit," she called out before rushing out the door.

Like a shot, Ian was out of the bed and chasing after her, his feet not even registering the cold wooden floor. Despite being more than five months gone, Rose was surprisingly fast. He made it down the stairs and to the entryway just as Rose was attempting to shove her feet into her shoes. Hearing his approach, she turned to face him, her eyes wide with surprise and slight panic at his arrival, but she quickly put those two emotions aside.

"C'mon…," she said with a flirty grin. "Just lemme go for a bit."

"No."

"Two hours?"

Ian rolled his eyes. "This isn't a negotiation, Rose. You are not going to work."

Rose pursed her lips and looked away in thought. In almost an instant, she turned her eyes back to meet his, and Ian could see something had altered within her. She quirked an eyebrow and strode slowly, yet meaningfully towards him. Stopping just a hair's breadth away, Rose lifted a finger and began slowly and playfully drawing random shapes against his thin undershirt. Ian felt his heartbeat intensify and he swallowed harshly as she looked up at him through her dark lashes.

"Please, Cillian," she practically purred.

Ian gazed at her, completely entranced by her actions, by the round and around motion of that delicate finger against his thinly covered skin. But then, suddenly, it was as if something clicked into place, and he grinned at her.

"Oh, you're good."

Rose continued to playfully trace his chest, beaming up at him. "So I've been told."

She turned to go, completely self-assured that she'd been victorious in her endeavors. However, Ian grabbed her wrist before she got out of reach.

"Yeah, I don't think so. Don't get me wrong, masterfully played, but it's not gonna work."

"This is ridiculous," Rose grumbled. "I'm going, and that's that. Nothin' ya can do to stop me."

"Wanna bet?" Ian countered, and in one swift movement, he pulled her to him and put an arm under her knees, lifting her up. Though she wiggled and attempted to extricate herself, Ian was highly motivated, and therefore easily overcame her attempts at escape.

"Cillian Andrew Smith, I am so not amused. Put me down, now!" Rose demanded, although she was rather pleased to be in his arms, even if it was not exactly the way she truly wanted.

"Nope," he replied, popping the 'p' playfully. He carried her up the stairs and into their room, depositing her on the bed and causing her to bounce just a tad. "Now, you're gonna stay in this house. No arguments. You may be one of the most stubborn people I've ever known, but it's not going to work with me. Even if you keep doing that…thing…," he trailed off and rubbing his hand against his chest, the tips of his ears pinking as he remembered Rose's earlier ministrations.

"Thing? What thing?" Rose said playfully, feigning complete innocence and giving him his smile.

"Oh, you know what thing."

"Hmm," Rose tilted her head to the side as if in thought. "No, can't say I do. Care to refresh my memory?"

Ian surprised himself by thinking about how he really would like to refresh her memory, but he pummeled his mind to move away from such thoughts. He cleared his throat and decided to change the subject as quickly as possible.

"You should, uh, get some rest. It's still rather early."

Rose scooted off the bed and stood in front of him, wrapping her arms around his neck and twirling the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Or…I could do this," she said softly, tilting her head upward and capturing his lips with hers.

Ian's frame instantly stiffened at the unexpected gesture. His mind screamed at him to refrain from responding in kind, to not give in to the fantasy that was this life. But as Rose's soft lips moved languidly, if not somewhat reverently over his, Ian felt those screams begin to subside. As the sounds became almost completely mute, he found himself relaxing into Rose's embrace and affection as his hands gently moved to her waist, almost as if it was second nature. He could feel himself almost surrender fully to that moment and begin to reciprocate; but that surrender was unceremoniously halted as Olivia's cries sounded from her room. Immediately called to his senses, Ian quickly pulled himself away from Rose.

"I-I should go…go check on her," he stutteringly excused himself before hurrying off to see to the little girl.

Rose watched Ian scurry away and sighed in frustration at her disappointed hopes. She just wanted her husband back—all of him. For one fleeting moment, Rose had sensed that he was once again with her in entirety, and that feeling was like a soothing caress to her soul. She missed him. Missed his touch. Missed his affection. Those absences literally made her heart ache. And then when he had pulled away from her, Rose had seen that old familiar guard in his eyes once more. It was maddening, quite frankly. The only thing that prevented her from going over the edge was the fact that the she could see that that guard was weakening. Whatever it was that was holding Ian back, it was quickly fading, and that insight helped to ease her disappointment from infuriating to manageable. With one more sigh, Rose grabbed some less raggedy clothes and headed to the en suite, thinking a nice hot shower sounded heavenly.

As Ian's hand rested on the doorknob to Olivia's room, he closed his eyes and released a haggard breath. What was wrong with him? He knew, he knew better than to allow himself to fall into the illusion of this world. True, he'd decided to do what was necessary to navigate his way through this reality. But was it necessary to fa-… the way he was…feeling…was that really necessary?

Livy's persistent cries pulled him away from contemplating further, and with a small shake of his head, Ian cleared his thoughts and entered the room. He had a strong sense of déjà vu as he saw the little one standing with her hands tightly grasping the crib rails, tears running down her soft, round cheeks. On seeing him, Livy called out to him just as before.

"Da!"

This time Ian approached her with very little trepidation and gathered her into his arms, swaying back and forth gently.

"Hey now. Why are you crying, little one? Huh? If anyone should be crying, it should be me. At least you know where you are, and belong here. Me, I don't understand any of this."

Olivia continued to cry, though not as strongly as before, small hiccups interrupting infrequently. Ian looked down at her and into her mirroring chocolate eyes.

"All right. Apparently that's not helping. So what exactly do you want? Anything you want, it's yours. Weelll, anything but that idiotic yellow sponge thing. I don't care what Jackie says, it's ridiculous and I'm not letting any offspring of mine watch that stupid creature. Why exactly do you like it anyway? I don't see the appeal. You're far too intelligent to fall prey to such nonsense."

Olivia's cries faded and she regarded him curiously as he spoke.

He grinned at her. "Ah, so you like the rambling bit? Good to know."

Livy squealed in delight. "Da. Dee. Da. Dee," she punctuated with playful smacks to his cheeks.

Ian chuckled but winced as one of her small fingers poked him in the eye. He gently grabbed her hand and moved it away from his face, placing a small kiss to it. "How about I keep my eyesight, what do ya say, sweetheart?"

Squealing again, Livy lurched forward and placed a sloppy wet kiss to his cheek. Ian smiled brightly at her and kissed her forehead. With that act of endearment, Ian suddenly realized that this little girl had surprisingly made her way into his heart. What was more surprising was that he was not unhappy about it in the least. Seeing her dark brown eyes shine at him made his heart surge with warmth, and he placed another lingering kiss to her forehead.

Livy pointed a little finger towards the door. "Mummy."

Ian looked to the door and took a hard swallow, thinking about said "Mummy." He turned his eyes back to Olivia.

"Are you sure? Mummy and I are…we ha-…I…weelll…I'm not sure what I'm trying to say. But honestly, are you absolutely sure you need Mummy right now? How about after we—"

"Mummy. Mummy! Mummy!" Olivia insisted, continuing to point towards the door.

He sighed. "Fine, fine, fine. Let's go."

Ian padded down the hall, unsure what would happen once he and Olivia made it to Rose. His mind kept going back to the memory of Rose's lips against his, his hands at her waist. He couldn't stop the rapidness of his heartbeat as he relived that kiss and all the emotions it brought with it. As he walked through the open door, Ian heard a soft melodious sound stemming from the en suite. The closer he got, the clearer the sound became, and he could hear Rose singing a familiar song. He braced himself against the doorframe and allowed the words and notes to wash over him.

Sun lights up the day time

Moon lights up the night

I light up when you call my name

And you know I'm gonna treat you right

There was no denying Rose had a beautiful voice, and Ian couldn't help but be entranced as he listened to her.

Ian Smith and Rose Tyler

Had a very mad affair

When her mum tried to kill him

She said, "Mum oh don't you dare"

The unfamiliar lyrics threw Ian, and he couldn't help but laugh at the changes Rose had made. As he was laughing, the shower curtain was pulled back a tad and Rose stuck her head out and teasingly glowered at him.

"Somethin' funny?"

Ian calmed his laughter and said, still chuckling, "I don't seem to remember that particular verse."

"Shame," she grinned, "It happens to be my favorite. So did you two just come in here to have a laugh, or did ya actually need somethin'?"

Motioning towards Livy with his head, Ian said, "Our child was insistent on seeing you."

"Was she now?" Rose asked with a smile.

"Oh yes. Wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Practically manhandled me to get here."

Rose grinned, partly from amusement and partly because this was more like the man she loved and adored.

"Mummy!" Livy called out, extending her arms and leaning towards her mother.

"Hey there, sweet pea," Rose cooed at her, before addressing her husband. "Well, as ya can see, I'm sorta busy; so looks like you two are just gonna have to be patient. Go amuse yourselves and let me finish up," she said, sliding the shower curtain back in place.

"But…"

The curtain flung back again, and Rose narrowed her gaze while arching an eyebrow, almost as if she was daring him to argue with her. Ian rethought his course of action and quickly closed his mouth, simply giving a short nod in response. It took a moment or two before Ian realized that he was remaining rooted to his spot, his eyes staring intently at her beautiful face, entranced by the light catching the water droplets against her skin. Rose noticed it, too, and couldn't help the cheeky grin that appeared on her face. Ian could feel a heat creep up his neck and he quickly turned and left without another word. Rose watched him as he bashfully left, smiling brightly at his affected manner. With one more thoughtful look, she closed the shower curtain and continued her song.

While Rose was finishing her shower, Ian focused his attention on taking care of Olivia, doing so not only out of true want, but also so his thoughts would be preoccupied with something other than Rose. Try as he did, it was a virtual impossibility to keep his mind from wandering to her. She was getting to him, seeping into his veins, and becoming a fundamental part of his being. He didn't know how to stop it without being cruel to her. Pushing her away would be not only a punishment to her, but surprisingly to him as well. But he couldn't do this…he just couldn't. This life…it might feel real, but the logical part of his mind continued to remind him that it wasn't—that it was impossible, that she was impossible.

But the raw emotion that Rose showered him with was the most unique, exhilarating sensation that he'd ever felt in his life. He'd never felt as alive as he did when she looked at him, when he saw her blinding smile or the pure love that radiated from her. But he was damaged, was broken. He didn't deserve this after all the pain he'd caused and mistakes that he'd made—didn't deserve her or the feelings being near her elicited within him.

"Knew you two could manage."

Ian turned around and looked up from his seat on the floor to see Rose standing there. He appreciatively took in her appearance. She was dressed in jeans, a somewhat formfitting white jumper, and the same oversized sweater from his first morning there. Her hair was down, draping her shoulders, and she had minimal makeup, just enough to highlight her eyes which were warm and sparkling as they focused on him. Ian's breath hitched and he couldn't help but think about how she was utterly beautiful. Realizing that he had yet to answer her, Ian forced himself to stop such musings.

He cleared his throat of the emotion that had surprisingly crept over him. "For the most part."

Rose walked over and stood directly beside him. "Ya hungry?" she asked, carding her fingers affectionately through his hair.

Ian merely nodded in reply, still trying to fight off the emotions building within him.

"M'kay. I'll go make something." Pressing a quick kiss to his head, Rose headed to the kitchen.

Ian watched her go and closed his eyes once she was out of view, letting out a ragged breath. This was becoming much too difficult, and he wasn't sure how much more he could take before he broke completely.

Rose reclined across the couch reading while Olivia divided her time between playing and watching the telly. Ian had gone upstairs to shower and change for the day, leaving her to her own devices. Though Rose was not particularly pleased with the fact she was confined indoors, she became reconciled to it when Ian had decided to forego work and stay with her. This would be the first time in days that they actually spent a length of time together, and Rose readily welcomed that opportunity. It hadn't slipped her notice that during breakfast, Ian would sneak glances at her as she fed Livy. She knew he thought she was unaware of it, but Rose knew the feel of Ian's eyes on her far too well. The cause of his distance still perplexed her, but the fact that it was fading was comforting.

The sound of a knock and prompt opening of the front door startled Rose. She quickly stood and walked to the entryway just as Jack was closing the door and hanging up his coat. He turned, and on seeing his face, Rose broke into a bright smile. However, Jack looked somewhat perturbed and crossed his arms, giving her an admonishing gaze. Her smile faltered at his expression, and her brow furrowed in confusion.

"What's wrong?" she worriedly inquired.

"What's wrong is that I just now found out that my sister-in-law passed out and spent the night in the hospital. And I had to hear about it through the Tyler-Smith-Noble-Sparrow-Simmonds grapevine. Do you see how I might be just a little put out by that?"

Rose winced as guilt washed over her for causing him worry. "If it makes ya feel any better, we didn't call anyone when it happened."

"Oh, well, that just makes it so much better. Let's just keep everybody outta the loop," Jack said with an eye roll.

Rose frowned at him and crossed her arms. "All right, Jack, I get it. You're angry. I was stupid, and made a mistake. But I don't need you to make me feel any worse than I already bloody well do," she replied hotly and walked away from him.

"Rose," Jack called after her, but she ignored him. With a sigh, he followed after her. He found her on the sofa and furiously changing the channels on the telly, and steadfastly refusing to acknowledge his presence.

He sighed wearily and sat beside her. "I'm sorry for acting like a jerk."

Rose briefly stopped clicking the remote and flitted her eyes to his face before turning her attention back to the telly.

"C'mon, Rosie. Ya can't fault me for being worried 'bout you."

"Yeah, well, ya didn't have to be a tosser 'bout it," she said without diverting her attention away from the telly.

"Fair enough," Jack relented. "Y'know how I get when I get worried, but I am sorry for how I sounded."

Rose finally focused on Jack and smiled forgivingly at him. "I'm just so bloody tired of everybody acting like I'm some piece of glass."

"It's just because we love you."

"Well it's bloody annoying," she grumbled.

"You're such a drama queen," Jack teased.

"Oh shut it," Rose grinned at him while she pushed at his leg with her foot.

Jack smiled back, but then all of a sudden, his manner changed, turning serious and somewhat pensive. "So… where's Ian?"

"Upstairs in the shower. He should be done soon." Rose noticed Jack's change in demeanor and frowned in confusion. "Why? What's goin' on?"

Sighing, Jack rubbed the back of his neck. "Not sure. He's just acting different…kinda like he used to be—all angry and hardheaded."

Rose tucked her hair behind her ear, but remained silent. Honestly, what could she say? She had no answers for herself, what explanation could she possibly give him? Fortunately, Jack seemed to not want to pursue the subject, because he turned to her and grinned.

"Anyway, I've been meaning to talk to you. Your friend is driving me completely crazy."

"Trouble in paradise for you and Mickey? Maybe you should try counseling," she laughingly teased.

Picking up the small pillow next to him, he swatted her.

"Ha. Ha. You're a riot. You know who I'm talking about."

"I'm tellin' you, ya gotta be patient. Donna's amazing but she's got some things she struggles with, plus she's dated some blokes who turned out to be total wankers. So even though she fancies you, she's being cautious."

"She fancies me?" Jack grinned, his blue eyes sparkling.

"What are you blind? She's practically mooning when she thinks you're not watchin', just like you stand there drooling when she's got her back turned."

Jack waggled his eyebrows. "Can't help it. She got a great back. Not to mention her front is—"

"Oi!" Rose shrieked, shoving Jack's leg again. "That's my best friend you're talkin' 'bout. I don't need to hear your commentary on her assets."

Jack laughed heartily at her reaction. Just then, Ian made his way into the living room and his eyes locked with Jack's. In that instant, Ian felt a multitude of emotions war within him, but the one that was predominate was guilt. He couldn't help but think about the last time he'd seen Jack and the horrid blunder he'd made regarding Trish Webber. Jack's countenance sobered, yet refrained from becoming harsh. Clearing his throat, he stood and placed a quick kiss to the top of Rose's head.

"I better get going, Rosie. Lots to do today. If you need anything, lemme know, 'kay?"

Rose smiled warmly at him. "Thanks, Jack."

He turned around and looked down at his niece. "Don't think I've forgotten 'bout you, cutie," he said as he swooped Livy into his arms and blew raspberries on her stomach, causing her to giggle uncontrollably. He chuckled at her giddiness and placed her back in the midst of her toys.

Turning back to Ian, he offered a small smile and said, "Harriet said to take as long as you need with Rose. She assigned Ryan to cover your caseload. He's sharp, so no need to worry on that count."

"Thanks."

There was an awkward pause before Jack finally spoke. "Well, I'll see ya guys later."

As Jack passed by him, Ian closed his eyes as the guilt within him intensified. Unable to stop himself, Ian turned and headed after his brother. Jack was nearly at his car when Ian called out to him.

Ian walked over to him, clearly nervous and unsure of himself and how to proceed in his current situation. An awkward silence pervaded as Jack regarded Ian curiously, waiting for him to speak. Ian on the other hand, had a difficult time looking at Jack, and instead, seemed to focus on anything but him.

"Was there something you needed, Ian?"

"I, uh…," Ian cleared his throat as he worked up his nerve, "I wanted to…to apologize for how I acted the other day. I was…I was wrong and I-I'm…I'm sorry."

As he finished, Ian finally looked at Jack, meeting his searching eyes. He could see Jack's eyes lose some of their hardness as he smiled at his brother.

"'Preciate that. I really do. You still need to fix things with Trish. But as far as you and me go, we're good."

Ian furrowed and released his brow, almost as if he wasn't expecting that response.

"We are?" he inquired without thought. Ian didn't even know where that question had come from, but once it was asked, he found himself anxiously awaiting the answer.

Jack gave him a somewhat incredulous look as he said, "Of course we are. We're brothers. Nothin' you could ever do will change that. Nothing."

Ian was taken aback by the sincerity of Jack's words, and took a deep swallow to clear the lump in his throat. Years of isolation and guilt battled against the warmth and acceptance of Jack's words. Offering nothing but a silent nod and faint smile in acknowledgement, Ian turned and walked back to the house.

-

It was near one in the afternoon, and Ian was left alone to amuse himself. About an hour earlier, Rose had taken Olivia upstairs for a lie down which had resulted in both girls conking out on Rose and Ian's bed. When Rose hadn't come downstairs after quite a while, Ian had gone upstairs to make sure that everything was all right. He'd passed by their bedroom door and immediately halted. Rose was sleeping soundly, her arm extended and little Livy curled into her. Their breathing was steady and rhythmic—where one inhaled, the other exhaled. The sun cast soft golden rays across their slumbering figures, encompassing them in an almost ethereal halo. Seeing them laying there, the epitome of perfect tranquility, Ian felt the air in his lungs dissipate. It was quite possibly the most beautiful thing he'd ever witnessed in his life, and for one lingering moment, Ian wanted nothing more than to remain there in that life. With his child and his…

Clearing his throat and stopping his mind from contemplating such fanciful thoughts further, Ian closed the door and descended the stairs. It didn't escape his notice that he was able to navigate through the house with ease and no confusion. Going into the kitchen, he put on the kettle and began to prepare a cup of tea. The kettle had just begun to whistle when he heard someone approach. Turning around he was startled to see Donna standing there, hand on her hip and looking irritated.

"Does nobody is this family ring the bloody bell?" Ian grumbled.

"Bells are for strangers. But don't try to change the subject on me, stick boy," she snapped, pointing an angry finger at him.

Ian looked at her wide-eyed in confusion. "We weren't talking about anything. How can I possibly change the subject when we weren't talking? You just barge in here and then start snapping at me."

"You bloody well know what I'm talkin' about. Rose ends up in hospital and you tell no one!"

"Y'know what?" Ian countered angrily and ran a hand through his hair, "I'm getting a little sick and tired of everybody demanding to know why they weren't called. Excuse me for rushing to get Rose to the hospital and not stopping to make a call. Forgive me for focusing on what was going on with her before I thought about anyone else. How bloody thoughtless of me for not putting everybody else's needs before hers. Thank you, Donna. Thank you for helping me to realize what my priorities should be!"

Haggard breaths rose from Ian's chest and he felt his face flushed with anger. Donna stood silently before him, watching as he tried to calm himself. Ian could see the anger in her eyes give way and they became glassy. She turned her head away and sniffed. Seeing her so affected tugged on Ian's conscience and he dropped his head down, taking another calming breath.

"I'm sorry."

Donna wordlessly walked over to the small table and sat down, resting her head against her hand.

"I feel guilty, all right?"

Ian's head snapped up at that, and he focused intently on her. "What do you mean? Guilty about what?"

Wiping her eyes, Donna turned and looked at him. "Guilty because I knew somethin' was up and I didn't force her to do anythin' 'bout it. I should've talked to you 'bout how she was feeling. I didn't know much, but what I did know worried me but I kept my bleedin' gob shut."

"It's not your fault, Donna," Ian sighed wearily.

She shook her head; whether it was out of disagreement or something else, Ian couldn't tell.

"I'd never forgive myself if somethin' happened to her. She's the closest thing I have to a sister and I feel like I let her down."

Ian walked over and took a seat next to her. "You didn't let her down. If anything, I should've noticed something was wrong. But my mind was too preoccupied with…other things…to pay attention."

"Thanks," Donna said with a small smile.

"Careful now," Ian grinned. "Keep acting nice and I might start to think you like me."

Donna snorted at him. "Fat chance of that, Stick," she teased.

-

After learning that Rose was asleep, Donna stayed long enough for a cup of tea and then promptly left. Even though they'd only spent all of fifteen minutes together, Ian couldn't help but feel more amicable towards Donna. Her love and loyalty were blatantly obvious—especially for Rose. With that knowledge, Ian couldn't help but put her in higher regard. Sure, she could be a little shrill, but Ian was beginning to suspect that was, in part, a defense. After all, he had experience with putting guards up.

After about another hour, Rose came down with Livy in tow. As per her usual, Livy wanted to be placed in the mound of toys on the floor. After putting her down, Rose turned and saw Ian smiling at her from his place on the sofa.

"Sleep good?"

"Mm-hmm," Rose said while stretching. She then playfully plopped down on his lap, causing him to grunt from the sudden impact.

"You should really warn someone before attempting to crush them."

"Oi!" she shrieked, poking his chest. "Ya implying that I'm crushing you? That I'm fat?"

"W-what?" Ian squeaked, his eyes bulging. "N-no…I would ne—"

Rose burst into hysterics at his floundering. "Oh my God…your face…too good."

At realizing she was jesting at his expense, Ian glared playfully at her. "Oh, y'think that's funny, do you?" he asked as he poked her in the side, which immediately caused Rose to squeal and squirm.

On seeing her reaction, Ian's eyes lit up with mischief. Rose's eyes widened as she realized what he was planning.

"Don't…Ian, no! I-I'm pregnant," she said in weak protest.

"Which means you can't get away quickly," he grinned and then began tickling her sides. Rose began to laugh uncontrollably.

"Stop…please…stop!" she pleaded breathlessly through her giggles.

Ian chuckled but finally eased up, continuing to smile at her as she buried her head into his chest, still giggling. She finally looked up at him, her smile brilliant and her eyes shining at him. A strand of hair fell in her face, and without a second thought, Ian brushed it away, tucking it behind her ear. Rose felt her breath hitch at the familiar and sorely missed gesture. His eyes flitted toward her lips and then back at her eyes. Rose leaned in closer to him, but something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She jerked her head forward and hurriedly put a hand on his chest.

"Walking."

"What?" Ian confused and disoriented from what had been about to transpire.

Rose furiously patted his chest. "Walking. She's walking!"

Ian turned his eyes to where Rose was focused and watched as Olivia moved about the floor, some steps wobbly but most of them sure and steady. She turned towards her parents and smiled before quickly walking over to them, squealing in delight when Ian scooped her up.

"Look at you, you brilliant girl!" he cheered as he placed an excited kiss to her forehead.

Rose watched with misted eyes as her husband fawned over Olivia and her milestone, reiterating to her over and over again that she was the most brilliant little girl in the universe. As he did so, Rose couldn't help the beaming smile that overtook her features as she watched more of the man she loved emerge.

_

The evening passed rapidly and when it was finally night, Ian trudged up the stairs. Rose had gone to bed right after putting Olivia down for the night, clearly exhausted, though she wouldn't admit to it. Ian quickly and quietly changed, sliding onto his side of the bed. As soon as he pulled the duvet over himself, Rose moved over towards him, snuggling into his side. For a moment, he remained frozen, unsure of what he should do. Then, very slowly, he wrapped his arm around her and closed his eyes, softly smiling and sighing in what could only be called contentment.

_

Rose felt Ian's arm encircle her, and in the darkness, she smiled.